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| AmeriCorps Update
01.27.2014
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| IMPORTANT DEADLINES + EVENTS
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| January 30, 2014 Final Application Deadline: Texas Disaster Volunteer Generation Initiative. See below for details.
February 3, 2014 Last day to register for Civic Reflection Facilitator Training.
Click here to register.
February 20, 2014 Monthly Grantee Call: OneStar Updates from the Field.
February 27-28, 2014 Civic Reflection Facilitator Training (Austin, TX). Space is limited.
March 25-26, 2014 New AmeriCorps Staff Orientation (NASO) (Austin, TX). See below for details.
March 27-28, 2014 All-Grantee Meeting (Austin, TX). See below for details.
April 1, 2014 Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service.
Click here for details.
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| Share our Video and Raise $5 for OneStar! We’d like to share some exciting news! An initiative of the Arnold Foundation, The Giving Library (an online video archive that connects donors to nonprofits), is kicking off a $100,000 “Share to Give” campaign. This is a way for you to support OneStar Foundation without spending any money. All you have to do is share our Giving Library video on Facebook or Twitter, and the Giving Library will donate $5 to us. It’s that simple! Participants can share up to five organizations per month, and the Giving Library will donate up to $100,000 during the campaign. There are no gimmicks and no matching contributions. Please log on to the
Giving Library and share our video before January 31st when the “Share to Give” campaign ends.
How to Share Our Video: - Go to
www.givinglibrary.org.
- Search for “OneStar”.
- Click on “OneStar Foundation”.
- Click the “Share Now” button.
- Create an account if you don’t already have one (by signing up with your email or creating a "Library Card".)
- Click “Share on Facebook” or “Share on Twitter.”
- Share either the default message or a message of your choice.
- The organization will receive $5 per share for all shares before January 31st.
- Individuals may share up to five organizations per month.
We thank you for your support of our mission and hope your 2014 has started off great!
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| MLK Day 2014 a Success! Thank you to everyone who participated in MLK Day 2014 and helped make it a national success! Neighbors, friends, and family across the country made Monday, January 20th "a day on, not a day off." During the MLK Day of Service, Americans everywhere demonstrated the spirit of service that founded this great nation. A few last action items for all AmeriCorps*Texas grantees: Check out the results from the initial reporting in the infographic (at right) which shows national impact across many focus areas!- Take a moment and complete the
on-line MLK Day reporting form if you haven’t already; If possible, we would like you to submit your FINAL project numbers and results no later than TODAY (Monday, January 27th) so they can be included in future national reports and press materials!
- Email any other MLK Day highlights, stories, photos, or media coverage to your OneStar Grants Officers!
- Check out CNCS’
online photo gallery of MLK Day events across the nation!
- And of course, don’t forget to tweet your photos and highlights from your MLK Day projects using the hashtag #MLKday!
Again, thank you for helping make MLK Day 2014 a resounding success!
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| You’re Invited to Celebrate Texas Connector’s BIG WIN!
OneStar Foundation’s Texas Connector has been awarded a silver medal in the 2013 National Civic Data Challenge, and it’s time to party! We’re inviting all our community partners, colleagues and fans – and that means YOU!
Join us on for delicious appetizers and great company as we share about this national honor and thank our community partners:
WHEN: Wednesday, January 29th from 3:00 – 5:00 pm WHERE: The ABGB (The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co.), 1305 West Oltorf Street, Austin, TX 78704 Please RSVP
here to let us know you’re coming. There will be free parking on site. We hope to see you there!
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| Informal Peer Call Recording Available
If you missed our last Monthly Grantee Peer-Led Call on Thursday, January 16th hosted by staff from Breakthrough Austin and Reading Partners-Texas on the topic of “I’ve got evidence, yes I do! I’ve got evidence, how about you,
the recording and
presentation are now available.
Mark your calendars now for our next Monthly Call with OneStar Updates from the Field on Thursday, February 20th from 1-2pm Central!
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| Spring Training Updates + Poll
OneStar is narrowing in on the final date and location details for our spring 2014 New AmeriCorps Staff Orientation (NASO) and All-Grantee Meeting (AGM).
So mark your calendars – both events will be held the last full week of March at a new location in North Austin as follows:- March 25-26, 2014: New AmeriCorps Staff Orientation (NASO) – optional; priority registration will go to staff from programs that are new to the AmeriCorps*Texas portfolio and to staff members from current programs that have served in their roles for one year or less. Space is limited. Another NASO event will likely be held in Austin in July 2014.
- March 27-28, 2014: All-Grantee Meeting (AGM) – mandatory training for current grantees as outlined in Grant Award Terms & Conditions. Please note that mandatory events require full participation; therefore, all programs are required to send their Primary Program and Primary Fiscal contacts. However, there is a possibility that fiscal staff may only be required to participate in the first day of training (Thursday, March 27th) similar to last year’s event, although all staff will be encouraged to stay for both days if possible – please let us know if this arrangement would benefit your fiscal staff. If the primary or program fiscal contact is not available, please contact your OneStar Grants Officers to determine an appropriate substitute for attendance or to request a waiver.
Additional Note: You are welcome to request additional (more than 2) participants for either of these events; however, we will place a priority first on ensuring each program is represented adequately, and then open participation to additional staff as space permits. But before we proceed, we need YOUR help! Please email your OneStar Grants Officers back as soon as possible with the following information (or
click here to view our event spreadsheet, enter your info, and return it to us via email): Attendee name (If you do not yet know exact attendee names, feel free to use a placeholder name (such as “Fiscal Staff #1” or “Program Staff #1”). You can then enter exact attendee name and info on the final Registration Form when it becomes available.- Your Program
- Position Type/Track (program or fiscal)
- Dates of attendance
- 3/25 – NASO Day 1 (approx. 11am-4pm)
- 3/26 – NASO Day 2 (approx. 9am-4pm)
- 3/27 – AGM Day 1 (approx. 9am-5:30pm)
- 3/28 – AGM Day 2 (approx. 8:30am-3:30pm
- 3/27 – Optional 20th Anniversary Reception/Happy
Hour (approx. 5:30-7:30pm)
- Preferred # of Nights of Hotel (estimated) - approx. cost $120/night
- Any other Comments/Ideas/Suggestions
Thank you in advance for completing this poll to help us finalize our event details! We look forward to seeing everyone in late March!
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| Civic Reflection Workshop Registration Now Open OneStar is pleased to host a Civic Reflection Facilitation Workshop from February 27-28, 2014 in Austin, Texas. This Civic Reflection Facilitation Workshop will teach participants the nuts and bolts of how to facilitate civic reflection discussions in their local communities using curriculum and materials developed by the Chicago-based Center for Civic Reflection (
www.civicreflection.org). The workshop will be led by Jennifer Jefts of Communities In Schools of Central Texas and Gabriela Garcia De Avila of A Community for Education, both of whom have years of experience leading civic reflection discussions with AmeriCorps members and community sites. If you would like to participate, please register online at
http://www.tfaforms.com/313140 by Monday, February 3, 2014. Space is limited and there may be a waitlist depending on the level of demand from the field. A OneStar representative will contact you by mid-February to confirm whether or not you have been accepted into the workshop. Note: There is no cost to register but OneStar does not have travel funds available; programs may elect to use their “Travel to Commission-Sponsored Trainings” budget line item if needed.
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| New Report: Texas Nonprofit Sector's Size and Scope
Do you have an interest in the Nonprofit Sector in Texas? Then discover this new research about the size and scope of the nonprofit sector in Texas. This information is sent to you as a courtesy from the
Nonprofit Management Program at the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University. The Texas Nonprofit Sector: Defining the Size and Scope report is the first in a series of reports based on information from the National Center for Charitable Statistics. It contains basic, yet comprehensive, descriptive information about the Texas nonprofit sector and presents various compositional factors, including size, mission type, and geographic location. Future reports will focus on long-term trends of the Texas nonprofit sector, Texas foundations, and findings from surveys conducted with nonprofit managers regarding their current capacities and capacity needs.
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| Public Comment Period – AmeriCorps Competitive Advantage Study
CNCS’ Office of Research and Evaluation has undertaken a new AmeriCorps Competitive Advantage study to identify any competitive advantage in the job market that may be conferred by AmeriCorps experience. The results of the analysis will inform CNCS policy at large, programming content and policy, and further lines of research around economic outcomes of national service members. This is a new information collection request. This study would administer a 15 minute, online survey to a sample of managers with hiring authority in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. The survey consists of a section comprised of experimental questions regarding managers' hiring preferences when considering applicant skill and experience profiles, and a section of demographic questions. You may access the survey document, as well as make any comments you might have, at The comment period ends on March 24, 2014.
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| Update on OMB Consolidation of the Grant Management Circulars
This single Circular, often called the “Super Circular,” supersedes and streamlines requirements in OMB Circulars A-21, A-87, A-110, A-122, A-89, A-102, and A-133. The new circular becomes effective no later than December 26, 2014, but effective dates vary by agency and may precede the December deadline. For CNCS, that effective date means the new requirements will apply to grants awarded in 2015. Each Federal agency is responsible for publishing its own specific regulations implementing the new circulars. CNCS will issue guidance to all grantees as we implement these agency-specific regulations and grant conditions. In the near future we will also disseminate an overview of the major changes this Super Circular makes to the current requirements. OMB is also offering webcast trainings on the Super Circular beginning January 27, 2014. The first webcast will cover changes to Administrative Requirements and Cost Principles with webinars on other topics to follow. If you are interested in participating in the webinars,
fill out this form. You will receive webinar information as it becomes available. Please keep in mind that OMB’s training will be based on the government-wide rules, not any agency-specific modifications. OMB also plans to record the sessions for later viewing.
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| Save the Date: National Service School Improvement Symposium
Please save the date for an exciting leadership and learning opportunity focused on national school improvement and turnaround efforts.
The
Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is convening a National Service School Improvement Symposium from April 27-29, 2014 to engage CNCS grantees and community leaders in dialogue and training to turn around persistently low-achieving schools. Attendees will include AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and Social Innovation Fund grantees as well as community partners.
Sessions will run on Sunday, April 27 and Tuesday, April 29, 2014. This gathering coincides with the
2014 Annual Grad Nation Summit so participants are encouraged to register for both. Symposium registration and agenda coming soon! OneStar grantees may elect to use their “Travel to Corporation-Sponsored Trainings” budget line item if needed; contact your fiscal Grants Officer if you have questions.
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| AVANCE-El Paso AmeriCorps Featured in El Paso Times for MLK Day On Saturday, January 20th, over 60 AVANCE El-Paso AmeriCorps members participated in the 2014 MLK Day of Service by cleaning up two abandoned lots along Old Hueco Tanks Road in the El Paso/Socorro community in West Texas.Aside from AVANCE, more than a dozen groups participated in the project including the Texas Hunger Initiative, New York City Coalition Against Hunger, Eastlake High School, Irvin High School and Socorro city leaders. "The work is hard physically but we came here to be productive and to do a service for the community. And we feel good about it," said Alma Hernandez, an AVANCE-El Paso AmeriCorps member who was interviewed by the El Paso Times. Hernandez was smiling, despite being surrounded by dust and piles of debris on a vacant lot in Socorro Monday morning. To read the full article, click below: Congratulations to AVANCE-El Paso for getting things done in their community and for dedicating this day of service to Dr. King’s legacy!
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| Civic Reflection Training Services Request Form OneStar is pleased to once again offer Civic Reflection training services to its grantees, national service programs, and eligible organizations throughout the state of Texas. The two types of services offered are Civic Reflection Discussions and Civic Reflection Facilitation Workshops. Civic reflection uses short, thought-provoking images, video or readings from literature, history, or philosophy to open up important questions in civic life and explore the underlying values and beliefs that drive our shared work in the world. AmeriCorps programs have utilized the practice of civic reflection as a tool in such areas as member development, staff development, and member retention.
Reasonable Accommodation Request Form OneStar receives specific funding to support grantees with reasonable accommodation requests for members and/or potential members. If you need to request funds to provide a reasonable accommodation for a member or potential member, please complete the request form at
http://www.tfaforms.com/167676.
Updating Program Contact Information If during the year, you have any changes, additions, or deletions to your program’s contacts, please update your program’s Authorized Representative Form (ARF) by visiting
http://www.tfaforms.com/159770. This site allows you to add, remove, and/or update contacts at any time and you only need to enter the contact information for the person(s) you need to update. As a reminder, OneStar requires the following roles to be designated and corresponding contact information to be on file: - Legal Authorized Signatory
- Primary Program Contact
- Primary Fiscal Contact
- Secondary Contacts (Primary or Fiscal) – as applicable
Please note that it is a grantee requirement to update this form within 10 working days of a change in your program’s key personnel assigned to your AmeriCorps project.
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