Majority say volunteering is important, but few volunteer as much as they would like to
Washington, D.C., June 12, 2026 – Three in five Americans say volunteering is an important American value, according to a new poll by Ipsos on behalf of Rapid Relief Team (RRT).
Overall, belief in volunteering is strong, with three-in-five agreeing that volunteering makes a meaningful difference in their community (62%) and that volunteering is an important American value (61%).
However, a smaller share say they volunteer as frequently as they would like (32%) or consider volunteering an important part of their identity (33%). Most Americans report volunteering rarely (28%) or never (32%). One-in-four (24%) report volunteering a few times a year, while 9% volunteer weekly and 8% volunteer monthly.
When asked what would encourage them to volunteer more, the most popular incentive was volunteering alongside friends and family (24%), followed by having opportunities closer to home (21%), having better information about where to get involved (20%), and having paid time off for volunteering (10%). Recognition and incentives ranked last at 8%.
Nearly half (44%) say they can readily find organizations that align with their values, and 41% say they have gained personal benefits from volunteering in the past.
Around two in five (37%) say they regularly see others around them volunteering. Workplace support remains low, with only 19% feeling their employer encourages or sponsors them to volunteer.
The U.S. 250th anniversary showed limited impact as a motivator, with 19% saying this milestone inspired them to volunteer more.
About the Study
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between April 21-22, 2026, on behalf of Rapid Relief Team (RRT). For this survey, a sample of 1,004 adults age 18+ from the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii was interviewed online in English.
The sample was randomly drawn from Ipsos’ online panel, partner online panel sources, and “river” sampling and does not rely on a population frame in the traditional sense. Ipsos uses fixed sample targets, unique to each study, in drawing a sample. After a sample has been obtained from the Ipsos panel, Ipsos calibrates respondent characteristics to be representative of the U.S. Population using standard procedures such as raking-ratio adjustments. The source of these population targets is U.S. Census 2024 American Community Survey data. The sample drawn for this study reflects fixed sample targets on demographics. Post hoc weights were made to the population characteristics on gender, age, race/ethnicity, region, and education.
Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online non-probability polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points for all respondents. Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF) for each study based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965). This study had a credibility interval adjusted for design effect of the following (n=1,004, DEFF=1.5, adjusted Confidence Interval=+/- 5.3 percentage points).
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Alec Tyson
Senior Vice President, U.S.
Ipsos Public Affairs
[email protected]
About Ipsos
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