Massachusetts AmeriCorps Programs

1
Massachusetts AmeriCorps Programs

• Request for Proposals
• Outreach Session
• August 2009

2
The Massachusetts Service Alliance

• The Massachusetts Service Alliance, established
  in 1991, is a private, nonprofit organization
  that serves as the governor appointed state
  commission on community service and
  volunteerism. 

3
Our Mission

• Our mission is to catalyze the innovation and
  growth of service and volunteerism by creating
  partnerships that maximize resources, expertise,
  capacity, and impact.

4
Massachusetts Service Alliance

• How we achieve our mission
• Invest public and private funds in
  community-based organizations.
• Convene and mobilize public and private entities
  to link strategies related to service and
  volunteerism.
• Build capacity of nonprofit agencies through
  training and technical assistance.
• Advocate for the development and promotion
• of public policies and private initiatives
  that
• incorporate service as an effective strategy.

5
Invest

• Funding comes from
• Federal Corporation for National and Community
  Service (CNCS)
• State line item on budget
• Programs are funded in three areas
• AmeriCorps
• Commonwealth Corps
• Mentoring

6
Eligible Applicants

• Public or private non-profit organizations,
  including labor organizations community
  organizations, faith-based organizations
  institutions of higher education state agencies
  government entities within the state (e.g.,
  cities, counties) and Indian Tribes
• Partnerships or consortiums of the above

7
AmeriCorps Application Process

• The Massachusetts Service Alliance runs a
  multi-step application process
• Concept Paper
• Community, Staff and Board of Directors Review
• Invitation to submit full application
• Technical Assistance
• Final Draft of full application submitted to CNCS
  through eGrants
• Note Only programs chosen through the community
  and Board of Directors review process in MA will
  be invited to submit full applications for the
  national competition.

8
Timeline

• Concept Papers are due to MSA on Monday,
  September 14, 2009 by
• 1200pm. The review process is as
  follows
•  
• August 10, 2009 AmeriCorps Concept Paper RFP
  Released
• August 28, 2009 Intent to Apply Form Due
• August 24-27, 2009 Technical Assistance Sessions
  
• September 14, 2009 Concept Papers due to MSA by
  noon
• Late September 2009 Community review of all
  Concept Papers
• Late October 2009 Notification of status
• November 23, 2009 Draft of Full Applications due
  to MSA by noon
• January 13, 2010 Full Application entered into
  eGrants
• Late January 2010 MSA submits applications to
  CNCS

9
What is AmeriCorps?

• AmeriCorps is a network of local, state, and
  national service programs that connects more than
  75,000 Americans (approximately 1,400 in MA) each
  year in intensive service to meet our countrys
  critical needs in
• education
• environment
• public safety (including disaster preparedness
  and response)
• health
• other human needs

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AmeriCorps

• AmeriCorps members address critical needs in
  communities throughout America, including
• Tutoring and mentoring disadvantaged youth
• Fighting illiteracy
• Improving health services
• Building affordable housing
• Teaching computer skills
• Cleaning parks and streams
• Managing or operating after-school programs
• Helping communities respond to disasters
• Building organizational capacity

11
Program Size

• Your program should be large enough to make a
  significant impact in your community.
• Minimum size 10 Member Service Year equivalents
• Recommended size at least 15-20 Member Service
  Year equivalents.

12
Program Design

• AmeriCorps Programs and their members address
  clearly defined community needs through
  structured service activities with clearly
  defined performance measures.
• AmeriCorps members may
• -Serve in teams, pairs or individually
• -Serve in a single neighborhood, city-wide,
  regionally, or state-wide
• -Serve through one organization or be placed with
  service partner organizations

13
AmeriCorps Members

• An AmeriCorps Member must
• - be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or lawful
  permanent resident alien of the United States
• - be at least 17 years of age (unless in a
  specifically designated youth corps)
• - have a high school diploma, its equivalent or
  agree to obtain a high school diploma or its
  equivalent before using an education award.

14
Term of Service Education Awards
15
Member Service

• 20 of member service hours may be in education,
  training, or other member development activities
• 80 should be direct service.
• 10 of member service hours (considered direct
  service) may be in fundraising activities
  directly related to the members service (not for
  program operational funds)

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Prohibited Activities

• AmeriCorps members may not engage in specific
  prohibited activities
• a. Attempting to influence legislation.
• b. Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions,
  boycotts, or strikes.
• c. Assisting, promoting or deterring union
  organizing.
• d. Impairing existing contracts for services or
  collective bargaining agreements.
• e. Engaging in partisan political activities or
  other activities designed to influence the
  outcome of an election to any public office.
• f. Participating in, or endorsing, events or
  activities that are likely to include advocacy
  for or against political parties, political
  platforms, political candidates, proposed
  legislation, or elected officials.
• g. Engaging in religious instruction conducting
  worship services providing instruction as part
  of a Program that includes mandatory religious
  instruction or worship constructing or operating
  facilities devoted to religious instruction or
  worship maintaining facilities primarily or
  inherently devoted to religious instruction or
  worship or engaging in any form of religious
  proselytization.

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Prohibited Activities

•  h. Providing a direct benefit to A for-profit
  entity A labor union A partisan political
  organization An organization engaged in the
  religious activities described in the preceding
  sub-clause, unless Grant funds are not used to
  support the religious activities or A nonprofit
  entity that fails to comply with the restrictions
  contained in section 501(c) (3) of U.S. Code
  Title 26.
•  i. Voter registration drives by AmeriCorps
  members is an unacceptable service activity. In
  addition, Corporation funds may not be used to
  conduct a voter registration drive.
•  j. Other activities as the Corporation
  determines will be prohibited, upon notice to the
  Grantee.
• Individuals may exercise their rights as private
  citizens and may participate in the above
  activities on their initiative, on non-AmeriCorps
  time, and using non-Corporation funds. The
  AmeriCorps logo should not be worn while doing
  so.

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Requirements for Tutoring Programs

• Requirements apply to any program with primary
  goal of increasing academic achievement in
  reading or other core subjects through planned,
  consistent, one-to-one or small-group sessions
• - Tutoring Curriculum must be high-quality and
  research-based
• - Criteria for selecting and qualifying tutors
  including high school diploma or equivalent
  (cross-age tutors exempt)
• - Pre- and in-service tutor training required
• - Appropriate member supervision by individuals
  with tutoring expertise
• - Identify strategies/tools to assess student
  progress and measure student outcomes

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Performance Measures

• Performance Measures are required of all
  AmeriCorps programs.
• Performance Measures describe the measurable
  outputs and outcomes the program expects to
  achieve as a result of its service activities.
• -Outputs evidence of activities
• -Intermediate Outcomes measure of intermediate
  change
• -End Outcomes impact of the activities on the
  identified need

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Needs and Services

• AmeriCorps programs will
• Identify a community need
• Provide service that addresses the need
  identifies

21
Member Outputs and Outcomes

• Member Recruitment and Recognition
• Recruit their own members
• Seek members who are diverse
• Seek members who are from the community they
  serve
• Recognize members for their achievements and
  promote the successful completion of the program
  year
• Member Development, Training and Supervision
• Orient members to AmeriCorps, the community and
  their placement site
• Train members to perform all the activities in
  which they will engage
• Supervise members
• Promote a lifelong ethic of service and civic
  responsibility

22
Community Outputs and Outcomes

• AmeriCorps Programs will
• Utilize non-AmeriCorps community volunteers to
  expand the reach of the program
• Recruit, support and recognize community
  volunteers
• Build the capacity of the organizations where
  they serve

23
Organizational Capability

• Applicants should have the organizational
  structure to
• Manage a federal grant
• Provide sound Programmatic and Fiscal Oversight
• Oversee partners (if applicable)
• Support appropriate program and fiscal staff
  positions
• Raise required matching funds

24
Budget Sections

• Operational
• staff, staff benefits, training, travel etc
• Member Support
• stipends, FICA, SSI, healthcare, etc
• Administrative Costs
• Administrative costs
• Commission fee

25
Matching Requirements

• Cash or in-kind contributions
• federal, state, local, private sector, and/or
  other funds in accordance with applicable
  AmeriCorps requirements

26
Cost per MSY

• 12,600 x MSY maximum CNCS award

27
Living Allowance
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The Concept Paper

• Facesheet
• Program Model, Design, Location and Focus
  (worksheet)
• Executive Summary (1 page)
• Narrative (10 pages, double spaced, 12 pt font)
• Service Categories (worksheet)
• Performance Measures/Logic Models (worksheet)
• Budget
• Additional Required Information Organization
  Chart
• Authorization, Assurances and Certifications

29
Submission Requirements

• 1 unbound, single-sided original Concept Paper
• 10 stapled, double sided copies of the complete
  Concept Paper
• 1 proof of 501 (c) 3 status or MA Certificate of
  Tax Exemption (ST-2 or ST-4)
• 1 most recent A-133 audit, your organizations
  financial audit, or other financial statements if
  you have not had a formal audit.
• Please note Although the full copy of the
  concept paper includes a copy of the 501 (c) 3
  status and a copy of the audit/financials, do not
  include these materials in the additional 10
  copies. They are used for internal MSA review and
  not evaluated by reviewers.

30
Full Application Criteria
31
The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

• Takes effect on October 1, 2009, will have
  significant impact on AmeriCorps on a national
  level.
• CNCS is developing plans for how this Act will be
  implemented. In the absence of more definitive
  information, this process is moving forward based
  on previous guidance from CNCS.
• 5 different Focuses
• 1) Education Corps
• 2) Healthy Futures Corps
• 3) Clean Energy Corps
• 4) Opportunity Corps
• 5) Veterans Corps

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Contact Information

• Beth Barrett, bbarrett_at_mass-service.org, x202
• Chaci Ciano, cciano_at_mass-service.org, x214
• Melissa Fenton, mfenton_at_mass-service.org, x203
• Lisa Frederick, lfrederick_at_mass-service.org, x226
• Suzana Kantardzic, skantardzic_at_mass-service.org,
  x216
• Phone [phone]