Abstract

Drawing on the research results of a study on the needs of Milan voluntary groups, this contribution proposes a general reflection on the ongoing transformations in volunteering and their implications for everyday group life. In particular, three general changes are addressed: the transformation of the relationships with public authorities; the emergence of unprecedented forms of voluntary participation; the metamorphosis in the type of embeddeness enjoyed by voluntary organizations both in local societies and in the overall third sector. The needs emerging from the study conducted on Milan voluntary groups are read in terms of implications of these general transformations on volunteering. According to the proposed hypothesis, the links that bond specific needs and general changes are outlined by focusing on the factors from which derives the development of the identified needs. The focus on this dimension highlights how the ongoing transformations in volunteering are differently lived for voluntary organizations characterized by different sectors of intervention, age and levels of professionalization.