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VOLUNTEERING/
WORKING FOR WHOM?
source: www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/
FactSheets/FS_Volunteering2.pdf
www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/
71-542-XIE/71-542-XIE00001.pdf
www.cev.be/facts&figures.htm
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Volunteers play an especially important role not only in maintaining the non-profit sector’s advocacy functions, but also in helping it maintain its long-standing commitment to social justice and development... - in the United States from September 2003 to September 2004, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the US Department of Labor, most volunteers were involved with one (69.6%) or two (19.2%) organisations. Individuals with higher educational attainment were more likely to volunteer for multiple organisations than were individuals with less education. The main organisation - the organisation for which the volunteer worked the most hours during the year -was most frequently either religious (34.4% of all volunteers) or educational/youth service related (27.0%). Another 12.4% of volunteers performed activities mainly for social or community service organisations, and 7.5% volunteered most of their hours for hospitals or other health organisations;
- according to the report the Civic and Political Health of the Nation: A Generational Portrait, during the spring of 2002, 67% of US young volunteers volunteered for youth organisations. The next most common venue for youth volunteering was a civic or community group such as a health service organisation or a social service organisation; collectively, they drew 53.2% of young volunteers. Compared to their older counterparts, young people are more likely to volunteer at an environmental organisation, but are less likely to volunteer at a political organisation or for a political candidate;
- in Canada, according to the 2000 National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating (NSGVP), most volunteering events and most volunteer hours were directed toward five types of organisations: arts, culture and recreation (including sports) organisations accounted for the highest percentage of volunteer events (23%) and volunteer hours (26%). These are followed by social service organisations (20% of events and 20% of hours); religious organisations (14% and 16%); education and research organisations (13% and 11%); and health organisations (13% and 9%). Other types of organisations accounted for the remaining 17% of both volunteer events and volunteer
hours;
- a large majority of young Canadians believe that working for a non-profit group is a more effective way to work for social change (results based on a study carried out by the Institute for Research on Public Policy). This engagement is seen as more ‘real’ - direct, tangible and more in line with their interests and passions; (1)
- in Belgium, volunteers are often active, and play a fundamental role, within the administrations of many non-profit associations (on average 5/6 per association). The Scout movement is also worth mentioning because it is exceptionally strong in Belgium, and is a form of voluntary activity. Scouting is based on the principles of solidarity and volunteering, and the Scout movement within Belgium feels that one of its role’s is to highlight the benefits of voluntary work to society. In Flanders, people have traditionally been extremely active as volunteers in the social welfare and charitable sectors within the Catholic framework;
- in Germany, in 1993, approximately 7.100 young people between 17 and 26 were acting as volunteers within the Voluntary Year of Social Services. The number of participants increased to roughly 13.900 and included the participants of the Voluntary Year of Ecological Services. Around 15.000 young people took part in a voluntary service in 2002;
- volunteerism constitutes the main component of the non-profit sector in Poland. In 2004, volunteers supported the work of 44.4% of NGOs. There was a decrease of 2.6% in comparison to the year of 2002. Organisations active in the field of health protection, social services and social assistance constitute a group of NGOs that work with volunteer mostly (out of these NGOs in the study group, 60% reported to work with up to 30 volunteers). Regardless of Poles’ commitment to religion, which in comparison with the Western Europe is very high, it is interesting to notice that engagement in voluntary activities within a religious organisation is relatively low. Only 3% of the Poles volunteered for religious organisation, movements or missions;
- 56% of volunteers in France volunteer within associations that reflect their own personal leisure interests, such as sport, cultural and other social and leisure activities. Next in popularity are those associations that advocate for humanitarian causes (29% of volunteers). Most of the voluntary work benefits to non profit organisations without any paid staff; only 20% of the French associations have employees. There are 880,000 active non-profit associations, and more than 60,000 associations are created each year. In the public sector, volunteers are involved in a range of activities, including civic security (volunteer firemen make up 85% of the total 240,000 firemen in France whilst the army has more than 14,000 volunteers);
- in Italy in 2002, according to the Italian partners of Vision21 (a European programme to promote volunteering), there were 26.403 voluntary organisations operating through 43.600 paid employees and 968.000 volunteers. It has been observed a net increase of activity for those fields in which the deficit of the State action is more strong: kindergarten, youth training and recreation, elderly care services, education, safeguard and valorisation of the environment;
- in Australia, young people have volunteered in community life for many years in such organisations as Girl Guides and Boy Scouts, in churches, through school activities, youth organisations such as the YM/YWCA and as coaches and umpires in sport. In 2000 most volunteers aged 18-24 years (74.2%) volunteered in one organisation and 21.2% volunteered in two organisations. Young male volunteers were more likely to volunteer in sport/recreation (56.3%) and education/training/youth development organisations (17.6%). Young female volunteers volunteered in community/welfare (27.9), sport/recreation (23.6%) and education/training/youth development organisations (16.1%). For all young volunteers, sport/recreation organisations (40%) were by far the most popular context for volunteering, with community welfare (21.3%) and education/training/youth development organisations (16.8%) following; (2)
- in Australia again, a 2001 report - Young People and Volunteering - shows that 3/4 of the participants had volunteered at some time and approximately 50% were currently volunteering. They volunteered in large, well known organisations (e.g. Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul); organisations focused on particular issues (e.g. Amnesty International, conservation groups); organisations concerned with young people’s issues (e.g. Here for Life, Starlight Foundation) and a range of community groups and youth-oriented activities. (3)
(1) [www.opinion-canada.ca/en/articles/article_129.html]
(2) [www.volunteeringaustralia.org/docs/Nat_Agenda.pdf]
(3) The report “Young People and Volunteering” documents the first stage of a project undertaken by Volunteering Victoria aimed at making their services relevant to the needs of young people. In 2001 eight focus groups of 15 to 24 year olds were conducted in metropolitan, regional and rural areas of Victoria, Australia. (Hartley, 2001, p. 23).
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