Message From the Director
Dear Colleagues,
As we enter the season of “Thanks and Giving,” I am reflecting on what I am most grateful for this year. I am grateful to have such a talented pool of committed project directors whose drive, gifts, and innovation helped us to not only survive, but thrive in new ways during challenging times. Thanks for all the work that you do to advance AmeriCorps Seniors and thank you to those who were able to help families access the Child Tax Credit, participated in Drug Takeback Day, and who are supporting the resettlement of Afghan refugees.
November is when we also observe Veterans Day and many of you planned special activities to acknowledge the veterans who are volunteers in your projects. Here, I want to acknowledge those of you who are veterans and who continue your service as partners with AmeriCorps Seniors. From all of us at AmeriCorps, thank you.
Each month, my Director’s Notes contain pertinent information for your project's operations. Please encourage all of your colleagues to read these notes, especially as we provide advance notice of impending deadlines and updates on important issues.
This month, please pay particular attention to the section on Station Rosters. Your completion of these rosters is crucial to adequately convey the full impact and scope of our activities to Congress and other key stakeholders. Please also note impending Q3 Continuation/Renewal and other grantmaking deadlines.
Finally, I’d like to know if you’re developing any “season of thanks and giving” service activities. Please share those with us at SCInnovation@cns.gov so we can help you to amplify your activities.
Beyond that, on behalf of myself and our AmeriCorps Seniors Team, I wish you and yours a happy Thanksgiving!
Yours in service,
Atalaya Sergi, Director AmeriCorps Seniors
Save the Date: 2022 AmeriCorps Seniors Convening
We are excited to announce the official dates for the 2022 AmeriCorps Seniors Convening!
When: Tuesday, May 10 – Thursday, May 12 Where: Washington, DC
The 2022 Convening will relaunch AmeriCorps Seniors in-person gatherings. In the coming months, we will be provide additional information on website information, hotel registration, draft agendas, and speaker announcements.
Q3 Continuations and Renewals Reminder
If your current grant ends on March 31, 2022, it is time to apply for your renewal (going into a new year one) or continuation (going into year two or three) that will start on April 1, 2022. You can find the Notice of Funding Opportunity and specific geographic service areas, funding amounts, and minimum number of unduplicated volunteers or volunteer service years associated with your grant on respective program pages (Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and RSVP). Go to the resources section and filter for "submit continuation and renewal." Be sure to thoroughly review Appendix A to verify this information.
Application Deadline: Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. ET.
Resources
Station Roster Updates
To provide a full and accurate picture of our impact, we need you to upload and update volunteer station rosters on eGrants. Currently, 171 grantees have not uploaded a station roster. This constitutes 16 percent of all AmeriCorps Seniors grantees. AmeriCorps Seniors is in the process of compiling information for our National Service Reports. These reports are crucial in articulating the full impact and scope of our activities to Congress and other key stakeholders. Please follow our step-by-step instructions to enter your station information.
COVID-19 Vaccination Reminder
In early September, President Biden announced a six-pronged, comprehensive national strategy that employs the same science-based approach that was used to successfully combat previous variants of COVID-19 earlier this year. The strategy builds on public health officials’ continued recommendations to implement a layered approach to beating COVID-19, including masking, testing, social distancing, and vaccinations. President Biden has signed an executive order that requires all executive branch federal employees to be vaccinated.
While this executive order requirement does not directly apply to AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, another part of the strategy requires all employers with 100+ employees to ensure their workers are vaccinated or tested weekly, which may impact your organization. This a reminder that you should adjust your policies and those of your volunteer stations as directed by your organization.
Policy Corner
Evaluation Resource: Scaling Checklist
AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve communities and non-profit organizations throughout the United States to tackle our nation’s most pressing civic challenges. One of the most effective ways for AmeriCorps to expand our positive impact, bridge divides, and strengthen communities is by expanding the scale and reach of our most effective intervention services.
The AmeriCorps Office of Research and Evaluation introduced the Scaling Evidence-Based Models project to deepen understanding of our most effective program innovations, and to develop a framework for successful scaling of evidence-backed interventions. This framework is known as the Scaling Checklists: Assessing your Level of Evidence and Readiness tool.
The SCALER tool, developed from evidence-backed scaling principles gathered is a framework for AmeriCorps awarded sponsors, grantees, community-based organizations, and practitioners looking to increase intervention impact. The SCALER tool framework consists of eight checklists that can be used to determine whether an intervention has sufficient evidentiary support of improving participant outcomes, and to establish intervention-level and organizational-wide processes for implementation. The tool saves organizations not ready to successfully scale valuable time and resources, while also providing additional resources designed to support continued development work towards scaling.
Learn more about how this resource can help expand your intervention and increase your community impact.
Pathfinder Update
The Pathfinder is a recruitment tool to help find great AmeriCorps volunteers in addition to your local efforts. On the AmeriCorps Seniors Pathfinder, interested volunteers begin their search by selecting a state, or by selecting a state and county, to return a list of nearby AmeriCorps Seniors programs. Program listings include organization name, program name, AmeriCorps Seniors parent program (e.g. FGP, SCP, RSVP), counties served, and program address. Most importantly, each listing includes contact information for that specific program. This allows prospective volunteers to ask questions, get the information they need, and embark on their service. Information in the program listings are drawn from what AmeriCorps Seniors grantees enter into eGrants. The counties listed are associated with active sites in the station roster and Geographical Service Area, as entered by grantees.
In October, we updated the Pathfinder based on information in eGrants and plan to update listing again in January. In order to have accurate information for potential volunteers, ensure your eGrants information is correct by Thursday, Dec. 30. If you find that there is an error in the Pathfinder that does not match eGrants, please email your Portfolio Manager.
Guidance to support your updates:
- Contact Information
- Entering Station Rosters
-
RSVP Handbook Section 8.2.5.4 AmeriCorps Seniors Pathfinder
-
Foster Grandparent Program Handbook Section 8.2.5.4 AmeriCorps Seniors Pathfinder
-
Senior Companion Program Handbook Section 8.2.5.4 AmeriCorps Seniors Pathfinder
Note: Geographical Service Areas cannot change, these are the areas that were applied for and awarded and should have station roasters in place.
Upcoming Deadlines and Reminders
2022 Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Replacement Opportunity
Application Deadline: Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022 at 5 p.m. ET.
Resources:
Reporting Deadlines
Quarter 3 (Start Date: April 1)
-
Performance Progress Reports Semi-Annual Due: Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021
-
Federal Financial Report Semi-Annual Due: Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021
-
Performance Progress Reports Annual Due: Saturday, April 30, 2022
-
Federal Financial Report (Budget Year 1 or Year 2) Due: Saturday, April 30, 2022
-
Federal Financial Report Final (Budget Year 3) Due: Thursday, June 30, 2022
Quarter 4 (Start Date: July 1)
-
Performance Progress Reports Semi-Annual Lite Due: Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022
-
Federal Financial Report Semi-Annual Due: Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022
-
Performance Progress Reports Annual Due: Saturday, July 30, 2022
-
Federal Financial Report (Budget Year 1 or Year 2) Due: Saturday, July 30, 2022
-
Federal Financial Report Final (Budget Year 3) Due: Friday, Sept. 30, 2022
Resources for completing Project Progress Reports Annual can be found under Grantee Resources. Filter for “submit a progress report” on program pages:
Or review the Handbooks and Litmos for additional guidance.
Training Corner
Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program Replacement Funding Opportunity
Session 1: Introducing AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps Seniors and its Programs This webinar briefly introduces AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps Seniors, and its programs.
- Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET – Register
Session 2: Touring the Notice of Funding Opportunity In this session, we will review the FGP and SCP Notice of Funding Opportunity and conduct a Q&A.
- Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 3:30 p.m. ET – Register
Session 3: Understanding the National Performance Measures In this session, we will review the National Performance Measures and conduct a Q&A.
- Thursday, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. ET – Register
Session 4: Submitting Your Application in eGrants This webinar walks through eGrants, AmeriCorps’ electronic grants management system.
- Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 3:30 p.m. ET – Register
Session 5: AmeriCorps Seniors in Actions: Mobilizing a Generation for FGP and SCP This webinar explains the AmeriCorps Seniors programs in depth, including spotlighting the kinds of activities volunteers may engage in, performance measure requirements, and specific aspects of program management and compliance that applicants need to understand in their application.
- Thursday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m. ET – Register
Multiyear Budget Periods, Unexpended Funds Reporting, and Match Waiver Requests
On Sept. 23, 2021, AmeriCorps Seniors and the Office of Grant Administration provided an overview of multiyear budget periods and their impact on AmeriCorps Seniors grantees. Staff explained the unexpended funds concept, the process for reporting unexpended funds to AmeriCorps, and the connection between unexpended funds and multi-year budget periods. Additionally, staff provided an overview of AmeriCorps match waiver request process. A recording of this webinar and related resources are available on LITMOS.
AmeriCorps Seniors and the Office of Grant Administration will host two follow up webinars to answer additional questions.
Register for the Multiyear Budget Periods and Unexpended Funds Q&A webinars:
- Quarter 3 Grantees: Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 2:30 p.m. ET – Register
- Quarter 4 Grantees: Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022 at 2:30 p.m. ET – Register
AmeriCorps will post the recordings of the Q&A webinars on LITMOS.
Meet the Team
AmeriCorps Seniors is excited to introduce you to Calynn Evans and Emily Flanagan.
|
|
Calynn Evans recently joined the AmeriCorps Seniors team as the American Rescue Plan Training and Knowledge Management Specialist. Prior to this role, she provided training, technical assistance, and evaluation support on federal grants for both the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Defense Education Activity. She has a passion for helping underserved and vulnerable youth and adult populations. She is excited to support such populations through our national service programs. |
Emily Flanagan is excited to join the AmeriCorps Seniors team as a Training Specialist. She is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and an AmeriCorps alumnus with more than 15 years of experience promoting service domestically and abroad and has seen first-hand the power volunteerism and civic engagement firsthand. Emily has leveraged her experiences to create AmeriCorps programs that push the borders of how we think about national service and she looks forward to supporting staff and sponsors as we work to address community needs together.
When she's not “getting things done” for national service, Emily spends her time with her two dogs, Rudyard Kipling and Eleanor Roosevelt, and is trying out home-improvement projects with varying success.
|
|
|
|