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Issue #268
March 2, 2009

Action Alert! Support the Serve America Act!

Organizations Requested to Sign Support Letter
Ask Congress to Pass the Serve America Act
Deadline Monday, March 2nd

Momentum is building for the passage of the Serve America Act (S.277), legislation that seeks to expand national service and volunteer programs to tackle America's most pressing challenges and create a new era of civic responsibility. President Obama specifically asked congressional leaders to pass the Serve America Act in his address to Congress this week. The President also released his budget request for Fiscal Year 2010, proposing $1.13 billion for the Corporation and its programs. These actions by the White House demonstrate the President's strong commitment to national service and his belief in the critical importance of engaging citizens in tackling the tough challenges facing our nation.

Voices for National Service, ServiceNation and America Forward are sending a joint letter to the Congress urging them to strengthen our nation through service and social innovation by supporting and fully funding the Serve America Act. MNA encourages you to sign on to this letter in support of national service and the Serve America Act.

This letter will be given to Senators to show the vast array of support for the Act. We are trying to mobilize as many organizations as possible to sign this letter by Monday, March 2. Please read the letter and respond to info@voicesforservice.org to add your organization as a cosigner.

Click here to read a press release and summary of the Serve America Act.

Thank you in advance for your support.

March 2, 2009

Dear Congressional Leaders,

Thank you for your leadership as our nation faces unprecedented economic challenges. We are convinced that as the current crisis deepens-intensifying needs in the nation's most economically vulnerable communities and forcing greater and greater numbers of Americans out of their jobs and homes-it is absolutely crucial that the nation invest in service, social innovation, and the non-profit sector. We strongly support the Serve America Act (S. 277) for precisely this reason.

The Serve America Act, introduced by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), features a number of proposals for using service and social innovation to address pressing challenges in areas such as education, public health, poverty, and energy efficiency. It also provides much-needed support for the non-profit sector at a time when the demand for the vital services it provides is rising sharply, even as shrinking revenues decrease capacity and threaten debilitating job losses.

The Act will strengthen the non-profit sector, empowering it to respond to rising needs in communities across the nation. The Serve America Act will:

• Create four targeted problem-solving corps that will deploy Americans of all ages to increase access to job training and placement resources, help raise high school graduation and college-going rates, enhance energy efficiency and improve natural resources, and improve access to health care;
   
• Establish Community Solutions Funds to invest in and scale the proven, innovative solutions that are having an impact in communities across our nation. The Fund will promote greater innovation in the social sector and evaluate performance based on results;
   
• Found Youth Engagement Zones to involve in-school and out-of-school youth in high-quality service learning projects and recognize "Campuses of Service," institutions of higher learning that engage students in service activities, integrate service and learning, and promote service careers;
   
• Draw upon the unique insights and leadership skills of individuals who have completed military and civilian service through Innovation Fellowships. These fellowships will enable such individuals to establish non-profit organizations that respond to local and national needs. The Act will also call upon Baby Boomers to use their talents to address national challenges through Encore Fellowships;
   
• Honor the long-standing tradition of community volunteering by creating a Volunteer Generation Fund to increase the number of Americans who are able to work with community and faith-based organizations to meet growing needs; and
   
• Mobilize skilled Americans to serve in developing countries around the world to tackle urgent problems, such as HIV/AIDS and malaria through Volunteers for Prosperity.

Notably, the Act also emphasizes the importance of results, accountability and transparency, creates indicators of civic health, and requires that federal investments be matched with significant contributions from private, philanthropic, state, and local sources. In these ways, the Serve America Act ensures that the non-profit sector's response will be both effective and cost-efficient. Moreover, the Act promotes collaboration between the non-profit sector, local government actors, and the State Commissions, which have provided leadership with respect to service since their creation, thereby guaranteeing that programs are tailored to meet state and local needs.

Most importantly the Act will, as President Obama noted in his address before Congress, "encourage a renewed spirit of national service for this and future generations." It will provide Americans of all ages and backgrounds-who are more eager than ever to help shape this nation's future-with opportunities to confront the challenges facing our country.

Thank you for your public service and your leadership in this time of crisis. We hope that you will enable greater numbers of Americans to serve with you to collectively strengthen our nation by supporting and fully funding the Serve America Act.

Sincerely,

Disclaimer: If your organization receives federal funds, you are allowed to sign this letter endorsing a piece of legislation. Your organization does not give up its right to engage in the political process just because it receives a federal grant. Any organization can add their name to this communication, but you have to be very careful not to use any Federal resources when reviewing or commenting on the legislation. It is critical that organizations who receive federal funds keep any political and advocacy activities completely separate and distinct from their federal grant activities. The Corporation for Community and National Service's rules are clear on this issue, as are the general rules that apply to all grantees of the federal government (OMB Circular A-122). Legal guidance for Corporation-funded programs has been issued by the Office of the General Counsel at http://www.americorps.gov/pdf/politicalactivities_2007.pdf.