Message From the Director
Dear colleagues,
Happy Older Americans Month! May is an extremely important month where we celebrate the vital and positive contributions older Americans make in their communities. AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, and the projects you lead in your communities are models to spotlight. Thanks for the work you do that supports older Americans and their ability to “Age their Way” through volunteer service. I also want to thank you for supporting volunteers in maintaining their independence as well as that of their clients and other community residents.
I am particularly energized as I look forward to our virtual AmeriCorps Seniors Summer Series. There will be many interesting and knowledgeable experts joining us. We begin this month with Edwin Walker, deputy assistant secretary for aging in the Administration on Aging.
May also happens to be a month of numerous other awareness campaigns that connect with us including Asian-American Heritage Month, National Mental Health Awareness Month, National Military Appreciation Month, and Get Caught Reading Month. Please join me as I plan to use my director’s platform to promote your projects and volunteers engaged on these issues.
Finally, I want to note that your hard work is not going unnoticed. I am constantly being approached by other federal agencies and organizations about engaging our AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers on various projects that help achieve their missions. I ask that you be patient a little longer as we try to work through the details that these new collaborations entail. In advance, I want to thank you for that patience and for continuing to keep your eyes on the goals that matter most – the health and safety of our current volunteers and the recruitment of new older adults to our ranks.
In service,
Atalaya Sergi, Director AmeriCorps Seniors
AmeriCorps Seniors 2022 Virtual Convening: Summer Series
Register for AmeriCorps Seniors 2022 Virtual Convening: Summer Series. Our time together will focus on your incredible innovation and resiliency, particularly during the past year. We are excited to create a space for discussion around sustaining program advances, future innovation and growth, and practical strategies for program implementation and management.
- Thursday, May 12, 1-4 p.m. ET: Older Americans Month and Ageism – Register
- Tuesday, June 21 – Thursday, June 23, 1-4 p.m. ET: Impact, Sustainability, Partnerships, and Innovation – Register
- Tuesday, July 19 – Thursday, July 21, 1-4 p.m. ET: Financial and Grants Management – Register
- Tuesday, September 20, 1-4 p.m. ET: Reflection and Celebration – Register
Stipend Increase
As we announced last month, the Fiscal Year 2022 U.S. Budget includes increased funding levels for all three of our stipend programs. The additional funding for Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and stipend Senior Demonstration programs enables us to increase the volunteer stipend from $3.00 to $3.15 per hour.
We are implementing a permanent stipend increase for AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers who receive stipends to become effective Friday, July 1. This increase is approved for all federally funded and non-federally funding Volunteer Service Years including American Rescue Plan Senior Demonstration awards that include stipend volunteer opportunities. Reach out to your portfolio manager if you have any questions.
Operational Handbook Updates
Foster Grandparent, RSVP and Senior Companion Operational Handbooks
Updated handbooks have been posted on the Foster Grandparent, RSVP, and Senior Companion grantee pages, found in the resource section.
Senior Demonstration Operational Handbook
The AmeriCorps Seniors team will be releasing the Senior Demonstration Program Operations Handbooks in June. In the meantime, if you have questions about Senior Demonstration operations, please refer to the Operational Handbook of the program after which you modeled your Senior Demonstration project or contact your portfolio manager.
- For Senior Demonstration projects with stipend volunteers working with children on educational outcomes, please see the FGP Operations Handbook.
- For Senior Demonstration projects with non-stipend volunteers, please see the RSVP Operations Handbook.
- For Senior Demonstration projects with stipend volunteers providing support to older adults living in the community, please see the SCP Operations Handbook.
Elder Justice Corner
Avoid a Scammer’s Money Grad During Older Americans Month
During Older Americans Month, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission are partnering together to help older adults and their families and friends know what to do if someone demands payment by these methods, and where to report fraud.
Scammers use lots of different tactics — stories about grandchildren in distress, million-dollar prizes, a romantic future, or a business deal — to try to steal peoples’ money. Scammers may demand payment by wire transfers, gift cards, and cryptocurrency — methods that transfer funds quickly and anonymously.
To protect against scams and fraud:
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Don’t wire money. Wiring money is like sending cash. Once you send it, you usually can’t get it back. Don’t wire money even if someone sends you a check, tells you to deposit it, and wire some of the money back to them. That’s a fake check scam, and the bank will want you to repay the money you withdrew and sent. That may also be a money mule scam that will involve you in moving stolen money.
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Don’t pay with a gift card. Gift cards are for gifts. As soon as you tell someone the numbers on the back of the gift card, they get control of the card, and your money is gone forever.
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Don’t pay with cryptocurrency. If someone requires you to pay for something with Bitcoin, or some other type of cryptocurrency, they’re probably a scammer. Cryptocurrency payments don’t come with legal protections, so if you pay with cryptocurrency, you can’t get your money back unless the person you paid sends it back.
Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission. If you’re contacted by someone telling you to pay or send money using these methods, please tell the Federal Trade Commission about it. The information you share can help protect your community from fraud, scams, and bad business practices.
Training Corner
New Project Curriculum in Litmos.
To help grantees, especially new project directors, quickly find helpful trainings, we have created learning paths for new projects in Litmos. The learning paths include topics such as project director orientations, launching a new project, National Service Criminal History Check, performance measures, and financial management.
We recommend these courses for not only new project directors, but for anyone needing a refresher on program requirements, strategies, and resources for effectively managing your AmeriCorps Seniors grant. Select from one of the programs below to be directed to the New Project Curriculum Learning Path in Litmos.
The Key Concepts of Financial Grants Management course has been updated in Litmos. This online training course provides an overview of the key financial grants management concepts and responsibilities for AmeriCorps grant recipients. Topics include regulations and requirements, policies and procedures, internal controls, administrative and indirect costs, matching resources, budget modifications, monitoring and oversight, documentation, financial reporting, and closeouts.
It is critical that all AmeriCorps grantee fiscal and program staff – especially new grantees or new staff – understand the basic financial grants management concepts and requirements that govern grant awards. Following completion of the course, you will be able to download a certificate of completion.
Registration is Open for the Grantees and Community Based Agencies to Participate in the AmeriCorps Research and Evaluation Convening
The 2022 AmeriCorps Research Grantee Dialogue, Embracing the Diversity of Civic Engagement: Implications and Opportunities for National Service, will be hosted Tuesday, May 17 – Thursday, May 19. Our research and evaluation grantees will be sharing their work with communities, AmeriCorps leadership will be reflecting on the translation of this work into practice, and an open Q&A will be available at the end of each session. Research will focus on a variety of topics on the intersection of civic engagement and national service in local communities, and what was learned about the role of diversity in civic engagement.
Register and join the dialogue. Below are the topics that will be covered:
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Day 1: Volunteering Among Seniors and Volunteering Across Rural and Urban Spaces
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Day 2: Fostering Civic Participation for Refugee Communities
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Day 3: African American Youth and Civic Engagement
If you are unable to attend, recordings will be available on the AmeriCorps Impact Webinar page two weeks after the scheduled date.
Health News and Updates
FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Expands Second Chance Opportunities for Formerly Incarcerated Persons
During Second Chance Month, the Biden-Harris Administration released a comprehensive strategy that expands incarceration to employment opportunities, as well as concrete policy actions as part of a whole-of-government effort to advance employment, bolster reentry, empower formerly incarcerated persons, and strengthen our communities and our economy.
Save the Date! National Mental Health Awareness Month Webinar Series
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's, Office of Public and Indian Housing, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, are teaming up to present a series of free webinars this May to celebrate National Mental Health Awareness Month.
National Prevention Week
National Prevention Week (Sunday, May 8 – Saturday, May 14)is a national public education platform bringing together communities and organizations to raise awareness about the importance of substance use prevention and positive mental health. The 2022 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Prevention Day event will kick off National Prevention Week activities, and it will be delivered virtually through an interactive online conference platform.
Grants and Funding Opportunities
Please Note: To participate in these funds, organizations may need to partner with other local community groups, health care systems, or public health entities, to participate in state and locally funded efforts.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act Grant
Grant program to prevent and reduce alcohol use among youth and young adults ages 12‒20 in communities throughout the United States. Closing date: Tuesday, June 21.
Demonstrating Effective Policies to Promote Black Youth Mental Health
HHS Office of Minority Health seeks to identify health and wellness policies that are successful in improving Black youth's mental health, including suicide prevention. Closing date: Thursday, June 22.
Upcoming Deadlines and Reminders
Reporting Deadlines
Quarter 3 (Start Date: Friday, April 1)
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Federal Financial Report Final (Budget Year 3) Due: Saturday, July 30
Quarter 4 (Start Date: Friday, July 1)
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Performance Progress Reports Annual Due: Saturday, July 30
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Federal Financial Report (Budget Year 1 or Year 2) Due: Saturday, July 30
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Federal Financial Report Final (Budget Year 3) Due: Sunday, Oct. 30
Project Progress Reports Annual resources are on program pages under "Grantee Resources". Filter for “submit a progress report.”
Review Handbooks and Litmos for additional guidance.
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