Campaign Promises
Other/Miscellaneous -> Independent Organizations -> CNCS | ||
| Item | Independent Organizations | |
| CNCS | Grade | |
| IO-2 | The Promise: "Will build on the foundation of sites like USAFreedomCorps.gov and VolunteerMatch.org and leverage technology to increase awareness of and participation in service opportunities." When/Where: Obama-Biden Plan: "Helping All Americans Serve Their Country", 09/11/08. Source: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/02/national.service.fact.sheet.final.pdf Status:Further to the creation of the website "Serve.org" by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), President Obama signed the Serve America Act (H.R. 1388) into law on 04/21/09. Subtitle G, Section 1704 of the Serve America Act expands on the responsibilities of the CNCS to "...bolster the public awareness of and recruitment efforts for the wide range of service opportunities for citizens of all ages, regardless of socioeconomic status or geographic location, through a variety of methods, including (A) print media; (B) the Internet and related emerging technologies; (C) television; (D) radio; (E) presentations at public or private forums; (F) other innovative methods of communication; and (G) outreach to offices of economic development, State employment security agencies, labor organizations and trade associations, local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, agencies and organizations serving veterans and individuals with disabilities, and other institutions or organizations from which participants for programs receiving assistance from the national service laws can be recruited..." This promise was fulfilled. | 1.00 |
| IO-3 | The Promise: "Expand AmeriCorps from 75,000 slots to 250,000..." When/Where: Obama-Biden Plan: "Enable All Americans to Serve to Meet the Nation's Challenges," undated. Source: https://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20090429185046/http://change.gov/agenda/service_agenda/ Status:The $5.7 billion Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, signed into law on 04/21/09, more than tripled the authorized size of the domestic volunteer group AmeriCorps from 75,000 to 250,000 by FY2017. Incremental manpower increases mandated by this law were as follows: - 88,000 in FY2010 - 115,000 in FY2011 - 140,000 in FY2012 - 170,000 in FY2013 - 200,000 in FY2014 - 210,000 in FY2015 - 235,000 in FY2016 - 250,000 in FY2017 As of end-CY2016, the annual membership for Americorps still averaged about 75,000 annually according to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). The goal of filling the enacted 250,000 slots by FY2017 was not met. This promise was not fulfilled. | 0.00 |
| IO-4 | The Promise: "...will engage more interested seniors into public service opportunities by expanding the Senior Corps program..." When/Where: Obama-Biden Plan: "Helping America's Seniors", dated 10/26/07. Source: https://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20090429185714/http://change.gov/agenda/seniors_and_social_security_agenda/ Status:In the President's 2010 Budget for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), this promise was covered by the statement: "The President's Budget would expand and improve Senior Corps programs, which connect individuals over the age of 55 to local volunteer opportunities, allowing more retirees to help meet the needs and challenges in their communities." For FY2009 (pre-Obama), the enacted budget level for the Senior Corps was $213.7M. Expansion of the Senior Corps was not likely possible without a related funding increase. Consequently Senior Corps funding was increased slightly to $220.9M in FY2010, but was funded below the FY2009 level for FY2011, FY2012 and FY2013 ($207M respectively). The funding level for the Senior Corps went down further to the $202.1M level in FY2014, where it remained for the rest of President Obama's second term in office. This promise was not fulfilled. | 0.00 |
| IO-5 | The Promise: "Will support the creation of an "Artists Corps" of young artists trained to work in low-income schools and their communities." When/Where: Obama-Biden Plan: "Champions for Arts and Culture", dated 09/11/08. Source: http://muzartworld.org/president-barack-obama-and-joe-biden-champions-for-arts-and-culture/ Status:Section 1302 of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (H.R. 1388), signed into law by President Obama on 04/21/09 provides, in part, for "skilled musicians and artists to promote greater community unity through the use of music and arts education and engagement through work in low-income communities..." This initiative was to be an offshoot of the "Education Corps" to be established under the above law. However, Congress never established the "Education Corps." A limited-scope "MusicianCorps" has existed under the umbrella of AmeriCorps to infuse music instruction and service learning into under-resourced elementary and secondary schools in communities with high dropout rates such as in Austin, TX; Denver, CO; and Los Angeles and San Francisco, CA. The logical organization to assume the responsibility for the creation and management of a national-level "Artist Corps" would have been the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). However, no specific "Artist Corps" had been established under CNCS as of end-CY2016. This promise was not fulfilled. | 0.00 |
| IO-6 | The Promise: "Will create a Social Investment Fund Network." When/Where: Obama-Biden Plan: "Helping All Americans Serve Their Country" dated 09/11/08. Source: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/02/national.service.fact.sheet.final.pdf Status:The creation of a Social Investment Fund occurred under the aegis of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, signed into law on 04/21/09 by President Obama. Initial funding in the amount of $50M for this fund, now referred to as the "Social Innovation Fund," came to fruition under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010, signed by President Obama on 12/16/09. This promise was fulfilled. | 1.00 |
| IO-7 | The Promise: "...will also create an energy-focused youth jobs program to invest in disconnected and disadvantaged youth." When/Where: Obama-Biden Plan: "New Energy for America," dated 09/06/08. Source: http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/edg/media/Obama_New_Energy_0804.pdf Status:President Obama created the Clean Energy Service Corps as part of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act he signed into law in 04/09. The Clean Energy Service Corps, part of AmeriCorps, was intended to train people and put them to work installing solar panels, weatherizing low-income homes, conducting home energy audits, and consulting small businesses on their energy use. This promise was fulfilled. | 1.00 |
| IO-8 | The Promise: "Under the current federal work-study program...at least 7 percent of that funding is supposed to go to community service jobs like tutoring...we need to raise the service threshold to 25 percent...will work to help colleges and universities reach the goal of 50 percent in serve-study..." When/Where: Obama-Biden Plan: "Helping All Americans Serve Their Country" dated 09/11/08. Source: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/02/national.service.fact.sheet.final.pdf Status:Under Title 34, Chapter VI, Part 675.18 of the Code of Federal Regulations and the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended), an institution must use at least 7% of the sum of its initial and supplemental Federal Work-Study (FWS) allocations for an award year to compensate students employed in community service activities. As of end-CY2016, Department of Education rules still indicated that schools must use at least 7% of their FWS allocation to employ students in community service jobs with at least one student employed as a reading tutor or performing family literacy activities. There was no meaningful activity during President Obama's two terms in office to raise the community service threshhold to 25%, let alone 50% for college/university serve-study programs. This promise was not fulfilled. | 0.00 |
| IO-9 | The Promise: "I am also going to create a 5-E Youth Service Corps. The "E's" stand for energy efficiency, environmental education and employment." When/Where: Obama Campaign Speech, Hampton, VA, dated 06/05/07. Source: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-the-hampton-university-annual-ministers-conference-hampton-virginia Status:During the Obama Administration, there existed several programs targeted toward America's youth such as the "America's Great Outdoor Initiative" the "21st Century Conservation Service Corps" and "YouthBuild." As of end-CY2016, there was no sign that a specifically promised "5-E Youth Service Corps" had been established, logically under the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the Americorps programs it manages. This promise was not fulfilled. | 0.00 |
| IO-10 | The Promise: "There will be a comprehensive, easily searchable web presence with information about service opportunities, and a full strategy to ensure that people interested in opportunities can find them." When/Where: Obama-Biden Plan: "Helping All Americans Serve Their Country" dated 09/11/08. Source: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/02/national.service.fact.sheet.final.pdf Status:During the Obama Administration, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) refined its web site entitled "nationalservice.gov," an interactive program designed to guide individuals to Americorps and Senior Corps volunteer/service programs that may interest them. Nationalservice.gov has a link entitled "Find a Volunteer Opportunity," a site that provides leads to volunteer opportunities in one's specific area as well as permitting entities with volunteering opportunities to register their projects. The search tool is supported by all modern browsers (i.e. Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox). This promise was fulfilled. | 1.00 |
| IO-11 | The Promise: "...will tie a plan to give schools a substantial infusion of funds to support teachers and principals and improve student learning to the condition that school districts develop programs to engage students in service opportunities." When/Where: Obama-Biden Plan: "Helping All Americans Serve Their Country" dated 09/11/08. Source: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/02/national.service.fact.sheet.final.pdf Status:The perfect vehicle to deliver on this promise was the "Learn and Serve America" (LSA) program. This program offered approximately 1M students from kindergarten through college the opportunity to get involved by integrating community service projects with classroom activities. Funding for the LSA program started to stagnate in FY2009 with funding limited to $37.4M. The LSA budget was hit again in FY2010 (down to $36.5M). Congress killed the LSA program in FY2011. The promise for a "substantial infusion of funds" was not apparent in President Obama's first budget submission to Congress for FY2010. The rest is history. This promise was not fulfilled. | 0.00 |
| IO-12 | The Promise: "...believe that middle and high school students should be expected to engage in community service for 50 hours annually during the school year or summer months. They will develop national guidelines for service-learning and community service programs, and will give schools better tools both to develop successful programs and to document the experience of students at all levels." When/Where: Obama-Biden Plan: "Helping All Americans Serve Their Country" dated 09/11/08. Source: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/02/national.service.fact.sheet.final.pdf Status:The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) "Learn and Serve America" program was the perfect vehicle to support promise fulfillment. This program was cancelled by Congress in FY2011. Other than existing state and district service-learning policies and guidelines, there has been no known development of "national guidelines" or any specific mandate articulated by the Obama Administration to CNCS that ALL middle school and high school students engage in community service. This promise was not fulfilled. | 0.00 |
| IO-13 | The Promise: "...will create an agency within the Corporation for National and Community Service dedicated to building the capacity and effectiveness of the nonprofit sector. The agency will be charged with: improving coordination of programs that support nonprofits across the federal government; fostering nonprofit accountability; streamlining processes for obtaining federal grants and contracts, and eliminating unnecessary requirements; and removing barriers for smaller nonprofits to participate in government programs. The agency will make grants to build the infrastructure of the nonprofit sector and capacity of nonprofit organizations, including their ability to ensure accountability, manage volunteers, and improve outcomes." When/Where: Obama-Biden Plan: "Helping All Americans Serve Their Country" dated 09/11/08. Source: http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/02/national.service.fact.sheet.final.pdf Status:The "Nonprofit Capacity Building Program" (NCBP) was created under the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 (H.R. 1388/S. 277) (also known simply as the "Serve America Act"). This Act directed the establishment of the NCBP by the CNCS. Its establishment satisfied all of the criteria addressed in this promise, specifically to improve nonprofits' performance in communities facing resource hardships. Under the Serve America Act, the NCBP was authorized $25M over a period of five years (FY2010-FY2014). This promise was fulfilled. | 1.00 |