About Volunteer Week: National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 as an annual celebration. The week was sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation to honor those who volunteer and to raise awareness of the need for increased voluntary service.  National Statistics: During the past year, 64.5 million people volunteered in some capacity - up from63.8 million for the similar period ended in September 2003.  The volunteer rate held steady at 28.8 percent. About 23.6 percent of men and 31.0 percent of women did volunteer work, about the same proportions as in the prior year.  Women volunteered at a higher rate than men across age groups, education levels, and other major characteristics.  By age, 35- to 44-year olds were the most likely to volunteer, closely followed by 45- to 54-year olds and 55 to 64 year olds.  Their volunteer rates were 34.2 percent, 32.8 percent, and 30.1 percent respectively.  Teenagers also had a relatively high volunteer rate at 29.4 percent, perhaps reflecting an emphasis on volunteer activities in schools.  Volunteer rates were lowest among persons in their early twenties (20.0 percent) and among those 65 and over (24.6 percent).  Volunteer rates within the 65 years and over group decreased as age increased. Volunteers spent a median of 52 hours on volunteer activities during the period, unchanged from the previous survey period.  Men spent 52 hours and women spent 50 hours doing volunteer work, down from 52 hours in each of the previous periods.  Local Statistics The national average of people aged 16 and above who volunteer in the U.S. is 27.4 percent.  The average percentage for Wisconsin is higher than the national average at 35.8%.  In Dane County, that means 160,877 volunteers. The average volunteer contributes 52 hours a year.  In Dance County, this is equivalent to 8,365,604 hours a year. The value of the time donated by each Dance Country volunteers annually is $889.72.  The total value of all volunteers' time donated is approximately $143,135,484 per year.    Volunteering by Age Among persons 25 years of age and over, the volunteer rates for those with at least some college education or a bachelor's degree or better rose over the year, while the rates for those whose education had not gone beyond high school graduation remained about the same. Parents with children under age 18 were more likely to volunteer than persons with no children of that age, with volunteer rates of 36.9 percent and 25.4 percent, respectively.  Volunteer rates were higher among married persons (33.9 percent) than among never-married persons (23.2 percent) and persons of other marital statuses (22.9 percent). Senior Volunteerism Among the age groups, volunteers age 65 and over devoted the most time--a median of 96 hours -- to volunteer activities up from 88 hours from the previous survey period.  Those age 25 to 34 years spent the least time, volunteering a median of 36 hours during the year, no change from the previous survey period. Older volunteers were more likely to work mainly for religious organizations than were their younger counterparts.  For example, 45.2 percent of volunteers age 65 and over performed volunteer activities mainly through or for a religious organization, compared with 28.5 percent of volunteers age 16 to 24 years.   Famous Quotes on Volunteering "Volunteering creates a national character in which the community and the nation take on a spirit of compassion, comradeship and confidence." - Brian O'Connell "We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do." - Edmund Everett Hale "I believe that democracy can survive if volunteering does." - Harriet Naylor "Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person." - Mother Teresa "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."            -Mahatma Gandhi

If you'd like, take a look at past news

The inclusion of any organization or person in this database does not constitute a representation, warranty, or endorsement with respect to the competence, suitability, or reliability of such organization or person by United Way of Dane County, Inc.; nor does United Way of Dane County, Inc. sponsor or endorse any third-party web site. Legal Notices