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AmeriCorps Seniors
March 16, 2023
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Notes From the Director's Desk:
March Edition
An AmeriCorps Seniors grantee in Louisiana is utilizing local news to promote their Senior Companion program and recruit volunteers. Read more.
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Message From the Director
Dear colleagues,
As we continue in this spirit, I invite you to celebrate all that you are doing in your community. This year, AmeriCorps Week is March 12-18 and the theme is “United We Serve.” It is time to lift-up and extend the joy of service to our neighbors, friends, and elected officials. Continue to use the toolkit for greatest reach and share your projects’ pictures with us at SCInnovation@cns.gov. Also, take a few minutes to check out other AmeriCorps week #AmeriThanks updates from across the nation on AmeriCorps’ Instagram and Facebook.
As it is Women’s History Month, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the achievements of women, past and present, who served and continue to serve through our AmeriCorps Seniors programs as volunteers or staff. As President Biden said in his proclamation, "As community leaders, educators, doctors, scientists, childcare providers, and more, women power our economy and lead our nation." I want to thank you for choosing to power our economy and lead our nation through service.
Finally, Sunday, March 20 is the International Day of Happiness. Take time to focus on our shared victories. Take some time to engage in a random act of kindness to share that joy with others.
Best,
Atalaya Sergi, Director
AmeriCorps Seniors
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Atalaya Sergi, AmeriCorps Seniors director, visits a program grantee in Texas.
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Training Corner
Grantee Essentials Training and Technical Assistance
Join AmeriCorps Seniors each month to dive into specific technical assistance topics to help you build your skills while managing your AmeriCorps Seniors grant.
Logic Models and Program Evaluation
Tuesday, March 21, 1 p.m. ET
Preparing for the AmeriCorps Seniors Convening
Tuesday, April 18, 1 p.m. ET
Topic to be Announced
Tuesday, June 20, 1 p.m. ET
The AmeriCorps Seniors Project Road Map supports organizations serving as sponsors of AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, Senior Demonstration, and RSVP program grants. It provides a framework of major milestones in project development and critical resources for both new and existing projects. This tool is designed to be used in conjunction with support from your portfolio manager.
AmeriCorps Seniors 2023 Convening
 AmeriCorps Seniors is offering five exciting pre-conference events that are filling up quickly. Registration for these sessions closes Friday, March 24.
- New Project Director’s Orientation: Building Your Toolbox for Program Success
- Sowing the Seed: Optimal Growth and Development in Financial Grants Management
- American Rescue Plan Pre-Conference: Recruitment, Retention, and Resource Development
- AmeriCorps Monitoring Insights
- Journey Through Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
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New Study on Virtual Volunteering Launch
How can organizations use virtual volunteering and other strategies to increase accessibility and interest in volunteering for older adults? Jennifer Crittenden, Ph.D., will explore this question through a newly funded research grant. The project will examine the benefits, opportunities, and challenges presented by virtual volunteering for host organizations and volunteers in AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent, RSVP, and Senior Companion programs.
Crittenden will begin reaching out to specific RSVP grantees for interviews in March and April.
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Elder Justice Corner
Did You Know?
Social Security is the number one scam perpetuated against older adults. Every year, the Social Security Administration brings awareness to these crimes during ‘Slam the Scam Days’ and National Consumer Protection Week events.
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call you using the names of officials and tell you to look them up on public websites and threaten to suspend your social security number; or
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email you documents with Social Security or Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General letterhead.
Be very cautious if you receive this kind of contact, especially if you do not have an ongoing case with Social Security.
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never email you attachments that have your personal information in them; or
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mail you a letter, explaining your payment options (if you owe money to Social Security) and/or next steps in any situations including your appeal rights.
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Upcoming Funding Opportunities
AmeriCorps Seniors Native Nations and Indigenous Elders Senior Demonstration Program
AmeriCorps Seniors is excited to announce a new funding opportunity for national service projects that are reflective of the needs of Indigenous and Native American communities. “I am excited about the flexibilities we have built into this funding opportunity,” stated Atalaya Sergi, director of AmeriCorps Seniors, “it gives us the opportunity to partner in a deep way with native and indigenous communities to develop national service program models to meet their unique and specific needs.”
Examples of projects selected as part of this opportunity might include programming that:
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promotes the preservation and teaching of Indigenous languages and cultural practices;
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provides social, economic, and educational services to people both on and off reservation lands;
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advances equity in areas such as food sovereignty, climate change and conservation, and mental health services;
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provides veterans and military families, caregivers, and survivors' quality of life; and
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creates workforce pathways for older adults, including deliberate training, certifications, and hiring preferences.
This opportunity includes a three-year operating grant to engage and deploy seniors (age 55+) volunteers to address the communities’ most pressing needs. Applicants can propose a six-month planning period as a part of their three-year model. The application deadline is Wednesday, April 5, at 5 p.m. E.T. AmeriCorps expects to notify successful applicants by Friday, June 30.
For questions, please email AmeriCorpsSeniors@cns.gov.
Fiscal Year 2023 Applications
Changes in the FY 2023 Terms and Conditions
As the AmeriCorps’ Office of Grant Administration begins to make grant awards for quarter three applicants, we are sharing three changes to the terms and conditions. It is critical that each grantee reads their programs specific terms and conditions and the 2023 General Terms and Conditions. All terms and conditions are located on our website.
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For draw downs on or after Saturday, April 1, grantees requesting funds from Payment Management System will be awarded funds used in compliance with all award conditions and federal statutory requirements. After Sunday, April 30, reporting deadline, the Payment Management System will eliminate the quarterly Federal Financial Report /Federal Cash Transaction Report for AmeriCorps grantees.
Review the Guidance on the Elimination of Financial Report to the Payment Management System.
- All recipients must complete and retain a certificate of completion of the AmeriCorps’ Key Concepts of Financial Grants Management training, located on Litmos, every year to ensure that recipients are aware of major financial grants management requirements. Each grant recipient must identify at minimum of one staff person who will be responsible for financial grants management compliance to fulfill this requirement on behalf of the grant recipient.
- AmeriCorps Seniors has removed the six-month Progress Performance Report Lite from FY 2023 awards.
Reporting Deadlines
Quarter 3 (Saturday, April 1 Start Date)
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Performance Progress Reports Annual Due: Sunday, April 30
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Federal Financial Report (Budget Year 1 or Year 2) Due: Sunday, April 30
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Federal Financial Report Final (Budget Year 3) Due: Sunday, July 30
Quarter 4 (Saturday, July 1 Start Date)
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Performance Progress Reports Annual Due: Sunday, July 30
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Federal Financial Report (Budget Year 1 or Year 2) Due: Sunday, July 30
Progress report resources are available on program pages under "Grantee Resources," filter for “submit a progress report.”
Review program handbooks and Litmos for additional guidance.
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