$173,000,000,000.00

In 2010, volunteers served 8.1 billion hours, which has a low estimated value of $173 billion.

This morning, the Corporation for National and Community Service released the latest data available on Volunteering in America. The website, updated annually, hosts the most comprehensive set of data on volunteering and national service in America, with some pretty interesting trends and demographics at the national, state, and local level.

Some highlights:

• In 2010, 8.3 million Young Adults dedicated 844 million hours of service to communities across the country -- this amounts to just 21.9 percent of young people, ages 16 to 24.
• The District of Columbia has an average annual volunteer rate of about 30 percent.
• The Twin-Cities win for having the highest proportion of residents volunteer of the 51 largest US cities -- a rocking 37.1 percent.
• 29.3 percent of women volunteered in 2010, compared to 23.2 percent of men.

The site profiles how volunteers help solve community issues through public-private partnerships and community-based organizations. These spotlighted examples amplify the founding principles of the White House Council for Community Solutions -- that all across America, individuals and community groups are finding solutions to local problems, and that every American community can create the civic infrastructure or local road map to drive significant progress on any community challenge.

An NU professor of mine always repeats the mantra, "Think globally. Act locally." Indeed, as models like Cities of Service continue to scale-up, I expect that next year's volunteering statistics will be even higher. The Cities of Service focus on “impact volunteering" -- strategies that target community needs, use best practices, and set clear outcomes and measures to gauge progress -- is particularly exciting. The philosophy moves beyond simply doing service to do a good deed and instead considers service as a mutually beneficial activity that leverages an individual's assets and strengths to address local community needs.

Is your city a city of service?