New List Reveals Top States, Cities that Generate AmeriCorps Members

WASHINGTON, April 14, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of National Volunteer Week, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that administers the AmeriCorps program, released the first-ever rankings of the states and cities that generate the most AmeriCorps members per capita.  

Montana, Washington, D.C., and Minnesota take the top three spots in the states category. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Denver, and Baltimore claim the highest slots in the large-cities listing, with Billings, Mont., Providence, R.I., and Fort Collins, Colo. ranking highest among mid-size cities.

"AmeriCorps members are improving the lives of millions of citizens and making a powerful and lasting impact on the toughest challenges facing our nation," said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. "They are an indispensable resource for nonprofits, communities, and the individuals they serve. I salute every AmeriCorps member for his or her dedication and determination to 'get things done' for America."

In addition to their direct service, AmeriCorps members recruit and manage millions of volunteers each year. This allows nonprofits of all sizes to harness more value from each volunteer. Many of America's largest and most respected voluntary organizations participate in AmeriCorps because they have seen how the sustained presence of AmeriCorps members helps them accomplish more and manage episodic volunteers more effectively. 

The rankings were determined by associating the permanent address of AmeriCorps members' with a U.S. designated place and state, including the District of Columbia. The analysis looked exclusively at members who served in the 2013 program year. For this analysis, a mid-sized city was defined as any place with a population greater than or equal to 100,000 people and less than 250,000 people. A large-sized city was defined as any place with a population greater than or equal to 250,000.  The listed states and cities produce the highest number of AmeriCorps members per capita.

AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 members in intensive service annually. Members serve through nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations at 25,000 locations across the country. These AmeriCorps members help communities tackle pressing problems and mobilize millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve.

Since 1994, more than 900,000 Americans have provided more than 1.2 billion hours of service, and earned more than $2.8 billion in education awards to pay for college. These members have tackled some of the most pressing challenges facing America: educating millions of students for jobs of the 21st century, supporting individuals, families, and neighborhoods on the road to economic recovery; supporting veterans and military families; helping communities rebuild after natural disasters; improving at-risk ecosystems; and providing healthy futures.

Below are the nation's top 10 volunteer-producing states and cities for 2015:

States

1. Montana
2. District of Columbia
3. Minnesota
4. Vermont
5. West Virginia
6. Rhode Island
7. Colorado
8. Utah
9. Massachusetts
10. Maine

Large Cities

1. Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
2. Denver, Colorado
3. Baltimore, Maryland
4. Boston, Massachusetts
5. Oakland, California
6. Newark, New Jersey
7. New Orleans, Louisiana
8. Buffalo, New York
9. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
10. Seattle, Washington

Mid-Size Cities

1. Billings, Montana
2. Providence, Rhode Island
3. Fort Collins, Colorado
4. Provo, Utah
5. Madison, Wisconsin
6. Lowell, Massachusetts
7. Rochester, Minnesota
8. Rockford, Illinois
9. Tempe, Arizona
10. Waterbury, Connecticut

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, the Social Innovation Fund, and leads the President's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.NationalService.gov.

SOURCE Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)