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Volunteer Role Preferences
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More women volunteer than men - and the gap isn’t small. In the U.S., 27% of women volunteered in 2025 compared to 21% of men, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service. That’s not just a slight edge - it’s a consistent pattern across decades, countries, and types of causes. But why? And does it mean men are less caring? The answer is more complex than it looks.
Women Volunteer More - But Not Because They Have More Free Time
People often assume women volunteer more because they work fewer hours or have more flexible schedules. That’s not true. In 2025, 62% of employed women in the U.S. worked full-time, nearly matching the 68% of employed men. Single mothers, dual-income households, and women juggling caregiving roles are common. They’re not volunteering because they’re idle - they’re volunteering despite being stretched thin.
What drives them? Social connection. Research from the University of Michigan shows women are more likely to volunteer when they feel their efforts build relationships - mentoring youth, organizing food drives, or supporting seniors. These activities tap into social networks women often maintain through family, church, or neighborhood groups. Men, on the other hand, tend to volunteer in structured, task-based roles - coaching sports teams, building homes, or serving on boards - where the social component is less central.
Men Volunteer Too - Just Differently
Men don’t volunteer less overall - they just do it in different ways. A 2024 study by the Urban Institute found that men are 40% more likely than women to volunteer through formal organizations like Rotary Clubs, fire departments, or veteran groups. These roles often require time commitments on weekends or evenings, which aligns with how many men structure their free time.
Also, men are more likely to volunteer for physical or technical tasks. In disaster relief, for example, men make up 72% of volunteers in construction and logistics roles. In animal shelters, women handle 68% of direct animal care, while men are twice as likely to manage equipment, transport animals, or handle administrative systems.
This isn’t about gender roles - it’s about how people connect with causes. Women often volunteer to feel emotionally connected. Men often volunteer to solve problems. Both matter.
Age Changes the Pattern - But Not the Outcome
When you break down volunteering by age, the gender gap narrows - but never disappears. Among 16- to 24-year-olds, men and women volunteer at nearly equal rates. In fact, young men are slightly more likely to join school-based service clubs or environmental cleanups. But by age 35, the trend flips. Women in their 30s and 40s volunteer at the highest rates of any group - especially those with children in school. They’re the ones organizing PTA bake sales, driving kids to after-school programs, and leading literacy programs at local libraries.
For men, volunteering peaks later - between ages 55 and 64. That’s when retirement opens up time, and many shift from work-based identity to community-based identity. They join church committees, mentor teens, or serve as volunteer firefighters. But even then, women still outpace them. In the 65+ group, women volunteer at 31% rates versus 23% for men.
Why This Gap Matters for Nonprofits
If you run a nonprofit and only recruit through traditional channels - like email blasts or flyers at community centers - you’re missing half the story. Women respond to messages about connection, impact, and emotional meaning. Men respond to clear goals, measurable outcomes, and opportunities to use skills.
For example: A food bank that says, “Help feed families in need,” gets more women. One that says, “Lead our weekly delivery route - 3 hours, 50 meals, full control of your schedule,” gets more men. The cause is the same. The messaging isn’t.
Organizations that design roles around both styles see higher retention. A 2025 survey of 1,200 volunteers showed that when nonprofits offered both relational roles (like tutoring) and task-based roles (like data entry or van driving), overall volunteer retention jumped by 34%.
The Global Picture: It’s Not Just America
This isn’t an American quirk. In the UK, Canada, Australia, and Germany, women consistently volunteer at higher rates than men - often by 5 to 8 percentage points. Even in cultures with strong traditional gender roles, like Japan and South Korea, women still lead in volunteering. In Japan, 32% of women volunteer compared to 24% of men, even though fewer women work full-time.
The exception? Some Middle Eastern countries where cultural norms limit women’s public participation. But even there, women are the backbone of informal community aid - helping neighbors, organizing home-based care, or running underground education circles. These efforts rarely show up in official stats, but they’re real.
What About Non-Binary and Trans Volunteers?
Most national surveys still don’t collect data on gender identity beyond male and female. That’s a problem. A 2023 study by the National Center for Volunteering found that non-binary and trans individuals volunteer at rates equal to or higher than cisgender women - but they’re often excluded from reports. Their work tends to be in advocacy, crisis support, and peer networks - areas that are harder to track.
If your organization wants to be truly inclusive, don’t just assume gender-based patterns. Ask volunteers how they identify. Offer multiple ways to contribute. And recognize that the people who show up for the hardest, least visible work are often the ones most overlooked.
So Who Volunteers the Most? The Real Answer
Women volunteer more - that’s the data. But the deeper truth is this: volunteering isn’t about who shows up the most. It’s about how we design opportunities. If you want more men to volunteer, stop asking them to join book clubs. Offer them leadership roles with clear outcomes. If you want more women to stay involved, stop treating their work as “helping out.” Give them decision-making power.
The goal isn’t to close a gender gap. It’s to open more doors - for everyone.
Do men volunteer less because they’re less compassionate?
No. Men and women care equally - they just express it differently. Men are more likely to volunteer through structured, task-based roles like coaching, building, or logistics. Women often choose relational roles like mentoring or organizing. Both are acts of compassion. The difference is in how the roles are framed, not in motivation.
Is the gender gap in volunteering getting bigger?
Not really. The gap has stayed steady for 20 years. In 2005, women volunteered at 26% vs. 20% for men. In 2025, it’s 27% vs. 21%. The numbers haven’t shifted much, but the types of volunteering have. More men are now volunteering remotely or through apps, and more women are leading large-scale initiatives - so the gap might look different in the next decade.
Why don’t more men volunteer for causes like child welfare or senior care?
It’s not that men avoid those causes - it’s that they’re rarely asked to join in ways that fit their preferences. Many men feel uncomfortable in emotionally intensive roles unless they’re given clear tasks: “Drive seniors to appointments,” “Fix the wheelchair ramp,” or “Run the monthly tech help desk.” When those roles exist, men step in. The issue is design, not interest.
Do younger generations still show this gender gap?
Among teens and young adults (16-24), the gap is almost gone. In fact, young men are slightly more likely to volunteer in school programs or environmental projects. But as people enter their 30s and start families, women’s volunteering rates rise sharply - often tied to their children’s schools and activities. The gap widens with life stage, not age.
Can nonprofits do anything to balance volunteer gender ratios?
Yes. Start by analyzing your current roles. Are most of them relational (emotional, group-based) or task-based (scheduled, skill-driven)? Try offering both. For example, pair a food distribution day with a “volunteer coordinator” role that handles logistics. That attracts men. Add a “story collector” role where volunteers interview families - that attracts women. Diversify your language, too. Avoid phrases like “be a caring helper.” Use “lead,” “manage,” “build,” or “solve.”