The History of Volunteering
IST's Gives Back
“What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good.” -Aristotle
According to the United Nations Volunteers Program in 2018, Americans donated more of their time than any other nation in the world. Participating in community service initiatives is deeply rooted in American culture and continues to shape communities through service, collaboration, and generosity.
Volunteer: A person who works without pay or assumes an obligation to which they are not a party or otherwise interested. This act of willingly dedicating time and effort is central to building stronger societies.
Community:
- A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
- A group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society.
A community is not just defined by geography, but by the shared values and connections that allow people to support one another and build resilience within a larger society.
Service: An act of helpful activity; aid. Service often extends beyond individuals to address broader needs—whether that be hunger relief, disaster response, or educational support.
History of Volunteering
Americans have a lengthy history of volunteering and community involvement, from food drives to environmental cleanup. The first publicly known formal volunteer effort was the Union Fire Company, founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1736. This act was the first of a long-standing precedent of incredibly impactful volunteer fire departments. As communities grew across the country, so did varying organized charitable groups. Today, whether it be the YMCA, Salvation Army, Wounded Warrior Project, or the Boys & Girls Club of America, the opportunity to find a specific organization with a mission that personally resonates is at an all-time high.
Maintaining Strong Community Connections
Many would describe the most rewarding benefit of volunteer efforts as the positive change made for those in need. While this is an excellent primary motivator to get you to participate in local initiatives, there is an often-overlooked benefit to supporting community service programs. "The characteristics of local volunteerism most valued by communities are the ability to self-organize and to form connections with others." (United Nations Volunteers Program) Establishing connections with our neighbors, across the street or even across the city, positively impacts an individual's social circle and identity. Working together to find a common solution or the most efficient strategy to attack a community issue builds trust between volunteers, while allowing local priorities to be front and center.
Age, occupation, or other aspects of life experience and identity that diversify us can alter the approach we take towards getting involved. "Generations find their voices in different ways. So, the kinds of volunteer engagement that worked for an older, more suburban generation may not work as well now." (AP News) Younger generations are more likely to volunteer through digital platforms or issue-specific campaigns, while older generations often prefer traditional, long-term community commitments.
Measuring Impact by the Numbers
Since its development in 2020, the IST Gives Back Community Outreach program has been incredibly fortunate to form some amazing partnerships through shared visions for positive change.
- Between 17 cities and 40+ employee donations, Team IST raised $21,574 to support medical research and treatments for our annual CF Great Strides campaign.
- This year alone, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation have raised $14,610,696 in support of their mission to find a cure for cystic fibrosis.
- From book bags to crayons and binders, our 2024 Ticket to Dream x IST Back to School Supply Drive collected seven boxes of supplies to support local Atlanta foster children in their academic careers.
- Ticket to Dream programs reach over 222,000 foster children nationwide.
- Our recent #GiveHealthy x IST virtual fresh food drive was successful, with our highest contributing site in Atlanta, GA raising 2,161 lbs. of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- #GiveHealthy raised 150,000 pounds of fresh food in NYC in just one year!
These numbers demonstrate how individual contributions may seem modest, but collective action creates exponential impact. Volunteering is more than just a helpful deed or a fulfilling personal experience. By getting involved through an organization or your workplace, we can connect our local communities to global networks of change.
What Impact Can We Make Together?
From building stronger connections within neighborhoods to generating measurable national impact, volunteerism demonstrates the power of collective action. Whether through local initiatives or large-scale campaigns, communities continue to prove how meaningful change begins when people come together to serve others.
Our team’s 2025 Gives Back Awareness Survey has been a huge resource in understanding what our employees are truly passionate about, ensuring we can amplify these causes and organizations. We look forward to the opportunity to continue learning about under-supported communities and causes, giving back to our employees by supporting the causes closest to their hearts.
Mukwashi, Amanda Khozi. 2018, State of the World’s Volunteerism Report “The Thread That Binds Volunteerism and Community Resilience.”
Gamboa, Glenn. “Helping out: How American Volunteerism Is Changing - and Why.” AP News, AP News, 21 Apr. 2023, apnews.com/article/volunteering-american-history-generation-philanthropy-8daaf54e7327b8f59853adc1faf4eab1.
Hay, Kristen. “What Is Volunteerism? A Guide to the History & Benefits.” Bloomerang, 1 July 2025, bloomerang.co/blog/what-is-volunteerism-a-guide-to-the-history-benefits/
