Kiva Piedmont Initiative proudly announces that we are an official certifying organization for the President's Volunteer Service Award. In 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation founded the President’s Volunteer Service Award to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. This award honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action, too. The PVSA has continued under each administration, honoring the volunteers who are using their time and talents to solve some of the toughest challenges facing our nation.

Volunteer Eligibility

  • United States citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e., green card holder)

  • Must be at least five years old

  • Completes eligible service within a 12-month period (for annual Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards) and over a lifetime (for Lifetime Achievement Awards)

Eligible Service:

  • Unpaid acts of volunteer service benefitting others

    • Service through National service programs that provide a stipend (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) may count towards the Lifetime Achievement Award, but not for the annual Bronze, Silver, and Gold Awards)

    • Travel stipends, transit/parking passes, membership passes, expense reimbursements, and other nominal volunteer support do not impact service eligibility

Eligible Service does not include:

  • Donating funds

  • Political lobbying (Non-partisan voter registration is an eligible activity)

  • Religious instruction

  • Conducting worship service

  • Proselytizing

  • Volunteer service performed as part of court-ordered community service

  • Serving only family members

    Hours Required to Earn Awards in Each Age GroupAge GroupBronzeSilverGoldLifetime Achievement Award



FAQs

How are individual volunteer hours maintained and tracked? 

Certifying organizations maintain and track volunteer hours outside of the PVSA ordering website, based on a 12 month cycle. They can enter all volunteer hours for their organization when it's time to place an award order based on the organization's 12 month cycle deadline. An admin can copy and paste their volunteers' hours from a personal spreadsheet prior to placing an award order. Volunteers are also required to maintain their individual hours. Volunteers are required to communicate directly with the contact at their organization to report hours volunteered.

What is the process for certifying a volunteer's community service hours?

To be eligible for an award, individuals must go through a Certifying Organization (KPI), as certifying volunteer hours is a specific requirement of such organizations. We recommend reaching out to the primary organization where you volunteer the most to check if they are a Certifying Organization for the PVSA.

How do I determine the age category my volunteer falls within if they had a birthday during the calendar year? 

The age category is determined by the age the person was for at least 7 months within the 12-month calendar year.  For example, if the person was 16 for 7 months within the year in question, that person would qualify within the 16-25 age group.  

What is the difference between certified volunteer hours and available hours volunteer hours?

"Available hours" refers to the hours that can be applied towards a volunteer's award eligibility. In contrast, "certified hours" represent hours that have already been utilized to place an award. It's important to note that “certified hours” cannot be counted towards a subsequent annual award (bronze, silver, gold). However, they do contribute to the cumulative total of 4,000 hours required for the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Certifying Organizations certify volunteer hours at the time they order awards for their volunteers and a certificate is integrated into the order process; all volunteers for whom awards are ordered have their hours certified at the same time. Certifying volunteer hours with PVSA is a specific requirement for Certifying Organizations. Before being able to certify hours and order awards, Certifying Organizations may request additional information from their volunteers to verify their eligibility and confirm the completion of service. PVSA entrusts Certifying Organizations to maintain processes that align with the specific needs of their organizations, and PVSA will respect a Certifying Organization's decision regarding honoree eligibility.