Shifting backgrounds of participation in voluntary associations in the Netherlands Why has the massive decline of religious involvement in The Netherlands since World War II not led to a decline of participation in voluntary associations? Religious involvement has always been the most important predictor of participation in voluntary associations. In the last four decades, secular associations (environmental and human rights organizations, sports clubs and cultural expression groups) compensated for the decline in membership in traditional, pillarized associations (labor unions, political parties). Data from the Family Survey of the Dutch Population (2000), show that some secular organizations have grown because they offer more selective incentives to members, while others have grown because of the increase in postmaterialism. Furthermore, the rise of the average level of education and extraversion has ensured a stable supply of members and volunteers.