Request for Concept Papers (RFCP) for new AmeriCorps VISTA Project(s) in Montana Montana State Office of the Corporation for National and Community Service Concept Papers due: June 19 th, 2014 INTRODUCTION The Montana State Office of the Corporation for National and Community Service announces an opportunity, subject to availability of resources, to develop a new AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) project in Montana. This Request for Concept Papers is open to organizations that are NOT current VISTA sponsors. Please share this notice with your networks and contact the CNCS Montana State Office at MT@cns.gov, with any questions. AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service program of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) designed specifically to fight poverty. Authorized in 1964 and founded in 1965 as Volunteers in Service to America, the program became part of the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993. VISTA has been on the frontlines of the fight against poverty in America for almost 50 years. VISTA supports efforts to alleviate poverty by engaging individuals, 18 years and older, from all walks of life, in a year of full-time service with a sponsoring organization (sponsor) to create or expand programs designed to bring individuals and communities out of poverty. Public organizations such as nonprofit groups, Indian Tribes, and state and local government agencies can apply to be VISTA sponsors. Eligible nonprofit organizations are not limited to those with IRS 501(c) (3) status; they also include nonprofit organizations with other IRS 501(c) statuses that focus on anti-poverty community development. Organizations that focus solely on advocacy and lobbying are not eligible. Organizations can be local, state, or national. Sponsors must be able to direct the project, recruit and supervise the VISTAs, and provide the necessary administrative support to accomplish the goals of the project. Sponsors must develop and manage projects with the involvement of the communities that will be served. The Montana State Office is accepting Concept Papers that propose to address the following from the Corporation s 2011-2015 Strategic Plan: Economic Opportunity In FY 2014, VISTA will give priority to projects that support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to the improved economic well-being and financial security of economically disadvantaged people. VISTA project activities should focus on the following Objectives of Economic Opportunity: Financial Literacy: Improving access to services and benefits aimed at contributing to enhanced financial literacy; Housing: Transitioning individuals into or helping them remain in safe, healthy, affordable housing; Employment: Improving employability that leads to increased success in becoming employed. 1
SCOPE OF THE PROJECT Subject to availability of resources, the Montana State Office wishes to develop an Intermediary VISTA Project Sponsor that helps deliver VISTA resources to other eligible entities, often small organizations that otherwise might not have access to those resources. The project would support up to twelve (12) AmeriCorps VISTA members (eleven (11) standard positions and one (1) cost share). We will also consider projects that support no less than two (2) and not to exceed twelve (12) AmeriCorps VISTA members. Geography of the Project: The project could be developed to serve communities across the entire state; or regions and/or multiple counties excluding the following areas which are already served by an existing Montana VISTA Project: Counties: Yellowstone, Big Horn, Carbon, Rosebud, Musselshell, Golden Valley, Still Water, Sweet Grass, and Park; Indian Reservations: The Crow Reservation, and Northern Cheyenne Reservation; and Towns: Miles City, Lewistown and Bozeman, Winnett. If you are interested but do not require the number of resources outlined above, please contact the CNCS Montana State Office to discuss other potential development or site placements. AmeriCorps*VISTA members will be awarded on a full-time basis for one year of service to new VISTA sponsoring organizations. The Corporation will make an award covering a period not to exceed one year with the potential for continuation. Members will begin service in January 2015. Eligible organizations interested in sponsoring an AmeriCorps VISTA project may apply by submitting Concept Paper and Application through the CNCS egrants web-based system, under the FY 2014 AmeriCorps VISTA State Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) on or by June 19 th, 2014. Prior to submitting a concept paper, interested organizations should contact the CNCS Montana State Office. Organizations interested in becoming a sponsor can visit National Service.gov and/or contact the CNCS Montana State Office at MT@cns.gov. Organizations may also review Is VISTA Right for Your Organization, FY'14 Program Guidance and VISTA 101 for more in-depth information about becoming a sponsor. Programming should be primarily based on addressing local needs, and the Corporation Field Office will be guided by locally-driven programming that addresses the Core Principles. CORE PRINCIPLES Projects must be developed in accordance with all four of the VISTA Core Principles: Anti-Poverty Focus, Community Empowerment, Sustainable Solutions, and Capacity Building. Anti-Poverty Focus The statutory purpose of VISTA is to support efforts to fight poverty. The goal of every project must be to help individuals and communities out of poverty, not simply make poverty more tolerable. VISTA projects should focus on long-term solutions rather than short-term services. Community Empowerment Prospective and current VISTA project sponsors must ensure their project engages low-income community residents in planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating the project. The project must be responsive and relevant to the lives of the community residents, and tap into inherent community assets, strengths, and resources. 2
Sustainable Solutions As directed by Congress, VISTAs are short-term resources that serve to build the long-term sustainability of antipoverty programs. VISTA projects should be developed with a goal to phase out the need for VISTA members and maintain the ability of the project to continue without them. Capacity Building VISTA projects expand the scale, reach, efficiency or effectiveness of, or leverage resources, for programs or organizations that fight poverty. Rather than providing direct services to low-income individuals and communities, VISTAs strengthen and support organizations by building infrastructure, expanding community partnerships, securing long-term resources, coordinating training for participants, and more, as determined by local needs. VISTAs should create systems that remain long after their service ends. VISTA members focus on capacity-building activities. They perform limited direct service, which primarily includes activities that address individual clients immediate needs, under special initiatives. Furthermore, VISTAs may not engage in activities that would supplant the tasks of, or displace, paid staff, contractors, or existing volunteers. This prohibition includes activities related to the application to and the management of other CNCS grants and programs. COST SHARE To expand the scope and impact of VISTA, CNCS encourages sponsors that have the means to share a portion of the costs associated with supporting VISTAs. Through cost-share, a sponsor covers the living allowance of some or all of its VISTAs. CNCS covers all the remaining federal program costs for each VISTA (member training, health care, child care, and end-of-service cash stipend or Segal Education Award). For cost-share projects, CNCS pays the VISTAs directly and invoices the sponsors for the living allowance of VISTAs covered by the cost-share arrangement. Sponsors must pay their cost-share portion, according to terms, via reimbursements to CNCS. While cost share is an effective strategy to leverage VISTA resources, it is not a requirement for becoming or remaining a VISTA sponsor. VISTA recognizes that many potential sponsors, particularly those most in need of VISTA resources for capacity building, may not be able to support a cost-share agreement. For more information on the cost-share arrangements, please visit CNCS website at http://www.americorps.gov/for_organizations/apply/vista.asp. CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL Criteria for approval are based on whether the proposed project: Fits with one or more of the CNCS strategic initiatives, demonstrated state or local community needs, or VISTA programming priorities Addresses the needs of a low-income community Ultimately ensures organizational capacity so that the project can continue once the VISTA resources are withdrawn Involves beneficiaries of the services provided and the low-income community in project development, implementation, and sustainability of the project Has the capacity and commitment to recruit, train, supervise, and otherwise support VISTAs recruited locally and nationally Justifies request to be an intermediary Complies with the provisions of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended; 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act; VISTA regulations; and VISTA policies 3
Further criteria for determining approval are based on whether the applicant: Is a public-sector organization or a private organization designed as nonprofit by the Internal Revenue Service (An organization that has submitted to the IRS an application for non-profit status may be considered, but its full VISTA application cannot be approved until it is designated) Has resources available for VISTAs to perform their activities, such as space, supplies, service-related mileage reimbursement, or transportation Is able to adequately meet expectations in the Memorandum of Agreement Has the capacity and commitment to recruit, train, supervise, and otherwise support VISTAs recruited locally and nationally Understands and is committed to promoting national service Is experienced in the issues relating to the beneficiaries of the service Has the capacity to build community partnerships and collaborative efforts to achieve project selfsufficiency VISTA projects have an average lifecycle of three-to-five years unless the applicant is serving as an intermediary agency. New project development occurs annually and is always subject to availability of resources. The Montana State Office strives to ensure that the portfolio of VISTA projects is diverse, both in terms of programmatic areas as well as geography. An additional factor we consider is the type of sponsors- from small grassroots organizations to large intermediary organizations. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Any interested organization or individual with additional questions not addressed by this RFCP may contact: Jackie Girard, Montana State Director Corportation for National and Community Service 208 North Montana, Suite 206 Helena, MT 59601 Office: (406) 449-5404 e-mail: jgirard@cns.gov 4
TIMELINE* Request for Concept Papers (RFCP) for New AmeriCorps VISTA Project in Montana Montana State Office of the Corporation for National and Community Service May 13, 2014: RFCP Released To apply, go to: http://www.nationalservice.gov/egrants/index.asp. Select RFCP: AmeriCorps VISTA State FY 2014 May 21, 2014: Interested applicants email letter of intent to apply to EMAIL (Not required and non-binding) June 3, 2014: Webinar for interested applicants June 19, 2014: Deadline for submitting final concept papers in egrants June 24, 2014: CNCS Montana State Office staff will review concept papers and notify organizations if their concept paper has been approved and full application requested July 21, 2014: Full application due to CNCS Montana State Office via egrants on or before 7/21, all supporting documentation and attachments must be mailed/express delivered and received on or before 7/21 to physical address: Corportation for National and Community Service 208 North Montana, Suite 206 Helena, MT 59601 August 5, 2014: CNCS Montana State Office decision announced and application processed via egrants, Memorandum of Agreement issued August 2014: Mandatory VISTA Supervisor Orientation for approved project sponsors (2-3 days, dates and location TBD) December 8, 2014: Tentative Deadline for projects to submit recommended VISTA candidates to CNCS Montana State Office January 2014: VISTA candidates attend Pre-Service Orientation; VISTAs will start service *If an application is selected from an Intermediary project, timeline will be adjusted accordingly. 5