The article is devoted to the development of volunteering as a social phenomenon. «Democratic», «mixed», «post-soviet» models of volunteering are highlighted and described in this paper. According to the results of sociological researches, public opinion polls generalization and legal documents. Each model includes system characteristics of volunteering as a social institution, community and activity. Distinctions between Russian, American and European volunteering not only demonstrate specific characteristics of these models, but also reflect global trends of volunteering and allow to predict its further development in different socio-cultural contexts.