There has been a lot of buzz of late about measuring and tracking the impact of volunteer service – the main focus of myImpact.org’s online platform. And so it was quite interesting to me, in the course of some research today, to realize it was also an area of focus during the days of USA Freedom Corps, started under President Bush. 

When the President was describing the idea to the public in a March 2002 speech, he said: 

“If you’re interested in recording, not only for yourself, but recording for your family or a child, perhaps, what you’ve done to make America a better place, this is a good go-by. This is a good opportunity to bring a little discipline into your volunteer service.  When I looked at this, I envisioned kind of an interesting diary that can be passed from one generation to the next. I can’t think of anything more interesting than a mom or a dad volunteering, recording his or her thoughts, giving it to a child who gives it to a grandchild.

So somebody is sitting there [reading] about what it was like to live in the 21st century, and how to help a neighborhood in need, for example, or how to help a person in need.  I also want you to know that you can do the same thing through an on-line tracking system on the USA Freedom Corps web page.“ 

And reflecting back on his administration’s service initiatives in late 2008, President Bush again stated, “Another key component of USA Freedom Corps is our effort to keep track of Americans’ service to others. I mean, it’s one thing to talk about it, it’s another thing to measure, to kind of see how we’re doing.” 

USA Freedom Corps and its Web site may no longer exist, but there still remains that interesting thought and practical benefit of volunteers recording for themselves and their own posterity how they are giving back to improve their country. We hope myImpact.org will answer that potential…which isn’t so new after all.