The Social Marketing of Volunteerism: A Functional Approach

From every corner of society, voices have been raised to urge people to volunteer their time and e ort for the common good. People can get involved through a variety of organizations, from religious institutions to youth groups to workplaces to schools. Communities o en thrive on contributions from within, as do the arts and the environment, as well as sports and recreational activities of very variety. ose in need nd solace and support for problems associated with poverty, ill health, loneliness, hunger, and strife. Indeed, in the United States, for example, people who have long been taught that idle hands do the devil’s work have also learned to put those hands to good use, devoting ample amounts of their leisure or discretionary time to volunteerism.