| Corporation for National and Community Service | |
|---|---|
| Agency overview | |
| Jurisdiction | Federal government of the United States |
| Headquarters | 1201 New York Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20525 |
| Employees | 485 (2006) |
| Annual budget | $1.1 billion USD (2010 requested)[1] |
| Agency executive | Patrick Corvington [2] |
| Website | |
| www.nationalservice.gov | |
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America, and other national service initiatives.[3] The agency's mission is to "support the American culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility." While a government agency, CNCS acts much like a foundation, and is the nation’s largest annual grantmaker supporting service and volunteering. CNCS, formerly known as the "Corporation for National Service" or "CNS", was created as an independent agency of the United States government by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993.
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Currently, CNCS delivers several programs that are designed to help communities address poverty, the environment, education, and other unmet human needs. The programs include:
AmeriCorps is a national service program designed to engage Americans in a variety of service. Programs under the AmeriCorps umbrella include VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), National Civilian Community Corps, AmeriCorps National, and AmeriCorps State programs.
On April 21, 2009, the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act was signed into law which reauthorized and dramatically expanded the AmeriCorps volunteer service program. The new law would more than triple the number of available AmeriCorps volunteer slots from then current 75,000 to 250,000 by fiscal year 2017 with 50% of these positions becoming full time. The measure would also tie college tuition aid to demonstrated favorable community impacts; create a pilot Social Innovation Fund; expand eligibility for the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent program; and expand participation by military veterans.
Formerly known as Serve America, Learn and Serve America engages students in community-based organizations and schools in service learning programs.
1990: President George H.W. Bush signs the National and Community Service Act of 1990 into law, ushering in a renewed federal focus on encouraging volunteering in the U.S. This legislation created the new independent federal agency called the Commission on National and Community Service.
1992: Enacted as part of the 1993 Defense Authorization Act, the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is created as a demonstration program to explore the possibility of using post-Cold War military resources to help solve problems here at home. It is modeled on the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps and the United States military.
1993: President Bill Clinton signs into passage The National and Community Service Trust Act, formally merging the federal offices of ACTION and the Commission on National and Community Service, including Serve America and NCCC, to form CNCS, along with the addition of the new AmeriCorps program.
2002: President George W. Bush creates the USA Freedom Corps.
Past CEOs of CNCS include: