The German Survey on Volunteering Trend 1999–2014

This study is the trend data set of the German Survey on Volunteering (FWS) 1999-2014. The Scientific Use File (SUF) FWS Trend 1999-2014 includes information from the four survey waves from 1999 to 2014 of the FWS and can be used for cross-wave analyses of the FWS.

The FWS is a representative survey on volunteering in Germany that has been conducted every five years since 1999 and is aimed at people aged 14 and older. Telephone interviews are used to collect comprehensive information on the content, scope, motives and context of volunteering, as well as asking about donation activity and willingness to get involved. The data make it possible to differentiate according to population groups and parts of the country. The FWS is thus the main basis for social reporting on volunteering in Germany. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ).

Up to and including 2009, the surveys were managed and conducted by Kantar Public (formerly TNS Infratest Sozialforschung or Infratest Burke). Since the end of 2011, the scientific management has been in the hands of the German Center of Gerontology (DZA). The data collection of the fourth wave was conducted by infas Institute for Applied Social Science in 2014.

The FWS is based on a representative sample of the resident population of Germany aged 14 and over. Using computer-assisted telephone interviews, the field phases ran from April to November 2014, from the end of April to the end of July 2009, from the end of April to mid-July 2004, and from the beginning of May to the end of July 1999. The sampling for 2014 is based on a dual-frame approach: around 70 percent of the interviews were conducted via fixed network and just under 30 percent via mobile communications. In the survey years 1999 to 2009, interviews were conducted exclusively via the fixed network. The sampling frame was generated in each case using the random digit dialing method (1999 random last digit method) in accordance with the ADM standard.<br>Household constellation: household size; persons in household under 6 years and from 6 to under 14 years, dummy;

Employment and occupational status: employment status; hours worked per week; current/former occupational status; occupational status of those employed at the time of interview;

Migration background: German citizenship; German citizenship since birth; acquisition of German citizenship through naturalization, through recognition as Aussiedler, other;

Social network: support persons available if help is needed; help from outside the household possible from relatives, neighbors, friends, acquaintances (dummy);

Religion: belonging to a denomination or religious community, dummy; denomination or religious community; denominational affiliation;

Place of residence: length of residence at current place of residence; assessment of social cohesion in residential area;

size of circle of friends and acquaintances at place of residence;

Association membership: membership in an association or non-profit organization;

Political activity: interest in politics;

Activity in 14 social areas: Active participation in 14 social activity or engagement areas (e.g., sports and exercise, culture and music, leisure and socializing, etc.); volunteering in areas with active participation;

Subjective importance of volunteering: age at which first became involved in volunteering; importance of involvement;

motivation for volunteering (helping to shape society through my involvement, meeting other people through my involvement, gaining reputation and influence, advancing professionally, gaining qualifications);

Time frame of engagement overall: time spent in hours for total engagement per week;

Characteristics of the organization: organizational framework; organizational form of the volunteer activity; full-time staff in the organization; contact person specifically for volunteers;

Content characteristics of the activity: characterization of the activity; main content of the activity, dummy; leadership or board function;

Knowledge acquisition and transfer: requirements of the activity; coping with the requirements of the activity; internet use for the activity, dummy; ever participated in courses or seminars for further education;

Time frame: Activity with regular time commitments; time spent on the activity (frequency); time spent in hours on the most time-consuming activity per day (metric, categorical); time limit on the activity;

Expenses and reimbursement: reimbursement for financial out-of-pocket expenses with documentation; regular or occasional use of reimbursement;

Compensation and substantive proximity to main activity: money received for activity, dummy; benefits in kind received for activity, dummy; amount of compensation per month (up to 350 euros or more); activity is performed in similar form by others professionally; interest in performing this activity professionally; connection of volunteer activity with professional activity;

Starting the activity: importance of the expectations associated with the volunteer activity; duration of the volunteer activity in years (metric, categorical); impetus for taking on the activity (e.g., by senior people, own experiences, etc.), dummy; own initiative or been asked;

Framework conditions: Evaluation of suggestions for improving the framework conditions for volunteer engagement by the organizations themselves as well as by the state, dummy);

Previous involvement: previously involved in volunteering; evaluation of involvement at that time from today´s perspective;

Reasons for termination: Reasons for termination, dummy;

Monetary donation: Monetary donation in the last 12 months; amount of monetary donation in the last year (up to 500 euros and more, up to 1000 euros or more);

Values: Value orientations;

Financial situation: classification of financial situation.

Demography: age; born in Germany; year of moving to Germany;

Additionally coded: Respondent ID; year of survey; weighting factors; federal state; new or old states, dummy; community size BIK 1-10.

Generated variables: Age groups (4-level and 13-level); sex; highest school degree; employment status graded; employment status dummy; respondent´s country and region of birth; mother´s country and region of birth, father´s country and region of birth; engagement dummy; activity level; number of areas of engagement; area of most time-consuming activity; engagement interest of engaged and disengaged.