Working Pro Bono - Where's the Thanks and Credit?

Many of us have been involved in school associations or university clubs, without ever thinking that we should somehow be financially compensated. Some of us who work are still involved in associations - political, communal, or educational - in addition to our paid work time. I've been involved in a number of groups throughout my working life, including university alumni associations, the Finnish church association, mentoring students, and our school parent association. With an increasing load at work, and with a salary, I have found it increasingly frustrating to be involved in such volunteer-based groups. It's a constant weighting of benefits and costs, and nearly always the costs have far outweighed the benefits. The biggest cost is time. These groups eat up immense amounts of time, and as they usually involve flat / democratic structures, they require a lot of coordination - with many people who do not believe in concepts such as efficiency, time management, or solution-/output-oriented work. I have often felt like if I don't take most of the workload onto my shoulders, nothing moves ahead.

Right now, I'm working on a (paid) project where I feel the same. It's a coordination project, with a group of people who are not used to working quickly, but who enjoy long discussions. If there's one thing I am not: patient. I want decisions. I want things to move on. And in order to move things ahead, I have been doing far more than my contractual role. I fulfilled my contractual tasks and hours a long time ago, and all the work that I've been doing lately is purely: pro bono. So why do I do it? Because of all the thanks I get? Most of my work gets used in someone else's name. I will not be likely to get any credit. Because of the fun process? It's tedious, and I've been awfully frustrated. And diplomatic skills are just as high on my asset list as is patience. Because it's an investment? This is unfortunately not a network building or learning project. Or simply because I'm a working animal? And because at the end of the day, although I complain about my indecent hourly income (currently very much on the negative), money doesn't make the world go around.  

But as with all the volunteering, mentoring etc I do: a little thanks and credit for my investment wouldn't hurt. Is that too much to ask for?