[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 20 (Thursday, January 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4755-4756]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-2090]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau


National Survey of Volunteering and Giving Among Youths and 
Adults

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before March 31, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Ken Kaplan or Sue Montfort, U.S. Census Bureau, 
FOB 3, Room 3351, Washington, DC 20233-8400 at (301) 763-3836.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The purpose of this voluntary survey is to provide trend data on 
the volunteering and giving behavior of youths and adults; to chart the 
impact of major institutions, such as schools and religious 
institutions on encouraging such behavior; to highlight people's 
attitudes on a variety of issues relating to their volunteering 
behavior; and to explore behavioral and motivational factors that 
influence volunteering and giving.
    Independent Sector, a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of more than 
700 national organizations, foundations, and corporate philanthropy 
programs, began to study volunteerism in the United States in the early 
1990s. Original survey content was developed by a national advisory 
group of scholars and practitioners and addressed the following issues:
    [sbull] Who volunteers? Who gives? To whom? How much?
    [sbull] What are determinants of giving and volunteering behavior?
    [sbull] What is the motivation for giving and volunteering to 
various types of charitable causes?
    [sbull] When do youths begin to volunteer and give?
    [sbull] What skills have young people learned from their community 
service?
    [sbull] To what degree do schools encourage volunteering? Do they 
offer courses requiring community service or require community service 
for graduation?
    [sbull] What level of confidence do young people have in the 
institutions of our society?
    This survey is unique because it contains information about both 
adults and youths who give or volunteer and those that do neither. The 
findings have been of interest to policymakers, the media, researchers, 
and school principals and teachers, as well as leaders of voluntary 
organizations.
    As part of the emerging literature on ``social capital,'' or social 
attachments, one important correlation of interest is that of religious 
practice and volunteering. This survey seeks to confirm and understand 
better that correlation by asking questions such as attendance at 
religious services and whether a volunteer organization is religiously-
affiliated. The Census Bureau considers the religiously-oriented 
questions appropriate in the context of the survey's objective. We will 
not ask respondents to identify any particular religion.
    For the national sample, we will select a sample of households from

[[Page 4756]]

expired Current Population Survey rotations. We will obtain parental 
consent prior to interviewing the youths.

II. Method of Collection

    The information will be collected by telephone-only interviews in 
one of the Census Bureau's telephone centers. The data methodology will 
utilize computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI).

III. Data

    Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Number: Not available.
    Form Number: There will be no form number because it will be 
conducted by CATI.
    Type of Review: New collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 5,000 respondents.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 30 minutes per response.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,500 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost: There is no cost to respondents other 
than their time.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Title 13, United States Code, section 182.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology and; (e) whether questions about religion, when contextually 
relevant and in a voluntary survey, are an appropriate area of inquiry 
to the Census Bureau.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized or 
included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: January 24, 2003.
Madeleine Clayton,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-2090 Filed 1-29-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P