The Leslie Lenkowsky Papers consist of materials related to his association with the Corporation for National and Community Service between 1982 and 2004 (bulk 1989-2003). The collection is organized into seven series: Administrative Records, Board of Directors Records, Correspondence, Programs, Legislative and Congressional Records, Reports, and Publications. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) was also known as the Corporation for National Service (CNS). Both names appear in the collection and the records maintain the term used when they were created.

Administrative Records, 1990-2004, contain information about the leadership and general operations of CNCS. This includes handwritten meeting notes, training materials, presentation materials, and information on site visits and conferences. Of particular interest are the CNS Transition Briefing Book from November 2000 as well as a draft presentation of the CNCS's comprehensive management reform plan from 2003.

Board of Directors Records, 1991-2003, consist of board of directors meeting and conference call minutes and their supporting documents, as well as committee meeting minutes and materials for the Planning and Evaluation committee.

Correspondence Records, 1991-2004, contain correspondence and memoranda to and from Les Lenkowsky and his associates, including Stephen Goldsmith, Senator Charles Grassley, and John Bridgeland. General correspondence and memoranda are organized by date, after which the series is organized alphabetically by subject. Of note is a series of correspondence between Lenkowsky and Senator Barbara Mikulski regarding the budget issues faced by CNCS in late 2002 and in 2003.

Program Records, 1982-2004, consist of records documenting the various programs run by or supported by the CNCS. It includes subseries on AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, Freedom Corps, and Senior Corps, as well as on faith-based and community organizations, the Points of Light Foundation, The Presidential Summit and America's Promise, and civics programs. Arranged alphabetically by program, the files include information booklets, educational materials, presentations, grant materials, reviews, papers, and statistics.

Legislative and Congressional Records, 1990-2004, contain records of the CNCS's budget requests to Congress, legislation drafts and outlines, testimonies at congressional subcommittee hearings, and materials related to the reauthorization of CNCS. Of particular interest are the partial transcripts of meetings of the Commission on National and Community Service circa 1990-1991, as the Commission worked to establish the CNCS, and the materials from Les Lenkowsky's confirmation as CEO of the CNCS in 2001. It also includes the FY 2004 budget request testimonies and hearings that took place in March and April 2003 as Les and the CNCS presented their management reforms and budget requests to Senate and House appropriations subcommittees.

Report Records, 1992-2004, contain reports on the corporation's budget, performance and accountability, strategic plans, programs, and outcomes measures. This series also includes two subseries containing Semiannual and Annual Reports to Congress and Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Reports including audits of awards and audits of the corporation's financial statements. The semiannual and annual reports date between 1994 and 2003, but are incomplete.

Publications Records, 1991-2003, includes a variety of information published by and about CNCS. This includes articles, news clippings, newsletters, promotional materials, and news releases about the CNCS and its programs as well as about topics relating to national service. Topics addressed include civic engagement, governmental initiatives, volunteering, citizen service, and the effect of the September 11th attacks on philanthropy.