Maine AmeriCorps Planning Grant

Volunteer Maine, the Commission for Community Service, is seeking proposals for AmeriCorps Planning grants that address community issues in one of these categories:

• Public Health – including domestic violence, abuse or neglect, substance use, emergency preparedness/response, adverse childhood experiences, and mental health; 
• Workforce development – combining service with skill development or certifications that lead to post-service employment
• Housing – affordable and safe housing; home energy conservation, weatherization, or repair including programs that perform the modifications, teach homeowners DIY skills or help residents connect with programs that offer financial assistance to accomplish the projects
• Climate action compatible with Maine Won’t Wait (the state climate action plan) and Maine Climate Corps; and, 
• Environmental/community resilience, adaptation, and sustainability including emergency preparedness.

During the planning period, the grantee will devote personnel to training and completing tasks that:

• Clarify the scope and impact of the critical issue affecting their target community. 
• Research and identify an evidence-based service response to the issue, one that can be implemented by AmeriCorps members and the community volunteers they recruit.  
• Develop an operating model to deliver the services effectively. 
• Establish effective partnerships to connect with community beneficiaries and acquire needed human, financial, and other resources. 
•  Develop the human resource policies, systems, and management procedures required to recruit, select, onboard, supervise, evaluate, train, and record the accomplishments of both AmeriCorps members and community volunteers.
•  Develop data collection systems that will be used for reporting, learning, and continuous improvement. 
• Prepare to integrate AmeriCorps financial management requirements into agency policies and procedures; and
• Educate financial, human resources, senior leadership, and relevant organizational staff about AmeriCorps grant provisions, regulations, and resources available for new grantees.

Throughout the planning grant, the organization’s lead planner and team members must participate in Commission training about specific aspects of program planning. The organization must also commit to completing critical tasks between training events.

An advisory committee must be created with a variety of community stakeholders including people who will benefit from the service activities. The Advisory Committee’s mission is to assist in crafting the overall program design by clarifying program goals, identifying AmeriCorps members' service activities and sites, developing partner roles, and outlining budget needs and sources of match funding. 

Estimated Total Program Funding: