America has a long and proud tradition of volunteer service. Now more than ever, volunteers are renewing their commitment to helping others and making new connections that bring us closer together as families, as neighbors, as communities, and as a Nation. The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation was established in 2003 to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making in our communities and encourage more people to serve. The Council created the President’s Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service. Recognizing and honoring volunteers sets a standard for service, encourages a sustained commitment to civic participation, and inspires others to make service a central part of their lives. The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes individuals, families, and groups that have achieved a certain standard – measured by the number of hours of service over a 12-month period or cumulative hours earned over the course of a lifetime. To date, the President’s Council has partnered with more than 80 Leadership Organizations and more than 28,000 Certifying Organizations to bestow more than 1.5 million awards to the Nation's deserving volunteers.
Learn more about the President's VOlunteer Service Award HERE.
Criteria
Any individual, family, or group can receive Presidential recognition for volunteer hours earned over a 12-month period or over the course of a lifetime at home or abroad. The following are the eligibility requirements for each age group:
President’s Call to Service Award
All ages: 4,000 hours or more of volunteer service (over a lifetime)
Gold Level
Young Adults: 250 hours or more
Family & Groups: 1000 hours or more
Silver Level
Young Adults: 175 to 249 hours
Family and Groups: 500 to 999 hours
Bronze Level
Young Adults: 100 to 174 hours
Family and Groups: 200 to 499 hours
Certifying Organizations
A Certifying Organization is entity that is approved to review and verify a volunteer’s hours, and nominate and distribute the President’s Volunteer Service Awards. The William R. Butler Center for Volunteer Service and Leadership Development is proud to be a Certifying Organization for University of Miami students who complete community service hours in connection with institutional programming. If a student completes community service with an organization that is not listed as a Certifying Organization, we will work with the student on providing recommendations and resources.
Requirements of Certifying Organizations
- Verify that the volunteer(s) has completed the number of service hours required
- Nominate verified volunteers by completing and submitting an order form to purchase the award(s)
- Pay the nominal cost for the award package and its shipping
- Receive the award package and distribute the award to each recipient
