Willingness to Volunteer: An Exploration of the Potential Volunteer Pool for Community Arts Programs

Abstract

Volunteers are critical for many local arts and culture programs. In contrast to most research, we focus on potential rather than actual volunteers. Using data collected from an online survey of 948 participants, we explore the extent to which individuals are willing to contribute both their time and money to support community arts initiatives. Results from a binary two-stage instrumental variable (IV) probit indicate that a significant predictor of willingness to volunteer is the willingness to pay and the intangible value placed on arts activities and engagement. These findings have implications for recruitment initiatives by public and community arts organizations reliant on volunteer support.