The 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 the American spirit, and to encourage all Americans to improve their communities through volunteer service, and civic participation.

There are three level and three categories of the Award varying by age and hours of service completed within a 12-month period:

Young Adults (15-25)
Bronze 100-174 hours
Silver 175-249 hours
Gold 250+ hours

Adults (26 and up)
Bronze 100-249 hours
Silver 250-499 hours
Gold 500+ hours

Families and Groups*
Bronze 200-499 hours
Silver 500-999 hours
Gold 1000+ hours

*Two or more people, with each member contributing at least 25 hours towards the total.

Recipients can earn more than one level of the Award within 12 months.  In addition, individuals who complete 4,000 hours or more of volunteer service will be recognized with the President's Call to Service Award.

All Award recipients receive a personalized certificate of achievement, a congratulatory letter from the President of the United States, a congratulatory letter from the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, and an official President's Award pin.

Guidelines

To earn an Award, individuals, families, and groups must keep a record of volunteer activities and hours served.  Activities may be kept as a diary or calendar, or tracked online with the USA Freedom Corps Record of Service, available at www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

Each volunteer must submit a record of service to a registered Certifying Organization, which will review and verify the record 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 serve as Certifying Organizations.

While almost all volunteer service contributes to eligibility for the Award, volunteers are encouraged to participate in service that addresses particular areas of need in our Nation.  Priority areas include youth achievement, parks and open spaces, healthy communities, public safety, and emergency response. Activities should be unpaid and may not include court-ordered community service.

More Information

To learn more about the Award, visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov or call 1-866-545-5307.  To learn more about volunteering and service, please visit www.usafreedomcorps.gov or www.nationalservice.org.