Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service

ICVS Role with AmeriCorps

The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service (ICVS) grants and administers AmeriCorps funding in Iowa . AmeriCorps is a national service program that enables individuals to commit a significant amount of time to voluntary service designed to meet community needs. AmeriCorps grants are awarded to non-profit organizations, government agencies and/or schools that enroll AmeriCorps members in an effort to address our state's most pressing needs (such as education, environment, poverty, homelessness and public safety). AmeriCorps members receive a living stipend during their service and are eligible for an education award of up to $4725 upon successful completion of their service.

AmeriCorps Goals
Iowa AmeriCorps programs are encouraged to address national and state priority need areas. The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service also has a desire to bring AmeriCorps programs and members to unserved or underserved areas of the state. Organizations are encouraged to submit projects that are particularly innovative, involve the disability community and are replicable.

The following priorities have been established at the federal and state level.

Corporation for National & Community Service Priorities (Federal)

Ensure a brighter future for all of America 's youth – Children and youth who grow up in severely distressed communities are more likely to be at risk of school failure, unemployment, criminal behavior and persistent poverty. Among other interventions, AmeriCorps programs often bring positive change to the lives of these children and youth in one or both of two ways: engaging them in service and connecting them with caring adults such as mentors or tutors. AmeriCorps looks to build on this success.
Harness experience to meet 21 st century challenges – Baby Boomers are a highly educated, highly motivated group that could drive solutions to some of our most intractable social problems. Capturing their talents and experience, and engaging them in helping to solve critical social issues through service must become a high-priority goal for the nation in the coming years. Several AmeriCorps programs have achieved strong success in this area in the past, and CNCS is interested in finding additional models.
Build the supply line for “ America 's Armies of Compassion” – In 2004, more than 64 million Americans served their communities as un-stipend volunteers with organizations. AmeriCorps programs provide more support than any other program to volunteer-generating nonprofits. In addition, all CNCS programs provide unique support to volunteer connector organizations in communities. AmeriCorps plan to build on this success through generating even higher levels of volunteering through its grantees and through supporting programs that build or strengthen volunteering infrastructure in communities.
Students in the community – building engaged citizens – Educational institutions are charged with the responsibility of education students to become responsible citizens and leaders who use their education and life experiences to support the common good. Volunteering and service-learning are important factors in this educational experience and need to be incorporated on a more widespread basis. AmeriCorps is looking to expand its impact in generating service-learning in the K-12 environment and to generate more students in higher education institutions serving needs in their community.

AmeriCorps Funding

Federal funding for AmeriCorps is provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Each year, CNCS awards funds directly to state commissions to administer AmeriCorps and to be sub-granted to non-profit organizations, government agencies and schools to support AmeriCorps projects. Each year, the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service sub-grants more than $1.7 million in federal funds for program operations. These federal dollars are matched with more than $860,000 from local organizations.

Funding since 2000
Since 2000, AmeriCorps in Iowa has leveraged the following resources:
State Funds: $362,000 Return of $105.00 for every state dollar
Local Funds: $9.2 million Return of $3.10 for every local dollar
Federal Funds: $7.0 million Return of $4.50 for every federal dollar
Education Awards: $4.5 million*
AmeriCorps Service: $17.5 million**
*Education Awards used in Iowa schools and/or lending institutions
**Based on Independent Sector value of volunteer hours.

Local Grant Resources
AmeriCorps grantees are required to provide local matching resources for the federal funds they are awarded. Overall matching requirements are 25% for the first three years, 30% for years 4-6, 42% for years 7-9 and 50% for year 10 and beyond. The matching amounts vary by budget section and type (in-kind vs. cash). The average AmeriCorps grant in Iowa is $155,000 and the bulk of funding is dedicated to providing living allowances for members (average of $118,000 from our current grantees is used to cover member living allowances). Other grant funds can be used for personnel expenses and benefits, supplies, member and staff training/travel, member health care benefits and administrative expenses. For additional information on AmeriCorps funding resources, see “Apply to Be a Program”.

AmeriCorps Programs in Iowa
ICVS oversees Iowa 's fourteen AmeriCorps programs, representing community-based, county-wide, regional and statewide projects. Since 2000, more than 1000 AmeriCorps members have provided more than 1 million hours of service to Iowa . Each year, members provide more than 200,000 hours of service in addressing our state's most pressing needs.

Click below to view Iowa 's current AmeriCorps members' service areas and project summaries:

Environment: environmental education, ecosystem management, prairie planting and restoration, trail building and maintenance, erosion control
Youth: after-school and summer programming for youth, tutoring for students in K-12, tutoring, youth mentoring,
Public Safety: cell phone recycling, park safety, graffiti removal, community disaster education, neighborhood watch facilitation, work with local Citizen Corps Councils, disaster preparedness and response
Other Human Needs: domestic violence prevention and awareness, low-income housing building/renovation, homebuyer education programs, volunteer generation

AmeriCorps Members

Through the AmeriCorps program, members are able to commit significant amounts of time to provide service in the areas of Education, Environment, Public Safety and Other human needs. Members contract to serve between 300 and 1700 hours over the course of three to twelve months.

Member benefits:

Living Allowance: During the course of their service, AmeriCorps members receive a living allowance to help defray their expenses. Living allowances vary; however, full-time members receive a minimum of $10,900 for a full term of service. Member living allowance is taxed as income, however, it may not be considered income for some federal programs. If you receive Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (or other federal benefits) your eligibility to receive and/or maintain these benefits may be affected by your participation in AmeriCorps. Check with your local social security office on the potential impact of AmeriCorps on these federal benefits.
Loan Forbearance/Deferment: During their service, AmeriCorps members are eligible for loan forbearance and deferment of most federally-backed student loans. For qualified student loans, members that successfully complete their service are eligible to have the interest that accrued during their service paid by the National Service Trust. Loans that are in default are not eligible for these benefits. Additional information about qualified student loans can be found under the “For Members” section of this website.
Health Care: Full time members receive health care benefits through their AmeriCorps program. More information on member health care benefits can be found under the “For Members” section of this website.
Child Care: Full time members that meet income qualifications are eligible for child care benefits through the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies http://naccrra.org/americorpsvista/index.php . (link)
Training: Members receive orientation and training through their placement sites and, in some cases, from the ICVS. Trainings are designed by the local program sites and include topics such as communication, conflict resolution, public speaking, problem-solving, organization, management, etc. In addition, service-specific trainings are also available, for example, tutoring programs may provide training on youth development, positive reinforcement, educational techniques and environmental programs may provide training on prairie burns, native grasses, trail building, etc. Many programs encourage members to attend other formal training that pertains to their service. Sixty-one percent of members reported being “very satisfied” with the new skills they learned during their service.
Career Building : Through their placements, members have opportunities for career skill development. In addition, through their placements, members utilize their knowledge in skills on a daily basis, gaining a better understanding of their strengths as they apply to future career aspirations. Ninety-seven percent of member reported that their chances of finding a job had improved “quite a bit” or “a great deal” as a result of their year of service.
Networking: Many members, members often are invited to participate in meetings where they have the opportunity to meet and interact with professionals and leaders in their field. Many members take advantage of their service to make connections that lead to job offers after their terms of service.
Civic Engagement: During their service, members truly become engaged in the communities in which they serve. They receive orientation and training about the needs and resources of the community, and are able to address many of the community's challenges through their service. Eight-four percent of members were “satisfied” with the gains they mad during their year of service in understanding the community in which they served. In addition, ninety percent “strongly agreed” or “agreed ” that they “feel like part of the community” during their year of service. National studies show that AmeriCorps alumni are more likely to participate in community-based activities such as volunteering than their peers.
Education Award: members that successfully complete their service are eligible for education awards to be used to pursue post-secondary education and/or to repay qualified student loans. Full-time members are eligible for $4725 and less than full-time members receive pro-rated awards. Education awards are available for use for up to seven years following their exit from the AmeriCorps program and are taxable in the year they are used. For more information on the Education Award. (link to our page on the Education Award)

Member Data

A recent study, Serving Country and Community: A Longitudinal Study of Service in AmeriCorps was designed to assess the long-term impact of the program on AmeriCorps members.

AmeriCorps members are more likely to volunteer than their peers who did not participate in national service
AmeriCorps service has positive impact on members, including:

Increased connection to community
Greater knowledge of problems facing their community
Higher levels of participation in community-based activities
Elevated sense of community connectedness, such as obligations to keep neighborhoods clean, report crime and participate as volunteers
Improved understanding of power in grassroots efforts, such as starting a new program to meet community needs.

AmeriCorps member were more likely than their peers to choose public service careers such as teaching, social work, military and public safety.
AmeriCorps members

Education Award
The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service and the Corporation for National and Community Service Iowa State Office are working cooperatively to encourage Iowa 's educational institutions to provide additional incentives for AmeriCorps members. Institutions are free to develop an incentive plan that meets their goals and needs. This initiative is supported by Iowa Campus Compact.

Insert: Outline for Education Award Matching

Staff
Our staff is happy to assist you with questions or concerns related to applying for or managing an AmeriCorps grant, member concerns, and other questions. Click for our contact information.

AmeriCorps Staff:

Beth Govoni, AmeriCorps Program Officer
515-242-4952, Beth.Govoni@IowaLifeChanging.com

Kristin Honz, AmeriCorps Program Officer
515-242-5467, Kristin.Honz@IowaLifeChanging.com

Julie Struck, AmeriCorps Program Development, Training & Disability Placement Coordinator
515-242-4866, Julie.Struck@IowaLifeChanging.com