Helping those in need: volunteering for humanitarian organizations and for refugees

This dissertation offers new insights into volunteering for humanitarian organizations and for refugees. In doing so, it consists of two parts. In part one, I aim to shed light on the bigger picture by examining volunteering for humanitarian organizations across the Dutch population, answering the question: who volunteers for humanitarian organizations in the Netherlands? In part two, I take a closer look by studying dynamics in volunteering for refugees within one refugee aid organization, with the question: what are motivations to start and (dis)continue volunteering for refugees at VluchtelingenWerk Nederland? With regard to question one, I conclude that we cannot assume that humanitarian organizations (always) know ‘who’ their volunteers are. There is much volunteer turnover, as voluntary careers within a single organization are more likely to be short-term. However, there is a sufficient inflow of new volunteers to compensate for the large outflow. Concerning question two, most people are motivated to volunteer for refugees because of feelings of compassion. Moreover, when these volunteers are treated as professionals by the organization they volunteer for, they are more likely to continue. Vice versa, organizational deficiencies and personal circumstances result in people quitting volunteering for refugees.