How has volunteer activity changed since the pandemic began, and what does the future hold for volunteerism in the nonprofit sector?

We dug into the most recent research and data that examines trends in 2022 and looks forward to 2023 and beyond.

2023 Volunteer Management Progress Review Data

Tobi Johnson & Associates and VolunteerPro have published this study since 2016. You can download the most recent report here >>

In this most recent edition, they found that the average number of volunteers have rebounded to 101-250 annual volunteers:

But, 65% of nonprofits still report their volunteer numbers are lower than pre-COVID:

The number of hours per volunteer remains ~10% lower than pre-COVID:

Civic Champs Data

We dug into the data among nonprofits who use Civic Champs to manage their volunteers.

On average, organizations who use Civic Champs have about 166 active volunteers, who collectively served for almost 4,000 hours in 2022. A typical volunteer worked 6 hours per shift or activity, and volunteered about 6 times a year. If you also use volunteer management software, how does that compare?

You can see the raw data below, as well as the data broken up into three typically volunteer-reliant cause types.

Raw Data

All Cause Types

166 active volunteers on average per org

3,934 hours volunteered by all their active volunteers, 6 average hours per shift

770 activities volunteered at by all their active volunteers, 6 average activities per volunteer

Estimated impact $117,823 (based on $29.95/hr.)


Habitat for Humanity

172 active volunteers on average per org

3,409 hours per org volunteered by all their active volunteers, 5 average hours per shift

664 activities per orgvolunteered at by all their active volunteers, 5 average activities per volunteer

Estimated impact $102,099 per org (based on $29.95/hr.)


Animal Welfare

162 active volunteers on average per org

9,038 hours per org volunteered by all their active volunteers, 7 average hours per shift

1,277 activities per org volunteered at by all their active volunteers, 9 average activities per volunteer

Estimated impact $270,688 per org (based on $29.95/hr.)


Hunger Relief

203 active volunteers on average per org

5,083 hours per org volunteered by all their active volunteers, 5 average hours per shift

1,482 activities per org volunteered at by all their active volunteers, 5 average activities per volunteer

Estimated impact $152,236 per org (based on $29.95/hr.)

As we continue to emerge from the worst days of the global pandemic, it's important to continue recruiting, engaging and appreciating volunteers.

How does this data compare to what you're experiencing at your organization?

About the Author:
Geng Wang

As CEO of Civic Champs, I lead our team of passionate change leaders to create technology solutions to create a seamless and rewarding volunteering experience for both volunteers and service organizations.