Volunteering in America

Corporation for National & Community Service
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Data Definition Table


Variable Description National Regional State Large Cities Mid-Size Cities Additional Cities
Number of Volunteers Annual number of adult volunteers (in millions), 1974, 1989, and 2002-present. Calculated as in Bureau Labor Statistics reports. All annual totals All annual totals All annual totals (selected states only for 1974) Annual totals, 2004-2007, plus three-year average using 2005-2007 data Four-year average using 2004-2007 data Not available
Total Volunteer Hours Total hours served in previous year (in millions), all adult volunteers in USA, all organizations. Annual totals, 2002-2007 Annual totals, 2002-2007 Annual totals, 2002-2007 Annual totals, 2004-2007, plus three-year average using 2005-2007 data Four-year average using 2004-2007 data Four-year average using 2004-2007 data
Volunteer Rates: Annual Annual adult volunteer rates, 1974, 1989, and 2002-present. Calculated as in Bureau Labor Statistics reports. Annual rates Annual rates Annual rates (selected states only for 1974) Annual rates, 2004-2007 Not available Not available
Volunteer Rates: Pooled Data Adult volunteer rate, calculated as in Bureau of Labor Statistics reports using three years of pooled data. 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2004-2007 rates 2004-2007 rates
Main Activities for Volunteers Proportion of volunteers performing each of the four most popular service activities - using three years of combined data, when available. Calculated with 2005-2007 combined data Calculated with 2005-2007 combined data Calculated with 2005-2007 combined data Calculated with 2005-2007 combined data Calculated with 2005-2007 combined data Not available
Where People Volunteer - Organization Information Proportion of volunteers serving with each main organization type. Data available for 1989 and last three combined years of Current Population Survey data. 1989 and 2005-2007 rates 1989 and 2005-2007 rates 1989 and 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2004-2007 rates Not available
Volunteer Hours per Resident (Total hours served in previous year) ÷ (Current Population Survey-estimated population, age 16+), 2002-present. All annual rates available + pooled (2005-2007) rate All annual rates available + pooled (2005-2007) rate All annual rates available + pooled (2005-2007) rate Pooled (2005-2007) rate Pooled (2004-2007) rate Pooled (2004-2007) rate
Intensive Volunteers (100+ Hours per year) Proportion of volunteers serving 100 or more hours, all organizations. 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2004-2007 rates Not available
Civic Engagment - Attending Public Meetings rate Proportion of adults who attended at least one public meeting last year. 2006, 2007 annual rates + pooled 2006-07 rate 2006, 2007 annual rates + pooled 2006-07 rate 2006, 2007 annual rates + pooled 2006-07 rate 2006, 2007 annual rates + pooled 2006-07 rate Pooled (2006-2007) rate Not available
Civic Engagment - Working with Neighbors rate Proportion of adults who worked with their neighbors to address a community problem last year. 2006, 2007 annual rates + pooled 2006-07 rate 2006, 2007 annual rates + pooled 2006-07 rate 2006, 2007 annual rates + pooled 2006-07 rate 2006, 2007 annual rates + pooled 2006-07 rate Pooled (2006-2007) rate Not available
Civic Engagement - Voting, 2000 Presidential Election (Number of voters in general presidential election) ÷ (population age 18 and over). National turnout rate Regional turnout rate State turnout rate Metropolitan Statistical Area turnout rate Metropolitan Statistical Area turnout rate Not available
Civic Engagement - Voting, 2004 Presidential Election (Number of voters in general presidential election) ÷ (population age 18 and over). National turnout rate Regional turnout rate State turnout rate Metropolitan Statistical Area turnout rate Metropolitan Statistical Area turnout rate Not available
Nonprofit Organizations per 1000 residents - Prevalence of Small Nonprofit Organizations 1000 ×(Number of non-990 filing nonprofits) ÷ (Census population estimate) Uses data from National Center for Charitable Statistics Business Master File, Jan 2008 Uses data from National Center for Charitable Statistics Business Master File, Jan 2008 Uses data from National Center for Charitable Statistics Business Master File, Jan 2008 Uses data from National Center for Charitable Statistics Business Master File, Jan 2008 Uses data from National Center for Charitable Statistics Business Master File, Jan 2008 Not available
Nonprofit Organizations per 1000 residents - Prevalence of Large Nonprofit Organizations 1000 ×(Number of nonprofits filing IRS form 990) ÷ (Census population estimate) Uses data from National Center for Charitable Statistics Business Master File, Jan 2008 Uses data from National Center for Charitable Statistics Business Master File, Jan 2008 Uses data from National Center for Charitable Statistics Business Master File, Jan 2008 Uses data from National Center for Charitable Statistics Business Master File, Jan 2008 Uses data from National Center for Charitable Statistics Business Master File, Jan 2008 Not available
Volunteering by Geographic Area Volunteer rates for adults living in central city, balance, or nonmetropolitan areas, using three years' worth of combined Current Population Survey data. [Not included: residents of "not identified" areas.] 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates Not available Not available
Volunteer Hours by Geographic Area Median hours served by adult volunteers living in central city, balance, or nonmetropolitan areas, using three years' worth of combined Current Population Survey data. [Not included: residents of "not identified" areas.] 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians Not available Not available
Volunteering by Age Group and Gender - Volunteering rates by Age Group Volunteer rates for adults in seven age groups - 16-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, and 75+ - using three years' worth of combined Current Population Survey data. 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates Not available Not available
Volunteering by Age Group and Gender - Median Hours Volunteered by Age Group Median hours for adults in seven age groups - 16-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, and 75+ - using three years' worth of combined Current Population Survey data. 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians Not available Not available
Volunteering by Age Group and Gender - College Student Volunteer Rates Volunteer rates for college students aged 16 to 24, using three years' worth of combined Current Population Survey data. 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates Not available Not available
Volunteering by Age Group and Gender - College Students Median Hours Volunteered Median hours for college students aged 16 to 24, using three years' worth of combined Current Population Survey data. 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians Not available Not available
Volunteering by Age Group and Gender - Baby Boomer Volunteer Rates Volunteer rates for adults born between 1946 and 1964, using three years' worth of combined Current Population Survey data. 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates Not available Not available
Volunteering by Age Group and Gender - Baby Boomers: Median Hours Volunteered Median hours for adults born between 1946 and 1964, using three years' worth of combined Current Population Survey data. 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians Not available Not available
Volunteering by Age Group and Gender - Volunteering rates by Gender Volunteer rates for adult men and women, using three years' worth of combined Current Population Survey data. 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates Not available Not available
Volunteering by Age Group and Gender - Median volunteer hours by Gender Median hours for adult men and women, using three years' worth of combined Current Population Survey data. 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians Not available Not available
Volunteering by Race & Ethnicity - Volunteering rates by Race Volunteer rates for adults identifying with various racial groups - White, Black/African American, Asian, Native American, Native Hawaiian, and more than one race - using three years' worth of combined Current Population Survey data. 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates Not available Not available
Volunteering by Race & Ethnicity - Median volunteer hours by Race Median hours for adults identifying with various racial groups, using three years' worth of combined Current Population Survey data. 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians Not available Not available
Volunteering by Race & Ethnicity - Volunteering rates by Ethnicity Volunteer rates for adult Latinos, using three years' worth of combined Current Population Survey data. 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates 2005-2007 rates Not available Not available
Volunteering by Race & Ethnicity - Median volunteer hours by Ethnicity Median hours for adult Latinos, using three years' worth of combined Current Population Survey data. 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians 2005-2007 medians Not available Not available
Factors that Influence Volunteer Rates -Homeownership rate % of residents who live in homes that are owned by a household resident Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Not available Not available Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Not available
Factors that Influence Volunteer Rates -Multi-unit housing rate % of residents who live in buildings that contain more than one housing unit. Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Not available Not available Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Not available
Factors that Influence Volunteer Rates -Population Density 2007 population per square mile. Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Not available Not available Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Not available
Factors that Influence Volunteer Rates - Commuting Time Average number of minutes spent traveling from home to work (residents who don’t work at home only). Patterned after ACS 2005 statistics; see Technical Note Not available Not available Patterned after ACS 2005 statistics; see Technical Note Patterned after ACS 2005 statistics; see Technical Note Not available
Factors that Influence Volunteer Rates - Education: percentage with college education or higher % of residents who have at least a bachelors' degree. Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Not available Not available Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Not available
Factors that Influence Volunteer Rates - Education: percentage of high school education or higher % of residents who have at least a high school diploma, or GED/equivalent. Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Not available Not available Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Not available
Factors that Influence Volunteer Rates - Poverty Rate % of residents who are living below the federal poverty line. Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Not available Not available Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Patterned after Census 2000 statistics; see Technical Note Not available

Last Updated: October 22, 2008