According to a survey presented on International Volunteer Day earlier in the week, Israelis volunteered a total of 400 million hours to help others in 2006. 33 percent preferred to work in non-formal settings, while 19 percent volunteered with major organizations such as MDA.
Those who volunteered with official groups gave an average of 21 hours per month, the survey found, while those who chose non-formal settings put in an average of 15 hours per month. The survey was conducted at the Center for Third Sector Research at Ben Gurion University.