Volunteers Mentoring Youth: Implications for Closing the Mentoring Gap

To develop a greater understanding of the characteristics and traits that distinguish individuals whose volunteering includes mentoring youth from volunteers who do not mentor, the Corporation for National and Community Service conducted a close analysis of the 2005 Volunteer Supplement of the Current Population Survey (CPS). The analysis shows that one of the most important determinants of which volunteers are involved in mentoring activities is age. The findings could inform future recruitment efforts.

Major Findings

• Mentoring is a common part of American volunteering.
• The propensity to be a mentor declines with age.
• Black volunteers are more likely than white volunteers to be mentors.
• Male and female volunteers engage in mentoring at similar rates.
• Substantial mentoring takes place through religious organizations.
• Mentors are often drawn from the ranks of current volunteers.
• Mentors regularly work full-time.