Below are 10 interesting facts about volunteering. Some findings may even surprise you! 
1. In 2008, 61.8 million Americans (26.4% of the population) contributed 8 billion hours of volunteer service worth an estimated 162 billion dollars.
2. The estimated dollar value of volunteer time is $20.25.
3. Despite the challenges of a tough economic situation, the volunteering rate held steady between 2007 and 2008, while the number of volunteers slightly increased by about one million.
4. Over 441,000 more young adults (age 16-24) volunteered in 2008 than 2007, representing an increase from about 7.8 million to more than 8.2 million.
5. Neighborhood engagement levels have risen sharply since 2007, with a 31% increase in the number of people who worked with their neighbors to fix a community problem and a 17 % increase in the number of people who attended community meetings.
6. Between September 2008 and March 2009, more than a third (37%) of nonprofit organizations report increasing the number of volunteers they use, and almost half (48%) foresee increasing their usage of volunteers in the coming year.
7. Volunteers were much more likely than non-volunteers to donate to a charitable cause in 2008, with 78.2 percent contributing $25 or more compared to 38.5 percent of non-volunteers.
8. Non-volunteers say that they are more likely to serve if a trusted friend asks them to serve.
9. About 8.24 million young people ages 16-24 volunteered in 2008, over 441,000 more than in 2007.This increase in young adult volunteers makes up almost half of the overall increase in the number of volunteers nationally.
10. Adults who began volunteering as youth are twice as likely to volunteer as those who did not volunteer when they were younger.