For the Chamber's October Non-Profit Roundtable we invited Commissioner Megan Smith from the N.C. Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service to help Chamber Non-Profit members determine which AmeriCorps funding programs were right for them and how to write a competitive application.

1. Tapping Into AmeriCorps
Programming
Alicia Hartsfield, AmeriCorps Director
Alicia.hartsfield@nc.gov
Megan G. Smith, Commissioner
October 2012

3. A Brief Timeline of
National Service Support
 1933 – 1942 Civilian Conservation Corps
 1961 – Peace Corps
 1965 – VISTA
 1965 – FGP
 1971 – RSVP
 1974 – SCP
 1990 – Serve America (now called Learn and Serve)
 1993 – AmeriCorps (VISTA becomes part)
 1994 – Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service
 2009 – Kennedy Serve America Act passed

4. Who has applied for a service grant?
 I have applied for and/or managed a federal grant
 I have applied for and/or managed a state grant
 I have applied for and/or managed a local(?) grant
 I have never applied for a grant

5. Who may apply for a service grant in
the near future?
 I am already preparing (or intend to) an application
 I do not plan on using this type of funding
 I am unsure and still researching opportunities

6. AmeriCorps NCCC
 Regional campuses – services are provided in states throughout
service area.
 Denver, CO
 Sacramento, CA
 Perry Point, MD
 Vicksburg, MS
 Vinton, IA
 Objective – strengthen communities and develop leaders
through direct, team-based national and community service.
 Eligibility for members
 Between18 and 24 years old
 10 months of service
 Direct service in support of community efforts in home region.

7. AmeriCorps NCCC
 Benefits for Members
 Monthly living allowance, housing, meals and limited medical
benefits
 End of service term $5550 Education Award
 Member Application deadlines (typically)
 April 1st
 July 1st
 Eligibility for project sponsors
 Local, state or federal agencies; public, private or faith-based
nonprofit organizations
 Must submit project application to appropriate campus

8. AmeriCorpsVISTA
Volunteers in Service to America
 Where serving – Low wealth communities
 Objective
 To help move people out of poverty through literacy
education, health assistance, housing programs,
bridging the digital divide, economic development
programming
 Restrictions:
 Projects must focus on capacity building for project
sustainability after VISTA resources are withdrawn

9. AmeriCorpsVISTA
Volunteers in Service to America
 Eligibility for members
 Must be at least 18 years old
 One year of full-time service
 Member effort is focused on capacity building rather
than direct service to agency clients/customers.
 Benefits: Modest bi-weekly living allowance; at end of term
of service $5550 Education Award or may opt for $1500
cash payment.

10. AmeriCorpsVISTA
Volunteers in Service to America
 Eligibility for sponsors: Local, state or federal agencies;
public, private or faith-based nonprofit organizations.
 Must apply to establish a VISTA project and be able to
engage a minimum of three full-time members
(www.americorps.gov).
 Cash match is not required. In-kind match will be
negotiated prior to project approval. Sharing a portion of
the cost may increase the availability of VISTA resources
to your agency.
 Cost share is strongly encouraged for sponsors who are
approved member positions beyond three years.

11. Example of VISTA Programs
 The North Carolina IDA and Asset Building
Collaborative uses an asset building approach to
address poverty at the community level. 12 VISTA
members placed throughout the state focus on: (1)
improving low income citizens' financial and savings
knowledge by recruiting and training volunteers to
provide financial education and serve as wealth
coaches in low-income communities (2) increasing
community engagement by creating a manual for
best practices in community-based asset building
across the state (3) forming regional Asset Building
Coalitions and (4) increasing the capacity of the local
site to deliver services to low income citizens.

12. Questions
AmeriCorps NCCC
AmeriCorps VISTA

13. AmeriCorps
State Formula
 Where serving – In communities with established need
 Objective
 Engage members in providing direct service to address
unmet community needs. CNS priority areas:
 Disaster Services, Economic Opportunity
 Education, Environment al Stewardship
 Healthy Futures, Veterans and Military Families
 Restrictions
 Members engaged primarily in direct service

14. AmeriCorps
State Formula
 Eligibility for Members
 ≥17 years old (some programs 18yo)
 Cleared by criminal history check
 Benefits
 Modest monthly living allowance
 Student loan forbearance
 Health insurance
 End of term of service $5550 Education Award
 Full-time, part-time, less than part-time and EAO positions
 One year service term
 Visit www.americorps.gov for AmeriCorps programs across
the county.

15. AmeriCorps
State Formula
 Eligibility for sponsors: Local, state or federal agencies;
public, private or faith-based nonprofit organizations
 Match required: Corporation requires a 24% cash or in-
kind match of the overall program operating costs. State
commissions may add additional match requirements.
After the first three years of funding the match will go up
incrementally, to a maximum of 50% match. (MSY
$13,300).
 Fixed rate grants do not require a specific match but do
require that community financial support be a part of the
program’s funding plan. Currently available for fulltime
member programs only. (MSY $13,000).

16. Examples of AmeriCorps Programs
ACCESS Joblink
 17 Full-Time and 6 Half-Time members serve at
JobLink Career Centers and assist individuals with
disabilities, at-risk youth, older adults, and former
offenders with reaching their employment goals. Job
search activities include assistance with resume
writing, cover letters, interviewing, transportation &
child care plans, success plans, financial literacy,
computer skills, employment applications, job
retention skills and skill building activities.

17. Examples of AmeriCorps
Programs
 Project HEARTis an academic coaching program
that serves low performing students in 8 counties in
Eastern North Carolina. The program housed on the
East Carolina University campus, recruits Half-Time
college students and Education-Award-Only high
school seniors to serve as academic coaches for
more than 2,500 middle, high school, and first-year
college students. Fifty (50) Half-Time and 120
Education-Award-Only members provide tutoring,
homework, and study skills sessions. In addition,
coaches help students with time management,
organization and goal setting. These sessions will
help students succeed academically and graduate
from high school and college.

18. Questions
AmeriCorps State Formula

19. What type of National Service funding are
you most likely to apply for?
 NCCC
 VISTA
 AmeriCorps State Formula

20. Steps in Submitting an Application
1. Determine need through community
participation
2. Develop community collaborations
3. Plan your project
4. Determine agency capacity
5. Identify and verify match dollars
6. Prepare the application
7. Participate in an AmeriCorps T/TA session

21. Determining Community Need
 The Corporation for National and Community Service
requires that agencies consult their communities in
determining the need for specific projects.
 You must be able to:
 Verify the need through documentation.
 Explain how the community was involved in determining
the need.
 Detail the scope of the need in your community and
insure that this need is not already being met by another
agency.

22. Developing Community Collaborations
 Identify other agencies in the community that are
interested in partnering in the identified need
area.
 Develop relationships with these agencies in
order to strengthen programming and avoid
duplication of service.
 Determine relative strengths and weaknesses of
each partner.

23. Planning Your Project
 Utilizing information gained through partnership
development, create a project plan.
 Refer to RFP to insure that all program requirements are
covered.
 Utilize the expertise of commission staff to assist with
technical questions.
 Insure that all partners have committed to the plan, both
programmatically and fiscally.

24. Determining Agency Capacity
 Utilize organizational capacity checklist provided by
commission.
 Program sponsor must be able to demonstrate experience
in grants management and strong fiscal controls.
 Sponsor must dedicate a full time Program Director
 Sponsor must dedicate a staff member to AmeriCorps
financial management.

25. Identifying Match Dollars
 Determine what each partner will bring to the table in
terms of match. Match may be cash or in-kind.
 Verify that match is committed.
Year
1,2,3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+
Share
24% 26% 30% 34% 38% 42% 46%
50%

26. Preparing the Application
 Once the program is fully planned and funding is assured,
prepare the application.
 Take care to answer every point raised in the RFP.
 Be clear and concise. There is a page limit.

27. Preparing the Application
 Attend the mandatory training and technical assistance
session.
 Insure that minimum number of members are included.
Currently, the commission is asking that all programs plan
for at least 20 members.
 Organizations targeting rural and economically distressed
communities may request 10 members
 In the budget section, be sure not to exceed the average
cost per MSY in your request ($13,300 Formula).

28. Training and Technical Assistance Sessions
 These sessions are intended for those completing an RFP
in order to address specific questions and details regarding
the application.
 Four (4) sessions are typically held each year across the
state.
 Seek technical assistance from commission staff where
requested information seems unclear.
 Dates will be posted to the website after the new RFP is
posted.

29. NC Commission Website Tour
www.volunteernc.org

30. Final Points
 Organizational capacity and community collaboration are
key.
 Utilize the technical expertise of commission staff along
the way.
 Developing a strong AmeriCorps application may take a
year or more of planning. Most important is to develop a
program that truly meets the community’s need. Visit the
Commission’s website (www.volunteernc.org) for a list of
programs currently funded by the Commission.
 2013-14 AmeriCorps Application and Instructions will be
posted on the Commission’s website soon.

31. For Further Information
CNCS State Office:
919-856-4731
www.nationalservice.gov
NC Commission Office:
800-820-4483
www.volunteernc.org
www.americorps.gov