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Conference Notebook

June 02, 2008

Nonprofit Congress
Making Volunteering a Rite of Passage

The Aspen Institute in Washington today unveiled a new document that highlights 10 possible public- policy efforts that it says would help strengthen communities and charities.

Many of the proposals are designed to generate more capital for nonprofit groups.

But one of the concepts that is getting significant attention at this week’s Nonprofit Congress meeting is a plan to encourage public service among students who are making the transition from middle school to high school.

The idea is to make volunteering a rite of passage for youngsters by offering them a $500 college scholarship if they give 100 hours or more to help their communities during a summer break.

The proposed “Summer of Service” would require $100-million in federal money annually — money that would encourage as many as 100,000 youths to volunteer. Of that money, half would go to nonprofit groups that provide volunteer opportunities for the youngsters — the other half would finance the $500 scholarships.

Shirley Sagawa, a former White House aide in the Clinton administration who now works as a consultant in Washington, says the plan would help encourage a new generation of people to volunteer — and to attend college.

Ms. Sagawa said all three remaining Presidential candidates are advocating for an expanded national-service program and she believes nonprofit leaders should encourage the candidates to consider the “Summer of Service” idea as part of those national-service plans.

— Peter Panepento

Monday June 2, 2008 | Permalink

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