As we begin the New Year, it's a nice opportunity to review the current state of volunteerism in the United States, based on two recently released studies - statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor and research from AARP.
The United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics released its second study of volunteerism in the United States. The data was collected between September 2002 and September 2003. Their previous study was a measure of volunteerism from September 2001 to September 2002. These studies, like the last one done by the Independent Sector in 2001, collect information regarding people who volunteer through or for an organizations (formal volunteering).
Following are summaries of the last Independence Sector results and the two Department of Labor reports. The Independent Sector report is included to give a give a longer-term perspective. It is difficult to make exact comparisons as research methodology and survey sample differ.
Independent Sector, 2001
44% of adults (21 years of age and over) volunteered in a formal setting
3.6 average weekly hours
42% of men volunteered
46% of women volunteered
50% were asked to volunteer
63% said yes when asked to volunteer
| U.S. Department of Labor |
9/2001 - 9/2002 |
9/2002 - 9/2003 |
|---|---|---|
| American (16 years and older) who volunteered formally | 28.8% | |
| 52 hours | 52 hours | |
| % of men who volunteered | 25.1% | |
| 31.1% | 32.2% | |
| Were asked to volunteer | 44% | |
| Volunteered on own initiative | 40% |
| By age, 35- to 44-year olds were the most likely to volunteer, closely followed by 45- to 54-year olds. Their volunteer rates were 34.7 percent and 32.7 percent, respectively. Teenagers also had a relatively high volunteer rate, 29.5 percent, perhaps reflecting an emphasis on volunteer activities in schools. Volunteer rates were lowest among persons age 65 years and over (23.7) and among those in their early twenties (19.7percent). Within the 65 years and over group, volunteer rates decreased as age increased. (p. 1-3) |
For the second year in a row the study indicates volunteers donated a median of 52 hours per year to volunteer work. This would be approximately 1 hour per week, and is significantly less than was lasted reported by the Independent Sector (3.6 average hours per week). The study reveals that volunteer aged 25 to 34 spend the least time volunteering (median of 36 hours per year). While fewer people 65 and over volunteered, they did contribute significantly more time (median of 88 hours) to volunteer activities.
Overall, between September 2002 and September 2003 there was a slight increase (1.2%) in the numbers of adults over 16 who volunteered for or through an organization. The majority of volunteers were engaged with one or two organizations.
The second study was done by AARP and is titled "Multicultural Study 2003: Time and Money: An In-Depth Look at 45+ Volunteers and Donors." Fifty-seven percent of adults 45- to 57-years of age say they volunteered formally in the last 12 months. Fifty-one percent of adults 58- to 69-years of age and 40% of those over 70 years of age reported engaging in volunteer activity in the last 12 months. These numbers become significantly higher by including those who reported some form of informal volunteer activity in the past 12 months (91%, 86% and 80% respectively).
It is interesting to note in the AARP study that 45 and older volunteers reported an average of 15 hours of service per month (180 hours per year). This number includes formal and non-formal volunteering which may explain why the number is significantly higher than the median of 52 hours per year reported by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The AARP study does support the continuing emphasis on episodic volunteering, stating that 48% of volunteers 45 and older are engaged sporadically in volunteer activities. Thirty-eight percent indicated they volunteer on a regular schedule. These finding also tend to support other research studies that have shown an increasing trend among aging baby boomers to be entrepreneurial and independent in their volunteer activities. The AARP study (Executive Summary) states:
what do we know? Slightly more than one-quarter of the adult population in the United States is engaged in volunteer activity. Lack of time continues to be the number one reason people give for not volunteering or not volunteering more. A small percent of those who volunteer devote significant hours to on going volunteer work. A major trend that warrants continuing study is the tendency of aging baby boomers (45+) to volunteer independently and sporadically.
If you are interested in an in-depth analysis of these reports you can download summaries at the addresses listed under references. I have also included two relevant studies published by the Journal of Volunteer Administration in 2002.
References:
AARP (2003). Multicultural Study 2003. Time and Money: An In-Depth Look at 45+ Volunteers and Donors. Retrieved December 28, 2003, from http://research.aarp.org/general/multic_2003.html.
United States Department of Labor (December 17, 2003). Volunteering in the United States, 2003. Retrieved December 28, 2003, from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.toc.htm.
United States Department of Labor (December 18, 2002). Volunteering in the United States. Retrieved January 2, 2003, from www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.toc.htm.
Wilson, Steele, Thompson, & D'heron (2002). The Journal of Volunteer Administration. The Leadership Institute for Active Aging: A volunteer recruitment and retention model. Vol. 20, No. 2, 2002.
Wilson & Pribyl (2002). The Journal of Volunteer Administration. Minnesota Summit on the Future Role of Senior Volunteers: A planning and recruitment model. Vol. 20, No. 3, 2002.