nonprofit insights: who is volunteering in america?

Who is Volunteering in

America? A Data Dive

with the Corporation for

National and Community

Service

April 24, 2013

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Who are we?

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Dr. Christopher SperaDir. Research & EvaluationCNCS@nationalservicenationalservice.gov

Anthony NerinoStatisticianCNCS@nationalservicenationalservice.gov

Greg BaldwinPresidentVolunteerMatch@volunteermatchvolunteermatch.org

Volunteering & Civic Life

in America

April 23, 2013

Christopher Spera, Ph.D., Director of Research and Evaluation

Anthony Nerino, Statistician

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Research & Evaluation Agenda• Executing a rigorous set of program evaluations and research initiatives

to build the foundation of evidence for the agency’s mission, programs, and strategic goals.

• Fostering a culture of evaluation in our agency and our activities, ensuring our grantees and sub-grantees have access to the latest evaluation resources and assistance, and to the extent possible, demonstrating evidence of effectiveness at the highest standards.

• Supporting the implementation of performance measures as called for by the Serve America Act (SAA) and the CNCS strategic plan, both within and across programs.

• Putting in place a “research-to-practice model” so that research results are used to inform program and policy decisions, thereby infusing best practices into everyday program operations.

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VCLA Background

• Data collected through two supplements to the

Current Population Survey: the Volunteer

Supplement and the Civic Supplement. – CPS: a monthly survey of about 60,000 households

(approximately 100,000 adults) by the U.S. Census Bureau for

the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

– Data are analyzed at the national, regional, state, MSA, and

special group levels and presented on volunteeringinamerica.gov.

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Volunteering: 10 Year Trend

4/24/2013

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Over the past decade the national volunteer rate has remained reasonably stable, despite significant social and economic change.

27.4%28.8% 28.8% 28.8%

26.7% 26.2% 26.4% 26.8% 26.3% 26.8%

20%

22%

24%

26%

28%

30%

32%

34%

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Volunteer Rate, 2002-2011

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Volunteering : States

4/24/2013

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40.9%

38.8% 38.4%38.0%

36.8%

34.0%

35.0%

36.0%

37.0%

38.0%

39.0%

40.0%

41.0%

42.0%

Utah Idaho Iowa Minnesota South Dakota

Volunteer Rate: Top 5 States, 2011

Volunteer Rate

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Volunteering: Urban/Suburban/Rural

4/24/2013

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23.7%

27.5% 27.8%

21.0%

22.0%

23.0%

24.0%

25.0%

26.0%

27.0%

28.0%

29.0%

Urban Residents Suburban Residents Rural Residents

Urban/Suburban/Rural Volunteer Rates: 2011

Volunteer Rate

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Organizations

4/24/2013

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Civic, political, professional or international

6%

Educational or youth service

27%

Hospital or other health8%

Religious34%

Social or community service

14%

Sport, hobby, cultural or arts4%

Other7%Where People Volunteer: 2009-2011

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Types of Volunteer Activity

4/24/2013

The youngest volunteers primarily engaged in labor and transportation activities while

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Age 16-19 24.0%

Age 20-2421.3%

Age 25-34 24.9%Age 35-44 30.1%Age 45-54

29.5%Age55-64

26.2%Age 65-74 29.0%Age 75+ 28.1%

GeneralLabor

Mentoring

Fund Raising

Fund Raising

Fund Raising

Collect Distribute

Serve Food

Collect Distribute

Serve Food

Collect Distribute

Serve Food Ages 16-19

Ages 20-24

Ages 25-34

Ages 35-44

Ages 45-54

Ages 55-64

Ages 65-74

Ages 75 and over

Age and Type of Volunteering

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Volunteering: Selected Groups

4/24/2013

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Over a 3-year period (2009-2011), parents, in particular mothers, had the highest rates of volunteering.

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Parents (live with children

<18)

Nonparents (don't live with children <18)

All fathers All mothers Men Women

Volunteering : Parenting and Gender

2009

2010

2011

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Volunteering: “Parents Matter”

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0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62

Volunteers by Age and Parental Status

Non-parent volunteers

Parent volunteers

Rates of volunteering by parents are higher than those of non-parents, and as parents age this rate difference grows substantially.

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Parents: Type of Organization

4/24/2013

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0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Civic / Political / Prof.

Educ / Youth Service

Hospital / Health

Religious Social / Comm Service

Sport / Hobby / Cultural / Arts

Other Type

Parental Status by Type of Organization

Parents (live with children <18)

Nonparents (don't live with children <18)

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Volunteering: Age Groupings

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Within each generational group there is variation in the rate of volunteeringraising some concerns about the utility of these groups for analysis.

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Volunteering: Age Groups 2009-2011

4/24/2013

15

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

16-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+

Volunteer by Age Groups

2009

2010

2011

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Youth and Young Adult: Type of Organization

4/24/2013

The primary choices of where to volunteer for young adults are education and religious organizations.

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Older Adults: Types of Organizations

4/24/2013

Older Adults are far more likely to volunteer within a religious organization

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Volunteering: Selected Groups

4/24/2013

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0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

High School Graduate

Some College

College Graduates

Employed Adults

Unemployed Adults

Not in Labor Force

Volunteering: Education and Employment

2009

2010

2011

College graduates and Individuals who are employed had higher rates of volunteering

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Employment: Types of Organizations

4/24/2013

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0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Civic / Political /

Prof.

Educ / Youth Service

Hospital / Health

Religious Social / Comm Service

Sport / Hobby /

Cultural / Arts

Other Type

Type of Organization by Employment Status

Employed Adults

Unemployed Adults

Not in Labor Force

Unemployed individuals are more likely to volunteer in an education or youth organization. Employed individuals and those not in the labor force are more likely to volunteer in a religious organization.

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Questions?

4/24/2013

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Questions?

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Dr. Christopher SperaDir. Research & EvaluationCNCS@nationalservicenationalservice.gov

Anthony NerinoStatisticianCNCS@nationalservicenationalservice.gov

Greg BaldwinPresidentVolunteerMatch@volunteermatchvolunteermatch.org

Next month: Volunteer

engagement that tackles

big problems

http://learn.volunteermatch.org

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