Young People and Volunteerism: A Model of Sustained Volunteerism During the Transition to Adulthood

A model of sustained volunteerism in young people is proposed. The longitudinal study addresses the questions ‘‘Why do young people decide to continue to volunteer over an extended period of time?’’ There were 158 volunteers (82 female and 76 male). The volunteers completed measures of motivation to volunteer, integra- tion, and satisfaction with the organization, merged effects due to voluntary service, social support, identity, and intention to volunteer on a first (Time 1) and a second research wave (Time 2). Results show that both disposi- tional and organizational variables are important in determining long-term volunteerism in young people and confirmed that role identity is the best predictor of intention to volunteer.