April 10-16, 2016 marks the 42nd annual National Volunteer Week, an initiative sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation designed to inspire, recognize and encourage people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities. We at the Standards for Excellence Institute would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincerest gratitude to our over 100 nonprofit experts who volunteer their time and expertise to the Standards for Excellence program. Volunteering as a Standards for Excellence Peer Reviewer, or serving on the Ethics Standards Committee, is a truly special type of experience. Unlike more traditional volunteer roles, Standards for Excellence volunteers are experienced nonprofit professionals who receive extensive training to evaluate organization applications for compliance with the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector. Utilizing a volunteer review process ensures that individuals with diverse opinions and expertise in the nonprofit sector review application packages, and that the outcomes will be fair and unbiased. Established in 1974, National Volunteer Week has grown exponentially in scope each year since, drawing the support and endorsement of all subsequent U.S. presidents, governors, mayors and other respected elected officials. National Volunteer Week is not only an opportunity to celebrate our volunteers, but to enable the Standards community to share their ideas, practices, and stories about voluntarism. We invite you to leave your comments on our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages where we'll be celebrating National Volunteer Week all week long! Tell us about your volunteer experiences, give a shout out to volunteers at your organizations, or just give a big thanks to all those who take action and foster positive change. Volunteers with the Standards for Excellence accreditation and recognition programs are specially selected to represent a wide cross-section of the nonprofit sector. Each volunteer possesses several years of experience in the development or execution of nonprofit management or governance, and great analytical skills. In addition to the opportunity to strengthen ethics and accountability in the nonprofit sector, many who work with nonprofit organizations find volunteering with the Standards for Excellence Institute a valuable opportunity for networking and professional development. We invite you to lean more about our volunteer Peer Reviewer and Ethics Standards Committee programs today!