Volunteer West Virginia announced this week that it has received a Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grant of $262,000 from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps and the nation’s volunteer initiatives.

This funding will allow Volunteer West Virginia to better support local organizations in recruiting, managing, and retaining volunteers to address West Virginia’s most pressing challenges.

“We’ve seen firsthand over the last year that West Virginians are the first to reach out and extend an offer of hope after bad things happen,” said Heather Foster, Executive Director of Volunteer West Virginia. “Coordinating this good work takes planning, resources, and great communication, those are the things the Volunteer Generation Fund award will provide.”

West Virginia’s Volunteer Generation Fund will provide funding for the development of a rural volunteer management training program, which includes training for disaster volunteer management. Additionally, the program will provide funding, through a competition, to localities to improve coordination of volunteer efforts.

This year’s grant competition was highly competitive with a strong demand by State Service Commissions seeking VGF resources. CNCS awarded 15 VGF grants to State Service Commissions across the country, totaling more than $3.7 million.

The VGF grant supports State Service Commissions and local organizations in boosting the impact of volunteers in addressing critical community needs. This includes helping broaden an organization’s volunteer base, more effectively recruiting and training volunteers, and expanding opportunity for those who serve. Earlier this summer, Volunteer West Virginia also received $4,091,491 in AmeriCorps funding from CNCS to oversee AmeriCorps programs across the state.

An agency of the Office of Education and the Arts, with Secretary Gayle Manchin, Volunteer West Virginia is the state’s Commission for National and Community Service. The agency challenges West Virginians to strengthen their communities through service and volunteerism by identifying and mobilizing resources, promoting an ethic of service, and empowering communities to solve problems and improve the quality of life for individuals and families.