Table 6. Volunteers by how they became involved with main organization for which volunteer activities were
performed and selected characteristics, September 2007
Percent distribution of how volunteers became involved with main
organization (1)
Total Was asked by:
Characteristics in volun- Not
September 2007 teers Approach- report-
(thou- ed the Rela- Someone ing how
sands) Total organi- Boss or tive in the Other became
zation Total (2) employer friend, organi- Some- in-
or zation/ one volved
co- school else
worker
Sex
Total, both sexes......... 60,838 100.0 40.1 44.6 1.3 14.8 27.2 1.2 12.7 2.6
Men.................... 25,724 100.0 39.9 45.1 1.3 15.8 26.5 1.3 12.3 2.7
Women.................. 35,114 100.0 40.2 44.3 1.3 14.1 27.6 1.1 13.0 2.5
Age
Total, 16 years and over.. 60,838 100.0 40.1 44.6 1.3 14.8 27.2 1.2 12.7 2.6
16 to 24 years.......... 7,798 100.0 40.4 42.2 .6 16.9 22.6 1.9 13.5 3.9
16 to 19 years....... 4,173 100.0 41.9 42.5 .1 16.1 24.6 1.7 12.6 3.0
20 to 24 years....... 3,625 100.0 38.8 41.8 1.3 17.9 20.3 2.2 14.5 4.8
25 years and over....... 53,040 100.0 40.0 45.0 1.4 14.5 27.8 1.1 12.6 2.4
25 to 34 years....... 9,019 100.0 39.1 44.8 2.6 15.3 25.9 1.0 13.7 2.3
35 to 44 years....... 12,902 100.0 39.9 45.9 1.3 13.6 30.0 .9 12.1 2.1
45 to 54 years....... 13,136 100.0 39.3 46.0 1.6 14.7 28.3 1.3 12.6 2.2
55 to 64 years....... 9,316 100.0 40.2 43.5 1.2 14.5 26.5 1.1 13.3 2.9
65 years and over.... 8,667 100.0 41.9 44.0 .3 14.7 27.4 1.2 11.4 2.7
Race and Hispanic or
Latino ethnicity
White..................... 52,586 100.0 40.0 45.1 1.3 14.9 27.6 1.1 12.5 2.4
Black or African
American................. 5,010 100.0 41.3 40.8 1.8 13.8 23.8 1.4 14.4 3.5
Asian..................... 1,887 100.0 42.6 39.9 1.3 12.0 23.8 2.7 13.2 4.4
Hispanic or Latino
ethnicity................ 4,279 100.0 41.4 43.8 1.2 13.7 27.2 1.7 11.8 3.1
Educational attainment (3)
Less than a high school
diploma.................. 2,394 100.0 44.5 42.0 .6 15.0 24.5 1.9 11.9 1.7
High school graduates, no
college (4).............. 11,379 100.0 38.8 46.0 1.2 15.4 28.3 .9 12.8 2.4
Some college or associate
degree .................. 15,468 100.0 41.3 43.4 1.5 14.1 26.7 1.0 13.1 2.2
Bachelor's degree and
higher (5)................ 23,799 100.0 39.3 45.9 1.6 14.3 28.7 1.2 12.2 2.6
Marital status
Single, never married..... 12,612 100.0 39.6 42.4 1.6 17.7 21.4 1.7 14.2 3.7
Married, spouse present... 38,876 100.0 40.4 45.5 1.2 13.6 29.5 1.0 12.0 2.2
Other marital status (6).. 9,350 100.0 39.1 44.2 1.7 15.8 25.3 1.3 13.8 2.9
Presence of own
children under
18 years (7)
Men:
No own children under
18 years old........... 16,880 100.0 40.0 44.4 1.3 16.9 24.5 1.5 12.4 3.2
With own children under
18 years old........... 8,844 100.0 39.7 46.4 1.3 13.6 30.4 1.0 12.1 1.8
Women:
No own children under
18 years old........... 21,616 100.0 40.4 42.8 1.4 15.8 24.3 1.2 13.8 3.0
With own children under
18 years old........... 13,498 100.0 39.8 46.7 1.3 11.5 32.9 1.0 11.8 1.7
Employment status
Civilian labor force...... 43,405 100.0 39.2 45.5 1.8 15.2 27.2 1.2 12.8 2.5
Employed................ 41,708 100.0 39.2 45.6 1.8 15.1 27.3 1.2 12.7 2.5
Full time (8)......... 32,714 100.0 38.8 45.9 2.1 15.6 26.9 1.2 12.7 2.5
Part time (9)......... 8,994 100.0 40.5 44.5 .9 13.3 28.8 1.3 12.5 2.5
Unemployed.............. 1,697 100.0 39.7 42.9 .7 16.2 23.7 2.0 15.2 2.2
Not in the labor force.... 17,433 100.0 42.2 42.5 .2 13.9 27.1 1.1 12.5 2.8
1 Main organization is defined as the organization for which the volunteer worked the most hours
during the year. See the Technical Note for more details.
2 Includes persons who did not specify who asked them to volunteer, not shown separately.
3 Data refer to persons 25 years and over.
4 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent.
5 Includes persons with bachelor's, professional, and doctoral degrees.
6 Includes divorced, separated, and widowed persons.
7 Own children include sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children. Not included are nieces,
nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children.
8 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs.
9 Usually work less than 35 hours a week at all jobs.
NOTE: Data on volunteers relate to persons who performed unpaid volunteer activities for an organization at
any point from September 1, 2006, through the survey period in September 2007. Estimates for the above race
groups (white, black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all
races. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.
Back to Top
