Call for Grant Reviewers, AmeriCorps

Posted by on November 27, 2011

PennSERVE: The Governor’s Office of Citizen Service
Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
651 Boas Street, 1306 L&I Building
Harrisburg, PA 17121

CALL FOR COMMUNITY GRANT REVIEWERS

2012 AmeriCorps State Grant Competition

SUMMARY: PennSERVE: The Governor’s Office of Citizen Service is seeking individuals to review grant applications for the 2012 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 highquality Pennsylvania-based programs for AmeriCorps funding.

REQUIREMENTS: Potential reviewers are required to submit resumes to PennSERVE ASAP, and to remain available on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 from 4:30pm to 5:30pm for a one-hour training session via conference call. Please see the remainder of the announcement for further details
What does a grant reviewer do? Grant reviewers will help to evaluate grant applications for the 2012 AmeriCorps State Grant Competition. Reviewers read, score and evaluate applications, and discuss their findings with PennSERVE staff over conference call.

What qualifications should reviewers have? PennSERVE is looking for a diverse group of reviewers– males and females of all ages, races and ethnicities– that have experience with national service or community-based programs, and grant writing. For example, reviewers may be community service practitioners, educators, college students, national service alumni, people working in foundations, or individuals working on public policy issues. Preference will be made to applicants who have experience in writing or reviewing federal grants and/or writing or managing performance measures. Reviewers must be comfortable reading a large volume of material in a short period of time and providing analysis to PennSERVE staff.

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. Alumni of AmeriCorps programs are strongly encouraged to apply to serve as reviewers. AmeriCorps members must have completed service by December 5, 2011.

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 Learn and Serve America, AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, or other national service programs may serve as reviewers. For instance, an individual who works for an organization that hosts a VISTA volunteer may review AmeriCorps applications. However, people cannot serve as a reviewer for the AmeriCorps Competitive competition if they work for an organization that is being considered for funding in this competition.

What is the time commitment? Reviewers must be available on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 from 4:30pm to 5:30pm for a one-hour training session via conference call. Thereafter, reviewers should anticipate a time commitment of approximately five hours for the reviewing and scoring of applications, which will be due by 5:00pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2011.

What are the benefits to reviewers? The grant review experience is an excellent opportunity to: 1) find out about exciting programming and trends in national service; 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 share this announcement with other qualified reviewers.

Is there a deadline to apply? Yes. Please submit resumes as soon as possible, but no later than 5pm on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 for consideration.

What are the next steps after submitting a resume? PennSERVE will review resumes and begin contacting 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.