JUNE 2011 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Letter from the Executive Director
Being back in New Orleans for the 2011 National Conference on Service and Volunteerism was exhilarating. I did my best to reflect this enthusiasm in my welcome address (beads included) at an event we co-hosted the night before Conference kicked off. This was my first conference as Executive Director of AmeriCorps Alums, and I was pleased to meet so many alumni that are making change in cities across the country. Researcher at a Major University: AmeriCorps Alum. Grant Manger at Fortune 500 Corporate Foundation: AmeriCorps Alum. Nonprofit Entrepreneur: AmeriCorps Alum….The presence of so many inspirational leaders reaffirmed what we know about individuals who serve in AmeriCorps: you vote, you’re engaged in civic life, and your AmeriCorps experience informs the type of aspirations you have for organizations and communities. Other conference highlights included: participating in two panel presentations (one with Achieve / Case Foundation on themdsummit11.com study and one with the CNCS Director of AmeriCorps on the "Member experience”); the AmeriCorps*NCCC Town Hall with all five current Campus Directors and new Director of AmeriCorps*NCCC; and our own AmeriCorps Alums Chapter roundtable.
A lot of exciting conversations were started in New Orleans, and we’re hard at work identifying new ways to engage a national network of 600,000 individuals who have served. We believe it’s a mix of strong engagement and support for local chapters, leadership and professional development opportunities, and new ways to catapult you from your service experience to transformational leadership. If you have ideas or input, don’t hesitate to reach out and share atben@americorpsalums.org – Thanks!
Member Profile Survey
We’re looking to collect new, updated data about our membership. This information will help in our fundraising and field-building efforts, and helps to effectively paint as clear a picture possible in answering - "Who are AmeriCorps Alums?” Please take 10-15 minutes to complete the linked survey. There will be Fandango and Best Buy gift cards available to randomly selected, completed surveys, so please help guide our mission and take the survey today!
9/11 Grant Opportunities and Funding to Cities with Strong Chapters
This week we’ve been convening chapter leader calls to discuss the 9/11 Day of Remembrance and Service 10th anniversary grant program that funds $2,000 service projects in 5 cities. This program is part of a national effort to make 9/11 a day of service and remembrance, with an overarching campaign goal of engaging one million volunteers this year. The deadline for this grant is July 8th – and can serve as good motivation for you to re-connect with your local chapter to see what future funding could be available. We see strong chapters as a key strategic component for change, and a great way for AmeriCorps Alums to impact their community’s civic landscape as an organized body of leaders. To learn more about how to (re)launch a chapter in your city, contact Greg atgheinrich@americorpsalums.org Learn more about the 9/11 effort and be part of this national movement at 911dayofservice.org …. Be on the lookout for the national campaign rollout this summer too.
Save AmeriCorps
Funding for AmeriCorps, and the Corporation for National and Community Service, are set to undergo another round of scrutiny and debate this year for Fiscal Year 2012 and the Save Service Coalition has outlined a new set of strategies to engage legislators with planned visits to 100 local offices on July 20th and August 10th this summer. AmeriCorps Alums is a Field Team Partner and we’ll have more information about how to get involved in your city and online, with stories from the field this summer, and about thenational Hill Day in September.
AmeriCorps Week 2011: Metrics of Success
We are pleased to report the following from YOUR hard work during National AmeriCorps Week 2011
- 3,124 volunteers reported through AmeriCorps Alums
- 564 service leaders reported through AmeriCorps Alums
- 11,872.75 hours of service reported through AmeriCorps Alums
- 1,217 registrants, 330 live participants for Professional Development Webinar
- 32 elected officials engaged – including Senators, Representatives, and Mayors
- 333 projects registered through AmeriCorpsAlumsEvents.org
- Incredible Return on Investment (ROI) from $10,000 grant, valued at over $250,000 (considering value of a volunteer hour is $21.36)
- Newspaper article in Nation’s Cities Weekly featured AmeriCorps Alums local chapters, in partnership with leading Mayors (view article here)
A special, heartfelt "thank you” to Amity Tripp for her leadership and service over the last five years. As many of you know, Amity stepped down as the Executive Director of AmeriCorps Alums last summer but was still working on strategy and business development for the organization. This year’s NCVS conference in New Orleans marked her last official duties with the organization, as she heads off to life’s most important job – being a mother to two wonderful young children. We wish her all the best and thank her for her contributions, vision, and passion in service.
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