Since its launch in early March, VFPServ, an innovative public-private partnership to provide skilled Americans grants for international volunteer assignments has already shown significant impact and potential.

The Volunteers for Prosperity Service Incentive Program or “VFPServ”, was created by the Office of Volunteers for Prosperity (VFP Office) of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), in cooperation with the GlobalGiving Foundation and the USA Freedom Corps at the White House. The program provides skilled Americans with matching grants ranging from $500 to $1000 to improve the affordability of volunteer service abroad.

The partnership’s formation was announced by USAID administrator Henrietta Fore on December 5, 2007, during a White House event commemorating International Volunteer Day.

A VFPServ volunteer has at least three years’ professional experience, has identified and contacted a sponsoring US organization, and, in collaboration with that organization, has developed a service assignment.

To qualify for a matching grant, the volunteer must raise at least an equal amount of funds from within his/her local community, as well as any additional funds needed to meet the assignment’s budget. Fundraising is facilitated through an online platform built and managed by GlobalGiving.

VFPServ was launched on March 6^th, and has already generated interest from 144 applicants requesting grants totaling more than $124,000 to offset over $366,000 in total assignment costs.

While most assignments are scheduled to commence late summer and early fall 2008, twenty-three volunteers have already qualified for matching grants totaling nearly $22,000 and raised $21,000 in additional funds to cover assignment budgets totaling more than $43,000.

The volunteers come from every region of the country and represent a range of professions including healthcare, engineering, education, law and business.

Noting the program’s initial results, Jack Hawkins, director of the VFP office said: “We are pleased to see that VFPServ not only succeeds at making service abroad more affordable, but also serves to involve more Americans—volunteers and donors alike—in helping our neighbors around the world”.

For information on Volunteers for Prosperity, please visit: http://www.volunteersforprosperity.gov. To learn more about VFPServ, please visit: http://www.globalgiving.com/cb/vfpserv.

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