Volunteer Motivation, Satisfaction and Future Volunteering Intentions in a Faith-Based Organization

Volunteers and volunteer-led organizations are an invaluable part of the third sector, particularly nonprofit organizations. However, these organizations have witnessed a steady decline in volunteering in recent years. Coupled with changes in religious affiliation in many developed countries, faith-based organizations are further impacted by this decline. This study draws on a survey of volunteers in a faith-based nonprofit to provide insights into volunteer motivation, satisfaction, and future volunteering intentions. Most volunteers are driven by altruistic motives and satisfied with their volunteering experience. Using ordered logistic regression, we found that future volunteering intention is not significantly associated with religious affiliation, but overall satisfaction and tenure are strong predictors in our model. We apply the volunteer functions inventory and life course perspectives to interpret these findings. Our results offer important practical insights into how faith-based organizations and the nonprofit sector more broadly may position themselves to adapt how they engage with volunteers.