The President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) is a prestigious national honor recognizing individuals who dedicate their time and effort to community service. A crucial component of this program is the role of Certifying Organizations. These authorized entities play a vital part in ensuring deserving volunteers receive the recognition they merit. But what exactly is a Certifying Organization, and how can your organization become one? This guide provides a comprehensive overview.
Understanding Certifying Organizations
A Certifying Organization is an established entity officially authorized to bestow the President’s Volunteer Service Award upon eligible volunteers. This authority is granted through a formal application and review process. These organizations are responsible for verifying and certifying that a volunteer has fulfilled the necessary service hour requirements within a defined 12-month period set by the organization itself. Crucially, only approved Certifying Organizations have the authority to validate volunteer eligibility for the PVSA and order the awards on their behalf.
To qualify as a Certifying Organization, your entity must be based and operate within the United States, its territories (including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands), or on U.S. military and state installations located overseas. Furthermore, a fundamental requirement is that Certifying Organizations must actively receive or facilitate volunteer service.
Is Your Organization Eligible to Certify Volunteers?
A wide range of entity types are eligible to apply to become Certifying Organizations, provided they meet the basic requirements outlined above. These include:
- Nonprofit Organizations: Organizations recognized as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and dedicated to public service.
- Community-Based Organizations: Local groups focused on improving their communities through various initiatives and volunteer efforts.
- Faith-Based Organizations: Religious institutions and groups engaging in community outreach and volunteer service.
- Businesses: For-profit companies with corporate social responsibility programs and employee volunteer initiatives.
- Schools and Educational Institutions: From K-12 schools to colleges and universities, encouraging student and faculty volunteerism.
- National Service Programs: Recognized programs that promote national service and volunteerism.
- Civic, Fraternal, or Service Organizations: Groups dedicated to civic engagement, community service, and fraternal fellowship.
- Membership or Trade Associations: Organizations representing specific industries or professions that engage in volunteer activities.
- Federal, State, or Local Government Agencies: Government bodies at all levels that facilitate or rely on volunteer support.
- U.S. Military and State Entities Abroad: U.S. military bases and embassies located in foreign countries that support volunteer efforts within their communities.
Key Responsibilities of a Certifying Organization
Becoming a Certifying Organization comes with several important responsibilities to uphold the integrity of the President’s Volunteer Service Award program:
- Volunteer Hour Verification: Certifying Organizations are responsible for meticulously verifying the volunteer hours submitted by nominees to ensure they meet the criteria for the specific award level.
- Eligibility Confirmation: Organizations must confirm that all nominated volunteers are either U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States.
- Award Procurement: Certifying Organizations are required to cover the nominal costs associated with the PVSA awards, including shipping and handling. It is strictly prohibited for Certifying Organizations to charge volunteers for the award, and volunteers themselves cannot purchase awards directly.
- Award Distribution: Upon receiving the award packages, Certifying Organizations are responsible for the proper distribution of the awards to the deserving volunteers.
- Annual E-Course Completion: To stay updated on program guidelines and best practices, Certifying Organizations must complete the mandatory online e-course annually, every 12 months.
- Compliance Procedures: Organizations must establish and maintain clear procedures to guarantee ongoing compliance with all PVSA eligibility requirements and program guidelines.
- Ethical Conduct: Certifying Organizations are expected to operate with the highest ethical standards and without any deceptive practices. Organizations under criminal investigation, indictment, or with felony convictions in the past two years are ineligible to apply or maintain their certifying status.
- Award Revocation: In cases where credible information surfaces indicating that an award recipient did not meet the necessary criteria, the Certifying Organization is obligated to revoke the PVSA. Organizations must inform both Points of Light and AmeriCorps before initiating revocation procedures, especially if the ineligibility information did not originate from these entities.
- Data Management: Maintaining a robust data bank is crucial. This database must be capable of retrieving all supporting information for each award granted, searchable by the awardee’s name and the year of the award. Certifying Organizations must annually certify to Points of Light that this data bank is current and actively maintained. This data bank should include a checklist for each awardee, confirming that all “Volunteer Eligibility Criteria” have been met.
- Recertification: If there is a significant delay (over 3 months) between award approval and purchase and the actual award presentation date, the Certifying Organization must re-verify and document in their data bank that the volunteer remains eligible for the award.
- Logo Usage Compliance: Organizations must seek permission to use the PVSA logo, ensuring its proper and authorized use in all related materials.
Failure to adhere to these requirements may lead to the revocation of the Certifying Organization status and the invalidation of associated volunteer awards.
Steps to Become a Certifying Organization
The process to become a Certifying Organization is straightforward:
- Complete the Online E-Course: The first step is to complete the brief e-course available on the PVSA website. Successful completion grants access to the online application. Remember, this e-course must be retaken every 12 months to maintain certification.
- Submit the Online Application: Fill out and submit the Certifying Organization application form electronically through the PVSA website.
- Application Review: Once submitted, applications undergo a review process. You can expect to receive notification of your application status via email within 15 business days, unless further information is needed for processing.
Volunteer Eligibility for the PVSA
To be eligible for the President’s Volunteer Service Award, individual volunteers must meet the following criteria:
- Citizenship: Be a United States citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the United States (Green Card holder).
- Age Requirement: Be at least five years of age or older.
- Service Duration: Complete eligible volunteer service within a 12-month period for annual Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards, and accumulate hours over a lifetime for the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Defining Eligible Volunteer Service
Eligible service for the PVSA encompasses:
- Unpaid Volunteer Acts: Service must be performed without compensation or payment of any kind, benefiting others and the community.
- Note: Service through national service programs that provide a stipend (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps) can count towards the Lifetime Achievement Award but are not eligible for annual Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards.
- Note: Nominal volunteer support, such as travel stipends, transit/parking passes, membership passes, and expense reimbursements, does not affect service eligibility.
Ineligible Service Activities Include:
- Donations: Donating funds or material goods.
- Political Lobbying: Engaging in partisan political lobbying activities (Non-partisan voter registration drives are considered eligible).
- Religious Activities: Religious instruction, conducting worship services, or proselytizing.
- Court-Ordered Service: Volunteer service performed as part of court-mandated community service.
- Family-Only Service: Service that solely benefits immediate family members.
PVSA Award Levels and Hour Requirements by Age Group
The President’s Volunteer Service Award offers different levels of recognition based on age group and hours of service completed. The following table outlines the hour requirements for each award level:
| Age Group | Bronze | Silver | Gold | Lifetime Achievement Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kids (5–10 years old) | 26–49 hours | 50–74 hours | 75+ hours | 4,000+ hours |
| Teens (11–15) | 50–74 hours | 75–99 hours | 100+ hours | 4,000+ hours |
| Young Adults (16–25) | 100–174 hours | 175–249 hours | 250+ hours | 4,000+ hours |
| Adults (26+) | 100–249 hours | 250–499 hours | 500+ hours | 4,000+ hours |
By becoming a Certifying Organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award, your organization can play a pivotal role in recognizing and honoring the invaluable contributions of volunteers in your community. This prestigious affiliation not only elevates your organization’s commitment to service but also inspires greater civic engagement and volunteerism.
