For the 10th year in a row, Fresno State students, faculty and staff provided over 1.4 million hours of services to the community, according to the Service Impact on the Community Report by the Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning.

The estimated economic impact of these hours, provided by more than 40 University programs and initiatives, is more than $42 million based on calculations from the Independent Sector, a national nonpartisan network of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations and professionals.

The 2018 value of an hour of volunteer time in California was $29.95, according to the network.

“As amazing as these statistics are, they mask the true value of the University’s service programs; providing meaningful learning and development opportunities for our students, and providing impactful service to our community,” said Chris Fiorentino, director of the Richter Center.

The Richter Center is responsible for coordinating the University’s community engagement and service-learning efforts. In August 2007, Jan and Bud Richter pledged to provide $3.5 million to establish the center on the Richters’ belief that it would “instill in students a lifelong character trait of giving to the community.”

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