Research

New Research

2012 VCLA Fact Sheet (PDF 475 KB)

Volunteering and civic engagement are the cornerstone of a strong nation. Citizens working together and talking to each other help solve problems and make their communities better places to live and work. In 2011, the number of volunteers reached its highest level in five years. 64.3 million Americans volunteered approximately 7.9 billion hours, valued at $171 billion. Two out of three citizens (65.1%, or 143.7 million citizens) served their communities by doing favors for and helping out their neighbors; more than half (56.7%) trusted all or most of the people in their neighborhood. The Volunteering and Civic Life in America data is the most comprehensive source of volunteering and civic engagement information assembled, thanks to a partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Volunteering and Civic Life in America Fact Sheet covers the key findings and highlights from the most recent 2011 data.

A key component of the Volunteering and Civic Life in America research involves a joint effort between the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) to annually asses the civic health of the nation. Civic health is, in essence, the common thread of participation in and building of one's community. To learn more about the work and research of NCoC, please visit http://www.ncoc.net/research

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Nonprofits and Community Organizations

Volunteering in America's Faith-Based Organizations (PDF 111 KB)

This document reviews some of the research from the Corporation for National and Community Service on the nexus of faith-based organizations in order to help guide the process of forming more effective collaborations. (released 2009)

Intrinsic in the spirit and purpose of many faith-based organizations is a sentiment that it is important to make a difference by serving others—it is only natural that faith-based organizations and other nonprofit organizations work together to achieve the good they wish to see in the community.

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Volunteer Retention

The New Volunteer Workforce (PDF 315 KB)

This article highlights innovations in volunteer management and other strategies for retaining volunteers. (released 2009)

Nonprofits rely heavily on volunteers, but poor management can result in a volunteer's dissatisfaction. As a result, more than one-third of those who volunteer one year do not donate their time the next year at any nonprofit. That adds up to an estimated $38 billion in lost labor. To remedy this situation, nonprofit leaders must develop a more strategic approach to managing this overlooked and undervalued talent pool.

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Capitalizing on Volunteers' Skills: Volunteering in America by Occupation (PDF 426 KB)

The brief is designed to help broaden and deepen public and private sector partnerships, and allow nonprofits to take full advantage of the skills volunteers have to offer. (released 2009)

Capitalizing on Volunteers' Skills looks at the prevalence of volunteering among people in various occupations and, for the first time, shows how often they use their occupational skills when they volunteer.

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Keeping Baby Boomers Volunteering (PDF)

This report focuses on important components of recruiting and retaining Baby Boomer volunteers.(released 2007)

While much attention has focused on how to recruit Baby Boomers into the ranks of volunteers, relatively little attention has been paid to ensuring that those who choose to volunteer one year continue to do so the next. Because three out of every ten Boomer volunteers choose not to volunteer in the following year, a key aspect of keeping Boomer volunteer rates high is to learn how to retain existing Boomer volunteers.

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Volunteer Management Capacity Study, 2003 (243 KB PDF)

This report highlights the importance of establishing a strong volunteer support infrastructure for recruiting and retaining volunteers and provides a set of effective volunteer management practices. (released 2003)

The Volunteer Management Capacity Study assessed the capacity of the nonprofit sector to engage volunteers in a way that provides the greatest possible impact and to provide meaningful volunteer opportunities.

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Benefits of Volunteering and Participation in Civic Life

Volunteering can make you healthier (PDF)

Not only is volunteering a good thing for communities, but it is also good for you. Read about how volunteering can be beneficial to your health. (released 2007)

Even when controlling for other important factors, such as socio-economic status, age, and gender, research has shown that adults who volunteer are more likely to experience health benefits when it comes to longevity, mobility and mental health. The research indicates that volunteers need to commit a considerable amount of time to volunteering (about one to two hours per week) for there to be a significant relationship between volunteering and good health. Read more about how volunteering can have health benefits. (released 2007)

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Civic Health and Unemployment II: The Case Builds (PDF)

This report, released by NCoC and its partners, explores the relationship between civic health and economic resilience. It finds that the density and type of nonprofit organizations in a community, as well as its social cohesion, are important predictors of that community’s ability to withstand unemployment in a recession. Read more here, and see the related 2011 brief.