What SERVE DC does

Serve DC, formally the Mayor's Office on Volunteerism and Partnerships, is a District of Columbia government agency operating within the Mayor's Office of Community Affairs (MOCA). Established in 1973, it functions as the DC Commission on National and Community Service — one of more than 50 State Service Commissions nationwide that administer federal AmeriCorps funds. The agency coordinates volunteer initiatives, emergency preparedness training through its Community Resilience program (first 72 hours of crisis response), donations management compliance for DC agencies, capacity building for nonprofits and faith-based organizations, and grant-related clearinghouse services. Its portfolio includes seven integrated service lines spanning community resilience, national service grant administration, district donations management, grant information services, capacity building, food assistance resource coordination, and a volunteer opportunities portal.

The agency's operational scope is anchored by its statutory designation: it administers over $4 million annually in AmeriCorps grants distributed to District-based nonprofit organizations, schools, and universities to combat poverty and advance economic opportunity and academic achievement. The organization discloses 5 employees, operates from a single headquarters at 2235 Shannon Place SE, Suite 3040, and uses standard government systems plus third-party platforms (Microsoft Forms, Galaxy Digital, ArcGIS) rather than proprietary technology. Director Dominique A. Scott leads the office, which sits within MOCA alongside eight other mayoral offices addressing specific DC community constituencies.

Serve DC has no commercial revenue model; it provides services at no cost to DC residents, nonprofits, and government agencies. Its financial flows derive from federal AmeriCorps pass-through funding (administered via the Corporation for National and Community Service) and District of Columbia government appropriations. Customer segments include DC residents seeking volunteer and emergency preparedness engagement, 501(c)(3) nonprofits receiving grants and capacity building, DC government agencies subject to Mayor's authority for donations compliance, and community/faith-based organizations receiving technical assistance. Distribution occurs through direct office-based services, online platforms, community events, and partnerships such as the Capital Area Food Bank food assistance locator.

Name

SERVE DC

Legal name

Mayor's Office on Volunteerism and Partnerships

Website

https://serve.dc.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Serve DC is a District of Columbia government agency and the DC Commission on National and Community Service that administers over $4 million in federal AmeriCorps grants annually, coordinates volunteer initiatives, emergency preparedness training, donations management compliance, and capacity building for DC residents, nonprofits, and government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Community Services

NAICS

Other General Government Support (92119), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Executive Offices (921110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI), Executive Office / Cabinet Secretariat (BPAIAAAA)

Keywords

• Volunteer coordination services
• Community emergency preparedness
• AmeriCorps grant administration
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Civic engagement programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Serve DC (Mayor's Office on Volunteerism and Partnerships) is a District of Columbia Government agency that promotes volunteerism and civic engagement. It administers more than $4 million in AmeriCorps grants to District-based nonprofit organizations, schools, and universities, provides community resilience (emergency preparedness) training, manages donations compliance for DC agencies, and serves as the central clearinghouse for grant opportunities.

Product overview

Serve DC (Mayor's Office on Volunteerism and Partnerships) is a single unified civic engagement platform offering community resilience training, AmeriCorps grant management, donations oversight, grant funding coordination, and capacity building services. The portfolio consists of seven integrated service lines: Community Resilience (emergency preparedness training), National Service (AmeriCorps grants exceeding $4 million), District Donations Management, Grant Services (clearinghouse), Capacity Building, Food Assistance Resources, and a Volunteer Opportunities Portal. These services work together to promote volunteerism, strengthen communities, and coordinate national service initiatives across Washington, D.C.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Resilience (Emergency Preparedness) Provides critical support to the city's official emergency response effort in the first 72 hours of a crisis. Recruits and trains District residents to respond and assist during emergencies, ensuring residents play a major role in making their communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to address threats of terrorism, crime, and disasters.
• National Service (AmeriCorps Grants) Serve DC awards more than $4 million in AmeriCorps grants to District-based nonprofit organizations, schools, and universities to strengthen organizational capacity and create and expand programs that fight poverty and advance economic opportunity and academic achievement.
• District Donations Management Provides technical assistance and donations management training to District agencies subject to the Mayor's authority to ensure their compliance with the Rules of Conduct Governing Donations to the District Government.
• Grant Services Serves as the DC Government's central clearinghouse of information and support related to new competitive District, Federal, and Foundation grant opportunities.
• Capacity Building Provides capacity-building training and technical assistance to District of Columbia agencies, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporations, as well as community and faith-based organizations.
• Food Assistance Resources Connects DC residents, including federal workers, to local food assistance programs through a ZIP code and ward-based locator tool provided in partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank.
• Volunteer Opportunities Portal Provides a centralized platform connecting District residents with meaningful volunteer opportunities and community service positions across the city.
• AmeriCorps Formula Grants 2026-2027 Grant funding opportunity for District-based nonprofits, schools, and universities to participate in AmeriCorps national service programs.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AmeriCorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServe DC is the DC Commission on National and Community Service, one of more than 50 State Service Commissions that administer federal AmeriCorps funds. Serve DC manages the AmeriCorps State national service program which provides ongoing service opportunities and addresses critical community needs. Over $4 million in AmeriCorps grants are awarded annually to District-based organizations.
• Capital Area Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerServe DC has compiled resources connecting federal workers and residents to local food programs through the Capital Area Food Bank's locator tool. This partnership addresses food assistance challenges for some federal workers in the DC region.
• District of Columbia Nonprofit OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServe DC awards AmeriCorps grants to District-based nonprofit organizations, schools, and universities to strengthen organizational capacity and create and expand programs that fight poverty and advance economic opportunity and academic achievement.
• Mayor's Office of Community Affairs (MOCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServe DC operates within the Mayor's Office of Community Affairs (MOCA), coordinating volunteerism and partnerships initiatives across DC government agencies and community organizations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Points of Light: Largest volunteer service organization in the US, operating the HandsOn Network. Comparable in mission (volunteer mobilization and civic engagement) but with national/international scope and private nonprofit structure.
• AmeriCorps (Corporation for National and Community Service): Federal agency that funds and oversees Serve DC through the State Service Commissions program. Serves as the broader incumbent governing the network in which Serve DC operates.

Direct peers

• CaliforniaVolunteers: California's State Service Commission and direct counterpart to Serve DC, administering AmeriCorps grants and coordinating volunteer and national service initiatives statewide. Structurally and functionally equivalent as one of the 50+ State Service Commissions.
• Volunteer Florida: Florida's State Service Commission and Governor's Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. Direct peer to Serve DC in mandate, scale, and federal funding relationship with AmeriCorps.
• Serve Wisconsin: Wisconsin's State Service Commission administering AmeriCorps funds and supporting volunteerism across the state. Functions as the closest analog to Serve DC within the 50+ State Service Commissions network.
• Massachusetts Service Alliance: Massachusetts' private, nonprofit State Service Commission administering AmeriCorps funding and volunteer programs. Operates the same federal-state service commission model as Serve DC.
• Cities of Service: Bloomberg Philanthropies coalition helping mayors develop and implement service-oriented strategic plans. Directly comparable to Serve DC's role as a mayoral civic engagement office, though operating as a multi-city coalition rather than a single municipal agency.

Emerging players

• VolunteerMatch: Leading national online platform connecting volunteers with nonprofit opportunities. Comparable to Serve DC's Volunteer Opportunities Portal but operating as a private, scaled technology platform rather than a government agency.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/servedc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9mBRC2MMZOxPfOMhWR0HLw?view_as=subscriber
• Instagraminstagram.com/servedc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SERVE DC