Abstract
Every year, millions of Americans volunteer their time, estimated to be worth over one hundred billion dollars in free labor. Volunteering is essential for most non-profit
organizations in the United States because they lack the revenue to afford to pay for this
necessary labor. Statistics show volunteer rates in environmental organizations in the
United States are second to last. Although Hispanic Americans are the largest minority
group in the United States, their presence in environmental advocacy organizations is
deficient and not representative of their volunteerism in other sectors. This
underrepresentation is at odds with evidence which suggests Hispanic Americans are
more concerned about environmental issues than any other demographic in the United
States. This qualitative, phenomenological research study aimed to explore the lived
experiences of ten Hispanic American volunteers at non-profit environmental advocacy
organizations in Southern California regarding their perception of what motivates them to
volunteer for and remain with these organizations. This study's findings revealed four
themes that significantly motivated the participants' decision to volunteer: Intrinsic
Motivation/Internal Locus of Control, Leadership Influence, Social & Cultural
Influences, and Experience & Growth Opportunities. This study contributes to an existing
body of research on volunteer motivation. The results contribute to the limited research
on motivation factors of Hispanic American volunteers in non-profit environmental
advocacy organizations.