Table 6. Volunteers by how they became involved with main organization for which volunteer activities were performed
and selected characteristics, September 2015
Percent distribution of how volunteers became involved with main
organization (1)
Total Was asked by:
Characteristics in volun- Not
September 2015 teers Approach- report-
(thou- ed the Rela- Someone ing how
sands) Total organi- Total Boss or tive in the Other became
zation (2) employer friend, organi- Some- in-
or zation/ one volved
co- school else
worker
Sex
Total, both sexes....... 62,623 100.0 41.6 41.2 1.5 14.5 23.7 1.4 13.4 3.8
Men.................. 26,498 100.0 40.9 42.1 1.4 15.4 23.6 1.6 13.1 3.9
Women................ 36,126 100.0 42.0 40.5 1.5 13.8 23.8 1.3 13.6 3.8
Age
Total, 16 years and over. 62,623 100.0 41.6 41.2 1.5 14.5 23.7 1.4 13.4 3.8
16 to 24 years......... 8,415 100.0 40.6 38.6 .8 15.8 19.4 2.4 15.7 5.0
16 to 19 years...... 4,382 100.0 41.1 40.5 .3 16.0 21.3 2.7 14.0 4.4
20 to 24 years...... 4,033 100.0 40.1 36.6 1.4 15.7 17.3 2.1 17.7 5.6
25 years and over...... 54,208 100.0 41.7 41.6 1.6 14.2 24.4 1.2 13.1 3.6
25 to 34 years...... 9,548 100.0 44.1 39.3 2.7 16.0 19.2 1.3 12.7 3.9
35 to 44 years...... 11,490 100.0 41.2 43.6 1.7 12.6 28.1 1.2 12.1 3.1
45 to 54 years...... 11,933 100.0 39.6 42.7 1.7 13.4 26.4 .9 13.9 3.8
55 to 64 years...... 10,213 100.0 41.2 41.7 1.3 15.2 23.4 1.5 13.6 3.4
65 years and over... 11,024 100.0 42.9 40.1 .5 14.4 23.7 1.2 13.0 4.0
Race and Hispanic or
Latino ethnicity
White.................... 51,986 100.0 41.3 41.8 1.4 14.8 24.0 1.5 13.2 3.7
Black or African
American................ 6,086 100.0 42.7 37.5 1.7 12.3 22.3 1.0 14.8 5.1
Asian.................... 2,596 100.0 42.8 40.1 1.8 14.0 22.8 1.2 12.5 4.5
Hispanic or Latino
ethnicity............... 6,165 100.0 46.1 38.2 1.6 13.1 21.3 2.1 11.9 3.9
Educational attainment (3)
Less than a high school
diploma................. 1,900 100.0 41.1 40.9 .8 13.0 25.3 1.8 13.2 4.8
High school graduates
no college (4).......... 9,576 100.0 40.9 41.9 1.1 15.2 24.2 1.3 13.6 3.6
Some college or
associate degree ....... 15,102 100.0 41.5 41.8 1.7 14.5 24.4 1.1 13.4 3.3
Bachelor's degree and
higher (5).............. 27,629 100.0 42.1 41.4 1.7 13.8 24.4 1.3 12.7 3.8
Marital status
Single, never married.... 15,143 100.0 41.0 38.8 1.8 16.1 18.9 1.9 15.1 5.1
Married, spouse present.. 37,348 100.0 41.9 42.7 1.3 13.8 26.1 1.3 12.2 3.3
Other marital status (6). 10,132 100.0 41.4 39.2 1.4 14.3 22.1 1.1 15.4 4.0
Presence of own children
under 18 years (7)
Men:
No own children under
18 years old.......... 18,263 100.0 40.9 41.0 1.2 16.1 21.7 1.8 13.8 4.2
With own children
under 18 years old.... 8,235 100.0 40.8 44.5 1.8 13.7 27.8 1.1 11.7 3.0
Women:
No own children under
18 years old.......... 23,475 100.0 42.4 38.7 1.5 15.1 20.6 1.3 14.4 4.5
With own children
under 18 years old.... 12,651 100.0 41.3 43.9 1.5 11.3 29.7 1.3 12.3 2.5
Employment status
Civilian labor force..... 42,563 100.0 40.8 41.8 1.9 14.6 23.7 1.3 13.7 3.8
Employed............... 40,701 100.0 40.6 42.2 2.0 14.6 24.1 1.3 13.4 3.8
Full time (8)........ 32,085 100.0 39.9 42.8 2.3 15.0 24.0 1.3 13.4 3.9
Part time (9)........ 8,616 100.0 43.1 39.9 .7 13.2 24.2 1.5 13.5 3.5
Unemployed............. 1,861 100.0 44.7 33.3 1.2 14.1 16.2 1.8 18.1 3.9
Not in the labor force... 20,060 100.0 43.2 40.0 .4 14.1 23.7 1.5 12.9 3.9
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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, 2014, through the survey period in September 2015. 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.
United States Department of Labor
