Resources Serve America Act Resource Page Detailed Summary of the Act (as of 4/21/2009) Highlights of the Act Bill Language (as of 3/26/2009)

Share your thoughts on the Serve America Act

On April 21, 2009, President Obama signed into law the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. The Act takes effect on October 1, 2009 and charges the Corporation for National and Community Service and its partners to:

• expand opportunities for all Americans to serve;
• focus on important national outcomes;
• be a catalyst for social innovation; and
• support the nonprofit sector.

To achieve these goals, the Corporation is looking for new ways to build on the strengths and assets of federal and private programs while, at the same time, reducing unnecessary burdens.

The Serve America Act authorizes the Corporation to expand existing programs and add several new programs and initiatives -- ultimately expanding the core of the Agency. Implementation of this historic legislation and strategic planning for the future requires the best ideas and thoughts from around the country.

How can you help?

We want to hear from you.

We have set up several ways for you to share your thoughts and ideas -- including listening sessions across the country, conference calls, and this website. The Corporation will not be able to respond to individual comments, but we will consider the input in drafting proposed rulemaking, developing our new strategic plan, as well as guidelines for new and existing programs.

To make your input as helpful as possible, we have provided a set of suggested topics for your feedback. Simply select a topic below and you’ll be taken to a page where you can share your thoughts and ideas on that particular topic.  And don’t worry – we’ve also provided a few questions for each topic to get you started!

Get started!

Please select a topic below:

• Expanding Opportunities to Serve
• Combining Assets for Greater Impact
• Demonstrating Impact
• Spurring Innovation and Supporting the Nonprofit Sector (New Initiatives)
• Achieving Growth through Simpler Grantmaking
• Other

We hope you will consider providing input on one or more of these topics, but also please feel free to share additional ideas by selecting "Other".

Discussion Board Policy

We really want to hear what you have to say and for you to be able to read what others are saying as well. We’re pleased to offer this website for you to contribute your thoughts and ideas in an open forum. It is our hope that being able to see what others are saying will enhance and broaden your consideration of these topics and make for a more robust discussion of this important legislation.

Because this tool enables others to see your input, we ask that you consider the following guidelines:

• Stay focused.  All viewpoints are welcome, and we encourage input on topics beyond those suggested for consideration, but please focus of your ideas and thoughts on implementation of the Serve America Act and the development of the Corporation’s new five-year strategic plan. For unrelated questions or comments, please visit our Contact Us page or select "Other" in the topic list.
• No spam. Please refrain from repeatedly submitting postings of identical or very similar content in a counter-productive manner – including advertisements of goods or services.
• Support other opinions. If you happen to agree with a particular posting, please click on the "I share this opinion" button.
• Be respectful.  Please refrain from posting ad hominem or personal attacks, profanity, or aggressive comments.
• Protect your privacy.  Do not share personally identifiable information – such as your Social Security number, address, or phone number - in this space. If submitted, your email address will not display with your posting on this website. However, if provided, the Corporation may use your email address to contact you regarding your submission if further clarification is needed.

We retain the discretion to determine whether any input violates our policy. We also reserve the right to remove posts we determine violate our policy. We expect all contributors to be respectful. As a participant in this forum, if you feel that a posting is inappropriate please select the "Mark as inappropriate" button and the comment will be sent to us for review. Please note that the comment in question will continue to display in the forum until a final determination of its status is made by the Corporation.

Disclaimer

Except where specifically noted, any views or opinions expressed in this forum are those of the individual contributors. The views and opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Corporation for National and Community Service or the Federal government.