Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service History and Mission
About the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service
Our Mission: To improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement
through service and learning.
Our Vision: To create an Iowa where all citizens are empowered through service
to meet community challenges and make lives better.
The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service is composed of talented, dedicated commissioners
who share a passion for volunteerism and national service.
State Commissions have the responsibility of developing and communicating a statewide
vision and ethic of service and promoting that vision throughout their state. The
Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service (ICVS) and its partner agencies work with volunteerism
on two main fronts. The first is to help agencies develop quality programs that
use service as a strategy to fulfill their missions and address Iowa’s greatest
areas of need. The second is helping to engage Iowans in their communities by facilitating
service opportunities.
The mission of the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service is carried out using the
following committee structure:
- Standing Committees
- Volunteer Engagement
- Program Development
- Executive Committee: includes the Chair of each standing committee, plus the Executive
Director, Chair, and other officers appointed by the chair.
How can I get involved?
For more information, and to find volunteer and national service opportunities or
information on how nonprofits, schools or governmental agencies can access Volunteer
Iowa's resources, e-mail icvs@iowa.gov or call
1.800.308.5987.
To learn more about becoming a Commissioner, visit our
Information page.
History of the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service
1978 By Executive Order 33, Governor Ray creates the Iowa Office
on Volunteerism
1990A renewed focus on encouraging volunteering in America led
to the passage of the National and Community Service Act of 1990. This legislation,
signed into law by President George H.W. Bush, created a new independent federal
agency: the Commission on National and Community Service.
1993 The National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 created
the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) by merging the work and
staffs of two agencies: ACTION and the Commission on National and Community Service.
Three Corporation administered programs: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and
Serve America were charged with connecting Americans of all ages and backgrounds
with opportunities to give back to their communities and their nation. The newly
created CNCS invited governors to create state commissions to guide and oversee
national service programs in their state.
1994 Governor Terry E. Branstad established the Iowa Commission
for National and Community Service by Executive Order 48 in February 1994 “to assist
in the development and implementation of a comprehensive, statewide plan for promoting
volunteer involvement and citizen participation in Iowa, as well as serve as the
state’s liaison to national and state organizations which support the Commission’s
mission”. The Governor’s Office was designated as the lead agency for administration
of the commission. Additional support was to be provided by the Department of Education,
the Board of Regents, the Department of Employment Services, and the Department
of Economic Development.
1998 Executive Order Number 64 officially changed the agency’s
name to “Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service”.
2002 In his 2002 State of the Union address, President George W.
Bush announced the creation of the USA Freedom Corps. Chaired by the President,
USA Freedom Corps is a coordinating council that works to strengthen our culture
of service and help find opportunities for every American to serve. In April of
2002 the President unveiled the Principles and Reforms for a Citizen Service Act
to reform and enhance AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and other programs administered by
the Corporation for National and Community Service.
2005 Governor Thomas J. Vilsack signed House File 478 that officially
established the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service (ICVS) as a state agency “to
serve as an administrative vehicle which conforms with federal guidelines detailed
in the federal National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993”. This legislation
also charged the ICVS with administering the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program
(RSVP) and enabled the commission to receive state, federal, and private funds and
in-kind services.
2006 Iowa Mentoring Partnership added to ICVS, Iowa’s Promise and
IMP receive first state appropriation from the Legislature.
2008 A new NCCC campus opens in Vinton, Iowa.
2008 The ICVS plays a major role in coordinating volunteers in
the aftermath of the 2008 statewide floods.
2009 Governor Chester J. Culver signs Senate File 482, establishing
the Iowa Summer Youth Corps and Green Corps programs. The Iowa Summer Youth Corps
involves disadvantaged youth (ages 16-25) in meaningful service opportunities that
enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and fulfill unmet community
needs. The Green Corps involves AmeriCorps members or Iowa Summer Youth Corps members
in major transformative projects emphasizing energy efficiency, historic preservation,
neighborhood development, and storm water reduction and management.
View the Administrative Rules
governing the operation of the ICVS
History
of National Service in the United States—CNCS