Act Now To Save AmeriCorps Funding!

AmeriCorps, for those of you who don’t know, is like the domestic peace corp. The program changed my life, and I can honestly say that the three years I spend in it were some of the best three of my life. Do NOT let the government of George W. Bush, or anyone else de-fund it. Act now to save AmeriCorps.

Voices for National Service has learned that funding for AmeriCorps programs for 2009 is in jeopardy, and it is imperative that national service supporters contact their Members of Congress TODAY to intercede with Appropriators.

Action Item One – Sign-On Letter

By 4:00pm today, December 3rd, please email info@voicesforservice.org to sign-on to a letter from the national service field to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees that urgently requests $420.3 million for AmeriCorps and the National Service Trust in order to sustain the same level of participants in 2009 as in 2008. Copies of the letters are at the bottom of this email with signatures already collected from national service program leaders. To sign-on, email info@voicesforservice.org the name of your organization’s CEO or Executive Director.

Action Item Two – Call Your Member of Congress

Please call your Members of Congress immediately and ask them to protect AmeriCorps funding so that programs can deliver much needed services to communities across the country. Below is information on how to contact your Members of Congress and talking points for your use. We have also listed the Appropriators in the House and Senate. We especially need individuals residing or serving in Appropriators’ districts to reach out directly to them. If you do not reside or serve in an Appropriators district, please call your Members of Congress and ask them to weigh in with Appropriators.

To connect to your legislators in the Senate dial the Senate switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to connect you. To connect to your legislators in the House dial the switchboard at (202) 225-3121 ask them to connect you.

Background Information: At this very moment, congressional appropriators are in final negotiations on an comprehensive FY2009 funding bill. They expect to finish negotiating the details this week. It has recently been brought to our attention that AmeriCorps State and National and the National Service Trust require a combined appropriation of $420.3 million to sustain the same level of service communities have relied upon in 2008. This figure is $41 million above last year’s appropriations and $14.1 million above the Administration’s original request submitted to Congress in February.

We understand this is a significant increase over last year’s appropriation, but due to a perfect storm of conditions, that includes a significant administrative change at the Corporation, this increase is necessary to sustain the present field of programs and members. Level funding for AmeriCorps will not allow the same number of Americans to serve in 2009 as participated in 2008 due to a number of programmatic factors including: changes in AmeriCorps grant-making from two year to one year funding, the need to transfer funds from programs to the National Service Trust to cover AmeriCorps education awards, and increased support for disaster response and recovery in the Gulf region.

The next 24 hours are critical, as the Appropriations Committee is making decisions on the fiscal 2009 funding bills right now. We need our legislators to weigh in and ask that the appropriation be increased to avoid devastating program cuts. The brunt of the impact would likely fall on programs that are recompeting for funds. Under the present funding assumptions (i.e. 2008 funding levels), the pool of funds available to state competitive programs could be $20 million, 50% less than what is needed.

Talking Points :

Right now Congressional appropriators are negotiating fiscal year 2009 funding levels for AmeriCorps.
We’ve been told that AmeriCorps State and National and the National Service Trust need a combined appropriation of $420.3 million to sustain AmeriCorps programs that are delivering much needed service to communities. This is $41 million above the fiscal year 2008 appropriation.
We understand that this is a significant increase, but due to congressionally-mandated administrative changes at the Corporation for National and Community Service, the additional funds are needed to simply sustain the same level of service in 2009. This additional funding would not grow the program, just sustain it.
AmeriCorps grantees engage 75,000 Americans in providing important services through thousands of nonprofit community-based organizations, schools, land management agencies, and other groups that are meeting critical needs. Many of these organizations are already struggling with the recent economic downturn, and a cut in AmeriCorps would further reduce their ability to serve people in need.
A significant reduction in the federal appropriation will force groups to cut back or eliminate services to communities, and deprive thousands of young people the opportunity to serve their country and earn education awards to pursue their dreams of higher education. This is not the time to cut services to those in need and limit opportunities for young people to earn stipends and educational opportunities for their service.
An increased appropriation for AmeriCorps is urgently needed to prevent the collapse of our programs.
Your Congressperson should instruct the Appropriations Committee to increase the FY09 allocation for AmeriCorps.
SENATE APPROPRIATORS
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

Sen. Tom Harkin (Chairman) (D-IA)
Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Sen. Arlen Specter (Ranking Member) (R-PA)
Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)

HOUSE APPROPRIATORS
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

Rep. Dave Obey (Chairman)( D-WI)
Rep. Nita M. Lowey (D-NY)
Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT)
Rep. Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI)
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Rep. Michael Honda (D-CA)
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN)
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH)
Rep. Michael K. Simpson (R-ID)
Rep. Dennis R. Rehberg (R-MT)
Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Ex Officio

Thank you for your quick response to this email. Without your help, AmeriCorps positions may be eliminated. We will continue to update supporters as we learn more. Please direct any questions to info@voicesforservice.org

Below are some sample letter in case you want some help.

The Honorable Tom Harkin

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Harkin:

We deeply appreciate your strong support for national service and we thank you for introducing a FY09 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill that would have provided the AmeriCorps State and National and the National Service Trust with $403 million; $3 million below the amount of funding the Corporation for National and Community Service said it needed to sustain the 2008 level of AmeriCorps members. Unfortunately, it now appears that the agency requires an additional $41 million, above the amount appropriated in the Continuing Resolution, to sustain the programs that are delivering much needed service to communities, many of which have been hit hard by the economic downturn, including programs that are critical to the rebuilding of the Gulf coast states.

We urgently request that your committee take this new information into consideration as you finish your work on the FY09 appropriations bills, and that you provide AmeriCorps with $ $420.3 million for program operating grants and the Trust.

In his call for an increased investment in AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, the Senior Corps, and other service programs, President-elect Obama has recognized how national service is helping to solve critical community problems, transforming our nationâ€™s culture, developing a sense of civic commitment and uniting Americans from all walks of life in shared sacrifice. The loss of AmeriCorps positions will reduce opportunities for national service, as record numbers of Americans are engaging in community and public service, and as thousands more eagerly await the reauthorization of these programs and their expansion.

National service has had a profound effect on Americaâ€™s community institutions. AmeriCorps has helped to change the way community and faith-based organizations operate and deliver services. Local and national non-profits can provide targeted services in an efficient and accountable manner when AmeriCorps members are part of the delivery system. Community-based organizations, school systems, land management agencies, public health officials, and others depend on AmeriCorps to get things done. At a time when the economic downturn is forcing painful cuts in services provided by states and localities and when thousands of nonprofits across the country are shutting their doors because of lack of resources, AmeriCorps programs should be growing, not closing.

Americans have stepped forward in record numbers to serve, but continued reductions in AmeriCorps funding has prevented the programs from growing at the rate necessary to meet the demand. Increasing the investment would deliver enormous benefits to communities by helping to address unmet needs and develop civic competencies.

AmeriCorps funds are awarded in the late winter, early spring. Only FY09 funds can prevent successful programs from closing. A decrease in AmeriCorps positions can damage the infrastructure of many small AmeriCorps programs that do not have the resources to sustain a cut to their budget for even one year â€“ particularly in this economic downturn. Service programs are like small businesses. Once they are closed they cannot be re-opened a year or even several months later. Staffs are dismissed, civic partnerships are discontinued, leases are lost, business support withdrawn, and the trust of principals, teachers and other community partners in AmeriCorps evaporates.

We hope you will do everything possible to ensure that these programs are not closed or drastically cut, that needed service continue to be provided by AmeriCorps members, and that we can continue to tap the idealism and patriotism of so many of our citizens who want to serve.

We urge you to increase the FY09 appropriation for AmeriCorps State and National to ensure that AmeriCorps remains a strong and vital program today and in the future.

Sincerely,

Michael Brown, CEO and Co-Founder, City Year

James Cleveland, President, Jumpstart for Young Children

AnnMaura Connolly, Senior Vice President, City Year

Marguerite Kondrake, President and CEO, America’s Promise Alliance

Michelle Nunn, CEO, Points of Light Institute

Jill Pasewalk, National President & CEO, Camp Fire USA

Dale Penny, President, Student Conservation Association

Michael Rubinger, CEO and President, Local Initiatives Support Corporation

Paul Schmitz, President and CEO, Public Allies

Eric Schwarz, President and CEO, Citizen Schools

Dorothy Stoneman, President and Founder, YouthBuild USA

Marty Weinstein, Chairperson, California AmeriCorps Alliance

December 3, 2008

The Honorable David Obey

United States House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Obey:

We deeply appreciate your support for national service. You have been a strong champion of our programs and have fought for our funding time and time again. We are concerned, however, that your subcommitteeâ€™s FY09 appropriation for AmeriCorps State and National and the National Service Trust is insufficient to sustain the same level of participants in 2009 as in 2008. We recently learned that the Corporation for National and Community Service says that it needs an additional $41 million, above the amount appropriated in the Continuing Resolution, to sustain the programs that are delivering much needed service to communities. Thousands of community-based organizations, school systems, land management agencies, public health officials, and others – already hit hard by the economic downturn – depend on AmeriCorps to get things done. Any significant reduction in the federal appropriation will force them to cut back or eliminate the services they provide, as well as to deprive thousands of young people the opportunity to serve their country, earn an education award and pursue their dreams of higher education.

We urgently request that your committee take this new information into consideration as you finish your work on the FY09 appropriations bills, and that you provide AmeriCorps with $ 420.3 million for program operating grants and the Trust.

In his call for an increased investment in AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, the Senior Corps, and other service programs, President-elect Obama has recognized how national service is helping to solve critical community problems, transforming our nationâ€™s culture, developing a sense of civic commitment and uniting Americans from all walks of life in shared sacrifice. The loss of AmeriCorps positions will reduce opportunities for national service, as record numbers of Americans are engaging in community service and nonprofits are reporting large increases in the number of Americans interested in serving through AmeriCorps.

National service has had a profound effect on Americaâ€™s community institutions. AmeriCorps has helped to change the way community and faith-based organizations operate and deliver services. Local and national non-profits can provide targeted services in an efficient and accountable manner when AmeriCorps members are part of the delivery system. At a time when the economic downturn is forcing painful cuts in services provided by states and localities and when thousands of nonprofits across the country are shutting their doors because of lack of resources, AmeriCorps programs should be growing, not closing.

We hope you will do everything possible to ensure that these programs are not closed or drastically cut, that needed service continues to be provided by AmeriCorps members, and that we can continue to tap the idealism and patriotism of so many of our citizens who want to serve.