40 Volunteer Statistics That Will Blow Your Mind

Take a look at these 40 volunteer statistics…they will blow you away.

Volunteerism is one of the most important and beneficial actions that we can take as human beings.  Our ability to provide our time and expertise can make an immense difference in the world around us and within the communities which we reside.

The fact of the matter is without volunteerism nonprofit organizations cannot fulfill their mission and achieve their goals.

Check out the following 40 volunteer statistics.  Each demonstrates the impact of volunteerism and volunteer management on the world around us.

Volunteer statistics

1. Only 55% of nonprofits assess volunteer impact. (All nonprofits should be!)
2. One out of four American’s volunteer, and two out of three Americans help their neighbor according to a study performed by The Corporation for National & Community Service.
3. Individuals between the ages of 35 and 54 are the most likely to volunteer their time according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics.
4. Volunteers are worth an average $28.54 an hour according to an Independent Sector Study.
5. Volunteers are almost twice as likely to donate to a charity than those that don’t volunteer according to The Corporation for National & Community Service.
6. San Jose, CA is ranked #1 for recruiting volunteers who are millennials.
7. Volunteerism has a value of over $184 billion dollars
8. Volunteerism improves health by strengthening the body, improving mood, and lessening stress in participants.
9. Those who volunteer regularly have a 27% better chance of gaining employment.
10. 60% of hiring managers see the act of volunteerism as a valuable asset when making recruitment decisions according to a study performed by Career Builder.
11. According to a report from Blackbaud #GivingTuesday, 2017 processed more than $60.9 million from over 7,200 organizations (not bad for a single day).
12. Volunteers under the age of 24 account for 22.6% of all volunteers.
13. Benjamin Franklin started The Union Fire Company, in 1736, the first volunteer-run firehouse worldwide.
14. Aristotle (born: 384 BC) once said: “the essence of life is to serve others and do good.”
15. 4% of college graduates, 25 years or older, volunteer each year.
16. Volunteers, on average, spend 50 hours per year donating their time to the greater good.
17. Over 71% of volunteers work with only one organization each year.
18. 67% of people found volunteer opportunities online in 2014 vs 34% in 2006.
19. A study by Deloitte found that 61% of millennials who rarely or never volunteer still consider a company’s commitment to the community when making a decision on a potential job.
20. 92% of human resource executives agree that contributing to a nonprofit can improve an employee's leadership skills.
21. In 2014, 39% of 12th-grade students reported that they volunteered at least once per month according to findings from Child Trends.
22. There are more than 1.8 million active nonprofits in the United States alone.
23. Women currently volunteer more than men (by about 6% more) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
24. Volunteers are 66% more likely to donate financially to the organization they support than those who do not volunteer their time.
25. Food preparation and distribution was the most reported volunteer activity representing 11.3% in 2015.
26. 77% of nonprofits believe that skilled volunteers could improve their organization's business practices (Deloitte Impact Survey)
27. 35% of volunteers do so to socialize with others in the community. (Sterling Volunteers)
28. 66% of volunteers give their time to improve their community, and 83% do so to contribute to a cause they care about. (Sterling Volunteers)
29. According to an AmeriCorps report, people who volunteer over 100 hours a year are some of the healthiest people in the U.S.
30. 28.2% of Millennials volunteer each year.
31. 30.7% of Baby Boomers volunteer each year.
32. 24.8% of Silent Generation Americans volunteer each year.
33. 39.9% of parents volunteer each year.
34. Utah has the highest rate of volunteers in America (51%)
35. 7% of nonprofits will close their doors forever due to the economic impacts of COVID-19.
36. According to LinkedIn, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic added more than 110,000 volunteer activities per month, double the rate in 2017.
37. Volunteering decreases the likelihood of high blood pressure development by 40%.
38. Fundraising for an event is the most common type of volunteer role in the United States.
39. 70% of corporate volunteers believe volunteerism boosts morale more than company mixers.
40. 96% of volunteers reported the action enriched their sense of purpose in life.

Did you like these volunteer statistics? Want to see even more empowering information about volunteerism?

Check out our favorite 25 quotes about volunteering.