Impacts of Volunteers in Wisconsin
Volunteers in Wisconsin have an incredible impact on our state and local communities, having a profound impact on the lives of their fellow Wisconsin residents. Information and data on group participation, social connectedness, and other volunteering and civic life indicators can be found for the state of Wisconsin or the United States as a whole in most recent Volunteering in America report. This data demonstrates the substantial impact of volunteers, as in 2021, Wisconsin had 1,165,782 volunteers contribute 72.5 million hours of service, with 24.9% of residents providing volunteer service worth an estimated $2 billion. Additionally, more than 2.6 million Wisconsin residents helped their neighbors at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Are you ready to start volunteering?
Below are links to the Volunteer Wisconsin website, national resources from AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps Seniors, and other organizations, and a list and map of local volunteer centers that can help start you on your way to a lifetime of volunteerism!
Volunteer Wisconsin Volunteer Wisconsin is a collaborative initiative working to connect volunteers, promote volunteering, and support the capacity of nonprofits in Wisconsin. This website can help both individuals to find volunteer opportunities in their area and organizations to make postings to find volunteers, as well as provide several other resources on volunteering.
Additional Links and Resources
AmeriCorps (Volunteer page) AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. In addition to promoting service across the nation, AmeriCorps leads efforts around the two national days of service in the United States, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, and supports volunteer efforts through investments in service through the Volunteer Generation Fund.
AmeriCorps Seniors AmeriCorps Seniors provides opportunities for individuals 55 and older to give back to their communities through service opportunities offered by partner organizations. They empower an entire ecosystem of service through their three core programs, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), Foster Grandparents Program, and the Senior Companions Program.
Volunteer.gov Volunteer.gov helps individuals find opportunities to provide volunteer service impacting our natural and cultural resources in partnership with national and state government agencies, such as the US Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Volunteer Page) If you like to spend time in the outdoors, interact with and help other outdoor enthusiasts, and you care about protecting our natural resources, then the Wisconsin State Park System needs you! Volunteers are needed at state parks, forests, recreation areas, trails and scenic waters across the state.
Points of Light Foundation The Points of Light Foundation was originally created as part of the push for community service by President George H. W. Bush in 1990, working to promote volunteer service and recognize the efforts of those making a difference in their communities. Features of their website include helping individuals find volunteer opportunities, helping non-profits make posting to find volunteers, and providing information for companies in coordinating volunteer programs and providing skilled service.
Wisconsin Volunteer Centers
Wisconsin Volunteer Centers The Volunteer Wisconsin website provides a regionalized list of Volunteer Centers across Wisconsin that support volunteer efforts across one or more counties, which allows individuals to search for opportunities only in that region of the state.