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The U.S. Sesquicentennial Committee hopes to turn America’s 250th birthday celebration into the biggest year of volunteerism in the country.
But the “Give America” program unveiled Wednesday before the country begins commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 must revive a culture of service that has recently declined. Declining volunteering rates have still not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Only 28% of Americans said they have volunteered their time this year to religious or secular charitable organizations, according to a December AP-NORC poll.
Organizers don’t know how many hours of service will be needed to set the record, and they haven’t set a specific number. The idea is to leverage nationwide reflection on the country’s direction to encourage lasting community engagement that will strengthen nonprofits’ volunteer pipeline beyond 2026. Funding comes from congressional appropriations as well as corporate sponsors, including Walmart and Coca-Cola.
Participants are invited to commit their time and record volunteering on an online tracker. Nonprofit partners include the Girl Scouts of the USA, which will offer volunteering badges to any of its roughly 1 million youth members who complete a service project, and Keep America Beautiful, which is leading an effort to clean up 250 million pieces of trash by July 4. JustServe, coordinator of service projects sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is sending 250 semi-trucks to deliver food donations to 250 food banks in 50 states.
“We firmly believe that this is as much about the future as it is about the past,” said Rosie Rios, president of America250. congress Organization anniversary. “Especially the next generation, we want them to give them something to believe in.”
Connections and accessibility for young volunteers
This forward-thinking goal requires engaging a demographic that many nonprofits have difficulty reaching: young volunteers.
About a quarter of adults under 30 said they volunteered their time to charity or provided non-financial support to people in the community in the past year, compared with 36% of adults over 60, according to an AP-NORC poll in March.
Rios said Giving America is working with high schools, many of which already have community service as a graduation requirement, to ensure those volunteer hours are recorded and to develop giving habits that students continue beyond their secondary education.
“They’re very passionate. They’re very goal-driven. They really want to give back,” Rios said, adding, “Inspiring them to not only imagine but potentially power their own futures is our top priority.”
Services may be an opportunity to satisfy the younger generation’s desire for face-to-face contact. sophia Alvarez — Cohort Leader for the Youth250 Bureau, a separate effort to focus Generation Z The whole point of next year’s show – saying young people want a “third space”. That means feeling “safe” somewhere outside of home, school or work, but without spending money, she said.
“I think any craft or activity that really helps people connect and allows them to chat and connect with each other can really build that sense of community,” Alvarez said.
Sarah Keating, vice president of girls and volunteer experiences for the Girl Scouts of the USA, said they must make volunteer opportunities more manageable.
Keating said young people want to give back to society, but they are busy and don’t know how. She said nonprofits must provide experiences that “match their lives.” For example, someone may not have time to lead an entire troop, but they can help lead a specific badge program.
“Events like this shine a light on the many ways to volunteer — it doesn’t have to be any stereotype you have in your head,” she said of Giving America. “There are lots of small ways to volunteer. There are lots of big ways to volunteer.”
Building bridges—and the habit of giving back
Patriotic appeals must also overcome extreme polarization and the slow erosion of national pride—trends America Gives organizers believe they can counter with calls to action.
Acknowledging the political divide, Rios said the commission’s research shows a majority of Americans want a return to volunteerism.
“This is about a country,” she said. “I think there’s going to be a lot of people who need to stand up now more than ever.”
Keep America Beautiful CEO Jennifer Lawson hopes her national nonprofit network can unite people to address the waste problem. Her goal next year is to engage 4 million volunteers through local chapters working to clean up neighborhoods, plant trees and create gardens.
Lawson hopes volunteers will have the opportunity to show people that patriotism is an action, not a concept, and involves working with neighbors.
“It doesn’t have to be all flags and tricorn hats,” Lawson said. “Patriotism in this country is an act of devotion to community.”
America Gives will be recruiting volunteers after July 4th to try to get in the habit of giving back. Volunteers who register service hours are entered into a drawing where 250 randomly selected winners will receive a $4,000 donation to an approved nonprofit partner.
The program also plans to bring people together during the National Day of Service Martin Luther King Jr.. Days and 9/11. The goal throughout the year is to keep it as local as possible.
“People should keep this in mind at all times, not just the day they provide services,” Rios said. “But how do they plan ahead to keep it going?
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AP’s coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits is supported through the AP’s partnership with The Conversation US and a grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. The Associated Press is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s charity coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.