(Washington D.C., Tuesday, November 13, 2018) – Volunteering strengthens the social, civic, and economic fabric of our nation.

Momentum for this type of social impact is growing. Nearly 77.4 million Americans served more than 6.9 billion hours in 2017. Nationally, almost one in three Americans volunteer and their service has an economic value of nearly $170.9 billion.

This data is part of a new study from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). CNCS is the federal agency that leads service, volunteering, and grant-making efforts in the United States.

Communities across America benefit from more than just volunteers’ donated time.

• Volunteers donate to charity at twice the rate of Americans who don’t participate in community service.
• Volunteers do something good for their neighborhood and do favors for their neighbors at three times the rate of non-volunteers.
• Volunteers belong to a group, organization, or association at a rate five times higher than non-volunteers.

Still, millions of Americans are doing favors for their neighbors, but don’t see their efforts as volunteering. This ‘informal volunteering’ reinforces that people across our country are committed to helping one another.

While volunteering may be top of mind during the holiday season, nonprofits need volunteer support throughout the year. Go to Serve.gov to find your year-round volunteer opportunity.

The Volunteering in America (VIA) study provides a comprehensive picture of Americans’ volunteerism and civic engagement and demonstrates the impact of national service in our communities.

Data includes volunteer and civic engagement rates and rankings, trends, and demographics for the nation, 50 states, and major cities across the country.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is the federal agency for volunteering, service, and civic engagement, and engages millions of Americans in service through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and national volunteering efforts.