What Drives People to Help Their Communities?

In 1889, a woman named Jane Addams purchased a house in Chicago—not for herself, but for the destitute populations of Western Chicago. Addams would turn the building, Hull-House, into an extensive settlement, which would house, educate, and employ tens of thousands of people throughout the turn of the 20th century. Addams’ course of action left many wondering about her motivations. Was Hull-House a political statement? A financial opportunity? Or something else entirely? Of course, this type of community-based work was not a new thing by any means; humans have been serving their communities for no compensation since the beginning of time. Nearly everyone participates in service on a small scale; in fact, it is so commonplace that society rarely gives it a second thought. However, when people take this behavior to the extreme—like Addams did—it evokes the question: why do people serve their communities? What, specifically, motivates them? With further exploration into the nature and experiences of humans, these inquiries can be decisively answered: people choose to participate in uncompensated community service work because they are motivated by a sense of obligation; a desire for emotional fulfillment; and an inclination to build a more connected community. This conclusion can be confirmed by countless sources, including statistics, direct interviews, scientific studies, and works of literature. 

One of the biggest factors that drives humans to serve their communities is a sense of obligation; the idea that one owes something to the people around them. Addams herself expresses this motivation in her autobiographical novel, 20 Years at Hull-House, attributing the philanthropic efforts of her settlement to “a sense of social obligation from the very knowledge of adverse city conditions which the club members possessed” (Addams, 381-382). This type of motivation can be found behind many philanthropic efforts, including those of Nataliya Yufa, an educational reformer from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Yufa, originally from Ukraine, runs a non-profit program called Math Circle, which relies on volunteers to provide free math classes to local disadvantaged youth. In a 2025 interview, Yufa was asked various questions about her work, and what motivates her to take part in it. She explained that, when she had first arrived in the U.S. from the Soviet Union, she had been met with unimaginable kindness and opportunity; as a result, she felt an obligation to return the favor, stating, “I am really grateful to America for taking me and my family in, and I want to give back.” She essentially expresses that giving back is a necessary favor, given how much she has received from others; this affirms the idea that people are driven by a sense of obligation to help their communities.

This idea was also heavily promoted by German philosopher Emmanual Kant, who believed that humans are driven by an innate sense of social obligation. In his 1788 social commentary, Critique of Practical Reason, he emphasizes this type of motivation, attributing human thoughts and actions to “the moral law within” (Kant 260). In this text, he essentially describes the brain—and behavior, in turn—as the result of a perceived moral duty. According to this doctrine, community service should be interpreted as the execution of innate moral obligations, as those are the proposed motivators behind human actions. A research paper by Emily A. Greenfield offers more specific evidence. In her paper, Greenfield analyzes a study done on participants of various ages and backgrounds, assessing the extent to which social obligation motivated their decision to help others. According to Greenfield, “Results [of the study] provided evidence in support of felt obligation to help society” (Greenfield 8). In her analysis of collected data, she states that there is strong indication of an innate sense of obligation within people, encouraging them to help those around them. Given that a sense of moral duty exists within the human mind, it seems logical that people would be driven to serve their society without external compensation.

Some would argue that this sense of “obligation” is a front for the desire to receive external rewards, such as societal praise. However, this is a dubious claim, considering the lack of praise that service work often receives. While Addams might have received some level of respect, she was also heavily criticized and accused of promoting socialism; Yufa was repeatedly rejected by schools when she first proposed Math Circle; and, according to Kant, the joy derived from external rewards is short-lived and surface-level, thereby making it unlikely to drive significant and selfless service work. This would render the theory of a hidden motive illogical, given that service work does not always receive external reward, and the reward itself has dubious effects. Both Addams and Yufa have identified a sense of moral obligation as a motivator for their work, and the prominence of this obligatory feeling has been heavily explored and affirmed by philosophers and scientists alike. This obligation is unlikely to be tainted by the desire for external reward, as previously established, affirming the idea that a sense of moral obligation motivates people to help their communities.

 Another reason people help their communities is because charitable behavior is linked to emotional fulfillment; thus, many people help their communities in search of fulfillment. This connection is affirmed in a 2022 article from the National Alliance on Mental Health; it is stated that, “In times when you feel lost, volunteering can give you a sense of purpose. Dedicating time to a cause can give you new direction and allow you to find meaning in something unexpected” (Lockard 2022). According to this source, providing uncompensated service can give people a sense of purpose in their lives. Many people desire this sort of fulfillment, leading them to volunteer in their communities. Yufa links her own community service work to a similar motivation; in her interview, she states, “There is a joy in doing something for others; it’s just how we’re wired, evolutionarily.” With this response, she affirms the idea that there is an emotional benefit to helping others, making it a desirable thing to take part in. She later states, “I certainly think [giving back to your community] is what makes for a good life” (Yufa 2025). She reasons that, when one serves their community, they get to see the benefits of their work; this instills a sense of accomplishment and, in turn, emotional fulfillment.

This link between community service and the desire for emotional fulfillment is further proven by a 2025 survey conducted among 52 students at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School. In the survey, students were asked a series of questions about their experience with community service and its impacts. Over 94% of respondents agreed that helping people leads to an increase in personal happiness. Students were also asked to report their personal feelings after performing community service work; of the 39 students who reported volunteering in the last year, 100% of them reported a subsequent feeling of satisfaction. One responder remembered feeling “accomplished and productive”, while another stated that community service made them feel “so fulfilled”; a third student reported that community service gave them “a feeling of purpose”, while another called volunteering “very rewarding.” These results show that people are largely conscious of the link between volunteering and personal satisfaction; furthermore, many respondents have personally experienced this connection, motivating them to provide further service to their community. 

 One might argue that the search for fulfillment is not specifically connected with community-specific work, but rather volunteering on all scales. It is true that fulfillment is highly connected with all types of service; however, service on the community level provides a particularly strong sense of reward. In her 2025 interview, Yufa recalls the times in which she has seen the impacts of her educational work. She explains, “Parents will tell me that their child wasn’t enjoying math, or thought they were terrible at it, and Math Circle has taught them to love it. This is really heartening.” She also explains how it is “really enjoyable to walk down the street and see my students and their families, and to find out what’s going on with them.” While all types of service work are rewarding, there is a specific type of fulfillment that comes from community service; when one helps the people around them, they are much more likely to see the impacts of their work, such as Yufa’s encounters with the families of her students. Larger-scale service work, such as nation-wide campaigning or fundraising, is less likely to yield such obvious impacts, since beneficiaries are more dispersed. This is further confirmed by the results of the aforementioned survey; several respondents linked philanthropic fulfillment with the specific act  of members of their community.  The desire for fulfillment significantly motivates people to partake in volunteer work, and this motivation is most heavily linked with community-scale service due to the apparent impacts.

Along with a sense of obligation and desire for emotional fulfillment, people are driven to help their communities for the sake of building strong social connections. The desire for a strong community has an evolutionary basis, according to an article from the Harvard Crimson. The article categorizes humans as a eusocial species, defined as “those in which some individuals act altruistically to benefit the group instead of selfishly to benefit themselves.” (Powell 2012). This instinct allowed early humans to thrive, as it created strong support systems, which provided defense and labor. According to the article, this gave humans an advantage over competing species; it explains, “Groups consisting of altruistic individuals beat groups consisting of selfish individuals” (Powell 2012). This evolutionary insight both explains and confirms that humans have an intrinsic desire to build strong communities through personal sacrifice; when early humans served each other, they created a strong support system, allowing them to both hunt and defend themselves from other animals.

Evolutionary science supports the idea that humans initially prevailed over other species due to a desire to help their communities, building strong and supportive social networks. However, this data mainly focuses on the behavior of early humans. One could argue that these instincts do not translate into the modern day; after all, humanity is longer reliant on hunting, gathering, and immediate survival. While it is true that conclusions made from evolutionary data are dubious when applied to modern day life, other sources confirm that a eusocial system does still exist among humans today. One such source is a scientific study from the National Library of Medicine. This study examines the effects of community service, with data from a group of volunteers. From the data collected, service work was found to increase social support among volunteers and their communities; additionally, community service was linked with “an increased number of friendships in turn increased social integration” (Nichol et al., 2023). This study confirms that modern day humans build social connections through service work, much like earlier ancestors. The same study confirms that this increased connectedness is a significant motivator behind community service, stating that “social connectedness increased motivations [to participate in service work]” (Nichol et al., 2023). According to the National Library of Medicine, service work results in stronger and more connected communities, driving people to participate in this type of work.

The connection between community service and connectedness occurs in everyday situations, such as acts of generosity or assistance to those in need. This cause/effect relationship is illustrated by Louisa May Alcott in her 1868 novel Little Women, which tells the story of the four March sisters as they come of age in 19th century Massachusetts. While the March family does not have endless wealth, they are fairly privileged, with a stable, middle-class life. The second chapter of the novel chronicles Christmas day for the March sisters, beginning with their decision to bring their large Christmas breakfast to a poor family, the Hummels, who live nearby; while bringing the meal to the latter household, the March sisters establish a friendly relationship with the members of the Hummel family. Later that day, the sisters find an impressive display of desserts on their dining room table. Their mother informs them that the desserts were a gift from their wealthy neighbor, Mr. Laurence; he was pleased with the sisters’ act of generosity towards the Hummels, and was inspired to give them a nice dessert in return for their kindness. Overall, the March sisters’ original gesture leads to a positive relationship with both the Hummels and with Mr. Laurence. While this situation is fictional, it demonstrates the link between community service and connectedness; when one serves the people in their community, they create a stronger relationship with the recipients, as well as establishing a friendly sentiment among other community members. The desire to build strong and positive connections within one’s community is a significant incentive to perform community service; this motivation and its effects are reflected in both modern and evolutionary data, and can be illustrated in life and literature.

When people serve their communities, they are significantly motivated by a feeling of obligation, a search for emotional purpose, and a desire for connection. Changemakers such as Addams and Yufa attribute their altruistic actions to a sense of duty to the people around them, while scientific and philosophical exploration confirm this obligatory sentiment. This sense of obligation exists purely on its own; it is unlikely to be tainted by the need for societal approval, given that many philanthropists do not receive such appreciation. Another significant motivator is the desire for emotional fulfillment; both research and personal accounts attribute volunteer work with a feeling of purpose and satisfaction, providing a further incentive for people to help out. This motivator is particularly linked with community-level work, given that volunteers are more likely to see the results of their work. Finally, the desire for social connection motivates people to serve their communities. Humans evolved to desire and foster strong communities through altruistic behavior; more recent studies and literary works show how this sort of motivation translates into modern day service work. Community service is a common thing in society; though some individuals, like Addams, perform it on a much larger scale. Extreme instances of uncompensated community-based work prompt many to question the motives behind community service as a whole; and, according to science, personal accounts, and literature, these motives stem from obligation, internal fulfillment, and social connection.

WORKS CITED

Addams, Jane. “20 Years at Hull-House.” Edited by Victoria Bissell Brown, The Macmillan Company, 1910.

Alcott, Louisa May. “Little Women.” Edited by Thomas Niles, Roberts Brothers, 1868.

Barandes, Sadie. “Helping Your Community Survey.” Edited and published by Sadie Barandes, 2025.

Barandes, Sadie. “Interview With Nataliya Yufa.” Edited by Sadie Barandes, 2025.

Ben Nichols et al. “Exploring the Effects of Volunteering on the Social, Mental, and Physical Health and Well-being of Volunteers: An Umbrella Review.” PMC Covid-19 Collection, National Library of Medicine, 2022.

Greenfield, Emily A. “Felt Obligation to Help Others as a Protective Factor Against Losses in Psychological Well-being Following Functional Decline in Middle and Later Life.” National Library of Medicine, 2009.

Kant, Emmanuel. “Critique of Practical Reason.” Huge Print Press, 1909.

Lockard, Trish. “How Volunteering Improves Mental Health.” National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2022.

Powell, Alvin. “Survival of the Selfless.” Health, The Harvard Crimson, 2012.

Streeter, Ryan. “What Motivates People to Participate in Civil Society?” Civil Society, Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2018.