Become richer: work for nothing. That's one of the slogans to attract volunteers. You have time on your hands, you have a social conscience, so why not give something back to society? The simple way would seem to be to volunteer; to trade what you have - time - to make someone else's life better. Except it's not always that easy.  Read article

More Americans  are volunteering than ever before -- 29 percent of adults have volunteered in 2005 -- the highest in 30 years according to a December report by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Studies say that it's partly because volunteerism is uniquely rooted in the American character.  Read article

New research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, highlights the tensions that voluntary organisations face between working to support refuges arriving in Britain and the rules surrounding government funding for their work.  Read article

"Should the salt of the earth be managed?" asked the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) in 1983, referring to the trend for formalising the training of those who gave their spare time to help a worthy cause. The response to this question when repeated since has always been 'yes'. And the trend towards professionalism has continued and appears to be welcomed by volunteers.  Read article

International development charity VSO has reported a dramatic decrease in the number of professionals under 50 volunteering, even though interest in volunteering overseas is at an all time high amongst other age groups.  Read article