[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 73 (Monday, April 16, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19432-19435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-9313]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Notice of Funding Opportunity To Support AmeriCorps Promise 
Fellows

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

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SUMMARY: Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Corporation 
for National and Community Service (the Corporation) will use 
approximately $6 million to award grants to support AmeriCorps Promise 
Fellows to state commissions on national and community service (State 
Commissions); Indian Tribes; nonprofit organizations proposing to 
sponsor AmeriCorps Promise Fellows in more than one state; and, in 
North Dakota, South Dakota, or U.S. territories that do not have a 
State Commission, local government agencies, institutions of higher 
education, or public or private nonprofit organizations. In total, 
these grants will support approximately 500 AmeriCorps Promise Fellows. 
AmeriCorps Promise Fellows will spend up to one year serving with 
organizations that are committed to initiating, expanding, or improving 
the delivery of the five promises for children and youth set at the 
1997 Presidents' Summit for America's Future:
     Ongoing relationships with caring adults--parents, 
mentors, tutors or coaches;
     Safe places with structured activities during nonschool 
hours;
     A healthy start and future;
     Marketable skills through effective education; and
     Opportunities to give back through community service.

DATES: All proposals must be received by the Corporation by 5:00 p.m. 
Eastern Daylight Time, June 15, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Proposals to sponsor one or more Fellows must be submitted 
to the Corporation at the following address: Corporation for National 
Service, 1201 New York Avenue N.W., Box APF, Washington, D.C. 20525.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: For further information or to obtain a copy of 
the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows application guidelines and instructions, 
contact Austin Holland at (202) 606-5000, extension 274 or 
[email protected]. T.D.D. (202) 565-2799. This notice may be requested 
in an alternative format for the visually impaired. The application 
guidelines and instructions are also available on the Corporation's web 
site, http://www.nationalservice.org.
    Technical Assistance: The Corporation will host a conference call 
to provide technical assistance to interested applicants on Thursday, 
May 3, 2001, at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. To register for this call 
and receive dial-in instructions, please contact Austin Holland at 
(202) 606-5000, extension 274 or [email protected].

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.
    To date, the Corporation has funded the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows

[[Page 19433]]

program under subtitle H of the National and Community Service Act of 
1990, as amended (the Act), which authorizes the Corporation to support 
``innovative and model programs.'' 42 U.S.C. 12653b. The President's 
budget request for fiscal year 2002 includes a request to fund the 
AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program under subtitle C of the Act, which 
authorizes the Corporation to establish the AmeriCorps State/National 
Grants program. If this request is approved by Congress, we will need 
to make minor modifications to the grant requirements during the grant 
negotiation process with approved applicants.
    The federal regulations governing the Corporation, published at 45 
CFR 2520 et seq., are available at our website at http://www.nationalservice.org/resources/cross/index.html.

History of the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows Program

    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 basic promises advanced by 
America's Promise--The Alliance for Youth, the national organization 
leading efforts to follow up on the goals of the Presidents' Summit. 
The AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program was created by the Corporation 
in partnership with America's Promise to provide leadership, support, 
and continued momentum to the campaign initiated at the Presidents' 
Summit.
    As a major partner in the efforts of America's Promise, the 
Corporation devotes a substantial part of its activities to help 
address the five promises, including the work of AmeriCorps, Learn and 
Serve America, and the National Senior Service Corps. For more 
information about America's Promise, visit http://www.americaspromise.org.
    Through this notice, the Corporation invites grant proposals from 
eligible entities that wish to sponsor an AmeriCorps Promise Fellows 
program.

Eligible Sponsors

    The following entities are eligible to apply to sponsor an 
AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program:
     Governor-appointed state commissions on national and 
community service (State Commissions),
     Nonprofit organizations proposing to sponsor AmeriCorps 
Promise Fellows in more than one state (National Directs),
     Indian Tribes, and
     Local government agencies, institutions of higher 
education, or public or private nonprofit organizations in North 
Dakota, South Dakota, or U.S. territories that do not have a State 
Commission.
    With the exception of the eligible organizations in North or South 
Dakota or a U.S. territory that does not have a State Commission, local 
organizations that want to host a Fellow should consult their 
respective state commission or a potential National Direct organization 
or Indian Tribe to discuss the possibility of applying for funding.

Program Structure and Role of the Sponsor

    The AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program is structured so that the 
eligible sponsors listed above are the legal applicants to the 
Corporation for AmeriCorps Promise Fellows funding. Legal applicants 
submit one overall proposal for AmeriCorps Promise Fellows funding to 
the Corporation that may comprise a plan to place Fellows at multiple 
host organizations in locations around the state or the country, 
depending on the type of applicant.
    Applicants may propose a variety of organizational structures for 
their AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program. For example, a National 
Direct applicant may propose to operate its program directly or provide 
sub-grants to local chapters or affiliates that will host Fellows. 
State Commissions may sub-grant responsibility for overall program 
administration to another entity that in turn manages the Fellows' host 
sites, or the State Commissions may enter directly into separate 
agreements with each host organization while retaining responsibility 
for some training and coordination of the program.
    The process for selecting sub-grantees or host organizations varies 
from applicant to applicant. However, applicants are required to 
demonstrate how their Fellows will be involved in an effort to deliver 
all five promises in the communities where they serve. This requirement 
can be fulfilled by demonstrating that Fellows' host organizations 
deliver all five promises directly or by placing Fellows in 
organizations that are part of a larger effort to deliver all five. 
Fellows may also be deployed to initiate or support efforts to develop 
an all-five effort in organizations or communities that are not 
currently delivering all five promises in a coordinated way. Individual 
Fellows may focus on specific promise areas as their primary service 
objective, but are expected to be knowledgeable ambassadors for the 
importance of children and youth receiving all five.
    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 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.
    Regardless of the organizational structure, the grant requirements 
specified in the award for this program flow down to all sub-grantees 
and host organizations, and the legal applicant to the Corporation is 
ultimately responsible for ensuring that the program is implemented in 
accordance with all requirements. 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 the minimum required living allowance
     providing health insurance that meets the minimum benefits 
established by the Corporation
     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

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     ensuring that Fellows do not engage in prohibited 
activities (such as lobbying)
     complying with statutory prohibitions on the use of 
Corporation 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 reporting requirements.

Role and Qualifications of AmeriCorps Promise Fellows

    AmeriCorps Promise Fellows are a leadership cadre of committed, 
talented individuals who dedicate a year of their lives to building a 
better future for children and youth by spearheading national, state or 
local efforts to deliver the five promises to young people. AmeriCorps 
Promise Fellows serve in nonprofit organizations, faith-based 
organizations, public agencies, colleges and universities, schools and 
other community-based organizations selected by the sponsor that are 
dedicated to promoting the five promises and engaged in the America's 
Promise campaign. While direct service to children and youth may be a 
component of a Fellow's service, Fellows are primarily capacity-
builders. Their service activities expand, strengthen and improve a 
community's ability to deliver the five promises in sustainable ways. 
For example, a Fellow may:
     Coordinate a Community of Promise campaign to provide a 
targeted number of young people with all five promises (for more 
information on Communities of Promise, visit http://www.americaspromise.org);
     Generate commitments of in-kind services and volunteers 
from all sectors of the community including businesses, faith-based 
organizations, nonprofits, public agencies, and civic groups;
     Develop a youth service program at a Volunteer Center;
     Replicate a successful after-school program across the 
school district;
     Train volunteers to enlist low-income families in health 
insurance programs;
     Create a job-shadowing program for high school students; 
or
     Establish a statewide database of effective practices for 
mentoring programs.
    Over the course of their service, Fellows develop specific 
knowledge of their community's resources related to the five promises, 
placing them in a unique position to promote the importance of all 
children receiving all five promises. Therefore, in addition to their 
specific service assignments, Fellows are expected to become 
knowledgeable advocates in their communities for the five-promise 
approach.
    Fellows are viewed as leaders in the efforts to implement the goals 
of the Presidents' Summit, and as a group have an identity tied to this 
overall effort. Therefore, confidence in the ability of Fellows to 
produce outcomes in support of the goals of the Presidents' Summit, 
such as the implementation of projects like those described above, must 
be a strong consideration for selection of Fellows. This is evidenced 
by qualifications such as: strong academic credentials; demonstrated 
leadership skills; prior experience in a field related to the 
organization's activities; and experience performing significant 
service-related activities, particularly through other national service 
programs. An ability to take initiative and work independently may also 
be important qualifications for Fellows who often serve as the only 
AmeriCorps member at their host organization.
    AmeriCorps Promise Fellows may not be used to supplement the 
numbers of AmeriCorps members at existing programs already carrying out 
activities consistent with the goals of the Presidents' Summit. Fellows 
may serve at existing AmeriCorps programs, but must have roles that are 
distinct from other AmeriCorps members and that are consistent with the 
goals of the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program.
    An AmeriCorps Promise Fellow must: (1) be at least 17 years of age 
at the commencement of service; (2) be a U.S. citizen, national, or 
lawful permanent resident alien of the United States; and (3) have a 
high school diploma or equivalency certificate (or agrees to obtain a 
high school diploma or its equivalent before using an education award) 
and who has not dropped out of elementary or secondary school in order 
to enroll as an AmeriCorps member (unless enrolled in an institution of 
higher education on an ability to benefit basis and is considered 
eligible for funds under section 484 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965, 20 U.S.C. 1091), or who has been determined through an 
independent assessment conducted by the Program to be incapable of 
obtaining a high school diploma or its equivalent (provided that the 
Corporation's AmeriCorps program office has waived the education 
attainment requirement for the individual). 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.

Required Benefits and Terms of Service

    Fellows must serve on a full-time basis for a term of no less than 
10 months and no more than 12 months. To qualify for an education award 
of $4,725, a Fellow must perform at least 1,700 hours of service during 
his or her term and complete any other requirements for completion that 
the sponsor established at the start of the term.
    Sponsors must provide Fellows a living allowance between $13,000 
and $18,600 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 required to provide health insurance to Fellows that 
meets the minimum benefits set by the Corporation as described in 
detail in the application guidelines and instructions.

Contents of the Sponsor Application

    Applicants must submit one unbound, single-sided original and two 
(2) copies of the application. All applicants are encouraged to 
voluntarily submit an additional four (4) copies of the application to 
expedite the review process. Facsimiles will not be accepted. Type and 
double-space the submission package in not less than 12-point font 
size, with one-inch margins. Please number the narrative pages. You 
must follow the page limits specified in the application instructions. 
If you exceed a page limit, we will remove any excess pages before 
reviewing your application. We will not accept appendices.
    Additional detailed instructions about the format and content of 
the application appear in the application guidelines and instructions.

Budget and Finances

    The Corporation will issue grants on a fixed amount per Fellow 
basis of up to $13,800 per Fellow for the first five Fellows awarded to 
a grantee and up to $10,800 per Fellow beyond five, unless the 
Corporation specifies otherwise. These amounts exclude the education 
award. Applicants may request up to 30 Fellows to be funded at the 
fixed amounts described above. If the applicant identifies non-
Corporation resources to support the entire cost of a Fellow(s), 
including the minimum required living allowance, the Corporation may 
approve additional education awards to allow an applicant to enlarge 
the size of its program. In

[[Page 19435]]

such instances, the Corporation may also provide up to $800 per Fellow 
beyond the first 30 Fellows to support costs such as health insurance 
and member training and development.
    Because these grants are fixed-amount awards, they 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 and must provide the 
additional financial support necessary to carry out their proposed 
AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program. The sponsor should indicate the 
amounts and types of additional financial support required for the 
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 project period is negotiable, but generally proposals should 
indicate a proposed program start date between October 1, 2001 and 
January 1, 2002.
    The Corporation anticipates that these grants will cover up to a 
three-year period, subject to performance and the availability of 
appropriations. The funding opportunity announced under this Notice is 
to cover the first year.

Process for Selecting Sponsors

    In selecting sponsors, the Corporation will use the following 
evaluation criteria:
    Program Design  60%
     Getting Things Done
     Participant Development
     Strengthening Communities
    Organizational Capacity  25%
    Budget/Cost Effectiveness  15%
    The Corporation will make all final decisions concerning approval 
of these grants. Upon initial approval of an application, the 
Corporation will enter into negotiations with the sponsor that may 
require revisions to the original grant proposal. Final approval of the 
application is contingent on completion of negotiations to the 
Corporation's satisfaction.
    The Corporation anticipates announcing selected applicants under 
this announcement by August 15, 2001.

    Dated: April 10, 2001.
Robert Torvestad,
Acting Director, AmeriCorps.
[FR Doc. 01-9313 Filed 4-13-01; 8:45 am]
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