Growth in Volunteering is Good News for America
By Barbara L. Stewart
CEO, Corporation for National and Community Service
The fabric of our nation is strengthened by the service of its volunteers. We see this over and over again whenever ordinary Americans step up to support their fellow citizens for needs both great and small. This idea stands out in the latest results from our Volunteering in America study — a report that examines how Americans of all ages are serving together to keep our nation strong.
We are excited to announce that the nation’s volunteer rate has jumped six points to break through the 30 percent-level as Americans are volunteering at higher rates than ever. However, that is only part of the story.
At the Corporation for National and Community Service, we understand the value of volunteering and the power it has to change communities and lives for the better.
As our nation continues to move forward, we can find consensus about the benefits of volunteering. Our differences fade away whenever we stand side-by-side to help others, and we learn that Americans have more in common than we realize.
The Value of Volunteers
Let’s look deeper into our Volunteering in America study results.
• Nearly 77.4 million Americans volunteered 6.9 billion hours in 2017 (that means almost 1-in-3 Americans volunteered last year)
• This service has an estimated economic value of $167.0 billion. (Calculation based on Independent Sector’s estimate of the average value of a volunteer hour.)
• Civic engagement is the cornerstone of a strong nation. In the past 15 years, Americans have volunteered 120 billion hours, estimated to be worth $2.9 trillion.
• There are tens of millions more “silent volunteers” who connect with their neighbors and friends to perform unheralded tasks that build community bonds by helping one another.
‘Super Citizens’ to the Rescue
Volunteers are tuned into their communities in ways that non-volunteers are not.
They help their neighbors twice as often as those who sit on the sidelines. They are joiners, belonging to groups or organizations at five times the rate of those who don’t volunteer. They donate to charity at twice the rate of the non-volunteer group and vote at 66 percent-higher rates.
We call volunteers “Super Citizens,” and they have earned that title by setting an example others would be wise to follow.
Those examples of generosity, compassion, and empathy are great qualities to emulate. And we can harness the spirit of the holiday season if we start volunteering now and continue through the year ahead.
I encourage all Americans to make plans to turn 2019 into the year of volunteering to strengthen your families, your community, and your nation.
Barbara L. Stewart is the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that leads AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the nation’s volunteer efforts.
