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For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Wednesday, February 25, 2015 USDL-15-0280 Technical information: (202) 691-6378 • cpsinfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/cps Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov VOLUNTEERING IN THE UNITED STATES -- 2014 The volunteer rate was little changed at 25.3 percent for the year ending in September 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. About 62.8 million people volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2013 and September 2014. The volunteer rate in 2013 was 25.4 percent. These data on volunteering were collected through a supplement to the September 2014 Current Population Survey (CPS). The supplement was sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The CPS is a monthly survey of about 60,000 households that obtains information on employment and unemployment for the nation's civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over. Volunteers are defined as persons who did unpaid work (except for expenses) through or for an organization. For more information about the volunteer supplement, see the Technical Note. Volunteering Among Demographic Groups The volunteer rates for both men and women (22.0 percent and 28.3 percent, respectively) were little changed in the year ending in September 2014. Women continued to volunteer at a higher rate than did men across all age groups, educational levels, and other major demographic characteristics. (See tables A and 1.) By age, 35- to 44-year-olds were most likely to volunteer (29.8 percent). Volunteer rates were lowest among 20- to 24-year-olds (18.7 percent). For persons 45 years and over, the volunteer rate tapered off as age increased. Teenagers (16- to 19-year-olds) had a volunteer rate of 26.1 percent. Among the major race and ethnicity groups, whites continued to volunteer at a higher rate (26.7 percent) than did blacks (19.7 percent), Asians (18.2 percent), and Hispanics (15.5 percent). Of these groups, the volunteer rate declined for whites (by 0.4 percentage point) and increased for blacks (by 1.2 percentage points) in 2014. The volunteer rate for Asians edged down by 0.8 percentage point, and the rate for Hispanics was unchanged. Married persons volunteered at a higher rate (30.0 percent) in 2014 than did those who had never married (20.2 percent) and those with other marital statuses (21.1 percent). Over the year, the rate declined for married persons by 0.7 percentage point. In 2014, the volunteer rate of parents with children under age 18 (31.6 percent) remained higher than the rate for persons without children under age 18 (23.0 percent). The volunteer rate of parents with children under age 18 declined over the year, while the rate for persons without children under age 18 was little changed. Individuals with higher levels of education engaged in volunteer activities at higher rates than did those with less education in 2014. Among persons age 25 and over, 39.4 percent of college graduates volunteered, compared with 27.3 percent of persons with some college or an associate's degree, 16.4 percent of high school graduates, and 8.8 percent of those with less than a high school diploma. The rate of volunteering was little changed over the year for persons across all levels of educational attainment. Volunteers by Employment Status During the year ending in September 2014, 27.5 percent of employed persons volunteered. By comparison, 24.0 percent of unemployed persons and 21.8 percent of those not in the labor force volunteered. Among the employed, part-time workers were more likely than full-time workers to have participated in volunteer activities-- 31.7 percent, compared with 26.5 percent. (See table 1.) Total Annual Hours Spent Volunteering Volunteers spent a median of 50 hours on volunteer activities during the period from September 2013 to September 2014. Time spent on volunteer activities was similar for women and men. Among those who volunteered, median annual hours spent on volunteer activities ranged from a low of 32 hours for those 25 to 34 years old to a high of 96 hours for those age 65 and over. (See table 2.) Number and Type of Organizations Most volunteers were involved with either one or two organizations--71.4 percent and 18.6 percent, respectively. Individuals with higher educational attainment were more likely to volunteer for multiple organizations than were those with less education. (See table 3.) In 2014, the main organization--the organization for which the volunteer worked the most hours during the year--was most frequently religious (33.3 percent of all volunteers), followed by educational or youth service related (25.1 percent) and social or community service organizations (14.4 percent). (See table 4.) Older volunteers were more likely to volunteer mainly for religious organizations than were their younger counterparts. Of volunteers age 65 and over, 43.0 percent did their service mainly through or for a religious organization, compared with 26.1 percent of volunteers age 16 to 24. For all levels of educational attainment, volunteers were most likely to volunteer for religious organizations, followed by educational or youth service organizations. Among volunteers with less than a high school diploma, 49.6 percent volunteered mainly for religious organizations and 21.3 percent volunteered for educational or youth service organizations. Of volunteers with a bachelor's degree and higher, 30.0 percent volunteered mainly for religious organizations and 26.8 percent volunteered mainly for educational or youth service organizations. Among volunteers with children under age 18, 46.0 percent of mothers and 38.6 percent of fathers volunteered mainly for an educational or youth service organization, such as a school or scouting group. Volunteers without children under age 18 were more likely than parents to volunteer for all other types of organizations. Main Volunteer Activity for Main Organization Collecting, preparing, distributing, or serving food (10.8 percent); fundraising (10.3 percent); and tutoring or teaching (9.3 percent) were the activities volunteers performed most frequently for their main organization. Men and women tended to engage in different main activities. Men who volunteered were most likely to engage in general labor (11.5 percent) or coach, referee, or supervise sports teams (9.4 percent). Female volunteers were most likely to collect, prepare, distribute, or serve food (12.1 percent); fundraise (11.6 percent); or tutor or teach (11.1 percent). (See table 5.) The main types of activities volunteers performed varied by educational attainment. Persons with a bachelor's degree and higher were more likely than those with less education to provide professional or management assistance or to tutor or teach. Volunteers with less than a high school diploma were more likely to collect, prepare, distribute, or serve food or engage in general labor than were those with higher levels of education. Parents with children under age 18 were more likely than those without children under age 18 to engage mainly in volunteer activities that are frequently related to children-- including coaching, refereeing, or supervising sports teams; tutoring or teaching; and mentoring youth. How Volunteers Became Involved with Main Organization In 2014, the proportion of volunteers who became involved with their main organization after being asked to volunteer (41.0 percent) was about the same as the proportion who became involved on their own--that is, those who approached the organization (40.8 percent). Those who were asked to volunteer were most often asked by someone in the organization. (See table 6.) Table A. Volunteers by selected characteristics, September 2010 through September 2014 (Numbers in thousands) September 2010 September 2011 September 2012 September 2013 September 2014 Number Percent of Number Percent of Number Percent of Number Percent of Number Percent of population population population population population Sex Total, both sexes....................... 62,790 26.3 64,252 26.8 64,513 26.5 62,615 25.4 62,757 25.3 Men.................................... 26,787 23.2 27,354 23.5 27,238 23.2 26,404 22.2 26,375 22.0 Women ................................. 36,004 29.3 36,898 29.9 37,274 29.5 36,211 28.4 36,381 28.3 Age Total, 16 years and over................ 62,790 26.3 64,252 26.8 64,513 26.5 62,615 25.4 62,757 25.3 16 to 24 years......................... 8,297 21.9 8,578 22.5 8,776 22.6 8,466 21.8 8,469 21.9 25 to 34 years......................... 9,140 22.3 9,691 23.3 9,513 23.2 9,118 21.9 9,291 22.0 35 to 44 years......................... 12,904 32.2 12,566 31.8 12,527 31.6 12,098 30.6 11,783 29.8 45 to 54 years......................... 13,435 30.3 13,420 30.6 12,777 29.3 12,184 28.2 12,204 28.5 55 to 64 years......................... 9,830 27.2 10,449 28.1 10,619 27.6 10,191 26.0 10,331 25.9 65 years and over...................... 9,184 23.6 9,547 24.0 10,301 24.4 10,558 24.1 10,679 23.6 Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity White................................... 53,556 27.8 54,432 28.2 53,778 27.8 52,685 27.1 52,201 26.7 Black or African American............... 5,580 19.4 5,934 20.3 6,316 21.1 5,637 18.5 6,094 19.7 Asian................................... 2,207 19.6 2,304 20.0 2,524 19.6 2,525 19.0 2,513 18.2 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............ 4,982 14.7 5,151 14.9 5,635 15.2 5,838 15.5 5,982 15.5 Educational attainment (1) Less than a high school diploma......... 2,231 8.8 2,461 9.8 2,177 8.8 2,204 9.0 2,100 8.8 High school graduates, no college (2)... 10,887 17.9 11,049 18.2 10,527 17.3 10,138 16.7 10,075 16.4 Some college or associate degree........ 15,505 29.2 15,946 29.5 15,832 28.7 15,562 27.7 15,494 27.3 Bachelor's degree and higher (3)........ 25,870 42.3 26,218 42.4 27,202 42.2 26,244 39.8 26,619 39.4 Employment status Civilian labor force.................... 44,522 28.7 45,249 29.1 44,974 28.7 43,162 27.5 42,780 27.3 Employed............................... 40,980 29.2 41,881 29.6 42,083 29.1 40,401 27.7 40,497 27.5 Full time (4)......................... 31,625 28.2 32,517 28.7 32,568 28.1 31,524 26.8 31,557 26.5 Part time (5)......................... 9,355 33.2 9,363 33.3 9,515 33.4 8,877 31.7 8,940 31.7 Unemployed............................. 3,542 23.8 3,368 23.8 2,891 23.8 2,761 24.1 2,283 24.0 Not in the labor force.................. 18,268 22.0 19,003 22.5 19,539 22.4 19,452 21.9 19,977 21.8 1 Data refer to persons 25 years and over. 2 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 3 Includes persons with bachelor's, master's, professional, and doctoral degrees. 4 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs. 5 Usually work less than 35 hours a week at all jobs. NOTE: 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. Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data. Data on volunteers relate to persons who performed unpaid volunteer activities for an organization at any point in the year ending in September. See the Technical Note for further information.
Technical Note The data in this release were collected through a supplement to the September 2014 Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS--a monthly survey of about 60,000 eligible households conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics-- focuses on obtaining information on employment and unemployment among the nation's civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over. The purpose of this supplement to the CPS was to obtain information on the incidence of volunteering and the characteristics of volunteers in the United States. Information in this release will be made available to sensory-impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339. Reliability of the estimates Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the true population values they represent. The component of this difference that occurs because samples differ by chance is known as sampling error, and this variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the true population value because of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to obtain information for all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data. Additional information on the reliability of data from the CPS and estimating standard errors is available at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability. The Census Bureau introduces adjustments to the population controls for the CPS as part of its annual update of population estimates. For this reason, data in this release are not strictly comparable with data for earlier years. Additional information is available on the internet at www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#pop. Volunteer questions and concepts In the September supplement, questions on volunteer activities were asked of all households. Efforts were made to have household members answer the volunteer questions for themselves. (Generally, one member of the household answers all the questions in the CPS on behalf of the entire household.) Self-response was considered important for the volunteer supplement because research indicated that self-respondents could more easily answer questions on the characteristics of the volunteer activity. About 7 of 10 responses were self-reports. The survey was introduced as follows: "This month, we are interested in volunteer activities, that is, activities for which people are not paid, except perhaps expenses. We only want you to include volunteer activities that you did through or for an organization, even if you only did them once in a while." Following this introduction, respondents were asked the first supplement question: "Since September 1st of last year, have you done any volunteer activities through or for an organization?" If respondents did not answer "yes" to the first question, they were asked the following question: "Sometimes people don't think of activities they do infrequently or activities they do for children's schools or youth organizations as volunteer activities. Since September 1st of last year, have you done any of these types of volunteer activities?" Respondents were considered volunteers if they answered "yes" to either of these questions. This method has been used since the supplement was first administered in 2002. Respondents classified as volunteers were asked further questions about the number and type of organizations for which they volunteered, total hours spent volunteering, how they became involved with the main organization for which they volunteered, the type of activities they performed for the main organization, and what their main activity was. The reference period for the questions on volunteering was about 1 year, from September 1, 2013, through the survey reference week in September 2014. The reference period for other characteristics--such as labor force status, educational attainment, and marital status--refer to the survey reference week in September 2014. It is possible that these characteristics were different at the time volunteer activities were performed. One new question was added to the 2008 survey to determine whether or not respondents had donated money, assets, or property with a combined value of more than $25 to charitable or religious organizations in the past 12 months. Two questions asked in the 2007 supplement were removed in 2008. These questions asked how often respondents who had attended public meetings or who had worked with others in their neighborhood to fix a problem did so. Definitions Volunteers are persons who performed unpaid volunteer activities at any point during the survey reference year. The count of volunteers only includes persons who volunteered through or for an organization; the figures do not include persons who volunteered in a more informal manner. For example, a woman who taught acting to children through a local theater would be considered a volunteer. However, a woman who, on her own, organized softball games for the children in her neighborhood would not be counted as a volunteer for the purpose of this survey. Organizations are associations, societies, or groups of people who share a common interest. Examples include churches, youth groups, and civic organizations. For the purpose of this study, organizations are grouped into eight major categories, including religious, youth, and social or community service organizations. In the 2005 survey, one organization category, immigrant/refugee assistance, was added to the questionnaire as a possible response. Responses that were collected in this category may have been distributed over at least six of the major organization categories in previous years. For this reason, the addition of the new response category created a break in the comparability of organizations between 2005 and prior years. Because few people reported volunteering for immigrant/refugee assistance organizations and because the group was not a definite subset of any of the major organization categories, those persons who did report that they volunteered for immigrant/refugee assistance organizations were placed in the "other" group. The main organization is the organization for which the volunteer worked the most hours during the year. If a respondent volunteered for only one organization, it was considered the main organization, even if exact hours were not obtained. In order to identify the type of main organization, respondents provided information about the organization and, for those who volunteered for more than one organization, annual hours worked for each. Some respondents did not provide the information necessary to determine the main organization. For these respondents, the follow-up questions on activities and how they became involved with the main organization asked them to report on the organization for which they think they spent the most time volunteering. Activities are the specific tasks the volunteer did for an organization. Examples include tutoring, fundraising, and serving food. The activity categories were modified in 2005, thus creating a break in the comparability of activities between 2005 and prior years. In 2006, a new question was added that asked respondents on which of the activities they mentioned they spent the most time. Previously, respondents reported all of the activities they did for their main organization. The new question identified which of them was the main activity for the main organization.
Table 1. Volunteers by selected characteristics, September 2014 (Numbers in thousands) Total, both sexes Men Women Volunteers Volunteers Volunteers Characteristics in September 2014 Civilian Civilian Civilian noninsti- noninsti- noninsti- tutional Percent tutional Percent tutional Percent popula- Number of popula- Number of popula- Number of tion popula- tion popula- tion popula- tion tion tion Age Total, 16 years and over................ 248,446 62,757 25.3 120,004 26,375 22.0 128,442 36,381 28.3 16 to 24 years........................ 38,679 8,469 21.9 19,498 3,771 19.3 19,180 4,698 24.5 16 to 19 years..................... 16,615 4,334 26.1 8,437 1,982 23.5 8,178 2,351 28.8 20 to 24 years..................... 22,064 4,135 18.7 11,061 1,789 16.2 11,003 2,347 21.3 25 years and over..................... 209,768 54,288 25.9 100,506 22,604 22.5 109,262 31,684 29.0 25 to 34 years..................... 42,242 9,291 22.0 20,902 3,714 17.8 21,340 5,577 26.1 35 to 44 years..................... 39,568 11,783 29.8 19,391 4,847 25.0 20,177 6,936 34.4 45 to 54 years..................... 42,762 12,204 28.5 20,897 5,229 25.0 21,865 6,975 31.9 55 to 64 years..................... 39,929 10,331 25.9 19,198 4,428 23.1 20,731 5,903 28.5 65 years and over.................. 45,266 10,679 23.6 20,118 4,386 21.8 25,148 6,293 25.0 Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity White................................... 195,777 52,201 26.7 95,662 22,113 23.1 100,115 30,088 30.1 Black or African American............... 30,932 6,094 19.7 14,042 2,427 17.3 16,890 3,667 21.7 Asian................................... 13,806 2,513 18.2 6,373 1,022 16.0 7,433 1,491 20.1 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............ 38,596 5,982 15.5 19,344 2,555 13.2 19,252 3,427 17.8 Educational attainment (1) Less than a high school diploma......... 23,977 2,100 8.8 11,943 925 7.7 12,034 1,174 9.8 High school graduates, no college (2)... 61,456 10,075 16.4 30,077 4,193 13.9 31,379 5,882 18.7 Some college or associate degree ....... 56,748 15,494 27.3 26,253 6,051 23.0 30,495 9,443 31.0 Bachelor's degree and higher (3)........ 67,586 26,619 39.4 32,233 11,435 35.5 35,353 15,184 42.9 Marital status Single, never married................... 75,158 15,183 20.2 39,731 6,774 17.0 35,427 8,409 23.7 Married, spouse present................. 123,855 37,160 30.0 62,206 16,572 26.6 61,649 20,588 33.4 Other marital status (4)................ 49,434 10,414 21.1 18,067 3,030 16.8 31,367 7,384 23.5 Presence of own children under 18 years (5) Without own children under 18........... 181,912 41,751 23.0 90,931 18,184 20.0 90,981 23,567 25.9 With own children under 18.............. 66,534 21,005 31.6 29,073 8,191 28.2 37,461 12,814 34.2 Employment status Civilian labor force.................... 156,975 42,780 27.3 83,550 19,738 23.6 73,426 23,041 31.4 Employed.............................. 147,474 40,497 27.5 78,691 18,841 23.9 68,782 21,656 31.5 Full time (6)....................... 119,300 31,557 26.5 68,408 16,261 23.8 50,893 15,296 30.1 Part time (7)....................... 28,173 8,940 31.7 10,284 2,580 25.1 17,890 6,360 35.6 Unemployed............................ 9,501 2,283 24.0 4,858 898 18.5 4,643 1,385 29.8 Not in the labor force.................. 91,471 19,977 21.8 36,455 6,637 18.2 55,017 13,340 24.2 1 Data refer to persons 25 years and over. 2 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 3 Includes persons with bachelor's, professional, and doctoral degrees. 4 Includes divorced, separated, and widowed persons. 5 Own children include sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children. 6 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs. 7 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, 2013, through the survey period in September 2014. 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 2. Volunteers by annual hours of volunteer activities and selected characteristics, September 2014 Percent distribution of total annual hours spent volunteering at all organizations Total volunteers Characteristics in September 2014 (thousands) Not Median 1 to 14 15 to 49 50 to 99 100 to 500 reporting annual Total hour(s) hours hours 499 hours annual hours hours and over hours (1) Sex Total, both sexes....................... 62,757 100.0 21.7 24.3 14.8 27.5 6.1 5.5 50 Men.................................. 26,375 100.0 21.5 23.5 15.1 27.9 6.4 5.6 52 Women................................ 36,381 100.0 21.8 24.9 14.6 27.3 5.9 5.5 50 Age Total, 16 years and over................ 62,757 100.0 21.7 24.3 14.8 27.5 6.1 5.5 50 16 to 24 years........................ 8,469 100.0 23.8 27.0 15.1 23.0 4.4 6.6 40 16 to 19 years..................... 4,334 100.0 22.1 28.7 16.4 23.7 3.2 6.0 40 20 to 24 years..................... 4,135 100.0 25.5 25.1 13.9 22.4 5.8 7.3 40 25 years and over..................... 54,288 100.0 21.4 23.9 14.8 28.2 6.4 5.4 52 25 to 34 years..................... 9,291 100.0 30.6 25.4 11.7 22.3 4.5 5.4 32 35 to 44 years..................... 11,783 100.0 24.1 26.3 15.0 24.8 5.1 4.6 42 45 to 54 years..................... 12,204 100.0 20.1 25.3 16.0 27.7 5.7 5.2 52 55 to 64 years..................... 10,331 100.0 18.9 23.3 15.9 30.2 6.1 5.6 54 65 years and over.................. 10,679 100.0 14.2 18.9 14.7 35.9 10.3 6.1 96 Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity White................................... 52,201 100.0 21.3 24.5 15.1 28.0 5.9 5.1 52 Black or African American............... 6,094 100.0 21.6 21.1 13.8 27.8 7.9 7.7 52 Asian................................... 2,513 100.0 27.8 25.6 12.8 20.8 3.5 9.6 36 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............ 5,982 100.0 23.6 21.7 14.7 26.3 7.6 6.1 51 Educational attainment (2) Less than a high school diploma......... 2,100 100.0 23.6 22.5 14.6 24.3 8.4 6.6 50 High school graduates, no college (3)... 10,075 100.0 23.4 22.2 14.3 26.3 7.6 6.2 52 Some college or associate degree ....... 15,494 100.0 22.1 24.0 14.3 27.9 6.5 5.2 50 Bachelor's degree and higher (4)........ 26,619 100.0 20.0 24.6 15.2 29.5 5.7 5.0 52 Marital status Single, never married................... 15,183 100.0 25.2 25.5 14.0 23.6 5.0 6.8 40 Married, spouse present................. 37,160 100.0 20.3 24.2 15.4 28.9 6.4 4.8 52 Other marital status (5)................ 10,414 100.0 21.5 22.9 14.0 28.5 6.7 6.4 52 Presence of own children under 18 years (6) Men: No own children under 18 years old.... 18,184 100.0 20.9 22.9 14.8 27.9 7.1 6.3 52 With own children under 18 years old.. 8,191 100.0 22.8 24.7 15.8 27.7 4.8 4.1 50 Women: No own children under 18 years old.... 23,567 100.0 20.1 24.0 14.6 28.4 6.7 6.2 52 With own children under 18 years old.. 12,814 100.0 25.1 26.5 14.6 25.3 4.3 4.1 40 Employment status Civilian labor force.................... 42,780 100.0 23.4 25.8 15.0 25.8 4.6 5.3 48 Employed.............................. 40,497 100.0 23.4 26.0 15.0 25.8 4.5 5.3 47 Full time (7)....................... 31,557 100.0 24.1 26.3 15.0 24.9 4.2 5.5 42 Part time (8)....................... 8,940 100.0 21.1 24.7 14.9 28.8 5.7 4.8 52 Unemployed............................ 2,283 100.0 23.3 22.1 16.1 26.8 6.6 5.0 52 Not in the labor force.................. 19,977 100.0 18.0 21.2 14.3 31.2 9.2 6.0 67 1 For those reporting annual hours. 2 Data refer to persons 25 years and over. 3 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 4 Includes persons with bachelor's, professional, and doctoral degrees. 5 Includes divorced, separated, and widowed persons. 6 Own children include sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children. 7 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs. 8 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, 2013, through the survey period in September 2014. 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 3. Volunteers by number of organizations for which volunteer activities were performed and selected characteristics, September 2014 Percent distribution of the number of organizations for which volunteer activities were performed Total Characteristics in September 2014 volunteers (thousands) Not Five reporting Total One Two Three Four or number of more organiza- tions Sex Total, both sexes....................... 62,757 100.0 71.4 18.6 6.4 2.1 1.2 0.2 Men.................................. 26,375 100.0 73.0 17.6 6.0 1.9 1.2 .2 Women................................ 36,381 100.0 70.3 19.4 6.7 2.2 1.3 .2 Age Total, 16 years and over................ 62,757 100.0 71.4 18.6 6.4 2.1 1.2 .2 16 to 24 years........................ 8,469 100.0 75.2 17.9 4.8 1.5 .4 .1 16 to 19 years..................... 4,334 100.0 72.5 18.8 5.9 2.0 .6 .2 20 to 24 years..................... 4,135 100.0 78.0 17.0 3.7 1.1 .3 - 25 years and over..................... 54,288 100.0 70.9 18.7 6.6 2.2 1.4 .2 25 to 34 years..................... 9,291 100.0 76.4 16.1 5.1 1.1 1.2 .2 35 to 44 years..................... 11,783 100.0 71.4 19.1 6.3 2.1 1.0 .1 45 to 54 years..................... 12,204 100.0 69.7 18.9 7.1 2.7 1.4 .2 55 to 64 years..................... 10,331 100.0 71.1 19.1 6.1 2.2 1.3 .2 65 years and over.................. 10,679 100.0 66.6 20.1 8.4 2.7 1.9 .4 Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity White................................... 52,201 100.0 70.5 19.1 6.8 2.2 1.2 .2 Black or African American............... 6,094 100.0 75.0 17.8 4.0 1.2 1.5 .5 Asian................................... 2,513 100.0 80.1 13.4 5.2 1.1 .1 - Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............ 5,982 100.0 82.7 12.1 3.5 1.0 .5 .2 Educational attainment (1) Less than a high school diploma......... 2,100 100.0 86.6 10.3 1.8 .5 .5 .4 High school graduates, no college (2)... 10,075 100.0 81.5 13.5 3.4 1.0 .5 .2 Some college or associate degree ....... 15,494 100.0 73.7 17.4 6.3 1.4 1.0 .2 Bachelor's degree and higher (3)........ 26,619 100.0 63.9 22.2 8.5 3.2 2.0 .2 Marital status Single, never married................... 15,183 100.0 74.3 17.6 5.3 1.6 1.0 .1 Married, spouse present................. 37,160 100.0 70.3 19.6 6.6 2.2 1.2 .2 Other marital status (4)................ 10,414 100.0 71.6 16.6 7.4 2.5 1.6 .5 Presence of own children under 18 years (5) Men: No own children under 18 years old.... 18,184 100.0 73.8 16.9 6.0 1.8 1.2 .3 With own children under 18 years old.. 8,191 100.0 71.3 19.3 5.9 2.4 1.2 - Women: No own children under 18 years old.... 23,567 100.0 70.5 19.5 6.4 2.2 1.2 .2 With own children under 18 years old.. 12,814 100.0 69.8 19.1 7.3 2.2 1.4 .2 Employment status Civilian labor force.................... 42,780 100.0 71.0 19.2 6.4 2.1 1.2 .2 Employed.............................. 40,497 100.0 71.0 19.2 6.4 2.1 1.2 .2 Full time (6)....................... 31,557 100.0 71.4 19.1 6.1 2.1 1.2 .2 Part time (7)....................... 8,940 100.0 69.7 19.5 7.4 2.0 1.1 .2 Unemployed............................ 2,283 100.0 70.5 20.4 5.7 2.3 1.1 - Not in the labor force.................. 19,977 100.0 72.4 17.3 6.5 2.1 1.4 .2 1 Data refer to persons 25 years and over. 2 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 3 Includes persons with bachelor's, professional, and doctoral degrees. 4 Includes divorced, separated, and widowed persons. 5 Own children include sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children. 6 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs. 7 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, 2013, through the survey period in September 2014. 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. Dash represents or rounds to zero.
Table 4. Volunteers by type of main organization for which volunteer activities were performed and selected characteristics, September 2014 Percent distribution of volunteers by type of main organization (1) Total Civic, Characteristics in volun- polit- Educa- Envi- Hos- Social Sport, September 2014 teers ical, tional ron- pital Pub- or hobby, Not (thou- Total profes- or mental or lic Reli- commu- cul- Other deter- sands) sional, youth or other safety gious nity tural, mined or inter- ser- animal health service or arts national vice care Sex Total, both sexes....................... 62,757 100.0 5.2 25.1 2.6 7.4 1.1 33.3 14.4 3.9 4.3 2.6 Men.................................. 26,375 100.0 6.6 23.7 2.6 6.1 1.8 32.2 14.8 4.7 4.7 2.7 Women................................ 36,381 100.0 4.2 26.2 2.6 8.4 .5 34.1 14.2 3.3 4.0 2.6 Age Total, 16 years and over................ 62,757 100.0 5.2 25.1 2.6 7.4 1.1 33.3 14.4 3.9 4.3 2.6 16 to 24 years........................ 8,469 100.0 3.9 28.7 3.9 9.9 1.3 26.1 15.0 3.7 3.9 3.7 16 to 19 years..................... 4,334 100.0 3.7 33.2 3.0 7.0 1.0 28.3 13.7 3.3 3.3 3.5 20 to 24 years..................... 4,135 100.0 4.0 24.0 4.8 12.9 1.5 23.9 16.4 4.1 4.6 3.9 25 years and over..................... 54,288 100.0 5.4 24.6 2.4 7.0 1.0 34.4 14.4 3.9 4.4 2.5 25 to 34 years..................... 9,291 100.0 4.5 29.7 2.5 8.6 1.8 27.6 14.1 3.1 5.1 3.0 35 to 44 years..................... 11,783 100.0 3.8 39.3 2.1 5.7 .9 27.9 11.0 3.6 3.2 2.3 45 to 54 years..................... 12,204 100.0 5.0 29.1 2.3 6.1 .8 33.7 13.1 3.8 3.8 2.3 55 to 64 years..................... 10,331 100.0 6.5 14.8 3.4 7.6 1.1 39.9 15.7 5.0 3.7 2.3 65 years and over.................. 10,679 100.0 7.4 8.1 2.0 7.6 .7 43.0 18.3 4.3 6.3 2.5 Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity White................................... 52,201 100.0 5.5 25.0 2.9 7.5 1.2 32.4 14.4 4.2 4.4 2.4 Black or African American............... 6,094 100.0 3.7 21.0 .7 6.2 .3 44.0 15.1 2.2 3.1 3.8 Asian................................... 2,513 100.0 3.7 31.1 1.5 9.6 - 28.9 13.6 3.3 4.4 4.0 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............ 5,982 100.0 3.4 30.6 .9 5.9 1.1 39.2 10.8 1.9 3.7 2.5 Educational attainment (2) Less than a high school diploma......... 2,100 100.0 3.4 21.3 1.8 3.3 1.1 49.6 11.8 2.1 4.1 1.5 High school graduates, no college (3)... 10,075 100.0 4.5 20.5 2.5 5.4 1.7 41.0 14.5 3.1 4.5 2.4 Some college or associate degree ....... 15,494 100.0 5.1 23.7 2.4 7.6 1.3 35.7 14.1 3.7 4.2 2.2 Bachelor's degree and higher (4)........ 26,619 100.0 6.1 26.8 2.5 7.6 .6 30.0 14.7 4.6 4.4 2.7 Marital status Single, never married................... 15,183 100.0 4.5 25.8 3.8 9.9 1.5 24.7 17.0 4.2 4.8 3.7 Married, spouse present................. 37,160 100.0 5.1 26.2 2.1 6.1 .9 37.2 12.6 3.7 3.9 2.2 Other marital status (5)................ 10,414 100.0 6.5 20.1 2.8 8.5 .9 31.9 17.2 4.2 5.1 2.7 Presence of own children under 18 years (6) Men: No own children under 18 years old.... 18,184 100.0 7.4 16.9 3.2 6.8 1.8 33.1 17.4 4.8 5.5 3.0 With own children under 18 years old.. 8,191 100.0 4.7 38.6 1.3 4.6 1.6 30.4 9.0 4.5 3.1 2.2 Women: No own children under 18 years old.... 23,567 100.0 5.2 15.4 3.3 10.2 .7 36.7 17.1 3.8 4.7 2.9 With own children under 18 years old.. 12,814 100.0 2.2 46.0 1.4 5.0 .3 29.3 8.9 2.3 2.7 1.9 Employment status Civilian labor force.................... 42,780 100.0 5.3 26.9 2.9 7.7 1.3 31.0 14.1 4.2 4.1 2.6 Employed.............................. 40,497 100.0 5.3 26.7 2.9 7.8 1.3 31.1 14.0 4.2 4.1 2.6 Full time (7)....................... 31,557 100.0 5.5 26.8 2.8 7.8 1.5 30.2 14.3 4.1 4.1 2.7 Part time (8)....................... 8,940 100.0 4.6 26.3 3.0 7.6 .8 34.0 13.0 4.4 3.9 2.5 Unemployed............................ 2,283 100.0 3.9 30.4 3.0 5.8 .9 29.8 14.9 5.4 4.1 2.0 Not in the labor force.................. 19,977 100.0 5.1 21.3 2.2 6.9 .5 38.2 15.3 3.2 4.8 2.7 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 Data refer to persons 25 years and over. 3 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 4 Includes persons with bachelor's, professional, and doctoral degrees. 5 Includes divorced, separated, and widowed persons. 6 Own children include sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children. 7 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs. 8 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, 2013, through the survey period in September 2014. 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. Dash represents or rounds to zero.
Table 5. Main volunteer activity for main organization for which activities were performed and selected characteristics, September 2014 Percent distribution of main volunteer activity for main organization (1) Pro- vide Collect, Pro- profes- Engage make or vide sional Engage in Coach Col- distri- coun- or in gen- Total ref- lect, bute Fund- seling, manage- music, eral Equal volun- eree, Be an pre- cloth- raise medi- Provide ment perfor- labor; time Characteristics in teers or, Tutor usher, pare, ing, or cal general assis- mance, supply among September 2014 (thou- super- or Mentor greet- dis- crafts sell care, office tance, or, trans- Other all sands) vise teach youth er, or tri- or goods items fire/, ser- includ- other port- sports mini- bute, other to EMS, vices ing artis- ation teams ster or than raise or serving tic to serve food money pro- on a activ- people food tec- board ities tive or ser- commit- vices tee Sex Total, both sexes......... 62,757 5.5 9.3 6.0 4.5 10.8 3.7 10.3 2.9 4.3 7.1 3.9 8.2 14.7 8.8 Men.................... 26,375 9.4 6.9 6.3 5.3 9.0 2.5 8.5 3.4 2.9 8.5 3.9 11.5 13.9 7.9 Women.................. 36,381 2.6 11.1 5.8 3.9 12.1 4.7 11.6 2.6 5.2 6.1 3.9 5.7 15.2 9.4 Age Total, 16 years and over.. 62,757 5.5 9.3 6.0 4.5 10.8 3.7 10.3 2.9 4.3 7.1 3.9 8.2 14.7 8.8 16 to 24 years.......... 8,469 5.4 10.3 8.4 2.6 9.7 3.3 9.5 2.7 3.3 1.8 5.5 12.5 15.8 9.2 16 to 19 years....... 4,334 5.3 10.3 7.7 2.6 10.5 2.9 9.4 1.6 2.2 1.1 6.4 13.4 16.4 10.2 20 to 24 years....... 4,135 5.5 10.3 9.1 2.7 8.9 3.7 9.6 3.8 4.5 2.4 4.5 11.6 15.2 8.2 25 years and over....... 54,288 5.5 9.2 5.7 4.8 11.0 3.8 10.4 3.0 4.4 7.9 3.7 7.5 14.5 8.7 25 to 34 years....... 9,291 5.9 9.9 7.5 3.6 9.3 3.8 10.9 3.8 3.8 4.7 3.3 8.4 16.7 8.4 35 to 44 years....... 11,783 10.2 11.9 7.4 2.9 8.8 3.6 10.8 2.4 3.7 6.9 3.1 6.6 12.9 8.9 45 to 54 years....... 12,204 6.5 8.7 6.4 4.4 12.1 3.3 11.1 2.5 4.4 8.7 2.9 7.2 13.1 8.8 55 to 64 years....... 10,331 2.9 8.3 4.8 6.0 11.8 3.2 10.0 3.5 4.5 9.7 4.9 8.1 13.9 8.4 65 years and over.... 10,679 1.2 6.8 2.3 7.2 12.8 5.2 9.3 2.9 5.8 9.4 4.3 7.4 16.5 9.0 Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity White..................... 52,201 5.7 9.4 5.9 4.3 10.4 3.7 11.0 2.9 4.2 7.6 3.8 8.3 14.4 8.3 Black or African American................. 6,094 4.3 8.1 7.5 7.1 12.9 4.4 6.5 3.3 4.8 3.8 4.8 6.5 14.0 12.1 Asian..................... 2,513 3.0 10.2 5.0 2.9 11.5 4.9 6.7 3.3 4.3 6.6 3.6 8.1 20.0 9.7 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity................ 5,982 6.5 10.8 6.0 7.7 11.5 3.4 8.4 2.5 3.1 3.5 3.6 8.2 16.1 8.7 Educational attainment (2) Less than a high school diploma.................. 2,100 3.2 6.9 4.3 9.1 17.4 5.2 7.3 2.2 1.7 1.8 2.7 13.9 15.8 8.6 High school graduates, no college (3).............. 10,075 5.2 6.7 4.2 5.9 13.7 4.7 10.0 2.7 4.7 3.6 3.5 9.9 16.4 8.9 Some college or associate degree .................. 15,494 5.3 8.6 5.6 5.2 11.8 4.1 11.4 2.7 4.5 5.0 4.0 7.6 14.5 9.9 Bachelor's degree and higher (4)............... 26,619 5.9 10.6 6.4 3.8 9.0 3.2 10.3 3.4 4.5 11.8 3.6 6.0 13.6 8.0 Marital status Single, never married..... 15,183 5.1 9.0 6.8 3.3 10.3 3.6 10.0 3.5 4.0 3.8 4.5 11.0 16.3 8.9 Married, spouse present... 37,160 6.1 10.0 6.1 4.8 10.6 3.6 10.5 2.6 4.1 8.7 3.8 7.3 13.3 8.5 Other marital status (5).. 10,414 3.8 7.3 4.6 5.1 12.4 4.6 10.1 3.2 5.4 6.3 3.5 7.2 17.0 9.5 Presence of own children under 18 years (6) Men: No own children under 18 years old........... 18,184 5.1 6.8 5.5 5.8 10.1 2.5 8.3 3.8 3.6 8.6 4.2 12.7 15.3 7.8 With own children under 18 years old........... 8,191 18.9 7.1 8.2 4.2 6.6 2.4 8.9 2.8 1.6 8.4 3.1 9.0 10.6 8.2 Women: No own children under 18 years old........... 23,567 1.8 9.3 4.9 4.9 12.8 5.0 11.0 3.0 5.5 6.3 4.6 6.2 15.7 9.1 With own children under 18 years old........... 12,814 4.2 14.3 7.7 2.1 10.9 4.0 12.7 1.8 4.6 5.8 2.7 4.8 14.4 10.0 Employment status Civilian labor force...... 42,780 7.0 9.3 6.6 4.1 9.9 3.1 11.0 3.1 3.7 7.9 3.9 7.9 13.7 8.7 Employed................ 40,497 7.0 9.5 6.6 4.1 9.8 3.0 11.1 3.2 3.6 8.1 3.8 7.9 13.6 8.7 Full time (7)......... 31,557 7.9 8.7 6.9 4.1 9.6 3.0 11.5 3.4 3.3 8.4 3.5 8.1 13.3 8.5 Part time (8)......... 8,940 3.7 12.4 5.8 4.0 10.7 3.2 10.0 2.5 4.8 7.2 4.8 7.1 14.6 9.4 Unemployed.............. 2,283 6.7 6.3 6.8 5.3 10.8 5.4 8.9 2.0 4.6 4.3 6.0 8.9 15.6 8.5 Not in the labor force.... 19,977 2.2 9.3 4.8 5.3 12.9 5.0 8.8 2.5 5.5 5.4 3.9 8.6 16.7 9.1 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 Data refer to persons 25 years and over. 3 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 4 Includes persons with bachelor's, professional, and doctoral degrees. 5 Includes divorced, separated, and widowed persons. 6 Own children include sons, daughters, stepchildren, and adopted children. Not included are nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and other related and unrelated children. 7 Usually work 35 hours or more a week at all jobs. 8 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, 2013, through the survey period in September 2014. 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 6. Volunteers by how they became involved with main organization for which volunteer activities were performed and selected characteristics, September 2014 Percent distribution of how volunteers became involved with main organization (1) Total Was asked by: volun- Not Characteristics in September 2014 teers Approach- report- (thou- ed the Rela- Someone ing how sands) Total organi- Boss or tive, in the Other became zation Total employer friend, organi- Some- in- (2) or zation/ one volved co- school else worker Sex Total, both sexes....................... 62,757 100.0 40.8 41.0 1.6 14.3 23.6 1.4 14.6 3.6 Men.................................. 26,375 100.0 40.2 42.1 1.5 15.7 23.4 1.3 14.2 3.4 Women................................ 36,381 100.0 41.3 40.2 1.7 13.3 23.6 1.5 14.8 3.7 Age Total, 16 years and over................ 62,757 100.0 40.8 41.0 1.6 14.3 23.6 1.4 14.6 3.6 16 to 24 years........................ 8,469 100.0 40.2 37.4 1.4 15.0 18.5 2.1 18.1 4.3 16 to 19 years..................... 4,334 100.0 39.0 38.9 .3 14.8 21.5 2.2 17.7 4.3 20 to 24 years..................... 4,135 100.0 41.5 35.7 2.7 15.3 15.4 2.1 18.4 4.3 25 years and over..................... 54,288 100.0 40.9 41.6 1.6 14.2 24.3 1.3 14.0 3.5 25 to 34 years..................... 9,291 100.0 40.8 41.4 2.6 15.6 22.2 1.0 13.8 4.0 35 to 44 years..................... 11,783 100.0 38.4 43.9 2.0 13.0 27.6 1.1 14.6 3.0 45 to 54 years..................... 12,204 100.0 40.1 42.2 1.6 13.9 25.4 1.2 14.0 3.7 55 to 64 years..................... 10,331 100.0 42.7 40.3 1.8 14.5 22.5 1.4 13.6 3.4 65 years and over.................. 10,679 100.0 43.0 39.8 .4 14.2 23.2 1.8 13.9 3.3 Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity White................................... 52,201 100.0 41.0 41.2 1.6 14.5 23.7 1.2 14.4 3.4 Black or African American............... 6,094 100.0 38.8 40.9 1.4 13.6 23.3 2.5 15.4 4.9 Asian................................... 2,513 100.0 40.7 38.2 2.2 11.9 22.5 1.5 15.2 5.8 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity............ 5,982 100.0 43.6 39.0 1.5 12.6 23.4 1.4 13.7 3.7 Educational attainment (3) Less than a high school diploma......... 2,100 100.0 44.1 40.6 - 15.1 24.2 1.3 12.8 2.5 High school graduates, no college (4)... 10,075 100.0 41.1 41.0 1.4 14.9 23.3 1.2 14.2 3.6 Some college or associate degree ....... 15,494 100.0 41.2 41.1 1.4 14.6 23.8 1.2 14.4 3.3 Bachelor's degree and higher (5)........ 26,619 100.0 40.4 42.2 2.0 13.6 25.1 1.4 13.8 3.6 Marital status Single, never married................... 15,183 100.0 40.2 38.0 1.8 15.3 19.0 1.7 17.1 4.7 Married, spouse present................. 37,160 100.0 40.7 43.0 1.6 13.9 26.0 1.2 13.3 3.0 Other marital status (6)................ 10,414 100.0 42.4 38.5 1.3 14.2 21.3 1.6 15.1 4.0 Presence of own children under 18 years (7) Men: No own children under 18 years old.... 18,184 100.0 41.2 40.2 1.5 16.2 20.9 1.3 14.8 3.8 With own children under 18 years old.. 8,191 100.0 37.9 46.5 1.6 14.6 29.0 1.2 13.0 2.7 Women: No own children under 18 years old.... 23,567 100.0 42.1 38.6 1.6 14.7 20.5 1.7 15.2 4.1 With own children under 18 years old.. 12,814 100.0 39.7 43.2 1.7 10.7 29.4 1.2 14.1 3.0 Employment status Civilian labor force.................... 42,780 100.0 39.7 42.1 2.2 14.9 23.6 1.3 14.7 3.5 Employed.............................. 40,497 100.0 39.6 42.3 2.3 14.8 23.7 1.2 14.6 3.5 Full time (8)....................... 31,557 100.0 39.2 42.7 2.8 15.3 23.3 1.2 14.5 3.6 Part time (9)....................... 8,940 100.0 40.7 40.8 .7 13.1 25.3 1.5 15.1 3.4 Unemployed............................ 2,283 100.0 42.0 39.0 .7 15.6 20.8 2.0 16.4 2.6 Not in the labor force.................. 19,977 100.0 43.2 38.8 .3 13.1 23.5 1.7 14.2 3.8 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, 2013, through the survey period in September 2014. 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. Dash represents or rounds to zero.