2011 Volunteering in America Website

Posted by on August 29, 2011

Earlier this month we were pleased to announce the release of the 2011 Volunteering in America research. We hope this research is helpful as you work to strengthen the impact of volunteering and national service in your community. I want to highlight some of the features of the website and share a few of the media clips the research has generated.

Website
The updated interactive Volunteering in America Web site (http://www.VolunteeringInAmerica.gov) continues to host the most comprehensive set of data available for volunteering and national service in America.  The site contains customizable volunteering profiles for all 50 states and the District of Columbia as well as 51 large metropolitan areas, 75 mid-sized metropolitan areas, and a number of additional metropolitan areas as well.  Additional profiles are available for demographic groups such as women, men, Baby Boomers and new additions of Generation X and veterans.  The site also allows users to click on the new Export Tab and retrieve information in a variety of formats including Microsoft Excel. Highlighted findings this year are available in the three-page fact sheet accessible on the home page.

Service Impacts
As part of this year’s Volunteering in America release, you can view a series of organizational profiles that highlight how volunteers help solve pressing problems through community-based organizations like Jumpstart, Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, and HandsOn Nashville. This series shows the many ways that volunteers make a difference through different organizations and in a variety of roles.

Resources
The Web site provides tips and tools to help organizations better understand key strategies for volunteer recruitment and retention, and hosts a link to additional resources developed for previous Volunteering in America launches.  Tips for individuals looking to get involved in service are also available along with a link to serve.gov where people can find opportunities.  This year we created an infographic that points out interesting information in a visually engaging format which can be used in social media outlets.

Key Findings
Here is a recap of the key findings for 2011:

Volunteers are resolute in their commitment to the nation, serving almost 8.1 billion hours in their communities in 2010 – translating to almost 173 billion dollars.
Generation X stepped up their commitment in 2010, giving more than 2.3 billion hours of service – an increase of almost 110 million hours since 2009.
Gen X members have more than doubled their volunteer rate between 1989 and the present day (2010).  In 1989, 12.3 percent of Generation X members who were between 16 (the minimum age to participate in the survey) and 24 volunteered with an organization.  By 2010, the Gen X volunteer rate had risen to 29.2 percent.
While the overall national volunteer rate dropped slightly from 26.8 percent in 2009 to 26.3 percent in 2010, the number of hours served stayed about the same at approximately 8.1 billion hours, indicating that many of those who did serve committed more hours.

The volunteer retention rate also decreased by two full percentage points between 2009 and 2010, signaling the need for a renewed commitment to the basic strategies for keeping volunteers such as screening and matching volunteers to the best opportunity for them, providing opportunities for learning and professional development, and recognizing volunteers for the impact they make in organizations and the communities they serve.