Mission: To improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.Â
Vision:Â To create an Iowa where all citizens are empowered through service to meet community challenges and make lives better.Â
Volunteer Iowa (The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service) is part of a network of state service commissions throughout the United States that exist to foster a bi-partisan state-level commitment to advancing service initiatives as well as developing, communicating, and promoting a statewide vision and ethic of service. This state agency is responsible for coordinating programs and activities formerly conducted by the Iowa Office on Volunteerism, which was launched in 1978 by Governor Robert D. Ray.
Volunteer Iowa, its commissioners, staff, and partner agencies work with organizations and individuals on three main fronts, by:
- helping agencies develop quality programs that use service as a strategy to fulfill their missions and address Iowa’s greatest areas of need
- helping engage Iowans in their communities by promoting service and expanding the volunteer base
- connecting individuals with appropriate service opportunities by building the volunteer infrastructure
The commission is comprised of 15 to 25 governor-appointed individuals who work with the staff to carry out the mission and vision through the following standing committees.