The author traces the history of volunteer programs in the which can help present-day volunteer programs define their missions and establish their goals.

America's voluntary spirit has produced a variety of cultural organizations that serve many segments of society. These organizations cover all forms of artistic and literary expression - from the traditional to the experimental - and provide educational institutions that teach the public about the arts. The development of the American democratic system has been unique in establishing a society that allows citizens to choose where they will volunteer. Volunteers in the early colonial period organized private cultural associations, but these existed to serve the public. This unique community focus in the arts and other democratic institutions directly contrasts with European cultural activity, which was organized about patronage of the nobility, and the church, which supported artistic production for a select group of the upper classes.

Volunteers in the have been the key to the vast growth of cultural activity. They have served as workers, patrons, governing board members, performers, chief executives, impresarios, and liaisons to funding and influence. Volunteers have not only been responsible for founding most of the cultural organizations in this country but have worked to ensure their survival. Research into the history of cultural organizations from colonial times has shown that each group began as an idea of a committed volunteer or group of volunteers. It was not until well into the twentieth century that cultural organizations began to utilize professional management.

CONTENTS
Four types of cultural volunteer programs.
Private association for public trust.
European beginnings.
American colonial associations.
The New Republic.
Voluntarism in private associations formats today.
Planning a volunteer program in a private association.
Populist types of volunteer programs.
Social reformist organizations.
The contributions of industrialists.
Women's cultural reform contributions.
Adult education as a rationale for volunteering.
Federally funded social reform.
Social reform distinction.
The community arts organization.
Community arts characteristics.
Artist-run organizations.
Conclusion.

The author traces the history of volunteer programs in the which can help present-day volunteer programs define their missions and establish their goals.