What is happening to volunteerism in the United States? Could it be that the traditional, time intensive approach is not keeping up with the micro burst digital age?

Adults in the United States volunteered in 2014 at the lowest rate since the federal government began collecting such data 13 years ago.

One in four Americans, or 25.3 percent, volunteered with an organization last year, according to the annual “Volunteering and Civic Life in America” report. Though the rate is down only slightly from 25.4 percent in 2013, it has been declining for the past decade.

In total, Americans volunteered 8 billion hours in 2014, worth $184 billion, according the average value of a volunteer hour as calculated by Independent Sector.

The report, published Tuesday by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the National Conference on Citizenship, provides an annual snapshot of civic engagement and volunteerism in the United States.

It draws on data that the Bureau of Labor Statics began gathering on an annual basis in 2002.

Source: Volunteerism Rate Inches Downward to New Low – The Chronicle of Philanthropy