Reboot Alberta

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Wildrose Policy Wants to Put a Price on Volunteering

The Wildrose Alliance is talking about giving a tax break for volunteering.  I can't see that is anything close to a good idea.  It runs contrary to the human motives about wanting to contribute to the greater good. Volunteering is not about individual rewards but participating in something greater than yourself.

Daniel Pink talks about the motivators of Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose for volunteering.  People do what they love because the love it and payment - like tax credits sullies the sense of contribution.  Community is formed by intrinsic rewards being enough of a motivator.  You don't strengthen a community by paying people to do what they love.  Remove barriers and increase capacity for people but don't insult them with payment to do what they love to do.

Listen to this video on the research that shows why this is.



The attitude that you can put a cost on everything tends to be blind to the fact that what people really value.

3 comments:

  1. to recieve anytype of a payment for Volunteering cancels out the term "Volunteer"' to be financially rewarded for actions is payment

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  2. Thanks for this Ken. I support your stand. I volunteer from my heart and do not even want a thank you note for it let alone anything else. And I certainly am trying to teach my teens the value of just being in community, volunteering because they are able - without accolades.

    ...Ellyn

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  3. Anonymous9:51 pm

    Wildrose wants to leave Bill 44 as it is. I am joining the Alberta party and pushing for stronger parents' rights that the PC's won't give either.

    ReplyDelete

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