How do developed countries motivate volunteering: A comparative analysis of national recognition awards for volunteers in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Ireland

Abstract

Purpose: With the rapid growth of volunteering in worldwide, the question of how to recognize volunteers at the national level to motivate volunteering has become a pressing matter. In a few of developed nations, volunteering is motivated by the establishment of national recognition awards for volunteer. As a result, the goal of this paper is to aid decision-makers in enhancing volunteering by drawing on the experience of these developed countries.
Methods: This paper adopts a literature-based approach and presents a comparative analysis of national recognition awards for volunteer in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, and Ireland. The comparison factors include the objectives of awards, categorization criteria, eligibility prerequisites, nomination requirements, and the evaluation process. Following that, an examination of similarities and differences between the awards will be presented, and the article will end with some suggestions.
Results: Each of these four countries has established standardized and effective criteria for volunteers’ recognition awards, despite that each country's practices vary to some extent. Based on these circumstances, nations conscious of the importance of volunteer recognition which should expedite the establishment of national recognition awards for volunteers, broaden participation, focus on the effectiveness of service, establish reasonable application standards while ensuring the transparency of the selection process, and actively seek to expand cooperation with other social organizations.