Volunteering
Date posted: 08/06/2009
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Volunteering in the United States has increased by more than two million volunteers from 2002 to 2008. The July 2009 report, Volunteering in America Research Highlights, by the Corporation for National and Community Service, summarizes volunteering at the national, state, and city level. The corresponding website, Volunteering in America, includes information on Fort Collins MSA in addition to Boulder MSA, Colorado Springs MSA, Denver MSA, Greeley MSA, Pueblo MSA, Colorado, and the United States. The data were collected with the 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 Current Population Survey by the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Thus the data were organized by MSA or metropolitan statistical areas. Rates for national, regional, state, and large cities were calculated using a three-year average (2006-2008). Rates for mid-size cities (e.g., Fort Collins MSA) were calculated using a four-year average (2005-2008). The Fort Collins MSA includes the cities of Fort Collins and Loveland.
Nearly 62 million volunteers throughout the United States provided approximately 8 billion hours of service to make an economic contribution of $162 billion in 2008. The current report provides detailed volunteer information by state, large cities, and mid-size cities. These regions are ranked on different measures of volunteering including volunteer rate and volunteer hours per capita. Volunteer rate represents the percentage of the population that volunteers. Volunteer hours per capita divides the total hours volunteered by the population of the selected region. For the second year in a row, Utah had the highest volunteer rate for states, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN led large cities, and Provo, UT led mid-sized cities. See the rankings for Colorado and Northern Colorado cities with the corresponding data graph below.
Some community factors have been found to influence volunteer rates. Five key elements have been identified: community attachment, commuting times, socioeconomic characteristics, volunteer retention, and the capacity of nonprofit organizations.
- Community attachment increases volunteer rates. Specifically, a higher percentage of the population owning their own homes increases the number of volunteers, higher percentages of apartment-style housing decreases volunteer rates, and high population density decreases volunteer rates due to the anonymity of residents.
- Longer commuting times reduces time available for volunteering.
- Volunteering rates increase as education levels increase, so communities with more college-educated residents have higher rates of volunteering. Also, communities with high levels of poverty have lower volunteer rates.
- Communities that show higher levels of volunteer retention (volunteers staying committed to organization over one year) have higher rates of volunteering.
- Communities with more nonprofit organizations, specifically numerous small nonprofits, have higher rates of volunteering. Obviously volunteer opportunities must be available for volunteers to provide service.
Beyond the benefits to organizations volunteering also provides individual health benefits. Volunteers have greater longevity, high functional ability, lower rates of depression, and less incidence of heart disease than non-volunteers.
What this chart shows: Volunteer Rates and Volunteer Hours per Capita - Fort Collins MSA, Boulder, Denver, Greeley, Colorado, and the United States
*Rate calculated on 3-year average from 2006-2008
Data Source: Corporation for National and Community Service
What these data tell us:
The Fort Collins MSA had the highest proportion of the population volunteering, and the number of hours volunteered per resident was higher for the Fort Collins MSA than those for Boulder, Denver, Colorado, and the United States. Fort Collins ranked 7th out of midsized cities in volunteer rate above that of Boulder at 15th. Denver ranked 9th in volunteer rates among large cities, and Colorado was 17th out of the states. For volunteer hours per capita, Fort Collins was 16th above Boulder at 39th for mid-sized cities; Denver was 11th out of large cities; and Colorado was 13th among the states.What this chart shows: Where Residents Volunteer, Fort Collins MSA, 2005-2008
Data Source: Corporation for National and Community Service
What these data tell us:
The majority of volunteers worked with educational organizations, followed by just over a quarter whom volunteered for religious organizations. The remaining third of volunteers worked with social services, sports or arts, health, or civic organizations.What this chart shows: Top Four Volunteer Activities - Fort Collins MSA, 2005-2008
*Numbers will not add to 100 because volunteers often perform multiple activities.
Data Source: Corporation for National and Community Service
What these data tell us:
Approximately a third of volunteers performed general labor or did fundraising between 2005 and 2008. Slightly fewer volunteers performed management or professional duties and tutor or teach.What this chart shows: Intensive Volunteers (100 Hours or More Annually), Fort Collins MSA, Boulder, Denver, Greeley, Colorado and United States - 2005-2008
*Rate calculated on 3-year average from 2006-2008
Data Source: Corporation for National and Community Service
What these data tell us:
The Fort Collins MSA fell behind Denver, Greeley, Colorado, and the United States in the percentage of volunteers contributing 100 or more hours in 2008. Retired individuals are the main contributors of 100 or more hours a year.What this chart shows: Nonprofit Organizations per Capita, Fort Collins MSA, Boulder, Denver, Greeley, Colorado and United States - 2008
Data Source: Corporation for National and Community Service
What these data tell us:
Fort Collins MSA had the highest per capita rate of nonprofit organizations in 2008 - 43% more than the national rate. The number of nonprofit organizations per capita is a contributing factor to higher volunteer rates.Metropolitan Statistical Areas have at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more population, plus adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured by commuting ties.
Volunteer is a person 16 years and older who serves through or with an organization without pay at any point during the 12 month period during September of one year to September of the following year.
On Compass-
- Donations to United Way of Larimer County
- Community Living
- Demographics
- Arts & Culture
- Recreation
- Mental Health
Outside Compass-
- Corporation for National and Community Service
- Directors of Volunteers in Agencies (DOVIA of Larimer County)
- Giving and Volunteering in the United States - Independent Sector
- Student Leadership Involvement and Community Engagement (SLiCE) - Colorado State University
- United Way of Larimer County
- The Volunteer Center - A program of United Way of Larimer County
Data Tables:
Volunteer Rate and Volunteer Hours per Capita, 2005-2008 (4-year average)
|
Volunteer Rate |
Ranking |
Total Number of Volunteers |
Total Hours Volunteered |
Estimated Contribution |
Volunteer Hours/ Resident |
Ranking |
|
|
Fort Collins |
38.3 | 7 | 86,900 | 9.9M | $206.3M | 43.7 | 16 |
|
Boulder |
36.1 | 15 | 99,900 | 10.3M | $214.7M | 37.0 | 39 |
|
Denver* |
30.9 | 9 | 575,400 | 77.5M | $1.6B | 41.7 | 11 |
|
Greeley |
32.8 | 25 | 67,700 | 9.5M | $198M | 46.1 | 10 |
|
Colorado* |
31.9 | 17 | 1.2M | 154.1M | $3.2B | 41.5 | 13 |
|
United States* |
27.0 | N/A | 62.3M | 8.1B | $162B | 35.2 | N/A |
*Data based on 3-year average from 2006-2008
Where Fort Collins Residents Volunteer, 2005-2008 (4-year average)
|
Educational |
Religious |
Social Services |
Sports/Arts |
Health |
Civic |
Other |
| 40.8% | 25.8% | 14.4% | 4.4% | 5.1% | 3.6% | 5.8% |
Top Four Volunteer Activities, Fort Collins MSA, 2005-2008 (4-year average)
|
General Labor |
Fundraise |
Professional/ Management |
Tutor/ Teach |
| 33.0% | 32.9% | 27.5% | 29.3% |
Intensive Volunteers (100 Hours or More Annually), 2005-2008 (4-year average)
|
Intensive Hours (100+ annually) |
|
|
Fort Collins |
33.1 |
|
Boulder |
30.8 |
|
Denver* |
33.7 |
|
Greeley |
35.0 |
|
Colorado* |
33.6 |
|
United States* |
34.5 |
*Data based on 3-year average from 2006-2008
Nonprofit Organizations per Capita (Rate per 1,000) - 2008
|
Nonprofit Organizations/Resident |
|
|
Fort Collins |
7.6 |
|
Boulder |
6.5 |
|
Denver |
4.4 |
|
Greeley |
2.9 |
|
Colorado |
4.9 |
|
United States |
4.3 |