EDITORIAL: Elevating lives through volunteer work

Americans are a generous lot, offering their time and treasure to their neighbors in need. Giving USA reports that charitable donations in the United States hit $592.5 billion in 2024, up 6.3 percent. Individual giving represented the largest chunk of that amount, about two-thirds of contributions.

Meanwhile, an estimated 28 percent of American adults volunteered in one way or another between September 2022 and 2023, the National Philanthropic Trust reports. Their time amounted to nearly 5 billion hours, valued at more than $167 billion.

But there’s room for improvement in Nevada.

This month, WalletHub released a ranking of the most generous states in terms of “volunteering service” and “charitable giving.” The rankings used 17 metrics, including volunteer hours and donations per household. Wyoming, Utah and Maryland led the way. Nevada came in 49th, ahead of only New Mexico. The Silver State also ranked 49th in the percentage of people who donate their time.

Nevada is not alone when it comes to charities struggling to find volunteers. Mary Julia Koch of The Wall Street Journal lamented this week that Census Bureau statistics reveal a recent drop in the number of people willing to donate their time to various charitable causes.

“It’s a shame,” she wrote. “Volunteer work elevates the lives of those in need and our own. Studies find that it provides a sense of purpose and community and can lessen loneliness. … Whether we’re born into a life that grants us access to a good one is a matter of luck, but whether we share it with others is a choice.”

Indeed, the value of volunteering and giving is typically front and center during the holiday season. But the need doesn’t abate once the most recent Thanksgiving is a memory and the Christmas decorations are again boxed up in the garage. It exists year-round as various organizations struggle to fulfill their charitable missions with tight budgets and limited human resources.

The Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits reports there are 4,681 Silver State nonprofits that may receive charitable donations. Many of those same organizations would also welcome volunteers willing to give their time to help the less fortunate. Do your part. If you’re uncertain about how to begin, ask someone you know who volunteers. Or go online to view websites that offer volunteer opportunities — for instance, the city of Las Vegas (lasvegasnevada.gov/Government/Departments/Neighborhood-Services/Volunteer-Opportunities) or the United Way (uwsn.org/get-involved/volunteer/).

We can and must do better than 49th.