The Nonprofit FAQ

Do people volunteer more during the winter holidays?
Lloyd Jacobsen (homeoffice@COOL2SERVE.ORG) said on ARNOVA-L on 7
Jan 1997:

It may not be the difinitive source you need, however, most Volunteer
Centers (a.k.a., Voluntary Action Centers) see some increase in the number
of requests for information during the holiday season. You may be able to
get stats on the number of referrals made during during the holidays from
any number of Volunteer Centers across the country.

When I lived in Houston I seem to recall the Volunteer Center there saying
though that X-mas was not as large a time for requests as was after New
Years (presumably people trying to fulfill their new years resolutions) and
the beginning of fall (when schools go back in session). No doubt though
that some X-mas volunteering is done more informally in groups (church,
youth groups, etc), or is brought about by a whole range of alternative
referral sources (i.e., newspapers and other media who publicize the plight
of poor families/children, people doing favors for freinds and strangers).

Sue E. S. Crawford (crawford@CREIGHTON.EDU) said on ARNOVA-L on 8
Jan 97:

Thanks to everyone who responded to my request for information about a
Christmas surge in volunteering and contributing. I received 7 responses.
None of the responses list a specific study or data source that
definitely addresses the question. Some responses provide suggestions
for sources of data and one response provides a contact to a scholar who
may have examined the issue. One response provides a cite for a Wall
Street Journal article that provides anecdotal evidence about the problem
and interviews with soup kitchen staff and volunteers. A couple of the
responses explain how the Christmas surge could be explained by existing
theory. A short summary of the responses appears below. If you would
like the full text of any of the responses, contact me
(crawford@creighton.edu) and I will forward the message to you.

SUMMARY OF MESSAGES:

From: Aaron Heffron (aaron@indepsec.org)

Independent Sector biennial surveys on the trends in private giving
and volunteering show that the greatest predictor of whether a
person gives or volunteers is whether or not they were asked. Another
predictor is media attention about a particular volunteer opportunity.
The Christmas surge may be explained in part due to the increased asking
for help at this time and the increased media attention to volunteer
activities at this time.

To request a copy of the IS study of trends in private giving and
volunteering, contact Aaron Heffron at Independent
Sector, 1828 L Street, NW Suite 1200, Washington, D.C. 20036.
(aaron@indepsec.org).

From: Bill Harbaugh (harbaugh@oregon.uoregon.edu)
People give in part due to warm glow. The warm glow factor may be higher
during the holiday season.

For a copy of a paper on the warm glow effect, see Bill's web site
(http://hargaugh.uoregon.edu).

From: Susan Chambre (Smchambre@AOL.COM)
The data does not exist. A 1974 American Volunteer Survey done during the
Easter season may have captured Easter related volunteering.

From: Holly Kleinsasser (aspenia@acnet.com)
Possible sources of information:
Volunteer and Information Center that may exist in the city or state.
the Points of Light Foundation, Washington, D.C.
the Association of Volunteer Administrators
the Independent Sector

From: Wesley Lindahl (w-lindahl@NWU.EDU)
At a recent ARNOVA meeting, Paul Schervich reported on research on
cyclical patterns in volunteering and giving. This may address Christmas
surges.

From: Lloyd Jacobson (homeoffice@COOL2SERVE.ORG)
Try to get numbers from volunteer action centers or from national
organizations such as Salvation Army, Red Cross, or YMCA.

The Volunteer Center in Houston saw larger surges at the beginning of the
New Year (possibly due to New Years resolutions) and in the fall when
schools go back to session.