Volunteering and Measures of Human Development

Through volunteering, millions of people actively participate in the work of overcoming challenges to human development. But how do differences in income, gender, access to education, labor-force participation, and other factors influence people’s participation in volunteering? Created as part of a global research agenda to inform connections between volunteering and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this brief reports results on correlations between national rates of volunteering (both formal and informal) and key indicators of human development. The findings suggest that differences in levels of human development, standards of living, and other key indicators play roles in whether a nation’s residents volunteer

The Evolution of International Volunteering

This historical review examines the evolution of large government-supported international volunteer cooperation organizations from the UN First Development Decade to the post-2015 sustainable development era

Strategic Directions for Global Research on Volunteering for Peace and Sustainable Development

This workshop report is a co-creation of the United Nations Volunteers, the International Forum on Volunteering for International Development, and the Center for Social Development. It summarizes the workshop on strategic directions for global research for sustainable development that took place in Bonn, Germany, on July 6 through 7, 2015

Access to International Volunteering

This analysis examines rates of international volunteering among various demographic groups in the United States using data from the 2005 Current Population Survey. We use logistic regression analyses to address the importance of inclusion. Those most likely to serve overseas are white, highly educated, young, foreign-born individuals without dependent children in the home and not employed full-time. As a type of volunteering implemented primarily through the nonprofit sector, these findings suggest implications for recruitment and retention of volunteers who serve abroad

National and International Volunteerism Among Volunteers in the United States, 2005

National and International Volunteerism Among Volunteers in the United States, 200

Emerging Perspectives on International Volunteerism in Asia

Created for the International Forum on Development Service’s FORUM Research series, this paper presents an assessment of knowledge on international volunteerism in Asia. Data for the assessment come from an online survey of 80 organizations that send volunteers to Asian countries, face-to-face interviews conducted with staff in 47 organizations, and focus group discussions with 32 volunteers after their return from international service. The findings have implications for volunteers, their managers, hosting organizations, researchers, and policymakers. The paper served as the foundation for the Forum Research 2010 address before the annual conference of International Volunteer Cooperation Organisations. Slides as video from that address are also accessible: Presentation slides, presentation by Caroline Brassard (Part 1, Part 2), and presentation by Margaret Sherraden

Perceived Impacts of International Service on Volunteers: Interim Results From a Quasi-Experimental Study

There is growing interest in the potential of international service to foster international understanding between peoples and nations and to promote global citizenship and intercultural cooperation, and international service may be growing in prevalence worldwide. Despite the scale of international service, its impacts are not well understood. Although there is a growing body of descriptive evidence about the various models and intended outcomes of international service, the overwhelming majority of research is based on case and cross-sectional studies, which do not permit conclusions about the impacts of international service. This paper reports on a quasi-experimental study that assesses perceptions of the impact of service on international volunteers, matched to a comparison group that did not volunteer internationally during the same study period. The results of this quasi-experimental study suggest that international volunteer service has a positive impact on international volunteers’ perceived international awareness, international social capital, and international career intentions. However, compared to the non-participants, results suggest that international service does not have an impact on volunteers’ perceived intercultural relations. In addition, several variables are found to influence specific outcomes

Measuring Volunteer Outcomes: Development of the International Volunteer Impacts Survey

Current research on international volunteering and service is largely descriptive but program administrators and policymakers seek information about outcomes. This article reports on a 90-item survey administered to 983 respondents. Using factor analysis procedures, we assess factor structure and reliability across a range of outcomes in an International Volunteer Impacts Survey (IVIS) instrument designed to measure IVS volunteer outcomes. Resulting outcome categories include international contacts, open-mindedness, international understanding, intercultural relations, global identity, social skills, life plans, civic activism, community engagement, media attentiveness, and financial contributions. In this article, we discuss research design, survey administration, and further development of the IVIS

Inclusion and Effectiveness in International Volunteering and Service

Inclusion and Effectiveness in International Volunteering and Servic

Perceived Impacts of International Service on Volunteers: Interim Results From a Quasi-Experimental Study

There is growing interest in the potential of international service to foster international understanding between peoples and nations and to promote global citizenship and intercultural cooperation, and international service may be growing in prevalence worldwide. Despite the scale of international service, its impacts are not well understood. Although there is a growing body of descriptive evidence about the various models and intended outcomes of international service, the overwhelming majority of research is based on case and cross-sectional studies, which do not permit conclusions about the impacts of international service. This paper reports on a quasi-experimental study that assesses perceptions of the impact of service on international volunteers, matched to a comparison group that did not volunteer internationally during the same study period. The results of this quasi-experimental study suggest that international volunteer service has a positive impact on international volunteers’ perceived international awareness, international social capital, and international career intentions. However, compared to the non-participants, results suggest that international service does not have an impact on volunteers’ perceived intercultural relations. In addition, several variables are found to influence specific outcomes