Study title

The German Survey on Volunteering (FWS) is a representative survey on volunteering in Germany, aimed at people aged 14 and older. Voluntary activities and willingness to get involved are surveyed in telephone interviews (CATI). The Survey on Volunteering is the main basis of social reporting on volunteering in the Federal Republic of Germany and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). The data of the Survey on Volunteering were collected in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019. In each wave, an independent sample was drawn, resulting in five cross-sectional data sets. Previously, the surveys were managed and conducted by TNS Infratest Social Research (1999 Infratest Burke). Since the end of 2011, the scientific management has been in the hands of the German Center of Gerontology (DZA). Data collection for the fourth wave in 2014 and the fifth wave in 2019 was conducted by infas Institute for Applied Social Science. The samples of all surveys were disproportionately stratified by state in order to achieve a sufficient sample size for separate state evaluations for each of the 16 federal states. In each case, the sampling frame was generated using the random-digit-dialing procedure (1999 random-last-digit procedure) according to the ADM standard. The first wave was conducted in the survey period from the beginning of May to the end of July 1999. The 1999 Survey on Volunteers focused on the following topics: volunteering, the individual, and the context of volunteering.The first wave was conducted during the survey period from early May to late July 1999. The 1999 Survey on Volunteering focused on the following topics: volunteering, the individual, and the context of volunteering. 1. Living situation: employment status; type of current education; length of residence at current residence (since birth, for more than 10 years, for less than 10 years); number of years if less than 10 years at current residence;...