What is the value of volunteers for non-profit organizations?

A study on the value of volunteers as resources for non-profit organizations in welfare services in Iceland is described. The topic relates to an international academic discussion on the volunteer function within non-profit organizations. The discussion has until now focused more on the supply of vo...

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Published in:Veftímaritið Stjórnmál og stjórnsýsla
Main Authors: Kristmundsson, Ómar H., Hrafnsdóttir, Steinunn
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:Icelandic
Published: Stjórnsýslustofnun 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.irpa.is/article/view/a.2013.9.2.16
https://doi.org/10.13177/irpa.a.2013.9.2.16
id fticelandunivojs:oai:ojs.hi.is:article/1230
record_format openpolar
spelling fticelandunivojs:oai:ojs.hi.is:article/1230 2023-05-15T16:49:12+02:00 What is the value of volunteers for non-profit organizations? Hverju skipta sjálfboðaliðar fyrir íslensk félagasamtök? Kristmundsson, Ómar H. Hrafnsdóttir, Steinunn 2013-12-15 application/pdf http://www.irpa.is/article/view/a.2013.9.2.16 https://doi.org/10.13177/irpa.a.2013.9.2.16 isl ice Stjórnsýslustofnun http://www.irpa.is/article/view/a.2013.9.2.16/pdf_298 http://www.irpa.is/article/view/a.2013.9.2.16 doi:10.13177/irpa.a.2013.9.2.16 Icelandic Review of Politics & Administration; Árg. 9, Nr 2 (2013); 567-584 Stjórnmál og stjórnsýsla; Árg. 9, Nr 2 (2013); 567-584 1670-679X 1670-6803 Volunteers non-profit organizations third sector Sjálfboðaliðar félagasamtök þriðji geirinn info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Peer-reviewed Article 2013 fticelandunivojs https://doi.org/10.13177/irpa.a.2013.9.2.16 2022-09-21T13:39:12Z A study on the value of volunteers as resources for non-profit organizations in welfare services in Iceland is described. The topic relates to an international academic discussion on the volunteer function within non-profit organizations. The discussion has until now focused more on the supply of volunteers than demand. This article is to meet the need for analysis of how non-profit organization use volunteers as resources. The study is based on the authors’ database from 2011 on the majority of active non-profit organizations in welfare services in Iceland and an analysis of their respective web sites in 2013. It is concluded that even though volunteers exist within most non-profits, their role cannot be considered essential and is limited to governance boards and time-limited activities, such as fund raising. The level of activity of volunteers depends on the operational size and the role of the organization. Their input decreases with increased number of paid staff and their activity is less within non-profit service providers than member oriented and campaign organizations. The finding is in harmony with international research, for example on the effects of professionalization within the third sector. The research conclusion is noteworthy having in mind international research which indicates that the interest of the general public to become volunteers has essentially not changed in the past decades. The current findings raise the issue of how well traditional organizations of non-profits meet the needs of the public for volunteering. Lýst er niðurstöðum rannsóknar á mikilvægi sjálfboðaliða sem auðlindar fyrir félagasamtök í velferðarþjónustu á Íslandi. Viðfangsefnið snýr að alþjóðlegri fræðilegri umræðu um hlutverk sjálfboðaliða innan félagasamtaka. Sú umræða hefur fram að þessu beinst meira að framboði sjálfboðastarfs fremur en eftirspurn félagasamtaka eftir slíku framlagi. Rannsókninni er ætlað að bæta úr þörf á að greina hvernig félagasamtök nýta sér sjálfboðaliða. Notast er við tvö gagnasöfn höfunda, ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland University of Iceland: Peer Reviewed Journals Veftímaritið Stjórnmál og stjórnsýsla 9 2 567
institution Open Polar
collection University of Iceland: Peer Reviewed Journals
op_collection_id fticelandunivojs
language Icelandic
topic Volunteers
non-profit organizations
third sector
Sjálfboðaliðar
félagasamtök
þriðji geirinn
spellingShingle Volunteers
non-profit organizations
third sector
Sjálfboðaliðar
félagasamtök
þriðji geirinn
Kristmundsson, Ómar H.
Hrafnsdóttir, Steinunn
What is the value of volunteers for non-profit organizations?
topic_facet Volunteers
non-profit organizations
third sector
Sjálfboðaliðar
félagasamtök
þriðji geirinn
description A study on the value of volunteers as resources for non-profit organizations in welfare services in Iceland is described. The topic relates to an international academic discussion on the volunteer function within non-profit organizations. The discussion has until now focused more on the supply of volunteers than demand. This article is to meet the need for analysis of how non-profit organization use volunteers as resources. The study is based on the authors’ database from 2011 on the majority of active non-profit organizations in welfare services in Iceland and an analysis of their respective web sites in 2013. It is concluded that even though volunteers exist within most non-profits, their role cannot be considered essential and is limited to governance boards and time-limited activities, such as fund raising. The level of activity of volunteers depends on the operational size and the role of the organization. Their input decreases with increased number of paid staff and their activity is less within non-profit service providers than member oriented and campaign organizations. The finding is in harmony with international research, for example on the effects of professionalization within the third sector. The research conclusion is noteworthy having in mind international research which indicates that the interest of the general public to become volunteers has essentially not changed in the past decades. The current findings raise the issue of how well traditional organizations of non-profits meet the needs of the public for volunteering. Lýst er niðurstöðum rannsóknar á mikilvægi sjálfboðaliða sem auðlindar fyrir félagasamtök í velferðarþjónustu á Íslandi. Viðfangsefnið snýr að alþjóðlegri fræðilegri umræðu um hlutverk sjálfboðaliða innan félagasamtaka. Sú umræða hefur fram að þessu beinst meira að framboði sjálfboðastarfs fremur en eftirspurn félagasamtaka eftir slíku framlagi. Rannsókninni er ætlað að bæta úr þörf á að greina hvernig félagasamtök nýta sér sjálfboðaliða. Notast er við tvö gagnasöfn höfunda, ...
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Kristmundsson, Ómar H.
Hrafnsdóttir, Steinunn
author_facet Kristmundsson, Ómar H.
Hrafnsdóttir, Steinunn
author_sort Kristmundsson, Ómar H.
title What is the value of volunteers for non-profit organizations?
title_short What is the value of volunteers for non-profit organizations?
title_full What is the value of volunteers for non-profit organizations?
title_fullStr What is the value of volunteers for non-profit organizations?
title_full_unstemmed What is the value of volunteers for non-profit organizations?
title_sort what is the value of volunteers for non-profit organizations?
publisher Stjórnsýslustofnun
publishDate 2013
url http://www.irpa.is/article/view/a.2013.9.2.16
https://doi.org/10.13177/irpa.a.2013.9.2.16
genre Iceland
genre_facet Iceland
op_source Icelandic Review of Politics & Administration; Árg. 9, Nr 2 (2013); 567-584
Stjórnmál og stjórnsýsla; Árg. 9, Nr 2 (2013); 567-584
1670-679X
1670-6803
op_relation http://www.irpa.is/article/view/a.2013.9.2.16/pdf_298
http://www.irpa.is/article/view/a.2013.9.2.16
doi:10.13177/irpa.a.2013.9.2.16
op_doi https://doi.org/10.13177/irpa.a.2013.9.2.16
container_title Veftímaritið Stjórnmál og stjórnsýsla
container_volume 9
container_issue 2
container_start_page 567
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