A voluntary organization is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement, usually as volunteers, to form a body (or organization) to accomplish a purpose. Unlike the private sector where the generation and return of profit to its owners is emphasized, money raised or earned by an organization in the voluntary sector is usually invested back into the community or the organization itself. VOs  include  formal  as  well  as  informal  groups,  such  as community-based   organizations   (CBOs);   non-governmental   development organizations   (NGDOs);   charitable   organizations;   support   organizations;   networks  or  federations  of  such  organisations;  as  well  as  professional  membership associations.

Common examples include trade associations, trade unions, learned societies, professional associations, and environmental groups. Examples of organizations in the voluntary sector include American Red Cross, World Wildlife Fund, Human Rights Watch, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation etc.

Body:

The   voluntary   sector   has   contributed   significantly   to   finding   innovative   solutions   to   poverty,   deprivation,   discrimination   and   exclusion,   through   means  such  as  awareness  raising,  social  mobilization,  service  delivery, training,  research,  and  advocacy.  The voluntary sector has been serving as an effective non-political link between the people and the Government.

Socio- cultural advancement:

• With the changing scenario of the society the role of voluntary organization had also changed. In ancient times  these  organizations  were  helpful  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  people  but  now  these organizations are being used as development agencies by policy makers.
• They not only provide their services to  the  poor  or  disadvantaged  section  but  they  have  brought  in  to  focus  on  issues like  health,  education,  rural  and  urban  development,  environment    protection,  women  and  child welfare and they have become an active part of the contemporary development scene in India.
• Voluntary organizations have become an important global force today. These  organisations provide  accountable,  effective  and  equitable  services  in  many  areas  then  public  or  private agencies  in  India .
• The voluntary organization provides social services to the poor, needy,  neglected,  the  old  aged  and  the  sick  in  India  and  making  India   
• They made different efforts not only to reduce poverty or inequality in society but also put control on  social evils  which  includes  drug  addiction,  suicide,  dowry  child  marriage,   
• Voluntary organization also provide their services in emergency situations like droughts, floods etc. on a massive scale.
• It is  believed  that  voluntary  organization  not  only  teaches  essential  civics  skills  such  as  trust, compromise  and  reciprocity  but  it  also  binds  society  together  by  creating  bridges  between diverse groups .
• They work for development, welfare of people so, their ample service is to bind people towards progress and towards well being of the society, nation and country.

Economic advancement:

• To supplement the government efforts in offering the rural poor choices and alternative.
• To activate the delivery system  and make it effective at the village level  and respond to the needs of the poorest of the poor
• To show  how  villages  and  original  resources  and  how  human resources,  rural  skill  and which  local  knowledge  is  grossly  underutilized  at  present,  could  be  used  for  their  own development.
• To demystify technology and bring it in the simpler form to the poor
• To train a cadre of gross root who believes in professionalizing volunteerism.
• To mobilize  financial  resources  from  within  the  community  with  a  view  making communities stand on their feet.

Conclusion:

In sum, voluntary organisations main functions comprise giving concrete expression to the fundamental right of freedom of association, identifying the needs of individuals, groups and communities and initiating projects and programmes to meet them on their own or with the grant-in-aid of the government, sharing the responsibility of the state in providing minimum needs of the citizens.