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Volunteerism and Burnout: Does Satisfaction of Motives for Volunteering Protect Against Symptoms?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

Jessica L. Morse Open the ORCID record for Jessica L. Morse [Opens in a new window] ,
Bryan J. Dik ,
Adelyn B. Shimizu  and
Kaitlyn A. Reed
Jessica L. Morse*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, 1876 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1876, USA
Bryan J. Dik
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, 1876 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1876, USA
Adelyn B. Shimizu
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, 1876 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1876, USA
Kaitlyn A. Reed
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, 1876 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1876, USA
*
Jessica.morse@colostate.edu
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Abstract

Volunteering leads to many positive outcomes, especially when one’s reasons for volunteering are satisfied by one’s volunteer experience. But does this match between motive and experience mitigate against negative outcomes? This study examined whether congruence between reasons for volunteering (i.e., Volunteer Functions) and outcomes of volunteering (i.e., Volunteer Outcome Satisfaction) predicted lower levels of volunteer-related burnout in a sample of 512 adult volunteers. Congruence predicted significantly lower levels of burnout only for the Understanding and Values functions. Volunteers who were highly motivated to volunteer for Understanding and Values functions and experienced satisfaction in these domains reported significantly lower levels of burnout than their counterparts. Contrary to hypotheses, participants who reported low motivation for Enhancement or Social functions but who endorsed high satisfaction of these functions reported lower levels of burnout than those who reported congruence between these motivations and outcomes. Additionally, the congruence hypothesis did not hold true for the Protective or Career functions. Volunteer organizations are urged to attend to the importance of satisfying desired functions of volunteering and to help volunteers identify best-fitting opportunities.

Keywords

Volunteer functionsVolunteer outcomesSatisfactionBurnout

Information

Type
Research Papers
Information
Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations , Volume 33 , Issue 2 , April 2022 , pp. 229 - 241
Copyright
Copyright © International Society for Third-Sector Research 2020

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