[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