About ServeMontana
The Governor's Office of Community Service and the Montana Commission on Community Service were formed in 1993 by the Governor to improve national service and community volunteer opportunities across Montana.
Montana is served annually by hundreds of AmeriCorps members who build on the efforts of more than 10,000 Montanans who have served with AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and VISTA since 1994. In 2023 alone, AmeriCorps members in Montana provided the following services:
- Assisted 40,657 Montanans in accessing critical legal information.
- Maintained and treated over 593 acres of public lands.
- Supported 1,985 veterans, current military, and their families.
- Educated and trained 39,661 individuals in environmental stewardship.
The Governor's Office of Community Service is responsible for managing federal funding for AmeriCorps State programs in Montana, which is granted by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency independent of the government.
Reach out to us at serve@mt.gov to share your service story and learn more about how you can serve. Look around our site to learn about the many opportunities to serve with AmeriCorps, recognize impactful volunteers with a ServeMontana Award, apply for a Youth ServeMontana Scholarship, learn more about organ donation, and read the State Service Plan.
Through our service, we ensure Montana stays the Last Best Place.
History of National Service and the Montana Commission
National Service is the result of over 150 years of citizen engagement and philosophy rooted in the notion that service and devotion are key ingredients to democracy and achieving greater good. From William James’s essay, the Moral Equivalent of War in 1910, to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s, National Service has progressed and remained a legacy priority of the majority of America’s 20th Century presidents. In the 1960’s President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps, in 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson worked with Congress to pass the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) Act. Senior Corps was created under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973.
In 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed the National and Community Service Act into law, establishing a Commission on National and Community Service. In 1993, President Bill Clinton amended President George H.W. Bush’s legislation to create the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and ultimately expanded National Service. National Senior Service Corps, comprised of Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and Retired and Senior Volunteer Programs, was created under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973. National Senior Service Corps was reformed into Senior Corps under CNCS and the updated National and Community Service Act provided opportunity for each state to create a service commission to receive and administer federal funds for National Service programs.
In 1994, the first cohort of AmeriCorps members began serving in Montana and across the country, and service continues today. On April 21, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act to reauthorize and further expand National Service programs. In 2018, CNCS implemented the Transformation and Sustainability Plan. The multifaceted plan closed State Offices and created the Office of Regional Operations, consolidated Senior Corps into AmeriCorps Seniors, initiated rebranding, and more.
Created in 1993 as a result of the National and Community Service Trust Act and the Montana Community Service Act, the Governor-appointed Montana Commission on Community Service and the Governor’s Office of Community Service promote and expand National Service and volunteer opportunities in Montana. Under Montana Code Annotated 90-14-104, the Commission on Community Service supports the Governor’s Office of Community Service (GOCS). While GOCS is one of the offices within the Office of the Governor, GOCS is attached to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry for administrative purposes only. The Office is primarily funded by grants from AmeriCorps.
View Montana’s state service profile by visiting americorps.gov.
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