3.1: Volunteers
Mobilizing More Volunteers Other Information:
Summary: We have seen five million more Americans serve their communities and country since the President’s call to service
in 2002. We are dedicated to continuing that trend so that more citizens in need, service organizations, and communities will
benefit. In 2005, there were 65.4 million Americans serving; our goal for the nation is to increase that number to 75 million
by 2010 by making more service opportunities available. Detailed Narrative: As the echoes of the September 11 attacks were
ringing in our ears, President Bush issued his call to service in early 2002. Between then and the devastation of Hurricane
Katrina four years later, the number of people volunteering in communities has increased from 59 million Americans to 65.4
million.4 For those of us interested in engaging citizens of all ages and backgrounds, including those with disabilities,
and strengthening our democracy, this growth in the number of Americans volunteering represents a once-in-ageneration opportunity
to sustain a significant upsurge in citizen engagement. This initiative is about increasing the level of individual engagement
in volunteer activities and building the infrastructure of nonprofits and communities to create more volunteer opportunities,
and to respond to significant community challenges through citizen mobilization. Together with our partners, including volunteer
and service-driven organizations across the country, the Corporation is committed to working toward a national goal of expanding
the number of Americans who volunteer by more than 15 percent over five years, from 65.4 million to 75 million Americans.
We also want to encourage volunteers to contribute more hours to their communities. As part of that effort, we are encouraging
more Americans to consider making volunteering part of their regular activities. This effort will allow volunteers to gain
a wealth of knowledge and enhance their individual skills through their service experience. With those increased skills, volunteers
can be a tremendous asset to organizations, helping to increase long-term capacity in communities. For example, Michelle Ward,
an AmeriCorps*NCCC alumna who studies economics and international business, applied skills learned from her service when she
began work with the embassy in Togo for the U.S. State Department. The emergency management work she was a part of while fighting
wildfires with AmeriCorps*NCCC came in handy when a political coup occurred in Togo. She became responsible for evacuation
efforts and setting up shelters. Research conducted by the Corporation and others in recent years shows that increasing the
level of individual engagement in volunteer activities requires significant recruitment, but it also requires much more. Meeting
the demand of individuals wanting to volunteer requires building and sustaining capacity and infrastructure within nonprofit
organizations and communities to support those volunteers, to match them with appropriate and meaningful opportunities, to
train them to succeed, and to manage and reward their work. The same research that recognized America’s volunteer force as
65.4 million strong also identified millions of other Americans with a history of volunteering. These former volunteers indicated
they had not volunteered recently due to a variety of obstacles, including lack of time, lack of information, family responsibilities,
transportation issues, and health or medical issues. As we move forward, our challenge will be to focus simultaneously on
reaching out to more Americans of all ages and backgrounds to volunteer and, at the same time, to ensure that volunteers’
needs are fulfilled. Corporation programs have a strong history of invigorating and supporting community volunteers. We promote
service for young people to gain valuable skills for work and school, for older Americans to stay active and healthy, and
for people of all ages to broaden their service experience. Our Learn and Serve America programs introduce over a million
children and youth every year to the excitement of meeting community needs, and put them on the path to a lifetime of service.
Our AmeriCorps members recruit, train, and supervise more than 800,000 community volunteers each year. Our Senior Corps programs,
with more than 500,000 participants, set the standard for experienced volunteers in thousands of communities across America.
And our research shows that participants in Corporation programs leave the programs more likely to remain engaged in their
communities for years to come, as well as enter into public service careers. In addition, when nonprofit organizations were
asked about what they most need in order to build an infrastructure solid enough to support greater volunteering, a common
response was a dedicated, stipended volunteer (someone like an AmeriCorps member, a VISTA member, or a Senior Corps volunteer)
to manage the other volunteers and support organizational capacity-building.5 The Corporation is committed to improving the
capacity of organizations and strengthening their infrastructure to effectively engage volunteers by making volunteer recruitment
and management a more central focus. In order to do this, we will engage more participants in our programs as volunteer coordinators,
and we will also strengthen relationships with community volunteer connector organizations (such as volunteer centers). These
organizations are also dedicated to meeting the needs of volunteers and nonprofit groups; they match individuals with appropriate
service opportunities and train nonprofit organizations to deepen the engagement of individual participants. Building on the
success from the President’s call to service, our efforts over the coming years will focus on six major areas: Increasing
volunteer recruitment, training, and support by AmeriCorps and Senior Corps; Ensuring that AmeriCorps*State and National and
VISTA extensively support the spectrum of community volunteer connector organizations; Utilizing participants in national
service programs to provide volunteer coordination and management support for organizations, especially smaller organizations
that rely on volunteers; Ensuring organizations are partnering with faith-based and other community organizations to help
meet community needs; Building the capacity of local communities to organize citizens to respond effectively to disasters;
and Using our national platform to recognize volunteers. The Corporation views disaster preparedness and response as a priority
that directly supports this initiative. While volunteers and voluntary associations have always been an integral aspect of
how the United States responds to disasters, the September 11 tragedy, as well as the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina,
indicate a renewed commitment Americans have made to rebuilding lives and strengthening communities. The Corporation intends
to serve as a national catalyst and coordinator for volunteer disaster preparedness and relief efforts by further building
the civic capacity and infrastructure of high priority communities to prevent, where possible, and to respond to the aftermath
of terrorist or natural disasters. The Corporation will particularly work with Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters
(VOADs) and Citizen Corps to connect volunteers—whether youth, students or Boomers—with organizations dedicated to disaster
response and preparedness. We will also provide resources directly to community organizations to increase the number and quality
of their preparedness and response trainings, thereby expanding the number of people ready to respond to a disaster, whether
man-made or natural. We recognize that our current program participants, former participants, and community volunteers are
themselves a very valuable resource and are essential for responding to disasters and coordinating other volunteers responding
to disasters. They have a range of skills to rebuild homes and communities, connect victims with necessary services and address
health care needs. The Corporation plans to capitalize on their dedication and motivation, to benefit those most in need.
By offering volunteers meaningful service opportunities, the Corporation and nonprofits across America will help strengthen
volunteers’ desire to continue their civic activities, thereby remaining connected to their communities. Following President
Bush’s lead, we believe national and community service is an effective engine for developing active and engaged citizens,
which in turn strengthens our communities, our ability to meet challenges like disasters, and our democracy. NATIONAL TARGETS
FOR 2010: Engage 75 million Americans (age 16 and older) in volunteering, up from 65.4 million in 2005 Engage 43 million Americans
(age 16 and older) in regular volunteering (defined by those who volunteer 12+ weeks a year), up from 31.75 million in 2005
Ensure at least half of all nonprofit organizations and faith and community-based organizations that rely on volunteers regularly
utilize effective volunteer recruitment and management practices, up from 31.3 in 2003 CORPORATION TARGETS FOR 2010: Leverage
4 million community volunteers who are recruited and managed within Corporation-sponsored national service programs Engage
90 percent of former AmeriCorps members in volunteer activities in their communities after their term of service, up from
72 percent in 2005
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