OpportunityTitle: AmeriCorps State and National Planning 2012 Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity
CategoryExplanation: The mission of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic participation through service and volunteering. For more than fifteen years, CNCS&#239;&#191;&#189;through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs&#239;&#191;&#189;has helped to engage millions of citizens in meeting community and national challenges through service and volunteer action.     On April 21, 2009, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, the most sweeping expansion of national service in a generation. This landmark law not only expands service opportunities, but also focuses national service on key outcomes; builds the capacity of individuals, nonprofits, and communities to succeed; and encourages innovative approaches to solving problems.    In alignment with the Serve America Act, this AmeriCorps State and National (AmeriCorps) Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity will focus AmeriCorps grantmaking in the Veterans and Military Families Focus Area.    In order to carry out Congress&#239;&#191;&#189; intent and to maximize the impact of the investment in national service, CNCS is seeking to fund programs that can demonstrate community impact and solve community problems through an evidence-based approach (e.g. performance data, research, theory of change).     In the AmeriCorps competition this year, CNCS especially seeks to prioritize investment in three areas of its work. CNCS will continue to focus on national service programs that improve academic outcomes for children, youth, and young adults. This focus reflects the extensive experience and past success of national service programs in education, and aligns with the efforts of the Department of Education. In addition, CNCS seeks to increase its investment in programs that serve veterans and military families or engage veterans in service. CNCS will also focus investment in programs that increase community resiliency through disaster preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation.
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: Public or private nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and other community organizations; institutions of higher education; government entities within states or territories  (e.g., cities, counties); Indian Tribes; labor organizations; or a partnership or consortia consisting of the aforementioned are eligible to apply.  Intermediaries are encouraged to apply.      If your organization works in just one state, please contact your state commission, which can be found here: http://www.americorps.gov/about/contact/statecommission.asp.  You will apply to them.      If your organization works in more than one state, you are eligible to apply for a national grant.  You will apply directly to the Corporation.
Description: TO APPLY FOR THIS GRANT, YOU MUST GO TO THE CORPORATION&apos;S WEBSITE, http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa_detail.asp?tbl_nofa_id=92. The purpose of planning grants is to support the development of AmeriCorps programs that will engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based interventions to solve community problems. Planning grant recipients are expected to be better prepared to compete for an AmeriCorps program grant in the following grant cycle. Planning grants may not be used to support AmeriCorps members. An AmeriCorps member is an individual who is enrolled in an approved national service position and engages in community service. Members may receive a living allowance and other benefits while serving. Upon successful completion of their service members receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award from the National Service Trust. The purpose of CNCS is to maximize the power of service and volunteering to improve lives in communities across the country. In the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, Congress directed CNCS to focus national service in areas where service can make a major impact, including education, energy conservation, health, economic opportunity for economically vulnerable individuals, increasing service by and for veterans, and providing disaster services. CNCS is carrying out Congress&#239;&#191;&#189;s intent by targeting this AmeriCorps Planning Grant funding in the focus area of Veterans and Military Families. In accordance with the Act, through this Notice and its other activities, CNCS seeks to: &#239;&#191;&#189; Direct the power of national service to solve a common set of challenges. &#239;&#191;&#189; Expand opportunities for all Americans to serve. &#239;&#191;&#189; Build the enduring capacity of individuals, organizations and communities to effectively use service and volunteering to solve community problems. &#239;&#191;&#189; Embrace innovative solutions that work. Veterans and Military Families Focus Area Description: Grants will positively impact the quality of life of veterans and improve military family strength. Grant activities will increase: &#239;&#191;&#189; the number of veterans and military service members and their families served by CNCS-supported programs, and &#239;&#191;&#189; the number of veterans and military family members engaged in service provision through CNCS-supported programs. Encore Programs Congress set a goal that 10 percent of AmeriCorps funding should support encore service programs. CNCS seeks to meet that 10 percent target in this competition and encourages programs that plan to engage a significant number of participants age 55 or older to apply. B. What are the 2012 AmeriCorps planning grant funding priorities? CNCS expects to invest the available funding to applicants proposing programming in the Focus Area of Veterans and Military Families. To meet this goal, CNCS will give priority consideration to the following, in descending order of preference: &#239;&#191;&#189; Tier 1: Applicants proposing to address outcomes identified in the Veterans and Military Families Priority Measures. &#239;&#191;&#189; Tier 2: Applicants proposing to develop a program which will address outcomes identified in the Pilot Measures. &#239;&#191;&#189; Tier 3: Applicants proposing to address other outcomes in the Veterans and Military Families Focus Area. A list of Priority and Pilot Measures can be found in Section VIII. below. Applicants proposing programs that receive priority consideration are not guaranteed funding. CNCS will pursue a balanced portfolio across the Priorities, and other considerations outlined below in Section V. B. Furthermore, applicants must demonstrate significant program focus, design and impact to receive priority consideration. It will not be sufficient for an applicant to propose veterans and military family service as one of several aspects of the proposed program. While other services may be provided, the clear focus should be on veterans and/or military families.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Direct email and voicemail for this competition.
GrantorContactText: (202) 606-7508
CloseDateExplanation: The deadline for eGrants submissions is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on January 18, 2012.