Major projects completed
- Attended ASC Regional National Service Conference in Charlestown, WV to gain new skills and collect strategies for improved recruitment, as well improving trainings and the planning grant process.
- Individualized training/meetings on multiple topics for MCC, MYA, Alpha Legal, and Unity College, Epilepsy Fnd., in addition to regular Technical Assistance and planning grant meetings. Also supported MYA with staffing challenge navigation.
- Began in-person and remote meetings with Downeast Community Partners concerning a special application for formula funding, including program and logic model development.
- Met on multiple occasions with MDOE’s CDS team representatives to initiate the work of transitioning the First4 program to their oversight, including supporting a rewrite of the initial application to be submitted as an amendment transferring the legal applicant status.
- Submitted the Planning Grant Federal Financial Report and clarifications on the CIF Grant Budget.
- Provided staff review support for applications submitted for review and assisted with the clarification and correction phase for multiple applicants.
- Co-hosted the Microcredential Advisory Committee meeting and continued work on the Introductory Volunteer Management Credential
Issues to be aware of
- Due to staffing changes at KVCOG, their director has opted to leave the planning grant cohort. KVCOG has not participated fully in the required trainings and has (as yet) not provided any financial reporting nor invoicing. We are working with the finance office staff to establish what funds have been expended and what will be returned as part of their early closeout.
- The ME EMS planning grant has also struggled to get traction on the planning process. Their director has asked for a no cost extension of two months and has hired a new staff person to be tasked with moving the project forward. A no cost extension was granted to Alpha Legal, giving them some extended planning time. They indicate that they intend to apply for the forth coming re-opening of formula.
- Summer Training workshops are scheduled including a Commission provided luncheon on August 2nd. All Commissioners are welcome to participate in the luncheon on that date. The majority of workshops will be remote with tasks to complete in between. The target audience is new grantees, MDOE and DCP, and staff of the MDOE CDS group taking over the KVCAP grant.
- University of Maine micro-credentialling course development is taking longer than initially proposed. The group is working with UMaine to extend the timing and the grant funding to support it.
Major focus of effort in the new month
- Continue to support MDOE in its transition to grant management and to begin summer training series with all new grantees and staff.
- Begin new AmeriCorps Planning grant cohort, update contract documents for them and ensure they have necessary registrations and vendor codes for state contracts. Establish training schedule with them.
- Directly support the development of Alpha Legal’s narratives and other grant components for the fall competition. Continue working with DCP to establish working strategies for their new grant beyond what is part of the new grantee training.
- Engage in targeted outreach to agencies interested in applying for the fall competition.
- Update tools and links in all Grant Management writeboards in the Group Hub.
Other activity
- Participated in Maine Philanthropy’s roll out of their grant search tool.
- Provided information to the state’s Justice 40 workgroup chairs regarding the intersection of J40 and the AmeriCorps Corrective action related to the state’s lack of tools to meet requirements for reaching out to marginalized communities.
- Worked to establish new E & E Task Force meeting schedule.
- Ongoing AmeriCorps Assistance to existing grantees via email, teleconference & face to face.
- Procurement system management and initial entry of financial documents in state purchasing system, including purchase orders, delivery orders, and contracts.
Prepared by Michael Ashmore