People have an urge to feel good and there are plenty of things you can do to achieve that feeling. Non profit organizations are seeing a rise in non profit memberships because people believe that these organizations are good for not only the community, but for themselves as well.
According to Volunteer Ireland, of all the people who volunteered in 2014, 78% admit that volunteer opportunities lower their stress levels. About 96% of volunteers stated that volunteering gives their life a sense of purpose.
Non profit memberships are on the rise simply because non profit organizations are on the rise. From 2003 to 2012, the Internal Revenue Service saw an increase of 2.8% of registered non profits. That 2.8% equaled out to over 1.4 million non profit organizations.
This increase in U.S. volunteer opportunities is great for everyone. More non profits mean more volunteering, which means more helping out in communities that need assistance. Cultural events are being held that are benefiting communities tremendously.
The U.S. saw an increase in total charitable giving for the fifth consecutive year in a row. This not only means benefits for charitable organizations and people in less fortunate communities, but for the U.S. economy as well. According to Urban Institute, in 2013, the non profit sector contributed more than $905 billion to the United States economy. Of the country’s gross domestic product, the non profit sector resulted in 5.4%.
The non profit industry is not just advancing on its own. People want to help a non profit organization more than before and are showing it with their generous donations. In 2014, American citizens donated $358.3 billion. That year saw an increase of 7.1% from 2013. Perhaps surprisingly, the largest source of charitable donations came from individuals. Individual people, not large organizations, contributed to 72% of the total donations in 2014, which equaled out to be more than $258 billion.
Non profit memberships saw their volunteer population rise in 2014 as well. Of all the adults in the United States, in 2014, more than a quarter of adults volunteered with a non profit organization. These volunteers contributed around 8.7 billion hours which is the most recorded since 2002.
It’s great to see the increased interest in non profit organizations. There are so many benefits. If you want to volunteer, contact a non profit organization, and have fun!