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Ideas and Resources
WebChats
To help you plan and promote your AmeriCorps
Week event or presentation, we are setting up a
series of WebChats where you can learn
more about what’s going on and share ideas with
headquarters and your peers from across the
county.
> Learn
more
Register Your Event
Take a minute to let us know about your
AmeriCorps Week project, event, or presentation.
We’ll get a truer sense of the scope of
activities taking place May 9-16, and the many
friends of AmeriCorps across the country can
more easily find - and support - activities
taking place near them.
>
Click here to register
Whether you’re an AmeriCorps program, member,
alumnus, or friend, there are countless ways to
support AmeriCorps Week’s goals of bringing
more Americans into service and raising awareness
about how AmeriCorps is “getting things done” for
your community and for America. Below are a few
ideas:
Speak to a Community Group
AmeriCorps members, alumni, and programs have
great stories to tell. Arrange a public speaking
opportunity (or two or three) at a local school or
college, or before a local community organization
like the Rotary Club or Chamber of Commerce. Talk
about your AmeriCorps experience and the difference
that AmeriCorps has made in your life. Get people
excited about the power of serving their community!
‘AmeriCorps for a Day’
Ask a local official, potential funder,
celebrity, or reporter to become an AmeriCorps
member for a day—or even a half-hour, if that’s what
they can offer. Once they get an inside look at your
organization and the work that AmeriCorps members
do, they’re certain to gain a deeper appreciation of
the value of your program to the community.
Similarly, why not invite young people from the
community, friends, or family members to serve
beside you or your members for a day, either as part
of your/their regular duties or on a special
AmeriCorps Week service project.
Stage a Special Event
Everyone likes special events, especially if they
help your organization fulfill its mission.
AmeriCorps Week is the perfect time to host an Open
House, sponsor a local service project, or connect
with other AmeriCorps programs in your area to stage
a joint volunteer recruitment fair. Another idea is
to hold a Community Appreciation Reception to thank
your AmeriCorps program’s funders, volunteers, and
other partners for their support. The events need
not be formal or expensive – it’s the spirit that
counts!
Reach Out to the Media
Your organization does great work every day to
meet a host of needs. What better excuse to draw
attention to your efforts than AmeriCorps
Week? Contact your local newspaper, radio,
television, and cable stations to request coverage
of your group during the week, or ask them to run
public service announcements.
Engage Officials and Community Partners
Ask your mayor, town council, county leader, or
even your state’s governor to issue a proclamation
recognizing AmeriCorps Week and your group’s
connection to it. Get local sports teams to
recognize AmeriCorps members during the game, or ask
a local celebrity to service with ‘AmeriCorps for a
Day.’
Spread the Word About Your AmeriCorps Service
Not everyone has time to speak to a school or
community group. But everyone can do something to
let others know of the power and impact of
AmeriCorps. Drop off AmeriCorps brochures at your
local library. Blog about AmeriCorps on MySpace or
Facebook or another online site. Send a letter to
the editor of your local paper, and send an e-mail
to your friends, family, and colleagues to let them
know about your service or about AmeriCorps Week
activities that are happening in their communities.
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Social Networking - MySpace and YouTube and
Blogs, Oh My!
A newsletter reviewing the various Web 2.0 tools
and how they can be used by youth-serving
organizations
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eOrganizer
A kit of e-Tools for grassroots community
organizing. See the Stakeholders and
Strategic Partnerships section for how to use
eTools to identify potential partners and
cultivate relationships.
Additional Resources
Planning and Hosting a Service Project
Conducting a Recruitment Blitz
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Outreach: Cast a Wide Net
Reaching the most qualified and diverse
applicant pool leads to more successful
placements. You'll want to get the word out in a
number of different ways to reach many different
audiences.
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Creating Marketing Materials
Now that you have decided on a recruitment
strategy, you're ready to create specific
materials to advertise and market your position.
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Coordinating AmeriCorps
Recruitment Efforts With
Local Colleges
AmeriCorps programs that coordinate recruiting
efforts with local college admissions offices
increase their applicant pools without increased
effort. Colleges can also be encouraged to offer
AmeriCorps-based scholarships when they are
understood as a way to increase the number and
diversity of applicants to their schools.
Resource Development
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Fundraising On The Go
Suggestions for how to incorporate fundraising
into regular, ongoing activities of a busy
organization with busy staff.
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Asking For Donations
Step by step suggestions for how to prepare for
and approach a prospective donor. Focuses on
financial contributions but can be used for
in-kind requests too.
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Preparing a Case For Support
Describes how to develop an effective case for
support of your program.
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