The Bonner Program:
Bonner AmeriCorps
“Access to Education,
Opportunity to Serve”
A program of:
The Corella & Bertram Bonner Foundation
10 Mercer Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
(609) 924-6663 • (609) 683-4626 fax
For more information, please visit our website at www.bonner.org

What is
AmeriCorps?

Bonner AmeriCorps:
What is AmeriCorps?
• National service program that
provides Education Awards
• Federally-funded, locally
implemented
• Managed by the Corporation for
National and Community
Service
www.bonner.org 3

Why Bonner
AmeriCorps?

Bonner AmeriCorps:
Education Awards
2 Year,
Term Minimum Quarter
Half-time
Hours 300 450 900
Ed Award $1,000 25%$1,250 $2,362.50
www.bonner.org

Bonner AmeriCorps:
Financial Assistance
$20,000
$15,000
$10,000
$5,000
25%
$0
4 Year Total
Ed Award ($4,750)
Typical Education Loans ($19,000)
www.bonner.org

Implementation

Bonner AmeriCorps:
Step 1: Evaluate Placements
What makes an AmeriCorps eligible placement?
✓ Direct service
✓ Benefits local community
www.bonner.org 8

Bonner AmeriCorps:
Step 1: Evaluate Placements
What makes a Bonner Placement ineligible
for AmeriCorps?
✓ Influences legislation
✓ Focuses on international community
✓ Benefits campus community instead of local
community
✓ Indirect service (placement is mostly fundraising
or administrative)
✓ Religious/evangelism component
www.bonner.org 9

Bonner AmeriCorps:
Step 2 — Offer to Eligible Students
What makes a Student eligible?
✓ An AmeriCorps Member must be a U.S. Citizen
or Permanent Resident
‣ Documentation is required
✓ Other questions to consider:
‣ Are they currently serving in AmeriCorps
Eligible placements?
‣ How many are planning to serve abroad?
Eligible Placement + Eligible Person = AmeriCorps
www.bonner.org 10

Bonner AmeriCorps:
Step 3 — Enroll Members
• Every prospective member
✓ fills out an enrollment booklet
✓ provides citizen documentation
✓ has a background check
completed
✓ must have an account on
BWBRS
• Treat enrollment booklet
like a binding legal contract
✓ complete in pen
✓be aware of signature dates
www.bonner.org 11

Bonner AmeriCorps:
Step 4 — Member Reporting
• Members complete
same forms required of
every Bonner
✓ CLAs
✓ Hour Logs
✓ Service Accomplishments
• Staff approve & mail
original copies of the
following for each
AmeriCorps member:
✓ Hour logs
www.bonner.org 12

Bonner AmeriCorps:
Approving Hour Logs
Check off
those boxes,
baby!
www.bonner.org 13

Bonner AmeriCorps:
Tracking Enrollment Status
www.bonner.org 14

Bonner AmeriCorps:
Step 5 — Exit Members
After member completes
hours, staff...
✓ review submitted hours
and hours logged on BWBRS
to confirm term has been
completed
✓ submit exit form to Bonner
Foundation within 20 days of
member’s last day of service
✓ complete endpoint
evaluation (feature soon to
come on BWBRS)
www.bonner.org 15