Volunteering and Philanthropy Essay Example

It is true that volunteering and community service strength American social fabric. Participants in volunteer activities and community services motivate other members of society to develop the spirit of helping others and establish a friendly relationship. As a result, they increase the frequency of interactions with other people, thus strengthening American social fabric. On the other hand, allowing members of the American society to participate in volunteer activities increases interaction with other people in the society which in turn leads to the development of strong social ties. As a result, they become involved in their issues and provide social capital. For example, based on the interaction with other members of the society, they become friends and avail them with information regarding a free medical camp supported by the government.

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However, there exist two main motivations for participation in volunteer opportunities. Firstly, individuals are motivated by the desire to acquire work experience and skills to enhance qualification for future job opportunities (Smith et al., 2010). Volunteer opportunities expose participants to the dynamics and challenges they will encounter once they assume the job market. Secondly, volunteers are motivated by the desire to meet the civic responsibility of providing social capital to the community (Smith et al., 2010). In this case, one volunteer with the intention of addressing a prevalent problem in society. For example, one might decide to offer teaching service to a local school to address the problem of staff shortage. Therefore, given an opportunity to volunteer, I would be motivated by the need to provide social capital to society. My community is facing numerous challenges such as high school dropouts, drug abuse, and inadequate staff in learning institutions. As a result, relevant skill and knowledge acquired from school to aid in addressing those problems.

People participate in charity donations for various reasons. Some participate in charity donation as a form of payback to the non-profit organization for its contribution to the well-fare society (Sanders, 2017). For example, one can donate to an NGO clinic as compensation for their effort in improving the health status in the society. People also attribute their charity donation to the need to provide opportunities to a section of the community (Sanders, 2017). Others also donate to provides benefit to the community and save lives. Donations based on these reasons are channeled towards organizations that provide social services to the society. There exist other people who donate to because they want to be identified with the charity organization.

Based on the contribution of Hope Clinic towards improving the health status in the society, I decided to donate. Hope Clinic offers free medical services to its clients. Therefore, by contributing, I contributed immensely towards sustaining its operation. The donation will be used to acquire medical supplies. Given the basis for contributing to Hope Clinic, I could still support the cause even it was undertaken as an anonymous donation. My priority was to support the clinic and terms of donating were not of importance.

Conclusion

Technology contributes immensely to giving to non-profit organization and technology. Through current technology, such as social network, sponsors of the charity donation can create awareness about their charity donation among across the world. As a result, they collect a large volume of a donation from the public. Technology also makes payment easier and cheaper for potential donors. For example, through online money transfer, donors can make donations at a location of convenience. Some people may be willing to donate, but lack of means of payment may hinder their participation.

References

Sanders, B. (2017). Sixteen reasons why people give to charities and strategies for activating

giving. Business Journal. Retrieved from https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/growth-strategies/2017/01/16-reasons-why-people-give-to-charities-and.html

Smith, A.K., Holmes, K., Haski-Leventhal, D., Cnaan, A.R., Handy, F. & Brudney, L.J. (2010).

Motivation and benefits for student volunteering: Comparing regular, occasional, and non-volunteers in five countries. Canadian Journal of non-profit and social economy research, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 65-81. Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1165&context=spp_papers