The main causes of these problems are lack of management skills in fundraising, inordinate reliance on state grants, and inadequate legislation regarding NGOs and taxes. Volunteers usually participate in various activities in an organization. The need for volunteers is far greater than the supply. For organizations, voluntarism is an advantage because volunteers represent a cheap source of labor and are typically enthusiastic, have good moral standards and possess a variety of skills. Voluntarism is a disadvantage because volunteers often lack spare time, represent recruitment difficulties, are insufficiently qualified and difficult to manage, and account for problems in communication.
Volunteers are predominantly middle-aged, female and employed.
More than one-half of all nongovernment social welfare organizations in Slovakia did not exist three years ago. Twenty percent have been in existence between four and ten years. The oldest such organizations are the Red Cross, organizations with a religious affiliation and charitable organizations. Under the Communists, many had to interrupt their activities or work illegally. Many of these organizations identify with this tradition and count the start of their activities from the date on which they were first created in Slovakia.