AmeriCorps: State vs. VISTA

AmeriCorps State works with Governor-appointed State Service Commissions to provide grants to non-government and government entities that sponsor service programs. These organizations use their grants to engage AmeriCorps members in service to help meet critical community needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment.
AmeriCorps State programs engage AmeriCorps members in providing direct service to address unmet community needs. Local programs design service activities for a team of members serving full- or part-time for up to one year. Sample activities include tutoring and mentoring youth, assisting crime victims, building homes, and restoring parks. Members also help to recruit community volunteers to expand the reach and effectiveness of the organization where they serve.
The organizations that receive grants are responsible for recruiting, selecting, and supervising AmeriCorps members to serve in their programs.

If the focus of the program is ‘service’, then the program (or volunteer) qualifies. I’m not sure what the program focuses on, I’ll need some input as to your goals.

VISTA
AmeriCorps VISTA members live and serve in some of our nation’s poorest urban and rural areas. With passion, commitment, and hard work, they create or expand programs designed to bring individuals and communities out of poverty.
Each VISTA member makes a year-long, full-time commitment to serve on a specific project at a nonprofit organization or public agency. In return for their service, AmeriCorps VISTA members receive a modest living allowance and health benefits during their service, and have the option of receiving a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award or post-service stipend after completing their service. About 6,500 VISTAs are placed each year in more than 1,200 projects in low-income communities around the country.

VISTA can:
* Create an adult literacy awareness campaign and recruit volunteer tutors.
* Set up transitional housing dedicated to helping the homeless turn their lives around.
* Expand programs to help low-income families obtain affordable health insurance.
* Recruit mentors for children of incarcerated parents.
* Organize shelter and job opportunities for victims of disasters

The first option, adult literacy, looks the best for the GED program. The second might work for the homeless youth ….

Project sponsors must be able to direct the project, supervise the AmeriCorps VISTAs, and provide necessary administrative support to complete the goals and objectives of the project. The goals and objectives must be clearly defined and directed toward alleviating problems of low-income communities, and meet the regulations of the AmeriCorps VISTA program.
One consistent goal for every AmeriCorps VISTA project should be the sustainability of the project by the sponsoring agency and the low-income community after AmeriCorps VISTA project sponsorship ends.

VISTA looks like a good fit to me. The first step is to contact Terry Gunnell (below) with particulars.

Arizona State Contact:

Terry Gunnell
230 North First Avenue, Suite 200
Phoenix, AZ 85003

Phone: (602) 514-7171
Fax: (602) 379-4030
Email: az@cns.gov

Go here to read criteria for applying for a VISTA Volunteer … (five pages):

http://www.americorps.gov/pdf/fed_reg_VISTA.pdf

Both LasArtes GED and the youth homeless solution meet the aims outlined in the five pages of criteria:

Each AmeriCorps*VISTA project must focus
on the mobilization of community
resources, the transference of skills to
community residents, and the
expansion of the capacity of
community-based and grassroots
organizations to solve local problems.
Programming should encourage
permanent, long-term solutions to
problems confronting low-income
communities rather than short-term
approaches for handling emergency
needs.
Read the rest of this entry »

Applying for grants in a non-profit environment
The cause I chose to write grants for is the Las Artes G.E.D. program in Ajo, Arizona. International Sonoran Desert Alliance sponsors the Las Artes GED program. It is modeled after a program in Tucson, Las Artes, which has proven to be very successful for out of school youth in helping them to get their GED and gain important work skills.
There are hundreds of grants out there, maybe thousands, but you have to sift through them to find grants that are suitable for your cause. It is time-consuming, to say the least, and challenging to apply for these grants in some instances. The rewards are great! It is a thrill to submit a well-written grant application, and so far I have done it a few times and anticipate the bigger thrill of getting the funding awarded to my cause.
I found plenty of advice and some sample submissions on the internet to guide me. Some of the tips I found include the admonition to take risks, be original, and go beyond the adoption of a published curriculum.
Several of the granters advised:
Don’t be afraid to try something new.
Do not ask for grant funds for district, state, or federal mandates.
Student Achievement Grants are your opportunity to experiment with ideas that you and your colleagues believe will improve student achievement!
I had a couple of programs that I wanted to support and that my contact at Las Artes really wanted to continue or start because of the positive effects she had observed among the students, or for the possibility for self-sustaining income as a result. Below is the website for the Las Artes G.E.D. Program:
http://www.isdanet.org/las-artes-ged-program.html
One of my ideas was to start a self-sustaining income for a pottery program. Las Artes students already produce ceramic tile mosaics in the school’s ceramic studio, but Ajo is a small town and I wanted a product that would sell globally through the internet. Below is part of a grant submission that I wrote and have used in several grant applications. Here is one of the addresses I applied to with a version of the below proposal:
https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms_apps_idx.html
Income Producing Business
Student-Produced Pottery Sales
The funding will be used to set up and operate a functional pottery studio. The students will write a business plan and an international marketing plan for a functional pottery studio. There is a tile mosaic program already in place at Las Artes where the students design and craft the tile mosaics for sale to the local community. Additional funding would allow this to be expanded into a bake ware and tableware workshop with global marketing through the internet at such auctions as etsy.com and eBay.com. This will give the students tools and knowledge to develop their own business and the experience to enhance their resume, and it could give the school a stream of income.
The students will be involved with accounting, marketing, web design, developing functional ceramics designs and patterns, manufacturing, selling, and shipping the pottery items.
Las Artes is a non-profit institution that addresses the high drop-out rate in Ajo, Arizona. The drop-out rate in the public school is high due to a number of factors, not the least of which is the low per capita income in Ajo. This culturally rich town in the southern part of Arizona is near the Mexican border and adjacent to the Tohono O’odham Nation with the twin driving forces of tension and opportunity that goes with three nations sharing geographic space.
One of the other programs that I like is the Shop Girls eight-week carpentry tool workshop. I submitted this one to tool manufacturers and a couple of education sites. I am looking into several woman’s empowerment foundations to submit this idea, also.
Recently I submitted the Shop Girls proposal to a site that gathers non-profit grant wishes and matches them with grants. I entered Shop Girls into the contest for ‘Non-profit of the Week’, which, if I win, will give Shop Girls a lot of internet coverage and possibly contact with source of income for the program. Parts of this submission are below:
http://nonprofit.about.com
Shop Girls
Shop girls is a program that empowers Ajo women and girls through carpentry tool mastery and project creation in a positive, instructive, non critical environment that fosters success.
Shop Girls was modeled on the “Girls with Tools” program developed by the Zuni Avenue Peace Center in Tucson, Arizona.
The One Very Best Thing About Your Cause*
What’s the most important thing about your cause?
ISDA sponsors the “Las Artes GED program.” It is modeled after a program in Tucson, Las Artes, which has proven to be very successful for out of school youth in helping them to get their GED and gain important work skills.
For two years, International Sonoran Desert Alliance provided free, eight-week courses for women and girls in carpentry tools skill development. Learning how to use tools such as jigsaws, power drills and sanders through instruction by a highly experienced local female carpenter, these women and girls created wooden tables, benches, lamps, tool boxes, decorative accessories, etc. while honing their safety, math, project organization, collaboration and leadership skills. In addition, as their tool mastery developed, they learned alternative tool uses as they apply to home maintenance.
Not only were our women and girls empowered by project success and the enthusiastic camaraderie of an all female environment, some also began to think entrepreneurially about personally created product as an opportunity for income. Because of this, ISDA has brought business classes to Ajo from the Micro Business Advancement Center in Tucson to assist women to make the leap from skills development to economic opportunity.
Funding for Shop Girls was provided by the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona. ISDA is searching for new funding.
Do you have tips for people who would like to support your cause?
• We are committed to fostering communication, understanding and cooperation among the diverse cultures residing in the area.
• Our vision is to establish the region as a showcase for environmental excellence and an international center for arts and culture with a prosperous and sustainable economy offering opportunities for all its residents.
Why My Cause Should Be the Cause of the Week*
Las Artes is a community arts program that addresses the educational needs of dropout and at-risk youth and provides a diverse population the opportunity to produce community arts projects while earning a GED or high school credits.
How I Got Involved With My Cause
Las Artes is a wonderful program that I became involved with because of my interest in non-profit international community development through arts and crafts.
Conclusion
I began this project with the belief that I would find one grant or maybe two, and apply for the grant money in a straightforward way, but I have found that grant writing is a lot like scattering seed on a field; you need to cast many seeds far and wide to get good results.
Grant writing calls upon creative writing skills, organization, and I enjoy doing it. I will continue to write grants for Las Artes until there are enough funds to continue this wonderful program, because by now it has become a hobby.

Starting a Nonprofit Organization

Perhaps the best way to really clarify to yourself what you intend to accomplish by starting a new nonprofit is to write a basic mission statement for your organization. You’ll soon need this mission statement anyway if you plan to incorporate your nonprofit (more about incorporation a little later on). The following guidelines may be helpful to you when writing your first, basic mission statement.
At is most basic, the mission statement describes the overall purpose of the organization. It addresses the question “Why does the organization exist?”
Try include a description of what you think will be the new nonprofit’s
a) primary benefits and services to clients
b) groups of clients who will benefit from those services
c) values that will guide how your nonprofit will operate
d) how you’d like others to view your nonprofit

The phrase “starting a nonprofit” can mean several things:
* You can be a nonprofit organization just by getting together with some friends, eg, to form a self-help group. In this case, you’re an informal nonprofit organization.

* You can incorporate your nonprofit so it exists as a separate legal organization in order to a) own its own property and its own bank account; b) ensure that the nonprofit can continue on its own (even after you’re gone); and c) protect yourself personally from liability from operations of the nonprofit. You incorporate your nonprofit by filing articles of incorporation (or other charter documents) with the appropriate local state office. (An incorporated nonprofit requires a board of directors.)

* If you want your nonprofit (and if you think your nonprofit deserves) to be exempt from federal taxes (and maybe some other taxes, too), you should file with the IRS to be a “tax-exempt” organization. (The IRS states that you must be a corporation, community chest, fund, or foundation to receive tax-exempt status. Articles of association may also be used in place of incorporation.) (Probably the most well known type of nonprofit is a the IRS classification of 501(c)(3), a “charitable nonprofit’.) Depending on the nature of your organization, you may also granted tax-deductible status from the IRS. So, for example, you could start a nonprofit that is incorporated, tax-exempt and eligible to receive tax deductible donations.

If unable to file for corporation or for federal tax-exempt status, there are other ways to act as a non-profit. Consider Fiscal Sponsorship to jump start your organization. In some cases, you might find and work with another nonprofit organization that will act as your fiscal sponsor. A fiscal sponsor might be useful to you if your nonprofit:
1) Does not have sufficient resources to handle startup costs and fees
2) Does not have sufficient skills initially to manage your finances
3) Will address a community need and then no longer need to exist.

You can do much of the work yourself to get incorporated and/or tax-exemption and/or tax-deductibility, but you should have some basic guidance and advice from a lawyer who understands nonprofit matters.

According to a very informative paper by Eve Rose Borenstein, Copyright, 1998

http://www.managementhelp.org/legal/lgl_need.htm

When an entity operates, regardless of its public benefit or social welfare purpose, it will find itself subject to two legal realities: first, that the entity itself (separate from the individuals operating same can be sued for actions taken in its name or under its sponsorship; and second, that when an entity conducts financial activities, it will be considered a “taxpayer” under federal and State statutes.

Many types of tax-exempt status are possible but by far the largest category available is the “charity” category defined by Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). Groups recognized as operated for charitable purposes, via a 501(c)(3) exemption letter, are the only type of tax-exempt entity which is across the board able to receive donations which are tax-deductible to the donor.

The mission of Planet Cornucopia is to facilitate the creation of wealth enabling a community of craftsmen and women to become self-sufficient through an arts and crafts industry in a world market.
The global mission of Planet Cornucopia is to generate a series of community-based cottage industries in urban Third-World Communities.

Researching pottery for a third-world setting, I found the kiln to be the trickiest point.
The clay is ‘mined’, prepared by slurry to sort off the large pieces and screened to reserve only the clay, and then sand or mica or other materials are added to it. It is then dried to the consistency that we use in the classroom. Hopefully, the pottery and kiln can be built close to the source of clay.
I researched a design for a kiln dug out of a hillside, a pit kiln and a built kiln out of brick. I even found a hollow tree trunk kiln.
Hollow Tree Trunk Kiln
Richard Boyt talks about using a hollow tree stump to low-fire clay without any added insulation. It is so well insulated that the outsides never get hot, it can be picked up and put aside, then smothered or doused and used again.
http://www.bioenergylists.org/stovesdoc/Boyt/ceramics/ceramics3b.html
To quote an interesting part of the report:
“Save any char that is left. We can use it later to make a lightweight ceramic insulation. Also save ash. We can use it to make a high-potassium liquid that serves as a semi-glaze. I have used it to harden the surface of lightweight ceramic insulation.”
A little more basic kiln is the pit kiln.

This kiln is filled with pots and sticks of wood. The wood is just stacked around, under and over the pots very carefully. There is no chimney, and the kiln burns and smolders overnight, producing a low firing, certainly below cone 04.
I would like to try this pit kiln:
http://www.micaweb.com/purple/emine/outdoor.html
The kiln described here uses three inches (3″) of sawdust, then the rack, then your low-fire clay pieces, then sawdust. Another rack, pots, then sawdust, and so on.
I can imagine problems with getting the sawdust to burn, but wicks of brush or other material set throughout the sawdust and pots would fix that.
The pit is then covered with a lid that’s raised a few inches with bricks for ventilation. The lid used in this example is a galvanized steel trashcan lid.
I’ve seen the same thing done with dried cow patties, and I’ve also seen clay plastered on the inside to self-bake and create a more permanent pit kiln. The only ventilation this kiln needs is through the top, which simplifies the design considerably.
I found a great site for pit-fired pottery, this pit is used for decorative finishes and not always as a hardening process.
Pit fired ceramic is more porous (softer) because of the lower temperatures. 800-1200 degrees Fahrenheit is typical.
http://www.robertcomptonpottery.com/Method%20of-Pit-Firing-Pottery.htm
The most basic pit kiln I have found is on the Potters for Peace website.

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