According to “Volunteering in America,” Texas is now ranked 36^th in the nation (down from 33^rd a year ago). Approximately 4.1 million Texans engaged in volunteer service (down from 4.6 million). Yet nationally, organizations have seen a surge in volunteers, especially among people ages 16-24.

I felt encouraged when reading about the national trend of more young people getting involved in service, and I hope you do, too. This holds great promise for our future. If millennials see the levels of impact that volunteering can create, they will develop a trend of civic engagement and a sense of responsibility to their communities. This can create a domino effect, with the next generation engaging in service for years to come while influencing their peers to do the same.

Additional statistics in the report give me even more optimism about the future of volunteering in Texas:

• While fewer Texans volunteered this year, 23% of the state’s population remained committed to volunteering.
• In 2008, these 4.1 million volunteers gave 556.6 million hours of service. These service hours had an estimated economic value of over $11 billion.
• Not all community impact happened through volunteering at an organization. According to the “Volunteering in America” report, nearly 470,000 people in Texas “worked with their neighbors to fix a problem or improve a condition in their community but did not serve through an organization.”

I believe that, if surveyed, a majority of Texans would answer that they would love to volunteer, but simply don’t have the time. They have enthusiasm and passion for helping others, but perhaps their work schedules are too hectic. Or they have too many time commitments. Or they cannot find someone to watch their children while they volunteer. But consider this: last year’s “Volunteering in America” report stated that people who have recently volunteered watch approximately 15 hours of television per week, while non-volunteers watch 23 hours per week. That’s a difference of 436 hours per year—and 436 hours could let you accomplish something wonderful in your community.

While I hope that Texas is ranked higher next year, I realize that rankings are not our end goal. What matters most is engaging as many Texans as possible in positive, long-lasting volunteering experiences, thus strengthening our communities and improving the quality of life for those around us and ourselves.

So I challenge you—and all Texans—to find the time to volunteer over the next year. Here are some resources to help you get started:

• OneStar’s blog post, “Finding Volunteer Opportunities Online,” lists several Web sites where users can match their interests with volunteer projects.
• United We Serve is President Obama’s initiative encouraging Americans to engage in service this summer and beyond.
• OneStar’s blog post, “What’s the Right AmeriCorps Program for Me?” This post notes the distinctions between three national service programs, and lists questions to ask yourself when deciding which program to pursue.

Volunteering, even for just a few hours a week, can make an enormous difference. Find an organization about which you feel passionate, and see if it could utilize either your professional skills pro bono or your enthusiasm to help where needed. Better yet, gather a group of friends and volunteer together with an organization. You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish, both for others and for yourself. And your efforts will have a much larger effect than simply changing statistics—they will change your community for the better.

Some questions presented to the panel included:

• How can the government support innovative organizations, evidence of social impact and promising programs that have the capacity to scale?
• How can the government engage private funders?
• Should we try to focus on funding specific issues or on geographic areas?
• What should the criteria be in selecting intermediaries?

A robust discussion ensued, with participants urging for inclusion of persons with disabilities, the business community, community foundations and venture capitalists. Panelists also insisted upon transparency in the distribution.

In addition, the participants emphasized the importance of tracking funds. The Serve America Act authorized $50 million to the Social Innovation Fund. While it still has to pass through the 2010 appropriations process, the fund is intended to go in part to grantmaking institutions with a one-to-one cash match. Subgrantees will also be held to the same cash match requirement. Organizations will have to meet multiple criteria to receive funds, which may include service to philanthropically underserved areas.

If funded by Congress, the Corporation for National and Community Service could release a notice of funding availability (NOFA) from the Social Innovation Fund as early as October.  OneStar will continue to keep our partners updated on the progress of this fund, as well as the general progress made by the Office of Social Innovation.

This year’s theme—“Civic. Energy. Generation.”—speaks to the momentum generated around the issue of civic engagement: being involved in community, and being part of the solution. This is a unique moment in our nation’s history, as national service and the power of volunteer involvement is recognized at the highest levels:

• The White House with the President’s renewed call to service;
• Congress and the passage of the Serve America Act;
• Major corporations integrating robust pro bono skilled professional volunteer programs;
• Philanthropists rethinking their funding decisions to incorporate measurable impact;
• Social entrepreneurs implementing innovative solutions to age old problems;
• Many nonprofits beginning to shift emphasis from symptomatic problems to root or systemic causes;
• More K-12 schools embedding service learning into their curriculum and
• Universities committed to infusing student service throughout the academic experience.

As Texans, we know civic engagement is the cornerstone of what makes our state great. OneStar is committed to promoting social responsibility and volunteering as indicators of the healthy communities. If you are not involved locally, consider making an investment in your community through service—it’s good for you!