Organizing, volunteering and activism in formal and informal groups – case study

Ágnes Fernengel – Éva Tessza Udvarhelyi

Abstract

Drawing on experiences from the School of Public Life (Közélet Iskolája) and the case of the Deviszont Community Space (Deviszont Közösségi Tér), this paper illustrates how grassroots groups are built, what motivations and dilemmas influence their decisions about formalization, and how members' roles shift from volunteers to paid staff. The analysis highlights that formal and informal modes of operation are not mutually exclusive but rather complementary, and that the choice of organizational structure should always be a strategic decision. The article shows that the concepts of volunteering and activism can be interpreted flexibly, and that language use reflects how organizations define their goals, modes of operation, and societal relationships.

Keywords: volunteering, activism, informal groups, civil society organizations, group organization