Introduction

Welcome to the 2022-2023 AmeriCorps Program Director Manual!

Congratulations on being funded as an AmeriCorps State Program! The Bureau of Volunteerism and Community Service in partnership with the Serve Illinois Commission will be working with you to ensure that your AmeriCorps State program is successful.

We are here to provide guidance, oversight, and support to help you create a strong AmeriCorps program. Please use this manual as a place to start to understand the many moving parts of national service, your role as a program director, and the importance of understanding federal rules and regulations to ensure that your program is compliant.

Bureau of Volunteerism and Community Service Staff:

• Associate Director, Office of Community & Positive Youth Development - Karrie Rueter
• Volunteerism and Community Service Administrator – Cory Blissett
• Executive Director – Andres J. Fernandez
• Data Analyst – Kimberly Doyle
• Administrative Assistant – Rachael Tuxhorn
• Communications Coordinator - Allison Miller
• Grants Manager – Vacant
• Illinois AmeriCorps Program Manager- Kristen Bethke
• Illinois AmeriCorps Program Officer Downstate – Toni Terry
• Illinois AmeriCorps Program Specialist Downstate – Andrea Spellman
• Illinois AmeriCorps Program Officer Upstate – Teesha Pendleton
• Illinois AmeriCorps Program Specialist Upstate – Katrina Harris
• Illinois AmeriCorps Program Officer Chicago – Raja Banerjee
• Illinois AmeriCorps Program Specialist Chicago – Heather Cropp
• Volunteer Services Program Manager  – Vacant
• Volunteer Services Coordinator Downstate – Jacob Jenkins
• Volunteer Services Coordinator Upstate – Cecilia Maciel Martinez
• National Service Program Manager – Davida Fanniel
• National Service Program Officer – Stacie Reichensperger
• National Service Program Specialist – Brooke Pasley

Serve Illinois Commission Staff and Commissioners:

• Board of Commissioners: Commissioners

• Executive Director – Andres J. Fernandez

Purpose of This Manual

The AmeriCorps Program Director Manual has been specifically designed by the Bureau of Volunteerism and Community Service (BVCS) as a guide for those who administer Illinois AmeriCorps programs. This manual will assist in detailing the process for monitoring, supporting, and evaluating programs and, above all, for working collaboratively to make AmeriCorps programs in Illinois successful.

Please note that the information contained in this manual does not include all legal requirements of an AmeriCorps grant. It does not constitute the AmeriCorps Agency for National and Community Service’s official interpretation of factual or legal questions. Program directors or individuals with particular questions should consult the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42

U.S.C. § 12501 et seq.), the regulations issued under the Act (45 C.F.R. § 2500.1 et seq.), the AmeriCorps Grant Provisions and Grants Policy guidance, and relevant state law and regulations. If there is a conflict between the content of this handbook and the AmeriCorps provisions, the provisions are the controlling authority.

The AmeriCorps Program Director Manual is intended to:

• Provide a roadmap for AmeriCorps awardee/site management Lay out a typical administrator’s general workload
• Illustrate legal requirements
• Show where there is both control and flexibility to shape each AmeriCorps program

It is important that awardees become familiar with all the information contained in this manual. The AmeriCorps Program Director Manual will be updated as needed. Notice of revisions will be sent to each Illinois AmeriCorps Program Director and posted on the Illinois AmeriCorps Basecamp site.