Frequently Asked Questions for Sponsors and Grantees

1. How do I access my current postings?
2. How do I see who has applied?
3. What if I do not have an eGrants account?
4. What kind of training resources will be available to me?
5. Why is the Corporation making this change?
6. Who can I contact with questions?

The AmeriCorps Recruitment and Placement System (ACRPS) has been replaced with the new My AmeriCorps system with all of the functions you now use. All application and program information has been migrated to the new My AmeriCorps system.

For individuals posting information for applicants in My AmeriCorps, the information will be entered through eGrants. You can log into eGrants or apply for an account at:

https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp

Your Grant Administrator will give you the capability to use the recruitment features in eGrants after your account has been set up and then you’re ready to begin using the system.

The new system will enable you to:

• Create and update service opportunity descriptions (recruitment postings)
• Reach out to applicants whose interests and skills could make them a potential match for your service opportunities
• Submit documentation for citizenship
• View applications and references
• Select applicants

1. How do I access my current postings?

Current recruitment listings have been migrated to My AmeriCorps. Log into eGrants. Specifically, on your eGrants home page, under “View My AmeriCorps Portal,” links are provided for recruitment and application functions: Recruitment (“x” number of applications pending). On your Recruitment Page you will see a link for My Service Opportunity Listings. Clicking on that link will bring up your current postings and enable you to create and edit listings.

2. How do I see who has applied?

Current applications have been migrated to My AmeriCorps. Specifically, on your eGrants home page, under “View My AmeriCorps Portal,” links are provided for recruitment and application functions. If you have applications to your program awaiting review, a number will appear in the Recruitment link indicating that you have “x” number of applications pending. You will also receive an e-mail alert.

The illustration below shows you where on the eGrants home page you will access your listings and applications. VISTA Sponsors will also have access to V-81 transportation forms that have been submitted to them online using the new system. These will be accessed under the Member Management link.

3. What if I do not have an eGrants account?
   
   For those who don’t use eGrants currently, you can apply for an account from the eGrants log-in page. Your Grant Administrator will then be alerted to the fact that they will need to assign you your new role(s). To help facilitate this process, we have alerted your Grants Administrator to the new roles and the process for granting you access.
       
   New eGrants users can create an account:
    
   1. Go to https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp .
   2. Click on "Don't have an eGrants account?  Create an account ->"
   3. Follow instructions provided (also see your User Guide on the Resource Center Page for My AmeriCorps).
   4. Receive confirmation email.
   5. Grant Administrators receive an email alerting them to the fact they will need to assign new roles.
   6. Grant Administrators assign new roles using instructions provided in their User Guide.
   7. Users return to eGrants and log in.

   Once you have been set up with the appropriate roles, new links will become available in the eGrants system that will enable you to access the recruitment features. As a Grantee or Sponsor, the data you enter and view in eGrants with respect to Recruitment will actually be loaded into the My AmeriCorps portal.

   The application data you see when an individual applies is actually entered by the applicant using My AmeriCorps. And when you select the individual, it is reflected in the customized home page for the individual applying. My AmeriCorps links you to your applicants and members and vice versa. As My AmeriCorps grows in maturity, you will see increasing benefits of having this connection to your members.

   The site is built to be interactive so that when a member applies to your program, you will receive an initial email notification. As you change the status of applications or request forms, applicants or members also receive an alert to check the status. This keeps the process as transparent and progressive as possible.

   The graphic below demonstrates the new way you can interact with your applicants and access your listings.

   

   The individual listed under the Contact Information section of the service opportunity listing will receive an email notification of an application submission.
       

4. What kind of training resources will be available to me?
   
   Sponsors and Grantees have access to user guides on the Corporation’s Resource Center website page for My AmeriCorps. The user guide provides detailed explanations of each task you will be asked to complete within the My AmeriCorps portal. It also provides an overview of My AmeriCorps, how it works within eGrants and tips for using the system.
      
5. Why is the Corporation making this change?
   
   The Corporation has undertaken a substantial effort to improve the experience for individuals who want to serve in AmeriCorps programs. This includes the building of the My AmeriCorps member portal, which is a customized online space that is built to house all volunteer-related information. At each point in the member’s lifecycle with the programs, their individual home pages alert them to actions they can complete any time, online and in one place before, after, and during their service.

My AmeriCorps will eventually consolidate the data from multiple systems into one, reducing the need for staff and for Grantees/Sponsors to enter multiple systems or to re-enter data. Because of the scale of this effort, the old systems will be retired or integrated in phases. Additional member management functions will be made available in the next phase of the My AmeriCorps, set to launch in Spring of 2008.

6. Who can I contact with questions?
   
   You can send your questions to admin@americorps.org. Our Recruitment Administrator can work with you to identify the root of the problem and resolve it.

Once the new system is live, for technical issues with eGrants, you may contact the eGrants Help Desk at 1-888-677-7849 between 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, or by email at egrantshelp@cns.gov.