The Grantmaker Forum produces publications to promote the value of citizen service, volunteerism and civic engagement. Grantmaker Forum publications are available to read and download from the website. Select the publication you wish to read from the list below or from our archive, and the document can be read, printed, or saved to your computer in Adobe Acrobat format. (For help, click here.) If you are unable to access the document in Acrobat format, you can order printed copies of the Grantmaker Forum publications.

Service to Civics
This publication examines the link between service and civic engagement. What are the ingredients of a service experience that leads volunteers to vote or write letters to their congressional representatives or choose careers in public service_ Do all service experiences increase one's skills and inclinations for active participation in the processes of democracy_ With assistance from Innovations in Civic Participation and the expertise of Susan Stroud and Shirley Sagawa, we assembled a snapshot of twelve programs and their approaches to building active citizenship through service.

Dear Mr. President (An Issue Brief)
The issue brief features the comments and recommendations made by those attending the Kansas City Regional Forum on Service and Volunteerism in May 2003. Leaders from Kansas and Missouri representing foundations, nonprofits, businesses, government agencies, schools and universities gathered to discuss President Bush's call to the nation to increase its commitment to service, volunteering, and civic engagement and how such a call is received and acted upon at the community level.


The Cost of A Volunteer. This new publication summarizes the findings from an examination of 21 volunteer programs nationwide. The study attempted to ascertain the true financial cost of organizing a high quality volunteer program and to better understand the implications for the nonprofit sector of the President's call to service. Read the results of the review and find out what it really takes to provide high quality volunteer experience.

Volunteers in the 21st Century
(An Issue Brief)
In December 2002, the Grantmaker Forum in partnership with the Independent Sector, Northern California Grantmakers, Southern California Association for Philanthropy, and the California Association of Nonprofits sponsored two California forums on volunteerism and service. This brief summarizes the conversation and general themes that arose during the conversations on the value and future of service and volunteering.

Leadership and Service in Times of National Crises (An Issue Brief)
A summary of a conversation sponsored by the Grantmaker Forum at the Council on Foundations’ Annual Conference in Chicago in April 2002. Dot Ridings, President and CEO of the Council on Foundations; Leslie Lenkowsky, President and CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service; and Paul Glastris, Editor of the Washington Monthly, share their perspectives on national service in a post September 11th America, and debate the merits of universal service as a strategy to increase Americans’ civic engagement.

The State of Service-Related Research: Opportunities to Build a Field
What are the most effective types of service programs_ Does service improve the citizenship behaviors of those who serve_ The Grantmaker Forum on Community & National Service's Research Task Force set out to learn what the research says about these questions and more. This report details the challenges facing the research and suggests next steps that can help build service as a field of study.

Volunteer Service: An American Story (A Video and Discussion Guide)
Promotes an appreciation of the role service has played and continues to play in strengthening America’s communities. It challenges viewers to become active in their communities by serving or supporting service opportunities. Out of print.

From Inspiration to Participation: A Review of Perspectives on Youth Civic Engagement A result of a unique collaboration between the Grantmaker Forum on Community & National Service and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, this paper, authored by Cindy Gibson, Program Officer, Strengthening U.S. Democracy Program of the Carnegie Corporation, provides an insightful analysis of the 'paths', including service, that are employed to encourage active citizenship among youth in America. Gibson examines how those paths compete with and complement one another, and makes some practical suggestions for those who wish to advance youth civic engagement.

Calling the Nation to Serve: A Philanthropic Perspective
The Grantmaker Forum's response to President George W. Bush's national call to service and his proposed national service expansion, the USA Freedom Corps, which he introduced in his State of the Union address on January 29th, 2002.


Profiles of Success: Engaging Young People's Hearts and Minds Through Service-Learning
Summary of recent research on the impact of service-learning, a teaching strategy that links community service experiences to classroom instruction.