ABSTRACT
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has reported steady increases in volunteerism in the United States in the past six years even though the demographic profile of who volunteers, what is contributed, and the civic avenues for disseminating charitable resources have changed little in this time (Corporation for National and Community Service, 2010). Fundraising is still the most common contribution, and most documented volunteer efforts are conducted through religious institutions (Corporation for National and Community Service, 2010). So, what accounts for the recent uptick in volunteering activities? A number of explanations have been posited. CNCS Chief Executive Patrick Corvington suggests linkages to the economy, in that volunteering may help the jobless gain valuable work experience, and that empathy for disadvantaged populations might swell during economic downturns such as the one experienced in the US in the latter half of the decade (Blum, 2011). Another explanation is that high profile Internet-based initiatives, such as United We Serve and the https://Serve.gov website, make volunteering easy and accessible. In fact, the Internet has been credited with raising the awareness of civic engagement, and with organizing and increasing access to volunteer opportunities (Jennings & Zeitner, 2003; Koch, 2008). So, while profiles of who volunteers and what is contributed remain relatively unchanged, how people volunteer is becoming more centralized and efficient.
