A good first step to increasing access of community organizations (secular and faith-based) to CNCS resources begins with knowing the starting point. To do this, it is an effective practice to establish a baseline of current AmeriCorps placements down to the site level, where AmeriCorps members serve. This baseline would include those effective partnerships that involve volunteer recruitment, sub-grantee relationships, or that are sites for service projects. Once completed, this baseline will report on the extent of resources being utilized by FBOs and CBOs and will help demonstrate compliance with the 2004 AmeriCorps Guidance.

Challenges

• How to collect the information without adding significant burdens to the applicant/grantee and the Commission.

• How to obtain and track the information to document placement down to the lowest level, the level where AmeriCorps members are being deployed, the site level.

Benefits

• Will likely demonstrate an immediate increase in the number of actual placements and partnerships already with community organizations (secular and faith-based). The current number is now based on assumptions about grantees and is likely an under-estimation of the actual number.

• Will allow Commissions to measure the impact of new strategies to increase access for community organizations (secular and faith-based).

Strategies

1. Establish a methodology for collecting information about community organizations (secular and faith-based) on the application or report form itself. See Toolkit: Examples of Collecting Baseline Data Appendix I. Information might include items such as the number of full time equivalents (FTEs) and annual budget for the applicant/grantee.
2. Consider including where congressional and state legislative district liaisons are located. Being able to communicate with legislators and the public about what AmeriCorps resources are being deployed in their districts becomes a powerful tool to educate people about the contributions of AmeriCorps programs.
3. Incorporate the reporting of the actual placement of the members by grantees to the level of actual deployment in the six-month web-based reporting system (WBRS) reports.
4. Collate the data at the Commission level.

Outputs

1. Method of collecting the baseline determined.
2. Baseline of current resources going to community organizations (secular and faith-based) completed.

Title: Examples of Collecting Baseline Data
Tool Type: Example
Purpose: These are two strategies Commissions can use to gather information on WBRS or from grantees to create the documentation on placement of AmeriCorps members in community organizations (secular and faith-based).
Location: Appendix I

TOOLKIT STEPS
Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7
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