New Mexico Commission for Community Volunteerism: AmeriCorps Grant (Competitive Pool)

The AmeriCorps national service funding (competitive pool) is determined on the basis of a national competition and is selected by the Corporation for National & Community Service (CNCS). The New Mexico Commission for Community Volunteerism (the Commission) directs national service policy for New Mexico and directly administers funding awarded by the CNCS to support New Mexico AmeriCorps programs. The Commission works to identify proposals that New Mexico recommends for consideration and selection by CNCS. The applications submitted for the current competition are for the national competitive pool of funding. The proposals forwarded by CNCS will compete with proposals from states across the country and from U.S. territories. They will also compete with proposals from organizations that operate and provide services in more than one state (national direct organizations) for the same competitive pool of funds.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) will fund programs that can demonstrate community impact and solve community problems using an evidence-based or evidence-informed approach. Through the 2019 competition, CNCS seeks to prioritize the investment of national service resources in Economic Opportunity, Education, Healthy Futures, Veterans and Military Families, Rural Intermediaries, Safer Communities, and Faith-Based Organizations.

CNCS is targeting AmeriCorps funds to the following six focus areas:

• Disaster Services: Grant activities will provide support to increase the preparedness of individuals for disasters, improve individuals’ readiness to respond to disasters, help individuals recover from disasters, and/or help individuals mitigate disasters
• Economic Opportunity: Grants will provide support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to the improved economic well-being and security of economically disadvantaged people; help economically disadvantaged people to have improved access to services that enhance financial literacy; transition into or remain in safe, healthy, affordable housing; and/or have improved employability leading to increased success in becoming employed
• Education: Grants will provide support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to improved educational outcomes for economically disadvantaged children; improved school readiness for economically disadvantaged young children; improved educational and behavioral outcomes of students in low-achieving elementary, middle, and high schools; and/or support economically disadvantaged students’ preparation for success in post-secondary educational institutions
• Environmental Stewardship: Grants will support responsible stewardship of the environment, while preparing communities for challenging circumstances and helping Americans respond to and recover from disruptive life events: programs that conserve natural habitats; protect clean air and water; maintain public lands; support wildland fire mitigation; cultivate individual and community self-sufficiency; and provide reforestation services after floods or fires
• Healthy Futures: Grants will provide support for activities that will address the opioid crisis; increase seniors’ ability to remain in their own homes with the same or improved quality of life for as long as possible; and/or increase physical activity and improve nutrition with the purpose of reducing obesity
• Veterans and Military Families: Grants will positively impact the quality of life of veterans and improve military family strength; increase the number of veterans, wounded warriors, military service members, and their families served by CNCS programs; and/or increase the number of veterans and military family members engaged in service through CNCS programs

Amount: Grant awards have two components: operating funds and AmeriCorps member positions. Grant award amounts vary – both in the level of operating funds and in the type and amount of AmeriCorps member positions – as determined by the scope of the projects.

The Maximum Costs per Member Service Year (MSY) are as follows:

• Cost reimbursement: $15,192 maximum/traditional
• Fixed amount: $15,192 maximum/full time
• Professional Corps fixed amount: $1,000
• Education Award Program (EAP): $800

The general practice is to award no more than 50 member positions (slots) to organizations receiving an AmeriCorps grant for the first time. New applicants are eligible to apply for cost reimbursement and Education Award Program (EAP) grants but are not eligible to apply for full-time fixed amount grants.

Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations; states; local governments; institutions of higher education; and Indian tribes. Organizations that propose to operate in only one state must apply through the Governor appointed State or Territory Commissions.

Link: https://www.dws.state.nm.us/nmccv/Funding-Opportunities/Current-Opportunities

*Note: Submission of the Letter of Acknowledgement/Notice of Intent to Apply and Agency-Specific W-9 is required to be eligible for this competition and is due on Thursday, November 8, 2018. The deadline for Full Applications is Monday, December 3, 2018.

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