Congress is looking to eliminate funding for AmeriCorps programs.  Such a bad idea – especially in these tough economic times when the demand placed on nonprofits has never been higher.  I am amazed that after my 16 years of working with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), state service commissions and AmeriCorps State and National programs throughout the country, how many people are still unaware of AmeriCorps and the MANY benefits the program brings to local communities.  When I mention to people that I train and consult with AmeriCorps, I often still have to say, “you know…it is the domestic Peace Corps.”  Then people get it.

AmeriCorps has never received the widespread recognition that it deserves and that is a true shame.  One of the topics I have done extensive work on with AmeriCorps programs nationally is performance measurement and evaluation – a key requirement of all AmeriCorps programs.  The bar is high to show real impact – and CNCS is enforcing even tougher standards through Agency-Wide priority measures tied to their strategic plan.  So what I know to be true is that these programs are providing fabulous service to their communities and making a significant measurable impact - because I have helped them figure out how to measure it!

What is AmeriCorps?

For those of you that don’t know, AmeriCorps is a National Service program that places members (aka volunteers) at nonprofits and state/local government agencies, often in teams, to provide volunteer service addressing specific local social and environmental needs. One of the things I really like about AmeriCorps is that it is great example of a federal/state/local partnership.  The federal portion of the dollars provided by CNCS for the program is matched locally via cash and in kind resources – basically dollar for dollar. AmeriCorps resources are focused on evidence-based programming in seven key areas (education, veterans and military families, disaster services, economic opportunity, healthy futures, environmental stewardship, and nonprofit capacity building) to leverage the greatest impact nationally. Each hosting organization tailors their program to provide locally relevant services

Full-time members give 1700 hours of their time, receive a tiny monthly living stipend, and at the end of their service commitment an educational award to pay for additional schooling or past educational debt.  While the majority of members are in the 20′s, there is no upper age limit and it is not uncommon to see 20 somethings working alongside people in their 40′s, 50s, and 60s from a wide range of backgrounds!  The monthly stipend is great, in my opinion, as it levels the playing field allowing people of any financial background to participate – not just those whose parents can afford to support them while they serve!

AmeriCorps members work directly with the beneficiaries of their hosting organization doing such things as tutoring students having trouble in school, running afterschool programs, cleaning up neighborhoods, developing neighborhood watch programs, assisting communities hit by disasters, running food pantries, and building homes – just to name a few.  All AmeriCorps programs are required to provide direct service to meet a documented community need, provide the necessary training for members to effectively provide high quality service and become more civically engaged, develop/strengthen partnerships among community organizations, and recruit other community members to get involved in giving back as volunteers.

Why should you care?

AmeriCorps truly expands the capacity of local nonprofits to meet local needs and allows them to offer services to the needy that would not be possible otherwise due to stretched resources due to diminishing charitable donations, hiring freezes and staff shortages.  Do a little research of your own and you’ll quickly see – AmeriCorps is no loosey goosey – pork barrel program.  AmeriCorps is a powerful investment in our country’s future.   Tell your Congresspeople to Save AmeriCorps!  Go to Voices for National Service or AmeriCorps Alums to learn how you can have your voice heard.

I am in New Orleans in the rain today…and am now the proud owner of yet another umbrella…  Earlier in the week, I facilitated the session, Transitioning to New Opportunities, at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) sponsored Gulf Coast Convening (Twitter – #gulfconvening).  148 people representing the nonprofit, government, and business sectors from 4 states (LA, MS, AL, and FL) attended to share ideas and best practices for how national service and volunteer programs can support the recovery efforts post BP oil spill.  The Convening also offered participants an opportunity to discuss needs of affected local communities and ways to collaborate for greater impact using available resources.

Today while I was wandering around in the rain after having my mandatory beignets and coffee at Cafe du Monde, I noticed an Abita beer poster in a bar window detailing that Abita would donate $.75 for every SOS beer sold to saving the gulf coast.  So while I am drying out before my next walk in the rain, I went to the Abita website to learn more.  The site is great – complete with moving birds and fishing boats.  Very creative!

“Working with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board (LSPMB), Abita Beer announced that it has established ‘SOS – A Charitable Fund’ that will assist with the rescue and restoration of the environment, industry and individuals fighting to survive this disastrous oil spill.

The fund has pledged that 100% of all money raised will go to charity. In addition, the Louisiana Seafood Marketing Board will play an important role in advising where the money can do the most good. An advisory committee is being established as the donation process and grant procedures are finalized.

The centerpiece of the fundraising effort is a new charitable beer created by Abita. The brew, called SOS – A Charitable Pilsner, will generate 75¢ for every bottle sold. This Abita Beer is a message in a bottle…a distress signal for the troubled waters of our Gulf Coast. For every bottle sold Abita will donate 75¢ to the rescue and restoration of the environment, industry and individuals fighting to survive this disastrous oil spill.”

“In addition, related retail merchandise (hat, tee shirt, lapel pin, decal and car magnet) will be sold and 100% of the net proceeds will also go to the SOS Fund.”  Check it out here.

The special web pages allow visitors to donate directly to the SOS fund, which I like.  Abita Beer has pledged to cover administrative fees associated with the SOS fund so that 100% of donated money will reach those most in need – which is great!

Founded in 1986, the Abita Brewing Company is nestled in the piney woods 30 miles north of New Orleans.  I love this visible support of a local company for their community!!

The past couple weeks I facilitated (as a consultant with JBS International) small group discussions in four cities designed to gather stakeholder input – part of a series of 15 Community Dialogues being hosted around the country by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) as part of their 5 year strategic planning process.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act outlines 6 priority areas in which the service and volunteerism programs funded by CNCS (AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve America) will be focused moving forward – Education, Healthy Futures, (Economic) Opportunity, Veterans, Disaster Preparedness, and Clean Energy.  In each area, CNCS has identified draft key objectives that are felt to be areas in which targeted service and volunteerism can truly move the needle and make a significant contribution.

(Chart from CNCS Strategic Plan Fact Sheet.)

The small group discussion processes I have been facilitating seek input on whether the key objectives for success in 5 years seem sound, if there are other key objectives that should also be considered, and what stakeholders view as the challenges and opportunities available for programming in these areas.

Stakeholders invited to participate include a broad range of organizations – representatives of state service commissions, CNCS state offices, National Service programs, corporations, foundations, local and state government officials, community-based organizations, and faith-based organizations.  It has been very interesting to me to hear the differences in need and perspective based on regional differences and local needs as groups engage in the dialogue and I am processing the collected data.

I have been impressed with the quality of input the invited stakeholders have offered, the openness in which Patrick Corvington – CNCS CEO, Board members, and senior staff have received the input, and the real time revisions of the preliminary key objectives the agency is doing based on the input they are receiving.  Well done all around!

If you would like to provide input on any of these focus areas, CNCS has set up a website to collect public feedback.  Click here to go to that site.  CNCS is also hosting a series of webinars also designed to collect stakeholder input.  The dates of the webinars are:

• Education: Tuesday, July 13 at 2:30pm EDT
• Opportunity: Wednesday, July 14 at 1:30pm EDT
• Clean Energy: Thursday, July 22 at 2:00pm EDT
• Healthy Futures: Tuesday, July 27 at 1:30pm EDT
• Veterans: Thursday, July 29 at 1:30pm EDT
• Disaster Preparedness: Wednesday, August 4th at 1pm EDT

For information about how to access the webinars, click here.

Next week, I travel to Indianapolis to facilitate another Community Dialogue.  Later in August, I will also be in Detroit, Flint, and New Orleans for their Community Dialogues.  Makes for a busy summer…and I love doing this work!

Check out this video with Bon Jovi – I loved it!!  I heard Bon Jovi speak a couple years ago at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service and he did a great job talking about giving back and honoring those people who do so.  I have worked as a trainer and consultant through JBS International’s Aguirre Division with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the National Service programs it funds – AmeriCorps, VISTA, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve America – for 15 years.  Much of my work has involved training programs how to evaluate their services to identify clearly the impact they are making so they are able to tweak their program models as well as demonstrate to their communities the value they offer.  I have been so inspired by the dedication, commitment, and true impact these National Service programs are making and the ways they have helped strengthen nonprofit capacity and service delivery.  I am a BIG fan!

National Service programs go through extensive vetting…so when you support one of them, you know your resources are going to be well used.  They are a great investment in making a difference.  To find out what National Service programs are in your area, go to the CNCS website or Serve.gov.

I was very excited a few minutes ago to read that the Obama Administration has finally announced its choice for CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).  CNCS is the nation’s largest grantmaker supporting service and volunteering. Through their Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, they provide opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to express their patriotism while addressing critical community needs.  Since the Corporation’s inception:

• More than 1 billion volunteer service hours have been generated by Senior Corps volunteers;
• More than 400,000 individuals have served through AmeriCorps; and
• More than 1 million high school students participate annually in service-learning initiatives funded by Learn and Serve America.

I have been an external consultant/trainer to CNCS and its programs for 14 years helping insure that participating organizations are excellent stewards of federal and local resources.  My areas of focus have included performance measurement and evaluation, board development, creating strategic partnerships with businesses, leadership, organization development, strategic planning, and using technology as a management tool.  Not only has CNCS (and the programs it funds) been one of my long-term clients (thus helping pay the bills), they have also been a source of inspiration for me as I am constantly impressed by the commitment and passion of the folks on the ground in local communities (and in DC) who truly believe in the power of service and volunteerism in addressing the social ills of our times.  Especially since I have worked so much with programs looking at their impact, I have had the opportunity to “see behind the curtain” and see the documented successes of how national service has made significant differences throughout the country.  I am a big fan of AmeriCorps, VISTA, Senior Corps, NCCC, and Learn and Serve.

Lately, it has been of concern to me that, in a time of great new focus on service and volunteerism under the Obama Administration and with the passing of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, that a new CEO had not yet been announced.  I have felt like opportunities to ride the momentum were slipping away.  So it was with true pleasure I read first on Echoing Green’s website about the nomination of Patrick Corvington to be the next CEO of CNCS.

I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting or working with Patrick, I really like what I read about his background.  ”Patrick was tapped in 2005 to serve as a Senior Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Patrick has co- authored publications such as Ready to Lead: Next Generation Leaders Speak Out and Next Shift: Beyond the Nonprofit Leadership Crisis. He is a sought after thought leader and speaker on issues of nonprofit sector leadership and capacity and has presented keynote speeches, plenary discussions and workshops at Independent Sector, The Council on Foundations, The Corporation for National and Community Service conference, The Michigan Nonprofit Association, The Ohio Nonprofit Association, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, The Alliance for Nonprofit Management and New Profit’s Gathering of Leaders.

Patrick has worked with grassroots faith-based and community-based organizations, system reformers in fields such as education, child welfare, and justice, and national networks like Independent Sector, The United Way, and The Alliance for Children and Families. Prior to joining the Foundation, Patrick was Executive Director of Innovation Network, a non-profit agency whose mission is to build the evaluation and results capacity of the non-profit sector. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers and The Nonprofit Workforce Coalition in addition to Echoing Green.”

Clearly Patrick is a guy with a lot of great experience and vision and will bring many new ideas and connections to the table.  I wish him the very best and stand ready to be of support to the agency and the programs it supports as we enter this next, very exciting chapter.  There are many new ideas brewing about how to better engage the business sector, so you will definitely be hearing more about this from me!

Go here for the Echoing Green article and for the CNCS press release.