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| AmeriCorps Update
04.21.2014
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| IMPORTANT DEADLINES + EVENTS
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| April 24, 2014 Wendy Spencer Visits Houston, TX. See below for details.
April 24, 2014 PER Processing Deadline. See below for details. April 27-29, 2014 National Service School Improvement Symposium (Washington, DC). Click here for details.
April 30, 2014
May 8, 2014 PER Processing Deadline. See below for details.
May 19-23, 2014
June 4, 2014 Governor’s Volunteer Awards (GVA) Nomination Deadline. See below or click here for details.
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| Wendy Spencer Visits Houston SAVE THE DATE! CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer will be coming to Houston on Thursday, April 24th to attend a Press Conference and Anniversary event with the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. However, there will likely also be time for Wendy to meet and greet Houston-area national service programs and alumni during the day (most likely between the hours of 1pm-4pm). We are working closely with CNCS to put together an agenda, but please save the date and let us know if you have Houston-area AmeriCorps or Senior Corps members or program staff who could join us for a “Town Hall” or similar type of event in Houston during that timeframe! More details are forthcoming.
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| I Want to Join AmeriCorps PSA Launch Today, in honor of the 5th anniversary of the Serve America Act, CNCS and State Commissions across the country will be launching the new “I Want to Join AmeriCorps” Public Service Announcement (PSA). You can help by sharing this PSA video on your website, social media pages, and with your members and Alums to spread the word about the power of AmeriCorps for social good!
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| 2014 Governor’s Volunteer Awards We’re excited to announce nominations are now open for the 31st annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards! The deadline for nominations is June 4th. For over 30 years OneStar Foundation has joined the Governor in honoring some of Texas' most dedicated community volunteers at the Governor’s Volunteer Awards. These awards honor Texans who give their time and talents to their communities through exemplary volunteerism and community service. If you know of an outstanding individual, group or organization that truly embodies the Texas tradition of community service, we encourage you to nominate them for an award.
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| ASC-ICP Publication Features AmeriCorps and Volunteer Programs in 21 States Today, America’s Service Commissions (ASC) and Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP) announced the publication of the 2014 edition of Transforming Communities through Service: A Collection of the Most Innovative AmeriCorps State and Volunteer Generation Fund Programs in the United States, featuring case studies of programs in 21 states. The 2014 edition commemorates the 20th Anniversary of AmeriCorps and state service commissions, the statewide governor-appointed agencies leading the nation's service movement and AmeriCorps State programming. T he publication launch on April 21 celebrates the 5th Anniversary of the Serve America Act, which reauthorized the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service through its core programs including Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, Volunteer Generation Fund, and the Social Innovation Fund.
"The publication highlights the role of states as laboratories for service and fosters new models for addressing a variety of pressing social issues," said Tom Branen, executive director of America's Service Commissions.
"National and community service programs are providing opportunities for citizens to play an active role in addressing community needs," stated Susan Stroud, executive director of Innovations in Civic Participation. "We hope everyone who reads these profiles will be inspired by the tales of ordinary citizens transforming their communities through service."
Programs featured in the publication are addressing a range of issues from early childhood literacy to public safety. In addition to highlighting the program’s primary focus area, the publication recognizes those programs having a significant impact in the focus areas of rural communities, veterans and military families, and disaster services.
The publication is available electronically for viewing and download at issuu.com by clicking here and at www.statecommissions.org and www.icicip.org.
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| Register Early for Texas Nonprofit Summit Discounts It's time to register for the Texas Nonprofit Summit, the state's premiere nonprofit management conference. We have 250 early bird tickets available, and they're expected to go quickly! Check out this year's featured speakers below and register today to save $50+ off regular rates. Learn how to have the greatest possible impact in your work from world-class speakers, exceptional breakout sessions, and networking with nearly 1,000 nonprofit professionals, board members and community leaders. Early Bird Registration available until June 1
$185 for Greenlights members and OneStar grantees; $210 for non-members/grantees. Special rates are available if you plan to also attend the Alliance for Nonprofit Management Conference on September 17.
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| Texas Connector Needs Your Feedback! OneStar is conducting an evaluation of Texas Connector. To gather feedback about the tool, your experience with it, and your needs as a user, we need your input! Below please find the link to our online survey, which should take just a few minutes to complete. You will also be entered into a drawing for one of five $50 Amazon gift cards, for participating in this survey. OneStar created Texas Connector to address an identified need for a statewide system that provides a snapshot of community needs and social service resources in Texas. Some features of the tool include: - The ability to search for nonprofits and social service entities within a geographic area
- Analysis of nonprofit infrastructure in general or in relation to particular needs or social indicators, and
- Customized statistical reports for your region of interest.
As a key stakeholder of the Texas nonprofit sector, your input in this process is essential to our success. The goal of our research is to collect data to evaluate Texas Connector in regard to its effectiveness, functionality and value. Your input will help us refine the tool and improve your experience.
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| PER Processing Timeline As a reminder, OneStar processes Periodic Expense Reports (PERs) from grantees every other week, adjusting the schedule slightly for holidays and vacations, as needed. In order to process your PER in the next batch, you must submit it by the following dates: We suggest that grantees put a recurring reminder on the calendar so the appropriate staff knows the timeline for submitting PERs to OneStar. We will also include these dates in future AmeriCorps Updates. OneStar Internal Timeline: - Thursday – Deadline for programs to submit PERs to Grants Officer-Fiscal
- Friday & Monday – PERs undergo internal review/coding, and are submitted to Accounting for payment*
- Tuesday – Accounting initiates drawdowns from CNCS/HHS
- Wednesday & Thursday – Drawdowns are finalized and payments are made via ACH
- Following Friday (1 week after PER deadline) – ACH payments available to grantees
*Only approved PERs will be passed along for payment
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| Online Fundraising and Member Management Trainings The McMahon Consulting Group has recently developed several FREE AmeriCorps-related online trainings that may be of value to AmeriCorps*Texas programs and site supervisors. For more information, please contact cmahonconsultinggroup@verizon.net. Please note: OneStar does not endorse any TTA providers and is providing the above information to AmeriCorps programs for general informational purposes as a potential resource.
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| Online Certificates in Volunteer Engagement The University of North Texas’s Partnerships for Strong Communities is now offering self-paced, online certification courses in volunteer engagement. First-time volunteer managers and seasoned professionals alike can benefit by learning what organizations need to know when launching or improving a volunteer program. Costing only $210 for the certificate, these courses can give you that professional edge without the big expense. Each course takes approximately 2-8 hours to complete. Individual courses can be taken for only $35 each. Courses designed by longtime, successful volunteer managers, trainers, and consultants. Available courses include: - Are you REALLY Ready for Volunteers?
- Seven Steps for a Successful Volunteer Recruitment Campaign
- Volunteer Orientation, Training, and Evaluation: Creating an Engaging Environment
- Volunteer Recognition for High Impact
- Volunteers: Policy and Procedure Development
- Volunteer Screening and Placement: Picking Only the Best
- Volunteer-Staff Good Relations: Navigating the Divide
Please note: OneStar does not endorse any TTA providers and is providing the above information to AmeriCorps programs for general informational purposes as a potential resource.
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| America’s PrepareAthon! CNCS is proud to be one of six national organizations partnering with FEMA for the spring launch of America’s PrepareAthon! (AP!) Join us for a National Day of Action on April 30, 2014. The PrepareAthon! campaign is directed as part of Presidential Policy Directive 8: National Preparedness. On April 30, and throughout the spring, America’s PrepareAthon! activities will focus on preparing individuals, families, workplaces, K-12 schools, institutions of higher education, houses of worship, and community-based organizations for tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. Participation can include being a part of community emergency planning, hazard-specific drills, group discussions, and exercises. AP! is a nationwide, community-based campaign to increase emergency preparedness and resilience through hazard-specific drills, group discussions, and exercises. AP! provides individuals, communities, and organizations with action-oriented guidance to: - Practice the steps necessary to prepare for and stay safe during a disaster or emergency,
- Learn about mitigation measures, protective actions, and community plans (e.g. alerts, warnings, evacuation, and sheltering), and
- Contribute to whole community preparedness planning.
Get involved by registering as a participant in America’s PrepareAthon! at Ready.gov/prepare, and stay tuned into the discussion on Twitter by following @PrepareAthon.
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| North Texas Life After AmeriCorps Training + AmeriCorps Week 2014 March and April were busy months for members of the North Texas AmeriCorps Alliance, a collaborative group comprised of representatives from a number of North Texas AmeriCorps programs and the North Texas AmeriCorps Alums Chapter. On Friday, March 21st, the Alliance hosted its annual city-wide Life After AmeriCorps Training (#LAA2014) for current members to explore their career options after service. The event was attended by 80 AmeriCorps members, program leaders, AmeriCorps Alums and supporters. Featured presenters included Keynote Speaker Miguel Solis, Dallas ISD Board member representing District 8, Amber Givens, Judge for the 282nd District Court in Dallas County, Jamie Dake, Voluntary Agency Liaison for FEMA Region 6, and Alicia Toombs, Strategic National Stockpile Coordinator for Dallas County Health and Human Services. After a day of panel discussions and presentations in four different tracks: Career, Education, Lifetime of Service, and Personal Branding. Lunch was donated by sponsors QuikTrip and Frito Lay, and the space was generously supplied by the American Red Cross DFW in Dallas. See photos and read the recap of the NTX Life After AmeriCorps Training here. From April 5-13th, the Alliance hosted a week of events to celebrate AmeriCorps Week 2014 in North Texas! Events included: - Saturday, April 5 – Service Project: Disaster Preparedness Kits assembly at the Volunteer Center of North Texas for community and personal preparedness.
- Monday, April 7 – AmeriCorps Open House: North Texas AmeriCorps programs opened their doors to anyone interested in learning more about AmeriCorps and how members are engaged in North Texas!
- Tuesday, April 8 – Picnic on the Plaza at Dallas City Hall: AmeriCorps members and Alums wore their gear for a midday public picnic!
- Wednesday, April 9 – Campus Crawl: AmeriCorps is coming to a campus near you! AmeriCorps representatives visited all major university campuses in North Texas, including UNT-Dallas, UNT, UTD, SMU, Paul Quinn, UTA, TCU and several DCCCD campuses!
- Saturday, April 12 – Spread your Story of Service: Members and Alums shared their personal stories of service via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #AmeriCorps20 hashtag.
Congratulations to the North Texas AmeriCorps Alliance and its members for dedicating their Spring season to promoting AmeriCorps and National Service! For more info and future updates, follow @NTXAlliance on Twitter.
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| Civic Reflection Training Services Request Form OneStar is pleased to periodically offer Civic Reflection training services to 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 may have funding available 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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