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| AmeriCorps Update
03.10.2014
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| IMPORTANT DEADLINES + EVENTS
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| March 10, 2014 Last date to register for New AmeriCorps Staff Orientation and All-Grantee Meeting.
March 25-26, 2014 New AmeriCorps Staff Orientation (NASO) (Austin, TX).
Click here to register.
March 27-28, 2014 All-Grantee Meeting (Austin, TX).
Click here to register.
April 1, 2014 Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service.
Click here for details.
April 3, 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll Application Deadline.
Click here for details.
April 6-13, 2014
April 11-13, 2014
April 17, 2014 Midyear APRs Due. All programs’ midyear AmeriCorps Progress Reports (APRs) are due to OneStar, regardless of program start date. Report template and instructions are forthcoming; see below for update.
April 17, 2014 FFRs/deobligations due. All programs’ midyear Federal Financial Reports (FFRs) are due to OneStar, regardless of program start date. This FFR will cover all costs incurred from your program’s start date through March 31, 2014 as well as any unexpended funds that your program will be deobligating. Please submit the FFR and deobligation form online at
http://www.tfaforms.com/173824.
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| President’s 2015 Budget Request for National Service Last week, the President sent his Fiscal Year 2015 Budget proposal to Congress, including proposed funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Overall, the President’s Budget requests $1.05 billion for CNCS and its programs, which is slightly above the FY 2014 enacted level. At a time of fiscal constraint, this Budget demonstrates a continuing commitment to national service and community solutions. The Budget would fund a record 114,000 AmeriCorps members and provide new benefits to seniors who serve through AmeriCorps. This number includes an estimated 75,000 AmeriCorps State and National members (an increase of 4,000 over this year), 30,000 members who will transition from the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Programs, 7,800 AmeriCorps VISTA members, and 1,200 AmeriCorps NCCC members. The Budget includes a proposal to reorganize Senior Corps programs, by transitioning the existing Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps; Foster Grandparents will become AmeriCorps Foster Grandparents, and Senior Companions will become AmeriCorps Senior Companions. Each program would retain its specific historical focus and program model, so AmeriCorps Foster Grandparents and AmeriCorps Senior Companions will continue to engage in the same types of activities under the competitive framework of AmeriCorps with valuable new benefits. Read the full announcement
here. The CNCS website budget page has further information on the President’s budget request, including a
Budget in Brief and
FAQs document.
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| Health Care FAQs Now Posted Please note that CNCS’ FAQs include some new guidance related to member “dual enrollment” as well as how programs can allowably provide reimbursement for member healthcare premiums. You may also want to refresh your understanding of the “hardship exemptions” available to members who meet certain exemption criteria:
https://www.healthcare.gov/exemptions/. OneStar and other State Commissions also recently participated in an informational webinar led by Chris Rooney of Willis of Seattle/The Corps Network regarding the current state of health care options. A copy of the webinar recording, which you may find helpful, is now available for download at:
https://student.gototraining.com/5l15y/recording/1521226370951485952. OneStar held an optional Health Care Q&A Call on Friday, March 7th for programs to ask questions and discuss the FAQs. A recording of this call is now available by
clicking here. Please keep in mind that Open Enrollment for
www.healthcare.gov ends on 3/31. Therefore, it is imperative that AmeriCorps grantees communicate all available health care options to members before the end of this month. If you have questions, please contact your assigned OneStar Grants Officers so that we may escalate questions as needed to CNCS.
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| March is Healthy Futures Month Our nation is more health-conscious and health-aware than ever, but for many there are still obstacles – an untreated disease, obesity, or lack of healthy food – that prevent them from living their lives to the fullest. That needs to change, and our
AmeriCorps members are working to make that happen every day. As part of our continued celebration of the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps, CEO Wendy Spencer has
introduced Healthy Futures month by highlighting the important work that our members do to keep communities healthy. Help spread the word by participating in the following on social media: - March 10-14 – Tweet your support of local national service participants who contribute to healthy futures.
- March 17-21 – Help us highlight veterans’ contributions to Healthy Futures via Twitter and Facebook.
- March 24-28 – Volunteer at your local community garden or health and wellness organization.
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| Disability Inclusion Transition Planning Last week, CNCS announced the beginning phases of its transition plan for disability services related to national service programming. As you may be aware, CNCS’s cooperative agreement with the University of Massachusetts National Service Inclusion Program (NSIP) which has provided technical assistance, training and other disability related support to grantees is concluding. This is one of a series of messages about how CNCS is planning on providing you with the ongoing support you may need as you include service members with disabilities as valued AmeriCorps members. Technical Assistance CNCS recommends that all grantees use the Job Accommodation Network, otherwise known as “JAN,” to address any queries you have about accommodating people with disabilities in your program. This could even include the question of whether or not a particular health condition is indeed something that you need to provide accommodation for according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While JAN is not a tailored program specifically knowledgeable about the dynamics that arise within AmeriCorps programs, JAN has existed since the 1980’s, pre-dating the landmark ADA legislation and assists people operating countless types of programs and businesses. CNCS urges national service programs to begin contacting JAN for inclusion needs from this point forward.
JAN provides free, confidential consulting services for all partners, regardless of the size or type of service environment. Services include one-on-one consultation about all aspects of disability accommodations, including the accommodation process, accommodation ideas, product vendors, referral to other resources, and ADA compliance assistance. Partners can access JAN services in a variety of ways: via
telephone, via
email, and via “
Jan On Demand.” JAN offers numerous publications on accommodation ideas, products and services: like the resource, the
Employer’s Practical Guide to Reasonable Accommodation Under the American’s with Disabilities Act and an
ADA library. JAN has been offering employers, employees, rehabilitation professionals, federal, state and local government entities and individuals with high quality information about disability accommodation since the early 1980’s. Their ability to engage in an interactive dialogue to address questions and concerns is invaluable and likely the reason why 32,000 - 38,000 people use their free resources and millions use their website each year. Even if you do not find the need to contact them, perusing their online resources will ensure you are well-prepared for whatever comes your way. Access to Information Directly from CNCS: CNCS will be hosting periodic teleconferences to directly connect with grantees and address current topics of interest or concern. The goal in offering these teleconferences is to provide grantees the opportunity to pose their questions and get direct answers from CNCS. Stay tuned for future call details.
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| Last Day to Register and Book Hotel for AGM and NASO!
Registration for the AmeriCorps*Texas All-Grantee Meeting (AGM) and New AmeriCorps Staff Orientation (NASO) is now open! The deadline to register for these events and book your hotel room is TODAY (Monday, March 10th). - To view details and register for the New AmeriCorps Staff Orientation (March 25-26), please
click here. This event will be held at the
Courtyard Marriott-North Austin located at 12330 North IH-35, Austin, TX 78753.
- To view details and register for the All-Grantee Meeting (March 27-28), please
click here. This event will be held at the
Frank Fickett Training & Conference Center located just down the street from the Courtyard Mariott at 12500 N. IH-35, Austin, TX 78753.
A few logistical notes: - Our hotel for both of these events will be the Courtyard Marriott-North Austin (12330 North IH-35, Austin, TX 78753). Please book your hotel room(s) no later than Monday, March 10th by
clicking here for our group rate room block. You may cancel without penalty as long as you give 24 hours advance notice, so please book now!
- A copy of the detailed agendas for each event will be distributed separately to confirmed attendees. For meeting start/end times and basic information, please see the links above.
- No airport shuttle service will be available, so please arrange for your own shuttle or similar transportation from the airport if you are flying in for this event.
- However, a complimentary hotel shuttle will be available to take guests to and from the Frank Fickett Center, an optional AmeriCorps 20th anniversary reception on the evening of March 27th at
Zed’s, and other destinations within a 5-mile radius of the hotel.
Please let us know if you have any questions or need assistance with registration – we are happy to help. We look forward to seeing you soon!
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| Midyear APR Update As you know, the deadline for mid-year AmeriCorps Progress Reports (APRs) is coming up on April 17, 2014 (the same day mid-year FFRs are due as well). To assist you with preparing and planning your report submission, we want to give you a brief update on our timeline. OneStar plans to release our midyear APR template and instructions on Friday, March 21st; this will allow programs approximately four weeks to complete the report. We are currently waiting on CNCS to release official midyear reporting requirements so that we can streamline the reporting process as much as possible. We are also exploring alternate formats for this year’s APR report, including using an online form. In the meantime, please note the following:
- The time period covered in the Midyear APR is the Start of your grant period through March 31, 2014. This includes results of your Performance Measurement (PM) data at mid-year. If you cannot obtain data through the end of March, you must request an exception in writing (you can email me directly.)
- It is essential that programs complete the APR by the specified deadline, as OneStar’s statewide report is due to CNCS at the end of April.
- The primary purpose of the Midyear APR is to gauge each program’s progress-to-date on key metrics, including member enrollment and retention rate, the 30-day enrollment/exit cycle time, and whether you are on track to meeting your selected Performance Measures, as well as to generally check in regarding any major obstacles to program success before the end of the program year.
- We will build in time at All-Grantee Meeting (March 27-28th) to go over the Midyear APR form and answer any questions you may have.
We look forward to providing you with the updated midyear APR form and instructions on March 21st. Please let us know in advance if you have any questions!
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| AmeriCorps Alums Annual Report Over the past two decades, nearly 1 million AmeriCorps members have worked to create change in hundreds of communities. Each year, an additional 80,000 serve. As Alums, they join – YOU have joined – an ever-growing national service family that continues to serve every day, across the country and around the world.
Learn more about the collective impact of the AmeriCorps Alumni network in 2013 in
the first-ever Alums annual report. In this report, we provide profiles of individual alums, highlight activities from our chapters, and share ways to get involved with the AmeriCorps 20th anniversary celebration. We hope you’ll read it – and join our campaign to grow the Alums community of engaged citizens and civic leaders that gets things done for America.
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| Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service is Around the Corner!
To spotlight the impact of AmeriCorps and Senior Corps and thank those who serve, mayors across the country are invited to participate in the second annual Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service on April 1, 2014. On this day, mayors will hold public events and use traditional and social media to highlight the value and impact of national service in our cities.
Last year, Texas led the nation as the #1 state with 58 participating mayors (out of 832 mayors nationally). This year, our goal is to continue this tradition by reaching 90 participating mayors!
As of today, Texas is up to 53 participating Mayors! Check out the names of Mayors who have signed on (this list is still being updated):
Participation is easy and flexible. We are asking mayors to issue proclamations, hold public events, and use traditional and social media to highlight the impact of national service to your cities. Mayors are encouraged to: - Issue a proclamation
- Visit a national service program
- Invite national service programs to City Hall for a roundtable on service
- Put out a press release, report or Op-Ed on the impact of national service in your city
- Join with a local AmeriCorps or Senior Corps program on a service project
- Use Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets to thank those who serve (using the hashtag #Mayors4Service)
- Take a group photo with all national service members in your city
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| Scholarships Available for 2014 Conference on Volunteering and Service!
Supported by The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, the Scholarship Program will take place during the Points of Light
Conference on Volunteering and Service in Atlanta, GA at the Georgia World Congress Center from June 16-18, 2014. This is a unique opportunity for the brightest, most promising young leaders in the volunteering and service sectors to connect and collaborate for greater community impact. Scholars will receive waived Conference registration and new connections to their work as a result of their participation in the program. Points of Light is looking to award scholarships to 50 individuals with community involvement experience and who also exhibit the potential to assume senior leadership roles within organizations in the volunteering and service sectors. The Conference is central to the program and will be both the convening point and one of the most robust learning opportunities. Applicants must have an interest in advancing their careers in the volunteering and service sectors, must be actively involved in their communities, and willing to attend all of their selected workshops during Conference. - Application release: March 4, 2014
- Application deadline: 5 p.m. ET, March 24, 2014
- Award announcements: April 18, 2014
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| 2014 ASC Training & Technical Assistance Directory America’s Service Commission (ASC) has just released its 2014 Training and Technical Assistance Directory, a resource for state service commissions and national service grantees to learn about national service trainers and consultants who are both peer recommended and who have demonstrated support for the state service commission network. The Directory is available for download on the ASC website at
www.statecommissions.org under "Resources" and "Training Providers".
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| Reading Partners Helps Grads Share Passion for Education This week’s spotlight is on Reading Partners, a national literacy-focused AmeriCorps Education program which also operates a site in Dallas, Texas. Reading Partners and RP member Diana Martin were recently featured in a CNCS Education Blog post: In the months leading up to her college graduation, Diana Martin sketched a mental blueprint for her future. Her past volunteer work as a summer camp assistant, tutor, and soccer coach all added up to one thing—educating children must be part of that future. And the AmeriCorps program, Diana decided, would help her reach that goal. “Kids have always been a big part of my life,” Diana said. “I thought AmeriCorps would be a great opportunity to use the skills I already had while developing quite a few more.” As an AmeriCorps member with the national literacy program
Reading Partners, Diana merges her passion for the field of education with her experience working with children. AmeriCorps members like Diana provide tutoring support and recruit and train local community volunteers… To read the full article, visit:
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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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