It is another thing to depend upon them to fill the gaps left by failures and cutbacks in welfare and other government programs. In this light, it is decidedly not the thought that counts. Volunteerism is often understood as a virtue, but now it should also be understood as a market. And viewed that way, it is an inefficient one. Most volunteers are not deployed effectively to solve the hardest, and most critical, problems.
Management is often poor, and amazingly little is known about which volunteer programs really work.
To an extent rarely acknowledged publicly, especially by many conservatives, the volunteer sector is not ready for the responsibilities now being thrust upon it. Sometimes volunteers are in abundance. When disasters strike, there is never any shortage of volunteers to fill sandbags and comfort victims. Habitat for Humanity rarely has trouble attracting volunteers on weekends. And for this type of assistance, there is a shortage of volunteers.