Wisconsin ranks 13th among the 50 states for the number of residents who volunteer; about 33% of the population volunteers, accounting for an average of 36 hours per resident over the year. The majority volunteer in either religious or educational settings, and about 16% volunteer in a social service setting like WAFER.
As a comparison, these are the top three states for volunteering:
Utah 44%
Iowa 38%
Minnesota 38%
At the low end are Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, Nevada, and New York, all at about 20%.
In 2010, WAFER volunteers gave almost 10,000 hours of their time (actual time is likely higher as some volunteers do not record their hours) averaging 88 hours per person. Nationally, between 2008 and 2009, volunteerism increased by 27%; since 2008, WAFER’s volunteerism increased by 30%.
Across the country, a portion of the increase is being attributed to the downward economy—as work hours are reduced or deleted, people are using their time to volunteer. At WAFER, we have had a number of volunteers saying they are giving their time because they are out of work and want to do something.
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