Volunteering is an important way for individuals to give back to their communities, to meet critical needs, and to improve their own health, well-being, and access to opportunity.
Research has shown that individuals can develop important skills, networks, and opportunities through volunteerism. A few examples include:
- Studies have shown that volunteer work can lead to future earning power by providing work experience and strengthening social networks and ties that lead to jobs.
- Research from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), entitled “Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment,” established an association between volunteering and employment, finding that:
- Volunteers have 27% higher odds of finding employment than non-volunteers.
- The relationship between volunteering and employment was strongest for individuals without a high school diploma and for those who live in rural areas.
In Arizona, volunteers are helping meet the needs of our communities. In 2017, Arizonans reported that 1,648,684 volunteers contributed 160.9 million hours of service. This service is worth an estimated $3.8 billion to our communities.
