This paper examines factors affecting volunteer labor supply with two specific goals: (1) a reassessment of the model and empirical process outlined by Paul Menchik and Burton Weisbrod using a larger data set from a more recent time period; and (2) an exploration of how volunteer labor supply is affected by liability exposure of volunteers, a factor which Menchik and Weisbrod did not address.Data from a nationwide 1992 poll on volunteering conducted by the Gallup Organization and Independent Sector is applied to the quantitative approach which Menchik and Weisbrod used on data from 1977. Tobit regression analysis finds significance in some variables in the Menchik and Weisbrod model -- including variables relating to gender, offspring, education, religiosity, and parental attitudes to giving. Volunteer liability exposure has been a subject of debate in the U.S. Congress and other public policy arenas, and the Volunteer Liability Protection Act became law in 1997. The volunteer liability factor is measured in two ways -- using the variability of certain legal protections for line volunteers among state laws and using per capita tort filings per state as a "litigousness index." The "litigousness index" variable demonstrated value in predicting volunteer labor supply, which suggests that potential volunteers respond to a more generalized rather than activity-specific threat of lawsuits. Individuals' information searches probably do not go as far as to examine legal provisions affecting their specific activities. / Master of Arts

Volunteers are essential for the success of almost any organized event. However, volunteering has undergone a process of modernization, in which altruistic or collective forms of volunteering, motivated by intrinsic behaviors, have been replaced by more egoistic or reflexive ones, which are extrinsically motivated. The purpose of this master’s thesis, following qualitative methodologies in the form of semi-structured interviews and my personal observations, the factors of motivation and satisfaction of nine volunteers from the 2021 Lahti Ski Games, as well as how their previous volunteering satisfaction could have impacted their motivation to engage in volunteering action this year have been analyzed. Furthermore, given that the event took place during the Covid-19 pandemic, the implications of the virus on the motives to volunteer and its consequent events on the volunteering experience have been investigated.Results demonstrate that despite both types of motivation to volunteer are shown among participants, modern forms of volunteerism seem to have a higher presence. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that previous volunteering satisfaction has a clear influence on the intentions to volunteer in the future. Finally, it is stated that the event taking place during the Covid-19 pandemic did not influence the motivation as much as the satisfaction of the volunteering experience. Thus, this thesis generates unique knowledge on the topics of volunteering motivation and satisfaction. However, the implications of Covid-19 have not been yet deeply investigated and it suggests that further research could be conducted on the topic.

Volunteering is an important subject in today's society. The society as well as the volunteers themselves profit from volunteering. This thesis handles the topic of young people and volunteering. It deals with the opinion of young people about volunteering as well as with the motivations and barriers young people have in connection to volunteering. There has been a qualitative research conducted within this thesis. The method of focus group was used for it. Young people between 16 and 19 years were the target group of the research. Besides motivation and barriers it focused as well on the channels through which people get information about volunteering. There are recommendations concerning the promotion of volunteering between young people in the final part of the thesis. Those conclusions are aimed mainly for the European Year of Volunteering 2011.

The present thesis focuses on the development of volunteerism as a part of the professionalization of a nonprofit organization. Case study took place in the organization Pestrá společnost, which is dedicated to the training of assistance dogs and provides social services to the owners of assistance dogs. The organization uses volunteers regularly and on long-term basis. Research in this organization confirms the fact that quality management of volunteerism effectively utilizes the capacity of motivated volunteers and reduces overall financial costs. The theoretical part focuses on the professionalisation of management of volunteering through the selection and training of volunteers with regard to their motivation. It describes how the motivation of volunteers links with the aims of the organization. An organization, which is interested in linking together the motivation of volunteers and its own aims during the process of their selection and training must undoubtedly benefit from this collaboration. The practical part in the form of a case study focuses on a concrete organization. The qualitative part of the research provides specific suggestions for changes and measures that are proposed as the part of the action research. These measures are also implemented and three months after their...