Message From the Director
Dear Colleagues,
As this year comes to a close, I know many of you are eagerly awaiting a new year and a fresh start. We have been through so much change again this year as we strove to take care of our volunteers and our communities. Nevertheless, in the midst of it all, we achieved so much: we helped reduce learning loss and kept children engaged and connected; prevented older adults and adults with disabilities from feeling isolated and abandoned; provided food security for those in need; helped others navigate the financial storms; provided transportation to vital appointments; and helped numerous people access the benefits and resources they needed, among so many other life changing and saving acts of service.
In anticipation of the new year, stop for a moment and let the victories and accomplishments sink in. Together, in the face of change and challenge, we stepped up to provide critical services to our communities and develop innovations that met a need and provided new opportunities. We did not give up. We stretched ourselves, responded, and adapted to change. You supported volunteers and service stations to do the same.
I am thankful and inspired by your passion for our programs and your volunteers. I believe in the numerous possibilities that lie ahead for AmeriCorps Seniors and I remain committed to supporting you and our volunteers, advancing our programs, and building awareness of the contributions you make to your communities every day.
As this is my last Notes From the Director’s Desk for 2021, I want to thank you and wish you and yours a joyous, healthy, and inspired holiday season.
In service,
Atalaya Sergi, Director
AmeriCorps Seniors
MLK Day of Service is Monday, Jan. 17
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is a moment in time annually when we are called to action in his memory. Whether you honor him by engaging volunteers to meet an important immediate need in your community, convening your community to plan ongoing action that addresses a systemic issue, or as a call to action to recruit more volunteers to serve in your programs, following his example helps us build the beloved community he spoke of so often.
This Monday, Jan. 17, AmeriCorps is using the “Fierce Urgency of Now” as our call to action. Visit our website to find tools to support marketing this annual day of service as well as key messages, templates, and project ideas. Remember to register your service project and use #MLK in your title so the project is discoverable. Email MLKDay@cns.gov if you have any questions.
Progress Report Supplement due Sunday, Jan. 30
Every year, AmeriCorps Seniors collects key data on all projects and volunteers through the Progress Report Supplement. Once finalized and compiled, AmeriCorps Seniors uses the Progress Report Supplement data to report to elected officials, including Congress and other stakeholders, on the scope and accomplishments of the AmeriCorps Seniors national portfolio.
The 2021 Progress Report Supplement is now open in eGrants. Log in to eGrants, complete the required fields, and submit your report by the deadline of Sunday, Jan. 30. You can find an introduction to the report here. For instructions on the Progress Report Supplement, and how to complete the report, visit the Foster Grandparent, RSVP, Senior Companion, and/or Senior Demonstration program grantee page. Scroll down to Resources and filter for “Submit a progress report.” Each program has its own set of instructions. Senior Demonstration projects will use RSVP guidance to assist in completing their reports.
Additionally, we would like to emphasize the importance of updating your volunteer station rosters in eGrants, particularly for new projects that have not entered any stations yet. Station roster updates provide accurate station information for AmeriCorps Seniors annual National Service Reports and the AmeriCorps Seniors Pathfinder. They are also important for providing a full picture of the extent of AmeriCorps Seniors and national service activities.
The reporting period is from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sep. 30, 2021. All Progress Report Supplement submissions are due by Sunday, Jan. 30. If you have any questions, please contact your portfolio manager.
Share Your Volunteer Stories With Us
AmeriCorps Seniors programs are doing amazing work across the nation, and we want to share that on a national scale. We are seeking volunteer stories and profiles from grantees that relate to the service that volunteers perform in your communities. Was one of your volunteers recently honored for their service? If so, please tell us about it and and share other ways that your volunteers are positively impacting their communities.
Submitted stories may be featured in social media content, emails, the AmeriCorps website, and/or other media. And, if not used immediately, we have a story bank in which we keep your submissions and often use them for other purposes. For example, in celebration of RSVP’s 50th Anniversary, we need stories that highlight the RSVP program and volunteer service.
Help us highlight and raise awareness about the impact of all of our programs. Send those stories and profiles to SCInnovation@cns.gov.
2022 AmeriCorps Seniors Convening Update
The AmeriCorps Seniors team is excited to connect with our community at the upcoming 2022 AmeriCorps Seniors Convening. Our 2022 AmeriCorps Seniors Convening logistics contractor, Guardians of Honor, will be working closely with the AmeriCorps Seniors team to provide coordination, dissemination, and general planning support for the convening.
Please be on the lookout for emails from the contractor via the following email address: AmeriCorps_Support@gohnow.com. To ensure you receive all convening related communications, we recommend adding this email to your safe sender list.
Guardians of Honor federal conference and event qualifications include full lifecycle event management services supporting thousands of federal events (virtual and in-person) ranging from complex and high-visibility summits and conferences with cabinet-level speakers, to committees, working groups, outreach webinars, and site visits–including the 2017 Senior Corps Focus Groups and 2018 National Senior Corps Grantee Convening.
Policy Corner
AmeriCorps Learning Agenda Feedback Sought
Evidence and evaluation in federal agencies improve programs, operations, and cross-agency collaboration. For the past eight months, AmeriCorps has participated in discussions with federal stakeholders gathering input on the draft AmeriCorps Strategic Plan and AmeriCorps Learning Agenda. For the final draft review feedback window prior to OMB submission, we would like to provide the opportunity for AmeriCorps Seniors Grantees to read and provide feedback and input to the AmeriCorps Learning Agenda.
What is a Learning Agenda? The Learning Agenda is a required companion document to a federal agency’s strategic plan and addresses how we will build and use the evidence needed to assess our progress and accomplishments as an agency. It informs the agency decision-making at all levels through support by the evidence on goals and indicators of success. The Learning Agenda is not just an evaluation tool or performance management document. Its use can create an environment that encourages stakeholders and AmeriCorps to learn, adapt and innovate and can influence organizational change through rigorous evidence building assessments. Learning Agendas create feedback loops from the standpoint of AmeriCorps projects and activities (like grantmaking) combined with input from all engaged stakeholders.
And that is where we need you. Key stakeholders understand if our agency Learning Agenda “hits the mark.” We rely now and in the future on continuous constructive feedback from all stakeholders. If you would like to provide comments on the draft AmeriCorps Learning Agenda, please review the Learning Agenda and provide feedback to evaluation@cns.gov.
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
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RSVP Handbook Section 8.2.5.4 AmeriCorps Seniors Pathfinder
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Foster Grandparent Program Handbook Section 8.2.5.4 AmeriCorps Seniors Pathfinder
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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)
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Performance Progress Reports Annual Due: Saturday, April 30, 2022
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Federal Financial Report (Budget Year 1 or Year 2) Due: Saturday, April 30, 2022
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Federal Financial Report Final (Budget Year 3) Due: Thursday, June 30, 2022
Quarter 4 (Start Date: July 1)
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Performance Progress Reports Semi-Annual Lite Due: Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022
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Federal Financial Report Semi-Annual Due: Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022
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Performance Progress Reports Annual Due: Saturday, July 30, 2022
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Federal Financial Report (Budget Year 1 or Year 2) Due: Saturday, July 30, 2022
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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.
Elder Justice Corner
Scammers across the globe target US citizens, preying on older adults and isolated individuals. They strike up romances and then entice victims to send their money, or they pretend to be lottery officials asking for fees to be paid before a prize can be delivered. However, these fraudsters, need individuals in the US. to provide them with bank accounts and US-based addresses that can be used to receive victim money.
Individuals who facilitate the movement of funds acquired via fraud are referred to as “money mules.” These fraudsters often target older adults as money mules who become unknowing participants because they are unaware that by sending and receiving money, they are committing a crime and harming others. This flyer can be used to help you educate volunteers and other older residents in the community about what money mule activity is and what it looks like.
Training Corner
Upcoming Made to Save COVID-19 Webinars
Made to Save, a national grassroots effort to ensure communities hardest hit by the pandemic have access to COVID-19 vaccines and accurate information, will host several webinars this month that may serve as timely resources.
Listening for Change: Motivational Interviewing Techniques for Client-Facing Staff
Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. ET
Persistent COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is an issue that many service providers continue to face. Join this interactive webinar where panelists working alongside refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities will discuss the benefits of Motivational Interviewing techniques to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and provide practical, inclusive approaches.
Communications Messaging Training
Thursday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m. ET
Join the Made to Save Communications Team for a training on Messaging and Storytelling. During this training, participants will be able to to learn which messages do and do not resonate with their audience and what are the steps for writing those effective messages. Participants will also learn what makes a story powerful, how to find powerful stories, and where to share them.
Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program Replacement Funding Opportunity
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 a follow up webinar to answer additional questions.
Register for the Multiyear Budget Periods and Unexpended Funds Q&A webinar:
- Quarter 4 Grantees: Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET – Register
AmeriCorps will post the recordings of the Q&A webinars on LITMOS.
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