When it comes to giving, the choice is quite personal. There are thousands of organizations that request donations of time, talent or treasure. For some, spending time at a school or charity event is a fulfilling way to give back. For others, donating a piece of artwork for a silent auction or performing in a gratis band gig best suits their lifestyle. Another option is to donate money, which is always appreciated in any amount.

Motivations behind donations vary as much as what is donated. There is an interesting idea of “mandatory volunteerism” or “mandatory community service.” You could get thrown off by the “community service” term, as it evokes a feeling of paying back as punishment. Some like the term better, as it could be less of a paradox than putting “mandatory” and “volunteerism” together.

Mandatory volunteer/service hours are frequently found in schools. Many school organizations require their students to obtain a certain amount of volunteer hours during the school year. This is an effective way to introduce kids to the idea of giving back, if they do not already do so. It can give them knowledge of local groups that provide valuable services in the community, expose them to different jobs and services, and the opportunity to meet people, both like and unlike themselves, which is a valuable experience as well.

A 2003 article in the New York Times, aptly titled, “The Logic of ‘Mandatory Volunteerism,’” addresses the idea of mandating volunteering in New York City Schools. Some school systems entwined the idea of volunteerism into their academic cultures, adding an emphasis of having students being positive parts of the community. Addressing an opposing view of requiring something that should be intrinsically self-driven, one of the principals at an NYC school offered, “’How many students would do homework if we didn’t require it? I don’t think a lot of kids would read all the books and do their assignments. We think it’s up to the professionals to decide what is important to learn, and to do that, you have to have them experience it.”[i]

In the working world, an employer cannot force an employee to perform volunteer/service hours. In many work cultures, volunteering is encouraged to give back to the community and to maintain positive public relations. Particularly in schools, parents are encouraged to give time in classes and fundraising events. While some donate this time with a happy spirit, there are those who donate time out of guilt (perhaps self-induced mandatory service hours?). For a humorous perspective on why NOT to donate time at a school, check out on “guilt and not volunteering at my kids’ school” here: http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2013/01/on-guilt-and-not-volunteering-at-my.html#ixzz5GGRypPiq. The comments are funnier and even more candid than the video. After reading/watching, the piece comes across almost more as a commentary on adult social anxiety than about volunteering. However, it sheds some interesting ideas about deciding to volunteer time or not, why it is sometimes easier to write a check and if the terms “mandatory” and “volunteering” can actually coexist.

[i] https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/23/nyregion/the-logic-of-mandatory-volunteerism.html