Giving money to charities is not the only way or the best way to support a nonprofit. A survey of 1,000 American adults, carried about by the national Thrivent Financial for Lutherans revealed that nearly twice as many people say it is more important to volunteer rather than simply give money to a charity. The survey also stated the most Americans donated based on their belief in an organization’s work and mission.
More than 50% of Americans also believe that volunteering is more important than giving money, while 22% of them stated that giving money was more important. 23% of the surveyed population said that volunteering time and giving money to a nonprofit were both equally important.
Brad Hewitt, Senior Vice President of Charitable Programs and Volunteerism for Thrivent Financial said, “Volunteering engages people emotionally and experientially. Americans are looking for opportunities to gain new experiences and develop relationships while doing good for others. Volunteering fulfills that need in a way that simply writing a check cannot.”
Thrivent Financial is an organization that boasts more than 14million hours of volunteer service clocked in last year by its members. The organization also sponsored more than 63,000 community service activities last year. Hewitt further said that they are looking for volunteers in almost every strata of community life and said that people should not limit their choices to only schools, nursing homes and sports programs. He says, “The key is for people to find their passion and then commit their energy to serving others.”