Nonmonetary Rewards for Skilled Volunteer Labor: A Look at Crisis Intervention Volunteers

Abstract

The unpaid labor of volunteers requires an explanation for its moti vation. Three theories of volunteer reward are examined: leisure, investment, and a perceived link between volunteer behavior and subsequent outcomes. Volunteers at a crisis intervention center were surveyed, and a set of patterns of volunteer motivation was identified. Implications are drawn for volunteer-employing organizations and public policy.