Motivations to Volunteer Among Older Adults

Background and purpose. Research has demonstrated that younger and older adults differ in their motivations for volunteering. Studies of motivation within the older adult population are rare  -- but important to programs seeking to improve recruitment of older volunteers.  The effects of various motivations on subsequent outcomes of the volunteer experience, like duration of volunteering or satisfaction with the volunteer experience, have not been adequately addressed. This study examines 1) factors associated with motivations for volunteering among older adults; and 2) how

Methods. Using data from a study of the national Experience Corps® program (EC), 435 new volunteers were interviewed at the time they first volunteered for EC and one-year after serving in the program.  Volunteers were asked why they volunteered for the EC program; and open-ended responses were coded into four types of motivation (altruistic, self-oriented (e.g. to feel needed), a mixture of altruistic and self-oriented, and reasons related to practical features of the program itself (e.g. well-run organization, convenient location).  Regression analyses were conducted to identify socio-demographic, social support, and volunteer history factors associated with motivations for volunteering as well as to document the effects of motivation on volunteer behaviors, including completion of term of service, extent to which expectations were met, and perceived benefits of participation.

Results.  Thirty-five percent of participants in EC reported altruistic motives; and another 35% reported a mixture of both altruistic and self-oriented motives, followed by self-oriented only (16%) and practical features of the program (14%).  African Americans and low-income females were more likely to be motivated by a mixture of altruistic and self-oriented motives, while non-African Americans were more likely to report self-oriented motives. Male respondents were more likely to report altruistic motives, and low-income older adults were less likely to be attracted by practical features of the program.  Motivation type did not affect length of volunteer service, satisfaction with the program, or perceived benefits of volunteering.  However, those who reported volunteering for altruistic reasons were more likely to report that the experience met their expectations.

Discussion. Results indicated that recruitment messages regarding the altruistic nature of the volunteer work could be targeted toward African Americans, which could potentially increase the diversity of the volunteer workforce. Another major implication is that motivations for getting into the volunteering role may be less important than other factors in ensuring a successful volunteer experience. Efforts to retain volunteers and ensure more positive outcomes might focus on organizational factors.