Benefits of Volunteering (for the volunteer individually)

Information and research on the tangible benefits of volunteering, from improved health to job hunting to tax deductions.

By Stephan Meier and Alois Stutzer; academic research study from the Institute of Empirical Research in Economics at the University of Zurich , 2004, pp. 34
a study conducted by the Boy Scouts of America exploring volunteers' motivations and highlighting the benefits of volunteering , 2003
By Petra Cook and Nicky Jackson. Explores how volunteering can help to develop the critical professional management skills of working with people who have different timeframes, values and interests. It assesses the personal experiences of senior managers and also their views on volunteering in their capacity as employers. The study also examines the views and actual experiences of returned VSO (UK) volunteers. , 2006, pp. 24
by Renaissance London, report of a 3-year project at the largest archaeological archive in Europe designed to test volunteering as a form of social inclusion by recruiting volunteers from diverse backgrounds , 2010, pp. 18

There is lots of anecdotal evidence that volunteering has a positive impact on health but a 2008 research review commissioned by Volunteering England seeks to determine what impact it really has. Site has full report and 4 page summary.

, 2008, pp. 101
ServiceSpace Blog

"ServiceSpace was conceived by volunteers, was built by volunteers, and is run by volunteers -- all for the benefit of volunteers. Our projects range from a daily positive news service, to an acts-of-kindness portal, to a gift-economy restaurant." The blog is an exchange of reflections among volunteers about inspiration and service.

Survey Measures of Youth Civic Engagement

CIRCLE (The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement) and their colleagues have developed and tested various measures of young adults’ “civic engagement” (including their political participation; their community service and local civic work; and their knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values). These measures are available for anyone to use. 

Volunteer Work and Well-Being

Summaries and links to research articles on this subject, from the US National Institutes of Health.

Archived Infocast from the AICPA Young CPA Network - Original run date, Jan. 23, 2013 - 90 minutes

Three young CPAs share their experiences in volunteerism that has led to personal development of skills transferable to many aspects of their lives, including the workplace. 

 

 

Video of a 2014 TEDxUOttawa talk (11 minutes) by Tuan Nguyen, a young Canadian philanthropist and entrepreneur. Surviving death during his escape after the fall of Viet Nam in 1975, he sees the world from a lens of gratitude and has been the foundation for all his hopes, dreams, and vision. His stories demonstrates how volunteerism (mainly fundraising events) is the best platform for professional and personal development.