June 25, 2007

TO: NAFGPD members

FROM: Jane Watkins, President

NAFGPD has been working with the Corporation on several projects:

1. Designing a Child Assignment Plan that directors can use to meet CNCS requirements. It is not mandatory to use the designed form; however, programs are required to have the information and documentation regardless of the format you decide to use. 

Click here to view a sample Child Assignment Plan form.

2. Designing a Income Eligibility sample form that directors can use to meet CNCS requirements. It is not mandatory to use the desinged form; however programs are required to have the information and documentation regardless fo the format you decide to use. 

Click here to view a sample Income Eligibility form.

The Child Assignment Plan and the Income Eligibility sample form will be distributed to NAFGPD members through their respective cluster representatives. The sample forms will also be available on www.NAFGPD.org.

3. Training and Technical Assistance- this group consists of subgroups to address the following:

a. National Conference on Service and Volunteering: this group will work with the Senior Corp staff and CNCS's Office of Leadership Development and Training to plan special events and workshops that will be of interest to Senior Corp Grantees at the 2007 National Conference in Philadelphia(July 16-18, 2007). Tuesday, July 17, has been targeted as Senior Corp Day with workshops, meetings, and luncheon specific to our interests.

b. Sponsor Executive Director Training: this group will work on identifying issues related to Sponsoring Agency relationships and assisting in the development of training specific to Sponsors.

c. New Project Director Training: this group is developing consistent and standardized training for new Senior Corps Project Directors that will be presented in several formats including - face-to-face, online orientation, and peer mentoring/support.

d. Resource Connections: this group is exploring ways to increase awareness and the use of CNCS on-line training resources and broaden the use of these resources by peers. This includes re- designing the website to be more user friendly.

e. Operations Handbook: this group is reviewing the current handbook and will develop a new Operations Handbook.

4. Public Relations/ Marketing - NAFGPD Board members are working with CNCS's Office of Public Affairs to develop new marketing and public relations materials including video, brochures, etc. Our primary goal is for the materials to reflect all beneficiaries of our programs - the volunteers, the children/youth, the volunteer sites, and our communities.

5. Standardized Performances - NAFGPD Executive Committee is working with CNCS to develop 2 to 3 standardized performance measures that projects will be able to use. Some states have already developed standardized measures that they are using.

APPROPRIATIONS: GOOD NEWS!!! GOOD JOB!!!!

Both the House and Senate restored our $13.387M cut that the President proposed in his FY 2008 budget. This occurred because we were relentless, diligent, and methodical in letting Congress know the effect that the cut would have on our programs and beneficiaries - the volunteers, children/youth, and our communities. NAFGPD wants to thank each of you for the phone call, letters, and emails that you sent. And we want to thank Jessica Malow, our Washington Representative, who delivered more than 1,000 letters to the Hill, followed up on the contacts that we had made in both the House and the Senate, and worked tirelessly with Congress to ensure that our programs did not suffer a devastating 12+% cut.

Immediately, we will begin developing a strategy for working with CNCS and Congress on an increase for our programs in the FY 2009 appropriations.

REAUTHORIZATION:

The House introduced a reauthorization bill this morning HB 2857. The markup with the full committee is scheduled for Wednesday, June 27. The bill includes lowering the age to 55 and increasing the income eligibility guidelines to 200% of poverty level. The bill also minimizes the low income focus and primarily focuses on the children/youth. We will keep you updated as reauthorization moves through Congress.

As far as I know, the Senate has not begun to address the reauthorization of CNCS.

Please do not hesitate to contact your cluster representative with any questions or concerns. I've included the list of NAFGPD cluster representatives with their contact information for your convenience.

Atlantic Cluster: Susan Lavigne - slavigne@propeople.org & Alane Hill - ahill@friendsprogram.org

Southern Cluster: Robert Glazar - ldfgp@mississippi.net & Francine Blum - fblum@youraaa.org

North Central Cluster Julie Bonamarte - julieb@co.boone.ia.us & Malinda Duncan - fgp@pcceo.org

Southwestern Cluster Kathy Karr - kkarr@catholiccharitiesks.org & Connie Stewart - ctxs@kni.ks.gov

Pacific Cluster Carla Kelly - carla@fgpsei.com & Eileen Bostwick - ebostwick@ncoinc.org