New Federal Report Finds 1 in 4 Americans Volunteer
Americans Volunteered 7.9 Billion Hours in 2012;
Gen Xers and Parents Lead
the Way
Washington,
D.C. — A new national study released today by the Corporation for National and
Community Service (CNCS) and the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) shows
that millions of Americans make volunteering a priority in their lives. The annual Volunteering
and Civic Life in America
research shows that volunteering in the U.S. remains stable and strong across generations.
“Volunteering
is a core American value. Americans who volunteer enrich our communities and
keep our nation strong,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of CNCS. “As citizens, there
are so many ways we can make a difference for those who are in need, during
this holiday season and throughout the entire year.”
This
year’s report found that one in four adults (26.5 percent) volunteered through
an organization in 2012, demonstrating that volunteering remains an important
activity for millions of Americans. Altogether,
64.5 million Americans volunteered nearly 7.9 billion hours last year. The estimated value of this volunteer service
is nearly $175 billion, based on the Independent Sector’s estimate of the
average value of a volunteer hour.
The
research shows that Americans’
commitment to volunteering spans generations. Key highlights of the report include:
- The volunteer rate of Generation Xers has trended
upward over the past 11 years, increasing nearly 5.5 percentage points, and
Generation X has the highest volunteer rate of any age group.
- Older
Americans (ages 65 and older) donated nearly twice as many hours per volunteer
than the population as a whole, with a median of 90 volunteer hours in 2012
compared to 50 hours for the general population.
- Volunteering
has trended upward among teenagers (ages 16-19) over the past six years, up
nearly 3 percentage points since 2007.
- Working
mothers continue to volunteer at a significantly higher rate than the
population as a whole and people who do not live with children under 18 (38.5
percent compared to 26.5 percent and 23.8 percent, respectively).
- The volunteer rate of parents with children under
age 18 (33.5 percent) remained higher than the population as a whole (26.5
percent) and for persons who do not live with under 18 (23.8 percent).
- Volunteers
are almost twice as likely to donate to charity as non-volunteers. Eight in ten (79.2%) volunteers donated to charity, compared to four in ten (40.4%)
non-volunteers. Overall, half of all citizens (50.7%) donated at least $25 to
charity in 2012.
“Volunteering
is a critical component of civic life,” said Ilir Zherka, Executive Director of
NCoC. “When people are involved in their communities through service, giving,
political involvement, and other civic actions, our country is stronger and
more prosperous.”
“Helping
others who are in need and working together to strengthen our communities is an
important American tradition that helps make our nation so resilient,” said
Spencer. “But volunteering goes beyond helping other people; studies have shown
that the volunteers themselves benefit, whether through increased job
prospects, better health, or even better overall well-being.”
The
research comes on the heels of the “Volunteering as a Pathway to
Employment” study released by CNCS over the summer, which found that volunteers have 27
percent higher odds of finding a job while out of work than non-volunteers.
Among rural volunteers and volunteers without a high school diploma, the
likelihood increases to 55 and 51 percent, respectively.
As
more Americans volunteer, momentum continues to build around national service
and its important role in addressing critical local issues. This year marks the
20th anniversary of AmeriCorps, celebrating more than 800,000 members who have
served our country since the program’s inception. In 2012, AmeriCorps members recruited
and managed more than four million volunteers.
CNCS’
more than 360,000 Senior Corps volunteers are also helping millions of
Americans find economic empowerment by mentoring and tutoring youth,
helping veterans transition into civilian life, and conducting job training to
unemployed individuals.
The full analysis and
customizable data sets can be found at VolunteeringInAmerica.gov. Americans interested in
finding local volunteer opportunities can visit Serve.gov.
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The Corporation for
National and Community Service (CNCS), an independent federal agency, plays a
vital role in supporting the American culture of citizenship, service, and
responsibility and is a leading grantmaker in support of service and
volunteering. Through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, the Social
Innovation Fund, and other programs and initiatives, CNCS provides opportunities
for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and
address critical needs. To learn more, visit NationalService.gov.
The National Conference on
Citizenship (NCoC) is a dynamic, non-partisan nonprofit working at the forefront of
our nation’s civic life. NCoC was chartered by Congress in 1953 to harness the
patriotic energy and national civic involvement surrounding World War II, and
we’ve been invigorated by this charge ever since. Through our events, research,
and reports, NCoC expands our nation’s contemporary understanding of what it
means to be a citizen. We seek new ideas and approaches for creating greater
civic health and vitality throughout the United States. To learn more, visit NCoC.net.
Background on the Research The data for this report was
collected through the Current Population Survey (CPS): the Volunteer
Supplement. The CPS is a monthly survey of about 60,000 households
(approximately 100,000 adults), conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau on behalf
of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The supplement collects data on the
volunteering of adults age 16 and older. Volunteers are considered individuals
who performed unpaid volunteer activities through or for an organization at any
point during the 12-month period (from September 1st of the prior year through
the survey week in September of the survey year).
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