September 2010 - The Cross-Stream Connector

Michigan's Cross-Stream E-newsletter

September 2010

In This Issue

Outreach Outlook: Gaining Support

Communication Corner: An Online Directory

Collaboration Cafe: 9/11 Project

Talking about Training & Technical Assistance

Quick Links

Michigan Community Service Commission

Corporation for National & Community Service

Welcome!

Outreach Outlook
Providing the tools you need to educate
others about national service.

Inform and Educate: Gaining Support for National Service Programs

Setting Your Sights on What You Can Achieve
The competition for federal funding is growing. As taxpayers put pressure on our lawmakers to reduce our federal deficit, legislators will be scrutinizing every funding request. It is imperative for all of us to educate our elected officials on the impact national service is having on our communities. We must demonstrate why investing in national service is critical to the health of our neighborhoods and communities.

You may be new to educating decision-makers and you might find it intimidating. In this first issue of The Cross-Stream Connector, and several to follow, we will share some strategies to help you feel more comfortable while taking action. It is important to note that you need not have special skills, but you do need to use common sense, collaborate with others, and be persistent. If you do, positive results are sure to follow!

Before you step out the door to inform and educate others, planning must take place. Here are some important questions you must answer first. The answers will help you to create a blueprint for action and an overall education strategy.

Looking Outward
1. Objectives: What do we want?
2. Audiences: Who can give it to us?
3. Message: What do they need to hear?
4. Messengers: Who do they need to hear it from?
5. Delivery: How can we get them to hear it?

Looking Inward
1: Resources: What have we got?
2. Gaps: What do we need to develop?
3. First Efforts: How do we begin?
4. Evaluation: How do we tell if we're succeeding?

What You Can and Can't Do
If you work for a nonprofit organization with a tax-exempt status or for a national service program funded with public monies, here is a list of allowable activities:

Educating elected officials

Invite an elected official to visit your program to observe an event or project.
Write a letter to your Congressperson explaining how federal funds have allowed your program to make an impact on the community.

Informing the media

You may use a National Day of Service as an opportunity to write a letter to the local newspaper highlighting an activity of your program.

Publicizing results

Testify before city council or a school board about the positive results of your program.

Providing technical assistance to policy makers or legislative committees

You are the experts and may share information on model programs.

If you lobby for a piece of legislation or work for a candidate or political party, there could be negative consequences for your organization. You could lose your tax exempt status and/or your public funding. Below is a list of prohibited activities:

Lobbying an elected official

A tax-exempt nonprofit employee wants to call his congressperson from work and urge him to vote for a specific bill that increases federal funding for national service.

Endorsing a political candidate

You may feel the urge to work for a certain candidate because they promise to support an increase in national service funding. Refrain from the urge.

The restrictions above are very real; however don't let these prevent you from doing those things you can. Some individuals become paralyzed by the prohibited activities and miss excellent opportunities to inform and educate. Also, remember you always have the right to exercise your own individual rights as a citizen, on your OWN time.

(Ideas adapted from Inform and Influence: Advocating for Service-Learning; a Step-by-Step Guide, March 2005)

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Communication Corner
Offering you the latest in cross-stream
news and resources.

Michigan National Service Directory

The Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC), the state's lead agency on service and volunteerism, has announced the launch of a new online tool - the Michigan National Service Directory. The website compiles information about AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve, and Senior Corps programs across the state of Michigan for interested users. To access, click on the button found in the right-hand tool bar at www.michigan.gov/mcsc.

The MCSC created the tool in an effort to connect interested individuals with respective national service programs in their area and to assist current national service programs with member recruitment. It also allows national service program staff and members to quickly identify the different groups and organizations in their area that have a similar programmatic focus for the purpose of establishing collaborative partnerships.

"By visiting the Michigan National Service Directory, users will have an outlet for understanding the expansive scope of national service programs in our state," said Paula Kaiser VanDam, executive director of the MCSC. "We believe this Directory is an ideal resource for connecting more Michigan citizens with AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve, and Senior Corps service opportunities."

Data on the Michigan National Service Directory includes all AmeriCorps*State, AmeriCorps*VISTA, AmeriCorps*National, Learn and Serve School-Based, Foster Grandparents, RSVP, and Senior Companion programs in the state. Users are able to search by their city or county, by service program, and/or by program focus/issue area. Each search will provide relevant contact information for each national service program listed.

The Michigan National Service Directory is one of the first comprehensive online tools in the country to compile all relevant national service data into one place.

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Collaboration Cafe
Showcasing cross-stream partnerships in Michigan.

A-OK in Detroit - Collaborating for September 11

Written By: Matthew Reaume, Michigan Community Service Commission Cross-Stream AmeriCorps*VISTA

The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance stresses the importance of doing something for your community and others. What a wonderful opportunity to develop a service project that benefits from cross-stream efforts, and a project in Detroit, led by the Arab American Resource Corps (ARC), an AmeriCorps National Direct program administered through the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) located in Dearborn is doing just that! Sue Makki, ACCESS' program manager, initiated the efforts for Acts of Kindness (A-OK) Detroit: A Weekend of Remembrance & Renewal. This event will bring together several organizations from across the metro-Detroit area to engage volunteers of all different ages, faiths, ethnic backgrounds, and races for a variety of clean-up projects at parks throughout the city.

In the early stages of planning, the project had already solidified partnerships with Leadership Detroit, the Clark Park Coalition, Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, and Women's Interfaith Solutions for Dialogue and Outreach in Metro-Detroit (WISDOM). The planning committee was looking to reach out to additional community partners and Sue expressed a desire to collaborate with local national service programs. When she requested my assistance engaging programs from all "streams" of service (AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve), I jumped at the chance to help!

To get started, we need to utilize the Michigan National Service Directory (see the Communication Corner for additional information about this valuable networking tool) at www.michigannationalservicedirectory.org. After searching for programs in Wayne, Macomb, and Washtenaw Counties we were able to generate a comprehensive list of all the local national service programs serving in the metro-Detroit area. Thanks to diligent outreach and subsequent follow-up, we have been able to gain additional commitments from a variety of national service programs in the area; including Detroit Public Schools (a current Learn and Serve grantee) and Catholic Social Services of Wayne County (a Senior Corps - RSVP program).

In addition to these commitments, our recruitment strategy has led to interest from many other programs regarding collaboration on future endeavors; including City Year Detroit, the Greening of Detroit, and Mercy Education Project. Now a variety of participants and volunteers are being incorporated into the A-OK event; a true goal of cross-stream!

The A-OK Detroit project is an example of cross-stream collaboration that can be successfully replicated in communities throughout Michigan. I challenge all program staff to engage your national service neighbors in a collaborative project or event in the upcoming program year. Just as a journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step, a mutually beneficial, long-lasting partnership begins with just a single form of outreach.

Additional information about the A-OK Detroit: Remembrance and Renewal project can be found at: http://aok-detroit.peoplemovers.com/events/register-acts-of-kindness-a-ok-detroit-a-weekend-of-remembrance-and-renewal-1059.

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Talking about Training
& Technical Assistance
The latest opportunities to strengthen
national service programs.

2010 Team Up Michigan! Conference - Register Today!

Come set sail aboard the S.S. Michigan United and join your colleagues for two motivational days of networking, training, and collaboration. Team Up Michigan! Charting the Course for National Service is a cross-stream conference designed specifically for national service program staff. The conference will take place October 12-13, 2010 at the Doubletree Guest Suites Ft. Shelby in downtown Detroit. This event is coordinated by The Corporation for National and Community Service - Michigan Office and the Michigan Community Service Commission.

With shrinking budgets and increasing costs, we know the need for collaboration and unity among volunteer and national service programs is greater than ever. Team Up Michigan! will help programs chart their course for the future by providing opportunities to exchange ideas and establish new partnerships with programs focusing on similar issue areas or serving in the same community. Our ultimate goal is to establish Michigan as the state that exemplifies the unique role that national service can play in building a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility in America.

Tuesday, October 12 will be entirely cross-stream with informative workshops, dynamic speakers, valuable networking time, and an important discussion about the future of national service. Wednesday, October 13 will consist of stream-specific meeting time for national service program staff. All streams will come together at lunch for a celebration of inclusion featuring a special presentation, prizes, and fun!

The cost for this event is $75 per participant. This rate includes a continental breakfast and lunch on both days and double-occupancy lodging on Tuesday evening. Those who prefer to make their own arrangements for single-occupancy lodging may contact Doubletree Guest Suites directly at (313) 963-8900 before September 9. A block of rooms will be held under "Team Up Michigan! National Service Conference" for the government rate of $99.00 plus state and local tax.

To view the agenda, click here. To register for this event, complete the online registration form at the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/teamupmi. Registration must be received no later than Thursday, September 9. If you have any questions, please contact Tara Gilman at gilmant@michigan.gov or (517) 241-2553. We hope to see you in October!

*Please note that this is not a training event for national service members or volunteers; all participants must be national service program supervisors.

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Funding Opportunities

Global Youth Social Entrepreneur Competition
Ashoka and Staples have partnered together to launch the fourth annual competition recognizing outstanding entrepreneurial work from youth who make a positive impact on their community. Eight young change-makers, between the ages of 12 and 24, will be chosen as winners of grants of up to $5,000 and invited to present at the first TEDxYSE event in Washington, D.C. Individuals can qualify by filling out the short entry form, and nominations are also being accepted for inspiring young leaders. Winners will be chosen on a rolling basis, so don't wait! The deadline for submission is September 20, 2010. Learn more at http://www.genv.net/en-us/staples-yse.

Herb Society of America: Donald Samull Classroom Herb Garden Grant
The Herb Society of America has established indoor herb garden grants for teachers in grades third through sixth, to ensure teacher Donald Samull's tradition of using herbs with students will continue for years to come. The maximum award for recipients is $200. Eligibility is open public and private third through sixth grade teachers with classes of a minimum of 15 students. The deadline to apply is November 1, 2010. Visit http://herbsociety.org/resources/samull-grant.html for more information.

Home Depot Healthy Communities Grants
"Building Healthy Communities" is a competitive grant program that awards up to $2,500 to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, public schools, or tax-exempt public service agencies in the U.S. who are using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their community. Grants are made in the form of The Home Depot gift cards for purchase of tools or materials. Only grants submitted through the online application process will be considered for funding. The next grant cycle begins September 15, 2010 and closes November 1, 2010. Click here to read more.

KaBOOM! Play Day Grants (Deadline: Ongoing Through October)
Roll up your sleeves and play! Host a KaBOOM! Play Day, presented by Mott's, in your neighborhood and be part of a national celebration to save play in the lives of children. A Play Day is your chance to gather at your community's favorite park or playground for fun games and service projects that celebrate and improve your play space. If you include an improvement project at your Play Day you could win a $10,000 grant to further improve your play space. Plan your Play Day to take place on any day during the week of September 18-26. Learn more at http://kaboom.org/playday.

SeaWorld/Busch Gardens: Environmental Excellence Awards
The 2011 SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Awards recognize the outstanding efforts of students and teachers across the country who are working at the grassroots level to protect and preserve the environment. This is an awards program, not a grant; project applicants should be able to demonstrate significant accomplishments prior to the submission deadline. The maximum award is $10,000 to the winning project; all-expenses-paid trip for three students and one adult leader to a SeaWorld or Busch Gardens park for a special awards event; 100 T-shirts to share with school and community partners; award trophy; and participation certificate for the project leader. All schools (grades K-12) in the United States; community-based projects such as those managed and operated by community service organizations, public recreation centers, 4-H clubs, and other public, nonprofit groups working to protect the environment at the grass-roots level are eligible to apply. The deadline is December 10, 2010. Visit http://www.seaworld.org/conservation-matters/eea/about.htm for more information.

WaysToHelp.org Grants (Deadline: Ongoing)
WaysToHelp.org invites teens in the U.S. to apply for grants to fund their community service ideas across any one of 16 issue areas. Applications are short - just 5,000 words or less - and should summarize the following: how the project will involve others, who it will help, what effect it's expected to have, when it will start, and how the funds will be used. Grant requests are reviewed and responded to on a monthly basis. Visit www.waystohelp.org for more information.

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What is Cross-Stream?

Cross-stream refers to the three national service initiatives within the Corporation for National and Community Service: AmeriCorps (State, National, VISTA, and NCCC), Learn and Serve, and Senior Corps (RSVP, Senior Companions, and Foster Grandparents). The Cross-Stream Advisory Team was created to enhance and strengthen Michigan's national service efforts and is comprised of program staff representing each stream of service. Key activities of the Advisory Team include planning the bi-annual Team Up Michigan! conference, hosting informative trainings, developing communication materials, and producing the bi-monthly Cross-Stream Connector e-newsletter.

For additional information on Michigan's cross-stream efforts, contact Megan Sargent at sargentm1@michigan.gov or (517) 241-3494.