Toronto journalist Catherine Mulroney argues that mandatory volunteering simply does not work. "Institutionalizing something that was once voluntary, there is a risk of turning off future volunteers, teaching them only that helping out is a chore to be crossed off a to-do list rather than a valuable experience for both volunteer and recipient," she writes.  Read article

Money follows involvement, says volunteer expert Thomas McKee. Studies show that majority of Americans give to charities and at least one volunteer in that household. McKee suggests that charities should also provide volunteers to contribute financially -- and they might reply, "what took you so long?'  Read article

Gone are the days when managing volunteers was a "relaxed and casual affair" writes volunteer management expert Andy Fryar. He noted how much change volunteering work has gone through over the past 20 years, bringing in so many answers. But now the question is: Where it will end and where will it lead us?  Read article

One in every four Americans volunteered last year and the percentage of people who donated their time, is the largest of any other country. As government social programmes are increasingly cut, recent statistics indicate growing numbers of volunteers in America.   Read article

As little as five years ago, during the peak of the internet boom, newly minted tech millionaires were criticised as stingy. Now technology billionaires are investing their money, time and intellect in charitable causes.  Read article