Volunteers

More than half of American teenagers and young adults volunteered last year, and the best way to enlist this group turns out to be peer pressure: Three quarters of people ages 13 to 22 whose friends volunteer regularly also do so, which is nearly twice the number of those who pursue voluntary activities based on their concern about particular social issues. Those were the key findings of new research results released today by Do Something, a group working to get young people involved in social change.

The Toy Industry Foundation's Jean Butler shares the key tactics her organizations utilizes to keep giving moment going beyond just the year-end giving season.

Employee matching-gift and volunteer-grant programs are two underutilized sources of fundraising for many nonprofit organizations.

Done right, recruiting and using volunteers can be a huge blessing. Done poorly, they're headaches. So how do you manage volunteers right? Here are seven tips to make sure that both your volunteers and you have a mutually beneficial experience.

An hour of volunteering was worth $21.79 in 2011, up 43 cents from 2010, a new estimate says.

The estimate by Independent Sector is based on the average hourly earnings of all production and non-supervisory works on private non-farm payrolls, as determined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Independent Sector increases that number by 12 percent to estimate for fringe benefits.

Done right, recruiting and using volunteers can be a huge blessing. Done poorly, they're headaches. So how do you manage volunteers right? Here are seven tips to make sure that both your volunteers and you have a mutually beneficial experience.

The number of college students who volunteer actually decreased from 2009 to 2010, but the total number of volunteer hours increased, a 2010 study conducted by Volunteering in America showed.

"This data show that the students who are volunteering are doing so more regularly or on a longer-term basis," says Heather Peeler, chief strategy officer for the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Some experts say a key reason that recent graduates are turning to longer volunteer opportunities could be the competitive job market and economic climate.

Nov. 3, nonprofit, corporate and government leaders gather to mark a milestone for A Billion + Change — a national campaign by the Corporation for National and Community Service to mobilize billions of dollars in skills-based and pro bono volunteer services to nonprofit organizations — to celebrate the more than 50 companies that have pledged over $1 billion in service to nonprofits and encourage companies to join the campaign.

Volunteer experience has long been a secondary consideration in people’s career portfolios. It was seen as good for the soul, maybe, beneficial to a cause, but not something that led to a better job. Volunteer work got a line at the bottom of a résumé, near hobbies.

That has started to change, with more nonprofit organizations trying to take better advantage of skilled volunteers, and more employers saying they look at volunteer work in evaluating job candidates.

Starting Sept. 7, LinkedIn will let users list their public-spirited deeds and philanthropic efforts alongside job experience under a new section called "Volunteer Experience and Causes." According to a survey by the social network, more then ever volunteer experience is valuable information that could give job hunters the boost they need to get promoted or hired.

Nicole Williams, connections director at LinkedIn, says that hiring managers are looking at volunteer experience as real work experience, if job candidates are able to talk about their achievements while volunteering in a quantifiable way.