President's Volunteer Service Award Application
Thank you for your interest in the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA). Since 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation founded the PVSA 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.
If you are interested in earning a PVSA, you must do so through a Certifying Organization (CO). Kits to Heart has been a Certifying Organization since 2021, having the privilege of awarding 27 volunteers for 7,050 hours of service.
Before applying for a PVSA through Kits to Heart, please read all of the following:
What is a Certifying Organization?
A Certifying Organization is an organization that has been granted authority through an application and review process to give out the PVSA to volunteers. Certifying Organizations verify and certify that a volunteer has met the requirements to receive a PVSA within a 12-month period specified by the Certifying Organization. Only Certifying Organizations can certify volunteers’ eligibility for the PVSA and order awards.
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
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
| Age Group | Bronze | Silver | Gold | Lifetime Achievement Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kids (5–10 years old) | 26–49 hours | 50–74 hours | 75+ hours | 4,000+ hours |
| Teens (11–15) | 50–74 hours | 75–99 hours | 100+ hours | 4,000+ hours |
| Young Adults (16–25) | 100–174 hours | 175–249 hours | 250+ hours | 4,000+ hours |
| Adults (26+) | 100–249 hours | 250–499 hours | 500+ hours |
4,000+ hours |
How to Apply for a PVSA
Applying for the PVSA is free, as Kits to Heart covers the costs as a courtesy for your service. To apply for a PVSA through Kits to Heart, please complete the form below: