Volunteerism Among Americans Increased by Nearly 12%, According to a New Report

By Caroline Preston

Commitment to volunteering increased among Americans by nearly 12 percent from 2002 to 2005, according to a new measurement approach released by the Points of Light Foundation, in Washington.

The foundation and the Volunteer Center National Network — in collaboration with Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the University of Georgia, in Athens — based their measurement on a variety of factors believed to offer a comprehensive way to gauge volunteering. The method takes the average of the increase in number of volunteers by age and employment status, the hours they spent volunteering, the number of people who were asked to volunteer, the number of individuals who volunteered for two or more charities, and several other measures, to calculate a single indicator of volunteerism.

Interest in volunteering rose more quickly among people age 55 to 64 than it did among people in other age groups, the Points of Light Foundation said. Twenty-eight percent more people that age volunteered last year than in 2002, while 16 percent more people 65 and older volunteered.

Nearly 14 percent more people age 16 to 24 volunteered in 2005, a statistic that could point to a healthy future for volunteering.

“People who start volunteering as youths tend to maintain that ethic of service as they age into adulthood,” said Christopher Toppe, senior social scientist at the Points of Light Foundation.

Mr. Toppe and the other researchers relied on data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as information the Points of Light Foundation collected.

The number of hours Americans spent volunteering also grew, but not as much as the number of volunteers. More Americans may be doing occasional volunteer work rather than making sustained commitments, said Mr. Toppe.

Professional Skills

According to a separate study by Deloitte and Touche USA and the Points of Light Foundation, most charities are not taking advantage of the professional skills of volunteers.

Sixty-two percent of charity leaders said they do not rely on any companies to provide volunteers. Meanwhile, just 12 percent of nonprofit groups said they regularly give their volunteers the opportunity to work on projects that match their skills.

Among workers who volunteer, 40 percent said they actively look for opportunities to use the skills honed in their jobs, but only 19 percent said they rely primarily on those skills when they volunteer.

The study surveyed 200 charity executives and approximately 1,500 people employed in managerial or clerical positions.

Reports on the studies are available on the Web site of the Points of Light Foundation at http://www.pointsoflight.org.