Research Brief: 

Volunteering in America’s 

Faith-Based Organizations 

July 2009 

Intrinsic in the spirit and purpose of many faith-based organizations is a sentiment 

that it is important to make a difference by serving others—it is only natural that 

faith-based organizations and other nonprofit organizations work together to 

achieve the good they wish the see in the community. This document reviews some 

of the research from the Corporation for National and Community Service on the 

nexus of these in order to help guide the process of forming more effective 

collaborations. 

 

Volunteer Participation and Retention 

Faith-based organizations are great resources for nonprofits seeking 

volunteers. 

 Religious organizations are the most popular organizations through 

 which volunteers serve. They were the main organization to serve with 

 for 35.9 percent of America’s volunteers between 2006 and 2008.1

Faith-based organizations rarely go without volunteers for their social 

service programs and activities. 

 Most of the country’s congregations (83%) take part in or 

 support social service, community development, or neighborhood 

 organizing projects. The vast majority of these (91%) report that 

 congregation members volunteer to serve for these programs and 

 activities.2

Volunteers who serve through faith-based organizations are the most 

likely to continue serving. 

 Seventy percent of volunteers who serve primarily through faith-based 

 organizations continue serving from one year to the next, the highest 

 retention rate of any type of organization through which volunteers 

 serve.3

Partnerships

Charities that partner with religious organizations have a greater 

scope of volunteer use. 

 Charities that partner with religious organizations are more likely to 

 use a large number of volunteers contributing many hours of service 

 than are those organizations without this type of collaboration.4

Nonprofits with secular missions are missing the opportunity for 

partnership. 

 Despite the popularity of volunteering through faith-based 

 organizations, only 15 percent of nonprofit charities with secular 

 missions report partnerships with faith-based organizations. 

 Nonprofits that do partner report greater benefits.5
Volunteering in America’s Faith-based Organizations 2

More Research Findings 

Faith-based organizations need volunteer managers. 

 Nearly half (46%) of congregations with social service activities report that a one-year, full-time 

 volunteer with a living stipend who would have the responsibility of volunteer recruitment and 

 management would be helpful “to a great extent.” Even more congregations are particularly 

 interested in this type of volunteer than they are in additional funding for volunteer management.

6

 

Over 40 percent of mentors serve through faith-based organizations. 

 Mentors are even more likely to serve through faith-based organizations than volunteers in general 

 are, with 42 percent of mentors serving through these organizations.7

Older adults are more likely to serve through religious organizations. 

 Almost half (47.0%) of volunteers age 65 and older volunteer mainly through faith-based 

 organizations, compared to less than a third (31.0%) of volunteers age 16-24.8

Black/African American volunteers are the most likely to serve through faith-based 

organizations. 

 Almost half (47.1%) of Black/African American volunteers serve primarily through faith-based 

 organizations, the largest proportion of any race or ethnicity. Still, all races and ethnicities are 

 more likely to serve through faith-based organizations than any other type of organization.9

Youth who attend religious services regularly are almost twice as likely to volunteer regularly. 

 While 14 percent of youth (ages 12-18) who do not attend religious services volunteer regularly 

 (serving 12 or more hours in a year), 27 percent of youth who attend religious services about every 

 week volunteer regularly.10

Faith-based organizations set youth from disadvantaged circumstances on a pathway of 

service. 

 Youth from disadvantaged circumstances are less likely to volunteer than other youth, but when 

 they do serve it is more likely to be through their religious congregation (39% versus 33%). They 

 are also much more likely to report that they are motivated to serve by their religious or spiritual 

 beliefs (48% compared to 36%).11

 

1

 From the Corporation’s “Volunteering in America, 2009” study, released July 28, 2009. See 

www.VolunteeringInAmerica.gov. 2

 From the Corporation’s “Volunteer Management in America’s Religious Organizations,” released June, 2004. See 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/vol_capacity_brief.pdf. 3

 Reported in the Corporation’s “Issue Brief: Volunteer Retention,” released April, 2007. See 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/VIA/VIA_brief_retention.pdf. 4

 See endnote 2. 

5

 See endnote 2. 

6

 From the Corporation’s “Volunteer Management Capacity in America’s Charities and Congregations,” written with the 

Urban Institute, released February, 2004. See http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/vol_capacity_brief.pdf. 7

 From the Corporation’s “Volunteers Mentoring Youth: Implications for Closing the Mentoring Gap,” released May, 2006. 

See http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/06_0503_mentoring_report.pdf. 8

 See endnote 1. 

9

 See endnote 1. 

10 From the Corporation’s “Building Active Citizens: The Role of Social Institutions in Teen Volunteering,” released 

November, 2005. See http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/05_1130_LSA_YHA_study.pdf. 11 From the Corporation’s “Leveling the Path to Participation: Volunteering and Civic Engagement Among Youth From 

Disadvantaged Circumstances,” released March, 2007. See http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/07_0406_disad_youth.pdf.