Young People Volunteer Differently Than Past Generations, New Study Shows

A recent survey reveals that 8 in 10 young Americans aged 12-25 participate in community service, but they prefer informal, everyday acts of helping rather than traditional volunteer programs. Nonprofits are adapting their approach to meet younger generations where they are, offering more flexible and youth-led opportunities.

NEW YORK — Charitable organizations across the country are grappling with questions about how younger Americans approach community service, as these groups work to rebuild volunteer numbers that haven’t fully recovered since the pandemic while dealing with an increasingly older volunteer workforce.

However, recent research suggests young Americans are indeed contributing to their communities — just not in the traditional ways previous generations might expect.

A fresh study conducted by The Allstate Foundation in partnership with Gallup reveals that roughly 8 out of 10 individuals between ages 12 and 25 participate in some type of community service or volunteer work.

When asked about their motivations, approximately two-thirds of young volunteers indicated that making a positive impact or helping others served as “a major reason” for their involvement. Around 6 out of 10 cited contributing to their local community as a primary driver, while about half mentioned supporting causes close to their hearts.

“When we typically think of service it can be very narrow. Of, like, kids picking up litter or engaging in food drives,” explained Zoë Jenkins, 22, who handles recruitment for Civics Unplugged, a nonprofit focused on youth engagement. “That all definitely counts as service. But I think for me, how I think about it is just people helping other people. And that’s, I think, a really broad bucket.”

These perspectives have led some youth-oriented charitable organizations to reconsider their approach to volunteerism for emerging generations. While young people often express interest in face-to-face connections and meaningful impact, they frequently encounter challenges in discovering service opportunities and incorporating them into busy schedules. Approximately half of survey participants who reported never volunteering told researchers that being unaware of available opportunities and time constraints prevented their involvement.

Generation Z, generally considered those born between 1997 and 2012, along with Generation Alpha, roughly spanning 2012 to 2024, tend to serve their communities outside traditional nonprofit frameworks.

Roughly 7 out of 10 young people surveyed indicated they had assisted someone with a task at least “a few times” during the previous week — a finding that Allstate Foundation representatives interpret as evidence that young people view service more broadly, not as an extra activity but as a natural part of everyday living.

Just about 1 in 10 young volunteers reported that all their service activities were mandatory, such as through educational institutions or clubs. Approximately half said some but not all of their service was required, while roughly 4 in 10 indicated none of their volunteer work was mandated.

Greg Weatherford II, who oversees youth empowerment programs as Director of The Allstate Foundation and Social Impact, emphasized they avoid ranking different types of service by importance. He highlighted that meaningful service can range from brief 5-minute interactions to half-day commitments.

“We so applaud the young people that build complex nonprofits that solve complex issues,” he stated. “Equally important is the young person that’s taking time to write a letter to a classmate who may just be needing to have some extra encouragement as they get ready to take their school test or just navigate a new semester.”

According to the Gallup research, the most prevalent form of service among young people involves giving. About half reported donating or organizing donations of food, clothing, or other necessities, highlighting the significance of accessibility for Alex Quian, Senior Manager of The Allstate Foundation Youth Empowerment Program.

Organizing contributions doesn’t demand transportation or complicated scheduling, Quian observed, unlike many other service opportunities. Young people can launch such donation efforts quickly and often collaborate with friends, particularly through social media platforms. About 3 in 10 young volunteers said they had conducted fundraising for causes, while roughly 2 in 10 had worked to raise awareness for issues.

Jenkins noted it’s encouraging to see young people considering their resources and capacity to rally others around causes.

“Young people are perhaps more aware than ever of the power of money,” she stated.

About half of young people indicated their service experiences provided opportunities to make decisions, help with planning, or take leadership roles at least “sometimes,” according to the Gallup analysis. The Allstate Foundation seeks to increase this percentage by channeling more resources toward developing youth-directed volunteer programs.

Gallup discovered that when young people do assume leadership roles, it most commonly involves selecting their service activities. They less frequently receive chances to help determine how service will be carried out, establish objectives, lead activities, or organize experiences.

Jenkins observed that younger volunteers are often limited to highway cleanup efforts and food collection drives. She recommended that nonprofits provide more age-appropriate activities, pointing out that service opportunities suitable for five-year-olds differ significantly from those appropriate for 20-year-olds.

Jenkins suggested storytelling as one type of service that could engage older Gen Z volunteers. She cited the National Organization for Victim Advocacy and the Sexual Assault Youth Support Network as examples of nonprofits that empower young people to advocate for their causes as part of their service contribution.

“It’s not that young people don’t care,” Jenkins said. “We’re not necessarily providing the right opportunities that actually let young people feel like they’re showing up as their full selves.”

One major disaster relief organization has experienced a significant increase in youth volunteering since the pandemic ended.

American Red Cross leadership reported a 25% growth in Gen Z volunteers from 2024 to 2025, making it their fastest-growing and largest age demographic. Matt Bertram, the organization’s vice president of volunteer services, credited the increase to higher participation rates among their more than 1,400 independently operated youth clubs.

Typically based in high schools, these clubs enable students to independently manage their engagement with the American Red Cross. Bertram explained these are not “one-size-fits-all” groups. The organization aims to attract more young people to its overall mission by giving clubs flexibility to participate in as many or as few activities as they choose. Options include community education and preparedness training, blood drives, international humanitarian law campaigns, and fundraisers for measles and rubella prevention.

The American Red Cross reaches out about these opportunities through email and text messaging because young people requested more communication through these channels. Bertram said they’re also removing barriers by allowing underage applicants to directly initiate parental consent requests during the volunteer registration process.

This customized approach acknowledges that volunteers’ motivations evolve over time. Bertram recognized that not everyone joins the Red Cross intending to provide weekly service for multiple years. Commitments shift as high school students enter college or young professionals establish their careers.

By creating short-term volunteer opportunities and project-focused service, Bertram explained, nonprofits can accommodate individuals’ changing availability and capacity.

“There’s lots of folks who want to do traditional volunteering. There’s lots of folks who want to do a one-time project. And there’s lots of folks who want to maybe do something through a club or school or through their service organization,” he said. “If we can continue to work hard to put all those people together, that’s how we’ll build that workforce of the future.”

The Gallup survey was conducted from November 17 through December 1, 2025, among 3,013 American youth and young adults ages 12-25, using samples from Gallup’s probability-based panel. The margin of sampling error for the overall youth and young adult population is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.