Volunteerism in Ohio Central Cities and Surrounding Communities: Frequency, Potential, and Demographics

A 1993 research study in five Ohio cities investigated the prevalence of volunteerism and demographics of volunteers and non-volunteers. Random telephone surveys of 2116 households were conducted by trained volunteers. Seventy-one percent of all respondents had volunteered in the previous three years. A statistically significant larger percentage of study respondents had volunteered than compared to similar statistics for the entire nation. Volunteer respondents differed from non-volunteer respondents in being slightly older and having higher total household incomes. The findings will enable Extension educators to build stronger collaborations with adult volunteers in developing proactive strategies to address urban issues.