Volunteering and Mental Wellness

Volunteering helps improve your mood, makes you feel healthier, increases your sense of purpose, and reduces
your stress levels. Volunteering can also give us a deep
sense of happiness, both immediately and long term.

Let's Volunteer!

The Benefits

The Research Says

of volunteers

0 %

say that volunteering has helped them manage a chronic illness such as depression.¹

of people

0 %

who volunteer say that volunteering improves their mood.¹

of people

0 %

who volunteer say that volunteering has made them feel healthier.¹

of volunteers

0 %

say that volunteering enriches their sense of purpose.¹

of volunteers

0 %

say that volunteering lowers their stress levels.¹

of people

0 %

who volunteer say they feel they have control over their mental health and depression.¹

of volunteers

0 %

say they are better communicators because of volunteering.²

of volunteers

0 %

say they were more aware of their community after volunteering.²

of volunteers

0 %

say they felt more confident after volunteering.²

¹ UnitedHealth Group. (2017). doing good is good for you study. www.unitedhealthgroup.com/content/dam/UHG/PDF/2017/2017_Study-Doing-Good-is-Good-for-You.pdf

² Employer supported volunteering: Factsheets. CIPD. (2024, March 6). www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/factsheets/employer-supported-factsheet/

The Science

When you volunteer or do an intentional act of kindness for someone else, you make an impact – both on them and on you! There is great research to support the effects doing good has on our mental wellness. We have collected some of that research here. This is just some of the science that supports our work and outlines why it’s so beneficial to do good things for others. We call that practicing kyndfulness. No matter how you do it, get out there and do good…because science.

Volunteering and the Workplace

Individuals who volunteer have a 27% higher chance of finding a job compared to their non-volunteering counterparts. Learn More
An estimated 36 percent of employed Americans, or 51.2 million people, say their workplace encouraged volunteering or charitable giving in 2021. Learn More
- Among Americans who work for an employer that encourages civic engagement, 42 percent actually do volunteer and 69 percent give to charity.
The findings from a survey indicate that most people get out of their volunteering what they hope or intend to when they first start. Learn More
- 93% of those who stated that gaining skills was among their key reasons for getting involved and 82% of those looking to improve their career prospects agreed that they had benefited in these ways.

Benefits of Volunteering

“Giving to others can also help protect your mental and physical health. It can reduce stress, combat depression, keep you mentally stimulated, and provide a sense of purpose.” Learn More
Helping people, changing lives: 3 health benefits of volunteering. Learn More
A Chinese Proverb: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a month, get married. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else.” Learn More
Volunteering – Why Doing Good Is Good for You. Learn More
Benefits of Volunteering: 10 Reasons To Volunteer. Learn More
Association of volunteering with mental well-being: a lifecourse analysis of a national population-based longitudinal study in the UK. Learn More

Kyndfulness

Researchers found that while a giver looked at the value of the item or action, the receiver saw greater value in the warmth of the gesture and the positive social interaction. Learn More
“Kindness is a universal language that can bring people together regardless of age, race, ethnicity, religion, status, and identity.” Learn More
Kindness Can Have Unexpectedly Positive Consequences. Learn More
“Rather than viewing it exclusively as an action, think of kindness as a quality of being you can cultivate. Giving kindness often is simple, free and health-enhancing.” Learn More
Why we all need to be a lot less hesitant about being kind. Learn More
“If you’re an emerging leader, being kind to your employees can help you retain top talent, establish a thriving culture, increase employee engagement, and enhance productivity.” Learn More
Cool to be kind: being nice is good for us – so why don’t we all do it? Learn More

Brain Science

“Kind deeds have long-lasting benefits for your brain and general welfare, so the happiness you experience after performing one isn’t just a passing feeling, according to a study.” Learn More
The science behind kindness and how it’s good for your health. Learn More
“’Helper’s high’ is the name given to that feeling of well-being that follows an opportunity to extend an act of kindness, donate money to a charitable cause, or volunteer in a meaningful setting.” Learn More
The Neurology of Kindness. Learn More
“Stress is a common modern affliction that can have detrimental effects on both mental and physical health. Volunteering, it turns out, can be a powerful antidote to stress.” Learn More