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Topic: Arts and the Private Sector: Volunteerism
Volunteerism in America was first observed and written about by Alexis de Tocqueville in 1835. The Frenchman, who spent only nine months in America in the early 1930s, was fascinated by the American idea of forming "associations" in their professional, social, civil, and political lives. In today’s nonprofit sector, de Tocqueville's observations still aptly characterize the financial and operational support provided by volunteers.
In the nonprofit sector, volunteers serve as a critical human resource. All nonprofits are lead by volunteer board members and other volunteers provide critical support—from docents and ushers to fundraisers and advocates. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 63.4 million people, or 26.8 percent of the population, volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2008–September 2009. Of those, 2.15 million volunteered for sports, hobby, cultural, or arts organizations.
Resource:
Business Volunteers for the Arts
Programs such as Business Volunteers for the Arts® (BVA) specialize in the recruitment, training, and placement of business professionals as pro bono management consultants within nonprofit arts organizations. Since its inception in 1975, this program has involved thousands of volunteers, who have provided consulting services valued in excess of $100 million to thousands of arts groups. It is the largest arts volunteer program in the nation and has an extensive affiliate network throughout the country.
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