VISTA Assignment Description VAD VISTA Name VISTA Title Development and Communications Associate VISTA Term of Service August 2 nd, 2018- August 3 rd, 2019 Site Name Maine Initiatives EIN Number 01-0484310 Service Location (address including 4 digit zip 56 North Street, Suite 100 Portland, ME 04101-2756 extension) Supervisor Name/Title Andrea Berry, Director of Communications and Engagement Supervisor Phone/Email 207-607-4070 / andrea@maineinitiatives.org also email: phil@maineinitiatives.org Project Name Sponsoring Organization Project Number Project Period Focus Area Secondary Focus Area Number of Years with Goodwill VISTA Partnership If more than 3 site must define a NEW project for the VISTA(s). Goodwill VISTA Partnership Goodwill Industries of Northern New England 17VSAME002 Economic Opportunity Environmental Stewardship Host Site Organization Overview VISTA Assignment Objectives & Activities Maine Initiatives (MI), a community-based foundation, is a network of individuals supporting greater social, economic, and environmental justice in Maine through informed, intentional, and collective philanthropy. We engage and connect people around shared values, pooling small and large donations to make grants and to build the capacity of organizations that make Maine healthier, more inclusive and vibrant, stronger, and more sustainable. Since 1993, we have made over $4 million in grants to grassroots community organizations that have achieved lasting, measurable victories for justice and equity in our state. We have also helped to build power and ensure basic protections for women, homeless and vulnerable Mainers, and immigrants and refugees. In 2016 and 2017 Maine Initiatives, embarked on a revolutionary community-engaged grantmaking model. Through a thematic approach to racial justice and equity, a widely participatory grantmaking approach, and a grantee cohort initiative, we are rethinking our approach to philanthropy. 2018 will be our third year of this community-driven grantmaking process, in which we will be supporting a cohort of 30 grantees addressing racial justice. We see our work of addressing racial justice as simultaneously addressing major issues of economic justice, as the two issues are deeply connected throughout our state.
Project Goal Objective 1 Timeframe Activities Objective 1 Objective 2 Timeframe Activities Objective 2 The AmeriCorps VISTA member will serve Maine Initiatives grantees and the wider MI community of Mainers interested in social, economic, and environmental justice. The AmeriCorps VISTA member will be responsible for development and communications within the foundation, ultimately culminating in the planning of our annual Gala. The VISTA s efforts will help break the cycle of poverty by financially supporting the growth of key organizations working on economic and racial justice and building a community of individuals informed and passionate about poverty eradication. The AmeriCorps VISTA member will build capacity through implementing development strategies and communicating MI s mission to the larger public, increasing our donor and volunteer base. Work towards ending the cycle of poverty through the organization s mission and the activities of the VISTA Continuous The Maine Initiatives Development and Communications VISTA member will serve two core sets of constituents: 1. The proposal readers and grantmaking committee members a. This group numbered 159 in 2016, 255 in 2017, and we expect it to reach 300 in 2018. A cross-class, cross-cultural community of individuals engaged in advancing racial and economic justice in Maine. 2. The grantee organizations a. The 2016 and 2017 Cohorts are each comprised of 10 organizations from across Maine working on a wide variety of issues that intersect with economic and racial justice including immigrants rights, tribal sovereignty, criminal justice, and education. (For full list of grantee see: http://maineinitiatives.org/grants/grants-for-change/grants-for-change-gr antees/ ). b. The 2018 Cohort members will be identified at the October 2018 Grantmaking Retreat. This group will also be comprised of 10 organizations from across Maine addressing racism and poverty in our state. As both of these groups are serving Mainers statewide, we rely on full-state poverty demographics to assess our impact on economically marginalized communities. In Maine, based on 2016 reporting from Talk Poverty s State of the States Report ( https://talkpoverty.org/poverty ), 13.4% of the Maine population is living in poverty. Of those living in poverty, over 87% are considered racial or ethnic minorities, emphasizing the intersectionality of economic justice and racial justice work. The Maine Initiatives VISTA will be working closely with the Proposal Readers and Grantmaking Committee to build their social equity through access to key decision-making tables. They will build new cross-class, cross-cultural relationship and learn about new organizations working in racial and economic justice that they were previously unaware of. The Maine Initiatives VISTA will support the grantee organizations from the 2016, 2017, and 2018 cohorts in directly improving the way they work (through capacity building) as well as offering financial assistance (through grants and capacity building funds). Each of these organizations will improve the economic stability of their constituents through their mission-related work. Increase sustainability of the VISTA project by: managing development strategies to support MI fundraising, implementing board engagement strategies, and creating internal office management protocols. Continuous 1. Manage Donor Database and Related Development Systems a. Support cleaning of database records b. Create periodic data report summaries
Objective 3 Timeframe Activities Objective 4 c. Streamline and participate in overall development process 2. Support Major Fundraising Appeals a. Collaborate with MI staff and Graphic Designer to conceptualize campaign strategy and appeal materials. b. Support drafting of written fundraising communications c. Manage non-profit mailing d. Manage and record all donations and process thank you letters 3. Support Board Management a. Work with Executive Director to implement Board management strategies. b. Draft bi-weekly updates for Board s to increase board engagement in our work. c. Communicate with the Board. 4. Support Internal Office Management a. Create and manage systems and structures to maintain healthy work environment. Amplify Maine Initiatives mission of supporting social, economic, and environmental justice through communications strategies. Continuous 1. Manage MI s Social Media a. Update website with MI news and community events related to social, economic, and environmental topics. b. Create a monthly e-newsletter that provides updates on our work, as well as highlights and publicizes the work of our grantees. c. Manage Facebook and Twitter posts on a daily basis 2. Promote and Maintain Donor and Volunteer Relations a. Manage implementation of strategic donor communications. b. Help organize and facilitate awareness-building house parties and Advisers Dinner c. Recruit, manage, and appreciate our 250 volunteers 3. Support Foundation Participatory Grantmaking Process a. Read grant proposals to help evaluate applications b. Support Proposal Readers in collecting their evaluations c. Analyze and report on Reader evaluations d. Participate as a member of the Grantmaking Planning Committee e. Develop strategy and programs to continue to engage the Proposal Readers and Grantmaking Committee in MI s work, building the informed and engaged community 4. Design and Implement a Research Project a. Gather quantitative and qualitative data from this three year long participatory grantmaking approach b. Identify key themes in reader applications, reader reflection and demographic surveys, and in the proposal evaluations themselves. c. Create a report that investigates the ways in which MI is making progress in transforming philanthropy and building a racial justice sector in Maine. d. Use this report as a mechanism to tell this story of participatory grantmaking, and what it looks like to engage individuals on issues of racial and economic justice through this process in order to bring more members of the community into our work, and to also identify areas where we can grow. Support the success of the 2019 Gala through planning and facilitating the event. This work will greatly build the capacity of MI through fundraising and community engagement, as well as raise funds on behalf of grantee organizations and provide a platform to share grantee work with the wider MI community. Timeframe November 2018- June 2019 Activities Objective 4 1. Help identify and recruit sponsors a. Write sponsorship material for distribution b. Work with Graphic Designer on sponsor packet c. Identify progressive businesses and individuals to contact for sponsorships
Service Compon ents Training Component d. Perform sponsorship solicitation requests with support of Executive Director and Director of Communications and Engagement 2. Implement new online giving platform for event including live, text-based giving a. Identify potential technology vendors, evaluate and choose vendor b. Work with MI team to contract with vendor and set up technology c. Pilot technology at event d. Work with Event Planning Committee to design way technology will be incorporated into event 3. Recruit and Manage Planning Committee s a. Work with MI staff to create a planning committee of community members who have access to key sponsors. b. Conceptualize agenda c. Plan and facilitate meetings 4. Support all planning and execution of event a. Work in conjunction with Community Engagement and Grantmaking VISTA, Event Planner, Director of Communications and Engagement, and Event Planning Committee to organize and facilitate all aspects of the event b. Participate fully on the day-of event as needed Training Goodwill VISTA Partnership Trainings (outlined in Training Calendar) 3 overnight trainings in September, February and May. Dates TBD. Most are 2 nights, 3 days. Monthly trainings including: webinars, member conferences or day-long conferences. Dates and locations TBD. Travel may be required. 3-day retreat as part of the Grantmaking Committee, including racial justice and grantmaking trainings. Opportunity to participate in all grantee capacity building programs Expected Timeframe Ongoing TBD Ongoing National Days of Service Expected Timeframe 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance Week of 9/11 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Week of 1/21 AmeriCorps Week 2 nd Week of March AmeriCorps VISTA Benefits Stipend of $1,026 per month throughout the 12 month term Choice of $5,920 education award or $1,800 cash stipend upon completion of service o Education award can be to pay off qualified loans, or for educational expenses at Title IV schools Forbearance of federally qualified student loans during service term (interest paid by AmeriCorps) o Stafford o Perkins o Some private loans (you must call lender to ask) Health Benefits (go to link below for more details) Workers Compensation Coverage Child Care Reimbursement (if income eligible) 10 days of sick leave and 10 days of vacation leave Relocation Allowance for service for those who relocate 50 miles or more (from their home of record) o One time relocation allotment of $550 and reimbursement for travel costs (baggage shipment, mileage reimbursement if driving a personal vehicle)
Non-competitive eligibility for Federal Jobs for 1 year after your term of service Networking/professional development Mileage reimbursement to AmeriCorps sponsored training events Mileage reimbursement for project/site related travel consistent with staff reimbursement at the site Usually eligible for Food Stamps (SNAP) should apply for benefit before starting VISTA term For more information about VISTA: http://www.vistacampus.gov/ AmeriCorps Prohibited Activities The following activities are prohibited in AmeriCorps Programs: (a) While charging time to the AmeriCorps program, accumulating service or training hours, or otherwise performing activities supported by the AmeriCorps program or CNCS, staff and members may not engage in the following activities: 1. Attempting to influence legislation; 2. Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes; 3. Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing; 4. Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements; 5. Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office; 6. Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials; 7. Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization; 8. Providing a direct benefit to i. A business organized for profit; ii. A labor union; iii. A partisan political organization; iv. A nonprofit organization that fails to comply with the restrictions contained in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 except that nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent participants from engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative; and engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative; and v. An organization engaged in the religious activities described in paragraph (g) of this section, unless Corporation assistance is not used to support those religious activities; 9. Conducting a voter registration drive or using Corporation funds to conduct a voter registration drive; 10. Providing abortion services or referrals for receipt of such services; and 11. Such other activities as CNCS may prohibit Capacity Building Performance Measures As a general rule, capacity building activities are indirect services that enable CNCS-supported organizations to provide more, better and sustained direct services. Capacity building activities cannot be solely intended to support the administration or operations of the organization. Capacity building activities must: 1. Be intended to support or enhance the program delivery model. 2. Respond to the organization s goal of increasing, expanding or enhancing services in order to address the most pressing needs identified in the community, and 3. Enable the organization to provide a sustained level of more or better services after the national service participant s term of service has ended.
These Capacity Building Performance Measures should directly relate to the VISTA member Goal/Objectives/Activities outlined in the VAD. Please rank your top three performance measures in order as how they correlate to the VAD objectives and activities you just listed. Please Note: Although we ask that you to rank the top 3 primary measures associated with the member position, members will be expected to report applicable accomplishments on ALL performance measures via reporting procedures throughout the year. Please indicate your top performance measurement. Selection 2018-2019 Performance Measure 2018-2019 Target # Number of community volunteers recruited by CNCS-supported organizations or Number of community volunteers managed by CNCS-supported organizations or Number of organizations implementing three or more effective volunteer management practices as a result of capacity building services provided by CNCSsupported organizations or 1 Number of organizations that received capacity building services from CNCSsupported organizations or 2 Number of staff and community volunteers that received training (of one or more types) as a result of capacity building services provided by CNCS-supported organizations or Number of organizations that completed a community assessment identifying goals and recommendations with the assistance of CNCS-supported organizations or Hours of service contributed by community volunteers who were recruited by CNCSsupported organizations or Hours of service contributed by community volunteers who were managed by CNCSsupported organizations or Number of organizations reporting that capacity building activities provided by CNCS-supported organizations or have helped to make the organization more efficient 3 Number of organizations reporting that capacity building activities provided by CNCS-supported organizations or have helped to make the organization more effective Number of new systems and business processes (technology, performance management, training, etc) or enhancements to existing systems and business processes put in place as a result of capacity building services provided by CNCSsupported organizations or Number of organizations that monitored their progress towards the goals identified in their community assessment with the assistance of CNCS-supported organizations or Number of additional activities completed and/or program outputs produced by the program as a result of capacity building services provided by CNCS-supported organizations or in: Number of organizations that have experienced an increase in requests for their programs and services as a result of capacity building services provided by CNCSsupported organizations or notational service participants 30 60 30
Number of additional types of services offered by organizations as a result of capacity building services provided by CNCS-supported organizations or national service participants in: Dollar value of cash resources leveraged by CNCS-supported organizations or Dollar value of in-kind resources leveraged by CNCS-supported organizations or Number of new beneficiaries that received services as a result of capacity building efforts in Number of new beneficiaries from one or more targeted or underserved populations (counts by target population, e.g. racial or ethnic group) that received services as a result of capacity building efforts in: