Do you know that the worth of a single volunteer hour (based on the profit it produces for a company) is estimated to be $29.95? Or that hundreds of corporations supply beneficiant volunteer grant packages to encourage employees to help philanthropic efforts? Volunteer statistics like these ones can shed vital mild on a useful alternative on your group.
How? Volunteers are a core a part of your nonprofit, dealing with tasks starting from occasion administration and bookkeeping to on-the-ground work at your program websites. These volunteers assist out for quite a few causes, equivalent to wanting to assist a great trigger or becoming a member of in as a part of their company group.
When solidifying your volunteer program’s recruitment methods, keep in mind to not look not simply at information from prior years however on the nonprofit panorama as an entire. Bigger tendencies in volunteer habits and motivations can straight affect your means to draw and retain sufficient volunteers to keep up your packages.
To assist your nonprofit perceive your volunteers a bit extra, this information will take a deep dive into important volunteer statistics your group ought to know.
1) Basic Volunteering Statistics
Whereas these statistics will be informative, keep in mind that they rely on many components. Rather a lot goes into volunteer administration, together with ample appreciation, efficient communication, and galvanizing advertising and marketing. After all, tendencies like these are nonetheless helpful for understanding the place your group suits into the broader nonprofit panorama.
Basic Volunteerism Statistics
1. About 63 million People volunteer.
For U.S.-based nonprofits, volunteers are in all places. The truth is, about 63 million People volunteer their time and vitality. For reference, that’s round 25% of the grownup inhabitants. Trying on the wider world, that quantity solely goes up with a complete of over 1 billion folks volunteering throughout the globe.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit? Discovering people who find themselves ready and prepared to lend their time is feasible, even when it could generally really feel like your stream of volunteer candidates is extra of a trickle than a river. Whereas some people will signal as much as volunteer of their very own volition, others require extra of a push. The truth is, many volunteers simply must be requested by a nonprofit to assist out just because signing up on their very own hadn’t occurred to them.
2. One-third of the nonprofit workforce is volunteers.
Your nonprofit’s employees are instrumental in offering beneficiaries with the providers and help they want. Nonetheless, most nonprofits have tight budgets and depend on volunteer labor. That is a lot the case that one-third of all nonprofit staff are volunteers.
After all, the ratio of paid staff to volunteers will fluctuate from nonprofit to nonprofit. Many small native organizations do extremely necessary work however are completely made up of volunteers or solely have an government director who organizes every part. In distinction, enterprise-size nonprofits have complete departments of paid staff.
What does this imply on your nonprofit? As a result of a lot labor at nonprofit organizations goes unpaid, calculations of the nonprofit sectors’ financial worth will all the time be off. Don’t let this impression how your nonprofit values your volunteers, nevertheless. Present your appreciation and guarantee they really feel like they’re an actual a part of your group as a result of, in the end, the numbers present that they’re!
3. 62% of nonprofits state that recruiting volunteers is “a giant downside.”
Nonprofits want volunteers to employees occasions, assist throughout fundraisers, and full duties that hold their packages working. Nonetheless, discovering sufficient folks to fill all accessible volunteer positions isn’t all the time straightforward, and 62% of nonprofit CEOs state that recruiting sufficient volunteers is a matter. This goes hand-in-hand with extra information that the demand for a lot of nonprofit providers is up.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit? A variety of causes impression volunteer recruitment, and the nonprofit business as an entire tends to see fluctuations over time relying on international components out of their management. For instance, volunteer charges are inclined to rise throughout instances of disaster as people step as much as present neighborhood aid.
After all, there are components your nonprofit can management. Think about what roles you’ve gotten open for volunteers and the way you promote them. Are these roles volunteers could be considering, or are they positions which can be principally rote work? Whereas many people volunteer to present again, keep in mind to emphasise the opposite advantages volunteers can acquire by serving to out.
Moreover, should you’re continuously having to search out new volunteers, that may be an indication to take a step again and assess your volunteer retention technique. Speak with these volunteers about enhancements to your program they’d wish to see and present your appreciation. Even should you’re low on employees, ensure to not overwork them to keep away from burnout, too.
4. 35% of people volunteer to socialize.
Volunteers donate their time to nonprofits for all types of causes, however one group to regulate is the 35% of people who volunteer to socialize. Whereas this group isn’t the bulk (that will be the 83% who volunteer to assist a trigger they care about), there are a number of fascinating issues about them.
Particularly, social volunteers volunteer extra steadily than others and have a tendency to volunteer with a couple of group, which as the following few statistics will present, isn’t the norm. For these volunteers, the neighborhood your nonprofit builds is what issues and what makes them devoted to your trigger.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit? In your recruitment supplies, talk about the work volunteers will do, the {qualifications} they want, and work expectations as regular, however don’t neglect to say all the advantages they will obtain as properly. Talk about your volunteer neighborhood and have photos of volunteers at work so potential recruits can image themselves alongside the remainder of your group.
5. People who frequently volunteer have a 27% increased probability of discovering employment.
Volunteering is nice for nonprofits and good for volunteers. Together with discovering a neighborhood, volunteer alternatives are additionally studying alternatives the place people can study new abilities, make connections, and enhance themselves. Contemplating these advantages, it could not come as a shock that jobseekers who volunteer have a 27% increased charge of discovering employment.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit? As mentioned earlier, it’s straightforward to focus solely on how volunteering helps the nonprofit recruit supporters. Nonetheless, whereas volunteers do wish to assist causes they care about, it additionally by no means hurts to say the advantages they will obtain along with making a optimistic impression.
Be upfront concerning the abilities and expertise supporters can acquire from volunteering. This could embrace something from customer support expertise, information administration, particular labor and technical abilities, or the rest associated to your packages that’s additionally relevant within the office.
6.72% of volunteers work with only one group.
Volunteering takes effort and time, which can clarify why it’s not shocking that 72% of volunteers work with just one charitable group and simply 18% are concerned with two.
Most volunteers select which organizations to donate their time to primarily based on their connection to a selected trigger. Logically, if a volunteer finds a nonprofit they really feel does good work for his or her goal difficulty, why wouldn’t they keep put? Plus, with the time commitments of simply researching new nonprofits to affix, switching volunteer positions takes effort.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit? Whereas your nonprofit ought to definitely associate with different charitable organizations to finish initiatives and enhance providers, know that efforts to poach volunteers doubtless received’t achieve success or appreciated.
As an alternative, deal with the volunteers you’ve gotten. These volunteers can turn out to be deeply loyal to the causes they care about, and in alternate, all of your nonprofit must do is proceed fulfilling its mission, present volunteers respect and appreciation, and proceed offering worthwhile alternatives to become involved.
7. Roughly 1 in 3 American volunteers donate their time to non secular organizations.
Volunteers work for a variety of causes at nonprofits, colleges, church buildings, and different kinds of organizations. Nonetheless, the very best share of volunteers in America donate their time to non secular organizations. The share lands at about 32%, which equates to 1 in each 3 American volunteers.
This continues to trace when damaged down on a state degree with Utah having the very best p.c of its inhabitants (51%) volunteer, a lot of whom take part in volunteer alternatives supplied by way of their church buildings.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit? In case your nonprofit isn’t a church, these numbers won’t seem to be they matter at first look. Nonetheless, church buildings generally associate with or conduct volunteer actions which have little to do with faith. For instance, a church group would possibly volunteer collectively at a meals financial institution, or a church would possibly assist fundraiser for a homeless shelter.
When contemplating organizations your nonprofit can associate with, don’t rule out spiritual teams as a lot of them have members who’re prepared and desirous to help a great trigger.
8. Formal volunteering is declining in most states.
In case your nonprofit has had hassle filling volunteer positions, know that you just’re not alone. Nearly all of U.S. states have seen a lower within the share of their inhabitants that formally volunteers. For instance, in Florida, already a state with low volunteering charges, 22.8% of the inhabitants volunteered in 2017. 4 years later, it’s simply 15.9%.
How a lot volunteering has declined varies from state to state, with some following routine ebbs and flows, whereas others have skilled as a lot as a ten% drop.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit? Volunteering percentages are impacted by a number of components, equivalent to extra folks popping out to volunteer throughout state emergencies like hurricanes or wildfires. Nonetheless, nonprofits ought to take discover when charges are constant throughout the board like they’re for this decline.
What can nonprofits do about declining volunteer charges? For some, this may be an indication that it’s time to remodel their recruitment technique to focus on new audiences. Modify how your nonprofit promotes itself to attach with youthful audiences, or rethink the way you’re positioning your nonprofit’s mission. Do at the moment’s volunteers care about the identical causes they did ten years in the past, or have their priorities shifted?
Take the time to survey your supporters and conduct viewers analysis to study what potential volunteers in your state are searching for in a nonprofit and how one can attain out to them.
9. Volunteers expertise 38% fewer nights within the hospital.
Volunteering feels good, and analysis has proven that it’s good for you. People who frequently volunteer expertise 38% fewer nights in hospitals on common. Why? Seems that volunteers over the age of fifty are inclined to additionally take higher care of their well being than non-volunteers by being extra diligent about routine check-ups, flu pictures, and different medical exams.
After all, this raises a query: does volunteering instill optimistic well being habits, or are people with wholesome life extra prone to volunteer? This query is tough to reply, however scientists have noticed that community-minded people are inclined to have larger well being advantages from actions like volunteering.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit? Improved well being is one other profit so as to add to your nonprofit’s rising checklist of causes to volunteer. Present volunteers with alternatives to get lively and invested of their communities by working exterior, speaking with group members and beneficiaries, and collaborating in volunteer duties that contain extra than simply sitting at a desk.
10. Most U.S.-based volunteers are between the ages of 35 and 44.
Hundreds of thousands of individuals volunteer for all types of causes and thru varied volunteer packages. However simply who’re these volunteers? Reviews present that the common volunteer is a girl between the ages of 35 and 44, often with a baby below 18.
Males and other people of different age teams definitely volunteer, as properly, however there are a number of assumptions we are able to draw from analysis concerning the common volunteer profile. Center-aged moms are prone to volunteer at their youngsters’s faculty, church, and neighborhood actions. Moreover, this evaluation additionally holds true for studies of casual volunteering, equivalent to cooking for neighbors, caring for youngsters, and enhancing the state of their communities.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit? Assess your present volunteer base to see in case your nonprofit suits this profile. Based mostly in your previous recruitment efforts, your typical volunteer would possibly differ from the nationwide common.
Use this data to faucet into audiences your nonprofit could have beforehand uncared for. How are you going to attain extra households? Do you supply volunteer positions which can be handy for working professionals? Assess not simply your volunteer advertising and marketing however how accessible your general volunteer program is for people with totally different life circumstances.
Volunteer Grant Statistics
11. 40% of Fortune 500 corporations supply volunteer grants.
Have you ever heard of company volunteer grants earlier than? Sure companies encourage their staff to volunteer by promising to donate to the nonprofits their staff assist out at.
Right here’s a breakdown of how the volunteer grant course of often works:
- An worker volunteers at an eligible nonprofit. Many employers who present volunteer grants have sure necessities for what charitable organizations they’ll help. For instance, many employers exempt spiritual organizations from receiving volunteer grants.
- The worker studies their volunteer hours and different wanted data. Most worker volunteer grant packages are primarily based on the hours an worker volunteers. Some present a per-hour charge whereas others require a sure hours threshold to be met after which donate a flat quantity. Moreover, employers want details about the nonprofit, like its identify, tax ID, and mailing deal with.
- The corporate donates to the nonprofit. As soon as a volunteer grant utility is submitted, the corporate critiques it. If the nonprofit and hours necessities have been met, the grant utility is improved, and the nonprofit receives a donation.
How widespread are volunteer grant packages? 40% of Fortune 500 corporations supply any such company giving. Meaning a number of volunteers who already assist at your nonprofit would possibly qualify for a grant.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit? Begin educating your volunteers concerning the energy of volunteer grants. Maintain cautious observe of their hours, and assist them uncover in the event that they’re eligible. Most employers could have the related data accessible by way of their CSR portal or of their workplace handbook. When you can’t discover any data there, it additionally by no means hurts to ask!
12. 80% of corporations supply volunteer grants price between $8-$15 per hour volunteered.
Every employer establishes its personal volunteer grant program pointers, together with figuring out the suitable thresholds. Nonetheless, the overwhelming majority of collaborating corporations supply beneficiant quantities of funding as a option to incentivize volunteerism amongst their employees.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit?
Your supporters’ time is already a useful useful resource on your group. When you think about that your nonprofit could qualify for grant funding along with the hours volunteers donate, you’re introduced with a superb alternative to maximise this group’s help.
Which means each hour a volunteer spends along with your group not solely contributes their time and abilities (which is presently price an estimated $29.95) but additionally interprets into direct monetary help.
13. 85% of the highest matching present corporations additionally supply volunteer grant packages.
You’ll have heard that greater than 24,000 corporations supply matching items for his or her staff. However do you know that corporations contributing matching items usually overlap considerably with these providing volunteer grant packages?
Philanthropic-minded employers usually supply a couple of alternative for employees to become involved. If you already know an organization matches financial donations, the probabilities are good that it’ll match volunteer time as properly!
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit?
When you’re searching for volunteer grant alternatives to pursue, figuring out well-known matching present corporations may give your group the increase you want. This could additionally present a superb opportunity to pitch volunteer actions to matching present donors and matching present alternatives to “{Dollars} for Doers” volunteers.
This additionally signifies that a twin method to advertising and marketing can additional amplify fundraising efforts. When participating with donors, it’s helpful to coach them about each matching present and volunteer grant alternatives. You don’t wish to let both program fall by the wayside!
14. Particular person and group volunteer grants are among the most generally accessible types of company philanthropy for workers.
There are a lot of methods for companies to help nonprofit organizations by way of their philanthropy, and lots of of those packages straight contain the businesses’ staff. Two such methods embrace particular person volunteer grants and team-based volunteer grants—and these are two of the preferred types of company philanthropy, too.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit?
Understanding the kinds of company giving packages an organization presents is crucial for tailoring your efforts accordingly. If an employer presents particular person volunteer grants, for instance, your outreach can deal with participating a single supporter. If an organization solely presents group volunteer grants, nevertheless, it’s possible you’ll wish to take into account another method with which to focus on teams of staff.
15. The typical worker participation degree for volunteer grants, or {Dollars} for Doers, is a mere 3%.
Like matching items, there’s a major information hole relating to eligible volunteers being conscious of the alternatives. And, sadly, volunteers who don’t find out about their corporations’ current programming received’t know to request volunteer grant funding in your group’s behalf.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit?
With a mere 3% of qualifying staff collaborating in volunteer grants, there stays a considerable quantity of untapped potential surrounding the packages. For nonprofits, a steadily low participation charge represents a possibility to extend consciousness and, subsequently, engagement within the packages.
By actively selling the advantages of volunteer grants to volunteers, donors, and company companions alike, your nonprofit can encourage increased participation and safe extra worker giving income than earlier than.
Paid Volunteer Time Off Statistics
16. 60% of corporations supply paid volunteer time without work.
One other manner corporations give again to nonprofits is thru volunteer time without work (VTO). Round 60% of corporations present staff with paid VTO days annually. This perk is rising in recognition, and an extra 21% of corporations have ambitions to implement a VTO coverage as early as 2024.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit? Encourage staff to take a more in-depth take a look at their employer advantages. If they’ve paid VTO they’re not taking, they’re leaving cash on the desk on your nonprofit and depriving themselves of rightfully earned time without work.
17. 49% of people state their largest impediment to volunteering is figure commitments.
With volunteer charges on the decline, nonprofits have to take a tough take a look at why fewer supporters are displaying as much as lend their time. It seems that many supporters simply don’t have the time. An official authorities performed survey in England discovered that 49% of people state work commitments are their largest impediment to volunteering. Conversely, studies additionally present that 30% of volunteers declare one in every of their causes for volunteering is that that they had the time to take action.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit? Working with companies to advertise VTO insurance policies is a technique nonprofits can assist create extra time of their supporters’ schedules to volunteer. Moreover, nonprofits can supply several types of volunteer alternatives, together with on-line actions, which can be simpler for full-time staff to take part in.
Nonprofits also needs to look to audiences with fewer work necessities. Retirees and faculty college students alike have extra free time, and varied volunteer advantages will doubtless attraction to every group, equivalent to neighborhood for retirees and work expertise for school college students.
Final, do what you possibly can to make volunteering a precedence on your supporters, even when their schedules are packed. Displaying appreciation and emphasizing the impression their assist has in your mission will be persuasive in convincing volunteers to return to your nonprofit when their work schedules decelerate once more.
18. Corporations with paid volunteer time without work packages supply a median of 20 VTO hours per group member yearly.
When an organization presents VTO, it usually establishes a set variety of hours every worker can request off inside a given time interval. Whereas this determine can fluctuate significantly, an evaluation of corporations’ program pointers signifies that collaborating employers provide a median of 20 paid volunteer hours. That equates to about 2.5 full days annually!
Moreover, a survey of corporations providing VTO signifies that the three mostly supplied thresholds are 8 hours (36%), 16 hours (23%), and 40 hours (11%).
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit?
Paid Volunteer Time Off packages present staff with the chance to volunteer throughout work hours with out sacrificing their earnings. Check out the supporters in your community, and see if any work for corporations that provide these packages. In that case, use the chance to incentivize dependable and constant volunteer help.
19. 67% of survey respondents say that having paid time without work work to volunteer would make for a optimistic expertise.
Having paid time without work to volunteer permits staff to interact in significant actions with out sacrificing their earnings or private time. This, in consequence, enhances their general work-life steadiness and job satisfaction.
When a gaggle of nonprofit supporters was requested what would offer an optimum volunteer expertise, greater than 2 in 3 responded with a want for paid time without work work. In the meantime, 62% of respondents indicated that the power to volunteer throughout enterprise hours could be the highest issue for a optimistic expertise.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit?
As a nonprofit, you need your volunteers to have persistently optimistic experiences as they contribute to your trigger. Based on this discovering, volunteers view paid VTO alternatives as probably the greatest methods to present again whereas decreasing boundaries to their help.
For nonprofits like yours, this chance for engagement signifies a fertile floor for recruiting volunteers from the company sector—in the end which means extra, expert volunteer help on your trigger.
Different Company Volunteering Statistics
20. 84% of employers really feel volunteerism is an efficient option to have interaction staff.
Volunteering isn’t all the time organized simply between the supporters and a nonprofit group. Tendencies within the company sector reveal that many companies are getting extra critical about company social accountability (CSR), and volunteer packages are a significant part of that. The truth is, 84% of employers really feel volunteerism is an efficient option to have interaction their staff.
Worker engagement packages like volunteer days permit staff to really feel related to their communities. Relatively than simply donating and hoping their cash is put to good use, they will take an lively function in serving to native nonprofits fulfill their missions. This will increase their connection to the causes nonprofits champion and improves their emotions for the employers who put them in touch with these charitable organizations.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit? In case your nonprofit hasn’t already reached out to companies to kind partnerships, make doing so your new aim. Lengthy-term nonprofit-corporate partnerships are on the rise and might present quite a few advantages to your nonprofit relating to volunteer packages.
Particularly, attempt arranging:
- Company volunteer days the place complete groups of staff assist out at your nonprofit collectively. This encourages teamwork amongst staff, which gives worth to the enterprise whereas additionally giving your nonprofit further arms to work on varied initiatives.
- Volunteer grants or “{Dollars} for Doers” are a type of company giving whereby an employer makes a donation primarily based on how lengthy an worker volunteered. Often, this takes the type of a per-hour charge, or staff are required to work a sure variety of hours earlier than the employer makes a flat donation.
- Volunteer time without work (VTO) is primarily depending on employers, however nonprofits who’ve shut partnerships with companies can nonetheless advocate for this coverage. VTO offers staff a number of days they will take off annually particularly to volunteer. This frees up time for volunteering that full-time staff could in any other case not have.
You don’t want to select and select between these packages both. Many corporations supply a number of kinds of company giving or change their insurance policies primarily based on the expressed needs of their staff and nonprofit companions.
21. Corporations see 52% much less turnover amongst new staff who take part in company giving packages, like volunteer days.
We’ve already seen that extra corporations are considering worker volunteer packages, however what do companies get from making volunteering part of their CSR packages?
On the whole, CSR packages make staff really feel extra positively about their employer since they know they’re making a optimistic impression. Whereas many CSR initiatives like sustaining carbon neutrality or sponsoring native nonprofits definitely increase staff’ opinions, it’s volunteer packages that present the hands-on expertise that lets staff really feel like they, particularly, are contributing to social good.
Analysis backs this up as properly, with corporations seeing 52% much less turnover amongst new staff once they take part in volunteer days.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit? When your nonprofit reaches out to companies to kind partnerships, emphasize the advantages for the company. Excessive retention charges particularly will be pricey for employers, and in case your nonprofit can present a solution to recurring issues like this, you possibly can kind profitable long-term partnerships.
22. The typical company volunteer charge participation charge is 33%.
Even at corporations with current volunteer incentive packages (equivalent to volunteer grants or paid volunteer time without work), not all staff are going to take part. Latest research present that the common company sees an estimated 1 in 3 staff getting concerned.
Nonetheless, totally different companies have a tendency to advertise their packages to qualifying staff in numerous methods. Because of this, the worker participation charge at top-quartile volunteer packages has doubled, touchdown at 66%.
It can be useful to know that corporations with fewer than 10,000 staff noticed a higher-than-average participation charge of 39%. In the meantime, corporations with greater than 50,000 staff had a decreased participation charge of 24%.
What does this volunteer statistic imply on your nonprofit?
A 33% volunteer charge signifies a considerable degree of worker engagement in volunteer actions. Partaking with these companies and their staff can result in a major increase in volunteer help on your group. Moreover, taking a proactive method to selling volunteer alternatives inside these corporations can additional improve participation.
Wrapping Up: Leveraging Volunteer Statistics to Develop Influence
Statistics don’t all the time inform the entire story, however they will present basic perception that may inform the tales you see play out at your nonprofit. Use these volunteer statistics as a basic information for assessing your volunteer program quite than exhausting and quick guidelines about how you must have interaction, recruit, and handle the precise people concerned along with your nonprofit.
To study extra about volunteering and tendencies within the nonprofit house, take a look at these assets:
