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Commissions already engage in extensive outreach efforts to a broad range of potential grantees. The emphasis on increasing access for community organizations (secular and faith-based) may require some additional strategies. Commissions are trying a wide variety of approaches
to address the lack of awareness about CNCS resources and lack of experience with the Corporation's administrative, fiscal, and programmatic requirements.

Challenges

• Mass marketing approaches do not seem to be as effective with these target audiences-building relationships
  may require new ways of doing outreach.

• Many community organizations (secular and faith-based) cannot manage or raise the match for 20 members nor do they necessarily need 20 members—how to make the match and grantee requirements more workable?

Benefits

• Effective outreach to these target audiences can build on Commission goals to strengthen nonprofit and volunteer efforts in the state.
• Effective outreach to more diverse community organizations (secular and faith-based) can broaden the reach of CNCS resources being utilized to reach underserved populations.
• Taking the approach of bringing potential grantees in gradually, by building long-term relationships, can improve the quality of outcomes based on good training, preparation, and experience.

• Expands outreach for recruitment of members and grantees.

Strategies

1. Recognize that outreach may need to focus on building capacity over time; see Tips for New Organizations Appendix O. Begin with relationship building and by helping new organizations become familiar with the benefits and challenges of being a grantee by getting to know current grantees.
2. Try doing public awareness meetings in partnership with other state agencies that are attempting to reach the same audiences.
3. Identify current grantees that could partner with new community organizations (secular and faith-based) or serve as mentors.
4. Develop intermediate application strategies such as Planning Grants. See California's Planning Grant Process Appendix P or the use of concept papers that
   require less initial effort by applicants but that can be used to develop technical assistance for the full application process.
5. Consider using dispersed site management strategies similar to AmeriCorps* VISTA to address the needs of rural organizations. See Maine's Dispersed Site Management Report Appendix Q.
6. Fully utilize Commissioners and staff to help expand the diversity of the pool for outreach and engage them in doing awareness trainings. See Examples of Outreach Strategies Appendix R.
7. Develop partnerships with other CNCS resources to support outreach efforts. See Toolkit: Examples of outreach strategies Appendix R.

Outputs

1. Increase in the number and diversity of community organizations (secular and faith-based) serving as host sites and grantee applications.

2. Additional mechanisms in place to prepare organizations new to CNCS for successful experiences with AmeriCorps programs.

Title: Tips for New Organizations
Tool Type: Reference
Purpose: This document offers suggestions for working and partnering with community organizations (secular and faith-based).
Location: Appendix O

Title: California—Planning Grant
Tool Type: Example
Purpose: This is an example of a planning grant used to engage community organizations (secular and faith-based) into the AmeriCorps program.
Location: Appendix P

Title: Maine—Dispersed Site Management
Tool Type: Example
Purpose: This is an evaluation of Maine's dispersed site management including key findings and suggestions for resolving problem areas.
Location: Appendix Q

Title: Examples of Outreach Strategies
Tool Type: Example
Purpose: These are examples of using State Commissioners and staff as outreach resources. Massachusetts provides a guide for State Commissioners about AmeriCorps so they can assist with outreach. South Carolina and Massachusetts both use staff to do the outreach by identifying and cataloguing new groups, making personal contacts, and linking smaller organizations with existing grantees. Also included is an example of integrating Florida used Promise Fellows to do very grassroots
outreach efforts to FBOs to recruit new VISTA grantees.
Location: Appendix R

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