Organization Application Guidelines

Contents

1. Basic Overview
2. Determining Eligibility
3. Types of Projects Supported
4. Defining the VISTA member's role
5. Benefits of a CTC VISTA member
6. Recruitment of a CTC VISTA
7. Project Participation Fee
8. Applying Online
9. Other Options

Basic Overview

The CTC VISTA Project is a non-monetary foundation that accepts applications for support from a range of organizations that seek to improve their ability to deliver services within their community. These applications describe specific technology or media programs or projects with defined outcomes that can be achieved by qualified AmeriCorps*VISTA members within the timeframe of one year, though longer term projects are eligible for up to three years.

The CTC VISTA Project helps match approved organizations and their programs or projects with an AmeriCorps*VISTA member who will commit to serve with that organization for one year. In addition to helping recruit that VISTA member, the CTC VISTA Project provides limited training, a modest living allowance, health benefits and ongoing support to that VISTA member during their service.

Determining Eligibility

Any private nonprofit organization, educational institution, tribal or public agency with a program or concept that is poverty-related in scope within the United States and its territories can apply to the CTC VISTA Project.

Because the CTC VISTA Project is placing a VISTA member at an external organization, of particular importance is ensuring that organization has the capacity to successfully host an AmeriCorps*VISTA member. VISTA members require a full-time, on-site supervisor, desk, telephone, computer and access to organizational resources. Accommodations may be made for multi-site or distributed projects.

Types of Projects Supported

The CTC VISTA Project, as a provider of AmeriCorps*VISTA members supports projects with the following goals:

• Anti-Poverty Focus: The project’s goal should address helping individuals and communities out of poverty rather than focusing on making poverty more tolerable. These programs may address either direct engagement with individuals or improving the capacity of organizations to provide anti-poverty services.
• Community Empowerment: Organizations must ensure that each project engages residents of the low-income community in planning, developing, and implementing the project to ensure that it is responsive and relevant to low-income residents’ ownership and self-help initiatives tapping inherent community strengths.

Within these broad areas of Anti-Poverty and Community Empowerment, the CTC VISTA Project seeks applicants with the following types of programs or projects for a VISTA member to develop:

• Digital Media: programs that empower individuals and organizations to effectively communicate their values and advocate for their communities; and projects which engage youth in media making as means of providing technology training and media education.
• Technology Access & Inclusion: programs that make technology accessible to people of diverse backgrounds or special needs. This includes Digital Divide initiatives as well as extending technology, tools and resources to people with disabilities.
• Organizational Development: projects that evaluate and improve existing operations, communications, fundraising or volunteer management practices and methods in order to increase organizational capacity and incorporate technology and media tools.
• Technology Infrastructure: projects that implement or improve advanced technology tools or applications within an organization. These are specific and prior-developed implementation projects that require a highly-technical VISTA member to accomplish them.

The CTC VISTA Project has a long history of supporting Community Technology Centers, Cable and PEG Access Stations, Community Media Programs, Low-Power Radio and Community Radio, Youth Media Programs, Nonprofit Technology Assistance Providers (NTAP) and all manner of technology, database, website and media projects with non-technology related community nonprofit organizations.

Organizations applying for program support should demonstrate their understanding of VISTA members as capacity builders and clearly show how the VISTA member’s tasks and deliverables (curriculum, program manuals, etc.) will provide for program sustainability.

Organizations applying for operations support should clearly state specific goals and objectives VISTA members will be asked to fulfill during their service and their expected effects upon organizational capacity.

Defining the VISTA member's role

A significant portion of the CTC VISTA Project application is devoted to outlining your VISTA member's duties and objectives. Understanding the purpose of VISTA service within your organization is integral to submitting a successful application.

There are three major features that define an AmeriCorps*VISTA member's role:

• Capacity-Building: AmeriCorps*VISTA achieves its mission by assigning members to organizations in order to expand the ability of those organizations to fight poverty. Through activities such as fundraising, volunteer recruitment and management, outreach, and collaborative development, AmeriCorps*VISTA members mobilize community resources and increase the capacity of organizations to better address the needs of the communities in which they serve.
• Sustainable Solutions: AmeriCorps*VISTA members are people power to help organizations address a new or existing program area related to their mission. However, it is crucial to the concept of local self-reliance that organizations plan for the eventual phase out of AmeriCorps*VISTA members and the absorption of their functions by other facets of the organization or community. AmeriCorps*VISTA projects are encouraged to develop a long-term sustainability plan beginning in year one of the project’s existence.
• Indirect Service: AmeriCorps*VISTA members are often called upon to perform duties in support of their capacity building projects. Indirect Service takes the form of one-time actions that are vital to the success of the project but still do not place the AmeriCorps*VISTA member in the role of a direct service provider. Emphasis should be placed on creating sustainable solutions to ensure that these duties can continue to be performed beyond the service of the VISTA member.

The CTC VISTA Application itself is divided into two separate pieces:

• Job Description (Letter of Intent): The job description is a general outline of the major responsibilities your VISTA member will receive as part of the project within your organization. These responsibilities should reflect capacity building and sustainable solutions. The following are recommended and discouraged verbs to use in describing the VISTA member's job description:
  • Recommended Verbs: analyze, create, design, develop, establish, evaluate, implement, improve, e.g. "develop a marketing and outreach plan"
  • Discouraged Verbs: assist, edit, inspect, support, maintain, manage, organize, watch, e.g. "edit press releases"

• Workplan (Full Application): The workplan is a specific breakdown of the goals and objectives you will ask your VISTA member to achieve. Additionally, the workplan requires specific indicators and measureable outcomes to ensure that the VISTA member's role fulfills the goals of the CTC VISTA Project.

  For more information, visit our page about completing the workplan (in progress being written).

Types of Service NOT APPROPRIATE for AmeriCorps *VISTA Members: AmeriCorps*VISTA members are intended to be working upon a capacity building and sustainable project. The following activities are NOT appropriate:

• Be assigned duties relating to the ongoing operational or administrative needs of the organization. This includes clerical or secretarial duties not related directly to the VISTA member's project. e.g. "manning the desk", "watching the phones"
• Teach or instruct youth or program participants.
• Be responsible for supervising youth or overseeing a space, e.g. "watching the lab"

Additionally, AmeriCorps*VISTA members should NOT

• Perform electoral activities
• Perform voter registration
• Transport voters to voting polls
• Attempt to influence specific legislation
• Assist with labor or anti-labor organizing or activities
• Perform activities that would result in the displacement of employees or impair existing contracts for service.

Benefits of a CTC VISTA member

The CTC VISTA Project seeks to support organizations through media and technology via the placement of a low-cost, full-time VISTA member. These VISTA members can can accept significant responsibility, beyond the scope of a typical volunteer, for program development, organizational growth,and long-term capacity building and sustainability initiatives.

Through the CTC VISTA Project, organizations and their VISTA members have access to a national network of organizations and practitioners using media and technology to achieve organizational and community change. Our VISTA members, all serving in similar capacities, are connected to one another through conference calls, online communities and one-on-one interactions with experienced CTC VISTA staff.

The primary mission of the CTC VISTA Project is to serve and support CTC VISTA members and their host organizations. In addition to initial orientation and training, the CTC VISTA Project provides members with ongoing resources, support and free or reduced cost training through partnered media and technology organizations.

Recruitment of a CTC VISTA

While the CTC VISTA Project offers additional orientation, training and support during the term of service, the selection of a responsible, qualified VISTA candidate is the single most important step of participation in the CTC VISTA Project. It is ultimately the organization's responsibility to ensure that the VISTA member is qualified and appropriate to the position. VISTA candidates can be found through two primary means:

• Local Recruiting by the Organization: Organizations are highly encouraged to advertise and recruit through existing networks in their community.
• National Recruiting through CTC VISTA: The CTC VISTA Project has access to national recruiting resources through AmeriCorps and partner organizations. We will forward information on qualified applicants to organizations. It is the organizations responsibility to ensure that these applicant's skills and experience qualify them for the specific needs of the job description and workplan.

Anyone 18 years of age or older is eligible to become a VISTA but the typical CTC VISTA candidate will have some college and/or some substantive experience using technology or media. Most importantly, they should be qualified to perform the responsibilities of the VISTA position as defined in your application.

All applicants must be approved by the CTC VISTA Project and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Project Participation Fee

In order to help defray some of the cost of supporting AmeriCorps*VISTA members, participation with the CTC VISTA Project has the following fees:

• $3,000/VISTA for organizations that are new to the Project;
• $3,500 for organizations participating beyond the first year;

These fees are paid following the placement of a VISTA. Payment plans can be negotiated.

Organizations should additionally budget for:

• Approximately $1,000 for your VISTA to attend a national community media or technology conference (CTCNet, NTEN, ACM or NAMAC's conference or an equivelent to be arranged with CTC VISTA Project staff). All participating orgs are expected to provide financial support and arrangements for their VISTAs to attend one of these events.
• Monthly transportation support such as a train or bus pass (~$60 / month).
• Professional development and support funds.
• VISTA members are forbidden from accepting outside income during their service, but organizations may provide rent or housing allowances to a third party (usually a landlord). This is rare and not required though may be necessary for large cities where the cost of living is inhibitive to VISTA service. Contact us for more information.

Refunds

Should a VISTA's service be terminated early for any reason, a refund will be issued per the following formula:

In plain language, this means the fee is prorated except for a non-refundable $500. No refunds will be issued after the 9th month of service.

Applying Online

Letters of Intent can submitted at any time through our online application system. Upon their review and approval, a full application can be submitted.

We highly recommend submitting your Letter of Intent and completing your application as early as possible within the CTC VISTA Project application cycle. This will ensure that any issues with your application can be corrected before recruiting an AmeriCorps*VISTA member.

You can create a new application or access an existing application through our Online Application System:

Click here to go to our
Online Application System

Please understand our guidelines and eligibility requirements before applying.

Other Options

The CTC VISTA Project's capacity building members are made possible through the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) which places more than 20,000 AmeriCorps*VISTA members each year.

Participating in the CTC VISTA Project offers many benefits but is not the only means of acquiring an AmeriCorps*VISTA member. Visit the AmeriCorps*VISTA website or contact your local CNCS State Office for more information.