Marketing Initiatives and Campaigns to promote Volunteering - a ...

Motivating Factors for joining major US voluntary organizations and showingrankings of importance, to young people.US Peace Corps AmeriCorps USA FreedomCorpsMake a difference 1. 1.Develop career and leadership skills 2.Enhance career prospects 3.Educational benefits 4. 4.Financial benefits and loan deferment 5. 5.Benefits last a lifetime 6.Leave your mark on the world 2.Help people with less opportunities up the3.ladderStrengthen American communities 1.Share American compassion around world 2.Acts of kindness and decency which are3.“changing America one heart at a time”As this table indicates, there is considerable divergence between the three leadingvolunteering agencies about the primary motivation amongst Americans who volunteer,apart from agreement between the US Peace Corps and AmeriCorps that ‘making adifference’ is the most important motivation, and that educational and financial benefitsfor the volunteer are also important (ranked 4 and 5 by both agencies). However, bothwebsites make it clear that young people are the main source of volunteers for theseorganisations, often students in their ‘gap year’ between school and university, andeducation awards to pay off student loans or fees are emphasised. Both organisations alsoattract older volunteers.None of the American websites examined establish a precise definition of volunteering,and no clear distinction appears to be made between volunteering in return forremuneration and volunteering without financial reward.In summary, the American volunteering organisations emphasise:• ‘Making a difference’• Educational benefits for the volunteer• Financial benefits for the volunteer• Career benefits for the volunteer• Volunteering as a great American tradition• The value of volunteering in rebuilding American communities. Two sitesmention Robert Putnam’s important book Bowling Alone: the Collapse andRevival of American Community (2000)10