One of our primary functions is to work with organizations and communities to help them use service as a strategy to fulfill their missions by engaging Iowans in addressing pressing community challenges. We do this by connecting those agencies in need with programming that we or our partners fund, or by providing technical assistance on how to better utilize community volunteers to fulfill that need. View a statewide map of what counties our programs serve.
AmeriCorps: a National Service program that enables individuals to commit a significant amount of time to voluntary service designed to meet community needs. Volunteer Iowa administers AmeriCorps State projects that operate only in Iowa and provides support to other national programs that have members serving in Iowa.
Disaster Volunteers: Volunteer Iowa can provide resources to help emergency managers develop a plan to mobilize and manage unaffiliated/spontaneous volunteers who want to help and will flock from all over to assist their neighbors, friends, and even complete strangers during and after a disaster strikes. Register here!
Iowa MENTOR: A collaborative program of Volunteer Iowa that provides certification, recognition, training, marketing,and technical assistance for local youth mentoring programs.
Volunteer Generation Fund: an opportunity created by the 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (SAA) designed to increase the number of people serving in meaningful roles as volunteers. In Iowa, Volunteer Generation Fund grants strengthen the infrastructure for effective local volunteering, through:
- Service Enterprise Initiative (SEI): Volunteer Iowa is leading the state’s Service Enterprise Initiative by providing certification and spearheading promotion efforts. A Service Enterprise organization fundamentally leverages volunteers and their skills across all levels of the organization to successfully deliver on the organization’s social mission. The Service Enterprise Initiative is an organizational change model that empowers the nonprofit to more efficiently engage volunteers and effectively address community needs. Learn more.
- Volunteer Centers of Iowa (VCI): a statewide network that connects, builds, promotes and mobilizes Iowa Volunteer Centers. Volunteer Centers of Iowa meet on a regular basis to provide training, networking and information-sharing opportunities for members.
State Volunteer Recognition Programs: Volunteer Iowa coordinates the state of Iowa’s two most prestigious volunteer recognition programs:
- Governor’s Volunteer Awards provide all Iowa nonprofit, charitable, and government organizations with a non-competitive, easy, and low-cost way to honor local volunteers with state-level recognition.
- Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame is the most prestigious state-level honor volunteers can receive.
RSVP: Volunteer Iowa coordinates state funding for RSVP programs serving Iowa. RSVP addresses community needs through mobilization of volunteers age 55 and over. The program recognizes and uses the competence, wisdom and experience of these volunteers for the benefit of all Iowans.