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Additional findings from the 2010 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating confirms a national increase of nearly one million volunteers since 2007.  The study also revealed that young Canadians, 15-24, have consistently participated in volunteering more than any other age group for over a decade.

"These findings show how critical it is to ensure young people have positive experiences when volunteering," said Ruth MacKenzie, President & CEO of Volunteer Canada. "Meaningful experiences can instill civic participation as a core value which can then lead to people being actively engaged throughout their life."

The 2010 CSGVP data also highlights the difference in volunteering habits among baby boomers. A higher proportion of boomers aged 45 to 54 participate in volunteering than those aged 55 to 64. However, boomers aged 55 to 64 contribute more volunteer hours than those aged 45 to 54 (201 hours versus 167 hours, respectively).

"Boomers are a complex generation with diverse characteristics spanning substantially different points in their life cycle - everything from high-skills professionals to empty nesters to those caring for both children and aging parents, or perhaps even their children's children," said MacKenzie.  "All of these lifestyle realities compete with potential time for volunteering, which may explain the shifts we see in the data as boomers get older. In this day and age, we're seeing people find ways to engage in volunteering as never before - everything from quick bursts of micro volunteering through mobile handsets and Facebook applications, to leadership roles for all kinds of causes, to front-line volunteer aid in war-torn regions of the world."