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Three Reasons to Volunteer

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Ever consider volunteering at a clinic for the underserved? What is your motivating factor?

by Kris Volcheck, DDS, MBA, founder of the CASS Clinic

Can you guess the number-one reason why people volunteer? To do good? A nice sentiment… but no. To help people? Nope. When the CASS Clinic first started in January of 2001, we didn't know the motivating reasons for dentists to get involved. I had been a dentist in private practice and I didn't know what it took for a successful volunteer program. Check out the list below to find out what I learned to be the top three reasons people volunteer. Whatever your reason, get involved in some sort of pro bono work – it's good for you and the people you help.

#3 Reason: To Learn from Peers
We have many dental, hygiene and dental assisting students with us. Volunteer dentists like to come and interact with the students, teach the students, and learn about all the new techniques and technology happening in dental school. Since we do every aspect of dentistry from hygiene to implants and cosmetics to plastic surgery, we have specialists in every area of dentistry. If one of our dentists wants to learn how to place implants… he can come in and learn from one of our surgeons. If another wants to learn the newest techniques in endo, she can come in and observe the endodontist. It's a constant exchange of techniques and ideas, all based around the common cause of helping others.

#2 Reason: To Do Good
We use the tag line "Do good… but just a little." This sounds funny but we don't want our volunteers to burn out because we need them! Oddly our patients are actually the second priority. If we accommodate and satisfy our volunteers, they will then satisfy our patients.

At the beginning, I didn't have a clear idea of what characteristics I wanted in my volunteers. I just wanted them to be licensed, competent dentists and hygienists. They have turned out to be not only licensed and competent, but also empathetic, resourceful, energetic members of my family, who happen to want to help the homeless. This quality of clinician has become the norm.

When the clinic first began, volunteers had to be more flexible with the time they volunteered. Now with so much help, we can usually accommodate clinicians' request for certain hours or procedures – whether they want to work once a month for a day, once a quarter for an hour or once a year doing only extractions, root canals or everything that comes up. They have infinite options; they just have to want to help.

Same goes for dental labs. We started with 20 volunteer labs and grew to more than 100 volunteer labs in 15 states. We applied the same principle of "Do good… but just a little" to our labs. We want to make sure we only solicit help at a rate that is comfortable and affordable for labs and volunteers.

Volunteers also have the choice of receiving a schedule ahead of time, or getting a phone call every three or six months to see if they would like to volunteer. Generally our female volunteers prefer to be scheduled but many of our male volunteers like the "non-commitment" of not having a schedule, so we call them at certain intervals.

#1 Reason: To Socialize with Peers
The number-one reason to volunteer is to socialize with peers. We got lucky when the CASS Clinic first began because even though I didn't know the factors that motivate dentists to volunteer I happen to really like to socialize and we hired people who liked to socialize. The volunteers liked the friendly, warm, but productive and professional environment so much that we went from 20 volunteers in 2001 to 400 volunteer dentists, hygienists, students and assistants in 2011.

I didn't realize until many years into our program why it was so successful. Once we had so many volunteers, I was asked to speak in many other cities about the success of our program and in my research, the number-one reason to volunteer stuck out – to socialize. At the beginnings of our clinic, we had no idea of its importance.

Even if this is your main reason for volunteering, do it. Other professionals have the same needs for social interaction. We don't necessarily "recruit" volunteers but we always need new blood to keep things energized and growing and keep expanding our care for the homeless. We can never meet the needs of our population.

Whatever your reason for getting involved, you'll get just as much benefit from helping, socializing and learning as the underserved who receive the dental care.
Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
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