For the second year in a row, Minneapolis Saint Paul has been ranked the top metro in the nation for volunteering by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that uses Census Bureau data to rank cities across the country.
The report found that 39.3 percent of Minneapolis Saint Paul residents volunteer, compared to a national average of 26.2 percent. That amounts to more than 913,000 volunteers serving 106.2 million hours per year. By donating their time, the report estimates that volunteers in Minneapolis Saint Paul make an economic contribution of $2.1 billion annually.
The study found several factors contribute to Minneapolis’ high volunteer rates: shorter commutes to work, higher home ownership, higher education levels, and higher concentrations of nonprofit organizations providing opportunities to volunteer.
Following Minneapolis Saint Paul, Salt Lake City, Portland, Seattle, and Austin rounded out the top five large cities for volunteerism. Minnesota was the third-highest ranked state for volunteering, following Utah and Nebraska. For more information on the study, visit www.volunteeringinamerica.gov.
July 28, 2008