Community Involvement

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Community Involvement: 26.0%
Percent of population who volunteer. Reflecting most recent data available (2019).

About 1 in 4 people volunteers an average of 88 hours per year

Volunteer participation has decreased since we began measuring this indicator in San Diego County. Finding creative ways to engage the public is an ongoing challenge. The report below shows the following charts: Data by Year or Region. Simply click the report's forward or back arrow to view each chart. (Reports are best viewed and printed in Google Chrome.)

To print, click on Full Screen Mode (double-headed arrow, bottom right). Right-click on the desired report page and select print. (You may need to adjust setting to print "Background graphics".) For additional assistance, please contact us.

Why We Measure Volunteering

Volunteers on hiking trail Volunteering is important for numerous reasons that benefit both the community and the volunteer themselves and creates a meaningful, positive impact on the community. Evaluations, such as Blue Zones measure volunteerism as an indicator for success. Volunteering can benefit the physical and mental health of the population, as well as creating a more interconnected community. Those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.

Research, Best Practices & Logic Model – Volunteerism
View research, best practices, and example of the collective impact logic model related to Community Involvement

What We Can Do about Community Involvement

Creating tools and training, and websites with valuable information, can encourage persons with questions or doubts about abilities to research volunteer opportunities, and help retain volunteers.

Engaging underrepresented groups in volunteering introduces a diverse range of new participants to service, expands the number of members who can gain the benefits provided by service, and creates a broader pool of talents and skills to draw upon. Communities benefit when those most familiar with a local community’s needs are engaged in providing needed volunteer services.

Senior volunteer programs, such as You Are Not Alone (YANA), Senior Volunteer Patrol (SVP), and Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), benefit sponsor organizations, volunteers, and the communities they serve. Positive outcomes include the following.

Relief to understaffed/overburdened organizations
Enrich the lives of volunteers, become more engaged in the community, and promote better health & quality of life
Provide valuable services to help meet needs in the community
Conduct wellness checks and intervention services to elderly, disabled & homebound individuals living alone

Also look for opportunities to incorporate into service those groups currently underrepresented, such as at-risk youth, immigrants, the disabled, rural residents, and veterans.

Expanded Indicators Related to Community Involvement

Other related indicators such as Contributed to Charitable Organizations, voted in Federal/State/Local Elections, Volunteered for a Charitable Organization, Contributed to Political Organizations, Contributed to an Arts or Cultural Organization, Contributed to an Educational Organization, Contributed to an Environmental Organization, Contributed to a Health Organization, Contributed to a Religious Organization, and Contributed to a Social Service Organization are reported below. The report below shows the following charts: Data by Year, HHSA Service Region, City and Sub-regional Areas. Simply click the report's forward or back arrow to view each chart.

To print, click on Full Screen Mode (double-headed arrow, bottom right). Right-click on the desired report page and select print. (You may need to adjust setting to print "Background graphics".) For additional assistance, please contact us.