Award Guidelines

The Governor’s Volunteerism & Community Service Awards recognize Virginians who serve across the Commonwealth. These awards recognize some of the millions of generous Virginians who offer their time and talents to others each year. It spotlights the ways that dedication, innovation, and generosity can improve life for all Virginians. Selected honorees are recognized by the Governor and invited to an awards ceremony at the Executive Mansion. All nominees will be recognized on the Serve Virginia Honor Roll.

Honorees will be selected in the following categories:

Individual Awards

• Youth (aged 18 and under)
• Young Adult (aged 19-30)
• Adult (aged 31-59)
• Senior (aged 60+)

Group Awards

• Independent Group (family, friends, neighborhood, or other informal group organized as volunteers for a project or organization)
• Community Organization (nonprofit, government)
• Faith-Based Group (spiritual community)
• Educational Organization (K-12 school or higher ed)
• Small Business (for-profit with 0-50 employees)
• Corporation (for-profit with 51+ employees)

Eligibility

Nominees must reside and serve within the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the nomination characteristics and identified service must fall within the parameters of the description for the category selected.

If nominating an individual for a category with age-based parameters, please use the age of the individual at the start of the considered period of service (July 1, 2023).

Nomination Requirements

Nominators are required to fill out the nomination form online (or available as a PDF by request) and provide two letters of support for the nominee.

All nominations must be submitted and received online no later than 5:00pm ET, on the deadline date. Any nomination received after 5:00pm on the deadline date will not be considered.

The nomination form must be complete and accurate to be accepted. Nominations that use the nominator’s contact information for the nominee will be disqualified. If you fill in your contact information for the nominee the nomination will not be accepted as complete.

Letters of support must be uploaded or received and acknowledged before your nomination will be accepted as officially submitted. Two letters of support are required and must be no longer than a page each. Each letter must be written by different individuals, not the same person, and a letter of support from someone who is a relative of the nominee is not allowable.

No self-nominations will be accepted. The nominator cannot be part of a group or serve with a group that they are nominating for a group award. Family members cannot nominate each other or a group with a family member in it. Nominators cannot nominate themselves in the individual category.

Only one nomination will be considered for a particular person or group. If more than one nomination is received, the first nomination accepted as complete with the accompanying letters of support will be the one considered for scoring purposes.

It is important to adhere to all guidelines for accurate and complete nominations to ensure a fair and efficient process for all nominees and nominators. We know and value the effort that is needed to write and submit a quality nomination, and we are grateful for your time to recognize amazing Virginians across the Commonwealth. Please ensure you follow all guidelines and FAQs to ensure that your nomination moves forward for scoring. Please contact alexander.vanik@dss.virginia.gov if you have any questions during the process.