Volunteering as a Lifelong Career: Calling, Multi-organizational Involvement, and Life Impact

This study explores how long-term volunteering can develop into a meaningful and sustained career path. Using narrative inquiry with 15 volunteers in Indonesia, we examine how individuals are motivated to begin volunteering, how they structure their ongoing involvement, and how they expand their roles across multiple nonprofit organizations. Our findings identify three flexible phases in the volunteering career: motivational foundations, focused involvement in one organization, and societal leadership across several organizations. We also identify four factors—environmental, spiritual, personal, and ambassadorial—that influence sustained engagement. While volunteers experience personal fulfillment and a strong sense of purpose, they also face challenges in balancing their commitments with family and work life. This study contributes to understanding volunteering as a form of long-term career development, shaped by both individual motivations and social contexts.