Project Grant 21VSEMO001

MISSION: ST. LOUIS (M:STL) IS A COMMUNITY-BASED 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION THAT EXISTS FOR MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY. WE DO SO THROUGH OUR CORE PROGRAMMING -- BEYOND SCHOOL, BEYOND JOBS, AND BEYOND CHARITY. THESE PROGRAMS WORK IN TANDEM TO ADDRESS THE POVERTY PIPELINE BY FOCUSING ON EDUCATION, EMPOWERMENT AND OPPORTUNITY. TO MEET THE EMERGING NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, AMERICORPS VISTA HAS PLAYED AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN GROWING ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO FIGHT POVERTY. THIS HAS ALSO BEEN THE CASE FOR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT MISSOURI UNDER M:STL'S INTERMEDIARY MANAGEMENT OVER THE LAST 10+ YEARS. SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE CONNECTED A TOTAL OF 100+ OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO VISTA! WE ARE REQUESTING TO CONTINUE THIS LEGACY AND REMAIN A VISTA INTERMEDIARY THAT CONNECTS, TRAINS AND MANAGES OTHER AGENCIES TO VISTA. WE ANTICIPATE WORKING WITH OVER 34 ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT MISSOURI AND EAST ST. LOUIS, IL. EACH ORGANIZATION IS FIGHTING POVERTY AND WITH THE HELP OF VISTA, ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT WILL BE GREATER. THE GOAL OF THE "VISTA UMBRELLA" PROJECT IS TO TRANSFORM THE COMMUNITIES WHERE VISTA MEMBERS SERVE BY PROVIDING A STRONG SERVICE CORPS, BUILDING SUSTAINABLE NONPROFITS, AND ALLEVIATING POVERTY. IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE OUR GOAL, WE ARE REQUESTING 60 MSY (54 STANDARD, 6 COST SHARE) TO SERVE IN ORGANIZATIONS KNOWN AS "SUBSITES" OVER THE COURSE OF 12 MONTHS. SUBSITE PROJECTS WILL ALIGN WITH AMERICORPS PRIORITY MEASURES: ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, EDUCATION, HEALTHY FUTURES, AND VETERANS & MILITARY FAMILIES. OUR VISTA UMBRELLA CONTINUOUSLY IDENTIFIES POTENTIAL SUBSITE ORGANIZATIONS AND PROVIDES HANDS-ON ASSISTANCE IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS. SUBSITE PROJECTS SUBMIT APPLICATIONS TO THE DIRECTOR OF AMERICORPS SERVICES. THE AMERICORPS SERVICES TEAM CONSISTS OF TWO FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES: DIRECTOR OF AMERICORPS SERVICES AND THE AMERICORPS SERVICES MANAGER. THE DIRECTOR OF AMERICORPS SERVICES WORKS WITH POTENTIAL SITES THROUGHOUT THE APPLICATION PROCESS PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND APPLICATION FEEDBACK. EACH SITE CREATES VADS FOR THEIR MEMBER(S) THAT OUTLINES THE MEMBER'S GOALS AND ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR. ACTIVITIES MAY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: RECRUITING AND TRAINING VOLUNTEERS, DEVELOPING FUNDRAISING PLANS OR RESOURCE GUIDES, CREATING MARKETING MATERIALS, ESTABLISHING DATA MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS, INCREASING VISIBILITY IN THE COMMUNITY, DEVELOPING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, AND DESIGNING SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMS. ONCE AN APPLICATION HAS BEEN APPROVED, THE DIRECTOR OF AMERICORPS SERVICES TRAINS SUPERVISORS, MANAGES AND OVERSEES SITE PROJECTS. THE AMERICORPS SERVICES MANAGER PROVIDES MEMBER SUPPORT AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO ENSURE MEMBER RETENTION. THE VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY IMPACT, WHO HAS BEEN WITH THE PROJECT SINCE ITS INCEPTION, WILL OVERSEE THE PROJECT. WITH THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF THESE TEAM MEMBERS, WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER A ROBUST, HANDS-ON VISTA UMBRELLA PROGRAM THAT EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY PUTS "BOOTS ON THE GROUND" TO FIGHT POVERTY.