#sifund

Although the worst of the Great Recession of 2008-2009 is over, many low-income families are still struggling to keep their heads above water financially. They often face challenges finding and keeping jobs, getting out of debt, establishing or restoring credit, and building savings and wealth. At the same time, many jobs are going unfilled as employers are unable to find workers for positions that require increasing levels of knowledge and skills. As part of its commitment to increasing economic opportunity, the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) has invested in several partnership models to connect low-income individuals to employment.

As we look to address these challenges, I am always grateful for the opportunity to see SIF-supported programs in action. Just last week in Boston, I was able to see how the SIF is making a real difference in the lives of so many people looking to make their own part of the American Dream a reality. The Boston Connection Center has gone directly to where young people can access services like the T, and crafted a program with the direct input and continuous participation of those who need and have used the services in the past. Found at the Ruggles Station on the Orange Line, the Connection Center matches youth with a Success Coach, who in many cases are former opportunity youth now armed with connections to college and career readiness programs, vocational programs, and other local innovators who promote opportunities for youth who are looking to make a positive change in their lives. This is making all the difference, but it’s just one of many success stories the SIF is making possible.

A program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the SIF is a powerful approach to transforming lives and communities that positions the federal government to be a catalyst for impact—mobilizing public and private resources to find and grow community solutions with evidence of strong results. I am pleased to be able to share three more stories of recently-released evaluations from SIF grantees that demonstrate the effectiveness of partnership models for increasing economic opportunity.

SaveUSA – Incentivizing Low Income Families to Save

Through the SIF, the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City (Mayor’s Fund) and the Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) in the New York City Mayor’s Office were able to expand the SaveUSA program from New York City to Newark, San Antonio, and Tulsa. Subgrantees implementing this program partner with city governments, financial institutions, and funders to incentivize low-income families to save some or all of their tax refund. The program provides a 50% match to participants who leave the funds in the account for a period of one year ($100 to $500 match).

The final evaluation of SaveUSA shows that the program increased the savings of participants. By the 42-month follow-up point, SaveUSA had increased the percentage of individuals with any nonretirement savings by almost eight percentage points and had increased the average total savings amount held by $522, or 30 percent, above the average for the group that did not have access to a SaveUSA account.

Edna McConnell Clark Foundation – Expanding Economic Opportunity to Reduce Recidivism

The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation partnered with the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) to expand its transitional jobs program for ex-offenders. Although studies have shown a correlation between higher employment and lower recidivism, many ex-offenders still find it difficult to break into the workforce due to the stigma of a criminal record and often-limited school and work histories. The CEO model is based on the assumption that people recently released from prison have an immediate need for stable income and employment. CEO provides subsidized employment for ex-offenders, while also offering coaching to help participants obtain unsubsidized jobs in the private sector.

While previous evaluations found that the program was successful at reducing recidivism rates among participants, EMCF's recently released evaluation was able to dive deeper into exploring the roots of that success and examined how five programs in New York State, California and Oklahoma replicated the CEO model.

Jobs for the Future /National Fund for Workforce Development – Bringing Employers and Trainers Together to Build Workforces

Job training and workforce development provide another clear look at the necessity of cross-sector partnerships for increasing economic opportunity. Coordination and collaboration among government agencies, training providers, social-service providers, and employers ensure better delivery of services for job-seekers and better-trained applicants for employers. Jobs for the Future/National Fund for Workforce Solutions (JFF/National Fund) bridges the gap between training providers and employers by supporting regional workforce funder collaboratives that work with community colleges, training providers, and community-based organizations to identify local workforce needs and develop solutions. SIF funding enabled JFF/National Fund to deepen the impact of existing workforce partnerships and create new ones in southeastern and southwestern states.

The resulting evaluation not only showed that the program had statistically significant positive effects on the employment rates of participants, but has also helped identify best-practices for employer engagement and fostering high-performing industry partnerships.  

There is much to be learned from the work of the SIF grantees, and the many evaluations due to be released in 2016 promise to greatly expand the knowledge base on effective, evidence-based programs.  If you work at a foundation, nonprofit, or other organization doing work that involves social innovation, I believe that the evaluations linked in this post, as well as our upcoming releases, can serve as a guide to help you better connect low-income individuals to employment and improve financial security for low-income families. I encourage you to visit our Knowledge Initiative site and stay tuned for upcoming evaluation releases.

Read and Download the Evaluations

SaveUSA: Encouraging Nonretirement Savings at Tax Time

Edna McConnell Clark Foundation: A Successful Prisoner Reentry Program Expands

Quasi-experimental impact study of NFWS/SIF workforce partnership programs: Evidence on the effectiveness of three workforce partnership programs in Ohio

What an especially great Friday! President Obama gave shout outs to AmeriCorps during today’s town hall meeting at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina.

He reminded the audience, which included many young people, that "AmeriCorps programs are an outstanding way to help fund your college education.”

In fact, 86 AmeriCorps alums have attended Benedict College and have spent $262,982 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards.

The national service family was well represented in the audience.

Members of YouthBuild and the City Year AmeriCorps program were there—and one City Year AmeriCorps member asked the President how our programs could continue to support the goals of the My Brother’s Keeper initiative.

That was a great question, especially since the White House just released the one-year progress report on My Brother’s Keeper, which includes references to AmeriCorps programs.

The President’s references to AmeriCorps put the cap on an inspirational week across the board. Scroll down to read about Senior Corps, the Social Innovation Fund, and more! And be sure to visit the updated NationalService.gov website. We've made it easier to find examples of our impact, especially if you’re visiting on your phone.

Celebrating AmeriCorps: Every year during AmeriCorps Week, we recognize the commitment of our AmeriCorps members and alums by highlighting the extraordinary impact they make across our nation. This Monday, join us in kicking-off AmeriCorps Week as we salute our national service participants and thank our AmeriCorps community partners. Learn more about how you can get involved.

Award-Winning Service: Through our Senior Corps programs, older Americans are making a difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors. The Senior Corps Foster Grandparent program at Copper Lake and Lincoln Hills School in Wisconsin is a shining example.  The program recently earned the Daily Point of Light Award, an honor that celebrates the power of volunteers to spark change.

Honoring 50 Years: More than 190,000 AmeriCorps VISTA members have helped create ladders of opportunity for those who strive to escape the clutches of poverty.  As part of our year-long commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the AmeriCorps VISTA program, AmeriCorps Director Bill Basl recently honored its legacy during a special event in Seattle, WA.

Advancing Innovation: In case you missed it, February marked our month-long celebration of innovation and ingenuity.  And during the first-ever Social Innovation Fund Week, we focused on the important work that our grantees are doing for youth development, healthy futures, and economic opportunity. Check out our wrap-up to learn more.

National Service in the News

AmeriCorps CPR training part of Red Cross' Project Prepare The Marion Star, March 2, 2015 AmeriCorps member Cole McMath kept the atmosphere light as he provided the instruction to about 10 people at the Marion County chapter's offices.

AmeriCorps VISTA Google to teach Boys & Girls Clubs to code USA Today, February 23, 2015 AmeriCorps VISTA will dispatch [members] to spend a year helping develop the program at Boys & Girls clubs in Oregon, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Washington state, Boston and Chicago.

AmeriCorps NCCC Team helps the American Red Cross Vinton Today, March 3, 2015 On Saturday, February 9, AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA-Corps team Spruce 2 helped the American Red Cross of Maine launch their Home Fire Preparedness Campaign in Portland, Maine. The purpose of the event was to go door to door in a neighborhood and supply residents with free smoke alarms and installations.

Senior Corps Volunteering: It's good for your heart Dayton Daily News (OH), February 18, 2015 Programs that benefit from volunteer assistance from Senior Corps include the Foster Grandparent program, the Senior Companionship Program and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). Volunteer opportunities are quite varied.

Every day, national service and social innovation create pathways to opportunity.

This week’s highlights show the impact that service and innovation have in all corners of the country. (We hear it has even been the "Word on the Street" for a very special place that's near and dear to our hearts.)

Celebrating Success: From addressing childhood obesity to supporting youth development programs, the Social Innovation Fund is making a long-lasting difference in the lives of thousands of people in communities across the nation.

This week’s SIF Week celebrates the successes of the past five years and looks ahead to Pay for Success, the next chapter for SIF. Visit our website to learn more about this week’s celebration of social innovation and ingenuity.

Supporting National Service: Elected officials across the country are champions of national service. And in Iowa this week, Gov. Terry E. Branstad released a report outlining his recommendations for expanding AmeriCorps service opportunities in his state. One recommendation includes creating the Iowa Reading Corps, an evidence-based literacy instruction program focused on ensuring students read at grade level by third grade.

Funding Opportunity: This week, we announced three funding opportunities for AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs that will strengthen Indian Country. In the first-ever Senior Corps grant competitions specifically for tribal communities, $3.2 million is available for applicants to the Foster Grandparents Program and $500,000 is available for applicants to the Senior Companions Program. $3 million is available for AmeriCorps grants. Visit our website to learn more.

National Service in the News

Social Innovation Fund Fund What Works The Huffington Post, February 11, 2015 It would also double funding for early education research and evaluation and would invest $20 million a year to test strategies to improve transitions from preschool to third grade. It adds $70 million to the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) to test promising solutions to a broad array of problems relating to children and youth.

AmeriCorps NCCC AmeriCorps team arrives on Mendocino Coast Mendocino Beacon (CA), February 11, 2015 Under an overcast sky, the unmistakable sound of a chain saw sundered the quiet of the woods at Jughandle State Reserve on Monday. Though harsh, the noise indicated important work was getting done. An AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps team is working with State Parks at different locations on the Mendocino Coast, Monday through Wednesday, and with Jug Handle Creek Farm and Nature Center on Thursdays and Fridays.

AmeriCorps VISTA NCC to Officially Open First Campus Food Pantry Norwalk Edition, February 11, 2015 "In 2008 there were four food pantries nationally on college campuses and now in 2015 we are estimating there are about 130," said NCC AmeriCorps VISTA member Rachael DiPiertro.

Senior Corps Lenhart honored for years of dedication to HCS The Observer-Dispatch (NY), February 11, 2015 One of Hamilton Central School’s most well-known timekeepers, Dick Lenhart, was recently recognized by the Hamilton Sports Boosters Club for his 50 years of service to HCS athletics.

As President Barack Obama noted in his State of the Union Address this week, we can all “do more to restore the link between hard work and growing opportunity for every American.”

This week’s updates highlight some ways in which the work we all do together both inspires and provides ladders of opportunity in communities across the country.

Honoring a Legacy: Neighbors, friends, and family across the country made Monday, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service, "a day on, not a day off." CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer served at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington alongside President Obama and the First Family. Check out our #MLKDay wrap-up on Storify to see where other officials served and to see more service projects across the country.

Expanding Evidence-Based Funding: Earlier this week, we announced the 2015 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Social Innovation Fund grants. We're investing $51 million over five years for grantmakers with proven track records to support promising programs to educate youth, increase economic opportunity, and promote healthy living. Visit our website for more information.

Building a Sense of Community: Senior Corps RSVP volunteers transform lives every day. And volunteers who serve with the Sowega Council on Aging’s RSVP Program in Southwest Georgia do this by building ramps for seniors and children.

"Everyone is special that's wheelchair bound [and] needs a ramp to get out of their house," said Jim Hill, a Senior Corps RSVP ramp coordinator. "But it's just something there a little extra when it's a child."

National Service in the News

AmeriCorps Every resident counts: Civic Works making a difference in Baltimore Baltimore Post-Examiner, January 22, 2015 More than 4,000 AmeriCorps members have served in Baltimore through Civic Works, a non-profit I founded in 1993 to strengthen Baltimore’s communities through education, skills development and community service.

AmeriCorps NCCC Martizian joins National Civilian Community Corps Martinez News-Gazette, January 22, 2015 Anni Shelton of Martinez is one of 99 men and women pledging to perform 11 months of national service as part of the Atlantic Region’s 21st Class of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), as a member of FEMA Corps.

AmeriCorps VISTA Urban Planning and Design Aren't Optional Next City (PA), January 21, 2015 You could say that was my first “real” job--being an AmeriCorps VISTA member working in neighborhood revitalization in Baltimore at the Greater Homewood Community Corporation.

Social Innovation Fund New Policy Lab The Herald, January 21, 2015 The Jan. 21 Western Regional Summit is one of a series of Pay for Success events hosted by the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, in partnership with the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and Nonprofit Finance Fund.

This week, we recognized the contributions of colleges across the country that are committed to service, launched a new website that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the AmeriCorps VISTA program, and spread the word about a new initiative, Employers of National Service.

Read on to discover this week's updates. And stay tuned for an exciting announcement on Tuesday about Volunteering and Civic Life in America!

Spreading the Word: This week’s Employers of National Service amplification day was a huge success. Your participation spread the word far and wide about the valuable skills that AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alumni bring to the workplace. Thanks to your efforts, the total number of organizations signed up as Employers of National Service passed 100!

Also, we had a reach of more than 2 million unique Twitter users, reached more than 32,000 people on Facebook, and had nearly 2,500 people visit the Employers of National Service website to learn more about the initiative.

There are three weeks until the Dec. 31 deadline for charter members to join, so please continue to promote Employers of National Service.

Investing in Education: Last year, President Barack Obama called upon Americans to expand access to high-quality preschool for every child in the country. And the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) is answering the president's call.

The SIF and the Institute for Child Success (ICS) will make new resources available to help states and municipalities design evidence-based early childhood programs. This initiative will provide coaches and advisers who will assist communities in developing their own Pay for Success models. Learn more about the SIF and its evidence-based approach to finding solutions that work.

Engaging Students in Service: The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognizes higher education institutions whose community service efforts achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities.  And this week, four institutions received this presidential distinction: California State University, Loras College, the University of Nebraska, Omaha, and Wheelock College. Learn more about their exemplary service projects and this important recognition.

Celebrating Capacity Building: Fifty years ago, our nation’s leaders launched a program that they hoped would lead the fight against poverty. And today, the AmeriCorps VISTA program remains unmatched in its ability to create innovative solutions for low-income families and communities in every part of the country—large and small, urban and rural.

This week, we launched our new AmeriCorps VISTA 50th anniversary microsite, which features great stories, photos, videos, and highlights from the program’s history.

Giving Back: Even though he has only been a Senior Corps RSVP volunteer since February 2013, Jack Maines has already devoted more than 1,400 service hours to helping his community. A retired IBM computer consultant and Navy veteran, Maines has helped the Senior Corps RSVP Program of Montgomery County, PA, develop the My Free Tutor Program, an online resource that is used to tutor students in math and science.

He used his expertise to write several thousand lines of computer code and created a web-based application for Senior Corps RSVP staff who schedule tutoring sessions, match volunteer tutors with students, and track students’ progress. Learn more about the Senior Corps RSVP Program of Montgomery County.

National Service in the News AmeriCorps Educators visit Highland Elementary to learn about reading corps program Sun Focus, December 8, 2014 Minnesota Reading Corps is an AmeriCorps program that provides trained literacy tutors for children age three to grade three. From a strategic quantitative standpoint, Highland Elementary Principal Michele DeWitt said that in the 2011-12 school year, 80 percent of Highland third-graders were proficient in the MCA Reading assessment

AmeriCorps NCCC Brookeville man joins national service program The Gazette (MD), December 9, 2014 Curt Warner of Brookeville recently was inducted into a 10-month term in the National Civilian Community Corps, an AmeriCorps program. About 80,000 people serve in AmeriCorps programs each year, including about 2,500 with the National Civilian Community Corps.

AmeriCorps VISTA Pickleball grows in popularity on peninsula Clarion (AK), December 12, 2014 Last June, the Sterling Community Center started organizing pickleball events, said Lynn Lockner, who works for the AmeriCorps VISTA program and helps the Sterling Community Center come up with events and programs.

Senior Corps Pembroke volunteers honored with President's Volunteer Service Award Wicked Local - Pembroke (MA), December 10, 2014 Mayflower RSVP, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program for Plymouth County, recently presented the prestigious President’s Volunteer Service Award to 16 Plymouth county volunteers at a special ceremonial dinner and fundraising auction held at Waverly Oaks Golf Club in Plymouth.

Social Innovation Fund Focus on Evidence: Social Innovation Fund Case Study Nationalservice.tumblr.com, December 11, 2014 The Social Innovation Fund (SIF) is a credible and consequential model for meeting unmet human needs in American communities. So says a new book providing a comprehensive history of the Obama Administration’s efforts to promote evidence-based social policy.

Illinois gets second largest preschool grant Voices of Chicago School Reform (IL), December 10, 2014 According to materials provided by the White House, the Corporation for National and Community Service’s Social Innovation Fund and the Institute for Child Success will make new funding available for states and communities to develop such financing tools for early childhood education.

This week, we examined the advances of the Social Innovation Fund and highlighted the contributions of one of our Senior Corps volunteers. And we prepared for a big moment this coming Tuesday when we will focus on Employers of National Service.

Connecting to Careers: As part of the historic 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps celebration at the White House on September 12, President Obama announced Employers of National Service.

The initiative seeks to connect AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alumni with leading employers from private, public, and nonprofit sectors.  Some major companies have already signed up to Employers of National Service, including Comcast and NBC Universal, CSX, Disney, the City of Nashville, and more. And we are well on our way to reaching our goal of welcoming 100 employers to this effort by the end of the year.

On Tuesday, December 9, we want you to join our Employers of National Service Day! Visit NationalService.gov/Employers to learn more about this exciting new initiative.

Finding Solutions: Since its inception five years ago, the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) has shown how evidence-based solutions help advance innovation and entrepreneurship.  Show Me The Evidence, a new book released by the Brookings Institution Press this week, examines the SIF and its role in evidence-based social policy.

Enriching the Lives of Students: Senior Corps RSVP volunteers transform the lives of students of all backgrounds, ages, and walks of life. Army veteran Noah Borenstein has devoted nearly 2,000 hours to his work with the Montgomery County RSVP program in Pennsylvania. Among his many duties, Borenstein tutors GED students as part of the Adult Literacy Program.

Developing relationships, he says, is an important part of the learning process.

“We created an interest in learning difficult concepts that these adults did not believe they could achieve,” he said. “Tutoring has enriched the lives of both student and tutor.”

National Service in the News

National Service

The case for national service The Washington Post, November 27, 2014 Data from existing programs show a striking imbalance between the desire to serve and the opportunities to do so. McChrystal cites AmeriCorps, a program to encourage service in schools, nonprofits and other civic organizations.

Civic Engagement Can Help Millennials Get Jobs The National Journal, December 1, 2014 There is data to back up this theory. Volunteering can improve a young person's odds of employment by 27 percent, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service.

AmeriCorps City Year Columbus Business First of Columbus (OH), December 2, 2014 For twenty years, City Year Columbus has worked to increase the high school graduation rate in our community. City Year AmeriCorps members are placed in targeted Columbus City Schools classrooms to provide one-on-one and small group coaching with an emphasis on supporting literacy, math, attendance and behavior for students

AmeriCorps NCCC

Campbell serving in AmeriCorps program Port Orchard Independent (WA), December 2, 2014 Port Orchard resident Hunter Campbell was inducted into a 10-month term of service in the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), an AmeriCorps program last month. Campbell arrived at AmeriCorps NCCC’s Southwest Region Campus in Denver on Oct 8 to receive training for 10 months of full-time service with the program.

AmeriCorps VISTA

Helping Others Casper Star-Tribune (WY), December 3, 2014 This project was coordinated by AmeriCorps VISTA Meg Fullam. The AmeriCorps VISTA project is carried out through the Montana Campus Compact in which a member is placed in full-time service positions to address education-related issues through the resources of higher education institutions.

Senior Corps

Volunteering A Win-Win for Seniors and Rural Communities Rural Assistance Center, November 18, 2014 On a national scale, the National Senior Corps Association (Senior Corps) unifies seniors interested in volunteering through any of three organizations under the NSCA umbrella: Foster Grandparents, RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) and Senior Companions. About 337,000 American seniors in all 50 states volunteer in Senior Corps programs.

Social Innovation Fund

GHHI Announces Open Competition Green and Healthy, December 2, 2014 The Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI), in partnership with the Calvert Foundation (Calvert), received a $1.011M award in October 2014 from the Corporation for National Community Service's (CNCS) Social Innovation Fund (SIF) to continue GHHI's work in utilizing housing as a platform for health—specifically asthma.

National Service Blog

Increasing Economic Opportunity for disadvantaged individuals

Through the AARP Foundation’s Women’s Economic Stability Initiative (WESI), women over the age of 50 are receiving support at the individual and community level to help find employment and increase their financial capability.

In addition, Jobs for the Future (JFF) and the National Fund for Workforce Solutions (NFWS) are exploring innovative approaches to job training and career support. Thus far, JFF subgrantees have served almost 20,000 job seekers and incumbent workers.

Promoting Healthy Futures

According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 40 percent of all incidents of asthma are attributed to home-based environmental health hazards, but currently no federal healthcare programs provide resources to address them. With more than 25 million Americans who suffer from asthma, the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative provides technical assistance to healthcare organizations and nonprofit service providers.

Within this same key issue area of promoting healthy futures, the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) is expanding and replicating supportive housing models that combine health, housing and social services. Through this innovative model, CSH’s subgrantees have placed a combined 234 participants in supportive housing.

Improving Youth Development for success in school and work

The United Way of Greenville County’s Middle Grades Success Initiative is a dropout prevention program for middle grade students. This initiative uses an Early Warning Response System to identify students who begin to disengage from school and then match those students with appropriate interventions and resources.

Additionally, The U.S. Soccer Foundation (USSF) Soccer for Success program is a no-cost, after-school, sport-based youth development program. This program improves children’s health by combating obesity through physical activity and nutrition education. USSF and its subgrantees have served more than 12,000 youth.