Agenda
Speaker IntroductionsWhat is AmeriCorps?2011 AmeriCorps Funding PrioritiesMentoring and Parental Engagement ProgramsHow to Apply for an AmeriCorps GrantNext Steps for YouAdditional Resources
Speakers
Joshua DuBois, Executive Director, White House Office of Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships
John Gomperts, Director of AmeriCorps
John Kelly, Director of Strategic Partnerships
Nicole Gallant, Director of Learn and Serve America and Strategic Advisor for Education
Lois Nembhard, Deputy Director, AmeriCorps
What is AmeriCorps?
Maximizes the power of service and volunteering to improve lives in communities across the country
Provides grants to organizations to operate AmeriCorps programs that engage individuals in service as AmeriCorps members.
Funds high-quality programs that are developed by an applicant who designs a set of activities that demonstrate an evidence-based approach to creating community impact and solving community problems.
AmeriCorps MembersIndividuals 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
Receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for successful completion of a term of service
Some AmeriCorps members receive a living allowance and are eligible for health and childcare benefits
AmeriCorps State and National Grant Funds
Provide partial funding to support AmeriCorps programs
Require recipients to contribute match funding
Include an allotment of AmeriCorps member positions
Are directly tied to a specific number of member positions
Are solely for program-related expenses
AmeriCorps State and National Grant Funds are
NOT
Used to duplicate or supplant pre-existing activities, staff, or volunteers.
For general organizational expenses.
Enough to support all program-related expenses.
Benefits of an AmeriCorps Grant
Expands the capacity of organizations to meet critical community needs
Provides funds to support program administration, access to training and technical assistance resources, and entrance into a national network of organizations
Allows organizations to recruit individuals from the community to serve as AmeriCorps members
Community members who serve as AmeriCorps members gain skills, experience, and a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to be used to further their education or repay student loans
Eligible Grant Applicants
Non-profit organizations
Institutions of higher education
Government entities within states or territories
Indian tribes
Non-profit or higher education partnerships or consortia
Intermediaries that provide support to organizations with limited organizational capacity are encouraged to apply
EDUCATIONEnvironmental StewardshipHealthy FuturesEconomic OpportunityDisaster ServicesVeterans & Military Families
2011 Funding Priorities
Education Focus Area
The Corporation seeks to fund research- and evidence-based programs that improve academic outcomes for young children, youth and young adults by helping them:
Prepare for school
Perform at grade level
Graduate from high school ready for college, work and life
Succeed in college and university
Emphasis on the lowest-performing schools
Mentoring ProgramsMatch disadvantaged youth with an adult who provides support through either community based programs or school based programs.
Sustain that match for a prescribed period of time:
School-Based mentoring requires a continuous match, with the same mentor for one hour per week (or as age-appropriate for older mentees), for at least 6 months of one school year.
Community-Based mentoring requires a continuous match, with the same mentor for two to three hours per week, for at least 12 months and up to 24 months.
Mentoring relationships are ideally one mentor per child, but could be small group with a ratio of no more than 1:3.
Parental Engagement Programs
Increase parental involvement in preparing a child for academic success
Increase family involvement and volunteerism in schools
Increase parental leadership in school-based programs
Increase parental and family involvement on advisory councils, committees
Increase parental and family organizing for school and district improvement
Mentoring & Parental Engagement Outcomes
Sustained mentor/mentee match for the prescribed period of time (mentoring)
Improved academic performance
Improved school attendance
Decreased disciplinary referrals and suspensions
Decreased substance abuse, arrest, or gang involvement
Increased graduation rates or GED acquisition
Entrance into post-secondary institutions
Attainment of a post-secondary degree
How AmeriCorps Defines Disadvantaged Youth:
• Economic Disadvantage: eligible for free (at or below 130% of poverty) or reduced (between 130% to 185% of poverty) lunch; may or may not actually be accessing free/reduced lunch.
• Disadvantaged youth: includes those youth who are economically disadvantaged AND 1 or more of the following:
Who are out-of-school youth, including out-of-school youth who are unemployed
Who are in or aging out of foster care.
Who have limited English proficiency.
Who are homeless or who have run away from home.
Who are at-risk to leave secondary school without a diploma.
Who are former juvenile offenders or at risk of delinquency.
Who are individuals with disabilities.
Examples of Current Mentoring Programs
• Grantee: Boys Hope Girls Hope
Program Initiative: Links
Boys Hope Girls Hope (BHGH) operates a network of residential homes for at- risk children who are abandoned or homeless, or who come from home environments marked by drug abuse, extreme poverty, or neglect. Through the AmeriCorps grant, BHGH adds a national mentoring component to its program. AmeriCorps members mobilize long-term volunteer mentors from the local communities, build volunteer recruitment infrastructure at BHGH affiliates, and expand the network of community partnerships at each site.
• Grantee: Notre Dame Mission Volunteers
Program Initiative: Children of Incarcerated Parents
AmeriCorps members identify children affected by parental incarceration and match them with caring adult mentors recruited from the community. They prepare mentees and mentors for matching by interviewing, screening, checking references, and leading pre-match meetings.
Examples of Parental Engagement Programs
• Grantee: Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters USA, Inc.
HIPPY is a home-based parent involvement and school readiness program that helps parents prepare children between the ages of 3 and 5 for success in school and beyond. AmeriCorps members teach parents and model how to use HIPPY learning activity packets, which focus on developing specific school readiness skills such as language and vocabulary development, problem solving, and pre-math concepts.
• Grantee: Institutes of Higher Learning
AmeriCorps Teacher Assistants increase parental involvement over the course of the academic. Each AmeriCorps Teacher Assistant will: (1) Publish and distribute a newsletter to parents twice a year, describing school activities and methods parents can use to increase student learning; (2) Invite all parents to attend classroom activities for one hour a month; (3) Conduct two "open houses" for parents; (4) Request parents of the students performing below average to attend tutor training, thus assisting parents on how to tutor their children. (5) Invite parents to participate in the service projects or service- learning projects.
AmeriCorps State (single-state)FormulaCompetitive
AmeriCorps National (multi-state)Indian Tribes
Applying for an AmeriCorps Grant
How to Apply for an AmeriCorps Grant
• Organizations proposing to operate within a single state must apply through their State Service Commission. Commissions have two ways of awarding AmeriCorps funds:
Formula
Competitive
• State Service Commissions have earlier deadlines for AmeriCorps applicants and may have additional requirements
• Organizations proposing to operate in more than one state apply directly to the Corporation.
• Indian tribes may apply through their State Service Commission or directly to the Corporation. The Corporation sets aside 1% of competitive funding specifically for Indian Tribes.
Application Materials
• AmeriCorps Regulations: 45 Code of Federal Regulations Sections 2520-2550 (www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr) are the rules governing AmeriCorps programs and includes important topics such as matching requirements and program management requirements.
• 2011 Notice of Funding Opportunity (http://www.americorps.gov/pdf/10_0831_ac_nofo.pdf) Outlines the available grant opportunities, maximum allowable program costs, funding priorities and other information pertinent to the year’s competitions.
• Application Instructions: Each section contains a description of the information that is to be addressed in that section of the application narrative.
• eGrants account: Applications are submitted via eGrants and applicants must create an account.
Next Steps for You• Participate in the AmeriCorps State and National Outreach Call Series:
Introductory call: Provides specific information about the various types of AmeriCorps grants and the roles and responsibilities of an AmeriCorps grantee
Next Steps call: Reviews the materials needed to apply for a grant and discusses the application content selection criteria
Budget Calls: Reviews the components of an AmeriCorps budget and fiscal responsibility of an AmeriCorps grantee
Go to eventbrite.com and search for AmeriCorps to register for an upcoming call or visit: http://www.americorps.gov/pdf/10_1005_nofa_ac_tta.pdf
• Review this online presentation in lieu of the Intro Call:
Link to AmeriCorps Grants 101 slide presentation: http://www.slideshare.net/AmeriCorpsOutreach2009/americorps-grants- 101-presentation
Important Dates for 2011 Applicants
Fall 2010 –State Service Commission deadlines vary, if you are a single-state program, contact your State Service Commission now!
January 25, 2011 –Multi-State and Indian tribes applications due to CNCS
June 2011 –Award Announcements
Resources to Assist Programs with the Application Process
www.americorps.gov
Click on: How to Apply / Eligibility
http://americorps.gov/for_organizations/apply/index.asp
Which takes you to: Link to State Competition information:http://www.americorps.gov/for_organizations/apply/state.asp
Link to National Competition information:http://www.americorps.gov/for_organizations/apply/national .asp
Link to eGrantshttp://www.nationalservice.gov/egrants/