[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 138 (Monday, July 20, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38811-38814]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-19238]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Notice of Availability of Funds To Support AmeriCorps Promise 
Fellowships in Support of the Goals of the Presidents' Summit

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service (the 
Corporation) will use approximately $5 million to award grants to state 
commissions on national and community service (State Commissions), 
Indian tribes, U.S. territories and national nonprofit organizations to 
sponsor AmeriCorps Promise Fellows who will help implement programs in 
support of the five goals for children and youth set at the Presidents' 
Summit for America's Future. These grants, in the aggregate, will 
support between 500-750 Fellows, with the number dependent upon the 
amount of national, state and local resources committed to this effort. 
These Fellows will spend one year serving with organizations that are 
committed to helping to meet one or more of the five goals of the 
Presidents' Summit. Each Fellow who successfully completes a term of 
service will receive the $4,725 AmeriCorps education award.
    Last year at Philadelphia, President Clinton, former Presidents 
Bush, Carter, and Ford, Mrs. Nancy Reagan, and General Colin Powell, 
with the endorsement of many governors, mayors, and leaders of the 
independent sector, declared: ``We have a special obligation to 
America's children to see that all young Americans have:
    1. Caring adults in their lives, as parents, mentors, tutors, 
coaches;
    2. Safe places with structured activities in which to learn and 
grow;
    3. A healthy start and healthy future;
    4. An effective education that equips them with marketable skills; 
and
    5. An opportunity to give back to their communities through their 
own service.
    These five goals are now the five fundamental resources sought by 
America's Promise `` The Alliance for Youth, the organization following 
up on the goals of the Presidents' Summit.
    As a major partner in this effort, the Corporation devotes a 
substantial part of its activities to help meet these goals, including 
the work of AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and the National 
Senior Service Corps. This new Fellowship program will provide States 
and local communities with additional and unique support to help carry 
out their plans to provide America's children with these five 
fundamental resources.

DATES: All sponsor proposals must be submitted by September 10, 1998. 
The Corporation anticipates announcing selections under this 
announcement no later than October 31, 1998. The project period is 
negotiable, but will generally end no later than December 31, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Proposals to sponsor one or more Fellows must be submitted 
to the Corporation at the following address: Corporation for National 
Service, Attn: Gary Kowalczyk, 1201 New York Avenue NW, Washington, 
D.C. 20525.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, or to obtain 
a sponsor application, contact the Corporation for National Service, 
Jeffrey Gale at (202) 606-5000, ext. 280 or Nicole Karlson at 215-597-
2828. T.D.D. (202) 565-2799. This notice may be requested in an 
alternative format for the visually impaired.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Corporation is a federal government corporation that encourages 
Americans of all ages and backgrounds to engage in community-based 
service. This service addresses the nation's educational, public 
safety, environmental and other human needs to achieve direct and 
demonstrable results. In doing so, the Corporation fosters civic 
responsibility, strengthens the ties that bind us together as a people, 
and provides educational opportunity for those who make a substantial 
commitment to service. For more information about the Corporation and 
the activities that it supports, go to http://www.nationalservice.org.
    Pursuant to the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as 
amended (the Act), the Corporation may support ``innovative and model 
programs'' and may award national service fellowships. 42 U.S.C. 
12653b. In addition, the Corporation may approve the provision of 
education awards to individuals who successfully complete a term of 
service in ``national service positions as the Corporation determines 
to be appropriate''. 42 U.S.C. 12573(7).
    Through this notice, the Corporation invites grant proposals from 
eligible entities who wish to sponsor one or more AmeriCorps Promise 
Fellows.

Eligible Sponsors

    The following entities are eligible to apply to become a sponsor: 
Governor-appointed state commissions on national and community service 
(State Commissions), Indian tribes, U.S. territories, and national 
nonprofit organizations currently operating an AmeriCorps program or 
proposing to sponsor activities meeting the goals of the Presidents' 
Summit in more than one state.
    The Corporation anticipates supporting at least five Fellows in 
every state. If the grantmaking process results in a state not 
receiving AmeriCorps Promise Fellows the Corporation may set aside 
sufficient funds to ensure that every State has at least one Fellow. In 
such instances, the Corporation may approve, in coordination with a 
State Commission, a national or local

[[Page 38812]]

nonprofit organization to sponsor one or more Fellows through a process 
other than the one described in this Notice.

Substance of the Fellowship Program

    An AmeriCorps Promise Fellowship provides the Fellow with an 
opportunity to make a unique contribution to organizations helping to 
meet one or more of the five fundamental needs declared at the 
Presidents' Summit and being advanced by America's Promise--The 
Alliance for Youth; national, state, and local nonprofit organizations; 
and the national service network. For more information about the five 
goals of the Presidents' Summit, go to http://www.americaspromise.org.
    Although AmeriCorps Promise Fellows may be placed by a sponsor at a 
host organization that focuses its resources on only one of the goals 
of the Presidents' Summit, the host organization must be part of a 
larger effort (e.g., Community of Promise) that supports the delivery 
of all of the five fundamental resources to children and young people.
    Eligible sponsor applicants have considerable freedom to identify 
the structure of their Fellowship program and the projects or 
activities that AmeriCorps Promise Fellows will pursue. The most 
important considerations in establishing a program are that the 
prospective Fellows help meet the goals of the Presidents' Summit and 
that they have the ability to produce a defined outcome. The following 
are examples of specific tasks that Fellows may perform; these tasks 
are included here for illustrative purposes:
     A full-time coordinator for a Community of Promise 
campaign providing a targeted number of young people with all or 
several of the America's Promise fundamental resources.
     A full-time coordinator of individual or multiple sites, 
such as schools and housing complexes, that provide access to multiple 
or all five fundamental resources.
     An entrepreneur initiating a program to provide multiple 
resources to targeted young people, for example, adding a service 
component and access to dental care to an existing after-school 
tutoring program.
     A recruiter of Communities of Promise.
      A recruiter and manager of volunteers in a local or 
regional effort providing all or multiple resources to a number of 
young people.
    The following are examples of organizational activities that could 
be supported by Fellows as part of an effort to provide the five 
fundamental resources to children and youth. They are included here for 
illustrative purposes only:
     Expansion of Volunteer Center activities to promote the 
goals of the Presidents' Summit.
     State Education Agency efforts to stimulate service-
learning opportunities by K-12 students.
     Community and school efforts to provide after-school 
programs in safe places.
     Youth leadership to stimulate service and service-learning 
by inner-city youth.
     Support to community volunteer and Federal-Work-Study 
efforts to promote literacy.
     Immunization efforts aimed at young children and their 
families.
     Efforts to secure access to health care providers and 
facilities.
     Mentoring programs linking adults with youth in need of 
additional support.
     Recruitment and placement of Federal-Work-Study students 
for community service.
     New models for involving professions in organizing to meet 
the goals of the Presidents' Summit, e.g., health care professionals, 
librarians, museum administrators, and teachers.
     Efforts to stimulate service by diverse groups to meet the 
Presidents' Summit's goals, including diverse ethnic, religious, 
racial, and cultural groups.
    A sponsor may determine its own process to identify projects and 
programs in which AmeriCorps Promise Fellows will serve, and may either 
participate directly in the recruitment and selection of individual 
AmeriCorps Promise Fellows or delegate that responsibility to local 
programs or another entity (e.g., a university). One model a sponsor 
may consider is first to identify organizations where Fellows may 
serve, establish that the activities of those organizations meet the 
criteria for the AmeriCorps Promise Fellowship program, and then simply 
publicize a list of eligible host organizations for individuals 
interested in pursuing a Fellowship.
    Fellows will be viewed as leaders in the efforts to implement the 
goals of the Presidents' Summit, and as a group will have an identity 
tied to this overall effort, including opportunities to meet and to 
assess the overall impact of their efforts. Although no particular 
academic credentials or work experience are required to become a 
Fellow, confidence in the ability of applicants to produce outcomes in 
support of the goals of the Presidents' Summit, such as the 
implementation of commitments made at the Presidents' Summit and 
follow-up state and local summits, is the central criterion for 
selection. This is evidenced by: strong academic credentials; 
substantial and successful work experience in a field related to the 
organization's activities; and experience performing significant 
service related activities, particularly various national service 
leaders' programs, including AmeriCorps leaders, AmeriCorps*VISTA 
leaders, AmeriCorps*National Civilian Community Corps leaders, and 
leadership activities in programs sponsored by Learn and Serve America 
and the National Senior Service Corps. Each sponsor may adapt the above 
concepts to meet its specific needs.
    An AmeriCorps Promise Fellow must: (1) Be at least 17 years of age; 
(2) be a U.S. citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident alien; 
and (3) have a high school diploma or GED. Individuals who have already 
served in two approved national service positions (a position for which 
an education award is provided) are, by statute, not eligible for a 
third education award.
    Fellowships are expected to be for at least 10 months and must be 
completed within 12 months. To qualify for an education award of 
$4,725, a Fellow must serve on a full-time basis, perform at least 
1,700 hours of service, and successfully complete the Fellowship.
    Fellows who serve for twelve months receive a living allowance of 
$13,000, paid in regular increments. Fellow who serve fewer than twelve 
months receive a prorated living allowance. Fellows may receive a 
living allowance greater than $13,000 only if they are part of a 
professional corps and are supported entirely by public or private 
organizations (e.g., Fellows on paid sabbaticals), with the 
Corporation's support limited to the provision of education awards.

Sponsor's Role

    Each sponsor determines the process for the recruitment and 
selection of AmeriCorps Promise Fellows in its respective area. State 
commissions are encouraged to use their Unified State Plan as the basis 
for their plans. The sponsor must certify that the host organization in 
which the Fellow is being placed is conducting activities that 
contribute to one or more of the five goals of the Presidents' Summit, 
and that this is part of a larger effort to provide all five of the 
fundamental resources to children and youth.
    The Corporation anticipates that host organizations generally will 
be local

[[Page 38813]]

nonprofit organizations that are engaged in activities in support of 
the goals of the Presidents' Summit. Fellows may serve at a State 
Commission only under limited circumstances. In proposing such an 
arrangement, a State Commission must describe how it will comply with 
(1) the prohibition on State Commissions operating any national service 
program receiving financial assistance from the Corporation and (2) the 
prohibition on a State Commission receiving Corporation assistance to 
carry out activities that are already supported by its administrative 
grant from the Corporation. A State Commission proposing this 
arrangement must also submit a detailed position description for the 
Fellow. Fellowships may not be used simply to supplement the numbers of 
AmeriCorps Members at existing programs already carrying out activities 
consistent with the goals of the Presidents' Summit. Rather, the role 
of AmeriCorps Promise Fellows should be to provide higher level support 
that will enable an organization to become more involved, or to 
substantially increase the amount or quality of activities supporting 
achievement of the Presidents' Summit's five goals.
    Sponsors are responsible for ensuring compliance with required 
elements of the Fellowship program. These requirements, which will be 
individually described in the grant agreement between the Corporation 
and the sponsor, include, but are not limited to, the following:
     Providing office space, supplies, and equipment.
     Providing a living allowance.
     Paying and withholding FICA taxes.
     Withholding income taxes.
     Providing unemployment insurance if required by State law.
     Providing workers' compensation if required by State law 
or obtaining insurance to cover service-related injuries.
     Providing liability insurance to cover claims relating to 
Fellows.
     Providing adequate training and supervision.
     Ensuring that Fellows not engage in prohibited activities 
(such as lobbying).
     Complying with statutory prohibitions on uses of 
assistance (such as displacement, discrimination).
     Providing a grievance procedure that meets statutory 
standards.
     Verifying and submitting timely documentation relating to 
each Fellow's eligibility for an education award.
     Providing an adequate financial management system.
     Complying with other reporting requirements.

Contents of the Sponsor Application

    Sponsor applications must contain the following information:
    1. Background concerning the applicant's current efforts to achieve 
the goals of the Presidents' Summit.
    2. A designation of the organizations where the Fellows will be 
assigned, including the process used to select host organizations and 
background concerning the selected organizations and the roles they are 
playing in local summit follow-up. If the organizations are not yet 
designated, the application should describe the process that the 
sponsor will use to designate such entities.
    3. A description of the activities that the Fellows will perform, 
including an indication about how the activities will support 
significant growth and/or improvements in the quality of efforts to 
meet the five goals of the Presidents' Summit. If the Fellow serves at 
a State Commission, a detailed position description must be provided.
    4. An estimated budget to carry out the program, consistent with 
the description below.
    The application may not exceed 21 double-spaced pages in length; 
more detailed instructions concerning the contents of the application 
are contained in the application package.
    The Corporation will provide additional information concerning this 
program on its web site and will use the web site to announce any 
conference calls for potential applicant organizations scheduled before 
the application deadline.

Budget and Finances

    The Corporation will issue grants on a fixed amount per Fellow 
basis, not to exceed $13,000 for the first five Fellowships in the 
grant, nor $10,000 for the sixth through the 30th Fellowship. These 
amounts exclude the education award. The sponsor assumes full financial 
responsibility for the program. Sponsors must provide the additional 
financial support necessary to carry out their proposed Fellowship 
program. To the extent that a sponsor provides a significant portion of 
the costs such that it notably reduces the Corporation's funding per 
Fellowship, additional Fellowships may be supported. The Corporation 
strongly encourages cost-sharing proposals, consistent with the 
guidelines in this Notice, to leverage Corporation resources and 
maximize the number of Fellows.
    The Corporation is currently exploring the feasibility of 
implementing a fixed price award mechanism that would not require 
Corporation monitoring of actual costs incurred. To use this mechanism, 
the Corporation would determine that the cost principles normally 
applicable to Federal awards do not apply and in that case the sponsor 
would not be required to account to the Corporation for actual costs 
incurred.
    In addition to the approved grant amount, the Corporation will 
provide an education award to Fellows who successfully complete their 
term of service. The Corporation will sponsor national training events 
to provide Fellows with an opportunity to come together to assess 
national progress in meeting the goals of the Presidents' Summit. The 
Corporation will also promote the availability of these Fellowships.
    The Corporation anticipates that these grants will be renewable for 
up to a three-year period, subject to performance and the availability 
of appropriations.

Process for Selecting Sponsors

    The Corporation anticipates initially supporting 5-30 AmeriCorps 
Promise Fellowships under each grant, with the exact amount depending 
upon the proposal and the level of non-Corporation support. After 
September 10, 1998, if a sponsor identifies additional non-Corporation 
resources to support more Fellowships, the sponsor may propose to 
increase the number of its Fellows. In such instances, the Corporation 
may approve additional education awards subject to their availability, 
and the number of Fellowships per sponsor may exceed 30.
    In selecting sponsors, the Corporation will consider: Program 
design (60%), including (in order of importance) getting things done to 
help achieve the five goals of the Presidents' Summit, fostering the 
skills and leadership development of Fellows, and strengthening 
communities; organizational capacity (25%); and budget/cost 
effectiveness (15%). The Corporation will make all final decisions 
concerning approval of these grants for Fellowships. Given the 
Corporation's interest in having the common elements for the 
Fellowships that are described above, the Corporation announces its 
intent to enter into such negotiations with any sponsor in a manner 
that may require revisions to the original grant proposal.


[[Page 38814]]


    Dated: July 15, 1998.
Kenneth L. Klothen,
General Counsel, Corporation for National and Community Service.
[FR Doc. 98-19238 Filed 7-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-P