• A National Sex Offender Public Registry check
• EITHER a state criminal registry check OR an FBI fingerprint check
• After October 2011, programs must conduct all three checks on individuals serving vulnerable populations

Check with your program officer for CNCS current policy. You can learn more official information online:

• National Service Criminal History Checks
• VISTA-specific information

In a national service environment, it is helpful to let recruits know about the history checks ahead of time, as this will discourage "red flag" prospects from following through on their applications.

While VISTA conducts checks on candidates, it is often the responsibility of AmeriCorps state and national programs to run checks on their recruits. For programs running sex offender, state, and national checks, it is important to know:

• The process
• The timeframe
• What to expect and what you'll get
• Things that can go wrong

A resource on conducting criminal history checks is available to download as a Word document. The resource covers the four items listed above.

AmeriCorps state and national programs have additional considerations.

Also check out the Staff Screening Toolkit [PDF] developed by the Nonprofit Risk Management Center. This toolkit provides a practical approach to screening paid and volunteer staff.

Go on to Making Decisions

Your press release may pack a bigger punch if you combine a recruitment pitch with a human interest story about an older member. That AmeriCorps members over 55 can give their Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards to a child, grandchild, or foster child provides an added incentive for retirees to serve (this benefit is not available to VISTAs).

This sample release was adapted from interviews with members of the ESD 112's Washington Reading Corps (Vancouver, WA). Some things to remember about creating your own release are:

• Include clear contact information
• Use active voice
• Describe a person or job that would interest your target audience

This resource was designed by VISTAs for their successors. You can adapt this volunteer management tip sheet to fit your own program.

Consider how volunteer roles and responsibilities differ from member positions. This will help ensure clarity about positions within your organization. Volunteers may not be displaced by members.

This tip sheet was contributed by Chicago Public Schools Homeless Education Program (Chicago, IL) , a VISTA program that works with low income and homeless students to assure they are provided with educational opportunities that are equal to those of other students.

A volunteer placement form allows volunteers, volunteer coordinators, and school staff to know the details and contact information of everyone involved in the recruitment and placement process. When developing your form consider how volunteer roles and responsibilities differ from member positions. This will help ensure clarity about positions within your organization. Volunteers may not be displaced by members.

This volunteer tool was contributed by Schools of Hope project (Madison, WI), a VISTA program that trains and coordinates academic tutors for low-income students and students of color in the primary grades to improve academic achievement.

A volunteer application allows you to secure the best volunteers for your program. You, members, and potential volunteers know exactly what is expected of them. When developing your application consider how volunteer roles and responsibilities differ from member positions. This will help ensure clarity about positions within your organization. Volunteers may not be displaced by members. This sample application will give you an understanding of a clear, well designed volunteer description. It includes confidentiality statements.

This volunteer tool was contributed by Schools of Hope project (Madison, WI), a VISTA program that trains and coordinates academic tutors for low-income students and students of color in the primary grades to improve academic achievement.

Finding great volunteers can be a challenge for new programs and for first year AmeriCorps members. This recruitment tip sheet will support you and your members as you start the difficult task of creating a database of volunteer connections. It will give you ideas so you can create a system of volunteer recruitment that you can use year after year.

This tip sheet was contributed by Chicago Public Schools Homeless Education Program (Chicago, IL), a VISTA program that works with low income and homeless students to assure they are provided with educational opportunities that are equal to those of other students.

• Set expectations for members:
  • Let them know how often they'll be expected to sign on, contribute, etc.
  • Consider incorporating expectations into member contracts
• Make technology-based tools part of your everyday activities:
  • Use them regularly to share information
  • Encourage members to post photos, videos, comments, and questions
  • Use prompts to get discussions going about member-development topics or other issues
  • Use discussion boards to continue a conversation that began at a training or meeting

When choosing a networking site or discussion board software, consider these suggestions:

• Check out your options and choose the best tool for you.
  • Programs we've talked to have used Facebook, MySpace and myfamily.com
  • Be aware of any costs
• Don't be intimidated - most sites have easy, step-by-step instructions for setting up new groups and pages
  • Find out if one of your members or alumni has expertise in using these tools and ask for help
• Restrict use/viewing to "invite only"
  • Scrutinize "friend requests" from others
• Let members know they will have to sign up to access the group you establish
• Send new and potential members an invitation to join as soon as possible

Remind members that the skills they learn from using these tools will help them after service.

Go back to Supervising Members From Afar

Social networking sites
Social networking sites are online communities of people with similar interests. "Invite-only" groups can be created to limit access to members.

• Personal: Facebook, MySpace
• Professional: LinkedIn
• Create your own: Ning

Discussion boards
Discussion boards are online forums for discussing topics that allow readers to reply. Use to share ideas, problem-solve, and discuss specific issues. Restrict access with "invite-only" setting.

• Examples: Google Groups, Yahoo Groups, Aimoo

Blogs
Blogs are regularly updated logs or journals, sometimes focused on specific topics, that allow for reply-posts.

• Examples: Wordpress, Blogger, TypePad

Online Ticket Systems
Ticket tracking systems coordinate tasks and manage requests among a community of users.

• Examples: Request Tracker (RT), Open-source Ticket Request System (OTRS)


Click play to hear how Joyce Fosdick of Keystone SMILES AmeriCorps (Knox, PA) uses an online ticket system to track issues and share solutions with members across rural Pennsylvania.

Media Tools
A few of the many tools available to edit and store media files online.

• Digital audio editor: Audacity
• Digital photo editor and manager: Picasa
• Online photo sharing: Flickr
• Online photo and video editing and storage: Photobucket

Productivity Tools
Share and edit documents and workspaces online.

• Create and edit Web pages together: Wikispaces
• Collaborate on word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations: Google Docs

Go on to Making Technology Work for You

This questionnaire asks members to reflect on personal skills gained during the service year as well as what the program is doing well or could improve. It's used at the end of the service year, but could also be given earlier in the year to measure members' growth in the program.

This resource was contributed by AppalCORPS (Athens, OH), an AmeriCorps*State program that provides literacy-based services (such as tutoring, volunteer work) in four Ohio counties.

This easy-to-understand survey can be used as the springboard for discussions with departing members. It also is a way to track what members' plans are after service.

It was contributed by Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (Taos, NM), an AmeriCorps program that recognizes and engages the strengths and potential of youth through team service in the schools, the communities, and the landscapes of northern New Mexico.

Capturing the service experience

Organize an end-of-year project with help from the Iowa Campus Compact. Use or adapt this resource to design your own portfolio or other culminating product.

The Iowa Campus Compact (IACC) VISTA program (Waverly, IA) helps 21 colleges and universities build, support, and develop their students' capacity to be better stewards of the community.

Look at these resources for ideas on prompting reflection:

• Introduction to reflection
• Reflection activities
• End of year project
• Group reflection: The Council Process
• Group reflection: Group Reading
• Group reflection: Youth Resumes

Click play to hear Laura Firtel of Notre Dame AmeriCorps (Apopka, FL) discuss how reflection can impact retention and encourage members to serve another term.