Friends,

Internet use can build civic health, veterans are more likely to be civically engaged than non-veterans, and educational attainment is a strong predictor of future engagement – these are just a few of the findings of the just-released 2010 Civic Health Assessment published by the National Conference on Citizenship and the Corporation for National & Community Service.

Although volunteering and voting are two of the most familiar forms of civic engagement, millions of Americans work with their neighbors on local problems, and these are important drivers of civic life.

A few other findings are:

People who connect socially with their neighbors and sit down to dinner with their families are more likely to be engaged in service.

Americans are definitely coming together to overcome our nation’s challenges. Between 2007 and 2009, 62 million Americans volunteered through an organization each year.

The findings confirm that the work we do at Points of Light Institute and HandsOn Network catalyzes what individuals want to do — act upon their power to make a difference.

The report and other related findings from the same research are available here.

In service,

Michelle Nunn
CEO, Points of Light Institute, and Co-Founder, HandsOn Network