AmeriCorps Vista Application_Impact Volunteering for Economic OpportunityMasterpiece on the Mississippi
Dubuque
band
AI- America City
1
2007 • 2012 • 2013
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: AmeriCorps VISTA Application - Impact Volunteering for Economic
Opportunity
DATE: January 29, 2014
Human Rights Director Kelly Larson is requesting City Council approval to pursue an
Iowa Campus Compact VISTA member in collaboration with Loras College in order to
continue our pilot work around the impact volunteers can have on economic opportunity.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:sv
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director
THE CITY OF
Dui
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director
DATE: January 28, 2014
S U BJ ECT: AmeriCorps VI STA App licatio n - Impact Volunteering for Economic Opportunity
Dubuque
trati
M- America City
'111'
2007 • 2012 • 2013
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memo is to forward an application for a three year Iowa Campus Compact VISTA member, in
collaboration with Loras College, to further the work begun underthe Volunteer Generation Fund pilot program to leverage
volunteers to further economic opportunity for residents in Dubuque.
BACKGROUND
On February 6, 2012, the City Council adopted a High Impact Service Plan as part of the requirements of a Cities of
Service /AARP Initiative and Recognition Grant. As a City of Service, Dubuque committed to:
• Developing a comprehensive service plan and a coordinated strategy focused on matching volunteers and
established community partners to the areas of greatest local need.
• Working with other mayors and elected officials to advance strategies and best practices that accelerate the service
movement and produce measureable results.
• Encouraging other mayors to join in this national effort to engage our citizens.
• Ensuring that the voice of cities is heard in federal legislative, policy, and program discussions related to service,
which will help the country achieve the ambitious goals of the Serve America Pact.
In2012, a collaborative group consisting of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, AmeriCorps Partners in
Learning, the Mukicultural Family Center, Green AmeriCorps, Iowa Campus Compact, Project Concern, the Dubuque
Community School District, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, AmeriCorps Volunteer Generation Fund, Circles
Initiative, and St. Mark Community Center obtained a Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grant from the Iowa Commission on
Volunteer Service (ICVS) to establish a Volunteer Center in Dubuque. On September 4, 2012, the City Council approved
acceptance of the grant in the amount of $45,959 The term of this grant ends in February 2014.
During the course of this grant, the collaborative laid out a vision, mission, and the following services to be offered through
the center:
• Volunteer matching and referral
• Volunteer learning experiences/trainings
• Organizational learning experiences/training and services
• Disaster planning and response
• Volunteerism branding and marketing Event planning
The ultimate vision developed by the group is for the Center to be located in a physical space and to be staffed by a full time
director and several core volunteer positions as support. While this is in line with the ICVS grant requirements that are
focused on stand -alone Volunteer Centers, it may or may not be achievable. At this point in time, we simply do not know
how the operations and staffing for a center would be funded long term. On December 20, ICVS released a notice of request
for applications for the final round of funding underthe VGF, and they are not optimistic that funding will continue beyond this
round.
In addition to laying out a vision and services for a stand -alone Center, the group also has been collaborating during the final
months of the grant on a pilot program designed to highlight best practices in collaborative approaches to volunteer matching
and referral, volunteer and agency training, and volunteerism branding and marketing around a specific and identified need
in the community. The result will be toolkits and a brand focused on the concept of applying a collaborative, collective impact
approach to the use of volunteers to impact a significant and identified area of local need — in the case of the pilot, the need
we have focused upon is economic opportunity. These materials will also be made available to other non - profits in the
community outside of the pilot group. Consistent with the High Impact Service Plan, the idea behind the pilot has been to
work towards demonstrating how a coordinated approach to volunteering can impact significant community needs.
On January 3, the collaborative group made a decision not to pursue the final round of funding and to instead seek
alternative ways to continue the work begun under the grant. The purpose of this memo is to explain the basis for that
decision, and also to lay out a plan for next steps to continue using volunteering as a coordinated strategy to address
significant and identified community needs.
DISCUSSION
Several things played into our decision to decline to apply for the final round of the VGF grant.
• Dubuque entered this initiative under a tight time - constraint due to the availability of relinquished funds and had to
meet the same requirements as those who had 18 previous months to get off the ground. While we have made
significant progress in strategic direction and coordination of volunteer opportunities in the community since then, we
have not achieved as much as we had hoped in terms of sustainability for a stand -alone center, and, as a result, we
are not in a position to meet the match requirements in the final year.
• Our experience over the past 18 months has clarified for us that while each of our organizations is committed to the
concept of a Volunteer Center, none of us currently have adequate staff capacity to manage the grant requirements
related to being a stand -alone Volunteer Center while also meeting our existing missions within each of our
organizations.
• Most of us involved in this effort have found the reporting requirements challenging, as they do not align with the
standard reporting we use as a requirement of existing ICVS and /or CNCS grants, and it is causing difficulty for
agencies with limited time and resources.
• Working together over the past year, we have developed clarity regarding our most pressing needs in our community,
where each organization needs to focus its efforts, and how we can collectively recruit and retain volunteers to
broaden, deepen and sustain our impact. The pilot program under the current grant has been particularly beneficial in
this regard, and we intend to continue to partner and build on the pilot using what we have learned this year.
The work we have done over the past 18 months will continue, just not with this particular grant funding. The Dubuque
National Service Partnership is an established and respected force in our community and will continue to engage in many of
the activities important to our community with respect to jointly recognizing volunteers, recruiting for days of service, and
supporting each other with training and sharing of resources. Resources Unite also intends to continue to pursue the goal of
connecting volunteers to opportunities to serve generally throughout the community.
In addition, the work we are doing under the pilot program is already being incorporated into the next round of VISTA efforts
through Iowa Campus Compact. It is this portion of the grant that I recommend we continue to build upon for the City's
volunteer program.
RECOMMENDATION
I am recommending that we continue to partner with Loras College and Iowa Campus Compact to continue the work under
the pilot program focused on economic opportunity. The pilot included three agencies focused on serving citizens
challenged by living in poverty and working toward self- sufficiency: The Circles Initiative, Project Concern, and Operation
New View. These agencies have worked together to recruit volunteers collaboratively in order to impact the significant need
of increasing economic opportunity for people living in poverty.
While we are still gathering our statistics, preliminary results indicate that in just two months, the agencies have recruited 134
new volunteers, have retained /managed 121 volunteers, have recruited 2 board members, and have received donations from
30 philanthropists. Even if each volunteer donated only one hour per month, the value for these two months would exceed
$8,000 at an hourly rate of $17.55. In addition, the agencies have worked to build their internal capacity to better recruit and
retain volunteers through the use of best practices. Agency staff and VISTA members attended 6 volunteer management
workshops, 5 workshops in non - profit management, and 1 workshop in leveraging skills -based volunteering. The three
agencies also assessed or implemented the following management practices as a result of the trainings:
• Identified gaps in public relations practices.
• Reflected upon how to improve record - keeping practices to solidify sustainability of management practices
implemented by VISTAs.
• Plan to increase utilization Memorandums of Agreements in future partnering and business practices.
• Plan to create orientation for volunteers.
• Plan to create a recognition event for volunteers.
The pilot was successful for two significant reasons. First, each agency committed to having an Iowa Campus Compact
VISTA member focused on supporting volunteer recruitment and retention efforts. Second, our department had an intern
dedicated to pulling the work of the three agencies together, encouraging a more collective approach, keeping the agencies
in communication with one another, and gathering the outcomes of their efforts. In collective impact language, the intern and
our department served as a sort of "backbone" for the efforts to work across silos to recruit volunteers for activities supporting
economic opportunity for residents in poverty.
Manageable pilot programs such as this are critical to helping people understand the impact of their work as volunteers,
which in turn fuels further engagement. In addition, a skills based approach to volunteering can be of benefit to
underemployed individuals, whether that be people working towards self- sufficiency, college students, or veterans. A recent
Volunteer Impact Survey by Deloitte indicates that skilled and dedicated volunteer work makes college graduate job
candidates more appealing to human resources executives. Volunteering also can build social capital by providing
individuals the opportunity to connect and network with other volunteers who are employed. Volunteer opportunities that
infuse a service learning structure could be particularly valuable because it encourages volunteers to reflect upon and learn
from their service while connecting it to their future goals, including ongoing community engagement.
Consequently, I am recommending that we pursue a VISTA position through Iowa Campus Compact for the purpose of
continuing the work we have begun with the pilot. The application for such a position is due on February 5 and requires a
$7,000 match which we could cover from our existing budget line item that related to fair housing and community
development. Attached is a draft of the application. We are working with partners to finalize the details, but the basic outline
should remain unchanged.
It is important to remember that this is only the first step in a much longer term plan to transition agencies toward a taking a
strong, collective approach to measuring the impact of volunteering on economic opportunity. The VISTA's work would be
focused specifically on continuing the pilot project with these three agencies — it would not expand to additional volunteering
opportunities at this time. The goal would be to demonstrate the importance of working collaboratively and of capturing the
impact and outcomes of volunteering as a way to promote civic engagement, and to create a replicable model for others to
build upon around other areas of significant need in the community where volunteer support could be vital.
PROJECT COST - BUDGET IMPACT
The budget impact to have a VISTA member dedicated to continuing the pilot would be $7,000 in matching funds for each of
the three years. We have sufficient funds in our budget for this purpose in 10016200, 62731.
ACTION TO BE TAKEN
I recommend that we pursue an Iowa Campus Compact VISTA member in collaboration with Loras College in order to
continue our pilot work around the impact volunteers can have on economic opportunity. The requested action is that you
approve this recommendation.
Prepared by:
cc:
Kelly Larson
Jenny Larson
Iowa
Campus Compact
Iowa Campus Compact VISTA Program
2014 -2017 Site Request for Proposals
Iowa Campus Compact is seeking interested host sites for our 2014 -2017 VISTA Program. Selected sites
will pay a cost share and host a member each year for three years working to build capacity for higher
education and community partnerships toward either education or economic opportunity goals. Site
proposals are due January 31, 2014 at 5:00 pm via the online form. Sites will be selected for the full
three -year grant cycle, but evaluated annually for continuation. This document provides background on
Iowa Campus Compact, AmeriCorps VISTA, and this program as well as details on program and proposal
requirements and timelines.
Request For Proposals - Timeline
November 2013
December 11, 10 am
January 22, 10 am
January 31, 2014
February 2014
March 2014
April 2014
June and July 2014
RFP released
Optional Technical Assistance Call
Optional Technical Assistance Call
Proposals due
Proposals reviewed by IACC staff and outside reviewers
Award Notifications & Memorandum of Agreement Due
Signed Memorandum of Agreement returned to IACC, begin VISTA recruitment
VISTA members begin service with a Pre - Service Orientation
Cost Share payments are due prior to the member start date
Technical assistance - Ongoing and Scheduled Calls
With questions or assistance contact Iowa Campus Compact Executive Director Emily Shields at (515)
235 -4684 or eshields @iwcc.edu.
Questions may also be directed to Iowa Campus Compact VISTA Leader Monique Ellefson at
iacampuscompact @gmail.com or (515) 235 -4686.
Technical assistance conference calls will take place on December 11 and January 22 at 10 am. RSVP to
Monique Ellefson at iacampuscompact @gmail.com to receive call -in information.
RFP Materials Included in this Packet
• Proposal Submission Checklist (page 2)
• Background Information (page 3)
• VISTA Site Expectations and Benefits (page 4)
• VISTA Member Orientation and Benefits (page 5)
• IACC VISTA Program Plan and Goals (page 6 -8)
• Sample Position Descriptions (page 9)
• Site Selection Scoring Rubric (page 10)
• Iowa Campus Compact VISTA Site Memorandum of Agreement (page 11)
These are also available on IACC website http: / /www.iacampuscompact.org /vista - site- application.html.
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Proposal Submission Information Checklist
El Complete the Online Information Form with general information about the proposed site,
proposed supervisor, and goals, outputs, outcomes.
El Complete the Position Description field by briefly describing your organization and what the
specific duties and goals of the VISTA member will be. The position description is utilized to
advertise and recruit the VISTA member. Sample position descriptions are available on page 9.
Descriptions should not exceed 1,000 characters.
El Complete the Narrative fields. Describe how your site will fit with our overall project and the
requirements of the project in three narratives. Questions are below and space is provided in the
online form. Answers are limited to 1,000 characters each.
1. Sustainability and Capacity Building - Describe in detail how you plan to utilize VISTA
members over the course of the three -year cycle to build the sustainability and capacity of
your organization, your partners, and the specific programming the members will work on. It
is the goal of VISTA that at the end of the grant cycle your program is able to operate
effectively without VISTA support, so please make sure you outline and plan for action to meet
this goal.
2. Reciprocal Partnership Focus - The main area of emphasis for Iowa Campus Compact in this
program is on building strong and reciprocal campus- community partnerships. Please
describe in detail how your VISTA members will work to do this. If you are a community
partner organization, please identify and describe the higher education partner you plan to
work with and how you will help to build their capacity as well as your own. If you are a
higher education institution, please describe the community partner you plan to work with
and how you will help to build their capacity as well as your own. This narrative should tie to
the support letter required from the partner you name here.
3. Goal Statement - Please describe in detail the Community Impact goals, outputs, and
outcomes that you selected above. Explain how you arrived at those outputs and outcomes,
how you plan to achieve them and collect data, and any barriers that you foresee impacting
your ability to do so. Please also detail at least one Capacity Building Goal and how it will build
capacity for all partners. See the Project Plan (pages 6 -8) for details.
El Upload a Letter of Support from your higher education or community partner organization.
El Review the Iowa Campus Compact VISTA Site Memorandum of Agreement (on page 11) and
be prepared to submit a signed copy within one week of award notification.
Proposals and additional documents should be submitted online no later
than 5:00 pm on January 31, 2014.
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Campus Compact
Background Information
About Iowa Campus Compact
Iowa Campus Compact (IACC) is a consortium of Iowa colleges and universities committed to promoting a
vision of colleges and universities as active and involved members of their communities. IACC member
campuses seek to involve students, faculty, and entire campus communities in service to fulfill higher
education's goals to educate citizens, prepare tomorrow's leaders, and contribute to the life of America's
communities. IACC supports the integration of community service into the cultures of its member
campuses by facilitating collaboration, sponsoring programs, advocating policy, and promoting public
awareness.
In support of the vision and mission, Iowa Campus Compact manages an AmeriCorps VISTA Program
through support from the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Iowa Campus Compact
VISTA Program has aligned our focus with the Corporation for National and Community Service's new
priority areas with a special focus on Education and Economic Opportunity (see IACC VISTA Program Plan
on pages 6 -8).
About AmeriCorps VISTA
AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) is a full -time national service program for men and
women ages 18 and older interested in developing lasting solutions to problems of poverty in America.
VISTA members serve one year in community and faith -based non - profit organizations and with other
agencies and local governments to address problems of poverty in a particular community, to mobilize
community resources and increase the capacity of the low- income community to solve its own problems.
Member's service seeks to create positive, long -term, sustainable change. AmeriCorps VISTA is part of the
AmeriCorps network of service programs within the Corporation for National and Community Service
(CNCS). The AmeriCorps VISTA program has been addressing the needs of impoverished communities
since 1965.
About IACC VISTA Program
The IACC VISTA Program represents an innovative partnership between national service and higher
education. The model has been replicated in numerous other Campus Compact state network offices.
Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA members have proven to be effective in building the capacity of
higher education institutions, community organizations, and student volunteers to address issues of
poverty through partnership. Our VISTA members serve in higher education institutions, community
organizations, or a combination of both. Regardless of where they are serving, members are working to
build the capacity of higher education and community organizations to work together to address
community needs related to education and economic opportunity. More information on the overall goals
of the program and site responsibilities toward those goals is provided in the Program Plan (pages 6 -8).
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VISTA Site Expectations and Benefits
Membership: The IACC VISTA Program is open only to Iowa Campus Compact member institutions of
higher education and their community partners. Continued membership in IACC and /or partnership with
an IACC member is a requirement of the program.
Cost - Share: The cost to participate in the Iowa Campus Compact VISTA project year is $7,000. This cost is
associated with the cost of providing VISTA members with their monthly stipend. The Corporation for
National and Community Service pays VISTA members bi- weekly and IACC is billed for those costs. Cost -
share amounts may vary from year -to -year. If a site is unable to recruit a member or if a member does
not complete their year of service, sites will not be reimbursed. Host sites will be invoiced for their cost -
share after award notification and expected to make payment by the beginning of the VISTA member's
term unless other arrangements are made.
Recruitment: Host sites are expected to lead the VISTA member recruitment process. IACC is committed
to helping sites during recruitment, but sites should market the position opening and follow your
organization's human resources protocol in position announcements. Interested applicants must
complete the online application through the AmeriCorps.Gov site. Selected VISTA sites will be notified of
the IACC VISTA recruitment process and policies and will be expected to abide by the project's process.
Housing /Meal Assistance: Iowa Campus Compact encourages participating sites to provide housing
and /or meal support to their VISTA member(s). This may mean arranging for a community member to
house the VISTA, providing on- campus housing, providing an on- campus meal card, paying rent directly
to the landlord, seeking out low -cost housing, etc. VISTA members are not allowed to receive any outside
compensation during their term of service. When providing housing /meal assistance it should be
provided either in -kind or in direct payment to a landlord or vendor.
Supervision: Host sites are required to provide a full-time employee to supervise the VISTA member.
IACC reserves the right to ask sites to provide a new supervisor if a problem occurs regarding supervision
during the VISTA member's term of service and to transfer a VISTA to a new site if this is not provided.
IACC encourages potential sites to visit http: / /vistacampus.org for more supervision information and
assistance. Supervisors are expected to participate in monthly conferences calls and stay in regular
communication with Iowa Campus Compact staff.
Reporting and Reflection: IACC requires VISTA members to complete monthly and quarterly progress
reports and regular impact reflections. Supervisors are expected to assist members in completing the
reports and reflections in a timely manner and ensure the information provided is accurate. Additional
reporting may be required as requested by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Professional Development: Iowa Campus Compact provides professional development and technical
assistance opportunities online, via conference call, and in- person. Sites are required to provide their
members with sufficient time to participate in these opportunities and to consider other ways of
supporting the member's development. All members are required to attend the annual VISTA Network
Gathering in Des Moines in either July or August at the beginning of their term and sites are expected to
provide funding for travel and lodging.
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VISTA Member Orientation and Benefits
Pre - Service Orientation: VISTA members attend a Pre-Service Orientation provided by the Corporation
for National and Community Service (CNCS) before their service term begins. The exact dates and
locations will be provided when available by the CNCS state office. Iowa Campus Compact provides
additional training throughout the member's term of service.
Benefits: A $5,550 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award or $1,500 post- service stipend is provided in
return of a full -year of service. Members are also provided a modest living allowance, health care benefits,
childcare assistance, student loan forbearance or deferment, access to the network of VISTAs, one -year
noncompetitive status for a federal government job, and other site - provided benefits such as housing
assistance. For more information related to VISTA member benefits and rules /regulations view the VISTA
member manual online at www.vistacampus.org.
VISTA Resources: Each VISTA member will have access to AmeriCorps VISTA resources and staff
members. The VISTA Campus serves as the main resource for VISTA members and includes various
training materials and webinar information. The VISTA Campus also allows VISTA members to locate
other VISTAs in their area and provides a forum where all VISTAs can discuss things they are
experiencing at their site or during their year in general. AmeriCorps also offers monthly webinars and
trainings for VISTAs. In addition to the VISTA Campus and webinars, VISTAs also have access to the
National Hotline where a staff member can answer any and all questions that VISTAs have about
AmeriCorps.
MCC Professional Development: Each month, Iowa Campus Compact will offer a professional
development opportunity for our VISTA members. These professional development topics will be
presented via webinar or conference call. In the past, webinars have covered various topics including
communication, volunteer management, project management, life after AmeriCorps, networking, and
more. The IACC VISTA Leader works with VISTA members to assess what their needs are and then
schedules webinars based on those needs. The VISTA Leader or willing site supervisors often host these
professional development opportunities.
IACC VISTA Wiki Website: The IACC VISTA Leader will regulate the IACC VISTA Wiki website which will
provide various resources and professional development tools for IACC VISTA members. The Wiki
website is where IACC VISTA members can find resources specifically related to Iowa Campus Compact
and what current members are working on and what past members have done.
IACC VISTA Leader: Iowa Campus Compact will have a VISTA Leader for the duration of your VISTA
member's term. The VISTA Leader is a VISTA member that has previously served a VISTA term and has
now stepped into a leadership role to act as a mentor and a guide for current VISTAs. VISTA Leaders
receive additional training from CNCS and work diligently to ensure that your VISTA member is having a
positive and successful term of service. The VISTA Leader can also serve as a resource for site supervisors.
Non - Competitive Status: After an AmeriCorps volunteer has completed their term of service, they will
receive one year of non - competitive status when applying for any government jobs. This is contingent
upon their eligibility for the positions to which they are applying.
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Program Plan and Goals
The following are priorities for the 2014 -2017 Iowa Campus Compact VISTA Program. Sites applying to
host a full-time VISTA member will be asked to report on one Community Impact Focus Area
(Education or Economic Opportunity) and one aligned output and outcome in that area. Sites must
also report on required and site - developed measures of capacity building in both institutions and
community organizations. Selected measures should be detailed (with quantifiable goals) in the site
application narrative. The narrative should describe how the VISTA member would contribute to these
outputs and outcomes and how the data will be collected to measure them. Goals are expected to be met
at the end of the three -year cycle, not necessarily each year, but information on progress will be collected
and evaluated monthly and annually.
Iowa Campus Compact
Theory of Change
At Iowa Campus Compact we believe that we can
impact communities and create social change by
building the capacity of higher education
institutions, community organizations, and
individual students to engage in reciprocal, high -
impact partnerships. When all members of these
partnerships have strong capacity, they can come
together to make communities better. The VISTA
Program is one integral way in which we seek to do
that. VISTA members serve either with higher
education institutions or in community
organizations, or a combination of both. They build
capacity primarily in institutions and community
organizations toward specific community outcomes
in education and economic opportunity.
Higher Education
Capacity
t., institutionali civic
engc?r ment
Community
Orgnization Capacity
Vint Capacity
participate in
to engage citizens in co nunity as active
addressing and solving q citizens
issues
Definitions
Outputs are the amount of service provided. They measure the completion of activities and document the
fact that individuals received services, products were created, or programs were developed. They answer
the question, "How many people did we serve ?" or "What products did we develop ?" They do not answer
the question, "What changed as a result of the service provided or product developed ?"
Outcomes reflect the changes or benefits that occur. Outcomes can reflect changes in individuals,
organizations, communities, or the environment. This may include changes in attitudes, knowledge,
behavior, or condition. For example, changes within an organization may include an enhanced system to
better serve community members. Outcomes answer the question, "What difference did our service make
for beneficiaries ?" or "How did the new system or product enhance the capacity of the organization to
serve the community ?"
Capacity Building is a set of activities that expand the scale, reach, efficiency, or effectiveness of
programs and organizations. Activities may also leverage resources for programs and /or organizations.
For example, capacity- building activities may expand services, enhance delivery of services, or generate
additional resources. These activities achieve lasting positive outcomes for the beneficiary populations
served.
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Community Impact Focus Area Measures
All sites must choose one focus area and one outcome and output for that focus area, set goals, and
report monthly on progress.
Focus Area
Output Options
Outcome Options
Education:
K -12 Educational
Success and
Post - Secondary
Access and Success
Measure Option 1 Output: Number of
students that start and /or complete
participation in a K -12 education
program.
Outcome Option 1: Number of K -12
students with improved academic
performance in literacy and /or
math.
Outcome Option 2: Number of K -12
students with demonstrated
improved academic engagement.
Outcome Option 3: Number of
students that improved their school
attendance over the course of the
program's involvement with the
student.
Measure Option 2 Output: Number of
disadvantaged youth /mentor
matches sustained.
Outcome: Number of students with
improved academic performance in
literacy and /or math.
Other Outcome Options for either Output Area:
Number of students graduating from high school on time with a diploma.
Number of student entering post - secondary institutions.
Number of students earning a post-secondary degree.
Economic
Opportunity:
Financial Literacy
and Employment.
Measure Option 1 Output: Number of
economically disadvantaged
individuals receiving financial
literacy services.
Outcome: Number of economically
disadvantaged individuals with
improved financial knowledge.
Measure Option 2 Output: Number of
economically disadvantaged
individuals receiving job placement
services.
Outcome: Number of economically
disadvantaged individuals placed in
jobs.
Measure Option 3 Output: Number of
economically disadvantaged
individuals receiving job training and
other skill development services.
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Capacity Building Outputs and Outcomes
All sites must include capacity- building goals for both higher education and community partner
organizations in their VAD and narrative. Sites do not have to set specific goals in these areas or achieve
all of them, but should be prepared to answer questions in detail monthly.
• Number of community volunteers recruited (and percentage of these that were college students)
• Number of volunteers managed (and percentage of these that were college students)
• Hours of service contributed by recruited volunteers
• Hours of service contributed by managed volunteers
• Dollar value of cash resources leveraged
• Dollar value of in -kind resources leveraged
• Number of (non - monetary) resources created (training materials, curricula, etc)
Required End -of -Year Survey Outcome Measures
At the end of each year in the grant cycle, the higher education AND community organization partners in
each VISTA site will be asked to complete a survey to gather further details on capacity building outcomes.
Sites do not have to set specific goals in these areas or achieve all of them, but should be prepared to
answer questions in detail, including the questions below. Other questions might be asked and there will
be space for further information detailing capacity- building impacts.
• Did your organization implement three or more effective volunteer management practices as a
result of capacity building services?
• Did capacity building services result in your organization being more efficient and /or effective?
• How many new systems and business processes (technology, performance management, training,
etc.) or enhancements to existing systems were put in place as a result of capacity building
services?
• How many additional types of services being offered as a result of capacity building services
(programs, service - learning courses, new student groups, etc)?
• How many additional activities have been completed and /or program outputs produced as a
result of capacity building services (projects, program results not reported above, etc)?
• Did your organization experience an increase in requests for programs and services as a result of
capacity building services (requests can be for community programs or for service - related
offerings on campus)?
Optional Additional Measures
Your site can choose to add any additional measures to your VISTA plan and VISTA Assignment
Description as you see fit. For example, if your member will specifically be working on faculty
development, you can add a measure related to attendees and the outcomes for those attendees. Any
measures outlined in the VAD will be included in VISTA monthly reporting. Our program is stronger when
we can collect as much information as possible on the results our members are producing for your site.
8 1 2014 -2017 IACC VISTA RFP
Iowa
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6
Campus Compact
Sample Position Descriptions
The AmeriCorps VISTA member will work with the Northwestern College Education Department and the
Director of Service Learning to help organize and oversee an on- campus after - school enrichment center
(Raider Reach) for at risk 4th - 6th graders. They will increase opportunities for unemployed Iowans to
receive training to increase skills for future employment and develop advocacy initiatives and community
infrastructure for communities struggling with low - income housing and homelessness. The VISTA
member will assist the Director of Service Learning in encouraging faculty members to implement service
learning experiences in their courses that address community needs in the areas of education,
opportunity, and health. This position is located in Orange City, IA.
The VISTA at St. Mark Community Center will strengthen the Dubuque Mentoring Partnership by creating
mentor and volunteer training opportunities for all organizations in the partnership to utilize. They will
also build upon and strengthen partnerships to recruit volunteers and mentors from educational
institutions and businesses in the Dubuque area. The VISTA will strive to build St. Mark Community
Center's capacity to recruit and retain greater numbers of mentors for children in OST programs in
Dubuque Community Public Schools, with a focus on schools with SINA designation. This position is
located in Dubuque, IA.
The AmeriCorps* VISTA member will work with the Office of Service - Learning and Campus Engagement
at Coe College to help organize and recruit volunteers for programs in the area of Education to meet the
needs of community members. They will increase the number of mentoring and tutoring programs we
have in Middle Schools and High Schools and will work to sustain and increase impact in the Elementary
programs we currently have established. The VISTA Member will work to build a relationship with the
Education Department on campus so that there is a steady and sustainable flow of volunteers to our
programs. The VISTA member will also encourage and help implement sustained student involvement in
these programs an in our office. This position is located in Cedar Rapids, IA.
The AmeriCorps VISTA member will work with the Drake University Service - Learning Program and Dress
for Success Des Moines to help organize and oversee on- campus and off - campus opportunities to enhance
capacity building for adult and youth outreach programs serving those in poverty. Through Dress for
Success Des Moines, they will increase opportunities for unemployed Iowa women to receive training and
resources to increase skills for future employment and retain employment and build resources to support
a career development center and employment- suiting boutique. In addition, the VISTA member will assist
the Service - Learning Coordinator at Drake University in encouraging faculty, staff, and students to
implement service - learning experiences that address community needs in the areas of education and
economic opportunity.
The City of Dubuque is currently seeking a motivated individual to work with the Circles Initiative
program. Circles began when a group of citizens and service providers met to develop a plan to eliminate
poverty within Dubuque recognizing ending poverty would require a shift in behavior and thinking
within the community as a whole. The VISTA will be responsible for designing a sustainable volunteer
recruitment and retention strategy in order to increase capacity of community volunteers. Community
meetings bring together groups of people from all socio- economic classes to address issues related to
poverty. The ideal VISTA will have strong organizational skills, be creative, innovative, be capable of
creating work plans, pilot these strategies, collect data, provide feedback, possess good oral and written
communication, and the ability to work as a team and build relationships within the Dubuque community.
Details about the program are found at www.cityofdubuque.org /circles
9 1 2014 -2017 IACC VISTA RFP
Iowa
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6
Campus Compact
Site Selection Scoring Rubric
Site Name:
Site Location:
Date Reviewed:
Reviewer Name:
1
Narratives - 75 points possible
Sustainability and Capacity - Building
Does the applicant clearly describe how they plan to utilize VISTA members in each year
of the three -year grant cycle?
Does the applicant demonstrate a clear plan for achieving program sustainability with
that time frame?
Are the VISTA's activities clearly related to capacity building?
Do they demonstrate a plan for sustainability after VISTA programming is no longer
available?
Score (out of 25):
Reciprocal Partnership Focus
Does the applicant describe in detail who the campus and community partners are and
how the VISTA member(s) will build the partnership?
Does the applicant describe how capacity will be built for both the higher education and
community organizations in the partnership?
Score (out of 25):
Goal Statement
Is there at least one goal from the IACC Project Plan Community Impact Focus Areas
outlined?
Is there at least one goal from the IACC Project Plan Capacity Building outlined?
Does the applicant demonstrate how the goal will be achieved in the three -year grant
cycle?
Do the goals, outputs, and outcomes described seem realistic for a three-year VISTA
grant? Does the applicant have a good understanding of potential barriers?
Score (out of 25):
Partner Letter of Support (25 points possible)
Is a letter of support provided from the higher education and /or community organization
partner described in the narratives?
Does the letter demonstrate clear support and involvement in the proposed VISTA
project?
Does the letter demonstrate that capacity building will occur for both partners?
Score (out of 25):
TOTAL SCORE (out of 100 possible):
Reviewer Notes:
10 1 2014 -2017 IACC VISTA RFP
Iowa
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6
Campus Compact
2014 -2017 Iowa Campus Compact VISTA Program
Site Memorandum of Agreement
This document details the roles and responsibilities of Iowa Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA Sites
and Supervisors. Please return a signed copy of this document to IACC within a week of award notification.
Both the direct site supervisor and their manager and /or board chair must sign.
Site /Organization Name:
Site Supervisor Name and Title:
Site Manager /Board Chair Name and Title:
As an IACC VISTA Site we agree to:
• Pay the required cost share payment of $7,000 prior to the VISTA member's start date
• Provide appropriate office space, supplies, phone, internet connection, and other physical
accommodations as necessary
• Provide adequate budget support for member travel and work (including travel to the annual IACC
VISTA Gathering)
• Designate a Site Supervisor who can provide adequate time in working with the VISTA member and
IACC during the service year
• Appropriately integrate the VISTA member into staff
• Provide the VISTA member with on -site orientation and regular training opportunities
• Abide by all Corporation for National and Community service policies and guidelines
• Provide agreed upon additional benefits to member (housing, meals, etc.)
• Provide IACC or CNCS with any necessary information regarding your VISTA as requested
• Work with IACC to address any supervisor- related issues and, if requested, designate a new
supervisor
As an IACC VISTA Site Supervisor I agree to:
• Participate in monthly VISTA Supervisor calls
• Participate in all VISTA Supervisor trainings
• Meet regularly with the VISTA member to provide feedback and direction and provide the member
with opportunity to give regular supervisor feedback
• Complete an official end -of -year evaluation of the VISTA member
• Communicate with IACC staff in a timely manner regarding any performance issues or other issues
that could impede the VISTA member's experience or site goals
• Abide by all Corporation for National and Community service policies and guidelines
• Review VISTA member reports on a regular basis and provide additional performance measure
information as requested
• Assist IACC in improving the overall VISTA Project
VISTA Site Supervisor Signature Date
Manager /Board Chair Signature Date
11 1 2014 -2017 IACC VISTA RFP
Iowa
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6
Campus Compact
Iowa Campus Compact VISTA Application
Main Site: City of Dubuque Human Rights Department
Site Supervisor: Kelly Larson, Director
Partner Sites: Loras College, Circles Initiative, Project Concern, Operation New View
Community Impact Focus Area:
Economic opportunity
Output: number of economically disadvantaged individuals receiving job training and
other skill development services.
Estimated #: 7
Outcome: number of economically disadvantaged individuals placed in jobs.
Estimated #: 2
Data collection methods:
Partner agencies will collect and submit their data to Maggie Baker, Service Learning
Coordinator at Loras College. The Human Rights Department VISTA member will work
with Maggie Baker and Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director, to compile the data and
create materials telling the story of the coil °` ' - impact of the work of the volunteers on
the lives of individuals in the community.
Additional impact areas:
Circles Initiative — Economic O rtunity
Operation New View Financia Bracy
Project Concern- Financ
Capacity Building Goal Are
Leveraging resources in the form
Loras
volunteers
Service Activities for Loras Colleg
Expand and strengthen partnerships
Expand participant outreach
Capacity Building G "a for Circles Initiative, Project Concern, Operation New
View:
Leveraging resources in the form of volunteers
Capacity Outputs: (Awaiting information from partners)
Output Target Number: (Awaiting information from partners)
Capacity Outcomes: (Awaiting information from partners)
Outcome Target Number: (Awaiting information from partners)
Service Activities for Circles Initiative, Project Concern, Operation New View:
Expand and strengthen partnerships
Expand participant outreach
Capacity Outputs: (Awaiting information from partners)
Output Target Number: (Awaiting information from partners)
Capacity Outcomes: (Awaiting information from partners)
Outcome Target Number: (Awaiting information from partners)
NARRATIVES
Position Description
Tracking resources and building capacity for volunteer recruitment and retention in
collaboration with other IACC VISTAs in Dubuque focused on economic opportunity;
building capacity for collecting and disseminating information about the collective impact
of volunteers' activities; strengthening or creating a centralized system within the host
organization to track names, hours, activities o volunteers in a way that: ensures the
ability to successfully combine data in order to a ate impact and collectively
disseminate information to multiple audiences {constituencies; training staff and/or
volunteers about the benefits of utilizing a system designed to collect information and
articulate the impact of volunteers' activities;! sharing and strategically disseminating
information about volunteers' impact; planning few shared outreach and volunteer
events throughout the year; planning how and when to disseminate shared outcomes;
assisting with the development and delivery of a skill building curriculum for
disadvantaged residents; assisting with the development of curriculum and toolkit for
City employees on effective volunteer recruitment and retention.
Community Need & Involvement
This proposal is based on work completed during a 2013 pilot program with The Circles
Initiative, Project Concern, Operation New View and Loras College. As part of that
program, our office hosted an intern who coordinated efforts to collaborate on volunteer
recruitment and retention, and to report out collectively on the results.
Preliminary results indicate that in just two months, the agencies were able to
collectively recruit 134 new volunteers, retain /manage 121 volunteers, recruit 2 board
members, and receive donations from 30 philanthropists. In addition, agency staff and
VISTA members attended 6 volunteer management workshops, 5 workshops in non-
profit management, and 1 workshop in leveraging skills -based volunteering. The three
agencies also assessed or implemented the following management practices as a result
of the trainings:
• Identified gaps in public relations practices.
• Reflected upon how to improve record - keeping practices to solidify sustainability
of management practices implemented by VISTAs.
• Plan to increase utilization Memorandums of Agreements in future partnering and
business practices.
• Plan to create orientation for volunteers.
• Plan to create a recognition event for volunteers.
These results were reported out as part of a Collective Impact Workshop, and a toolkit
on joint recruitment was developed. The collective gathering and reporting out of this
data occurred because there was a short term intern position specifically dedicated to
doing this aspect of the work. The current proposal would allow us to continue this work
and strengthen the capacity of each of the organizations to have a shared data
collection and dissemination system for demonstrating the impact volunteers are having
on poverty.
In addition, the Human Rights Department recently assessed the needs of our Housing
and Community Development De • . rtment and identified both a need for capacity
building around the use of volunt° . nd a need for skill development for families in
the self- sufficiency program.
Sustainability and Capacity Build
Our program would be modeled after th
Kania and would be applied to a shared a
the impact of volunteers and volunteerism o
program will involved three non- profit agenci
as volunteers in meeting their collectiv "- sio
participate in these community opportuni
support the Human Rights Department VIST
Ngst&
i.� approach developed by John
of recru g, retaining, and capturing
conomic opportunity for residents. The
hose role will be to engage residents
he role of students will be to
d the role of higher education will be to
in institutionalizing stronger civic
re
engagement in economic opportunity through volunteerism.
The three agencies are already involved in mutually reinforcing activities, each one
playing a role in meeting resident needs in order to move from homelessness to self -
sufficiency. Project Concern is focused on stabilizing housing for those who are
homeless and meeting immediate needs. Operation New View is focused on
developing financial assets and stability for families. The Circles Initiative is focused on
empowerment, education, and employment of individuals and families experiencing
poverty, using a community - building model. Each of the agencies utilizes volunteers to
meet their goals. This VISTA would build the capacity of the Human Rights Department
to serve as the "backbone" organization for these efforts. The VISTA would collaborate
with the agencies to develop shared measures including numbers of volunteers
recruited and retained, hours served, and implementation of capacity building measures
such as shared workshops /curriculum and a shared tracking system. The VISTA would
coordinate communication between the agencies toward developing a systematized
tracking system that can capture the impact volunteers are having on economic
opportunity and what they are learning from their experience as volunteers, such as
what career related skills people have learned as a volunteer; what they have learned
about the complexities of this social issue, what have they learned about diversity and
inclusion and working across differences, and what have they learned about how to get
involved.
2014 -15:
During the first year of the project, the VISTA member will focus on taking the pilot
program mentioned above to the next level by developing a thorough understanding of
the current systems in place in each organization for tracking volunteers, and then
identifying common measures that could be implemented across organizations in order
to capture the impact of volunteers working in the area of economic opportunity. Co-
hosted workshops and events will be offered to strengthen the partnership and
collaboration between the agencies and to report out on the collective impact volunteers
are having on disadvantaged individuals and families. The VISTA member will focus on
building agency capacity to explain the value and impact of volunteers and why the
tracking of information and the telling of the collective story is important. The member
also will work with Human Rights Department staff on workshops and toolkits designed
to offer skill - building with residents in the City's family self- sufficiency program, and
workshops and toolkits for City staff on volunteer recruitment and retention in order to
encourage City departments to expand the use volunteers to support economic
opportunity.
2015 -2016:
During the second N oft oject, the VISTA me ill be focused on piloting the
implementation of ing syste hin each . • "ency, as well as a centralized
system through the Ri• Department of reporting out on the measures and
impact volunteers are h ?, : se th gencies in affecting economic
opportunity. This may invo veragi . n resources for a system, or designing
system using low or no -cost r rces. earch and learning from year one will
determine the nature of the sys The system will be designed to be of use for
existing staff within each agency t e responsible for volunteer recruitment and
retention. The design would also be h that existing Human Rights Department staff
would be able to annually pull the data from the shared system and report out each year
on the impact volunteers are having on economic opportunity.
2016 -17:
During the final year, the VISTA member will focus on refining the shared data collection
system by addressing any challenges uncovered during the pilot in year two. The
VISTA also would share the successes of the first two years with other organizations in
the community who are working jointly to impact complex social issues, such as
education, disaster management, belonging /inclusion, and /or environmental
stewardship.
The end goal of the three year program is to have a model system in place inside the
City organization that is focused on engaging volunteers in City partnerships /initiatives
around economic opportunity. The system will include shared tracking of hours and
numbers of volunteers, shared best practices curriculum, and shared annual reporting
on the impact volunteers are having on economic opportunity in the community. Ideally,
this model will serve to catalyze efforts to engage volunteers in other public /private
partnerships around education, disaster planning, environmental stewardship, and /or
welcoming and inclusion.
Reciprocal Partnership Focus:
The goal of this project is to strengthen the collaborative use of volunteers between
local government, college service learning programs, and non - profit organizations who
are working to impact economic opportunity. In addition to leveraging college students
as volunteers, we will work with the local college to demonstrate the ways in which
using a service learning approach can increase civic engagement in a community and
can support students and disadvantaged residents in building skills and setting future
goals.
The VISTA will share three or more effective volunteer management practices. The
VISTA will support improvements in efficiency or effectiveness by developing a shared
data tracking system around the impact of volunteers, with a particular focus on
enhancing the use of Circles natio . re for tracking impact.
LORAS COLLEGE
1450 Alta Vista Street 1 Dubuque, IA 52001 1 (563) 588.7100 1 www.loras.edu
January 6, 2014
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to express my support for Iowa Campus Compact VISTA applications submitted by Circles, The City
of Dubuque Human Rights Department, Operation New View and Project Concern.
IACC VISTAs awarded to all four organizations would allow us to continue to foster collaboration among
organizations serving with citizens in poverty in our region and to continue to recruit and retain more
volunteers focused on service that lead to less replication and more coordinated services.
Loras College has been encouraged by this VISTA model and how it has afforded us an opportunity to build
reciprocal relationships with each organization and helped increase engagement among college /university
populations in the region. Students, faculty and staff have been able to leverage knowledge, talents and skills
focused on a Tong -term goal of collective impact, centered on developing Economic Opportunity for fellow
citizens in poverty.
Through collective efforts, in partnership with the City of Dubuque Human Rights Department and supported
by Volunteer Generation Funds, IACC VISTAs from Circles, Operation New View and Project Concern engaged
286 citizens in Dubuque, during November and December 2013. Their work raised awareness about poverty,
educated citizens about how to get involved and recruited and retained volunteers in a number of capacities,
all of whom were focused in the area of Economic Opportunity.
During this process, citizens, including students in higher education in the region, learned valuable career -
related skills from service experiences; they learned about the importance of inclusive practices in a
community, and have been empowered to begin to understand the complexities associated with a social issue,
such as poverty. Four different citizens engaged in IACC VISTA program, sponsored by VGF funds, described
what they learned in follow -up surveys:
• - A deeper awareness of how many families and individuals struggle daily for their needs.
• This event helped participants realize the interwoven nature of economic hardships. l learned that helping
in any one of these areas (education, community helps, etc) can work toward addressing the core issue.
• 1 need to look for opportunities to volunteer
• I became much more aware of the possible available services for people living at or below the poverty level
but also much more keenly aware of what a challenge it is to receive them . all the obstacles people face.
I urge you to allow non - profit and governmental organizations, higher education and IACC VISTA members in
Dubuque to continue to get things done together by engaging in such impactful service in 2014 -15.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
1
Maggie Baker, Service Learning Coordinator
Center for Experiential Learning, Loras College
563 -588 -7937
maggie.baker @loras.edu