AmeriCorps Fosters Civic 

Engagement: AmeriCorps Member 

Exit Survey Analysis 2017 – 2021 

Office of Research and Evaluation 

June 2023 

Produced and published at US taxpayer expense 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 2 

Authors 

Rose Johnson, MS, Research Assistant – Office of Research and Evaluation 

Shane Dermanjian, MS, Research Analyst – Office of Research and Evaluation 

Lizbeth Perez, Fellow – Office of Research and Evaluation 

Acknowledgements 

We thank all AmeriCorps members for participating in AmeriCorps service and for taking the Member 

Exit Survey at the end of their service terms. Thank you to the AmeriCorps Office of Research and 

Evaluation for their technical expertise and editing and thank you to the offices of AmeriCorps 

programs for their support of this work: AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps NCCC, and 

AmeriCorps VISTA. 

Citation 

Johnson, R., Dermanjian, S., Perez, L. (2023). AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement: AmeriCorps 

Member Exit Survey Analysis 2017 – 2021. Washington, DC: AmeriCorps. 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 3 

Contents 

Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................4 

Civic Engagement................................................................................................................................5 

Key Takeaways .....................................................................................................................................6 

Anticipated Community Engagement Post-Service ........................................................................7 

Post-Service Community Engagement: ............................................................................................8 

Discussing How Issues Affect the Community..................................................................................9 

Trust in One’s Neighborhood ............................................................................................................9 

Confidence in Institutions: Corporations, Media, Public Schools ............................................... 10 

Voting in the Presidential Election .................................................................................................. 12 

Ability to Address Community Concerns....................................................................................... 15 

Attachment and Obligation to the Community............................................................................. 16 

Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 18 

Appendix: Percentage of Affirmative Responses by Question, Year, and Program ............... 19 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 4 

Introduction 

AmeriCorps’ mission is to “improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic 

engagement through service and volunteering”.1 In addition to striving to improve 

communities and the lives of individuals served through its programs, AmeriCorps values the 

development of its service members and volunteers into empowered and engaged citizens. 

To that end, AmeriCorps’ Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE) designed the AmeriCorps 

Member Exit Survey (MES) to capture members’ attitudes and service experiences upon their 

exit from the program.2 The MES examines members’ experiences across the three 

AmeriCorps programs: AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps NCCC, and AmeriCorps 

VISTA.3 Since 2015, over 325,000 AmeriCorps members have responded to this survey. From 

2017 to 2021, between 77 to 80 percent of members responded each year. 

MES data is collected on a rolling basis and is compiled by fiscal year (FY). Members are 

categorized into their respective fiscal years according to the date of when they finished their 

service term or departed their program early. Whenever and however the member departs 

service, they are given 180 days to complete the MES. Although members may begin their 

AmeriCorps service before turning 18 years of age, responses used in this report are 

comprised of those who had started their term of service while 18 years of age or older. 

Key components of the AmeriCorps service experience are mapped to “pathways” meant to 

articulate the AmeriCorps member theory of change.4 Questions featured in the MES broadly 

fall into four “pathways” and into an additional five “domains”: 

• Pathways: 

o Civic Engagement 

o Cultural Competency 

o Getting Things Done 

o Life and Career Skills 

• Domains: 

o Describing Experience 

o Satisfaction with Experience 

o Motivation to Join 

o Post-service Plans 

o Training 

1 AmeriCorps. “About.” https://americorps.gov/about. 2 For questions on this data, analysis, and report please contact the Office of Research and Evaluation 

(ORE) at Evaluation@cns.gov. 3 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers are not currently represented in the MES; there will be a forthcoming 

feasibility study to initiate a new participant survey inclusive of both AmeriCorps members and 

AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers. 4 AmeriCorps Member Theory of Change – 2015 
This report provides an overview of the connections between AmeriCorps members’ service 

and the Civic Engagement pathway using responses to the MES of members across all three 

programs (AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps NCCC, AmeriCorps VISTA) from 

FY2017 to FY2021 (October 1st 

, 2016, to September 30th , 2021). 

Civic Engagement 

Scholars describe civic engagement as the constellation of activities in which individuals 

engage to “make a difference” in their communities.

5 It includes participation within and 

beyond electoral politics at all geographic levels.6 Volunteerism is a prominent example of 

civic engagement, but also includes activities like attending public meetings and belonging 

to organizations, as well as neighbors doing favors for each other. 

AmeriCorps service provides opportunities for citizens to be agents of positive change, 

dedicating themselves to solving community issues with the support of local stakeholders. 

AmeriCorps members serve as “force multipliers” who leverage their unique perspectives 

and collective passion to build more inclusive, engaged, and equitable communities.

7 

National service also has the potential to shape members’ long-term civic attitudes and 

behaviors. 

This report analyzes questions in the MES that gauge members’ civic engagement as well as 

beliefs and attitudes related to such. In the MES, civic engagement is measured by 8 primary 

questions (MES questions 12 through 19) and their associated sub-questions.

8 Graphs 

featured in this report demonstrate the changes (or lack thereof) seen in the percentages of 

how members of one AmeriCorps program answered the MES compared against others over 

time. These graphs show the percentage of members in each program that answered with 

the two most positive selections of each question’s available options. For example, the 

available answers for Question 12 are: Much less likely, Somewhat less likely, No effect, 

Somewhat more likely, and Much more likely. The graphs for Question 12 thus display the 

percentage of members that responded with Somewhat more likely or Much more likely, 

therein providing the percentage of individuals who responded favorably to the question. 

5 Thomas Ehrlich, Civic responsibility and higher education, (New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield, 

2000). 6 National Research Council, Civic Engagement and Social Cohesion: Measuring Dimensions of Social 

Capital to Inform Policy, (Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2014). 

https://doi.org/10.17226/18831. 7 C-SPAN, “Michael D. Smith on National Service and Volunteerism”, aired January 16, 2022, 

https://www.c-span.org/video/?517193-4/washington-journal-michael-d-smith-discusses-nationalservice-volunteerism. 8 See Appendix section at the end of the report for a list of featured questions and their response 

percentages by Year and by Program. 

Produced and published at US taxpayer expense 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 6 

Key Takeaways 

Members reported fairly high aptitudes for civic engagement regardless of in which 

AmeriCorps program they were enrolled (AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps 

NCCC, AmeriCorps VISTA). 

• Increased community engagement: most members across all programs reported a 

higher likelihood of participating and volunteering in their communities after having 

served in AmeriCorps, though there was a slight decrease amongst all members from 

2020 to 2021. 

• Increased frequency of discussing sociopolitical issues: starting in 2019, all members 

reported a decrease in how often they discussed and linked larger political, social, 

local, or national issues to their communities compared to previous years, although 

levels improved in 2020 and 2021. 

• Consistently high levels of community trust: over 60 percent of all AmeriCorps 

members reported trusting all or most of the people in their neighborhood across all 

years. 

• Varied levels of trust in institutions to do what is right: 

o Public Schools: approximately 75 percent and over of members in all years had 

a great deal or some amount of confidence that public schools would do what 

is right. 

o Media: in 2017 less than 60 percent of AmeriCorps members expressed a 

great deal or some confidence in the media to do what is right – by 2018 those 

percentages increased and remained higher than 2017 levels through 2020. 

By 2021 however, confidence in the media once again dropped to levels 

below 2017. 

o Corporations: in 2017, approximately 60 percent of members expressed a 

great deal of confidence or some confidence in corporations to do what is 

right; this amount dropped to between 35.8 and 47.7 percent by 2021. 

• Varied levels of voting in the last presidential election, but proportionally higher levels 

of voting than youth voter turnout nationwide: 

o Over half of AmeriCorps State and National and AmeriCorps VISTA members 

in all observed years reported feeling much more or somewhat more likely to 

vote in upcoming elections. 

o The percentage of AmeriCorps State and National and AmeriCorps VISTA 

members reporting that they voted in the last presidential election 

experienced a bump in 2017 and 2021 (in this case, the fiscal years in which 

there were presidential elections). For AmeriCorps NCCC these bumps 

appeared in 2018 and 2021. Across all years, a smaller percentage of 

AmeriCorps NCCC members voted compared to AmeriCorps State and 

National and AmeriCorps VISTA members, perhaps due to age-related factors. 

o The percentage of those who reported having voted in the last presidential 

election was highest in 2021, but across all years younger AmeriCorps 

members proportionally vote more than the level of youth voter turnout 

nationally. 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 7 

• Consistently high levels of member confidence to adequately address community 

concerns: Across all years and programs, most members felt they could do something 

about a problem in their community by creating plans, getting others to care about 

the problem, organizing meetings, expressing one’s views in front of a group, and 

contacting elected officials; AmeriCorps VISTA members consistently reported higher 

levels of confidence in their ability to complete these activities compared to 

AmeriCorps State and National and AmeriCorps NCCC members. 

• Consistently high levels of attachment and obligation to their community: the majority 

of AmeriCorps State and National and AmeriCorps VISTA members expressed a 

strong personal attachment to their community from 2017 through 2021; a slightly 

smaller yet still sizable portion of AmeriCorps NCCC members shared this viewpoint 

during the same timeframe. 

The following analytical sections graphically detail member responses to each Civic 

Engagement pathway question and sub-question between 2017 and 2021, disaggregated by 

AmeriCorps program. 

Anticipated Community Engagement Post-Service 

Question 12) Think about how likely you were to participate in the following activities 

before you did AmeriCorps, and how likely you are now. Would you say that your 

AmeriCorps experience has made you more or less likely to: 

Overall, from 2017 to 2021, a majority of exiting members responded that they 

anticipated remaining engaged in community activities after completing service. 

However, during the same years, the percentage of members responding favorably to 

anticipated community engagement after completing service dropped overall. 

Approximately three quarters of all members felt their service made them more likely to 

participate in community groups, help keep their communities safe and clean, and volunteer 

their time to a cause they cared about. By 2021 however, these figures had all marginally 

dropped. 

From 2017 to 2020, around half of members said they were more or somewhat more likely to 

vote in upcoming elections after having served. By 2021, this figure dropped between 6 to 

10 percentage points across programs, with just 36 percent of AmeriCorps NCCC members 

reporting a higher likelihood of voting in future elections. Similarly, in 2017, over 65 percent 

of all members stated they were more or much more likely to keep informed about news and 

public issues. From 2020 to 2021 this figure dropped in all three programs. 

Between 2017 and 2021, approximately 70 percent of AmeriCorps State and National and 

AmeriCorps VISTA members expressed that they would be somewhat more or much more 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 8 

likely to donate money to a social cause. For AmeriCorps NCCC this figure dropped from 

65.1 percent to 58.5 percent between 2017 and 2021. 

Post-Service Community Engagement: 

83.9% 

77.0% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

12e) Volunteer for a Cause or Issue 

that you Care About 

Much more or Somewhat more likely 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

58.5% 

72.5% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

12f) Donate Money or Goods to a 

Cause or Issue you Care About 

Much more or Somewhat more likely 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

80.0% 

69.4% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

12a) Participate in Community Organizations 

(schools, religious, issue based, recreational) 

Much more or Somewhat more likely 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

57.3% 

35.7% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

12b) Vote in Elections 

Much more or Somewhat more likely 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

80.4% 

73.9% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

12d) Help Keep the Community Safe 

and Clean 

Much more or Somewhat more likely 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

71.6% 

52.8% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

12c) Keep Informed about News and 

Public Issues 

Much more or Somewhat more likely 

ASN NCCC VISTA 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 9 

Discussing How Issues Affect the Community 

Question 13) In the last 12 months, how often did you discuss and think about how 

political, social, local, or national issues affect the community? 

From 2017 to 2021, majority of 

members across all AmeriCorps 

programs reported discussing how 

differing political, social, local, or 

national issues impact their 

communities on a daily or weekly 

basis. Though these figures slightly 

dipped from 2018 to 2019, they 

increased in 2020, potentially due to 

the ramping up of the 2020 

presidential election cycle. In 2021, 

AmeriCorps State and National and 

AmeriCorps VISTA members reported a slight decrease, whereas AmeriCorps NCCC 

members reported a marginal increase in how often they discussed how larger sociopolitical 

issues are linked to their communities. Overall, AmeriCorps State and National and 

AmeriCorps VISTA members discussed issues more frequently than AmeriCorps NCCC 

members. 

Trust in One’s Neighborhood 

Question 14) Generally speaking, would you say that you can trust all of the people, 

most of the people, some of the people, or none of the people in your 

neighborhood? 

62.0% 

79.2% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

13) How Often did you Discuss and Think about 

how Politial, Social, Local, or National Issues 

Affect the Community? 

Basically everyday to a Few times a week 

ASN NCCC VISTA 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 10 

Between 62.2 to 72.1 percent of 

AmeriCorps members reported 

trusting all or most of the people in 

their neighborhood. However, out 

of these aggregate percentages, only 

10 percent or less of members 

reported that they could trust all the 

people in their neighborhood. 62.2% 

72.1% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

14) Generally speaking, would you say that you 

can trust all of the people, most of the people, 

some of the people, or none of the people in 

your neighborhood? 

All or Most of the people 

Confidence in ASN NCCC VISTA

Institutions: Corporations, 

Media, Public Schools 

Question 15) For each of the following institutions, would you say you have a great 

deal of confidence, only some confidence, hardly any confidence, or no confidence at 

all in them to do what is right? 

Roughly two thirds or more members expressed having a great deal of or some 

confidence in public schools to do what is right across all years. Starting in 2017, over half 

of AmeriCorps members expressed a great deal of or some confidence in the media. 

However, by 2021, the percentage of AmeriCorps members responding favorably 

significantly decreased in this area. Similarly, in 2017, slightly under 60 percent of members 

expressed having confidence in corporations to do what is right whereas in 2021, this figure 

dropped to below 50 percent. AmeriCorps NCCC members on average reported less trust 

for corporations, media, and public schools. 

35.8% 

57.9% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

15a) Would you say you have 

confidence in Corporations to do what is 

right? 

A great deal of or some confidence 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

45.2% 

62.9% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

15b) Would you say you have 

confidence in the Media to do what is 

right? 

A great deal of or some confidence 

ASN NCCC VISTA 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 11 

74.7% 

86.9% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

15c) Would you say you have 

confidence in Public Schools to do what 

is right? 

A great deal of or some confidence 

ASN NCCC VISTA 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 12 

Voting in the Presidential Election 

Question 16) Did you vote in the last presidential election? 

Question 17) Were you registered to vote in the last presidential election? 

The majority AmeriCorps 

State and National and 

AmeriCorps VISTA members 

reported being registered to 

vote and having voted in the 

last presidential election. 

Compared to AmeriCorps 

State and National and 

AmeriCorps VISTA members, 

less AmeriCorps NCCC 

members reported voting in 

the presidential election and 

registering to vote. Age restrictions and the overall younger skew of members associated 

with AmeriCorps NCCC as compared to AmeriCorps State and National and AmeriCorps 

VISTA may also explain these differences (see table on following page).

9 

Gradual decreases in the percentage of members that voted and were even registered to 

vote can potentially be explained by AmeriCorps generally attracting younger Americans to 

serve, where many members were likely not of age to vote during the prior presidential 

election. For example: an 18-year-old in November 2019 could not have voted in the last 

presidential election because they would have been 15 years old during November 2016, 

whereas a 19-year-old in 

November 2021 would have 

been eligible to vote in the 

2020 election in November 

2020 because they would 

have been 18 years old. 

Despite any gradual 

decreases, the percentage of 

members reporting that they 

voted spiked to its highest 

45.8% 

39.7% 

84.2% 

9.2% 0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

16) Did you Vote in the Last Presidential Election? 

Yes No 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

88.4% 

56.4% 

18.9% 

5.2% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

17) Were you Registered to Vote in the 

Presidential Election? 

Yes No 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

9 AmeriCorps NCCC is currently open to individuals between ages 18 and 26, whereas AmeriCorps 

State and National and AmeriCorps VISTA typically do not have age restrictions. AmeriCorps VISTA 

members are on average older than AmeriCorps State and National members, who are then on 

average older than AmeriCorps NCCC members. 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 13 

level in fiscal year 2021 when the 2020 presidential election occurred (November 2020 is part 

of fiscal year 2021). Similar to national figures, more AmeriCorps members were registered to 

vote than had actually voted across all years.10 

AGE DISTRIBUTION OF AMERICORPS MEMBERS UPON START OF SERVICE 

ASN 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

18 - 24 68.4% 67.9% 68.9% 68.6% 70.4% 

25 - 29 15.2% 15.6% 14.7% 14.4% 14.6% 

30 - 44 9.2% 9.2% 9.4% 9.2% 8.6% 

45 - 64 5.3% 5.4% 5.1% 5.4% 4.8% 

65+ 1.9% 1.9% 2.0% 2.3% 1.7% 

Total # of Members 54580 53296 53135 49173 47970 

NCCC*** 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

18 - 24 98.6% 97.9% 97.9% 98.4% 94.7% 

25 - 29 1.3% 1.9% 1.9% 1.4% 4.9% 

30 - 44 0.1% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.4% 

45 - 64 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 

65+ 0.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 

Total # of Members 1796 1497 1425 1428 1256 

VISTA 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

18 - 24 59.7% 60.3% 60.5% 58.6% 61.6% 

25 - 29 18.0% 18.2% 16.6% 15.9% 16.5% 

30 - 44 13.4% 12.6% 13.4% 14.1% 12.6% 

45 - 64 7.4% 7.3% 8.0% 8.8% 7.3% 

65+ 1.4% 1.6% 1.5% 2.6% 2.0% 

Total # of Members 8449 8477 8241 7826 8219 

***Note: the 18 – 26-year-old age limit for AmeriCorps NCCC applies to Corps Members, 

whereas NCCC Team Leads may be any age 

As this table denotes, nearly all NCCC members are aged 18 to 29, with an overwhelmingly 

majority belonging to the 18-24 age group. Though not as drastic, majority of ASN and VISTA 

members are also under 30 years in age, with most being under 25 years old as well. 

10 “Participation in Presidential Elections by Sex Since 1980”, US Census, February 25, 2020, 

https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/2020/comm/participation-president-election.html 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 14 

Younger AmeriCorps Member Voter Turnout Compared to National Youth Voter 

Turnout 

Across the country, youth (aged 18-29 years old) voter turnout reached 39% for the 2016 

presidential election, and 50% for the 2020 presidential election11 whereas AmeriCorps 

members aged 18 to 29 across 2017 and 2021 reported higher overall levels of voter turnout 

in past presidential elections as shown in the table below. 

To note: the “last presidential election” for AmeriCorps members who ended service in fiscal 

years 2017 through 2020 is the 2016 election. As explained previously, this report uses 

responses through the end of fiscal year 2020 (September 30, 2020) which is, over a month 

prior to the presidential election in November 2020. Members who ended service in fiscal 

year 2021 therefore would have last voted in the 2020 presidential election and would be 

responding to the MES with the 2020 election in mind. 

MES Year 

(Fiscal 

Year) 

AmeriCorps Members 

Aged 18-29 Voter Turnout 

Last Presidential 

Election (Calendar 

Year) 

National Youth Aged 

18-29 Voter Turnout 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

2017 75.2% 50.4% 78.5% 

2016 39% 2018 72.0% 61.0% 74.4% 

2019 67.8% 52.3% 68.8% 

2020 65.2% 45.8% 67.7% 

2021 84.0% 74.8% 84.2% 2020 50% 

**Note: the 2016 Presidential Election occurred in FY 2017, and the 2020 Presidential 

Election occurred in FY 2021 

11 “2020 Election Center”, Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement 

(CIRCLE) – Tufts University, November 25, 2020, https://circle.tufts.edu/2020-election-center. 

National Youth Voting Rate 2016** 

Presidential Election 39% 

National Youth Voting Rate 

2020** Presidential 

Election 50% 

0.0% 

10.0% 

20.0% 

30.0% 

40.0% 

50.0% 

60.0% 

70.0% 

80.0% 

90.0% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

Comparison of Youth Voter (aged 18 - 29) Turnout in 

"Last" Presidential Election for Exiting AmeriCorps 

Members vs. National Population 

ASN NCCC VISTA National Youth 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 15 

Ability to Address Community Concerns 

Question 18) If you found out about a problem in your community that you wanted to 

do something about, how well do you think you would be able to do each of the 

following: 

Most members felt that they could support their community through action and leadership. A 

large portion of members reported that they believe they could create a plan to address an 

issue, organize and run a meeting, express their views in a public setting or on social media, 

identify individuals or groups who could provide community support, and contact individuals 

to obtain support on the issue at hand. Many members also felt comfortable contacting 

elected officials. Although members in all AmeriCorps programs overwhelmingly answered 

that they definitely or probably could do the activities, VISTA members reported the highest 

percentages out of the three program streams. By definition of their positions, VISTA 

members contribute to organizations’ capacity building by doing many of the activities 

associated with Question 18, thereby bolstering their administrative ability. 

Ability to Address Community Concerns: 

80.7% 

89.8% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

18a) Create a Plan to Address the 

problem 

I definitely or probably could do this 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

73.4% 

86.0% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

18b) Get other People to Care about the 

Problem 

I definitely or proably could do this 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

75.3% 

89.8% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

18c) Organize and Run a Meeting 

I definitely or probably could do this 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

82.1% 

91.2% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

18d) Express your Views in Front of a 

Group of People 

I definitely or probably could do this 

ASN NCCC VISTA 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 16 

Ability to Address Community Concerns (continued): 

 

84.8% 

94.1% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

18e) Identify Individuals or Groups who 

Could Help You with the Problem 

I definitely or probably could do this 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

74.6% 

84.4% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

18f) Express your Views on the Internet 

or through Social Media 

I definitely or probably could do this 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

75.9% 

86.8% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

18g) Call Someone on the Phone you 

had Never Met Before to get their Help 

with the Problem 

I definitely or probably could do this 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

71.6% 71.6% 

82.3% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

18h) Contact an Elected Official about 

the Problem 

I definitely or probably could do this 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

Attachment and Obligation to the Community 

Q19) How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements: 

From 2017 to 2021, the majority of AmeriCorps State and National and VISTA members 

expressed a strong personal attachment to their community. A slightly smaller portion of 

NCCC members shared this viewpoint, perhaps due to NCCC members serving in a variety 

of locations during their tenure rather than at one host site/location which is more typical of 

VISTA and ASN members. Members across all programs and all years stated that they have 

been aware of the important needs of their community, and most members reported 

planning to be actively involved in issues that positively impact their community. The 

percentage of members that believe voting in an election is a very important obligation 

remained consistently high across all programs. Although NCCC members displayed 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 17 

moderate to high levels of obligation to their community across all years, they consistently 

reported levels lower than their AmeriCorps State and National and VISTA counterparts. 

Attachment and Obligation to the Community: 

19a) I Have a Strong and Personal 

Attachment to a Particular Community 

Strongly Agree or Agree 

57.5% 

73.7% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

71.5% 

90.7% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

19b) I am Aware of the Important Needs 

in the Community 

Strongly Agree or Agree 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

74.2% 

90.6% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

19c) I Feel a Personal Obligation to 

Contribute in Some Way to the Community 

Strongly Agree or Agree 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

73.0% 

87.7% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

19d) I am or Plan to Become Actively 

Involved in Issues that Positively Affect 

the Community 

Strongly Agree or Agree 

ASN NCCC VISTA 

73.3% 

86.4% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

19e) I Believe that Voting in Elections is 

a Very Important Obligation that a 

Citizen Owes to the Country 

Strongly Agree or Agree 

ASN NCCC VISTA 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 18 

Conclusion The AmeriCorps Member Exit Survey captures the built civic capital in members developed 

through AmeriCorps service. While serving, AmeriCorps members practice civic 

engagement, the constellation of activities to make a difference in their communities, and 

then take the skills and civic competencies they developed while serving with them after their 

service concludes. 

Majority of members report positive civic engagement outcomes through their service 

and contribute to the reignition of civic life in America by voting, feeling attached to 

their communities, staying informed about socio-political issues, and thinking and 

acting tactfully to solve community-based issues. Though members’ confidence in 

institutions such as the media and corporate America dropped during that time period, it 

does not equate to any measured decrease in overall member commitment to serving their 

communities beyond AmeriCorps service. Members reported high aptitudes for civic 

engagement regardless of AmeriCorps program (AmeriCorps State and National, 

AmeriCorps NCCC, AmeriCorps VISTA). AmeriCorps in a community signifies civically 

engaged and energized individuals ready to contribute and make improvements to civic life. 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 19 

Appendix: Percentage of Affirmative Responses by Question, 

Year, and Program 

With the exception of questions 16 and 17, respondents could answer each question using 

one of five options on a Likert scale. The tables below show the percentages of members that 

responded with either of the two affirmative responses (i.e. “Strongly Agree” or “Agree”). 

Percentage of Affirmative Responses by Question, Year, and Program 

Q12) Think about how likely you were to participate in the following activities before you did 

AmeriCorps, and how likely you are now. Would you say that your AmeriCorps experience has made you 

more or less likely to: 

12a) ...participate in community organizations 

(school, religious, issue based, recreational). 

Much more or Somewhat more likely: 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 80% 74% 75% 

2018 79% 75% 73% 

2019 79% 77% 76% 

2020 79% 73% 77% 

2021 75% 69% 74% 

12b) ...vote in elections 

Much more or Somewhat more likely: 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 57% 48% 49% 

2018 57% 48% 52% 

2019 56% 47% 51% 

2020 56% 43% 51% 

2021 49% 36% 45% 

12c) ...keep informed about news and public issues 

Much more or Somewhat more likely: 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 72% 65% 67% 

2018 70% 64% 66% 

2019 68% 62% 66% 

2020 70% 60% 69% 

2021 64% 53% 65% 

12d) ...help to keep the community safe and clean 

Much more or Somewhat more likely: 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 80% 79% 75% 

2018 80% 80% 75% 

2019 79% 79% 76% 

2020 80% 78% 77% 

2021 76% 75% 74% 

12e) ...volunteer for a cause or issue you care about 

Much more or Somewhat more likely: 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 84% 83% 78% 

2018 83% 83% 79% 

2019 83% 84% 79% 

2020 83% 81% 81% 

2021 80% 77% 78% 

12f) ...donate money or goods to a cause or issue that 

you care about 

Much more or Somewhat more likely: 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 71% 65% 69% 

2018 70% 67% 70% 

2019 69% 66% 70% 

2020 72% 66% 73% 

2021 67% 58% 70% 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 20 

Percentage of Affirmative Responses by Question, Year, and Program 

13) In the last 12 months, how often did you discuss and think about how political, social, local, or 

national issues affect the community? 

Basically every day or a Few times a week 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 73% 67% 75% 

2018 71% 65% 74% 

2019 69% 62% 71% 

2020 75% 65% 79% 

2021 72% 67% 76% 

14) Generally speaking, would you say that you can trust all of the people, most of the people, some of 

the people, or none of the people in your neighborhood? 

All of the people or Most of the People 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 68% 63% 68% 

2018 68% 63% 68% 

2019 66% 68% 69% 

2020 69% 62% 72% 

2021 67% 66% 70% 

15) For each of the following institutions, would you say you have a great deal of confidence, only some 

confidence, hardly any confidence, or no confidence at all in them to do what is right: 

15a) ...Corporations 

A great deal of confidence or Some confidence 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 58% 55% 58% 

2018 56% 57% 57% 

2019 54% 53% 57% 

2020 51% 50% 51% 

2021 46% 36% 48% 

15b) ...The Media 

A great deal of confidence or Some confidence 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 56% 48% 59% 

2018 57% 53% 63% 

2019 57% 55% 62% 

2020 54% 52% 59% 

2021 52% 45% 58% 

15c) ...Public Schools 

A great deal of confidence or Someconfidence 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 86% 81% 86% 

2018 86% 80% 87% 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 21 

Percentage of Affirmative Responses by Question, Year, and Program 

2019 85% 80% 86% 

2020 85% 81% 87% 

2021 83% 75% 86% 

16) Did you vote in the last presidential election? 

Yes 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 75% 50% 79% 

2018 72% 61% 74% 

2019 68% 52% 69% 

2020 65% 46% 68% 

2021 84% 75% 84% 

 

No 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 19% 40% 15% 

2018 20% 25% 16% 

2019 20% 26% 17% 

2020 18% 23% 15% 

2021 11% 19% 9% 

17) Were you registered to vote in the last presidential election? 

Yes 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 84% 70% 85% 

2018 81% 71% 82% 

2019 77% 64% 76% 

2020 73% 56% 75% 

2021 88% 84% 88% 

No 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 10% 19% 8% 

2018 10% 13% 8% 

2019 11% 13% 9% 

2020 10% 13% 8% 

2021 6% 8% 5% 

18) If you found out about a problem in your community that you wanted to do something about, how 

well do you think you would be able to do each of the following: 

18a )...create a plan to address the problem 

I definitely or Probably could do this 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 86% 83% 89% 

2018 85% 83% 89% 

2019 85% 83% 89% 

2020 86% 81% 90% 

2021 85% 81% 90% 

18b) ...get other people to care about the problem 

I definitely or Probably could do this 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 84% 79% 86% 

2018 83% 77% 85% 

2019 83% 77% 85% 

2020 84% 76% 86% 

2021 83% 73% 85% 

18c) ...organize and run a meeting 

I definitely or Probably could do this 

18d) ...express your views in front of a group of people 

I definitely or Probably could do this 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 22 

Percentage of Affirmative Responses by Question, Year, and Program 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 84% 79% 90% 

2018 83% 79% 89% 

2019 82% 79% 88% 

2020 83% 75% 89% 

2021 83% 80% 89% 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 89% 86% 91% 

2018 88% 84% 91% 

2019 88% 85% 90% 

2020 87% 84% 91% 

2021 87% 82% 91% 

18e) ...identify individuals or groups who could help 

you with the problem 

I definitely or Probably could do this 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 91% 87% 93% 

2018 90% 86% 93% 

2019 90% 88% 93% 

2020 90% 85% 94% 

2021 89% 85% 93% 

18f) ...express your views on the internet or through 

social media 

I definitely or Probably could do this 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 82% 79% 84% 

2018 80% 80% 83% 

2019 80% 78% 83% 

2020 82% 78% 84% 

2021 80% 75% 84% 

18g) ...call someone on the phone you had never 

met before to get their help with the problem 

I definitely or Probably could do this 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 81% 81% 86% 

2018 80% 78% 85% 

2019 80% 81% 85% 

2020 80% 77% 87% 

2021 79% 76% 85% 

18h) ...contact an elected official about the problem 

I definitely or Probably could do this 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 78% 75% 82% 

2018 77% 72% 81% 

2019 75% 74% 80% 

2020 77% 72% 82% 

2021 76% 72% 81% 

19) How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements: 

19a) ...I have a strong and personal attachment to a 

particular community 

Strongly agree or Agree 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 74% 62% 73% 

2018 73% 65% 73% 

2019 73% 64% 74% 

2020 73% 59% 74% 

2021 71% 58% 73% 

19b) ...I’m aware of the important needs in the 

community 

Strongly agree or Agree 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 86% 73% 90% 

2018 85% 74% 89% 

2019 85% 74% 89% 

2020 86% 72% 91% 

2021 84% 71% 89% 
AmeriCorps Fosters Civic Engagement 23 

Percentage of Affirmative Responses by Question, Year, and Program 

19c) ...I feel a personal obligation to contribute in 

some way to the community 

Strongly agree or Agree 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 86% 77% 89% 

2018 86% 77% 88% 

2019 86% 79% 88% 

2020 87% 74% 91% 

2021 85% 76% 89% 

19d) ...I am or plan to become actively involved in 

issues that positively affect the community 

Strongly agree or Agree 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 82% 76% 86% 

2018 82% 77% 85% 

2019 81% 76% 85% 

2020 82% 73% 88% 

2021 81% 74% 86% 

19e) ...I believe that voting inelections is a very 

important obligation that a citizen owesto the 

country 

Stronglyagree or Agree 

AMERICORPS 

STATE AND 

NATIONAL 

NCCC VISTA 

2017 83% 73% 82% 

2018 82% 74% 83% 

2019 84% 76% 85% 

2020 84% 75% 86% 

2021 83% 73% 83%