You may have already taken an interest in volunteering, but how many fun facts do you know about it? Here is a fun list of 37 facts about volunteering to get stuck into…
According to a survey, 96% of volunteers believe that volunteering makes people happier in their lives. This is backed with further research that shows that volunteers answer questions more positively if they have been taking part in regular volunteering activities. This could be anything from helping to fundraise for their favourite charity, to travelling across the world to work in a underprivileged community!
Volunteers contribute $200 million to Australia’s economy! This helps the country develop further and volunteers often feel happy to have been able to visit the country on this basis. The time off during the projects allows volunteers to take in the beauty of Australia!
Volunteering can lead to job opportunities that you never would have heard about otherwise. It will introduce you to new people, who will look at you in a positive light by knowing you’re taking part in a volunteering project or programme. Never forget the importance of showing that you care! You could even set yourself the goal to get as many types of volunteering projects on your list as possible. Making sure they are always causes you care about, of course!
Volunteering can help improve your mental health by giving you feelings of gratitude for what you have in your own life. This new perspective can help you see things more clearly and feel inspired to keep doing the great work you’re involved with. When seeking help with mental health issues, often people will be advised to take part in volunteering projects in their spare time, to serve as a distraction from unhappy feelings but also a new focus.
Volunteering can help you come up with your own creative ideas for new ways to volunteer! Sometimes the best thing you can do is to sign up to a project you think sounds interesting, and then use this as the base for the rest of the work you do later in life. The more you learn about charities and organisations, the better!
People who volunteer and have this to write on their CVs are much more likely of finding work than those who do not. Having this extra information can help sum up your personality and interests while also proving that you know how to use your time well. There really are no down sides in this sense!
Adults who took part in volunteering when they were younger are twice as likely of doing it in their adult lives than those who didn’t. This could be because it’s been drummed into their minds for longer, or could simply be because they feel it would be more strange not to volunteer than to volunteer! One great tip would be that if you know anyone who doesn’t volunteer themselves, try to convince them! It can be a fun challenge for you and could help brighten up their life!
The most popular type of volunteering is fundraising and doing activities that raise money for a cause. This could mean running marathons, sponsored walks, online donation pages and more. Secondly, serving and preparing food is another way people like to do their bit. General work or helping out with community goings-on is another way people love to get involved!
One survey, conducted in 2008 by Tourism and Research Marketing found that 1.6 million people take part in volunteering projects where they have to travel internationally to take part. How amazing!
Most international volunteers come from the United States of America.
India is the most popular country to volunteer in. It’s not clear whether this is because of the size of the country, the amount of projects going on, or simply because it’s the most appealing to the most people. Either way, India is a beautiful country to volunteer in. With so many different ways to do so!
The most likely candidate for volunteering will be an employed college student aged between 18-24 years old. This could be anywhere from one week to 12 months. Volunteering projects go on for varying lengths of time, making it easy for all people of all ages to find something perfect for them.
Most international volunteers express a passion for ending poverty. They make it clear that it’s important for everyone to do something to help put it to an end. This is the most common cause that people want to volunteer for.
The main things people wish to experience when they volunteer are: cultural immersion, a feeling that they’re giving back to a community, the feeling of being part of a team, and finally for educational reasons. These are some of the reasons that people choose to come back time and time again to do more volunteering!
People are much more likely to complete volunteering projects alone, to then be set up in organised groups where they can then make friends. Many volunteers claim to have made lifelong friends during their time in the projects. It can be the best decision a person ever makes!
Many people define volunteering as the selfless act to help others and improve a situation you have the power to change. Volunteering is about looking at a place that needs help, and working towards finding a solution as a team. Volunteering is centred around the idea that if people get together, they can make a huge difference.
The idea of volunteering goes way back in history! Women used to volunteer their time during the American Civil War to sew supplies for the soldiers off at war.
The term ‘skills-based volunteering’ means for someone to use their own skills that they have been trained, to put these into practice in another environment. This is to help teach new ways of doing things and allow disadvantaged communities to live sustainably and achieve their long term goals. This could be anything from a doctor volunteering in a hospital in an underdeveloped country, or a sports coach or graduate coming to teach kids to play their favourite sport. Whatever a person’s skill is, they can put it to good work by completing a volunteering project abroad.
Around a third people make sure they volunteer every single month. That is a big commitment! Ask yourself, are you one of these loyal people? If not, it’s never too late to get involved and do what you can to help others!
Statistically, most volunteers are female rather than male. Boys – don’t let this put you off though! There are so many projects available to both genders, so keep an open mind in your search.
One of the main things that stops people volunteering is work commitments. This need not be a hindrance though! Many work places will agree to let employees have time off to take part in volunteering programmes if they take longer than an evening in the week. Whatever you wish to do, ask your boss what their thoughts are before you assume the answer will be no. They might pleasantly surprise you!
More than two thirds of volunteers aged between 18-24 see volunteering as a positive way to increase their career prospects and help push them towards the job of their dreams. This is not wrong! Volunteering helps to open the mind up to new opportunities, so even if you’re not directly offered a job due to your volunteering, you’ll be looking in more places in more areas that will naturally make you find more jobs.
In a study on 3,000 employers, 84% of these agreed that volunteering makes a candidate more appealing to them, making them more likely to offer a second interview. This is no surprise! Volunteers make it clear that they are willing to help others for nothing in return, this attitude is transferrable into the workplace. If you’re accustomed to helping others for nothing, imagine how helpful you’ll be when you’re being paid for your time! It’s not rocket science.
In the same study, around 70% of employers believed that volunteering can help create higher salaries in the long run for those who do it. It’s hard to explain why they believe this. It could be due to the skills that they have achieved along the way, or perhaps the confidence this gives them to apply for higher paid roles. Either way, volunteering only has positive impacts on your career process. So, get researching!
Volunteers in organised projects work best when they are given clear instructions and when they are given a clear goal to work towards. This can help to let individuals feel too small in the grander scheme of things. Often people can feel overwhelmed when they see an area that needs a lot of work doing to it. They might question: how can all of this be achieved? But with a good leader and a goal set ahead of time, a volunteer can feel happy in knowing that they will make a difference and they’re not wasting the organisation’s or people’s times.
Around 40% of volunteers choose to do it because a friend or someone close to them suggested the idea to them. This ‘friend’ could be you! Try to convince someone to take part in a volunteering mission. You’ll feel so happy with yourself afterwards, and most likely feel inspired to do something else yourself! Spread the joy of volunteering wherever you go!
Nearly 20% of volunteers (in one survey) suggested that taking part in volunteering projects helped improve their general health by encouraging them to drink less alcohol! That can only be a bonus…
Most employers in the UK believe that volunteering among their employees creates a wider skillset in their company. They view this positively and encourage it as much as possible! These skills can be passed along the team and can help build morale.
It’s estimated that 15.2 million people in the UK volunteer at least once a month. That is a lot of positivity passing around the world!
India, Thailand and Nepal are three of the most popular countries to host international volunteers. It’s worth putting some research in if you’re stuck for ideas, because you’re bound to find something amazing in one of these countries.
People who take part in team sports are far more likely of signing up to volunteer. This could be because they feel like they know what to expect so feel more prepared, or because they have spoken to others about being active in the community. This shouldn’t put off people who don’t regularly take part in sports though! Anyone is welcome to volunteer, and it’s a great chance to get fit if you’re not already!
One study found that unmarried Canadians are the most likely people to volunteer. What a random fact!
There is a National Volunteers’ Week in the UK that runs from the 1st-7th of June. This week encourages people to take part in new projects and share what they’ve been up to online so others can get inspiration.
In the year 2014, it’s estimated that 63 million America people volunteered their time. This equalled a grand total of 7.7 billion hours! That is a lot of generous people!
Volunteering in young people has increased progressively over the past decade, with 30% of young people participating in volunteer activities at least once a month in the year 2000.
Research shows that people who regularly volunteer show higher levels of happiness in their daily lives, satisfaction in life, higher self esteem, sense of control over life and better physical health. What great reasons to sign up!
Amazingly, volunteering has shown in different studies to lower levels of depression.
Hopefully now you feel like you know even more about volunteering! Perhaps you even have more inspiration for which type of project might be right for you. Let us know if you have any questions!
Happy volunteering!
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