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Frequently Asked Questions
Americorps RFP FAQ
- What is AmeriCorps?
- Is my organization ready for AmeriCorps?
- What do AmeriCorps members do?
- Who can be an AmeriCorps member?
- Who can apply for AmeriCorps funds?
- How do I apply for AmeriCorps funds?
- More Information
Question: What is AmeriCorps?
Answer: AmeriCorps is a federally-funded program that gives citizens the opportunity to engage in full or part-time service to their local community. The network of local, state, and national service programs within AmeriCorps connects more than 70,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet our country’s critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment.
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Question: Is my organization ready for AmeriCorps?
Answer: The Office on Volunteerism and Community Service has developed an Organizational Assessment designed to help organizations determine if they are ready to administer an AmeriCorps program. You can download the assessment at: http://www.vaservice.org/go/national/americorps_rfp/#presentation
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Question: What do AmeriCorps members do?
Answer: Members in Virginia work with organizations such as the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Boys and Girls Clubs, as well as many other national, state, and local nonprofit organizations. AmeriCorps members recruit and train volunteers, tutor and mentor at-risk youth, make schools and neighborhoods safer, build and rehabilitate homes, clean rivers and restore parks, help seniors live independently, provide health care in underserved rural communities, and provide emergency and long-term assistance to victims of natural disasters, among other things.
View the listing and brief overview of operating Virginia AmeriCorps State and AmeriCorps VISTA programs.
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Question: Who can be an AmeriCorps member?
Answer: An individual must be a U.S. citizen, national, or legal permanent resident alien of the U.S. to be an AmeriCorps member. For AmeriCorps State, an individual must be at least 17 years old, although some service opportunities require an individual to be at least 18. For AmeriCorps VISTA, an individual must be at least 18 years old. For most programs there are no upper age limits. Some programs have specific skill requests in certain areas, and others look for a bachelor's degree or a few years of related volunteer/job experience. For others, an individual’s motivation and commitment may be the primary requirement.
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Question: Who can apply for AmeriCorps funds?
Answer: AmeriCorps funds can be awarded to nonprofit organizations, state and local units of government, institutions of higher education, and Indian tribes in the Commonwealth of Virginia. For more information on the application process, please see the presentations at: http://www.vaservice.org/go/national/americorps_rfp/
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Question: How do I apply for AmeriCorps funds?
Answer: Organizations interested in applying for funding for a potential AmeriCorps State program must submit its application in response to the Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the Virginia Office on Volunteerism and Community Service (VOVCS). The RFP for program year 2009-10, will be released in early 2009.
Organizations interested in applying for funding for a potential AmeriCorps VISTA program please contact the Corporation for National and Community Service Virginia State Office at (804) 771-2157.
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Question: More Information
Answer: For more information about the AmeriCorps programs funded through the Virginia Office on Volunteerism and Community Service call: (804) 726-7068 or (800) 638-3839.
For more information about AmeriCorps, visit http://www.americorps.org
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