In a recent piece written for the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Myung J. Lee and Peter Levine explore the need to create a new model for citizen engagement. This new model requires current programs to transform from “traditional” volunteering initiatives into what is being described as “impact volunteering” efforts.

Impact volunteering goes beyond the common model of contributing hours to community service projects, also enabling volunteers to function as partners with local government. This type of civic engagement is founded on three principles: (1) people in a community should deliberate on public issues; (2) community members should collaborate on solving local issues; (3) they should connect with others to form long-term civic relationships.

Citing a theory from philosopher Hannah Arendt, which states that one’s happiness is tied to his/her active participation in public affairs, Lee and Levine further explain that “people experience a special kind of satisfaction” from working with other local stakeholders on issues of public concern.

In addition to the intrinsic benefits that civic engagement can have on an individual, an effective where residents work with their local organizations is also capable of achieving gains in critical areas including education, public safety, economy, and environmental health.

Out of many positive social outcomes that result from active involvement in public affairs, research shows that engaged citizens specifically: (1) gain skills and contacts that help them succeed in other aspects of their lives; (2) develop norms of trust and collaboration that enable them to contribute to their local economy; and (3) push to achieve effective legislation and effective performance from government.

Lee and Levin also write that in order to maximize the effectiveness of this model, it requires three fundamental aspects of which include deliberation, collaboration, and connection. Through deliberation, community members are able to enhance their perspectives on current public issues by checking their values against those of others. Collaboration then builds on the deliberative process by joining stakeholders together to achieve the goals that emerge through deliberation, while also allowing an opportunity to discuss and evaluate their actions. Connection then emphasizes residents’ shared interest in improving their community and the building of social trust, which is essential for any strong community.

The writers highlight data from the Corporation for National and Community Service, showing that in 2015 alone, 62.8 million Americans volunteered 7.9 billion hours of service. Obviously impressive numbers, the large volunteering impact actually illuminates the opportunity to increase the scale and the scope of these efforts to a larger degree.

In providing opportunities for residents to participate in impact volunteering efforts, civic renewal is spurred and the community prospers from increased levels of social cohesion.