The U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 1388, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act. This legislation is the most significant overhaul and expansion of national service programs in 16 years. The bill is a reaction to President Obama’s call to increase service opportunities for Americans of all ages to address the econmic crisis and usher in a new era of service and responsibility for our nation. The GIVE Act would update and strengthen national service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency created in 1993. The Corporation engages more than four million Americans in result-driven service each year, including 75,000 AmeriCorps members, 492,000 Senior Corps volunteers, 1.1 million Learn and Serve America students, and 2.2 million additional community volunteers mobilized and managed through the agency’s programs.

Some of the GIVE Act’s Provisions

  • Puts AmeriCorps on a growth path from its current level of 75,000 to 250,000 members per year, with focus on priority needs including energy efficiency and conservation, advancing student achievement and graduation, improving health care access, and enhancing service opportunities for veterans.
  • Increases amount of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award that AmeriCorps members receive after their completing their term of service and linking the future amount of the award to Pell Grants.
  • Provides incentives for middle and high school students to engage in service through a Summer of Service program and authorizes up to 25 institutions of higher education to be designated as “Campuses of Service” eligible for grants to encourage students to engage in service during school and in their future careers.
  • Strengthens the nation’s civic infrastructure through creation of a Social Innovation Fund to provide seed money and scale up innovative and evidence-based efforts in the nonprofit sector.
  • Expands service opportunities for older Americans by expanding eligibility for the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent programs, introducing competition into the Retired Senior Volunteer Program to better position the program for expansion, and creating other opportunities for Baby Boomers and other older Americans to transition into post-career service opportunities.
  • Encourages coordination and service partnerships with other federal agencies.

Find out more about the GIVE Act and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

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Filed under: Community / Volunteer Grants

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