The Determinants of Formal and Informal Volunteering: Evidence from the American Time Use Survey

Abstract

Using data from the 2009 American Time Use Survey, this study examines to what extent time spent in major life domains such as education, paid work, domestic work, and religion is associated with individuals’ decisions to volunteer formally and informally. Consistent with earlier studies of volunteering behavior, this study finds that time spent on market and domestic works is significantly and negatively associated with both formal and informal volunteering, though in slightly different ways. Meanwhile, time spent on educational and religious activities is significantly and positively associated with only formal volunteering but not informal volunteering. Moreover, the study finds that the two forms of volunteering are complements rather than substitutes. Implications of these and other-related findings for integrating the literatures on decisions about formal and informal volunteering are discussed.