Table 6. Volunteers by how they became involved with main organization for which volunteer activities were performed and selected characteristics, September 2008
Table 6. Volunteers by how they became involved with main organization for which volunteer activities were performed and
selected characteristics, September 2008
Percent distribution of how volunteers became involved with main organization (1)
Total Was asked by:
Characteristics in volunteers Not
September 2008 (thousands) Approached reporting
Total the Relative, Someone in Other how
organization Total Boss or friend, the Someone became
(2) employer or organization/ else involved
co-worker school
Sex
Total, both sexes..... 61,803 100.0 40.8 43.7 1.4 14.2 26.8 1.2 12.6 2.9
Men................ 26,268 100.0 40.5 44.5 1.4 15.2 26.4 1.4 12.0 3.0
Women.............. 35,535 100.0 41.1 43.1 1.3 13.5 27.0 1.1 13.0 2.8
Age
Total, 16 years and
over.................. 61,803 100.0 40.8 43.7 1.4 14.2 26.8 1.2 12.6 2.9
16 to 24 years...... 8,239 100.0 40.0 41.4 .7 16.1 22.9 1.5 15.0 3.6
16 to 19 years... 4,437 100.0 39.7 41.5 .3 16.2 23.4 1.6 16.0 2.8
20 to 24 years... 3,802 100.0 40.4 41.3 1.3 16.1 22.3 1.4 13.8 4.5
25 years and over... 53,564 100.0 41.0 44.1 1.4 13.9 27.4 1.2 12.2 2.8
25 to 34 years... 9,154 100.0 41.6 42.5 2.4 15.1 23.1 1.5 12.5 3.3
35 to 44 years... 13,016 100.0 39.9 45.9 1.9 13.4 29.5 1.0 11.5 2.8
45 to 54 years... 13,189 100.0 39.7 45.0 1.4 13.9 28.6 1.0 12.8 2.5
55 to 64 years... 9,456 100.0 41.1 43.5 1.1 14.0 26.9 1.3 12.6 2.9
65 years and over 8,749 100.0 43.6 42.1 .1 13.3 27.3 1.4 11.7 2.7
Race and Hispanic or
Latino ethnicity
White................. 53,078 100.0 40.9 44.2 1.3 14.2 27.3 1.3 12.3 2.7
Black or African
American.............. 5,325 100.0 40.9 41.2 1.7 14.8 23.2 1.4 13.7 4.2
Asian................. 2,022 100.0 41.4 38.4 1.8 11.5 24.8 .2 14.4 5.8
Hispanic or Latino
ethnicity............. 4,662 100.0 44.0 41.0 1.7 12.8 24.6 1.5 11.9 3.1
Educational attainment
(3)
Less than a high
school diploma........ 2,427 100.0 45.4 42.1 .3 12.5 27.9 1.2 10.2 2.3
High school graduates,
no college (4)........ 10,998 100.0 41.1 43.9 1.1 15.2 26.4 1.0 12.5 2.5
Some college or
associate degree ..... 15,519 100.0 39.8 44.7 1.5 13.4 28.3 1.3 13.0 2.6
Bachelor's degree and
higher (5)............ 24,620 100.0 41.2 44.0 1.7 13.8 27.2 1.2 11.8 3.1
Marital status
Single, never married 13,475 100.0 39.8 40.9 1.8 16.8 20.6 1.6 15.2 4.0
Married, spouse
present............... 38,827 100.0 40.7 45.2 1.2 13.2 29.6 1.2 11.5 2.5
Other marital status
(6)................... 9,502 100.0 42.8 41.4 1.4 14.7 24.1 1.0 13.1 2.7
Presence of own
children under 18
years (7)
Men:
No own children
under 18 years old.... 17,377 100.0 40.5 43.2 1.4 16.0 24.1 1.5 12.9 3.4
With own children
under 18 years old.... 8,891 100.0 40.4 47.1 1.5 13.4 30.9 1.1 10.3 2.2
Women:
No own children
under 18 years old.... 22,108 100.0 40.9 41.9 1.3 15.4 23.7 1.3 13.9 3.3
With own children
under 18 years old.... 13,427 100.0 41.4 45.0 1.3 10.3 32.5 .8 11.5 2.1
Employment status
Civilian labor force.. 44,313 100.0 40.0 44.4 1.8 14.5 26.8 1.2 12.6 3.0
Employed............ 42,131 100.0 39.9 44.7 1.9 14.6 26.9 1.2 12.4 3.0
Full time (8)..... 33,344 100.0 39.1 45.2 2.1 15.0 26.8 1.1 12.5 3.2
Part time (9)..... 8,788 100.0 42.8 42.5 .8 12.8 27.5 1.3 12.4 2.4
Unemployed.......... 2,181 100.0 41.5 40.0 .8 13.1 24.1 1.8 15.3 3.1
Not in the labor force 17,491 100.0 43.0 41.8 .2 13.4 26.8 1.4 12.6 2.6
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, 2007, through the survey period in September 2008. 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.
Table of Contents
Last Modified Date: January 23, 2009
