Implementing the Faith-Based and Community Initiative
for the AmeriCorps Service Programs

There is a step-by-step process that applicants can use to strengthen their program delivery and meet the requirements of the Corporation for this initiative.

Step 1: Determine What You Are Already Doing.
The starting point for applicants seeking to become an AmeriCorps program is to determine and demonstrate the current level of the applicant's artnerships with community organizations (secular and faith-based). Remember, these partnerships can be described as subgrantee, host site, support for volunteer recruitment, or other kinds of support. The following steps may be helpful:

1. If you are applying for an AmeriCorps grant from a State Commission, contact that Commission to determine the definitions it is using for community organizations (secular and faith-based).
2. If you are applying for an AmeriCorps*National Direct grant, you might contact the State Commissions in the states where you hope to deliver services. Another alternative is to determine what definitions work best for your organization based on the type of AmeriCorps program you are proposing to operate and the populations you will serve. For help in determining your own definition, see the list of FBO/CBO definitions.
3. Survey and document the community organizations (secular and faith-based) you are currently working with to establish the current level of partnerships for the AmeriCorps application. See the Partnership Documentation Worksheet. Depending on the size of your program, this may be done based on the applicant's knowledge of partners or by way of a more sophisticated process such as a survey of partners.
4. On the application, make sure to include the definitions as well as the number of partnerships you have with community organizations (secular and faith-based).

Step 2: Identify Who Else Is Doing Something Similar.
Next, scan your program's service area. What else is happening related to the Faith-based and Community Initiative in the state(s) where the applicant is operating AmeriCorps programs? There are a number of key questions to answer that will prove helpful in identifying potential partnerships with community organizations (secular and faith-based).

1. Who else is working on the Faith-based and Community Initiative in the community(ies) or state(s) where the program resides? For information on all the appointed faith-based liaisons in state agencies and local communities, check the listing of faith-based liaisons. These liaisons should be able to identify current initiatives that may have community organizations (secular and faith-based) actively involved, such as welfare reform, Weed and Seed, employment, No Child Left Behind, tutoring, or mentoring. Also see the websites for the five cabinet level agencies to see which have received grants: HUD, Labor, Justice, Education, and HHS. They may also have databases of community organizations based on their own environmental scans.
2. Can the State Commission, State Office, or State Education Agency help identify potential partners? Check with the State Commission, State Office, and State Education Agency for help with the following:
   • Any information based on their own environmental scans, inquiries from interested groups, mailing lists forawareness/orientation meetings, etc.
   • Previous applicants that were not funded
   • Outreach efforts they have been engaged in, particularly with community organizations that may not be ready to make their own application
3. What other resources exist to identify community organizations (secular and faith-based)? See the list of potential partners or intermediaries for some ideas.

Step 3: Draft a Plan.
Once applicants have determined the level of current partnerships with community organizations (secular and faith-based) and looked at what else is happening in the community(ies) or state(s) where they work, it is time to take a strategic approach to develop partnerships with community organizations (secular and faith-based).

1. Determine the degree to which partnerships with community organizations (secular and faith-based) should be enhanced in order to be competitive. Remember, the more clearly applicants demonstrates a genuine commitment to supporting community organizations (secular and faith-based), the stronger their application. But this must also be balanced against the needs of the applicant organization. Only applicants can determine their capacity to meet this priority.
2. Identify other CNCS priorities or initiatives that may be linked with or have synergy with the FACES Initiative. Increasing volunteerism and civic engagement, homeland security, making federal funds more responsive to state and local needs all have a connection to increased partnerships with community organizations.
3. Identify current and new partners that have a common mission and purpose with the applicant. Effective partnerships are based on a strong sense of commitment to a common goal or compelling mission.
4. Ask current partners for help with identifying other potential partners.
5. Consider partnering with community organizations that have not received state or federal funding in the past. Consider partnering with emerging community organizations that serve refugees or immigrant populations, more diverse faith-based organizations, or grassroots efforts to address specific community needs. If these organizations are not prepared to serve as subgrantees or host sites, then as a starting point, begin to partner with them to recruit volunteers or support AmeriCorps programs in other ways.
6. Consider community organizations (secular and faith-based) already engaged in addressing community needs as grantees or partners with grantees in other areas, such as welfare reform, community and economic development, youth violence prevention, and literacy, among others. Focus on areas of specific interest to the applicant organization and the intended focus of the AmeriCorps program.

Step 4: Engage New Organizations.
Outreach to community organizations (secular and faith-based) can be challenging. The personal approach works best. The following strategies might be helpful:

1. If you have identified the organization through another source (State Commission, current partner, faith-based liaison), consider having that source broker the first conversation, either by phone or in person.
2. Arrange a one-on-one meeting to explore the compatibility of mission/purpose, capacity, and interest.
3. Depending on the number of partners, consider convening a partners' meeting or orientation for potential partners to build awareness and understanding about the benefits and commitments of partnering.
4. Provide potential partners with information about CNCS, including a handout entitled "Tips for Organizations New to CNCS.

Step 5: Maintain Effective Partnerships.
This step is not required for the application, but is included in the toolkit to increase success for applicants once grants are awarded. Steps to building an effective partnership include:

1. Finding and strengthening the common mission or purpose
2. Determining clear expectations about the scope of work
3. Being specific when defining roles and responsibilities
4. Agreeing on a communication, accountability, and problem solving process to facilitate periodic reviews of the partnership
5. Validating and celebrating success
6. Telling the story: sharing what is happening through the media, bringing in key decision makers to see programs and partnerships in action

Once interested partners have been identified, it will be helpful for all parties to develop a partnership agreement or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that defines the scope of work, roles and responsibilities, communication, accountability and problem solving mechanisms, and administrative/supervisory/reporting requirements. A partnership agreement or MOU is key to developing a healthy working relationship with partners. It is also good preventive maintenance. An example of such an agreement in the application could help demonstrate the genuine efforts of the applicant to work with community organizations.

FACES Toolkit for AmeriCorps Applicants
Overview | Step-by-Step Process | Examples | Reference and Resources