Values

Documents/CNCS2011/Values

Core Principle #1: Identify and invest in community solutions. CNCS believes that many of the best solutions come from outside Washington, D.C., where people are finding ways to solve problems in their communities. CNCS program participants serve through more than 70,000 organizations, from national nonprofits to small faith-based and community groups. In 2010 they mobilized more than 3.5 million volunteers to engage in results-driven service for these organizations. We work closely with state service commissions to support citizen-centered community solutions. For example, at least 35.3 percent of AmeriCorps State and National funds go to states through formula funds and an additional 30 percent is awarded through a national competition. We also work with national organizations, state education agencies and Indian tribes to identify and invest in local programs with place-based strategies that deliver tangible and measurable outcomes to the local community as well as service participants.

Core Principle #2: Engage Americans in service. By engaging millions of Americans in service and volunteering, CNCS is strengthening civic engagement and democratic participation and building a diverse, committed network of engaged citizens. Through the AmeriCorps programs, individuals embark on a pathway to opportunity that engages them in year-long projects where they learn valuable skills, earn money for education and chart a course of lifelong citizen engagement. A longitudinal study has suggested that AmeriCorps alumni are more likely to be civically engaged; to go into public service careers such as teaching, public safety, social work and military service; and to volunteer in their communities. The skills participants gain include both those specific to their service as well as general skills of leadership and problem-solving. Since 1994, AmeriCorps members have earned more than $2 billion in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for training, to help pay for college or to pay back student loans. Engaging Americans in service enables individuals to take action in their communities and contribute to solutions while developing skills and accessing new opportunities.

Core Principle #3: Support evidence-based programs. With guidance from Congress through the Serve America Act, we are targeting our programming to demonstrate impact on critical community issues and to build on the base of effective national service programming. By understanding how community solutions can be effective in responding to community needs -- and where national service can make the biggest difference -- CNCS can direct resources to support the most effective programs and encourage their growth and expansion to those areas that are under-resourced, such as rural and Native American communities. We continue to work with the national service network to establish a collective understanding of what works and why, based on evidence from well-designed and well-implemented experimental or quasi-experimental studies that demonstrate impact. Where appropriate, we also work to reproduce these evidence-based approaches and expand them to other communities. For example, the SIF awards grants to and works with intermediaries to direct resources to community-based nonprofit organizations that can validate and grow promising approaches to challenges facing local communities.

Core Principle #4: Leverage public-private partnerships. National service was established as a public-private partnership, encouraging investment in the form of matching funds and other resources from businesses, foundations and state and local agencies. For example, AmeriCorps VISTA members help nonprofits expand services, raise funds, develop new collaborations, measure impact, and create innovative and sustainable programs. In 2010, we enabled grantees, sponsors and projects to leverage $800 million in funds and in-kind donations. 14 These resources "in addition to CNCS grants, training and research" help nonprofit, faith-based and community organizations across the nation expand their reach and better achieve their missions. We also encourage collaboration among organizations in order to reduce duplication of effort and ensure more effective approaches to solving complex problems. The nation is facing significant challenges and as Americans look for ways to give back, CNCS is more critical than ever. These core principles complement our specific strategies, which together inform how we will accomplish our strategic goals.