Desiree Koh
Ketchum
(312) 228-6836

FACT SHEET
2004 Lions Clubs International Volunteerism Survey Results

KEY FINDINGS

Volunteerism in America

• More than half (54 percent) of respondents reported having volunteered within the past three years by donating their time to a charitable, civic or community cause.
• Of those who did not volunteer, the majority (58 percent) reported lack of time as the primary reason for not volunteering.
• Women (58 percent) were more likely than men (49 percent) to have volunteered in the past three years.
• Almost all (98 percent) American volunteers consider it important to contribute to a cause through a volunteering effort.
• Forty percent of American volunteers belong to a service club.

Attitudes and Behaviors of the American Volunteer

• Fifty-six percent of all volunteers were introduced to community service as children, and nearly half (46 percent) have been volunteering since their teens.
• Three of four volunteers (74 percent) are parents.
• Eighty percent of volunteers who are parents say that they have exposed their children to volunteering. Nearly two-thirds have participated in a volunteer activity with their children (65 percent) while 59 percent have talked to them about volunteering.
• Nearly two-thirds of volunteers find out about volunteer/community service opportunities through friends (63 percent), while 41 percent learn of them through family and 32 percent through work.
• More than half of volunteers (55 percent) said they volunteer with people they know. Most often, they volunteer with friends (43 percent), followed by family (27 percent) and co-workers (15 percent).

Benefits of Volunteering

• An overwhelming majority (90 percent) of volunteers report feeling a sense of belonging, or connectedness, to their communities as a result of donating their time.
• Eighty-five percent of volunteers agree that community work provides a meaningful structure to their lives.
• Eighty percent said they have made friends as a result of volunteering.
• The majority (57 percent) of respondents believe that volunteering has helped their career by enhancing their networking and skill-building opportunities, and 13 percent report finding a job/career change as a result of volunteering.
• Nearly one in 10 respondents (8 percent) met a significant other through volunteering.
• For volunteers ages 18-24, volunteering offers significant career and social opportunities.  Among this group:
• Eighty-seven percent believe that volunteering has helped their career, with 34 percent reporting they found a job or changed careers as a result of volunteering.
• Twenty-four percent reported meeting a mate through their volunteer work.

Amount of Time Spent Volunteering

• Among volunteers, 45 percent are defined as active - or those who donate an average of more than 10 hours per month.
• These "active" volunteers give, on average, about 30 hours a month
• Women are more likely to volunteer 12-50 times per year, while men are more likely to volunteer less than once a month.
• Respondents over age 55 are more likely to have volunteered more than once per month.

Lions Clubs International:
Volunteering Time and Money

Lions Clubs International has found that being charitable isn't all about giving money - community service through donating time, effort and energy has just as much impact.

• In 2002-2003, Lions Clubs International's nearly 1.4 million members worldwide donated an estimated 65 million hours of service and an estimated US$667 million. Each club is estimated to have donated nearly 1,500 hours in volunteering time.
• In the U.S. and Lions Clubs' affiliate countries, members donated an estimated 12 million hours and an estimated US$167 million.
• The Independent Sector has determined that community service is valued at $16.54 per hour. Based on the 12 million hours served by Lions Clubs International's U.S. volunteers, that represents a $198.5 million donation in heart and spirit.

As the world's largest service club organization, Lions Clubs International has nearly 1.4 million men and women members in 46,000 clubs serving 193 countries and geographical areas; providing global reach with local impact. Founded in 1917, Lions Clubs International -- recognized worldwide for its service to the blind and visually impaired -- also dedicates itself to helping those less fortunate in communities around the world. Involving members in projects as local as cleaning up an area park or as far-reaching as bringing sight to the world's blind, Lions clubs provide innovative service to their communities.

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