
Volunteering Goes Online
Volunteering performed by virtual and hybrid volunteers is on the rise, according to research advanced by Rachel Coleman and Jennifer Crittenden from the University of Maine.
Based on the Civil Engagement and Volunteering (CEV) supplement to the Current Population Study conducted by AmeriCorps and the U.S. Census, 13.4 million Americans engaged in virtual or hybrid volunteer work in 2023. This represents 18% of formal volunteers. These volunteers contributed more than 1.2 billion service hours, equivalent to around $41.5 billion in economic value, and logged an average of 95 service hours per year, a much larger number compared to the 64-hour average of in-person volunteers.
Coleman, a project manager for UMaine’s Center on Aging, and Crittenden, the Center’s associate director and an assistant professor of social work, assisted AmeriCorps in developing the first measure of virtual and hybrid volunteering that was included in the CEV survey, funded by a $1.7 million grant from AmeriCorps.
Coleman’s and Crittenden’s contribution to the CEV survey has implications beyond an increase in virtual and hybrid volunteering. The survey suggests that virtual and hybrid opportunities open doors for individuals who may not be able to volunteer in-person, such as older adults and individuals with disabilities. Both groups, as well as those with higher levels of education, had elevated rates of virtual or hybrid volunteering.
The CEV survey also suggests that virtual and hybrid volunteers were more likely to informally help neighbors, belong to organizations, and donate to charities compared to in-person volunteers. These implications show the potential for virtual and hybrid volunteering to foster civic engagement and strengthen communities, as well as include those who may not be able to volunteer otherwise.
Read the full story on UMaine News.
Written by Emma Beauregard, Communications Intern