PRESENT: Rob Meinders, Mike Moran, Becky Boober, Jamie McFaul, Ed Barrett, Maryalice Crofton
The members convened at 8:30 am using the virtual meeting technology.
Final use of the various AmeriCorps funding sources. The authorized formula grants, including the Downeast Community Partners, used unexpended funds from grants declined (UMaine Center on Aging) and the new allocation as well as formula AmeriCorps ARP funds. Staff reported the final configuration to the task force members.
20FXHME had nearly $243,000 unexpended after UMaine COA declined to continue the program. Staff requested and AmeriCorps granted, a no cost extension through 12/31/2024. The next year of Trekkers and Maine Street Skowhegan were funded with these monies. The impact on the programs is that Maine Street Skowhegan will have to enroll the new members on or before 12/15/2023.
22AFFME001 (ARP and Formula). The awards under this grant number are planning grants and ARP was used as match replacement so the planning grants are fully funded despite how the federal budget form reads. The total ARP used was $52,768 as local share and $125,546 covered the CNCS share on the form. The balance left in ARP will cover 2 years of an operating program and will be competed in September 2023.
23AFXME is the fixed amount successor to the grant with the no cost extension (20FXHME). The Maine Youth Alliance is the only continuation on this grant. The remaining awards are Maine Dept. of Education and Downeast Community Partners. Funds used were $570,088.
When all funds were allocated across authorized grants, the remainder to compete this fall ($225,985) was put in a placeholder. Altogether, the formula competition for fall 2023 will be able to award $514,000 for programs operating on Jan-Dec cycles.
Barrett thanked staff for ensuring the full use of funds despite having to forfeit monies under an award that had no applicants. Even though the Commission decided how to allocate the block of formula funds, it cannot shift unexpended funds to another formula award (e.g., cost reimbursement to fixed amount) once the allocation is made.
Current Grantees’ Enrollment/Retention Performance
The data below is as of July 13. The only program still enrolling is Maine Conservation Corps. They have late summer trail teams so the shorter terms are not expected to be 100%. The next report will show their annual performance.
| LEGAL SPONSOR - PROGRAM | TERM | AWARDED SLOTS # |
ENROLLED | % | RETAINED (completed term) |
% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPCOG - AmeriCorps Resilience Corps |
1700 hrs | 7 | 6 | 5 | ||
| 1200 hrs | 10 | 4 | 4 | |||
| Overall Enr. | 59% | Overall retained | 90% | |||
| UMaine Center on Aging - Lifelong AmeriCorps |
1700 hrs | 3 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 900 hrs | 8 | 7 | 7 | |||
| 300 hrs | 3 | 3 | 3 | |||
| 450hrs | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Overall Enr. | 94% | Overall retained | 100% | |||
| Maine Street Skowhegan - Skowhegan Outdoors AmeriCorps |
1700 hrs | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 900 hrs | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Overall Enr. | 83% | Overall retained | 100% | |||
| Trekkers - Trekkers AmeriCorps Aspirations |
1700 hrs | 3 | 3 | 3 | ||
| Overall Enr. | 100% | Overall retained | 100% | |||
| Maine Youth Alliance - I KNOW ME AmeriCorps |
1700 hrs | 4 | 4 | 3 | ||
| Overall Enr. | 100% | Overall retained | 75% | |||
| Dept. of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry - Maine Conservation Corps |
1700 hrs | 10 | 10 | 10 | ||
| 900 hrs | 20 | 19 | 18 | |||
| 300 hrs | 14 | 9 | 9 | |||
| 450 hrs | 22 | 11 | 11 | |||
| 675 hrs | 33 | 15 | 15 | |||
| Overall Enr. | 65% | Overall retained | 98% | |||
| KVCAP/Educare + Dept of Education - First4 AmeriCorps |
900 hrs | 10 | 6 | 3 | ||
| 675 hrs | 10 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 1200 hrs | 5 | 2 | 0 | |||
| Overall Enr. | 36% | Overall retained | 33% | |||
| Grantee enrollment average rate: 62% Grantee Retention average rate: 92% |
Task Force Chair. Ed shared that he is not asking for reappointment to the Commission. He is happy to stay on the task force as a public member but the chair has to be a member of the board. Rob also decided to not renew and Becky said she is not able to take on the position. That means the task force needs to recruit someone new from the board who is willing to lead. (Jacinda is on the task force but has been away quite a while.) This issue needs to stay on the agenda until resolved.
Assessing Grant-making Process to ensure equity and inclusion.
Staff had sent the link to a presentation on a different form of grant-making. The recording was from a meeting of the Climate Corps task force. Discussion goal was to compare Commission’s current process with the recommendations of the presenter and identify where changes or improvements could be made. Task Force members indicated they did not have time to review the recording and asked this item be carried to the next meeting.
NEXT MEETING: Friday, August 11, 8:30 am
There being no other discussion items, the members dispersed at 9:25 am.