Facts, Figures & Research

• The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research
  A review of research that shows that volunteering has individual health benefits and social benefits.  Benefits are seen across all age groups, but especially in older volunteers. Click on the link above to download the report by The Corporation for National and Community Service and view other related research reports.  
  
• Volunteering in Rhode Island: 2002-2006
  This summary report displays an overview of volunteering in RI, from the Volunteering in America: State Trends and Rankings report produced by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
  
• Value of Volunteer Time
  The hourly value of volunteer time is $18.77 for 2006. Click on the link above to find out more about the history and calculation of the value of volunteer time.
  
• Economic Impact of Volunteers Calculator
  Points of Light Foundation created this tool to more accurately measure the impact of volunteer time. Very easy tool to use which estimates the appropriate wage rate based on what the volunteer DOES for your agency based on the US Department of Labor.
  
• Independent Sector Research Page
  Many research reports are available on the giving patterns and volunteer patterns of youth, seniors, and others. Information on tax incentives and the impact of tough economic times and giving patterns are also addressed.
  
• Americans Say Volunteering Reflects Their Moral Values - Jan. 2005
  Research by: Quinley Research
  Prepared for: Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
  Summary: The majority of American adults performed some form of volunteer service in 2004, and most volunteers said their motivation was to act on their moral values, according to a national Thrivent Financial for Lutherans survey. Fifty-seven percent of American adults said they had volunteered with a nonprofit organization or charitable cause in 2004, up nine percentage points from a year earlier.
  
• Reinventing Aging 
  This 2004 report is based on the "Conference on Baby Boomers and Retirement: Impact on Civic Engagement" held in Cambridge, MA.  The Conference was sponsored by the Harvard School of Public Health-MetLife Initiative on Retirement and Civic Engagement.
  
• Volunteering in the United States - 12/16/2004
  Written by: Bureau of Labor Statistics
  U.S. Department of Labor
  Summary: A report on volunteer activities in the US based on a supplemental survey done in September, 2004. The proportion of the population that did volunteer work during the previous year (Sept. 2003 – Sept. 2004) held steady at 28.8%. A median of 52 hours a year is spent in volunteer work. Read more about the demographics of various groups and their volunteer work.
  
• Volunteer Management Practices and Retention of Volunteers June 1, 2004 (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
  Research by: The Urban Institute
  Summary: This report focuses on charities' adoption of nine volunteer management practices: supervision and communication, liability coverage, screening and matching, regular collection of volunteer numbers and hours written policies and job descriptions, recognition activities, measurement of volunteer impacts, training and professional development, and training for paid staff in working with volunteers. We report on the extent of adoption of these practices by charities with different characteristics, and the relationship between volunteer management practices and retention of volunteers.
  
• Gaining Health While Giving Back to the Community - April 2004
  Prepared for: Johns Hopkins Medicine
  Summary: Older adults who volunteer in troubled urban schools not only improve the educational experience of children, but realize meaningful improvements in their own mental and physical health, say researchers at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.
  
  The Johns Hopkins investigators base their conclusion on the first randomized clinical trial testing the health benefits of participating in an established volunteer program called Experience Corps in Baltimore.
  
• 2004 Lions Clubs International Volunteerism Survey Results - February 2004
  Published by: Lions Clubs International
  Summary: To better understand Americans' attitudes and behaviors regarding volunteerism, Lions Clubs International, the world's largest service club organization, commissioned a survey of 1,000 people. Data were culled from a 19-question telephone survey of 480 men and 520 women conducted from Feb. 14 - Feb. 16, 2004. The margin of error on a full sample question is +/- 3 percentage points.
  
• Volunteer Management Capacity in America's Charities and Congregations - February 2004 (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
  Research by: The Urban Institute
  Sponsored by: UPS
  Summary: Many non-profits and congregations use volunteers, but there are many challenges to using volunteers effectively. The more staff time that is spent on volunteer management, the better the volunteer program will be at an organization. Best practices in volunteer management need to be more widely adopted by non-profits in the field. More support needs to be given to intermediaries that assist in recruiting and matching volunteers. Interesting suggestions are given on addressing the challenges to using volunteers.
  
• The Impact of Information and Communications Technology on Volunteer Management - 2002
  Written by: Vic Murray & Yvonne Harrison
  Canadian Centre for Philanthropy
  Summary: A report on the use of various information and communications technology, including the internet, online recruitment and email usage, by volunteer managers in Canadian non-profits.
  
• Making the Most of Volunteers - 07/2002
  Written by: Jean Baldwin Grossman & Kathryn Furano
  Public/Private Ventures
  Summary: After studying effective volunteer support practices at many non-profits around the country. Three main practices are seen as most critical: Screening, Training & Skills, and Ongoing Management and Support. Infrastructure must be in place to support a volunteer program, and non-profits need to put the staff and financial resources behind it.
  
• Giving and Volunteering in the United States 2001
  Independent Sector
  Summary: Numerous reports giving a comprehensive picture of the giving and volunteering habits of Americans. Based on a national survey of more than 4,000 adults, this series of reports explores the why, how, and who behind the extraordinary everyday generosity—both in time and money—of American households.
  
  KEY FINDINGS:
  Giving (households)
  
  
  • 89 percent of households give.
  • The average annual contribution for contributors is $1,62

Volunteering (individuals)

• 44 percent of adults volunteer.
• 83.9 million American adults volunteer, representing the equivalent of over 9 million full-time employees at a value of $239 billion.
  
• The State of Volunteerism in RI Study - 01/31/2002 (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
  Prepared for: The Volunteer Center of Rhode Island
  Research by: The Center for Marketing Research, Johnson & Wales University
  Written by: Rae Caloura, Marketing Solutions
  Sponsored by: The Rhode Island Foundation