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Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What is Serve Indiana?

Answer:  Indiana enjoys a rich tradition of Hoosiers working together to help themselves and their communities. In that spirit, the mission of Serve Indiana is to connect organizations and communities to grants, services, and each other; promote volunteerism and service to improve the lives of Hoosiers; encourage public and private resources to seed and sustain innovative and high quality community and faith-based initiatives; and highlight the good works of individuals and their communities with best practices and innovative models.

Serve Indiana strives to be a statewide public champion for service, a strong local, regional and national partner, an efficient grant maker, and a broker of new and increased federal and state resources allocated towards service and volunteerism. Serve Indiana’s goals are to: 1) increase the visibility of service and volunteerism statewide, 2) increase statewide partnerships around service and volunteerism, 3) effectively administer grant programs and national best practice service programs, and 4) align staff and financial resources towards strategic priorities and desired outcomes. For more information, visit https://www.in.gov/serveindiana/2355.htm.

Question: Are there grants available from the government specifically for faith-based organizations?

Answer: No.  However, faith-based and community organizations are eligible to compete with other organizations for government grants and contracts.  State and Federal programs often have different eligibility requirements for their programs, which you should consult before applying.  However, the fact that your organization is faith-based will not exclude you from participation in these programs.

Question: What is AmeriCorps?

Answer:  AmeriCorps is a national service program that engages Americans of all ages and backgrounds in intensive service to address education, poverty, health, disaster relief, and other critical issues.  Among other accomplishments, AmeriCorps members last year mobilized 3.4 million community volunteers, and educated, mentored or served more than 3.5 million disadvantaged youth nationally.  Since the program’s inception in 1994, more than 800,000 men and women have provided more than 1.4 billion hours of service to their communities and country through AmeriCorps.
AmeriCorps is a national service program administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service each year and administers President Obama’s national service initiative United We Serve. Interested individuals can learn about available opportunities and apply online by visiting NationalService.gov.

Question: What is a volunteer center?

Answer: Volunteer centers match volunteers with meaningful opportunities at local non-profit organizations.  They promote volunteerism and recognize volunteers in their communities.  Many offer training to non-profit staff to more effectively work with volunteers.

Question: How many people in Indiana volunteer?

Answer: Since the program’s inception, more than 12,000 Indiana residents have given 16 million hours of service and have qualified for Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards totaling more than $36 million.

Question: What are the Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence?

Answer: The awards event is Serve Indiana’s opportunity to honor individuals in Indiana communities that volunteer or serve. There are seven catagories – Volunteerism Award (18+), Youth Volunteer of the Year Award (Under 18 years old), Lifetime Achievement, National Service Member Award, Volunteer Program Award, Corporate Service Award, and Government Service Award. Applications are open to any person who would like to make a nomination.

Question: How can I nominate someone for a Serve Indiana Award for Excellence?

Answer: Nominations for the Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence are currently not being accepted. Interested persons may visit the Serve Indiana Awards web page to learn more.