A new survey shows that Minnesotans' hearts are as big as our 10,000 lakes, with Minnesota now ranked as one of the top states in the nation when it comes to giving back.
When it comes to helping others and volunteering our time, gosh darn it, us Minnesotans are pretty giving, don't cha know! And while many of us may have had that same thought, the facts from a new national report back that line of thinking up: Minnesota is one of the top three states in the U.S. when it comes to volunteering rates.
That's the word from a new AmeriCorps report. AmeriCorps is the federal agency in charge of national service and volunteerism, and it just released its latest survey on volunteering and civic life in America. The report is a comprehensive look at how people across the country make a difference in their communities and promote the common good. And Minnesota scored pretty well in their new survey!
The good news is that, after a drop during the pandemic, AmeriCorps says that volunteering here in the North Star State and across the country is rebounding:
More than 75.7 million people - or 28.3 percent of Americans - formally volunteered through an organization in 2023, giving more than 4.99 billion hours of service with $167.2 billion of economic value.
And that's particularly true here in the Bold North, where the AmeriCorps survey says we're the #3 state overall on the list of states with the highest organized volunteering rates. According to the survey, four in ten Minnesotans currently volunteer their time through a formal organization, good for a rate of 40.3 percent.
Only Vermont, with a volunteering rate of 40.5 percent; and Utah, with a volunteering rate of 46.6 percent, scored better than Minnesota did on the new survey. Which makes sense, seeing as there are a LOT of organizations across Minnesota that regularly use volunteers.
A quick search of the website, VolunteerMatch.com shows that there are 3,329 nonprofit organizations here in Minnesota that have a need for volunteers as well as an opportunity for residents to donate their time. Even the official State of Minnesota website has a section devoted to helping Minnesotans 'find opportunities to give back to the causes you care about.'
Of course, many Minnesotans also informally volunteer their time, as well, by doing things like helping a neighbor with shoveling snow, running errands, or helping with other household chores. Minnesota is currently ranked 6th on the informal volunteering list, with rate of 63.4 percent.
While we may be good at helping out and giving back here in Minnesota, we're also experts at pronouncing some of those state names that give non-native Minnesotans a tough time. Keep scrolling to see how many YOU know how to correctly say!