Program Development and Training Officer: June 2024

Major projects completed – 

  • Provided individualized support to remaining planning grantees as they approached the final month of their planning cycle. Processed two-month No Cost Extensions for each to allow them additional time for planning.
  • Requested a No Cost Extension to the Planning Grant Prime to provide for Fall application and funding of a final round of awards. 
  • Supported Maine School of Science & Mathematics as they consider an application for formula funding in the coming round
  • Began a new round of Service Enterprise Trainings with the Orientation Session, to be followed by a fall training series of 9 weeks in September, October & November
  • Planned extended training for new grantee training series over five face-to face meetings in July and August
  • Revised and updated the AmeriCorps contract templates to reflect newly adopted local and federal policies and added clarifying language in response to items brought up by funded agencies.
  • Onboarded summer intern who will update CMV course materials and supported her in becoming familiar with Volunteer Management strategies, as well as providing access to existing course and to new intro microcredential course

Issues to be aware of --

  • Work with the Dept of Education related to the registration process for the Maine Volunteer Leadership Conference (moved from October to August to coincide with the Maine Dept of Education summer Summit Conference) has been challenging due to a new registration platform being used by MDOE and the lateness of their opening registration.
  • The AmeriCorps Agency has provided us with the final disposition of the OIG investigation of Axiom Education’s operational grant resulting in a disallowance of local share funding.  This will need to be resolved in the coming weeks with changes to Axiom’s financial records, those in OnCorps and, ultimately, in a revised Federal Financial report
  • Haystack Mountain and Maine Prisoner Re-entry planning grants end in August.  We are encouraging them to apply for the coming fall formula competition and also working with Alpha Legal Foundation, a former planning grantee, to do the same. 

Major focus of effort in the new month --

  • Complete preparation for Maine Volunteer Leadership Conference on August 6th
  • Implement Summer New Grantee Training Series for White Pine Programs and set them up for a strong September start.
  • Planning grant completion.
  • Outreach and support for summer/fall Formula and fall Competitive AmeriCorps applicants

Other activity --

  • Ongoing AmeriCorps Technical Assistance to existing grantees via email, teleconference & face to face. Hosting of Monthly AmeriCorps Technical Assistance meeting
  • Hosting Maine Volunteer Manangers’ Network meetings
  • Staffing Excellence & Expertise Task Force.
  • Financial Management systems temporary lead, including procurement system management as well as initial entry of financial documents in state purchasing system, including purchase orders, bids, and contracts