The mission of the Corporation for National and Community Service is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic participation through service and volunteering. For more than15 years, CNCS—through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and other programs and activities—has helped to engage millions of citizens in meeting community and national challenges through service and volunteer action.
In 2009, Congress passed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (SAA), the most sweeping expansion of national service in a generation. This landmark law not only expands service opportunities, but focuses national service on key outcomes; builds the capacity of individuals, nonprofits, and communities to succeed; and encourages innovative approaches to solving problems.
In alignment with the SAA and the CNCS Strategic Plan, this September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance Announcement of Federal Funding Availability will focus grant making for fiscal years 2012-2013 in six focus areas identified by the SAA:
- Disaster Services
- Economic Opportunity
- Education
- Environmental Stewardship
- Healthy Futures
- Veterans and Military Families
In order to carry out the intent of Congress and to maximize the impact of the investment in national service, CNCS seeks to fund programs that can demonstrate community impact and address community problems through service and volunteering. CNCS also seeks to fund programs that mobilize their communities in service and remembrance to honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and those who rose in service as result of that tragedy.
For the FY 2012-2013 September 11th Day competition, CNCS will prioritize investment in the following areas of its work:
- Disaster Services
- Veterans and Military Families
- Capacity Building
In accordance with the Obama Administration’s emphasis on open government, CNCS has moved toward greater openness and transparency in grant-making. This Announcement includes a description of the application review and selection process in Section E. In addition, the following information pertaining to this competition for new and re-competing applications will be published on the CNCS website at (https://nationalservice.gov/about/open/grants.asp), within a period not to exceed 90 business days after all grants are awarded:
- List of all compliant applications submitted.
- Executive summaries of all compliant applications.
- SF424 Face sheet and Program Narrative for successful applications.
Publication of this Announcement does not obligate CNCS to award any specific number of grants or to obligate the entire amount of funding available.