AmeriCorps Funding Opportunities
AmeriCorps Frequently Asked Questions
To submit a question to be answered on the FAQs, please submit your questions to Funding@CaliforniaVolunteers.ca.gov. Questions must be received by COB on Thursday to be posted the following Monday. The FAQs will be updated daily during the week of December 1-4.
Select a Category
Needs and Service Activities
Question 1: Should our members be focused more on direct service or capacity building?
This completely depends upon the community need your partnership is addressing. The strategy selected should support achieving outcome targets that are directly connected to the community need identified.
Question 2: This question is about the Performance Measurement Worksheet. We are proposing a project with 30 MSYs (= 30 members). The 30 members will be spending about 75% of their time on the primary need and services. The remaining time they will spend on three other needs/services (NOT primary), the member development and strengthening communities. So, in section [B] of the PMW for each of these services do I still fill in 30 x1700 (since they are all full time) on every worksheet, even though they are not spending all of their time on that service? (and then Section [C] will actually indicate the total members hours spent on that service over the program)
No. Please note that questions [B] and [C] on the Needs and Service Performance Measurement Worksheet ask for overall member hour information and are not specifically tied to a PMW
Question 3: For #4 – “Amount of Service”: For one of our needs and services, we have 18 members providing that specific service. 9 of the members are providing the service for 3 hours/day; 5 days/week. The other 9 are only providing the service for 1 hour/day; 5 days/week. Since we are not supposed to change the format of this box, how do you suggest I complete this box to make sure it accurately reflects the member hours?
The answers to questions a-e in row 4 of the PMW should be determined by thinking about the specific activity and the amount of time it may take to achieve the results the community is looking to achieve. If for example, the amount of time members will spend on this activity vary by position type then you may reflect this in your responses.
Question 4: Are there limits to work shifts? Overnight shifts?
Program designs consider how best to use an AmeriCorps member. Consideration should be given to supervision and reasonable expectations of “work hours”.
Question 5: Can members be used to do administrative work for an agency, e.g., volunteer management, fundraising, operations?
Prohibitive activities are listed on page 45-46 of the Program Guide. While AmeriCorps members may not be used for administrative tasks that are clerical in nature, nor supplant or replace staff, members may perform capacity building activities that address the community need. Volunteer management is an example of an acceptable AmeriCorps member position. In addition, AmeriCorps members may spent up to 10% of their time performing funding raising activities that support the program. However, AmeriCorps members may not raise match for the program operating costs. All funding raising hours must be clearly documented on time sheets.
Question 6: For our needs and service PMWs can we list more than one indicator and target per PMW or is it restricted to just one? For example let say that by providing one on tutoring we expect a student’s academic achievement to increase AND also see increases in some other measure like self-esteem or self-efficacy – The academic achievement is the primary indicator so of course we will list that, but can we also list others?
Yes. Keep in mind that each indicator listed needs to have an instrument and a corresponding target. CV does not recommend multiple targets. Successful applicants focus energy on a primary end outcome. In this example the end outcome of tutoring activities would be academic achievement. The other changes would be considered intermediate outcomes.
Question 7: Are “beneficiaries” different than “High need beneficiaries” i.e.; is it permissible for a program to serve a cohort of individuals that may not meet criteria to be “high need” as well as those that do?
This is really up to the program to define. CV would expect successful AmeriCorps programs to be serving a high need target population. We would expect those needing services to be high need.
