Evaluating the Structure, Demographics, and Effectiveness of the Mississippi Master Naturalist Program

The purpose of our evaluation was to assess the structure, demographics, and effectiveness of the Mississippi Master Naturalist Program (MMNP) from 2015-2019. Results show that racial diversity within the MMNP was low and offering basic training courses during the work week attracts more retirees. Subsequently, an average retiree completed nearly three times more annual volunteer service hours than a non-retiree. Therefore, targeting retirees may be the most effective means of enhancing environmental stewardship within this program. Additionally, the results of this evaluation highlight that active recruitment of underserved populations is necessary to increase the diversity of participants in Extension programs.

You Shall (Not) Pass: Strategies for Third-Party Gatekeepers to Enhance Volunteer Inclusion

Volunteering appears to be a mechanism that can contribute to societal inclusion. As nonprofit organizations continuously seek more volunteers, opportunities for volunteer inclusion seem limitless. We argue that, in reality, it is not that simple. Volunteer exclusion derives from the failure to seek, recruit, and place potential volunteers with antecedents predicting non-volunteering. This article focuses on the “sending-organization” in dual volunteer management. We look at sending-organizations, such as a corporation or school, that organizes volunteer opportunities for its participants in a “receiving-organization,” i.e., the organization where the volunteer service is performed. Based on qualitative data generated from semi-structured and vignette interviews, we explore the crucial role that gatekeepers at the sending-organization play in the inclusion and exclusion of volunteers in receiving-organizations. We identify three strategies for these sending-gatekeepers to enhance volunteer inclusion: encouraging, enabling, and enforcing.

Volunteer Service After The Volunteer Service: The Sector Of Employment And Veteran Volunteering

The purpose of this article is to illustrate how changes in institutional environment may impact veteran volunteering. We argue that veterans are likely to adapt to new institutional environment as they start working for different sectors such as private, public and nonprofit. Findings suggest that regardless of the sector of employment, veterans are more likely to volunteer than non-veterans. Additionally, veterans in the federal government, nonprofit sector and those who are self-employed are more likely to volunteer than veterans working in the private sector. However, no difference exists between veterans in the local government, state government and the private sector. Inversely, state and local government employment increases the likelihood of volunteering for the non-veterans, but federal employment has no influence. This study aims to fill the gap in our understanding of institutional environment and its impact on veteran volunteering. Implications for practitioners and future research are discussed at the end.