Research and Reports

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) conducts and supports extensive social science research designed to:

• Measure the impact of our programs and shape policy decisions;
• Encourage a culture of performance and accountability in national and community service programs;
• Provide information on volunteering, civic engagement, and volunteer management in nonprofit organizations;
• Assist in the development and assessment of new initiatives and demonstration projects

The following research reports and analysis examine the impact of CNCS programs on individuals and communities, and report on the state of volunteering and civic life in America.

Trends in Volunteering and Civic Life

• Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment
• Volunteering and Civic Life in America 2012
• Volunteering in America 2011 (Fact Sheet)
• Volunteering in America 2010 (Issue Brief)
• Volunteering in the United States, 2009
• Volunteering in the United States, 2008
• 2010 Civic Life in America (Fact Sheet)
• Volunteering in America - An Overview of Corporation Research (Issue Brief)
• Volunteer Retention (Issue Brief)
• The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research (Issue Brief)
• The Health Benefits of Volunteering (Full Report)
• Keeping Baby Boomers Volunteering – A Research Brief on Volunteer Retention and Turnover
• Volunteer Growth in America: A Review of Trends Since 1974 (Full Report)

Promoting a Culture of Evaluation

• Still Serving: Measuring the Eight-Year Impact of AmeriCorps on Alumni (Full Report)
• The Pipeline to Public Service: Profiles of AmeriCorps Alumni in Action (Issue Brief)
• College Students Helping America (Full Report)

Demonstrating Community Impact and Member Development

• Serving Communities – Case Studies on Nonprofits Using National Service to Solve Community Problems
• Capitalizing on Volunteers Skills – Full Report
• Improving Lives and Communities: Perspectives on 40 Years of Service (Full Report)
• AmeriCorps: Changing Lives, Changing America (Full Report)
• Volunteers Mentoring Youth: Implications for Closing the Mentoring Gap (Full Report)
• Youth Helping America Series, Brief 1 -- Building Active Citizens: The Role of Social
• Youth Helping America: The Role of Social Institutions in Teen Volunteering (Full Report)
• Youth Helping America Series, Brief 2 --Educating for Active Citizenship: Service-Learning, School-Based Service, and Civic Engagement (Full Report)
• Serving Country and Community: A Longitudinal Study of Service in AmeriCorps (Full Report)
• Serving Country and Community (Fact Sheet)

Measuring Program Performance

• Community Service and Service-Learning in America’s Schools (Full Report)
• Community Service and Service-Learning in America's Schools (Issue Brief)
• National Evaluation of Youth Corps: Findings at Follow-up
• National Evaluation of Youth Corps Survey
• 2005-2006 Senior Corps Performance Survey Findings