Learn and Serve

West Virginia Ranks 24th for Average Volunteer Hours Per Capita Per Year

More than 366,300 Volunteers Dedicate 52 Million Hours

Charleston, W.Va. - Information released by The Corporation for National and Community Service in its annual Volunteering in America Report looks at volunteering trends across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 50 large and 75 mid-sized cities.  

West Virginia’s Rankings and Information:

West Virginia ranked 24th for its average of 35.8 volunteer hours per capita per year, and ranked 36th for its average number of residents who volunteered earning a rank of 25.2 percent.  On average, more than 366,300 volunteers gave 52 million hours of service.

Charleston ranked 20th among mid-size cities for volunteer rates, with 33.7 percent of the Charleston area residents volunteer. They also ranked 11th for volunteer hours per capita, with an average of 49.2.

West Virginia also benefited from the intensive service of more than 14,000 people of all ages and backgrounds through the work of 47 national service projects across the state. National Service refers to the Corporation’s National Service programs: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America and other programs and initiatives. Participants in these programs address community needs such as education, the environment, public safety and disaster relief. They also work to strengthen communities and increase civic engagement. This year, the Corporation for National and Community Service will commit more than $9.6 million to support national service programs in West Virginia communities.

Financial Impact of Volunteering in West Virginia:

On average (between 2007-2009), residents of West Virginia annually contributed almost 52,000,000 hours of volunteer service totaling over $1.1 billion of service. Of this total, Charleston contributed 13.5 million hours on average, accounting for a service average valued at $281.2 million per year. These figures are based on the Independent Sector’s annual estimation of the dollar value of a volunteer hour for 2009, which is currently $20.85. 

Volunteering In America Study Information:

For information on state trends related to the volunteer rate, the number of hours volunteered,  the types of activities volunteers perform and the types of organizations where people volunteer, click on the link below:

Volunteering in America Information

VolunteeringInAmerica.gov:

As noted above, the Volunteering In America profile data is available online in an easy-to-use, interactive web tool. When you visit VolunteeringInAmerica.gov, you can test your volunteering knowledge, learn about other states and cities and their volunteering habits, as well as seek out volunteer opportunities in your state or city.  You will also find data on state trends that offers information on the number of people volunteering, the volunteering rate, the number of hours volunteered, total hours donated per year, the types of activities volunteers perform, the types of organizations where people volunteer and civic engagement.