Corporation for National and Community Service

250 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20525

202-606-5000
http://www.nationalservice.gov

The Corporation for National and Community Service improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) was established on October 1, 1993, by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 12651 et seq.). The CNCS is a Federal corporation governed by a bipartisan board of directors whom the President appoints with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Board sets policies and direction for the Corporation and is responsible for all actions taken by the Chief Executive Officer with respect to standards, policies, procedures, programs, and initiatives as necessary to carry out the CNCS's mission.

As the Nation's largest grantmaker for service and volunteering, the CNCS engages millions of Americans in service through its core programs—AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, the Social Innovation Fund, and the Volunteer Generation Fund—and leads President Obama's nationwide service initiative, United We Serve. The CNCS harnesses America's most powerful resource: the energy and talents of its citizens. From grade school through retirement, the CNCS empowers Americans and fosters a lifetime of service to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement.

AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps provides opportunities for more than 75,000 Americans each year to serve their communities. AmeriCorps members recruit, train, and supervise community volunteers; tutor and mentor youth; build affordable housing; teach computer skills; clean parks and streams; run afterschool programs; help nonprofit groups become self-sustaining; and assist communities responding to disasters. In exchange for a year of full-time service, AmeriCorps members earn an education award that can be used for college or graduate school tuition or for repaying qualified student loans. Since 1994 nearly 1 million Americans have served in AmeriCorps, which includes AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps NCCC, and AmeriCorps VISTA.

AmeriCorps State and National supports a wide range of local service programs that engage thousands of Americans in community service each year, providing grants to a network of local and national organizations and agencies committed to using national service to address critical community needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. Each of these organizations and agencies, in turn, uses its AmeriCorps funding to recruit, place, and supervise AmeriCorps members nationwide.

AmeriCorps State and National operates through national and local nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and faith-based and community groups. More than three-quarters of AmeriCorps grant funding goes to Governor-appointed State service commissions, which in turn award grants to nonprofit groups to respond to local needs. AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) is a team-based, residential program for men and women from age 18 to 24 that combines the best practices of civilian service, including leadership and team building. AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members serve full-time for 1 year in nonprofit and faith-based organizations and public agencies to fight poverty, improve health services, increase housing opportunities, and bridge the digital divide.

Senior Corps

Senior Corps taps the skills, talents, and experience of more than 270,000 Americans age 55 and older to meet a wide range of community challenges through three programs: Retired and Senior Volunteers Program (RSVP), Foster Grandparents, and Senior Companions. RSVP volunteers help local police departments conduct safety patrols, participate in environmental projects, provide educational services to children and adults, respond to natural disasters, and recruit other volunteers. Foster Grandparents serve as tutors and mentors to young people with special needs. Senior Companions help homebound seniors and other adults maintain independence in their own homes. Senior Corps volunteers have served 1.5 million Americans, including 560,000 veterans and 300,000 children.

Social Innovation Fund

The Social Innovation Fund is an approach to transforming lives and communities that allows the Federal Government to serve as a catalyst for promoting community solutions with evidence of strong results. A key White House initiative and CNCS program, the Fund identifies solutions that work and makes them work for more people. It combines public and private resources to foster innovative community-based solutions that have produced results in low-income communities in three priority areas: economic opportunity, health, and youth development.

Other Initiatives

As the Federal agency for service and volunteerism, the CNCS carries out the Call to Service authority in multiple ways. CNCS initiatives include the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Day of Service; September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance; President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll; National Mentoring Month; and United We Serve, a nationwide effort launched with the White House in 2009 to engage Americans in service to meet community needs. As a result of United We Serve, hundreds of thousands of Americans have joined with friends and neighbors to replenish food banks, provide health services, support veterans and military families, restore public lands, and more. The CNCS has also partnered with other agencies and nonprofit organizations on Let's Read! to reduce summer reading loss and Let's Move! to combat childhood obesity. Other initiatives include the Task Force on Expanding National Service, Mayors Day of Recognition, County Day of Recognition, and Joining Forces, an effort led by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to engage Americans in supporting veterans and military families.

Sources of Information

Blog

The National Service blog features posts of interest to students, recent graduates, retirees, senior citizens, veterans, and others. The range of discussion is expansive—conservation, disaster recovery, nonprofit sector career pathways, voluntarism, and more.

Data

The CNCS posts datasets and other information online to support the principles of open government.

Its Open Government Gallery is a demonstration of the CNCS's commitment to collaboration, participation, and transparency.

Employment

Most CNCS career opportunities are volunteer AmeriCorps and Senior Corps positions. The agency hires full-time employees at its Washington, DC, headquarters and at CNCS offices located across the country.

Grants

To find discretionary funding opportunities that Federal agencies have posted, visit the "Funding Opportunities" Web page.

Newsroom

The newsroom features media advisories, official statements, press releases, and proclamations.

Online Courses

Self-paced instructional courses that subject matter experts created on topics aligning with CNCS strategic initiatives are available online.

Site Map

The Web site map allows visitors to look for specific topics or to browse content that aligns with their interests.

For further information, contact the Corporation for National and Community Service, 250 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20525. Phone, 202-606-5000.