Earn Awards

To earn an Award, individuals, families, and groups must keep a record of volunteer activities served. Activities may be kept by the Certifying Organization or can be tracked online with the USA Freedom Corps Record of Service.

Any individual, family, or group can receive Presidential recognition for volunteer hours earned over a 12-month period or over the course of a lifetime at home or abroad. The following are the eligibility requirements for each age group:

Picture of Bronze President's Volunteer Service Award Pin

Bronze Level
100 to 249 hours
Picture of Silver President's Volunteer Service Award Pin

Silver Level
250 to 499 hours
Picture of Gold President's Volunteer Service Award Pin

Gold Level
500 hours or more

President’s Call to Service Award

Picture of Blue President's Volunteer Service Award Pin

4,000 hours or more of volunteer service (over a lifetime).

Personalized Certificate

• The PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD is a prestigious national honor offered in recognition of sustained volunteer service.

• America has a long proud history of volunteer service, and volunteers work to unite our Nation. Whether mentoring a child, spending time with an elderly neighbor or cleaning up after a natural disaster, millions of Americans commit their time, energy and talent to meet urgent and everyday needs in our community.

• Established in 2003, the PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD gives Presidential recognition to individuals, families and groups who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to volunteer service each year. The AWARD shares this achievement as a way to inspire others to contribute to their communities through volunteer service and to make volunteer service a central part of their lives.

• The AWARD is available on an annual basis and is an honor that every American – from all ages and all walks of life – can aspire to achieve. Even if people have never volunteered before, the PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD is within their reach.

• To be eligible to receive the AWARD, individuals, families and groups submit a record of their annual volunteer service hours to participating Certifying Organizations that will verify the service and deliver the AWARD.

• Children of ages up to 14 are eligible to receive the PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD after completing at least 50 hours of community service in a single year. Ages 15 to adults are eligible after 100 hours of annual volunteer work, and families and groups of two or more people are eligible after 200 hours of service.

• Many individuals, families and groups may already meet the requirements to earn the PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD.

• Individuals who have completed 4,000 or more volunteer service hours over the course of their lifetime are eligible to receive the PRESIDENT’S CALL TO SERVICE AWARD.

• The PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD is issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, a group created by President George W. Bush to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers make to our Nation.

• Chaired by two-time Super Bowl Champion Darrell Green, with former U.S. Senators Bob Dole and John Glenn as honorary co-chairs, the Council is composed of leaders in government, media, education, entertainment, business, nonprofit and volunteer service organizations, in addition to individual community volunteers.