Transcript AC*State Administrative Standards Review

2014 AmeriCorps Informational Session
Christine Williams, National Service Director
Serve Alabama: The Governor’s Office of
Faith-Based and Volunteer Service (GFBVS)
Alabama State Service Commission
8 Commerce Street, Suite 1000/10th Floor
Montgomery, Alabama 36104
334.954.7440
www.ServeAlabama.gov
Grant Writing Essentials and
AmeriCorps Informational Session
The Mission of Serve Alabama
The mission of Serve Alabama is to build the
capacity of individuals and organizations to serve
and transform the communities in which they live
and to serve as a bridge between government
and community.
Serve Alabama Works to:
•increase an ethic of service and volunteerism in the
State of Alabama.
•strengthen the capacity of Alabama’s faith and
community-based organizations.
•promote collaboration among individuals and
organizations striving to meet some of the greatest
needs in our state.
The Primary Functions of Serve Alabama
Faith-Based and Volunteer Service in Alabama
* Informational Packets
* Informational Loop (Bi-monthly newsletter)
Alabama State Service Commission
*AmeriCorps State Programs (Formula, Competitive, Competitive-Fixed and FormulaFixed)
Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF)
*Fund support efforts that expand the capacity of organizations to
recruit, manage support and retain individuals to serve in high quality assignments
The Primary Functions of Serve Alabama (cont.)
Disaster Preparedness and Response
*Citizen Corps Program
*Volunteer and Donation Coordination for the State of Alabama Emergency Operations
Plan/Annex I
*Ready Alabama, a public preparedness multi-media campaign, uses movie slides, public
service announcements, billboards, printed materials and outreach via www.Ready.gov.
*Be Ready Camp, an innovative program offering children an opportunity to learn about
disaster preparedness, participate in a full scale mock disaster and meet peers from
across the state
Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund
*Designed to provide assistance to individuals and organizations with recovery costs
that are a direct result of a disaster or emergency
Agenda
•Learn about AmeriCorps
•Discuss the grant
•Explore the application process
•Consider the budget
AmeriCorps on the National Level
• Administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
• Establised in 1993 www.nationalservice.gov
•Serve America Act – 2009 – Increased funding for programs (AmeriCorps in addition to
others)
•Programming includes VISTA, State/National, and NCCC
•85,000 AmeriCorps members serve nationwide each year!
AmeriCorps Fast Facts
820,000: Number of people who have served as AmeriCorps members since 1994.
1 Billion: Total number of hours served by AmeriCorps members.
$2.4 Billion: Total amount of Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards earned by AmeriCorps
members since 1994.
4 Million: Number of community volunteers managed or mobilized by AmeriCorps members in
PY 2012-13.
15,000: Number of nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations served by
AmeriCorps members.
$7.6 Billion: Amount of AmeriCorps funds invested in nonprofit, community, educational, and
faith-based community groups
Alabama AmeriCorps Summary
2013-2014
•1.8 million awarded Formula + $185,000 Competitive
•7 Programs / 2 fixed grants
•300+ members
Alabama AmeriCorps Sub-grantees
(Programs)
•Anniston Community Education Foundation - Anniston, Alabama
•Butler County Board of Education - Greenville, Alabama
•Birmingham City Schools - Birmingham, Alabama
•City of Selma - Selma, Alabama
•Impact Alabama - Birmingham, Alabama (serves all 67 counties)
•Teach for America-Alabama - Birmingham, Alabama (locations across
the state)
•YWCA Central Alabama - Birmingham, Alabama
What is AmeriCorps?
National Service Program
“Domestic Peace Corps” – opportunity to serve in US
SIX Areas of Focus:
Disaster Services
Education
Environmental Stewardship
Healthy Futures
Opportunity
Veterans and Military Families
What is AmeriCorps?
Getting Things Done. AmeriCorps helps communities meet needs in the areas of
education, public safety, the environment, and other human needs through direct and
demonstrable service.
Strengthening Communities. AmeriCorps builds the capacity of community
organizations and other institutions to more effectively engage community volunteers
to improve our communities.
Encouraging Responsibility. Through service and civic education, AmeriCorps members
become agents of community solutions and develop an ethic of lifelong service.
Expanding Opportunity. AmeriCorps helps those who help America. Members
develop professional skills, gain invaluable experience and receive education
awards for education or job training.
AmeriCorps Strengthens Communities
Programs strengthen communities by:
Mobilizing Community Assets
Generating Volunteers
Involving the Community
Training:
Required Hours:
Supervision & training
must be provided.
Members must devote
80% of hours to direct
service, 20% to training.
Opportunities:
Citizenship:
Provide leadership
opportunities for members
and encourage personal
growth.
Develop lifelong ethic of
service.
AmeriCorps is about:
•Meeting the needs of our communities
•Building relationships and partnerships
•Strengthening civic engagement
•Developing members' skills and experience
•Providing carefully planned, well managed and important
projects
•'Getting Things Done'
AmeriCorps is NOT about:
Busy work'
Temporary solutions
Financing your organization
Employee/volunteer replacement or displacement
Programs must provide specific measurable service
outcomes that:
-Are not already provided with existing funds or volunteers
-Do not duplicate the functions of existing workers, or
displace paid employees
AmeriCorps Prohibited Activities
Attempting to influence legislation
Organizing or engaging in protests, strikes, petitions or boycotts
Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing
Any political activities
AmeriCorps Prohibited Activities
Engaging in religious instruction, proselytization, worship activities
Administrative duties (i.e. acting as your agency’s receptionist, clerical
work, etc.)
Constructing or maintaining a facility inherently devoted to religious
instruction or worship
Providing a direct benefit to a for-profit organization, labor union,
political party, or religious organization
Prohibited Activities
Providing services and activities that would otherwise be
performed by employed workers or volunteers, or that will
supplant the hiring of, or result in the displacement of employed
workers in the community
Examples of Appropriate Service Activities
*Tutoring at-risk youth
*Recruiting volunteers
*Teaching conflict resolution skills
*Environmental conservation activities
*Assisting crime victims
*Building homes
*Restoring parks
*Mentoring at-risk youth
*Teaching computer skills
*Running after-school programs
*Other direct service or capacity-building
activities…
About Fundraising:
AmeriCorps members can devote 10% of their service
time to fundraising activities.
Members may:
Raise funds that benefit your organization’s
service activities
Members may not:
Raise funds for living allowances or for your
organization’s general operating expenses
Write a grant application to CNCS or any other
Federal agency
AmeriCorps Key Words
It’s not a job, job training, or typical volunteer position, it’s
…Service
We’re not employees, apprentices, or typical volunteers,
we’re… AmeriCorps Members or participants
It’s not a wage, salary, or paycheck, it’s a… Living Allowance
It’s not a work site or job site, it’s a…Service Site
Member Terms of Service
Full time (1,700 hours)
= $5,645 ed award
Half Time (900 hours)
= $2,882 ed award
Reduced Half Time (675 hours)
= $2,150 ed award
Quarter Time (450 hours)
= $1,493 ed award
Minimum time (300 hours)
= $1,195 ed award
Members must complete term of service within grant contract timeframe.
Members can serve up to four terms in AmeriCorps State/National but can only receive
the equivalent value of two full time education awards.
Member Eligibility Recruitment and Selection
Members are recruited, selected, and trained by
each individual program.
Must be at least 17, possess high school diploma /
GED or equivalent, and be a U.S. citizen or legal
resident alien.
Meet any additional qualifications as determined by
the program.
Member Benefits
Living Stipend
Full-Time (min./max.) $12,100-$24,200
Part-Time living stipends prorated
Health Care (FT Only)
Child Care (FT Only)
Training/Development
Loan Forbearance/Forgiveness
Education Award
Programs Must Have
*Successful recruitment and placement strategies
*A clear structure within which members serve
*Provision of training and learning opportunities for
both staff and members
*Ongoing support and supervision of members and
service sites
*Leadership and teamwork opportunities
PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS
All AmeriCorps programs:
*Measure and account for impact
*Are inclusive
*Partner with faith-based and/or community-based
organizations
*Generate volunteers
Programs provide:
*Member Contract
*Grievance Procedure
*Evaluation/ Outcome measurements
*Identification (Site and Member) - Branding
*Site agreements
Programs also:
*Supervise sites
*Report programmatically and financially
*Attend director trainings
*Participate in statewide events
Programmatic Requirements:
*Quarterly Progress Reports
*Monitoring Reviews/Responses
*Periodic Conference Calls
*Expense reports monthly
*Federal Financial Reports bi-annually
*Closeout: annually
About the Grant – Who Can Apply?
CNCS and Serve Alabama seeks to fund programs that can
demonstrate community impact and solve community
problems through an evidence-based approach.
Eligible Applicants
Educational institutions
Government/State Entities
Non-profit organizations with 501(c)3 status
Types of Grants
New Applicant
Those eligible organizations that have:
Not previously operated an AC*State program
Not operated a program in more than five years
Recompete Applicant
Organizations completing their third year of
operating an AC State program
Continuing Applicant
Organizations in their first or second year of operating
an AC State program
Source of Funds
COMPETITIVE FUNDS:
Must compete successfully at state level
National competition with other applications
Corporation for National and Community Service makes final
decisions
FORMULA FUNDS:
Must compete successfully at the state level
Serve Alabama awards funds
Informs the Corporation of its decisions
Priority for State of Alabama: 6 Focus Areas, North AL, South
AL,Veterans and military families and Disaster
-Programs must request a minimum of 5 Member
Service Years (MSY)
-Target average federal cost per MSY should not
exceed $13,300.
-Grant size is determined by size of the program.
-Grant size may be limited based on funding
availability.
-Minimum of 24% match required, except for Fixed
-3 year grant cycle; renewable in year 1-2
-Operate on annual program year schedule
Performance Measures
Required as part of your application
How will you measure your program’s impact?
National Performance Measures
Funding priority given to programs that opt into these preexisting measures
If your program fits, it’s required
Self-Nominated Measures
Permitted…if your program does not fit a national measure
Program Model
Program design is determined by applicant
Single Site Model
Multi-site Model
Local, Regional, Statewide
Education Award Only Model
Fixed Award Model
Programs that enroll Full-Time members only
Narrative Elements
Maximum Number of
Characters
(including spaces and
punctuation)
A. Program Design (50%)
Logic Model Required – Worksheet required
B. Organizational Capability (25%)
15 Double Spaced
Pages (Executive Summary,
Cover Page, and Sections A,
B, and C)
C. Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy
(25%)
When Writing the Narrative
Lead from your program strengths
and be
explicit
Do not try to relate your program to every strategic
priority or special initiative
Be clear and succinct
No jargon, boilerplate language, rhetoric, etc.
Don’t make assumptions
Do not assume the readers know anything about you or
your program
Use an impartial proofreader
Budget (Cost Effectiveness and Budget
Adequacy) - 25%
Cost Effectiveness - Member Service Year (MSY)
*MSY must not exceed $13,000
*Costs are reasonable, allocable and justifiable
Budget Adequacy –
*include non-CNCS funding and resources for the
project (have diverse funding/multiple streams)
*includes sufficient resources to carry out the
program
*must be able to meet minimum match/show proof of
match
Application Process
RFP and NOFO to be posted on Serve Alabama website
Timeline in your packet/includes specific deadlines for process
Submit Notification of Intent to Apply
November 4th – Competitive
January 31st-Formula
Serve Alabama AmeriCorps Application Instructions
Draft and submit AmeriCorps State Grant Application
Submit through the eGrants system
Review Process
Competitive and Thorough Process
Grants reviewed by
•Staff
•Community Reviewers
•Commissioners (Board)
•Commission Program Committee
Commission Program Committee makes a funding recommendation to
the full board of commissioners
Is AmeriCorps Right for My Organization?
Would this program support my organization’s mission and strategic plan?
Does my organization address compelling needs in the priority areas?
Does my organization have the organizational, technological, and fiscal
capacity to manage a federal grant (take Readiness Assessment)?
Does my organization have the resources to match the federal funds (cash
and in-kind)?
Are we seeking funds for a program that would recruit 5,10, 15, or more fulltime members or equivalent?
Do we have the resources to manage a program for 30-60 days before
receiving reimbursement?
More information about AmeriCorps
www.ServeAlabama.gov
www.NationalService.gov
Serve Alabama Contacts
Jon Mason, Director
Leslie Gettys, Administrative Director
334.954.7444 - [email protected]
Christine Williams, National Service Director
334.954.7446 - [email protected]
Cesily Means, State Service Officer
334.954.7442 - [email protected]
Ronica Faire, Serve Alabama Accountant
334.954.7443 - [email protected]