FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, July 07, 2003
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Corporation for National and Community Service
Contact Sandy Scott
202 606 5000 x255
sscott@cns.gov |
AmeriCorps Announces Additional Grants for 2003 |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Acting quickly to implement legislation
signed by President Bush last week, the Corporation for National and Community
Service today announced AmeriCorps grants totaling $133 million to support
approximately 20,000 new AmeriCorps members who will work with hundreds of local
nonprofit organizations to tutor and mentor children, feed the homeless, care
for seniors, respond to disasters, and mobilize volunteers to meet other vital
community needs. Today’s grants are in four categories and will be followed by
additional grants later this summer.
On July 3, President Bush signed the Strengthen AmeriCorps
Program Act, which establishes clear accounting guidelines for the fund that
supports the education awards AmeriCorps members earn when they complete their
service. The law allows the Corporation to support approximately 30,000 new
AmeriCorps positions this year in addition to the approximately 20,000 positions
being filled in 2003 that were approved last year but delayed by an enrollment
pause.
The grants announced today are the result of a competitive
process that began last October when AmeriCorps issued its 2003 grant
guidelines. That guidance, while maintaining AmeriCorps’ longstanding focus on
high quality programs that meet local needs, put new emphasis in several areas
including increasing volunteer mobilization, addressing community needs,
building partnerships with community or faith-based organizations, and achieving
sustainability. The grants announced today have undergone an extensive review
process by outside experts and AmeriCorps staff. This year’s application volume
was high in all categories; for example, there were twice as many applicants in
the national direct pool as last year.
“We are working to maximize AmeriCorps enrollment this year and
trying to help our grantees continue their work in America’s communities, while
at the same time dedicating ourselves to strengthening the management of this
vital program so it will offer support to communities across the country for
years to come,” said Rosie Mauk, Director of AmeriCorps. “AmeriCorps does
tremendous good in our country. There is a huge demand for AmeriCorps – from
people who want to serve and communities and nonprofits that need the help
AmeriCorps members offer.”
(Read
Rosie Mauk's July 11, 2003 Statement)
The grants announced today are part of annual competitions for
three-year grants for the following programs.
AmeriCorps State Competitive Awards
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115 grants totaling $57,096,226 to support approximately 7,100
members (4,830 full-time equivalents, or FTEs). This represents the combined
total of grants announced on June 16 and today.
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Grantees competing for these funds have been nominated by
their governor-appointed state service commissions for consideration by a
national panel of reviewers.
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Of the 115 grants announced today, 77 are to previous grantees
who competed for new three-year grants; 19 are to organizations continuing
their second or third year of grants; and 19 are to first-time applicants.
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read list of grants
AmeriCorps State Formula
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$57,273,210, which includes approximately $5 million in
competitive funds for small states, to support approximately 6,566 members
(4,467 FTE).
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State formula grants are allocated to governor-appointed state
service commissions based on population. These commissions in turn provide
subgrants to local nonprofit and community organizations in their states to
enroll AmeriCorps members to meet needs in education, environment, public
safety, homeland security, and other human services.
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On June 16, the Corporation announced an initial allocation of
state formula dollars and corresponding number of positions for AmeriCorps. As
a result of the Strengthen AmeriCorps Program Act, the Corporation today is
increasing the number of AmeriCorps positions allotted to state commissions.
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read state-by-state allocations
AmeriCorps National Direct
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16 grants totaling $17,798,061 in program funding to support
approximately 2,074 AmeriCorps members (1,411 FTE).
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Grantees are large nonprofits operating in multiple states
that use AmeriCorps members to support their local affiliates in meeting
community needs.
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Grantees are responsible for programmatic and fiscal oversight
of their awards in the many communities served by AmeriCorps members.
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There will be an additional round of grants announced later
this month for organizations in the second or third year of their grants.
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read list of grants
Education Award Program
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19 grants totaling $945,600 to support approximately 4,255
AmeriCorps members (2,364 FTE).
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The education award program supports partnerships with
national, state and local nonprofit organizations. The organizations become
part of the AmeriCorps network and receive minimal administrative support
while their participants become AmeriCorps members and earn education awards
through their service.
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There will be an additional round of Education Award Program
grants later this summer.
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read list of grants
AmeriCorps members serve full- or part-time with more than 2,500
national and local organizations. Full-time members receive an education award
of $4,725 to pay for college, graduate school, or to pay back student loans.
Members who serve part-time receive a partial education award. In addition to
the AmeriCorps State and National grant programs, AmeriCorps also includes
AmeriCorps*NCCC, a 10-month, full-time residential program for men and women
between the ages of 18 and 24 who carry out projects in public safety, public
health, and disaster relief, and AmeriCorps*VISTA, whose members help bring
individuals and communities out of poverty by serving full-time to fight
illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, increase housing
opportunities, or bridge the digital divide.
AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and
Community Service, which also oversees Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America.
Together, the programs of the Corporation engage more than two million Americans
each year in meeting critical needs in education, the environment, public
safety, homeland security, and other areas. The Corporation and its programs are
part of USA Freedom Corps, a White House initiative to foster a culture of
citizenship, service, and responsibility, and help all Americans answer the
President's Call to Service.
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