AmeriCorps Outreach Sessions

September 6, 2012Sacramento, CA

&September 13, 2012

Ontario, CA

Overview

• Introductions

• Housekeeping items

• Purpose of Outreach Sessions

• Clarify Expectations

• Understand your interests

What is CaliforniaVolunteers (CV)?

• The Governor-appointed State Service Commission in California

• Charged with increasing number & impact of Californians engaged in service and volunteering

• Leads the organization in consultation with a 25-member Commission appointed by the Governor

• The role of the AmeriCorps Department

• Funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to provide support to AmeriCorps programs

About CNCS

• Federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through:– 80,000 AmeriCorps members

– 337,000 Senior Corps volunteers

– 900,000 Learn and Serve America students

• Additional programs:– Volunteer Generation Fund

– Social Innovation Fund

– Nonprofit Capacity Building Program

– King Day of Service

Types of AmeriCorps Programs• AmeriCorps State

– State commissions

– Single-state placement

• AmeriCorps National – National programs

– Multi-state placements

• AmerICorps VISTA– Increase capacity

– Communities of poverty

• AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps)

– Full-time, team-based 18-24 year olds

– Live on campus

– Provide direct team-based community service

• A National service program

• Provides opportunities for Americans each year to provide intensive results-driven service.

• AmeriCorps grants support the efforts of nonprofits and public agencies to recruit, select, and supervise individuals enrolled in an intensive term of service and the volunteers with whom they serve to tackle unmet community needs.

• Grants are awarded to eligible organizations that engaged in evidence-based interventions

• An AmeriCorps project must enhance what an organization was able to do before the grant, and cannot duplicate or supplant pre-existing activities, staff or volunteers

• What AmeriCorps isn’t…

What is AmeriCorps?

AmeriCorps State Funding

• CV receives AmeriCorps State funding from CNCS through two streams: 1) Competitive Funds support programs that have competed

successfully at both the state and national levels.

2) Formula Funds are awarded to CV through a population-based allocation to support programs that compete successfully at the state level.

• CV subgrants these funds to applicants based on a rank-order

• Grants are awarded to organizations that will operate solely in California

CV seeks to invest AmeriCorps resources

in programs that…

Specifically Target Solving a Critical Challenge Facing

California• CaliforniaVolunteers values program models that clearly

address an identified critical community issue, not merely the expansion of a single organization’s mission.

• AmeriCorps programs are required to perform activities that are designed, implemented, and evaluated with extensive and broad-based local input.

• This input is provided in consultation with representatives from the community served and agencies with a demonstrated record of experience in providing services.

Focus on Measurable Outcomes

• CaliforniaVolunteers values strong program designs built to address the community need by logically connecting all performance measure components back to the need.

• The program design is built to deliver the services that will achieve the desired result, and

• Can quantifiably measure and report on that impact annually.

Use National Service as an Appropriate Strategy

• CaliforniaVolunteers is committed to demonstrating that service is a powerful strategy to address community challenges.

• Successful program designs clearly identify direct beneficiaries of the stated community need,

• Identify an evidence-based intervention proven to address the need, and

• Clearly articulate why the efforts of an AmeriCorps member is an appropriate strategy to deliver the intervention.

Dedicated to Quality• CaliforniaVolunteers seeks to invest in programs that

are committed to making a difference and incorporate quality management practices to oversee the program and ensure appropriate investment of public funds.

• CaliforniaVolunteers values programs which can successfully implement the program design by assuring that the systems and processes necessary for managing and assessing the effectiveness of the program model are in place prior to operation.

• This includes adequate oversight in the management of each component to assure that the program design and systems are implemented and assessed, and that stakeholder feedback leads to continuous improvement.

What can AmeriCorps Programs Do?

Address community needs in a variety of ways.

Examples include:

• Connecting the homeless with supportive services

• Providing access to health care services

• Building affordable housing

• Recruiting and managing volunteers

• Responding to natural disasters

• Cleaning parklands and managing natural resources

• Tutoring and mentoring youth

• Training the unemployed

Benefits of an AmeriCorps Grant• Professional development and job training for members

• Education Award to further education or repay student loans• Service opportunities for those with disabilities• Underperforming students in hard-pressed schools are

reaching academic achievement• Veterans are receiving support services as they transition from

military service to civilian life• Services and resources are extended to disadvantaged youth

and families• Pathways to greater opportunities for foster youth• Enable organizations to leverage human capital through • Allows organizations to recruit individuals from the community

to serve as AmeriCorps members• Enables community parternships to deliver results-driven

services to address pressing local, regional and statewide needs.

Video Example

Who is an AmeriCorps Member?• An individual enrolled for an intensive term of service

(300-1700 hours per year) in an AmeriCorps program

• U.S. citizen, U.S. national or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States

• At least 17 years of age (no upper age limit)

• Not a volunteer or a staff person

• AmeriCorps members can earn an Eli Segal Education Award for successful completion of a term of service

• Full-time AmeriCorps members receive a living allowance stipend and are eligible for health and childcare benefits

• Must clear required Criminal History Checks

About AmeriCorps Grants

• Grants provide partial funding to support AmeriCorps projects/programs; funds are not for general organizational expenses

• Grantees contribute match funding to support the project

• Grants include an allotment of AmeriCorps member positions

• Funds are directly tied to a specific number of members and are solely for program expenses (e.g. member living allowance and benefits, member and staff training, supervision, supplies, and evaluation)

AmeriCorps Grant Flow

Legal Applicant Responsibilities

• Partnering agencies have shared vision and mission of program design

• Program has management and administrative systems in place

• Program maintains strong fiscal controls

• Program looks to the future and has a financial strategy that moves it toward long-term sustainability

• Program has clearly identified direct beneficiaries of the stated community need

• Intervention is appropriate and will lead to desired results

• National service is an appropriate strategy to deliver the intervention

Legal Applicant Responsibilities(cont)

• Host sites are appropriate and well managed

• Program has developed an inclusive recruitment plan, including a timeline

• Program has a clearly defined selection process to assure compliance with AmeriCorps regulations

• Program has developed an orientation plan designed to prepare members for term of service

• Program has a training plan, covering the program year, which uses service experiences to help members achieve the skills and education needed for productive active citizenship

• Effective program has an “initial review” process that quickly checks assumptions of what needs to be in place for the program design to work

How to Apply for AmeriCorps Funding

• Respond to CaliforniaVolunteers’ Request for Applications (RFA)

• Visit www.CaliforniaVolunteers.org for RFA notice

• Follow RFA, Instructions, Forms and Guidance and meet required deadlines

2013-14 Grantmaking Calendar

CV Request for Applications (RFA) Website Release

Early October

RFA Overview Sessions October

Notice of Intent to Apply October

Applications Due October

Peer Review October/November

Staff Review November/December

Clarification Period December

eGrants Deadline (Competitive)

January 2013

eGrants Deadline (Formula) June 2013

Funding Announcements July 2013

Resources and Tools

• www.CaliforniaVolunteers.org

• California AmeriCorps Program Guidehttp://www.californiavolunteers.org/documents/AmeriCorps/

CA_Program_Guide.pdf

- Standards and Pre-Contract Assessment

• www.AmeriCorps.gov

• www.CNS.gov

• Become a Peer Reviewer!

Questions?

For More Information

Funding@CaliforniaVolunteers.ca.gov

Getting Things Done for America