[4] The vision of the founders was to create an independent and impartial forum for researchers in the fledgling field of voluntary action and citizen participation.
For a long time, AVAS’ annual conferences and quarterly journal were the only outlets available to scholars interested in this area of research.
Citizen Participation and Voluntary Action Abstracts appeared originally as a supplement to the first newsletter, bringing together a variety of resources for researchers working in this interdisciplinary field.
Continuing financial problems and low membership throughout the 1980s caused Delwyn A. Dyer to convene a Strategic Planning Committee in 1988.
Board members focused on the need to upgrade the association's services, enhance its reputation, and reach out to include a diverse, interdisciplinary group of researchers and practitioners interested in voluntary action and nonprofit study.