The Effective Factors of Red Crescent Society Volunteers

INTRODUCTION: Community participation can be increased by identifying the effective factors of volunteers' participation of Red Crescent Society. This paper aims to understand the effective factors influencing volunteers' participation in Red Crescent Society. METHODS: In this qualitative study, active and inactive (general) volunteers and also heads of voluntary affairs of Iran Red Crescent Society were questioned using concentrated group discussion and semi-open qualitative questionnaires. FINDINGS: Participation is the main goal of active volunteers; they believe in-group discussions to overcome powerlessness in Red Crescent Society. On the contrary, the inactive volunteers consider participation as an instrumental approach to suggest transparency for trust increasing. In view of the active ones, participation is a task to response their own inner needs, but the other ones attribute it to the organizational management deficiency. Volunteers’ organization authorities assume it is necessary to organize the need of participation in society continuously and fundamentally. CONCLUSION: It should be a bilateral function regarding to various viewpoints of voluntary participation. In one hand, it is the method of volunteers training and awareness to present in-group meetings and make a decision and in the other hand, it is the way to be responsible for their duties. It should say that participation is both as the ultimate goal and target in Red Crescent Society.