Social Impact Investing

indicate that more Americans want to serve – and that such talent could be put to good
use to contribute to national renewal and stronger communities.
National Service
National service has been a part of the fabric of American society since the founding of
the country. It encompasses various models of public service including military service,
and civilian service, such as AmeriCorps. Typically it is characterized by dedicated
service to a single year or multi-year commitment at a single nonprofit organization.
Participants benefit from a stipend of some sort that is important due to the fact that
national service can be a part-time or full-time commitment, but the nature of the
commitment precludes the participant from other full-time work.
Serve America Act
In April 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America
Act reauthorizing and expanding national service programs. The law added the number
of AmeriCorps positions from 75,000 to 250,000 and created four new service
corps. [12][13] It was the most significant piece of national service legislation since the
1993 The National and Community Service Trust Act signed into law by President Bill
Clinton.
After laying out a plan for expanding AmeriCorps, the Administration launched FEMA
Corps, a new service corps that builds upon the long-standing partnership between
NCCC and Federal Emergency Management Agency through the creation of 1600 new
AmeriCorps positions focused on disaster preparedness and relief activities. Enabled by
new federal funding, these incremental corps members will gain hands-on experience
and new skills that will improve their own professional prospects for the rest of their lives
while they are increasing national resilience. Since the announcement, FEMA Corps
members have been on the ground, helping with the coordinated response to disasters
such as Superstorm Sandy in New York and New Jersey and the tornadoes in
Oklahoma.
Presidential Memorandum on National Service
In July 2013, President Obama announced a Presidential Memorandum on expanding
national service. The memorandum supports new partnerships between federal
agencies and Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to expand
national service opportunities for Americans. The memorandum, which created a Task
Force consisting of members of Cabinet, focused on expanding national service.
Agencies are required to create a plan to utilize national service and volunteering. The
Task Force is chaired by the CEO of CNCS and the Director of the Domestic Policy
Council.
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