Program Development & Training Officer: March 2025

Major projects completed

  • Co-hosted the informational sessions for the two Formula RFA’s, Standard and Rural State.
  • Cohosted, with VM staff and other agency partners, meetings with municipal employers and  representatives of National Governor’s Association Service to Workforce Policy Academy group.  Also continued to attend and participate in the monthly coordination meeting for state partners managing the grant and monthly national cohort meetings hosted by NGA.
  • Continued Planning Grant monthly training sessions for current cohort and helped prep them for the April National Service Conference.
  • Supported = Commission staff and AmeriCorps programs in executing the National & Community Service Day at the state capitol and member commitment ceremony.
  • Provided an overview of AmeriCorps programs and potential opportunities to the statewide group of Municipal Planners and regional Planning Commissions.
  • Was a guest lecturer for D. Lebson’s UMaine course on nonprofit management, speaking about the state of volunteerism in Maine and the importance of volunteer management.
  • Continued to staff and support the Executive Director Hiring Committee’s work, including processing applications, setting up interviews, and doing reference checks, as well as hosting weekly committee work sessions.
  • Did final outreach to and hosted support sessions for potential applicants prior to release of AmeriCorps Formula RFPs (Operating, Rural State & Planning) in early-March.
  • Provided individualized direct support to each of the Commission’s subgrantees as well as Ending Hunger in Maine VISTA program and Goodwill Industries AmeriCorps staff. 
  • Issues to be aware of
  • We continue to monitor information from the federal agency and the larger national service field regarding changes to terms and conditions of funding, potential future changes, and to communicate these as rapidly as possible to Maine programs, while also working to provide the most factual information possible so as not to encourage action based on incomplete or inaccurate information.
  • The purchase of the new volunteer matching site was completed after significant delay created by the late involvement of the Office of Information Technology.  Final set-up is pending approval of the second of two submitted waivers allowing us to protect the current MaineReady domain for 1 year and to purchase the ServeMaine domain.  The site will not have a “.gov” domain to encourage use and to hide the unwieldy “galaxy.com” domain that would otherwise appear.
  • The opening of the ServeMaine volunteer matching site may impact operations of the local United Way sites that use the same software.  We are going to encourage the local sites to open data sharing, so that their positions also populate the statewide site.  It is possible that one or more UW may elect to close their local sites.
  • The CIF grant is functioning as the Commission Support Grant until June 30 (and funding Commission Investment Fund activities).  This is because the Federal Agency is moving the grant cycle to a July to June year rather than the calendar year cycle they have used in prior years.

Major focus of effort in the new month

  • Significant focus on the agenda and content for the Volunteer leadership Conference so that registration can open in May. Ramp up fundraising so the Conference is entirely self-funded.
  • Submit Commission Investment Fund (CIF) Grant application with budget for 2025-26 program year.
  • Update budgets and review logic models with planning grantees.
  • Final set up and training for the new volunteer matching site hosted by Volunteer Maine, outreach to local galaxy sites hosted by United Ways to encourage data-sharing. 
  • Supporting, as needed, with Governor’s Service Awards.
  • Supporting new Volunteer Services Coordinator, particularly with the National Governor’s Association grant activities.
  • Presenting on Volunteer Management at the MDF Leadership in Action Breakfast event in Brunswick.
  • Providing a shortened version of new grantee training for new program staff, hired since last summer’s sessions.
  • Participation in the ASC National Service Training Conference (Virtual).

Other and Ongoing activity

  • Facilitated the Service Programs Task Force Meeting. Staffed the MVLC Planning Committee meeting. Hosted the monthly Volunteer Managers’ Network Meeting.
  • Ongoing AmeriCorps Assistance to existing grantees via email, teleconference & face to face. Osted the monthly Technical Assistance meetings for operating and planning grantees
  • Provided set up and AV assistance for the Commission business meeting.
  • Managed the office procurement card process. Supported Financial Assistant with other procurement system management and initial entry of financial documents in state purchasing system, including purchase orders, bids, and contracts.
  • Coordinated with Volunteer Services Coordinator and the Prog. Officer for Special Initiatives on climate corps and NGA related work.