3 Reasons to Honor Outstanding Volunteers with Presidential Recognition 

Sep 1, 2022

The President’s Volunteer Service Award is an opportunity to honor your most outstanding volunteers and recognize the impact they have on the community. This award honors people whose service makes a difference in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action. Here are three reasons you should become an organization that is approved to provide the President’s Volunteer Service Award to your volunteers.

1. It’s a prestigious award

The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes the United States’ most exceptional volunteers. Each volunteer receives a letter signed by the president that recognizes how their engagement has contributed to solving some of our country’s toughest challenges. That’s a pretty big honor and something that’s a once-in-a-lifetime special moment of recognition!

2. President’s Volunteer Service Awards motivate your volunteers and help with retention

photo of student graduating
Student Austin Sandel of Benton Central High School in Oxford, Indiana, helped his school become a Certifying Organization.

The spirit of volunteerism is a reward in and of itself, but it certainly feels good to be recognized. Your volunteers will appreciate the extra incentive and may be inspired to volunteer with your organization to earn a President’s Volunteer Service Award. Whether they are working towards a medallion or a Lifetime Achievement Award, volunteers may feel motivated to be recognized with this special award. Plus, earning special recognition helps volunteers feel connected to your organization.  

Student Austin Sandel of Benton Central High School in Oxford, Indiana, shares, “I helped my rural high school become a Certifying Organization in order to boost opportunities for recognition and provide extra motivation for service and activism among my friends and classmates. Our principal wholeheartedly supports PVSA and now invites any graduate who earns the award to wear their medallion at commencement. As I pursue my college major in music education, I will continue to look for ways to serve.”

3. Being a Certifying Organization gives your organization credibility

An organization that can give out President’s Volunteer Service Awards is called a Certifying Organization. Becoming a Certifying Organization means your organization has been granted authority through an application and review process to give out the President’s Volunteer Service Award to volunteers. Certifying Organizations verify and certify that a volunteer has met the requirements to receive a President’s Volunteer Service Award and may choose from certificates, pins, coins and medals to award volunteers. The process is simple and takes only about two weeks.

Becoming a Certifying Organization signals to your partner organizations that you are uniquely qualified to honor your exceptional volunteers with this prestigious award. It says to your volunteers that you put a premium on their meaningful contributions to building community and making the world a better place for all. 

Start your certification today >> 


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