Volunteerism Rate Continues Slow Decline, Report Says

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Title: “Volunteering and Civic Life in America”

Organization: The Corporation for National and Community Service

Summary: The share of American adults who volunteered in 2015 continues to inch downward, a trend that has unfolded over the past decade. The study found that roughly one in four Americans volunteered last year through an organization, 24.9 percent, down slightly from the 25.3 percent who did the same in 2014.

Working mothers—and people age 35 to 44, most of the group known as Generation X—were most likely to give their time to charity. Thirty-six percent of mothers who have jobs outside the home volunteered in 2015. Generation X had volunteerism rates of 28.9 percent,declined the highest of all generations but down a full percentage point from 2014.

In total, the federal agency’s annual report said, 62.6 million American volunteered last year, providing service worth an estimated $184 billion. Among the other findings:

• Millennials, people under age 35, had the lowest rates of volunteerism, at just under 22 percent, and. By contrast, nearly 24 percent of people age 65 and olderup gave time to charities.
• Religious groups were the most commonly cited organizations that benefited from volunteer help in 2015, with 34 percent of Americans involved. Nearly 44 percent of people age 65 and up said they gave their time to a faith group last year, compared with 28 percent of millennials.
• Parents were most likely to give their time to education groups and institutions. More than 43 percent volunteered for that cause in 2015.
• Twenty-four percent of volunteers helped raise money.
• The five states with the highest volunteerism rates were, in descending order: Utah (at 43 percent), Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakotota, and Idaho. Louisiana, wiht an 18 percent rate, ranked last. The five large metro areas with the highest rates were, in descending order: Minneapolis-St. Paul (37 percent), Salt Lake City, Milwaukee, Washington, and San Jose, Calif. Miami, with a 13 percent volunteerism rate, ranked last.