Volunteering increased by 12 percent from 2002 to 2005 according to a report by the Points of Light Foundation, the Chronicle of Philanthropy wrote May 4.

The study was done in collaboration with the Volunteer Center National Network, Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Georgia in Athens.

Interest in volunteering rose 14 percent among youths aged 16 to 24 in 2005, while interest among 55-to 64-year-olds rose 28 percent. The younger a person began volunteering, the study suggested, the more likely he or she would continue later in life.

Americans also volunteered a greater number of hours, though not proportionate to the greater number of activities volunteered for. Another survey by the Points of Light Foundation found that nonprofits do not properly utilize the professional skills of their volunteers, with only 12 percent of groups aligning workers with their professional skill-sets. Just 19 percent of workers surveyed said they relied on their work skills volunteering, versus 40 percent who said they desired to.