16. September 2009

Despite troublesome times in the economy close to half of the Estonian population has participated in volunteer activities over the past year. However, fewer acknowledge that it is namely volunteering they do. This is demonstrated by the study, commissioned by the Volunteer Activities Development Centre.


Translated by Arvo Anton, NENO's volunteer

According to the study, the main activities people have carried out were helping other people (50%) and participation in the rescue or maintenance work (43%).

The study was prepared in cooperation of TNS Emor, the largest marketing research and consulting company in Estonia, Praxis Center for Policy Studies, an independent non-profit think tank in Estonia and Ms Kristina Mänd, a civil society consultant. Voluntary activities were defined in the context of the study as offering one's time, energy or skills for the benefit of the society and the public interest voluntarily and without expecting remuneration, also activities carried out for the benefit of others. Helping members of the family or making financial donations were not considered as volunteer activities.

According to the study volunteering offers true joy and satisfaction to the active individuals, as well as it offers an opportunity to interact and spend a pleasant time with other people. Volunteering is deemed necessary both for personal development and for the wider development of the society, it has generally a good reputation. This was expressed by people who had volunteered and also by those who hadn't.

Majority of the respondents thought that volunteering is a growing trend but it should nevertheless get more attention than so far. For example this sort of activities could be appreciated more by the employers, opinion leaders and by the state. Main reason for not participating in volunteer activities was the lack of time (46% of the respondents who had not volunteered).

"It is obvious that volunteering has a great potential in the Estonian society, but it is not yet deployed efficiently. The study can be useful source of information for small village NGOs or even for big national umbrella organizations e.g. about developing volunteer activities or about motivating the volunteers", says Tuulike Mänd, the director of Volunteer Activities Development Centre.

She adds: "When involving volunteers one must take into account, that each volunteer has his own objectives or reasons, which make them to act. Precondition for involving volunteers is, that there should be a complete vision of the relationship between the person and the organization, that there is a supportive attitude from the organization."

Altogether 601 persons of age 15 or more were interviewed across the Estonia for the study. The group included 401 persons who had participated in the voluntary activities and 200 who had not. The survey was conducted by telephone in May 2009. The study gives valuable information to organizations dealing with volunteers but also to other interested stakeholders about the characteristics of the volunteers, motivation to act as a volunteer and about the obstacles encountered.

The organizer of the study, Volunteer Activities Development Centre, contributes to the spread and development of volunteering in Estonia. The organization aims to raise awareness about volunteering, to build the capacity of different organizations for doing so, to involve volunteers and lead them and to build a supportive environment for volunteer activities. The study was supported by the Ministry of the Interior and the National Foundation of Civil Society.

The study (in Estonian) can be downloaded from:
www.vabatahtlikud.ee/et/Vabatahtlik-tegevus/Uuringud


Additional information:
Gerda Möller
TNS Emor, expert
gerda.moller@emor.ee

Tuulike Mänd
Volunteer Activities Development Centre, director
tuulike@vabatahtlikud.ee