I thought volunteering was supposed to be a service provided by an individual without expecting payment in return.  I understand paying the volunteer coordinators and various support staff a reasonable salary but I have a problem with AmeriCorp 'volunteers' saying they don't get 'paid' enough to live on.  I don't believe a majority of the volunteers should get a salary.  Otherwise, change the term from 'volunteering' to 'paid employment' and charge them taxes like everyone else.  I also don't believe a nonprofit head should get a large six or seven digit salary.   

How can we expand opportunities to serve? We are three retired teachers who plan to correlate character development instruction with the subject areas of reading, writing, math , history, and science. The At- Risk Students will receive instruction in their self-contained classrooms (30-45 minutes). The students will receive instruction twice a week. The lessons will be taught using reading, writing, poetry, math, art, dramatizations, and music. Using individuals and innovators in history and holidays, the students will be taught the importance of positive character development.

This law is unconstitutional. There is no authority for this in Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution. If called to serve I will not obey. 

How can implementation of the Serve America Act support urban forestry in our communities?

 (801) 463-5717

(801) 573-9039 Cell

Urban Forester

ISA Certified Arborist WE-7652A

Salt Lake County Parks & Recreation

3383 South 300 East

Salt Lake City, Utah 84115

Salt Lake County Million Tree Program

(http://www.milliontrees.slco.org/index.html)

(http://one-tree-at-a-tme.blogspot.com/)

slcotreeman@twitter

I work at a college and have had to deal with Americorp for close to four years now.  I can never reach anyone at Americorp on the phone to ask questions or get any system support.  I have held for as long as 30 minutes at a time trying to reach someone.  The Americorp employees tell the students how to lie on their vouchers to get around the guidelines and get extra money, etc.  Please take a serious look at this organization as it pertains to education awards and other payouts because it is not a functioning in a fiscally or morally sound state and you owe it to the taxpayers to make it whole and accountable.   

I am an alum of AmeriCorps VISTA and NCCC. I would like to expand on the many benefits of NCCC because the program has to struggle year after year to maintain its existence and funding.

The greatest asset of NCCC (and the reason for most of its expense) is that it includes room, board and travel. As far as I know, only VISTA Campus Compact gives members housing, but that does not inlcude food or the opportunity to learn from others by living and volunteering in communities that are far from home. In most instances, NCCC is the only opportunity a low-income adult has to join AmeriCorps. This option needs to be kept open so that AmeriCorps is not only for those who can afford to participate.

 If there is any question as to how NCCC is doing in the field of service work, please ask the campuses for their most recent copies of PCRs, reports that are completed by the members indicating what type of work they are doing and what they are accomplishing. Also, ask them about the relationships they have with the sponsors who the volunteers work for. I have heard more than once from friends of mine who were members right after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that NCCC members were some of the first volunteers in the area to assist with relief work. In other cases, members fight wild fires in the west and are ready to respond to national disasters any where in the country as directed by FEMA or the American Red Cross. In other cases, members give organizations the support they need (and often can't afford) for day to day direct service tasks whether this means building houses with Habitat for Humanity in Beaumont, Texas, building trails with the Nevada Conservation Corps or being a mentor/teachers aide at Jeff Davis Elementary School in Biloxi, Mississippi.

The team-based structure of the program has many benefits as well such as learning to get along with others who are different than you and learning to contribute to a group of people at work and off of work. In addition, it fosters good health based on the weekly physical training that members need to complete each week. If you ask any former member what they got out of NCCC, many of the answers will be different, but the main ideas will be the same: being able to assist those in need in other parts of the country, and being able to work together and build friendships while doing so. 

It has been impossible for several other older adults and myself who live in St. Louis, Missouri to obtain information on how to apply for the encore component of this new program.  Even the newsletter I was told to sign up to receive to get additional information on Encore has not been helpful.  I have sent e-mail message to my senators and representatives.

As I believe  many non-profit organizations can benefit from the service of experienced, older adults with professional backgrounds, I would be willing to organize the program locally.

What other than writing President Obama's office for assistance, can we do to receive specific information? 

Thank you.

Louise

Recognizing the value of mentoring within the Serve America Act is an excellent first step, and the influx of those willing to serve as mentors because of it, will also be hugely important to our mission, but it is equally important that the Serve America Act give Mentoring Partnerships around the country the funding and tools they need to improve and expand mentoring services to our youth.  Many of the individual Partnerships act as the only one-stop shop for all things mentoring in the areas they serve.  They truly are the infrastructure of the concept of mentoring in America.  The Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership, for example, has helped more than 40 programs around the state with recruitment, training, fundraising, and other support functions, and is also able to help new mentoring programs get off the ground in the most efficient manner possible.  This allows the individual mentoring programs to spend their resources, both human and financial, on the actual mission of enhancing the lives of Rhode Island’s youth through mentoring.  Much like the way the Federal Economic Stimulus Package earmarked funds for the infrastructure of our nation such as roads, bridges, etc., we must ensure that the infrastructure of mentoring;, the individual Partnerships, is provided for through the Serve America Act for years to come.  With the proper support, Mentoring Partnerships will continue to improve the ability of quality mentoring programs around the nation to better the lives of their mentees, allowing youth to achieve their goals, and those of the country they will grow to lead.

Based on our experience and input from the disability and national service field, we have found that although CNCS regulations do not pose obstacles to full inclusion, the disability and service field's perceptions and interpretations of CNCS’ policies may have unintentional negative impacts on people with disabilities. We recommend that CNCS provide and publicize specific guidance on regulations and provisions so that all policies are inclusive of people with disabilities. Such guidance may include a definitive explanation regarding the alternatives to the requirement of a high school diploma to qualify for AmeriCorps and clarification of varied uses of the educational award. Also we recommend that, with the Social Security Administration and other federal agencies, the Corporation examine strategies to enable members to serve and receive all benefits from their service without adversely impacting their cash and/or health care benefits.

Implementing the Kennedy Serve America Act:

Advice from the

Maine Commission for Community Service
to the

Corporation for National and Community Service

Submitted by the Board Members and Staff of
the Maine Commission for Community Service

June 2009

Introduction:

The recently signed Kennedy Serve America Act will have an enormous impact on all aspects of volunteerism for decades to come.

The Maine Commission for Community Service recognizes the unique opportunity we have to shape fundamental aspects of doing business with our federal partner in the future.

The Board and Staff of the Commission thank the Corporation for National and Community Service for soliciting input before it begins formulating rules, policies, and procedures for implementation of the authorized programs.

The recommendations and comments on following pages were vetted and affirmed in a process involving both the staff and board members of the Maine Commission during early June 2009.

Leadership Opportunities For CNCS In The Field Of Community Volunteer Service

#1. Continue to use the “bully pulpit” on the national scene to foster among nonprofits a respect for the value of volunteers and a commitment to providing resources that will ensure success in volunteer endeavors.

• Advocate for management and acknowledgement of organizational volunteer assets that is equivalent to that of cash donors.
• Educate community agency leadership, donors, and business on the relationship between solid management of volunteers and program sustainability, service outcomes, and volunteer recruitment/retention.
• Continue providing leadership to research focused specifically on the volunteer sector. This brings parity and clarity to the nuanced distinctions between nonprofit issues and volunteer issues.
• Articulate the need for attention to career preparation as well as professional development of managers of volunteers and the impact this education will have on the success of the sector.

#2. Be clearer and stronger in articulating the ties between all volunteer service programs supported by CNCS and implementation by that program of the essential volunteer management practices (22 traits of high quality programs).

• It is not logical for CNCS to be conducting the research that identifies volunteer management practices as the weak link in retention and impact and then have CNCS tolerate poor management practices among its grantees. This is an educational opportunity not to be missed.
• AmeriCorps has been too long tagged as “complicated” when, in fact, it requires a grantee to implement all the essential volunteer management practices from the start.
• RSVP, Foster Grandparents, and Senior Companions do not get the deserved recognition for exemplifying these practices (at least among the Maine programs).

#3. Target the Social Innovation fund at the causes of community problems, not the symptoms.

• Require an element of civic engagement or entrepreneurial volunteering in projects funded.
• Look for applicants (who will be re-granting the funds) familiar with the lessons of the prevention field – Asset-based Community Development, community resiliency, Search Institute.
• Reward creativity, risk, as well as re-invention or re-engineering of programs and, to the extent possible, diminish the proliferation of nonprofits.
• Be vigilant about the need for these grants to address the root causes of problems in new ways rather than sustain organizations who re-package existing operations.
• Use this opportunity as the first true demonstration program for CNCS. Allow grants to be 5-6 years and permit an adequate amount of technical assistance be funded for the community grantees.

Parameters For The State/Federal Partnership

#4. Conceptually sort the authorized CNCS programs into two categories with two different sets of outcome, application, and reporting expectations.

• Category One: Highest Requirements for Application and Documentation of Performance/Impact
• Must target critical issues, contribute to either state or national performance measures, and demonstrate impact.
• The programs would include the more established National Service brands where there is an established level of structure and experience that lead to program impact. The Summer of Service program would also fit here because community-based service learning can provide a wealth of implementation expertise.
• Programs expected to respond to the assessed needs of a known constituency would be included here.
• Volunteer Generation Fund, Campuses of Service, and the Nonprofit Capacity-building Fund
• Category Two:  Modified Requirements for Application and Documentation of Performance/Impact
• Candidates for this category would be Service Fellows and Silver Scholars.
• Requirements tailored to attract smaller and more economically challenged organizations.
• Primary expected outcomes are to develop an ethic of service among those who serve, generate volunteers for faith-based and community-based programs, and provide resources to community-based groups for very parochial needs.
• Assess outcomes in pre-set measurements that easily aggregate at program, state, and national level.
• For example, ethic of service could be measured with a pre-post online survey of each Silver Scholar participant as part of enrollment and exit.
• The number of volunteers generated for organizations would be a simple count of how many volunteers before the agency added Silver Scholars and how many volunteers were attracted to their volunteer program by the addition of Silver Scholars.
• Resources could be defined to include the expertise of Service Fellows and a report (like the individual VISTA work plan of 3 years ago) could serve as the assessment of whether the placement was successful.
• Match the thoroughness of the application to the purpose and type of program. As examples:
• For Silver Scholars, focus on the elements that relate to retention and the quality of a volunteer’s experience. Assess these elements by asking agency applicants for Scholar slots how many of the essential volunteer management practices are operational in their program. A simple checklist would accomplish this. Identify the core practices that must be in place and offer incentives to programs that implement additional practices since that would increase their retention and sustainability.
• For Service Fellows, require organizations seeking to be qualified as hosts to describe the need, the outcome they desire, the support they can give the volunteer, and the resources they will make available to the Fellow. Permit off-site or telecommuting arrangements so that retirees who summer/winter in two different states can still serve through the original agency.

#5. Whatever the appropriation for the Volunteer Generation Fund, maintain the 50% formula to State Commissions and 50% competitive allocation from the beginning.

For years, rural and small State Commissions have been cobbling together bits and pieces of resources to try and help volunteer centers, organize days of service, and promote professional development among volunteer managers.

Setting the precedent of giving states dependable rather than sporadic resources is essential and responds to the hope that has been raised in our partners who have been reading the news closely. This precedent needs to start in the first year, not a subsequent year as proposed.

#6. Extend fixed-price grants into every category possible.

This type of grant brings benefits to everyone:

• Many national service grants that involve enrolling someone to serve and qualify for benefits are done on a cost-share reimbursement basis. Under fixed-price grants, the basis for receiving funds is not expenditures but enrollment of service members.
• Fixed price grants do not require budgeting for or reporting match dollars. The funds to operate the entire project are presumed to exist by the fact the work gets done. While one could argue that teaching nonprofits how to document in-kind and generate match is valuable technical assistance, the accounting staff in grantees find it burdensome due to the generally small size of CNCS grants. Among the typical small nonprofits found in Maine, the accounting systems ability to do this in a manner compliant with general federal accounting standards has been a barrier when it comes to applying directly to MCCS for support.
• These grants should eliminate the “price war” among VISTA cost-share programs, AmeriCorps State, and AmeriCorps National grantees, permitting better alignment between project purpose and the host site.

Community agencies seeking help from AmeriCorps have learned that they need to pay a fee ($5,000 to $9,000 in Maine depending on the program) that is generally set as the amount of required match divided by the number of AmeriCorps members. Sometimes the fee is modified to account for the length of time an agency has hosted a member.

Host sites have learned to “shop” for the best bargain in terms of match contribution and then mold their request to the interests of the official grantee. Numerous problems, including inconsistent partners over the life of a grant, have arisen.

• Moving to fixed-price grants will concentrate attention on performance and impact.

#7. Allow State Commissions to use a percentage of their National Service program allocations for Planning Grants for the more complex programs (Category One above) but exempt the amount from the calculation of any cost-per-service-volunteer.

• This approach will foster diversification of the organizations accessing national service resources.
• Award two-year planning grants – the first year for actual planning and the second year for a pilot operation of the plan.
• Develop online, interactive courses that guide organizations through development of sound program concepts on a self-paced time table. The current practice of aggregated reading lists is not sufficient and not supportive of those whose first language is not English.

#8. Rework and consistently offer opportunities for State Initiative proposals as a means of expanding organizational involvement and lessening the application burden on community organizations.

• Use this approach to increase the diversity of organizations (size, age, economic resources, geography, and type) with access to national service program resources.
• Exercise the new CNCS authority to assign to State Commissions specific programmatic functions to increase efficiency in the operation and oversight of national service programs to restructure the grant application process for AmeriCorps*State Formula, Education Award, any fixed-price grants for which Commission can be the conduit, and new programs such as Service Fellows and Silver Scholars .

• Model a State Initiative competition so that State Commissions apply to be intermediaries and take on the burden of the full application as well as reporting to CNCS.
• Permit States to re-grant the funds using state competitive procurement or grant processes that meet minimum criteria (peer review, scoring, etc.).
• Give preference to statewide performance measures that relate to State funding priorities or strategic plan objectives.
•  Ensure local innovation and opportunity for unique needs by requiring that State Initiatives allow community groups to customize a percentage of work (e.g., 30%).

Technical Issues Related To Rules, Administrative Policies, and Practices

#9. Set the fixed-price grant amount for programs with part-time members at the same full-time equivalent level as programs with full-time members.

• Although programs with part-time volunteers are not likely to pay benefits, the complexity of training, supervising, and supporting a larger number of people actually places greater demands on a volunteer program.
• Fixed-price grants that are based on the total FTEs of part-time volunteers have a unique impact on part-time volunteer programs because the funds can be targeted at quality management or implementation of the volunteer project and, thereby, increase retention and sustainability.
• Fixed-price grants are more “scalable” and, therefore, open participation to a greater number of community-based and faith-based efforts.

#10. Change the formula for determining State Program Development and Training allocations from per-AmeriCorps-Member enrolled to one that accounts for all national service members plus development activities for potential grantees.

• End the system of issuing contracts to technical assistance providers at the national level.
• Increase emphasis on using PDAT funds to coach potential grantees on how to use national service resources for meeting local needs.
• Allocate these funds as a block to cover all national service programs in a state and require needs assessments, integrated plans to meet needs, and that all training/technical assistance activities be accessible to all national service grant personnel.

#11. Likewise, with the change in Disability Funds that makes these available to all national service programs rather than just AmeriCorps*State grantees,

• Allow a percentage of funds to be used to conduct outreach and training for potential host sites or stations on universal design of volunteer service opportunities.
• Set come clear guidelines on use of accommodation funds so it is possible to determine if eyeglasses, hearing aids, or other devices for aging volunteers can be allowable uses.

The Act also states, “No match requirements for any program in a severely economically distressed community.” Who will make this determination? I certainly hope that this determination will not be made void any input from the program that will be affected.

The Act says Board members terms would be five years and don’t appear to be staggered. Having experienced the opportunity to re-educated colleagues due to turnover, this becomes a time consuming job. You also have a time period when the members will not be up to peak performance until they learn the intricacies of the programs. How will this be addressed? Whose job will this fall to?

Simply stated:  Senior Programs would not benefit from drastic changes such as closing state offices and recompetition of grants.   

We have a network of Volunteer Centers in place across the country, that work daily with nonprofit community agencies.  What better way to help communities, community agencies and the people they serve then reinforcing exisiting Volunteer Center's infrastructures.  We are here to assist all community agencies in fulfilling their missions to assist the people in need.   There is much talk about new  nationwide programs for volunteer management. We are already in the area, working with nonprofits that respond to community needs. We already have a working knowledge of what is needed in our communities.  We ask that you assist us with grant opportunities to support our infrastructure as well as our programs that serve.  For smaller Volunteer Centers, nationwide programs for additional workers is not a viable option. We cannot afford to pay, house and put together an office for additional workers when what is really needed is additional capital for our existing programs.  Infusion of financial support will strengten our existing community programs that will broaden our impact to our nonprofit partner agencies. 

Here we are!  Use us!  Support us!

I was an AmeriCorps member in 2006-2007.  I think that it is good that the ed award can now be given to children or grandchildren.  I know AmeriCorps members that wanted to be able to do that.  It would be nice if the living allowance wasn't taxed.  The living allowance was difficult to live on as it was.  The extra money from taxes would have helped.  Also it would be nice if the Ed Award wasn't taxed.  I put off using my Ed Award until I was making enough money to cover the taxes from using it.  I'm hoping that the taxes will not be very much.  Thank you for expanding the AmeriCorps program.  It was a wonderful experience.  I hope to be an AmeriCorps member again some time in my future.

In implementing re-competition I ask you to remember that over the past 30+ years RSVP has worked to provide more than 65,000 nonprofit organizations with approximately 430,000 volunteers to address and meet their needs, at a great savings to them and their local communities.  Many RSVP's provide their services on a very small and tight budget with staff receiving very little administrative increases if any at all yet they still provide a high quality program.  All over the nation the economy is causing local and state funding sources to refrain from increases or to implement cuts on their allocations, especially in small and rural areas.  This is not a healthy situation to be re-competing RSVP programs that are helping nonprofits, schools, disaster agencies, etc., meeting their goals and doing their best to expand services to address identified/critical needs with no additional funding.  Isn't all that part of what RSVP is about, what we have always been asked to do?  The Corporation and the National RSVP Board have had good partnerships and strive for good communication, I urge the Corporation to continue on this trend as there can be some great team work and collaboration in introducing re-competition so RSVP's may continue to strengthen and not weaken volunteer service provided to agencies and their communities and to avoid disruption in the lives of hundreds of thousands of our senior volunteers and those volunteers serve.  As you know when we talk about those served by volunteers it is not just the nonprofit/agency staff, school personnel, etc. so they can continue services it is the elderly, disabled, vulnerable, youth, at-risk, animals, and the list goes on.  Volunteers within nonprofits to help provide needed services is most essential now with the economy and its recovery so I again urge you to work closely with the National Boards to set up a system that helps to first evaluate and work with programs that may not be meeting their performance measures so they may be in a much better position with re-competition to keep their program.  A goal should be to ensure that RSVP's provide high quality volunteer opportunities and meet community needs not burden them unnecessarily. 

I also concur with Mike Shore's comments listed in this section regarding state commissions as overseer of Senior Corps.  In addition I would like to add many state volunteer commission offices have enough to oversee and enact as determined by their state government and with re-competition our state offices are in a much better position to work with project sponsors and directors.   I would rather see the Corporation give state offices, sponsors and directors the technical tools and support to form and develop lasting beneficial (for all) partnerships that promote volunteerism within their state.

Thank you for the opportunity to be able to give our input. 

In these difficult financial times, RSVP volunteers in McHenry and Kane Counties in Illinois are being called to action.  Seasoned volunteers (55+) are solving critical community needs.  Even with shrinking budgets, requests for volunteer assistance are on the rise.  Nationally, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program has been successfully working with volunteers for approximately 40 years.  In our community, the RSVP program began in 1987 when Senior Services, our sponsoring agency made the decision that volunteerism was an important to their mission.  The program has grown to 700 active volunteers providing more than 80,000 service hours at 90 nonprofit agencies.   

RSVP and the other Senior Corps programs are working well, and to consider drastic changes like closing state offices and recompetition of grants during these tumultuous times does not seem wise.   

Of course, it's still early in the game, but there are some features of the Campus of Service application criteria (established in the Serve America Act) that we feel should be sorted out:

I would strongly urge the Corporation to reconsider the closing of state offices and moving the senior corps programs under the state commissions.  The State Commissions are not ready in all states to take on these additional programs, they are highly politicized and would be detrimental to the well established Senior Corps programs.  Whey re-invent a system that has worked for more than 30 years. In times of economic problems, why take valued dollars to change a system, why not better invest those dollars into providing technical support to the existing programs an state offices. I would also urge the Corporation to take the time to move the re-competition forward, by looking at underperforming programs, give them the technical assistance to bring their programs into compliance.  The RSVP programs have built long standing community partnerships and have raised in-kind dollars to meet community needs.  These RSVP volunteers do not look to RSVP for a two year commitment, but a lifetime of service to their communities.  They are pleased with how the current RSVP programs work and assist them in building communities.  Most RSVP volunteers do not just take on one project to concentrate their volunteer efforts, but a multitude of areas and save community partners millions of dollars.  Thank you for allowing us on the grass roots level to bring our concerns to the table.  Let us help you move this agenda forward by building our existing programs and not start from a new foundation.

From my perspective as a full-time AmeriCorps member, this is an exciting time for civic engagement. Recent developments at the national level are inspiring and empowering more people to give of their time and talents to help others in substantial ways. I’m thrilled by the recent surge of civic interest on my campus and am delighted to be a part of this new era of national service. I feel we’ll achieve so much good!

In the rapid growth, however, it seems that the terminology is getting slightly jumbled. With programs like AmeriCorps providing stipends and scholarships for community involvement, it’s getting trickier and trickier to effectively conduct research on and clearly communicate about the concept of volunteerism.  In addition, I've noticed that some people are opposed to AmeriCorps based on the belief that volunteering shouldn't be monetarily compensated. (And considering that volunteering, by definition, is the unpaid service I do after work or on the weekends, I honestly do feel a little bit of cognitive dissonance when someone calls me a "volunteer" or says I'm doing "service" when referring to my AmeriCorps efforts). 

I recently read with interest about the signing of landmark national-service legislation sponsored by Senators Kennedy and Hatch.  Congratulations!  As an elementary school teacher who has diligently implemented Service and more recently, Service-Learning activities, for the past 14 years, I have had to work very hard in order to make this kind of learning a reality. 

As part of my curriculum, I employ Community-Based Learning and actively engage my students in Service-Learning.  Community-Based Learning provides that community members’ expertise is shared with students, adding to student knowledge.  Service-Learning, allows students to apply the skills they are learning in the classroom to real life situations and to put effort into some other valuable lessons in life such as, the importance of community, thinking of others, and working together to make this a better world.

In our most recent project, Water is Essential!, my students gave priority to the fact that all humans share the basic need of safe drinking water, to the main reason for people not having safe water is a lack of money, and that money is needed to pay for infrastructure to access water and maintain water supplies.  Students investigated a solution of helping to bring potable water to West African villagers and identified the solution that when safe water is available entire village economies change and those people’s lives go from disease and malnutrition to hope and success.

The outcome of our Water is Essential! Project was that my students learned that they could help improve the quality of life for others and affect the world in a positive way.  Students learned that they could raise awareness, take action, and inspire others to take action.  My students are learning so early on in their lives about water issues and what a great start this project is for them in becoming conscientious citizens of the world.  I firmly believe that these kinds of exposures and experiences that we provide for our youth during their formative years truly make a difference in their learning and lives. 

I have observed the positive impact that this learning has had in the classroom.  Community members have provided my students with lasting impressions through their involvement with our curriculum while our Service-Learning activities have allowed us to make a difference by adding to the good.  Because this involvement has had such an indelible positive effect, I strongly support these kinds of learning activities.

I have provided this kind of learning in addition to what is required of me in my job as a teacher.  It takes an incredible amount of personal time and energy in order to make Service-Learning opportunities a reality.  My hope is that those in the position of making the blueprint for national-service legislation, will speak in depth with the teachers who are directly involved with preparing students.  Too often, those who make policy lack knowledge about the day-to-day workings or have little notion as to what is involved in implementing the policies they make.    

Respectfully,

Anna Saldo-Burke, Ed.D.

As as sponsor of a Senior Corp project RSVP we like having our state office staff able to assist us and help us in our community outreach and work.  If you decide to close offices and we then have to report to a regional office everyone loses.  The programs, the staff the funders the community and especially the community.  This is also true for recompetition of programs.  Seniors do not like change.   You will lose volunteers in doing that.  It took us three years to establish a base and repoire as we began our project in 1999.   The cost of starting a program over at a new sponsor is not in anyone's best interest unles that current sponsor is not doing the job.  If they are they should not have to recompete. 

In the in subtitle B amendment on pages 2-3 of the summary, under the “Higher Education” category (bullet 4) it states:

Adds authority to designate up to 25 institutions of higher education with exemplary records of student civic engagement and service-learning as “Campuses of Service.” A designated Campus of Service will be eligible for grant funds to encourage students to engage in service during school and in their future careers.

Comment & Questions: Given that the act lists civic engagement and service-learning that these are two different ways to be involved in service – so

1. What criteria will be used to determine how schools are selected as one of the 25 Campuses of Service”?
2. Will there be two separate sets of criteria, one for civic engagement & one for service-learning?
3. Must schools meet both sets of criteria?
4. Who will help formulate the criteria and will the formulators represent the variety of higher educational institution types?
5. Will all schools be evaluated the same – for example: research one schools with research two and community colleges?

I am participating in a teleconference meeting.  As a representative of a state service commission, I am disappointed and appalled by the attitude of Senior Corps programs towards state commissions.  Senior Corps must move away from its entitlement mentality!

Volunteer resources leaders especially at the state and local levels do not appear to have been specifically called upon in an organized, broad based and comprehensive way to contribute to shaping the Serve America Act prior to its passage.  The current participatory processes of the Corporation for National and Community Service are very commendable. Now we need to be sure that “at the table” participation of volunteer resources leaders is incorporated on an ongoing basis in all aspects of Corporation leadership and efforts.

Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this important input process!

As a FGP project coordinator for the past 36 years, I strongly suggest that the stipend be increased to at least $3.00/hour.

The current stipend, $2.65/hour, has been in place for many years.  The time for a modest increase is long past due.  These dedicated FGPs devote their lives to helping special needs youths in our setting, juvenile delinquents at Ethan Allen School, Wales, WI.

The current STATE office is an assest to the Senior Corp Programs.  Our State Corporation Staff is very helpful in working with our Senior Companion Program.  They take interest in the program and have attend monthly In-service meetings, Advisory Council meetings and  Volunteer Station Supervisor's meetings. They have shared information at these meetings. They do a great job in keeping us informed and encourages us to be creative!

I hope that the State office continues to serve Senior Corp programs.   

I joined a listening session to address the problems with Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation in America.

I was under the impression we were supposed to be able to provide input.

Now I see it is just another "listen" only session.

How exactly do we get our issues to the top.

Something must be done about the way our vulnerable citizens being ignored by our administration.

Please will someone tell us how we are to get information to the top.

I do not understand why the Corporation is considering transferring Senior Corps programs to State Commissions. 

Reducing or eliminating Corporation staff will not save money as they will be replaced by Commission staff.  It seems likely that this new staff will be unfamiliar with Senior Corps programs in general, not to mention the specific programs in their state. It doesn't make sense to remove the expertise that already exists.

Furthermore, it's no secret that in many states, Commissioners (and at times even their staff) are appointed for political reasons with little or no regard to qualifications.  Beyond the obvious problems this poses, there is the possibility that funding decisions will be based on political affiliation and campaign donations, not on merit and results.

An even bigger problem with this idea is the potential to use Senior Corps funds to plug holes in a State's budget or to boost programs the Commission staff is more familiar with. 

Our statewide Corporation staff does a great job of keeping us informed, helping us to meet our goals and encouraging us to expand our horizons.  I hope the Corporation keeps the current system that has and continues to work well.

Success happens when everyone involved is benefited. Combining Service and learning provides positive outcomes for all involved.

Service-Learning arguably exerts a much greater impact than service alone. Academic Service-Learning targets course curriculum outcomes (discipline specific content), general learner outcomes (universal outcomes such as diversity, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and critical thinking skills), community partner outcomes (increased capacity), faculty outcomes (teaching tool, personal growth), educational institution outcomes (community outreach, lifelong learning) and governmental outcomes (immediate access to the infrastructure needed to administrate and successfully implement initiatives).

One suggestion: Funding for The Presidential Volunteer Service Awards for Senior Corps programs.

Presidential Volunteer Service Awards are powerful ways to recognize individuals and groups for their service.  They are not expensive, however, our budgets are VERY tight.

Although most people do not serve for recognition, the awards show them they are appreciated and that their work is meaningful. Often volunteers leave their volunteer positions because they do not see their small contribution as part of a whole.  During our annual recognition event, we use the awards to provide a spotlight for the entire community to see the good works going on throughoput the entire county by everyday people. Elected officials on the local and state level are present and our newspaper showcases the awrd winners on the front page the next day. The awards inspire others to serve.  They also have a desireable side benefit - volunteers now are more likely to ensure the agencies turn in their volunteer hours to Senior Corps programs like RSVP.  This helps us know where volunteers are active and helps us quantify the level of their contribution and follow the impact of their efforts.

How and where will the Vet Corps positions be advertised and when

As exciting as the Serve America Act is, the minimal resources/funding allowed Senior Corps is extremely disappointing.  Senior Corps has provided measurable, accountable results for decades.  Strategies for increasing civic engagement can not be accompished without providing adequate resources.  Volunteerism is extrodinarily cost effective - but it is not free.  We have done more with less for so long that perhaps we have created an image that this can continue. "Doing "more with less" is usually not a sustainable strategy. And ultimately, we can only do what the community supports us to do." 

As an RSVP grantee, I support re-competition of RSVP grants because I believe in accountability and open processes.  I manage six RSVP programs and believe my organization is best positioned to leverage the resources needed for all six programs to be successful.  I am concerned, however, about having a "level playing field" when I compete.  The grant application I submit has been and will continue to be developed over time with resources provided by the sponsoring organization.  If the application process requires me to share that application with other entities who could at some future time use my own grant application to compete with me, I would view that as an unfair advantage for an organization that didn't have to expend such resources to develop a good proposal.  Also, I routinely encourage my staff to share our best practices and lessons learned with partners--now I need to view those partners as potential competitors?  Philosophically, I'm on board with re-competing, but I think the logistics will prove troublesome and in at least some cases fundamentally unfair.  I don't have a solution to offer, but thought others might be interested in engaging in a discussion on the topic.

In addition, if RSVP grantees need to re-compete, why would other grantees not need to re-compete (FGP, SCP, AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve)?  I manage more than one CNCS program, and it seems to me the concept of re-competition either has merit or it does not.  I'd be interested in what others have to say about these issues.  Thanks.

Illinois has been embarrassed twice in the last ten years by governors who have used their political influence to make national headlines.  They sell Senatorial seats, take kickbacks, and sell state jobs.  The State Commission office has had a vacant Executive Director seat more than a filled one in the last few years because of Governor turn-over and tight budgets.  And yet, a proposal to move the Senior Corps programs to the state commission office is being debated?  Do you even know how professional and helpful the state Corporation program staff is in Illinois?  Under the keen, experienced John Hosteny, they bring dedication, caring and knowledge to a new level.  I can't imagine life without them as I run three senior corps programs and call him at least once or twice per month with serious concerns and I have 20 years of experience! What will the new directors do?  Please do not make the mistake of making this a political hot potato by moving us to the state commission offices.  Please!

As coordinator of Student Development for civic engagement at a major research university, words cannot describe how thrilled I am at the passage of the Kennedy Service Act!.  For ten years as Coordinator I have seen first hand the tremendous impact that AmeriCorps has both on the being serving and the people being served. 

However here is my concern:AmeriCorps grants require a 15% cash match at the local level.  We are located in a rural part of Illinois where unemployement and poverty rates are significant.  This makes it financially difficult for K-12 public schools as well as non-profit organziations to meet the 15% cash match.  The schools and non-profits really need the AmeriCorps members and value their service.  Will this concern be addressed in the final law?  Thanks! 

-- Entry redacted to remove personal information --

As a former LISC AmeriCorps in 2004 and 2005, I earned two educational awards. I am 74 years of age and want to pass my earned awards to my grandchildren. As I read the new legislation, I understand that is now possible for volunteers over 55 to do this. Careful examination of the legislation does not appear to preclude this transfer for Volunteers before October of 2009.

As you are in the process of writing the regulations, please grandmother/grandfather people like me into that legislation. I did earn the awards and believe that I should be able to transfer them to a family member. Your budget would not increase because the awards are already set aside for my use.

I strongly believe in public service………….and hope that I have passed those values onto my children and grandchildren. But I don’t want to benefit from public service at the expense of the education of my own grandchildren.

Thank you, Mary Beth Koechlin

GRADUATION PLEDGE ALLIANCE (GPA)

The Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility  states: "I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work." 

Students define for themselves what it means to be socially and environmentally responsible. Students at over a hundred colleges and universities  are using the pledge at some level. The schools involved include liberal arts colleges (e.g. Bates and Carleton); state universities (such as Colorado and Indiana); private research universities (including Stanford and University of Notre Dame); and schools outside the U.S. (e.g., Taiwan and Canada). The Pledge is also now found at graduate and professional schools, as well  as high schools. 

Graduates who voluntarily signed the pledge have sought out employment reflecting their values and visions, turned down jobs with which they did not feel comfortable, and worked to make changes once on the job. For example, they have promoted recycling at their organization, removed racist language from a training manual, worked for gender parity in high school athletics, and helped to convince an employer to refuse a chemical weapons-related contract. 

The Pledge was initiated at Humboldt State University in California, Manchester College in Indiana coordinated the campaign effort for ten years, and Bentley University near Boston took over the reigns during 2007-2008. The project has taken different forms at different institutions. For example, at Manchester, students sign and keep a wallet-size card stating the pledge, the pledge is printed in the formal commencement program, and students and supportive faculty wear green ribbons at commencement. (At a few schools, a different color ribbon is used.).  At Bentley University the pledge is a "capstone" of  its four-year Civic Leadership Program; at MIT  there is a Pledge Ambassador program; and at Humboldt State, student government funds a student pledge coordinator internship.

Depending upon the school, it might take several years to reach this level of institutionalization.  If one can get a few groups/departments involved, and get some media attention on (and off) campus, it will get others interested and build for the future. The project has been covered by newspapers (e.g., USA Today); magazines (e.g., Business Week), national radio networks (for instance, ABC); and local TV stations (like in Ft. Wayne, IN). 

In a sense, the Pledge operates at three levels: students and graduates making choices about their employment; schools educating about values and citizenship rather than only knowledge and skills; and the workplace and society being concerned about more than just the bottom line. The impact is immense  if only a significant minority of the millions of college graduates each year sign and live out the Pledge. 

The Graduation Pledge Alliance has a web site for campus organizers and pledge signers (www.graduationpledge.org ). PLEASE KEEP US INFORMED OF ANY PLEDGE EFFORTS YOU ARE EVEN CONSIDERING TO UNDERTAKE, AS WE TRY TO MONITOR WHAT IS HAPPENING, AND PROVIDE PERIODIC UPDATES ON THE NATIONAL EFFORT (INCLUDING HINTS ON HAVING A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN). Contact  GPA@Bentley.edu for further information, questions, or comments.

The Graduation Pledge is a project of the Bentley Alliance for Ethics and Social Responsibility, Bentley University.

I represent a midwest group of volunteer managers, (NWVAN-Northwest Volunteer Administrators Network) of about 40 volunteer managers of non profit agencies in the northwest subrubs of Chicago, and we were shocked and upset that the new serve.gov website allows ANYONE to post a volunteer opportunity without any oversight or checking to see if the agency is a legitimate charitable organization.  This new online recruitment system should immediately shut down, until proper controls are in place to prevent the enourmous possibilities of multiple abuse nationwide.

Hi All! I want to thank you all for coming to Boston, and wanted to input some more advice for consideration with the Kennedy Serve America Act and what I hope can be recognized for change and development within the AmeriCorps program. I am a current AmeriCorps*VISTA in Boston, MA and I love being one, and I wouldn't have ever changed my decision to do AmeriCorps (I had been offered a position working with the Obama campaign, but turned it down to do a year of national service I so desperately wanted to do).

1. HealthCare for AmeriCorps members.

Although I know this is contracted for a time period with Seven Corners, someone at the Boston listening session mentioned the inadequacies of the AmeriCorps health plan in comparsion to what is available to Massachusetts residents, the plan we recieve currently is subpar in comparison to many of the Massachusetts plans available to those at low income levels per state law.

As a point of reference, I have had many medical issues this year including a trip to the E.R., which has led to numerous doctors appointments. In addition I have needed numerous dental appointments this year due to unforseen issues. I am constantly worrying about my medical expenses and my credit limits. Thankfully my parents are able to aid me with the costs of these medical issues, but I belive that such a plan pushes many away from AmeriCorps.

2. Living -- The VISTA wage is there for a point, and we all know what we are getting ourselves into, but AmeriCorps and the organizations that recieve AmeriCorps members should be more in tune with the realities of living on a VISTA or other AmeriCorps stipend.

 I currently pay approximately 65% of my paycheck towards a rental apartment in the neighborhood of Allston/Brighton, that does not include the other necessities that I have to pay for including heat and electricity. Evaluation is needed to find out more about housing and AmeriCorps members across the US. Sadly, this is the least expensive apartment I've lived in while in Boston. I've been living in Boston for 5 years now. The other apartments included a 3 bed room, a 4 bedroom, and now I'm in the smallest and least expensive a 2 bedroom. In addition the costs needed upfront for an apartment in a city such as Boston are extremely high and with moving expenses it would be extremely helpful to have support in making a payment on an apartment, or if AmeriCorps was able to help provide more housing to AmeriCorps members this would be extremely helpful.


3. Expanded programming means more indivuals living on public assistance.
 I highly suggest CNCS look into the increse of AmeriCorps members and consider their use of public assistance for a study and evaluation. I'm not sure what kind of burden this increase will have on Departments of Transitional Assistance across the country.


4. In addition I've had many non US residents ask about AmeriCorps and I would hope that it could be considered further in the future as a pathway to citizenship for insterested indivduals.

I feel there are too many restrictions on the education award. Following are three important points that would vastly improve the education award program and promote an increase in volunteers.

• The award needs to be transferable to spouses, children, and grandchildren.
• If a service member dies with unused education benefits, the benefits should become part of his or her estate useable by his or her spouse, children, or grandchildren.
• As the living expense is already below poverty level, neither it nor the education award should be taxable.

Thank you so much for considering these desperately needed changes. Additionally, when these changes are implemented, they should apply to all unused educational awards on record, not just from a certain date forward. Otherwise, it would be implied that all previous volunteers are undeserving of the benefits they worked so hard to earn.

While the arts-related language in the Serve America Act Education Corps section differentiates between “musicians and artists” – federal education policy does not.  The “arts” are a core academic subject under the Elementary & Secondary Education Act and are not further broken down, or divided, into specific disciplines.  The implementation of the Serve America Act should continue this policy of providing support to all the artistic disciplines which includes dance, theater, music and the visual arts.

Please consider lowering the amount of state match so that we may be better able to take advantage of the available resources.  Currently we are restricted by how much the state can match, which in these economic times might become even less than current levels.

Thank you,

Melissa Newton

KY Commission

I support the current system for Senior Corps...funding from CNCS directly instead of going through State Commissions.  I find the staff at our CNCS state office to be very friendly and extremely helpful.  Rather than having another level to go through (ie, state commissions), the CNCS State Staff are knowledgeable regarding Senior Corps and AmeriCorps VISTA.  I hope state offices of CNCS are not eliminated.  Thank you!

Sec. 1305, Assistance to State Commissions, Section 126 (3) Alternative, will provide critically important relief to many state commissions, including the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism. Our commission suggests that CNCS consider appropriate criteria for granting this match relief so that state commissions which meet the requirements may be granted the waiver on 2010 Aministration grants.

Recognizing that state commissions meet the match requirement in several different ways, we suggest that CNCS consider a broad set of criteria for ways that commissions may qualify for the waiver. In Georgia, for instance, the state commission has matched the CNCS Administration grant through a state appropriation contained in the annual budget. For Fiscal Year 2009,  the Georgia budget crisis caused by the recession led to a sharp reduction in the Georgia Commission budget and for FY 2010 the Georgia Commission budget has been reduced by 41 percent. This means that the increase in the CNCS Administration allocation for Georgia for 2010 will be inaccessible for our state commission unless the waiver on the first $250,000 of the Administration amount is granted.

To prepare for growth in AmeriCorps programming in future years and to begin implementing the new components of the Serve America Act, state commissions must have the organizational capacity to manage new responsibilities.  The recession has weakened our state commission financially at the very time that we need to lay the groundwork for the growth projected by the Serve America Act. The administration waiver is a lifeline that can help state commissions survive intact through a very difficult period and our commission suggests that CNCS consider ways to carefully but effectively use this provision in the new law to achieve financial stability.

Please consider eliminating or reducing the number of restrictions for VISTA members.  Specifically, please allow VISTA members to seek additional work opportunities if it is approved with their sponsor organization.

Much of my VISTA work addresses homeless issues.  I would love to apply for a part time position at a homeless shelter if I was allowed to.

Can we amend the law that governs the educational trust so that Corp volunteers are allowed to use their educational trust towards past educational expenses, i.e. tuition owed to at title iv schools, prior to their "current" AmeriCorp term of service?  The trust is designed so that it may be applied to qualified student loans and "current" costs of attending qualified schools however this benefit is somewhat restrictive and a bit confounding. One of the key objectives of the AmeriCorp program is to strengthen the community - this educational trust policy should be expanded to fit that goal by simply allowing the award to be used for qualified title iv schools "current" and past.  Thank you.

Welcome.  We look forward to your thoughts and ideas!