Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is the Web Site, www.VolunteeringInAmerica.gov?
  2. How do I use this site?
  3. Check Out the Service Impacts Series
  4. Take a look at rankings
  5. Find state and city data
  6. Make a profile
  7. Compare Data
  8. Export Data
  9. Download a Widget
  10. Infographic
  11. Take a look at the Press Room
  12. Find Out More

1. What is the Web Site, www.VolunteeringInAmerica.gov?

The www.VolunteeringInAmerica.gov, is a rich source of information that allows nonprofit leaders, policy makers and the media access data and assemble customized reports with information on national service and volunteering trends and demographics. In addition, the most recent data is presented by age, gender, and geography.

2. How do I use this site?

There are many ways to access data on the site. Feel free to play around with it to try the different links and buttons! Some of the items you may want to check out are listed on this page.

3. Check Out the Service Impacts Series:

As part of the VIA 2011 release, you can view a series of profiles that highlight how volunteers help solve community issues through community based organizations and public private partnerships such as Jumpstart, Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV), the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, and IBM. This series shows the myriad of ways that volunteers participate in service by describing what the organization is working toward, how they use volunteers, the story of a volunteer, and community benefits.

4. Take a look at rankings:

Would you like to learn how your state and/or city ranked in volunteering? You can access this information if you go to the Rankings Page (http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/rankings.cfm section of the site). On the Rankings Page you can compare changes in rank using data from the past four years. You can also get to this page by clicking on the Rankings tab within the top header on the site.

Once you are at this page, you will see that you can see rankings for states, large cities, and mid-size cities. Most of the rankings are calculated using an average of three years’ worth of data. This averages for states and large cities combine responses from the 2008, 2009, and 2010 volunteer supplements to increase the reliability of the estimates. Mid-size city rankings and rates are based on data from 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Click on one of the titles underneath the areas to change the rankings (for example, see Baby Boomer rankings for states by clicking on the Baby Boomer link highlighted in blue). This information will appear below the map in a table and the map will also change shading depending on the numbers within the table. You can also sort the table by clicking on the table headers. Ranking data is available for 2008, 2009, and 2010. Pick a year by clicking on the button at the top left hand side of the page. If you would like to see a comparison of years, click the compare button and then the ranking that you would like to see. To print or export this data, click the Print Current Ranking button or go to the Export tab.

You can access detailed state level information by selecting ‘Read More’ in the furthest right hand column of the table. Note that a ranking widget is available for cities and states. See the section on widgets below.

5. Find state and city data:

Interested in finding your state and city information? You can access this type of information by starting off on the data page (http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/data.cfm). You can also get to this page by clicking on the Data tab within the top header on the site. Once there you can click on your state or city. Also, by clicking on the boxes below the map that read Large Cities, Mid-Size Cities, and Additional Cities, you will be able to see the selection of the cities on the map and click onto those cities to find more information. Another way to access state and city information is to click on the link below the map titled, View list of cities. This page has a link to each state and city from which you can navigate to the area you are looking for. There are many interesting items to look at on a region, state, and city page. At the top of the page there are highlights of the data and scrolling down to the bottom of the page, you will see links to resources, factors that influence volunteer rates, and widgets.

6. Make a profile:

Would you like to make a profile for a certain geographic location? A profile is a printed page of graphs for a certain location. You can print a standardized profile by pressing the Print button on a location’s page or you can make your own individualized profile by clicking the Customize Button. Once you are on the customizing page, you select the type of document that you would like to create. Your choices are webpage or PDF. You can also select if you would like to have your charts in 2D or 3D, how many charts you would like to have per page, and the color scheme of your profile. If you would like to skip this selection, the selections will default to a webpage, in 2D, with 6 charts per page. Once you have selected your criteria, you can pick the charts you would like to include by dragging and dropping them into the profile. If you need additional pages, click the Add Page button. When you are ready to create your profile, click the Submit button and the profile will appear in a new tab or window within your web browser or as a PDF document.

7. Compare Data:

And to see comparisons between different volunteering indicators or by location, click the Compare button on a locations main page (below the map on the upper right hand side). Step 1 will be to select what areas you would like to compare. Step 2, you will chose the exact locations within the areas. Step 3 you can chose the graphs you would like to see. Please note that due to data restrictions only a select number of graphs are available for comparisons. Step 4 is selecting the type of format that you would like to see this information, you can select a webpage or PDF document. When you are ready to see your information, click the Get Report button. The information you selected will open within your web browser or as a PDF document.

8. Export Data:

Interested in exporting the data in an Excel, CSV, XML and PDF format? To download data, go to the Export Data tab at (http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/data.cfm). You can also get there by clicking on Export Data at the bottom of the Data page. This page allows users to export volunteering information by: nation, region, state, and cities; in an Excel, CSV, XML and PDF format by geography and year. Note that large datasets are best downloaded in CSV or XML.

To download the data, the first step is to select the format for your data. If you are unsure what format you need, this will automatically download as a PDF document. Next, click the year that you are looking for data. Click the arrow on the left hand side of the area to see what fields are available for that selection. Select the data fields you would like to download. Once you have chosen all of the fields you would like to see, press export to download the data.

Interested in learning more about the types of data that have been captured and the methodology used to calculate the data? In the Glossary you can find detailed definitions, at http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/about/glossary.cfm. You can also locate a Technical Note which outlines the methodology of the data at, http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/about/technical.cfm

9. Download a Widget:

Do you have a website or blog? How about a Facebook, MySpace or iGoogle page? On the homepage in the lower right hand corner, select ‘Widgets & Banners’. If you use one of these, or any one of the countless social networking sites that are on the web today, help us spread the word about volunteering and service by installing one of our widgets. Installing a widget is easy -- at the bottom of the widget you'd like to use, click the “Get Widget” button and select which service you're using.

10. Infographic:

An Information graphic or infographic is a graphic visual representation of information, data or knowledge. Share this VIA infographic with your friends and networks by sending the URL link or clicking on the "share" button.

11. Take a look at the Press Room:

Where should reporters go for information? The Press Room is located at http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/pressroom.cfm and can also be accessed by clicking on the Press Room tab at the top of the page. Below are some other options related to the media.

National profile – For national statistics, go to http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/national, from there you can, make a profile: a profile is a printed page of graphs. You can print a standardized national profile by pressing the Print button or you can make your own individualize profile by clicking the Customize Button. Once you are on the customizing page, you select the type of document that you would like to create. Your choices are webpage or PDF. You can also select if you would like to have your charts in 2D or 3D, how many charts you would like to have per page, and the color scheme of your profile. If you would like to skip this, the selections will default to a webpage, in 2D, with 6 charts per page. Once you have selected your criteria, you can pick the charts you would like to include by dragging and dropping them into the profile. If you need additional pages, click the Add Page button. When you are ready to create your profile, click the Submit button and the profile will appear in a new tab or window within your web browser or as a PDF document.

Producing and Distributing a Press Release– Are interested in utilizing spokespeople for a local press conference, developing a press release, media list, and plan for reaching out to media? We encourage you to work with your governor’s office to have a joint press release created and distributed. This release could contain quotes from the governor and a state commission representative, as well as third party spokesperson. The best way to go about is by researching and creating a list of local reporters whose news beats cover your state’s areas of interest – philanthropy, government, business, social issues, nonprofits, as well as feature reporters. A simple way to do this is to note the names of reporters when you read, see or hear a story that covers any of these areas. You can also call your local media outlets, or use media reference guides from your local library. Make sure your contact information (name and title) is complete and accurate.

Make follow up calls to the media asking them if they’d like to interview any of the spokespeople to discuss the report findings, what they mean as well as details on volunteerism activities and needs within the state.

Corporation Headquarters will be conducting outreach to the state Associated Press Bureaus. We will also be distributing the national press release to the top newspapers in each state. However, it will be your local knowledge, experience and spokespeople that will make this story interesting to your state’s newspapers and media. We encourage you to be proactive in providing the state perspective.

Need assistance? Please contact the Office of Public Affairs:

Sandy Scott, (202) 606-6724 or at sscott@cns.gov

12. Find Out More:

To see more information, go to the About page at http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/about/index.cfm or click on the About tab at the top of the page. Here you can find Frequently Asked Questions about the research. You can also see the Technical Note which outlines the methodology of the data and see how terms are defined within the Glossary.

You can also find out more information on volunteering and service by clicking on the Related Research tab on the toolbar. On the page you will find related research on volunteering. One can also find information on training and technical assistance resources offered through the Corporation’s federal national service programs and initiatives, and even find an opportunity to volunteer at serve.gov.

You can look at the Tips and Tools tab to find volunteer recruitment and retention resources. You will find other tips and tools by clicking on the Resource Center link on the bottom of the page. The Resource Center is the national clearinghouse on training and technical assistance that supports the volunteer movement. The Volunteering in America “Tools and Training” navigation button takes visitors to Resource Center materials focused on:

  • Cost-saving volunteer strategies
  • Human capital volunteer strategies
  • Volunteer retention
  • Volunteer Recruitment
  • Voluntourism

Within these categories, visitors will find:

  • Tip Sheets
  • Effective Practices
  • Links
  • Training Information
  • Last year’s retention website: www.volunteerweek.org
  • Additional Resource Center tools via Search, Browse, Select, and Connect