As someone who has given freely of her time in a variety of capacities since elementary school, I say, “Of course it is!” If I didn’t have to work to pay the bills, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t have a full-time job, and I wouldn’t own two businesses. I’d still work, but I would focus only on those things that served my own values and the good of others, and I would do it from the heart, without charging a fee or demanding a salary.

I do have to make a living wage, though, so I give most of my time right now to that full-time job and a little bit extra to my businesses. To balance things out, I also am able to volunteer some of my time and money for a few different organizations.

In elementary school, I worked weekly at the zoo, and a couple of summers I raised orphaned wild birds for them at home. In high school, I branched out into other areas: I learned Braille at 15; served as Volunteen, CPR, First Aid, and Babysitting Instructor for the Red Cross; I was on the leadership council for the Red Cross, presenting at the National Convention at 16; I was president and vice president of several clubs at school, teaching younger kids about Ecology and tutoring others in German; I ran the weekend recycling program at the City Building and was Fourth of July parade chairperson for six years for the City of Fort Thomas. I’ve likely left some things out; I was very busy growing up. I loved the volunteering. It was great being able to help others.

As an adult, I have served a number of different organizations on an ongoing basis and worked many single events at my paying jobs. But let me tell you something. Volunteerism has changed a lot in the last several decades. It hasn’t happened across all organizations, but many have lost that ability to take care of the people who, without expectation of anything, raise their funds, watch over their seniors, play with their children, deliver the flowers and books and letters to their patients, write their copy, edit their advertising, rehab their wildlife, preach their sermons, serve meals at their events, teach their classes, and all the other hundreds of jobs volunteers take on each and every day.

When I was growing up, organizations that used volunteers trained them, encouraged them to work the hours they were able (even if it was just one a week–or month, for that matter), put them in positions that suited them and they enjoyed, treated everyone equally, talked to them to understand their wants, needs, and concerns, kept them informed about changes to their work, and made sure everyone was respectful of one another.

I’ve talked to a lot of volunteers and worked for a number of organizations over the last several years. It is not uncommon to be expected to work the equivalent of a part-time job in hours these days and pay for the privilege of doing it; volunteer managers often don’t touch base with their people, and they many times ignore concerns and switch jobs without discussing it first. I’ve been given jobs I have loved and done well, only to have them taken and given to someone else; I’ve been completely ignored when offering to do a particular job; I’ve been summarily dismissed when I’ve offered suggestions based on my own experience and knowledge. There is a hierarchy among volunteers now, and folks at the top sometimes don’t allow others the opportunity to use their skills or learn new things.

Organizations are going to start having problems getting and keeping volunteers if they don’t recognize skills, experience, and passion in the people who want to work with them. And if they don’t remove the people who are just not able to do the job or who make the work miserable for other volunteers. And those of us who find value and purpose in offering our time and skills to others in need might struggle to find that meaning somewhere else. In planning the structure for my own nonprofit, I am making sure that volunteers help make key decisions, have input on all major changes, are thoroughly trained, are completely transparent in their dealings with the public, are doing the job they most want to do, and are celebrated at every turn. Strong, happy volunteers are the only way to make a strong and successful business.