Notice of Availability of Funds To Support AmeriCorps Promise Fellowships in Selected States, Indian Tribes, and U.S. Territories

Background

The Corporation is a federal government corporation that encourages Americans of all ages and backgrounds to engage in community-based service. This service addresses the nation's educational, public safety, environmental and other human needs to achieve direct and demonstrable results. In doing so, the Corporation fosters civic responsibility, strengthens the ties that bind us together as a people, and provides educational opportunity for those who make a substantial commitment to service. For more information about the Corporation and the activities that it supports, go to www.nationalservice.org. Pursuant to the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended (the Act), the Corporation may support ``innovative and model programs'' and may award national service fellowships. 42 U.S.C. 12653b. In addition, the Corporation may approve the provision of education awards to individuals who successfully complete a term of service in ``national service positions as the Corporation determines to be appropriate''. 42 U.S.C. 12573(7). The federal regulations governing the Corporation, published at 45 CFR 2520 et seq., are available at public libraries or on the Internet at https:// www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/. At the Presidents' Summit for America's Future, held in April 1997 in Philadelphia, President Clinton, former Presidents Bush, Carter, and Ford, Mrs. Nancy Reagan, and General Colin Powell, with the endorsement of many governors, mayors, and leaders of the independent sector, declared: ``We have a special obligation to America's children to see that all young Americans have: 1. Caring adults in their lives, as parents, mentors, tutors, coaches; 2. Safe places with structured activities in which to learn and grow; 3. A healthy start and healthy future; 4. An effective education that equips them with marketable skills; and 5. An opportunity to give back to their communities through their own service. These five goals are now the five fundamental resources--or ``promises''--sought by America's Promise--The Alliance for Youth, the national organization leading efforts to follow up on the goals of the Presidents' Summit. For more information about the five goals of the Presidents' Summit, go to www.americaspromise.org. As a major partner in this effort, the Corporation devotes a substantial part of its activities to help meet these goals, including the work of AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and the National Senior Service Corps. The AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program provides States and local communities with support to help carry out their plans to provide America's children with these five fundamental resources. Through this notice, the Corporation invites grant proposals from eligible entities who wish to sponsor one or more AmeriCorps Promise Fellows.

Eligible Sponsors

The Corporation seeks to place Fellows in states, tribes and territories that are not represented by a governor-appointed state commission on national and community service (State Commission) or in which the State Commission has not previously been awarded AmeriCorps Promise Fellowships. The following entities are eligible to apply to become a sponsor: 1. State Commissions in Alaska, Delaware, New Mexico, South Carolina, Virginia and Wyoming; 2. State Education Agencies in the District of Columbia, North Dakota, and South Dakota; 3. State Education Agencies in Alaska, Delaware, New Mexico, South Carolina,

Virginia and Wyoming, if the State Commission is not applying for funding under this Notice. A letter signed by the State Commission Chair or Executive Director verifying that the Commission is not applying for funding under this Notice must accompany the State Education Agency's application to the Corporation; and 4. Local government agencies, institutions of higher education, or public or private nonprofit organizations in the District of Columbia, North Dakota, or South Dakota, or U.S. territories; and 5. Indian tribes (as defined in the National and Community Service Act at 42 U.S.C. 12511(11)). The Corporation encourages State Commissions and State Education Agencies to collaborate in applying for funding under this Notice and to use their Unified State Plans as the basis for their application. Where both agencies are involved in proposing an AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program for their state, the application should be submitted to the Corporation by the State Commission.

Substance of the Fellowship Program

The AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program is a national service leadership initiative. Designed for those who have demonstrated skill and passion for service to their community, an AmeriCorps Promise Fellowship provides an opportunity to make a unique contribution to organizations helping to meet one or more of the five fundamental needs declared at the Presidents' Summit and being advanced by national, state, and local nonprofit organizations; and the national service network. Although AmeriCorps Promise Fellows may be placed by a sponsor at a host organization that focuses its resources on only one of the goals of the Presidents' Summit, the host organization must be part of a larger effort (e.g., Community of Promise) that supports the delivery of all of the five fundamental resources to children and young people. The most important considerations in establishing an AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program are that the prospective Fellows help meet the goals of the Presidents' Summit and that they have the ability to play a leadership role in producing a defined outcome. In this regard, Fellows' activities should principally be capacity-building in nature, seeking to help increase substantially a community's ability to deliver the five fundamental resources. For illustrative purposes, the following are examples of specific activities or roles Fellows may pursue:

• Coordinating a Community of Promise campaign providing a targeted number of young people with all or several of the five fundamental resources. • Initiating a program to provide multiple resources to targeted young people, for example, adding a service component and access to dental care to an existing after-school tutoring program. • Planning or promoting State Education Agency efforts to stimulate service-learning opportunities by K-12 students. • Expanding Volunteer Center activities to promote the goals of the Presidents' Summit. • Spearheading immunization efforts aimed at young children and their families. • Establishing new Federal Work-Study service opportunities and recruiting and placing students in the new positions. • Recruiting new Communities of Promise.

Although no particular academic credentials or work experience are required, Fellows will be viewed as leaders in the efforts to implement the goals of the Presidents' Summit, and as a group will have an identity tied to this overall effort. Therefore, confidence in the ability of applicants to produce outcomes in support of the goals of the Presidents' Summit, such as the implementation of projects like those described above, is the central criterion for selection. This is evidenced by: Strong academic credentials; demonstrated leadership skills; substantial and successful work experience in a field related to the organization's activities; and experience performing significant service-related activities, particularly various national service leaders' programs, including AmeriCorps leaders, AmeriCorps*VISTA leaders, AmeriCorps*National Civilian Community Corps leaders, and leadership activities in programs sponsored by Learn and Serve America and the National Senior Service Corps. Fellowships may not be used simply to supplement the numbers of AmeriCorps Members at existing programs already carrying out activities consistent with the goals of the Presidents' Summit. Rather, the role of AmeriCorps Promise Fellows should be to provide higher-level support that will enable an organization to become more involved, or to substantially increase the amount or quality of activities supporting achievement of the Presidents' Summit's five goals. An AmeriCorps Promise Fellow must: (1) Be at least 17 years of age; (2) be a U.S. citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident alien; and (3) have a high school diploma or GED. Individuals who have already served in two approved national service positions (a position for which an education award is provided) are, by statute, not eligible for a third education award. Fellowships must be completed in no less than 10 months and no more than 12 months. Fellows must serve on a full-time basis. To qualify for an education award of $4,725, a Fellow must perform at least 1,700 hours of service and successfully complete the Fellowship. Sponsors must provide Fellows a living allowance between $13,000 and $17,376 based on a twelve-month term of service. If the term of service is shorter than twelve months, the sponsor must pro-rate the amount of the living allowance. Sponsors are not required to provide health insurance and/or child care to Fellows or their families. However, the sponsor is encouraged to offer such assistance and may use funds awarded under this Notice for this purpose.

Sponsor's Role

The Corporation anticipates supporting no more than five AmeriCorps Promise Fellowships under each grant. If the sponsor identifies additional non-Corporation resources to support more than five Fellows, including provision of the required living allowance, the sponsor may propose to increase the number of Fellows. In such instances, the Corporation may approve additional education awards subject to their availability, and the number of Fellowships per sponsor may exceed five. Each sponsor determines the process for the recruitment and selection of AmeriCorps Promise Fellows in its respective area. State Commissions and State Education Agencies are encouraged to use their Unified State Plan as the basis for their plans. The sponsor must certify that the host organization in which the Fellow is being placed is conducting activities that contribute to one or more of the five goals of the Presidents' Summit, and that this is part of a larger effort to provide all five of the fundamental resources to children and youth. The Corporation anticipates that host organizations generally will be local or state nonprofit organizations that are engaged in activities in support of the goals of the Presidents' Summit. Fellows may serve at a State Commission only under limited circumstances. In proposing such an arrangement, a State Commission must describe in its application how it will comply with (1) The prohibition on State Commissions operating any national service program receiving financial assistance from the Corporation and (2) the prohibition on

a State Commission receiving Corporation assistance to carry out activities that are already supported by its administrative grant from the Corporation. A State Commission proposing this arrangement must also submit a detailed position description for the Fellow demonstrating that the Fellow's responsibilities are directly tied to achieving the goals of the Presidents' Summit. Sponsors are responsible for ensuring compliance with required elements of the Fellowship program. These requirements, which will be individually described in the grant agreement between the Corporation and the sponsor, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Providing office space, supplies, and equipment. • Providing a living allowance. • Paying and withholding FICA taxes. • Withholding income taxes. • Providing unemployment insurance if required by State law. • Providing workers' compensation if required by State law or obtaining insurance to cover service-related injuries. • Providing liability insurance to cover claims relating to Fellows. • Providing adequate training and supervision. • Ensuring that Fellows not engage in prohibited activities (such as lobbying). • Complying with statutory prohibitions on uses of assistance (such as displacement, discrimination). • Providing a grievance procedure that meets statutory standards. • Verifying and submitting timely documentation relating to each Fellow's eligibility for an education award. • Providing an adequate financial management system. • Complying with other reporting requirements.

Contents of the Sponsor Application

Sponsor applications must contain the following information: 1. Background concerning the applicant's current efforts to achieve the goals of the Presidents' Summit. 2. The proposed start date for the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows. Please note that it is strongly encouraged that all Fellows begin service between November 1 and December 31, 1999 to promote esprit de corps among the class of Fellows. 3. An explanation of the method for determining the organizations where Fellows will be assigned that addresses the matters listed below. If host organizations have already been selected, please list the designated organizations and indicate how the following were addressed in making the selection. (a) The process through which these organizations will be selected, (b) The criteria used to evaluate their suitability for hosting a Fellow(s), (c) The expected number of Fellows who will serve at each organization, (d) The supervision, support and member development activities that will be provided for the Fellow(s) at each organization or by the sponsor, and (e) Background concerning the selected organizations and the roles they are playing in local summit follow-up. 4. A detailed description of the activities that the Fellows will perform that includes: (a) An explanation of how the activities will support significant growth and/or improvements in the quality of efforts to meet the five goals of the Presidents' Summit; (b) Clearly defined, outcome-based objectives for: i. The Fellows' service activities that are linked to the five fundamental resources or efforts to increase community involvement in strategies to deliver all five resources; and ii. The Fellows' development as leaders in delivering the five fundamental resources; and (c) A description of how the Fellowship program will complement, enhance, or offer services distinct from other AmeriCorps programs that the applicant may sponsor. If the Fellow serves at a State Commission, a detailed position description must be provided. 5. A plan for recruiting Fellows that demonstrates an understanding of the Fellows' leadership role in expanding and enhancing activities that deliver on the goals of the Presidents' Summit and indicates the anticipated process for recruiting Fellows, the desired qualifications of Fellows, how these qualifications relate to the proposed Fellows' activities, and the potential sources from which applicants will be recruited. 6. An estimated budget to carry out the program, consistent with the description below. The application may not exceed 21 double-spaced pages in length; additional instructions concerning the contents of the application are contained in the application package. Organizations interested in applying for these program funds may participate in conference calls to be held on Thursday, July 15 and Friday, July 30 during which Corporation staff will provide technical assistance to potential applicants. The calls will begin at 1:30 p.m. and conclude at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. To register for either call, please contact Rosa Harrison at (202) 606-5000, ext. 433. Upon registration, you will be apprised of the (800) number needed for participation.

Budget and Finances

The Corporation will issue grants on a fixed amount per Fellow basis of $13,000 per Fellowship awarded. These amounts exclude the education award. The grants are fixed-amount awards that do not require Corporation monitoring of actual costs incurred. The cost principles normally applicable to Federal awards do not apply. The sponsor assumes full financial responsibility for the program. Sponsors must provide the additional financial support necessary to carry out their proposed Fellowship program. The sponsor should indicate the amounts and types of additional financial support required for the Fellowship program in the budget narrative of the application. In addition to the approved grant amount, the Corporation will provide an education award to Fellows who successfully complete their term of service. The Corporation will sponsor a national training event to provide Fellows with an opportunity to come together to assess national progress in meeting the goals of the Presidents' Summit. The Corporation will also promote the availability of these Fellowships. The Corporation anticipates that these grants will be renewable for up to a two-year period, subject to performance and the availability of appropriations.

Process for Selecting Sponsors

In selecting sponsors, the Corporation will consider: program design (60%), including (in order of importance) Getting Things Done to help achieve the five goals of the Presidents' Summit, recruiting a leadership cadre of Fellows and fostering their continued leadership development, and strengthening communities; organizational capacity (25%); and budget/cost effectiveness (15%). The Corporation will make all final decisions concerning approval of these grants for Fellowships. Given the Corporation's interest in having the common elements for the Fellowships that are described above, the Corporation announces its intent to enter into such negotiations with any sponsor in a manner that may require revisions to the original grant proposal. The Corporation anticipates that all awards will be granted no later than November 1, 1999. All awards are subject to the availability of federal appropriations.

Dated: June 16, 1999. Deborah Jospin, Director, AmeriCorps, Corporation for National and Community Service. [FR Doc. 99-15794 Filed 6-21-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6050-28-P