[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 119 (Tuesday, June 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33271-33274]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-15794]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Notice of Availability of Funds To Support AmeriCorps Promise 
Fellowships in Selected States, Indian Tribes, and U.S. Territories

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 up to approximately $1.1 million to award grants 
to sponsor AmeriCorps Promise Fellowships in Alaska, Delaware, New 
Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia and 
Wyoming, and in the District of Columbia. Indian tribes and programs in 
U.S. territories are also eligible to apply. AmeriCorps Promise Fellows 
will spend up to one year serving with organizations that are committed 
to implementing 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 approximately 80 
Fellows. Each Fellow will receive a living allowance of between $13,000 
and $17,376 based on twelve months of service. Upon successfully 
completing a term of service, a Fellow will receive the $4,725 
AmeriCorps education award. The Corporation will issue grants on a 
fixed amount per Fellow basis of $13,000 per Fellowship awarded. These 
amounts exclude the education award. The grants are fixed-amount awards 
that do not require Corporation monitoring of actual costs incurred.

DATES: All sponsor proposals must be submitted to the Corporation by 5 
p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, August 12, 1999. The Corporation 
anticipates announcing sponsor selections under this announcement no 
later than September 23, 1999. The project period is negotiable, but 
generally proposals should indicate a proposed project start date 
between November 1 and December 31, 1999, and an end date no later than 
December 31, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Proposals to sponsor one or more Fellows must be submitted 
to the Corporation at the following address: Corporation for National 
Service, Attn: Tracy Stone, 1201 New York Avenue NW, Room 9623, 
Washington, D.C. 20525.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, or to obtain 
a sponsor application, contact Rosa Harrison at the Corporation for 
National Service, (202) 606-5000, ext. 433. 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). The federal regulations 
governing the Corporation, published at 45 CFR 2520 et seq., are 
available at public libraries or on the Internet at http://
www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/.
    At the Presidents' Summit for America's Future, held in April 1997 
in 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--or 
``promises''--sought by America's Promise--The Alliance for Youth, the 
national organization leading efforts to follow up on the goals of the 
Presidents' Summit. For more information about the five goals of the 
Presidents' Summit, go to http://www.americaspromise.org.
    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. The AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program provides 
States and local communities with support to help carry out their plans 
to provide America's children with these five fundamental resources.
    Through this notice, the Corporation invites grant proposals from 
eligible entities who wish to sponsor one or more AmeriCorps Promise 
Fellows.

Eligible Sponsors

    The Corporation seeks to place Fellows in states, tribes and 
territories that are not represented by a governor-appointed state 
commission on national and community service (State Commission) or in 
which the State Commission has not previously been awarded AmeriCorps 
Promise Fellowships. The following entities are eligible to apply to 
become a sponsor:
    1. State Commissions in Alaska, Delaware, New Mexico, South 
Carolina, Virginia and Wyoming;
    2. State Education Agencies in the District of Columbia, North 
Dakota, and South Dakota;
    3. State Education Agencies in Alaska, Delaware, New Mexico, South 
Carolina,

[[Page 33272]]

Virginia and Wyoming, if the State Commission is not applying for 
funding under this Notice. A letter signed by the State Commission 
Chair or Executive Director verifying that the Commission is not 
applying for funding under this Notice must accompany the State 
Education Agency's application to the Corporation; and
    4. Local government agencies, institutions of higher education, or 
public or private nonprofit organizations in the District of Columbia, 
North Dakota, or South Dakota, or U.S. territories; and
    5. Indian tribes (as defined in the National and Community Service 
Act at 42 U.S.C. 12511(11)).
    The Corporation encourages State Commissions and State Education 
Agencies to collaborate in applying for funding under this Notice and 
to use their Unified State Plans as the basis for their application. 
Where both agencies are involved in proposing an AmeriCorps Promise 
Fellows program for their state, the application should be submitted to 
the Corporation by the State Commission.

Substance of the Fellowship Program

    The AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program is a national service 
leadership initiative. Designed for those who have demonstrated skill 
and passion for service to their community, an AmeriCorps Promise 
Fellowship provides 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 national, 
state, and local nonprofit organizations; and the national service 
network.
    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.
    The most important considerations in establishing an AmeriCorps 
Promise Fellows program are that the prospective Fellows help meet the 
goals of the Presidents' Summit and that they have the ability to play 
a leadership role in producing a defined outcome. In this regard, 
Fellows' activities should principally be capacity-building in nature, 
seeking to help increase substantially a community's ability to deliver 
the five fundamental resources. For illustrative purposes, the 
following are examples of specific activities or roles Fellows may 
pursue:

     Coordinating a Community of Promise campaign providing 
a targeted number of young people with all or several of the five 
fundamental resources.
     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.
     Planning or promoting State Education Agency efforts to 
stimulate service-learning opportunities by K-12 students.
     Expanding Volunteer Center activities to promote the 
goals of the Presidents' Summit.
     Spearheading immunization efforts aimed at young 
children and their families.
     Establishing new Federal Work-Study service 
opportunities and recruiting and placing students in the new 
positions.
     Recruiting new Communities of Promise.

    Although no particular academic credentials or work experience are 
required, 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. Therefore, confidence in the 
ability of applicants to produce outcomes in support of the goals of 
the Presidents' Summit, such as the implementation of projects like 
those described above, is the central criterion for selection. This is 
evidenced by: Strong academic credentials; demonstrated leadership 
skills; 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.
    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.
    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 must be completed in no less than 10 months and no more 
than 12 months. Fellows must serve on a full-time basis. To qualify for 
an education award of $4,725, a Fellow must perform at least 1,700 
hours of service and successfully complete the Fellowship.
    Sponsors must provide Fellows a living allowance between $13,000 
and $17,376 based on a twelve-month term of service. If the term of 
service is shorter than twelve months, the sponsor must pro-rate the 
amount of the living allowance.
    Sponsors are not required to provide health insurance and/or child 
care to Fellows or their families. However, the sponsor is encouraged 
to offer such assistance and may use funds awarded under this Notice 
for this purpose.

Sponsor's Role

    The Corporation anticipates supporting no more than five AmeriCorps 
Promise Fellowships under each grant. If the sponsor identifies 
additional non-Corporation resources to support more than five Fellows, 
including provision of the required living allowance, the sponsor may 
propose to increase the number of Fellows. In such instances, the 
Corporation may approve additional education awards subject to their 
availability, and the number of Fellowships per sponsor may exceed 
five.
    Each sponsor determines the process for the recruitment and 
selection of AmeriCorps Promise Fellows in its respective area. State 
Commissions and State Education Agencies 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 or state 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 in its 
application 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

[[Page 33273]]

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 
demonstrating that the Fellow's responsibilities are directly tied to 
achieving the goals of the Presidents' Summit.
    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. The proposed start date for the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows. 
Please note that it is strongly encouraged that all Fellows begin 
service between November 1 and December 31, 1999 to promote esprit de 
corps among the class of Fellows.
    3. An explanation of the method for determining the organizations 
where Fellows will be assigned that addresses the matters listed below. 
If host organizations have already been selected, please list the 
designated organizations and indicate how the following were addressed 
in making the selection.
    (a) The process through which these organizations will be selected,
    (b) The criteria used to evaluate their suitability for hosting a 
Fellow(s),
    (c) The expected number of Fellows who will serve at each 
organization,
    (d) The supervision, support and member development activities that 
will be provided for the Fellow(s) at each organization or by the 
sponsor, and
    (e) Background concerning the selected organizations and the roles 
they are playing in local summit follow-up.
    4. A detailed description of the activities that the Fellows will 
perform that includes:
    (a) An explanation of how the activities will support significant 
growth and/or improvements in the quality of efforts to meet the five 
goals of the Presidents' Summit;
    (b) Clearly defined, outcome-based objectives for:
    i. The Fellows' service activities that are linked to the five 
fundamental resources or efforts to increase community involvement in 
strategies to deliver all five resources; and
    ii. The Fellows' development as leaders in delivering the five 
fundamental resources; and
    (c) A description of how the Fellowship program will complement, 
enhance, or offer services distinct from other AmeriCorps programs that 
the applicant may sponsor.
    If the Fellow serves at a State Commission, a detailed position 
description must be provided.
    5. A plan for recruiting Fellows that demonstrates an understanding 
of the Fellows' leadership role in expanding and enhancing activities 
that deliver on the goals of the Presidents' Summit and indicates the 
anticipated process for recruiting Fellows, the desired qualifications 
of Fellows, how these qualifications relate to the proposed Fellows' 
activities, and the potential sources from which applicants will be 
recruited.
    6. An estimated budget to carry out the program, consistent with 
the description below.
    The application may not exceed 21 double-spaced pages in length; 
additional instructions concerning the contents of the application are 
contained in the application package.
    Organizations interested in applying for these program funds may 
participate in conference calls to be held on Thursday, July 15 and 
Friday, July 30 during which Corporation staff will provide technical 
assistance to potential applicants. The calls will begin at 1:30 p.m. 
and conclude at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. To register for either 
call, please contact Rosa Harrison at (202) 606-5000, ext. 433. Upon 
registration, you will be apprised of the (800) number needed for 
participation.

Budget and Finances

    The Corporation will issue grants on a fixed amount per Fellow 
basis of $13,000 per Fellowship awarded. These amounts exclude the 
education award. The grants are fixed-amount awards that do not require 
Corporation monitoring of actual costs incurred. The cost principles 
normally applicable to Federal awards do not apply. The sponsor assumes 
full financial responsibility for the program. Sponsors must provide 
the additional financial support necessary to carry out their proposed 
Fellowship program. The sponsor should indicate the amounts and types 
of additional financial support required for the Fellowship program in 
the budget narrative of the application.
    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 a national training event 
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 two-year period, subject to performance and the availability of 
appropriations.

Process for Selecting Sponsors

    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, recruiting a 
leadership cadre of Fellows and fostering their continued leadership 
development, 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.
    The Corporation anticipates that all awards will be granted no 
later than November 1, 1999. All awards are subject to the availability 
of federal appropriations.


[[Page 33274]]


    Dated: June 16, 1999.
Deborah Jospin,
Director, AmeriCorps, Corporation for National and Community Service.
[FR Doc. 99-15794 Filed 6-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-P