Patterns of Volunteer Activity in Professional Associations and Societies

Professional and occupational societies rely on volunteers for leadership, expertise, member recruitment, fundraising, legislative
activity, and many other activities. Yet, volunteerism in the professions has received very little analytic attention. This
study uses a large, international dataset produced by the American Society of Association Executives to examine patterns of
volunteer activity in 23 professional associations and societies. A comparative analysis allows us to test widespread theories
on the factors that predict volunteer activity in the particular context of professional life, where the motivations to volunteer
may vary. Our findings suggest that some patterns of professional volunteer activity mirror what we can expect in a non-professional
context (i.e., church or community volunteering), while other patterns are distinct. Our findings have particular relevance
in understanding that a professional’s demographic characteristics and voluntary preferences are context-specific and must
be accounted for in volunteer recruitment efforts.