Study of volunteerism in maricopa county

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent of volunteerism in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area and to determine motivations and attitudes which influence the decision to volunteer. The research was conducted by Data-line, Inc. for the Community Council Volunteerism Project.

A total of 997 individuals who had volunteered in the past 12 months and 507 persons who had not volunteered were interviewed by telephone for this study. A volunteer was defined as "someone working in some way to help others for no monetary pay." The activities of volunteers assessed included fundraising, education, administration, recreation, arts/crafts, clerical work, direct services, transportation, and crisis intervention. The interview included questions about the range of volunteer activities in which respondents participated, motivations for volunteerism, demographic information,and the awareness of public debate on issues of volunteerism.

The Murray Center holds the computer-accessible data from this study. Cassette recordings of pilot interviews used to refine instruments for the project are also available.