Related Links The President's Volunteer Service Award Fact Sheet Official Web Site: The President's Volunteer Service Award USA Freedom Corps: Find a Volunteer Opportunity

1. What is the President's Volunteer Service Award?

The President's Volunteer Service Award is issued by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation on behalf of the President of the United States to recognize the best in American spirit, and to encourage all Americans to improve their communities through volunteer service, and civic participation. The Award is given to individuals, families, and groups that have demonstrated outstanding volunteer service and civic participation over the course of a 12-month period.

Any individual, family, or group can receive Presidential recognition for their annual commitment to volunteer service. In addition, individuals who complete 4,000 or more hours of volunteer service over the course of their lifetime will be recognized with the President's Call to Service Award.

2. How do I earn a President's Volunteer Service Award?

To earn an Award, individuals, families, and groups must keep a record of volunteer activities served. Activities may be kept by the Certifying Organization or can be tracked online with the USA Freedom Corps Record of Service. Below please find the criteria for receiving an award.

* In families and groups, each member contributing to the total number of hours must have served 25 hours or more.

3. What do I get in the Award package?

Award recipients receive:

• An official President's Volunteer Service Award lapel pin
• A personalized certificate of achievement
• A congratulatory letter from the President of the United States
• A letter from the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation

4. How do I receive an information package?

Please send your request via email to Inquiries@PresidentialServiceAwards.gov or call
1-866-545-5307. Otherwise, you can browse our Web site to learn more about our program.

5. What are the nomination guidelines?

Individuals must submit their records to a "Certifying Organization" that will review and verify their records and order and distribute the award. Nonprofit, community and faith-based organizations, businesses, schools and colleges, membership and trade associations, and federal, state or local government agencies can all serve as Certifying Organizations.

To be recognized, service activities should meet national or community needs in the areas of youth achievement, parks and open spaces, healthy communities, and public safety and emergency response.

Activities should be unpaid and may not include court-ordered community service.

6. Do I have to be a member of a particular group to qualify for the PVSA?

No. However, individuals must submit their records to a "Certifying Organization" that will review and verify their records and order and distribute the award.

7. What is a Certifying Organization?

A Certifying Organization is an organization that has been given the authority through an application process to administer the President's Volunteer Service Awards to its volunteers.

8. How can I find a Certifying Organization to present me with an award?

The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation (PCSCP) does not have an all inclusive list of Certifying Organizations available to the public. The PCSCP is reaching out to organizations asking them to signup to become Certifying Organizations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), under the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), is a Certifying Organization and, if you meet the criteria, you may receive an award through this program. If you wish to do so, you may contact FMCSAVolunteer@dot.gov.

Otherwise, another way to receive the award is to talk with an organization you are involved with and ask them to become a Certifying Organization. The process is really easy and all instructions are online at www.PresidentialServiceAwards.gov. All types of groups are signing up to become Certifying Organizations, from small local groups to national organizations. Ask your organization to join today!

9. How do we become a Certifying Organization?

To become a Certifying Organization please visit the Web site at www.PresidentialServiceAwards.gov and click "Honor your Volunteers" and follow the instructions. The process is really easy, and only takes a few minutes. You must enter an e-mail address. Once you have submitted the application, it takes 5-7 days to receive an approval.

10. We have several local offices/chapters/associations/groups all over the United States. Can each of these local groups recognize their volunteers with the PVSA?

Yes, you can sign up as a Leadership Organization and have your local groups register as Certifying Organizations recognizing their volunteers. Find out more about becoming a Leadership Organization by emailing us at Inquiries@PresidentialServiceAwards.gov.

11. How can my progress be measured during the year?

You can track your hours on our Web site or your Certifying Organization can keep track of your hours for you.

12. Does the President's Volunteer Service Awards offer scholarships, grants or application waivers?

There are no application waivers. However, if you are interested in scholarships or grants, please contact the President's Freedom Scholarship at:

Web site: www.CNS.gov/Scholarships
Email: info@studentservicescholarship.org
Phone: 1-866-291-7700

Presidential Freedom Scholarships
1150 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1100
Washington , DC 20036

Only United States citizens qualify for the award. If you are a U.S. citizen and are volunteering abroad, you may submit your hours to your Certifying Organization to earn the award.

13. We have ordered the PVSA for some volunteers but would like to recognize others who didn't qualify for the PVSA. What are some other volunteer recognition programs?

The Points of Light Foundation offers several different types of recognition programs. For more information, visit www.PointsofLight.org/Awards or call 1-800-Volunteer.

I have questions that were not addressed here. How do I contact the office of the President's Volunteer Service Award for more information?

If you have questions about the President's Volunteer Service Awards program, here's how you can contact us:

Email: Inquiries@presidentialserviceawards.gov

Phone: 866-545-5307

For hearing and speech-impaired individuals Dial 711 (the National Relay Service)

Fax: 202-729-8033

Address:
President's Volunteer Service Awards
c/o Points of Light Foundation
1400 I Street, NW Suite 800
Washington , DC 20005

14. How can I learn more about the U.S. Department of Transportation's Volunteer Community Service Program or DOT-sponsored volunteer service opportunities?

In alignment with Executive Order 13401, DOT identifies opportunities for employees, retirees, stakeholders and customers to support the VCS; particularly during Departmental observance and commemorative celebrations and events. These observances and events include: Black History Month, Women's History Month, Native American Heritage Month, Hispanic History Month, Disability Employment Awareness Month, Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, National Transportation Week, and National Volunteer Week.

For addtional information you may contact FMCSA at FMCSAVolunteer@dot.gov.