Volunteering Hits a 30-Year High, New Federal Report Finds
Source: Corporation for National and Community Service

The brief analyzes volunteering rates in 1974, 1989 and 2002-2005, using information collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It finds that the growth in volunteering is driven primarily by three age groups: teenagers 16 to 19, Baby Boomers and others age 45 to 65, and older adults 65 and over.

Among the findings:

• Older teenagers (ages 16-19) have more than doubled their time spent volunteering since 1989.
• Far from being a “Me Generation,” Baby Boomers are volunteering at sharply higher rates than did the previous generation at mid-life.
• The volunteer rate for Americans ages 65 years and over has increased 64 percent since 1974.
• The proportion of Americans volunteering with an educational or youth service organization has seen a 63 percent increase just since just 1989.

+ Full Report (PDF; 866 KB)
+ Fact Sheet on “Volunteer Growth in America: A Review of Trends Since 1974″ (PDF; 202 KB)

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