Corporation for National and Community Service Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting October 3, 2016 3:05 p.m. – 3:52 p.m., ET The Board of Directors for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) convened in Washington, DC. The following members of the Board were present: Shamina Singh, Chair Rick Christman (by telephone) Mona Dixon (by telephone) Chair’s Opening Remarks Board Chair Shamina Singh called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone joining by phone and those gathered in person at the CNCS Headquarters. She welcomed her fellow Board members Rick Christman and Mona Dixon; Vice Chair Dean Reuter, Eric Liu, and Victoria Hughes were unavailable for the meeting. She extended greetings to those observing Rosh Hashanah and thanked Board members for participating in CNCS activities and events. She stated that Eric participated in an event in Washington State that showcased the Social Innovation Fund, and will be on hand for that state’s annual AmeriCorps induction later this month, when 1,000 new members will be sworn in. She also stated that Mona recently did a site visit to the Maricopa Integrated Health Systems in Arizona, and Victoria attended some of the Social Innovation Fund convening last month. Ms. Singh invited members of the public, on behalf of the Board, to comment on the business of the Board. Ms. Singh noted that the Board met via conference call last week. During the call, Wendy Spencer gave a detailed CEO report, which she will share today. Jeff Page, the Chief Operations Officer, gave an update on operations and our Enterprise Risk Management strategy. Kim Mansaray, the Chief Program Officer, shared several program updates. Kim Allman, the Director 1 Corporation for National and Community Service Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting October 3, 2016 3:05 p.m. – 3:52 p.m., ET of Government Relations, briefed the Board on the budget and on outreach to Congress about the importance and value of the Social Innovation Fund. Last, Ted Miller, the Chief of External Affairs, updated the Board about the 9/11 Day of Service and plans for AmeriCorps induction ceremonies for the One Millionth AmeriCorps member. Ms. Singh expressed her appreciation to CNCS staff for their commitment, hard work, and professionalism. She thanked the dedicated staff, members, and volunteers who are part of the extended CNCS family, including AmeriCorps, NCCC, and VISTA; Senior Corps, including Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, and RSVP; and the Social Innovation Fund. She also thanked the vital partners in the state Service Commissions. Ms. Singh then asked the CEO, Ms. Wendy Spencer, to present to the Board. Chief Executive Officer’s Report Ms. Spencer reported to the Board and public as follows: Ms. Spencer started with an update on the budget. She thanks the members of the Office of Grants Management (OGM) and the Field Financial Management Center (FFMC) for their hard work to complete another successful closeout of the past fiscal year which ended on September 30, 2016. OGM processed 490 grant awards totaling $525.7 million dollars, and reviewed 827 cost reimbursement grant financial reports and fixed award drawdown analyses. The FFMC teams processed 1,711 Senior Corps grants and 261 AmeriCorps grants with a combined value of $218 million. They processed 6,157 VISTA travel vouchers; established 173 debts; launched the first-ever FBI channeler contract, which has conducted 12,707 FBI checks; updated processes to speed audit resolutions, and provided 70 in-person trainings and webinars to grantees, potential applicants, and CNCS staff. 2 Corporation for National and Community Service Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting October 3, 2016 3:05 p.m. – 3:52 p.m., ET Regarding Fiscal Year 2017, Congress recently passed, and the President signed, a Continuing Resolution that fully funds CNCS through December 9, 2016. Looking to a future budget after December 9, 2016, the Senate version of the CNCS appropriations bill fulfills the CNCS funding request for AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the State Commissions, but unfortunately cut $50 million from the Social Innovation Fund (SIF), which would eliminate the program. SIF has proven itself to be a tremendous model for funding evidence-based solutions to the country’s most pressing challenges. During the past six years, it has used $295 million in federal investments to leverage $627 million in non-federal matching commitments. CNCS will continue to make our case for full funding for the SIF program and the innovative solutions this program amplifies. CNCS continues to focus on pressing problems, including the devastating floods that hit Louisiana in August. The flood damaged homes, businesses, and infrastructure in 26 parishes – more than 100,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. That flood came on the heels of another this past March, which saw flooding in 37 parishes. CNCS-funded resources deployed quickly, in close coordination with FEMA and the State of Louisiana. More than 984 national service members have responded to the Louisiana floods. These national service members have cleaned up 10,758 cubic yards of debris – the equivalent of 768 dump truck loads; gutted or mucked out of 215 homes; assessed the damage in more than 225 homes; and collected and distributed 242 tons of food and 444 tons of supplies. Ms. Spencer travelled to Louisiana in August to visit the operations. Lt. Governor Nungesser hosted a welcome dinner for more than 600 AmeriCorps and Senior Corps members providing the disaster relief in Louisiana. Governor Edwards, local mayors, and Judd Jeansonne, Executive Director of Volunteer Louisiana, participated. On the 9/11 National Day of Service, national service teams gutted 23 homes belonging to first responders to prepare them to be rebuilt. Elected officials participated in the gutting; these included Lt. Governor Nungesser and Congressman Graves and his wife, 3 Corporation for National and Community Service Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting October 3, 2016 3:05 p.m. – 3:52 p.m., ET who is an AmeriCorps alumna and a recent appointee to the Volunteer Louisiana Commission. CNCS’s ability to move in quickly, set up a command structure, and help survivors is a testament to the experience we have gained from responding to 200 disasters in the past 4 years, and reflects well on our history of collaboration and training. Ms. Spencer recognized our Disaster Services Unit and its leader, Kelly DeGraff, for the wonderful work they are doing. CNCS is doing more than ever to support Native American communities. In FY 2016, AmeriCorps will make the largest tribal organization investments of the past 11 years. The CNCS investment is up 74% from 2012. This is due to CNCS’s sustained and focused commitment to increase our agency’s support to Native American communities through a range of efforts to stimulate awareness of our resources among those communities and improve the quality of their applications. At the AmeriCorps Symposium, CNCS showed a special video by Rep. Tom Cole from Oklahoma, chairman of the subcommittee that funds CNCS and a member of the Chickasaw nation. He complimented CNCS for our outreach to engage more tribes in national service. Just last week, CNCS announced that it is expanding the Resilience AmeriCorps program to 55 tribal communities. Over the next 3 years, CNCS will place up to 160 AmeriCorps VISTA members in Indian Country to boost their capacity to prepare for severe weather events. Members will serve at sites in 15 states, through partnerships with the Conservation Legacy, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, Enterprise Community Partners, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Tribal Housing Authorities. One of the great strengths of national service is its ability to adapt to emerging needs. We are using our flexibility to focus on two critical issues facing communities: the growing prescription drug and opioid abuse crisis and civil unrest and the breakdown of trust between police and citizens. We made these two issues funding priorities in the 2017 AmeriCorps Notice of Funding Opportunity released last month, and we are 4 Corporation for National and Community Service Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting October 3, 2016 3:05 p.m. – 3:52 p.m., ET backing it up with capacity-building support. Last month, we awarded planning grants to 22 State Service Commissions to help them assess the problem, explore service providers, and give technical assistance to help organizations apply for AmeriCorps grants in these new areas of focus. Sixteen commissions will focus on opioid abuse, 4 on public safety, and 2 on both priorities. CNCS is also building a learning community for all commissions to gain expertise on these issues, and is coordinating with federal partners, including the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Department of Justice, on outreach and best practices. Since the last Board meeting, all three of our core programs have held their annual grantee meeting. o At the end of August, nearly 500 Senior Corps program directors from Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, and the RSVP programs from across the country came together in Reston, Virginia for a three-day training conference. Participants attended workshops on grants management, compliance monitoring, criminal history background checks, performance measurement tools, and best practices in managing senior volunteer programs. Attendees also celebrated the 45th anniversary of RSVP and saluted 107 year-old Foster Grandparent Virginia McLaurin. She attended with her granddaughter, who has herself just started as a Foster Grandparent in a school. o In early September, attendees from around the country attended CNCS’s annual Social Innovation Fund convening. The convening focused on how grantees and subgrantees can effectively replicate or expand proven solutions to our nation’s challenges.