From Nice to Necessary: Volunteering Is Critical for Society

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In a world defined by rising anxiety, disconnection, and division, the need for service has never been more urgent. As I’ve written about before, volunteering isn’t just a way to help others—it’s one of the most powerful ways we create meaning, reduce loneliness, and feel connected to something larger than ourselves. The simple act of volunteering, for example, has been found to improve both mental and physical health.

The benefits are huge. But volunteering efforts often go unseen, unsupported, and underfunded.

Here’s a case in point: For three decades, AmeriCorps has served as one of America’s most powerful engines for civic service. The government-sponsored organization dispatches more than 200,000 volunteers each year to support children, veterans, and older adults across the country. Since 1999, AmeriCorps members have contributed more than 8 million hours to nearly 3,400 disaster relief projects, helping communities recover from wildfires, hurricanes, and other emergencies. Due to recent federal policy changes led by the Department of Government Efficiency, AmeriCorps is being dramatically defunded. Thousands of staff are on leave. Programs are being paused or shuttered. And nonprofits and communities that once relied on a steady stream of volunteer support are being left in limbo.

The disconnect between the importance of volunteering and the funding required for it is more than a budget issue. It’s a warning signal. In a world that feels increasingly divided and uncertain, volunteerism is one of our most reliable pathways to connection, purpose, and community resilience. And, yet, it remains dramatically undervalued.

Volunteers Make Communities Work

Volunteering does more than help other people. It improves the mental health of the person giving their time. It builds skills and confidence. It reduces loneliness and fosters belonging. It advances the missions of nonprofits and strengthens communities. In a world where anxiety and social isolation are on the rise, that kind of connection is no longer a luxury. It’s essential.

According to a new report sponsored by one of my clients, who is the world’s largest volunteer service organization, Points of Light, one-third of the nonprofit workforce is made up of volunteers. Yet, half of all critical volunteer roles go unfilled each year. The full report, informed with research conducted by The Bridgespan Group and titled From Nice to Necessary: Unleashing the Impact of Volunteering Through Transformative Investment, is available for download here.

The report reveals a major misalignment between nonprofit priorities and those of funders. For example, 72 percent of nonprofits say volunteers are essential to their mission. Yet only 25 percent of funders agree, leading to massive underinvestment in a critical success factor for community impact. Of the $1 trillion in foundation giving from 2016 to 2025, only 0.19 percent of that investment supported volunteer engagement.

Nonprofits are doing their best to fill the gap, but they’re struggling. And the reason may surprise you: It’s not a lack of people willing to serve. It’s a lack of funding to support those people in becoming and serving as volunteers. Volunteering involves coordination, management, and resources, not just good intentions.

This disconnect leads to what Points of Light calls the “cycle of underinvestment.” Nonprofits can’t measure the true impact of their volunteers because they lack tools and funding. Funders don’t see strong data, so they don’t prioritize giving. And so the cycle continues.

When Volunteerism Saves Lives: Youth Mentorship

Take, for example, youth mentorship. In the decade before 2019, mental health disorders and suicidal behaviors among high school students rose by more than 40 percent. One of the most protective factors for young people? A relationship with a trusted adult.

Volunteer mentors across the country fill this gap, offering emotional support, encouragement, and guidance. Many of these mentors serve for years, forming deep connections that help shape a young person’s future. And, yet, an estimated 22 percent of youth seeking a mentor are stuck on waitlists, waiting for someone who can step into that role.

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Without volunteers, these kids may fall through the cracks. With them, they gain confidence, life skills, and hope.

When Volunteerism Rebuilds Communities: Disaster Relief

In times of crisis, volunteers are often the first to respond and the last to leave. They work side by side with professional responders to deliver emergency relief, distribute supplies, and help coordinate local recovery efforts. After the immediate disaster subsides, skilled volunteers—translators, legal advocates, mental health professionals—stay behind to help communities heal and rebuild.

Whether it's staffing shelters after hurricanes or organizing food and supply drives after wildfires, volunteers bring empathy, speed, and scale to recovery efforts that would otherwise be overwhelmed.

The Volunteering Imperative

Points of Light offers three key recommendations to break the cycle of underinvestment:

1. Get better data: Nonprofits and funders need to measure not just volunteer hours but also their impact on communities and society.
2. Build stronger infrastructure: Nonprofits need funding to recruit, train, and manage volunteers effectively.
3. Create more dialogue: Funders and nonprofits must have honest conversations about what’s needed to sustain a vibrant volunteer workforce.

As I’ve written in my latest book, Experiential Intelligence, having direct experiences like volunteering can change lives. Volunteers help kids stay in school, help seniors stay connected, help cities recover from trauma, and help people of all ages find meaning and belonging.

Being of service to others isn’t a feel-good extra. It’s the foundation of a healthy, functioning culture and society. If you have an opportunity to volunteer, do it. If you can contribute to a nonprofit’s volunteer programs, support them. The world needs more volunteers now more than ever.

Service to others may be the simplest, most powerful tool we have that’s hidden in plain sight—and ready to address today’s greatest problems. Let’s activate it.

If you or someone you love is contemplating suicide, seek help immediately. For help 24/7, dial 988 for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.