With financial resources constrained due to the weak economy, some nonprofit social-service agencies here say supporters appear to be stepping up their donations of time and effort as an alternative to cash contributions.

The increased volunteerism, part of it involving people who have lost their jobs and are looking for other ways to stay busy, comes at a time when it's badly needed, due to softening financial support, leaders at some of those agencies say. Federal and state funding cuts, and in some cases a drop in private donations that support many nonprofits here, have contributed to that growing need, they say.

Not all organizations here, though, report experiencing a similar trend.

Marilee Roloff, president and CEO of the Eastern Washington and North Idaho branch of Volunteers of America, based at 525 W. Second, says that organization has seen the number of hours donated by volunteers here increase by 36 percent over the last four years. Last year, its volunteers logged more than 24,000 service hours, she says.

"Unequivocally VOA couldn't do what it does without the incredible volunteer involvement," Roloff says "We will never have that much money or staff, so to have the gift of people's time is amazing."

That's crucial, she says, because the funding cuts her agency has endured over that time, along with an increased need throughout the community for the support it provides, has created hardships. Private donations to the VOA were down 22 percent last year, although the number of donors held steady, meaning individual donation amounts shrunk.

In that respect, Roloff says, "It's a very dreary time, and it's not unique to just us."

Between 2007 and 2010, Spokane had an average annual volunteer rate of 28.5 percent and 33.1 service hours per resident, compared with a national volunteer rate of 26.5 percent and 34.1 service hours per resident, according to data from the Corporation for National & Community Service.

During those four years for which data was gathered, about 92,000 people in the Spokane Metropolitan Statistical Area volunteered in some form, totaling about 10.7 million hours of service. Social-service organizations were the second largest category to which people volunteered their time here, behind religious organizations, but ahead of educational, sports/arts, hospital, civic, and unspecified other organizations.

Roloff adds that due to funding cutbacks, VOA recently has had to lay off a few of its employees, which makes volunteer support that much more important.

"When you lay off people, others get demoralized, and when volunteers come in here fresh and energized, that helps the morale of everyone," she says.

Volunteers of America provides support and services to those in need through a variety of programs, including transitional and permanent housing, homelessness prevention, and emergency shelter.

Another Spokane-based charitable organization that's seeing an increased reliance on its services paired with fluctuations in funding levels is Second Harvest Food Bank of the Inland Northwest, at 1234 E. Front.

Jason Luke Clark, president and CEO of Second Harvest, says, "We have definitely seen a significant increase in need over the last couple of years. We are seeing more hungry people than we used to, and as we have for many years we depend on volunteers to do most of our work."

Over the last several years, Clark says Second Harvest annually has averaged about 2,000 volunteers who have contributed a combined total of about 50,000 hours of service during each of those years.

While Second Harvest's need for volunteers constantly fluctuates, Clark says an interesting trend he's noticed in recent years is an increase in volunteers who are helping out because they've been laid off and are seeking opportunities to stay busy during their unemployment.

Clark says he's also recently heard from some volunteers that they've had to cut back the amount of financial support they give to Second Harvest, although those people still are giving their time to benefit the organization.

Although he says it's been a challenge to make ends meet financially, Second Harvest is fortunate because of the support it receives from the community in the form of private donations.

"Seventy percent of the (budget) is from private donors, but what has been challenging the last three years is that things that used to be predictable aren't anymore," he says. "We have watched government grants come and go, and some donors have lost the ability to support us, but others step up because they know the need is there."

While the food bank has many volunteers who donate time on a regular basis, Second Harvest also sees many workers who just help out at special events. One such event is the annual Tom's Turkey Drive in November—named for KREM-TV meteorologist Tom Sherry and underwritten by numerous local businesses—that's to take place this year Nov. 18-19.

"There are peaks and valleys," Clark says. "Sometimes we have specific events where more people sign up than we have need for at a particular time, but on the other hand we have moments where we have huge need."

He adds that the organization also sees a larger number of corporate groups that use the opportunity to give back to the community as a team-building exercise.

Catholic Charities Spokane, another social-service nonprofit here, also has seen more volunteer effort, says Brigid Krause, volunteer services manager.

"We have been flooded with volunteers in the past year or two," Krause says. "We have also had an increase in need for volunteers in our programs because of funding cuts and an increase in clients and patrons at the programs."

She says an example is the increase in demand for meals served at the House of Charity, the men's homeless shelter downtown, at 32 W. Pacific.

Like Second Harvest's Clark, she says she's noticed that many of Catholic Charities' volunteers are newly unemployed who are looking for something to do while they look for a new job.

Krause estimates that 6,200 people donated their time and resources to the organization last year, up 13 percent from the prior year, with last year's volunteers totaling more than 150,000 hours of service.

"The value of a volunteer is about $20 an hour, and we calculate that it saves us $2.5 million a year if we were to pay those volunteers," Krause says.

Along with those who reach out individually to aid the area's nonprofits, many businesses here are encouraging their employees to volunteer.

Janice Marich, vice president of Spokane County United Way, says during the organization's annual fundraising kickoff event last month, the number of participating businesses more than doubled from last year.

Spokane's branch of United Way, a national nonprofit organization, raises funds that are distributed to more than 30 other nonprofits across the county.

Among the 22 companies whose employees participated in United Way's Day of Action were Avista Corp., Moss Adams LLP, CenturyLink, and Potlatch Corp., among others.

Tim Henkle, Spokane County United Way's president and CEO, says, "I think we're seeing an interest on the part of the companies that they want to provide their employees that kind of opportunity, and more and more of that is happening."

While United Way's main focus is to help raise funds to financially support nonprofits across the area, one of its other focuses is to help connect individuals or groups interested in volunteering with the appropriate agency contact.

"We are trying to help broker that back and forth as best as possible or creating the opportunities that companies might not have thought of," Henkle says.

Aside from supporting United Way through its annual fundraising campaign that kicks off in the fall, many businesses here encourage employees to give back and have implemented internal initiatives to encourage that philanthropy.

One of those is Avista, and its director of consumer affairs, Anne Marie Axworthy, says the company's employees collectively donate about 45,000 service hours each year. That number has remained fairly stable in recent years.

"The majority of that is things they do on their own time," she says, adding that it's voluntary for employees to submit their service hours to the company's human resources department. "For us, it's really a culture and value that is encouraged and supported."

Axworthy says Avista employees who donate money to a nonprofit within the utility's service territory are matched by the company up to $200. Last year, its employees donated more than $26,000 to more than 70 local nonprofits, she says.

Axworthy says that in the past Avista had allowed its employees to do more volunteer work—when authorized and scheduled—during regular business hours than it does now. She says that change is due to leaner operating practices the company has put into place.

Despite that, she says Avista's employees have maintained the company's average of 45,000 service hours each year.

"That hasn't diminished their commitment and involvement. We have just gotten more creative," she says.

The Spokane office of the accounting firm Moss Adams LLP also actively encourages its employees to give back to the community through volunteerism or monetary support.

Managing partner Tom Stevenson says, "If we have employees who are active in a nonprofit, we try to support them financially, or when one of our employees is behind a community event we encourage them to ask other employees to join and help in that endeavor."