volunteer reviewers needed, AmeriCorps State Grant Competition

Posted by PennSERVE on March 5, 2018

PennSERVE is seeking individuals to review grant applications for the 2018 – 2019 AmeriCorps State Grant Competition. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the grant-making process, develop your own grant-writing skills, and contribute your knowledge and experience to PennSERVE’s efforts to select high-quality Pennsylvania-based programs for AmeriCorps funding.

What does a grant reviewer do?

If selected as a reviewer, you will help to evaluate grant applications for the 2018 AmeriCorps State Grant Competition. You will read, score, and evaluate applications and discuss their findings with PennSERVE via a grant scoring document.

What qualifications should reviewers have?

PennSERVE is looking for a diverse group of reviewers that have grant writing and/or reviewing experience and also have experience with national service and/or community-based programs. Past reviewers have been community service practitioners, educators, national service alumni, people working in foundations, or individuals working on public policy issues.

Reviewers must be comfortable reading a large volume of material in a short period of time and providing analysis to PennSERVE staff. Reviewers must be available for a training via webinar on April 26 from 3:00 – 4:00 pm; and must be able to complete application reviews by May 20, 2018.

Can members currently serving in AmeriCorps or any other streams of service serve as reviewers?

No. You must have completed your AmeriCorps service before being selected as a reviewer. AmeriCorps Alumni are strongly encouraged to apply to serve as reviewers.

Can people who work for a Corporation for National and Community Service-funded program serve as a reviewer?

Yes. People who work for organizations affiliated with AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, or other national service programs may serve as reviewers. However, you may not serve as a reviewer if you work for an organization that is being considered for funding in this competition.

What is the time commitment?

You can expect to spend 8 – 15 hours preparing for the review and completing the reviews, as follows:

· April 16 – April 25: Read the PennSERVE Request For Applications (one – two hours).

· April 26 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm: Participate in a training session via webinar.

· April 28 – May 20: Review and assess two – three applications. Each application review takes three – four hours.

What are the benefits to reviewers?

The grant review experience is an excellent opportunity to 1) find out about programming and trends in national service and federal grant opportunities; 2) develop a deeper understanding of the grant-writing and grant-making processes; 3) and contribute experience to the selection of high-quality programs for the Commonwealth. This is a volunteer opportunity.

How does one apply to become a reviewer?

To apply, please email your resume to pennserve@pa.gov, or fax resumes to 717-705-4215 (Attention: Tina Jefferson). Please submit resumes no later than 5:00 pm on Tuesday, March 27, 2018.

What are the next steps after submitting a resume?

PennSERVE will review resumes and contact qualified applicants. We will check for conflicts of interest and confirm availability at that time.

Thank you for your interest in serving as a reviewer and for sharing this announcement with others who may be interested. This is an important part of our review process and our efforts to recommend high-quality programs for funding.