Pacific Region National Service Conference Workshops
See the agenda outline here. The list of training workshops are available below.
Keys to Effective Financial Grants Management (CNCS Core Content)
Audiences: Senior Corps, SIF (especially Pay for Success), Operation AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps State/National
This session will assist fiscal and program staff in understanding the basic concepts and responsibilities of managing CNCS grants. Review and discussion will cover Office of Management and Budget (OMB) circulars related to cost principles, CNCS regulations and award provisions, key accounting system requirements, written policies and procedures, internal controls, budgets, match, timesheets, budget controls, financial reporting, documentation, audits, and other related financial requirements.
Managing Your Budget and Program Requirements for AmeriCorps (CNCS Core Content)
Audiences: AmeriCorps, VISTA, Senior Corps
A well-developed budget can be a roadmap to help an organization achieve its programmatic and financial objectives. This session will provide participants with techniques, tools, and tips to effectively review, monitor, and manage a good program budget. Participants will also review and discuss CNCS regulations and award provisions, written policies and procedures, member management, document management and retention, reporting requirements, and unallowable activities.
National Service Criminal History Checks (CNCS Core Content)
Audiences: All programs
Establishing timely and correctly conducted National Service Criminal History Checks is a crucial compliance requirement. This session will help participants gain a clear understanding to whom these requirements apply, the procedures that must be followed, typical compliance challenges, Alternate Search Procedures (ASPs), and the resources available for guidance.
Performance Measurement Session 1: Theory of Change and Evidence (CNCS Core Content)
Audience: AmeriCorps State/National
This session introduces key concepts from CNCS’s Performance Measurement Core Curriculum. Participants will explore how a theory of change strengthens program design and how evidence is used to support a theory of change. This interactive session will include case studies and other activities to practice evaluating theories of change and evidence.
Performance Measurement Session 2: High Quality Performance Measures (CNCS Core Content)
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National
This session introduces key concepts from CNCS’s Performance Measurement Core Curriculum and builds on concepts introduced in the Theory of Change and Evidence session. Participants will learn how to develop high quality performance measures. This interactive session includes opportunities to practice critiquing performance measures.
Performance Measurement: Education Focus Area for FGP/RSVP (CNCS Core Content)
Audiences: RSVP and FGP
This session reviews Education Focus performance measures requirements appropriate for FGP/RSVP and highlights the role of understanding quality data, data collection, and reporting. Participants will practice key learnings through an interactive exercise and discussion.
Performance Measurement: Healthy Futures Focus Area for SCP/RSVP (CNCS Core Content)
Audiences: RSVP and SCP
This session reviews Healthy Futures Focus performance measures requirements appropriate for SCP/RSVP, with an emphasis on the Independent Living objectives, and highlights the role of understanding quality data, data collection, and reporting. Participants will practice key learnings through an interactive exercise and discussion.
Managing Fixed Amount Grants
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National, Senior Corps
Fixed-amount awards require less financial reporting, are exempt from OMB Cost Principles, are not required to submit a budget or track expenditures – but they still bear their share of requirements and performance expectations. Participants in this session will analyze the challenges and benefits of these awards and valuable strategies for Fixed Amount grants management.
Documenting Cash and In-Kind Match
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National, Senior Corps, Tribes, VISTA, SIF
Do you need to track and record cash and in-kind donations? In this session you will learn how to properly calculate and value in-kind donations, record match expenses in the accounting system, avoid match-related findings, and more!
Avoiding Common Fiscal Issues and Pitfalls
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National, Senior Corps, Tribes, VISTA, SIF
This session provides an overview of the issues and pitfalls commonly found in CNCS‐funded programs during Office of Inspector General (OIG) audits, CNCS monitoring and site visits, and other reviews. Participants will examine various issues and learn from others how to establish systems or protocols to avoid or help prevent these types of issues in their organization.
Developing Member and Volunteer Position Descriptions
Audiences: All programs
Position Descriptions serve as a tool to inform, screen, and manage your members, volunteers, and other service participants. A well-written description thoroughly details the expectations, requirements, and skills and knowledge needed, and helps to ensure your program and those who participate in your program are doing what you and they are tasked to do.
Making National Days of Service Work for Your Program
Audiences: All programs
The Corporation for National and Community Service, along with other service focused organizations honor many days throughout the year where individuals can serve in memory of or in honor of a larger theme. This session will explore the benefits of integrating national days of service into your programming.
Outreach and Recruitment
Audiences: All programs
All national service programs must consider the diverse audiences that exist as potential members and/or volunteers. Understand the people, places, and mediums that can help to attract and recruit a diverse audience in terms of age, race and ethnicity, economic background, gender, etc.
Selling the Benefits of your Program: Crafting Your Message
Audiences: All programs
Effectively told stories can trump data, campaign contributions, ignorance and apathy. This session focuses on key skill areas necessary to craft stories that inspire action. Participants learn to market their program to policymakers, the media, funders, and others who can provide resources, funds, and other support.
Engaging Boomers
Audiences: All programs
Go beyond stereotypes and statistics to explore possibilities in this interactive session and learn to engage Boomers effectively in your programs. The stage of life we used to consider “the retirement years” has shifted considerably, particularly for the Boomer generation. Many of us can now look forward to a productive time between mid-life and old age – an “encore” act.
Equipping Volunteers and Members to Succeed: Tips for In-service Training and Member Development
Audiences: All programs
Well-planned training benefits national service participants, the people they serve, and improves outcomes for projects and programs. This workshop will provide tips for both AmeriCorps and Senior Corps to help build the skills and knowledge of individual participants; provide opportunities to reflect and recharge; and build community among your members and volunteers.
Working With Difficult People
Audiences: All programs
We all have people who push our buttons. They drain our energy, take us off track and infect the rest of our life. Nothing can change the fact that some people are simply more difficult to deal with. What you can change is your reaction. Success depends on being able to recognize and respond appropriately to different behaviors and situations. In this workshop you will learn successful strategies and tips for dealing with difficult people so that you can end your frustration, act rather than react and be more successful.
Building Partnerships
Audiences: All programs
Many issues facing communities today are dynamic and interrelated, necessitating a coordinated approach on the part of organizations and individuals aiming to make a positive impact on their communities. This workshop will discuss how strategic partnerships can be leveraged to move your organization into the future.
Make Life Work For You!
Audiences: All programs
Changing economic times and increased work responsibilities have us pulled in multiple directions. Additionally, the lines between work and personal life are often blurred. In this session, participants learn about and apply stress management and organizational tools that can help facilitate an appropriate work/life balance.
Bridges Out of Poverty
Audiences: All programs
This workshop focuses on understanding the dynamics that cause and maintain poverty from the individual to the systemic level. Bridges Out of Poverty uses the lens of economic class and outlines tools and strategies to prevent, reduce, and alleviate poverty.
Social Media and Technology Tools
Audiences: All programs
Organizations need to take advantage of every opportunity to maximize their marketing and social media presence and efficiently use online tools. In this session learn how to build a social media strategy, promote your organization, and learn about free technology tools and resources!
Innovative National Service Programs
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National; VGF
This session will provide an opportunity to hear from organizations featured in the 2014 Edition of Transforming Communities Through Service: The Most Innovative AmeriCorps State and Volunteer Generation Fund Programs. Learn directly from Pacific region programs featured in the publication about their strategies to effectively manage their program to address community issues and support AmeriCorps members.
Creating Sustainable Programming
Audiences: All programs
A sustainable program continues engaging a community’s citizens to meet the needs of the community, through potentially changing circumstances and sources of support. This workshop will explore best practices and strategies from organizations who have successfully developed sustainable programs.
Effective Multi-Site Management
Audiences: All programs
Multi-site programming comes with its own unique set of challenges. This session is designed to enhance program monitoring strategies. Topics of discussion include the grantee responsibility, site training techniques, basic areas to review, frequently found monitoring issues, and best practices.
Coordinating Projects in Rural Communities
Audiences: All programs
Rural communities present unique opportunities and challenges for national service. This workshop will offer research-based best practices for effectively entering and serving in rural communities to ensure that your members and volunteers are successful while maximizing the benefit to the communities.
State Service Commission Facilitated Discussion
Audiences: State Service Commissions
This session is an opportunity for state service commission staff to network and discuss key topics and issues related to supporting programs and managing their commission.
Senior Corps Best Practice Clinic
Audiences: Senior Corps
Multiple topics will be covered in these best practice clinics, including volunteer recruitment, working with veterans, volunteer retention, volunteer training, member recruitment, team building, member training, in-kind donations, multiple generations and more.
AmeriCorps Best Practice Clinic
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National
Multiple topics will be covered in these best practice clinics, including volunteer recruitment, volunteer retention, volunteer training, member recruitment, team building, working with veterans, member training, in-kind donations, multiple generations and more.
Senior Corps Town Hall
Audiences: Senior Corps
AmeriCorps/State Service Commission Town Hall
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National; State Service Commissions
Understanding Allowable Member Activities
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National
Participants will explore, discuss and diagnose real life program scenarios that have them think more critically about allowable, unallowable and prohibited activities – their meanings, how they show up and their implications.
Evaluating Your Impact: Moving from Theory to Practice
Audiences: All programs
Exceptional evaluation not only proves the value of the program to community, funders, and stakeholders, but also improves the program effects for those it is intended to serve. Too often, however, evaluation fails to give us a crisp and clear picture of impact. This session will cover everything from designing simple, elegant and meaningful evaluation to communicating results convincingly and with credibility.
Get More Done with AmeriCorps NCCC
Audiences: All programs
AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is a national service program that provides small teams of 18-24 year-olds to non-profits, government agencies, and faith-based organizations to work on a variety of projects lasting 2-8 weeks. This interactive session will provide an overview of the AmeriCorps NCCC program, describe how NCCC partners with organizations, review the Sponsor application process. As a fully-funded federal resource, AmeriCorps NCCC does not require a fiscal match or payment of any kind. Current and past Project Sponsors will be on-hand to share their experience and answer questions. Come learn how AmeriCorps NCCC can help you get more done!
Developing a Case Statement for Your Volunteer Program
Audiences: All programs
Are you looking to secure additional resources or build greater internal support for your organization’s volunteer engagement strategy? If so, building a compelling case statement is an important next step. In this workshop, we will discuss the key elements of a case statement: ways in which to quantify your organization’s return on investment, how to leverage existing research to bolster your case, and effective strategies for sharing your case statement with executive leadership.
The 3C's along the Yellow Brick Road
Audiences: All programs
Dorothy found herself in a place she’d never been before and had to follow the yellow brick road home. Learn about this wonderful metaphor and discover what Dorothy learned about caring for herself , others and the community.
Fairy Tale Communication
Audiences All programs
Your voice tone, timing and fluctuations change the way in which you are perceived. Learn to make the most of your volunteer experience through communication technique learned in this highly interactive session. Come with me to enter the world of princesses, godfathers, knights and vagabonds.
Engaging Faith Based Organizations
Audiences: All programs
Faith-based organizations play an important role in strengthening communities, and are positioned to do even more. This panel discussion will examine the critical roles faith based organizations play in community development and how to collaborate with them for more impact.
Advanced Volunteer Management Institute - March 27
Keep Calm and Motivate! They come to work for a cause, not applause. But how do you keep them coming back and engaged after the initial sparks of gratification have given way to the realization that there's work to be done. Using assessment tools, discover the untapped energy of highly motivated volunteers Learn three strategies to understand and work with your volunteers to achieve remarkable success for your organization. Tap into the listener's subconscious using body language to speak beyond the conscious mind and activate discretionary effort. Use influential language to anticipate and diffuse resistance. Managing volunteers by connecting to their motivation will create happy and productive volunteers who can help you change the world!
Spontaneous Volunteer Management Institute - March 27
Volunteers – sometimes hundreds, sometimes thousands – show up to help after a disaster, bringing skills, energy and compassion to the relief effort. These volunteers can be vital to disaster response and recovery. This training seeks to help National Service Programs understand the benefits and challenges associated with the management of spontaneous unaffiliated volunteers and to clarify roles that your program might play in the management of this effort.
Audiences: Senior Corps, SIF (especially Pay for Success), Operation AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps State/National
This session will assist fiscal and program staff in understanding the basic concepts and responsibilities of managing CNCS grants. Review and discussion will cover Office of Management and Budget (OMB) circulars related to cost principles, CNCS regulations and award provisions, key accounting system requirements, written policies and procedures, internal controls, budgets, match, timesheets, budget controls, financial reporting, documentation, audits, and other related financial requirements.
Managing Your Budget and Program Requirements for AmeriCorps (CNCS Core Content)
Audiences: AmeriCorps, VISTA, Senior Corps
A well-developed budget can be a roadmap to help an organization achieve its programmatic and financial objectives. This session will provide participants with techniques, tools, and tips to effectively review, monitor, and manage a good program budget. Participants will also review and discuss CNCS regulations and award provisions, written policies and procedures, member management, document management and retention, reporting requirements, and unallowable activities.
National Service Criminal History Checks (CNCS Core Content)
Audiences: All programs
Establishing timely and correctly conducted National Service Criminal History Checks is a crucial compliance requirement. This session will help participants gain a clear understanding to whom these requirements apply, the procedures that must be followed, typical compliance challenges, Alternate Search Procedures (ASPs), and the resources available for guidance.
Performance Measurement Session 1: Theory of Change and Evidence (CNCS Core Content)
Audience: AmeriCorps State/National
This session introduces key concepts from CNCS’s Performance Measurement Core Curriculum. Participants will explore how a theory of change strengthens program design and how evidence is used to support a theory of change. This interactive session will include case studies and other activities to practice evaluating theories of change and evidence.
Performance Measurement Session 2: High Quality Performance Measures (CNCS Core Content)
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National
This session introduces key concepts from CNCS’s Performance Measurement Core Curriculum and builds on concepts introduced in the Theory of Change and Evidence session. Participants will learn how to develop high quality performance measures. This interactive session includes opportunities to practice critiquing performance measures.
Performance Measurement: Education Focus Area for FGP/RSVP (CNCS Core Content)
Audiences: RSVP and FGP
This session reviews Education Focus performance measures requirements appropriate for FGP/RSVP and highlights the role of understanding quality data, data collection, and reporting. Participants will practice key learnings through an interactive exercise and discussion.
Performance Measurement: Healthy Futures Focus Area for SCP/RSVP (CNCS Core Content)
Audiences: RSVP and SCP
This session reviews Healthy Futures Focus performance measures requirements appropriate for SCP/RSVP, with an emphasis on the Independent Living objectives, and highlights the role of understanding quality data, data collection, and reporting. Participants will practice key learnings through an interactive exercise and discussion.
Managing Fixed Amount Grants
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National, Senior Corps
Fixed-amount awards require less financial reporting, are exempt from OMB Cost Principles, are not required to submit a budget or track expenditures – but they still bear their share of requirements and performance expectations. Participants in this session will analyze the challenges and benefits of these awards and valuable strategies for Fixed Amount grants management.
Documenting Cash and In-Kind Match
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National, Senior Corps, Tribes, VISTA, SIF
Do you need to track and record cash and in-kind donations? In this session you will learn how to properly calculate and value in-kind donations, record match expenses in the accounting system, avoid match-related findings, and more!
Avoiding Common Fiscal Issues and Pitfalls
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National, Senior Corps, Tribes, VISTA, SIF
This session provides an overview of the issues and pitfalls commonly found in CNCS‐funded programs during Office of Inspector General (OIG) audits, CNCS monitoring and site visits, and other reviews. Participants will examine various issues and learn from others how to establish systems or protocols to avoid or help prevent these types of issues in their organization.
Developing Member and Volunteer Position Descriptions
Audiences: All programs
Position Descriptions serve as a tool to inform, screen, and manage your members, volunteers, and other service participants. A well-written description thoroughly details the expectations, requirements, and skills and knowledge needed, and helps to ensure your program and those who participate in your program are doing what you and they are tasked to do.
Making National Days of Service Work for Your Program
Audiences: All programs
The Corporation for National and Community Service, along with other service focused organizations honor many days throughout the year where individuals can serve in memory of or in honor of a larger theme. This session will explore the benefits of integrating national days of service into your programming.
Outreach and Recruitment
Audiences: All programs
All national service programs must consider the diverse audiences that exist as potential members and/or volunteers. Understand the people, places, and mediums that can help to attract and recruit a diverse audience in terms of age, race and ethnicity, economic background, gender, etc.
Selling the Benefits of your Program: Crafting Your Message
Audiences: All programs
Effectively told stories can trump data, campaign contributions, ignorance and apathy. This session focuses on key skill areas necessary to craft stories that inspire action. Participants learn to market their program to policymakers, the media, funders, and others who can provide resources, funds, and other support.
Engaging Boomers
Audiences: All programs
Go beyond stereotypes and statistics to explore possibilities in this interactive session and learn to engage Boomers effectively in your programs. The stage of life we used to consider “the retirement years” has shifted considerably, particularly for the Boomer generation. Many of us can now look forward to a productive time between mid-life and old age – an “encore” act.
Equipping Volunteers and Members to Succeed: Tips for In-service Training and Member Development
Audiences: All programs
Well-planned training benefits national service participants, the people they serve, and improves outcomes for projects and programs. This workshop will provide tips for both AmeriCorps and Senior Corps to help build the skills and knowledge of individual participants; provide opportunities to reflect and recharge; and build community among your members and volunteers.
Working With Difficult People
Audiences: All programs
We all have people who push our buttons. They drain our energy, take us off track and infect the rest of our life. Nothing can change the fact that some people are simply more difficult to deal with. What you can change is your reaction. Success depends on being able to recognize and respond appropriately to different behaviors and situations. In this workshop you will learn successful strategies and tips for dealing with difficult people so that you can end your frustration, act rather than react and be more successful.
Building Partnerships
Audiences: All programs
Many issues facing communities today are dynamic and interrelated, necessitating a coordinated approach on the part of organizations and individuals aiming to make a positive impact on their communities. This workshop will discuss how strategic partnerships can be leveraged to move your organization into the future.
Make Life Work For You!
Audiences: All programs
Changing economic times and increased work responsibilities have us pulled in multiple directions. Additionally, the lines between work and personal life are often blurred. In this session, participants learn about and apply stress management and organizational tools that can help facilitate an appropriate work/life balance.
Bridges Out of Poverty
Audiences: All programs
This workshop focuses on understanding the dynamics that cause and maintain poverty from the individual to the systemic level. Bridges Out of Poverty uses the lens of economic class and outlines tools and strategies to prevent, reduce, and alleviate poverty.
Social Media and Technology Tools
Audiences: All programs
Organizations need to take advantage of every opportunity to maximize their marketing and social media presence and efficiently use online tools. In this session learn how to build a social media strategy, promote your organization, and learn about free technology tools and resources!
Innovative National Service Programs
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National; VGF
This session will provide an opportunity to hear from organizations featured in the 2014 Edition of Transforming Communities Through Service: The Most Innovative AmeriCorps State and Volunteer Generation Fund Programs. Learn directly from Pacific region programs featured in the publication about their strategies to effectively manage their program to address community issues and support AmeriCorps members.
Creating Sustainable Programming
Audiences: All programs
A sustainable program continues engaging a community’s citizens to meet the needs of the community, through potentially changing circumstances and sources of support. This workshop will explore best practices and strategies from organizations who have successfully developed sustainable programs.
Effective Multi-Site Management
Audiences: All programs
Multi-site programming comes with its own unique set of challenges. This session is designed to enhance program monitoring strategies. Topics of discussion include the grantee responsibility, site training techniques, basic areas to review, frequently found monitoring issues, and best practices.
Coordinating Projects in Rural Communities
Audiences: All programs
Rural communities present unique opportunities and challenges for national service. This workshop will offer research-based best practices for effectively entering and serving in rural communities to ensure that your members and volunteers are successful while maximizing the benefit to the communities.
State Service Commission Facilitated Discussion
Audiences: State Service Commissions
This session is an opportunity for state service commission staff to network and discuss key topics and issues related to supporting programs and managing their commission.
Senior Corps Best Practice Clinic
Audiences: Senior Corps
Multiple topics will be covered in these best practice clinics, including volunteer recruitment, working with veterans, volunteer retention, volunteer training, member recruitment, team building, member training, in-kind donations, multiple generations and more.
AmeriCorps Best Practice Clinic
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National
Multiple topics will be covered in these best practice clinics, including volunteer recruitment, volunteer retention, volunteer training, member recruitment, team building, working with veterans, member training, in-kind donations, multiple generations and more.
Senior Corps Town Hall
Audiences: Senior Corps
AmeriCorps/State Service Commission Town Hall
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National; State Service Commissions
Understanding Allowable Member Activities
Audiences: AmeriCorps State/National
Participants will explore, discuss and diagnose real life program scenarios that have them think more critically about allowable, unallowable and prohibited activities – their meanings, how they show up and their implications.
Evaluating Your Impact: Moving from Theory to Practice
Audiences: All programs
Exceptional evaluation not only proves the value of the program to community, funders, and stakeholders, but also improves the program effects for those it is intended to serve. Too often, however, evaluation fails to give us a crisp and clear picture of impact. This session will cover everything from designing simple, elegant and meaningful evaluation to communicating results convincingly and with credibility.
Get More Done with AmeriCorps NCCC
Audiences: All programs
AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is a national service program that provides small teams of 18-24 year-olds to non-profits, government agencies, and faith-based organizations to work on a variety of projects lasting 2-8 weeks. This interactive session will provide an overview of the AmeriCorps NCCC program, describe how NCCC partners with organizations, review the Sponsor application process. As a fully-funded federal resource, AmeriCorps NCCC does not require a fiscal match or payment of any kind. Current and past Project Sponsors will be on-hand to share their experience and answer questions. Come learn how AmeriCorps NCCC can help you get more done!
Developing a Case Statement for Your Volunteer Program
Audiences: All programs
Are you looking to secure additional resources or build greater internal support for your organization’s volunteer engagement strategy? If so, building a compelling case statement is an important next step. In this workshop, we will discuss the key elements of a case statement: ways in which to quantify your organization’s return on investment, how to leverage existing research to bolster your case, and effective strategies for sharing your case statement with executive leadership.
The 3C's along the Yellow Brick Road
Audiences: All programs
Dorothy found herself in a place she’d never been before and had to follow the yellow brick road home. Learn about this wonderful metaphor and discover what Dorothy learned about caring for herself , others and the community.
Fairy Tale Communication
Audiences All programs
Your voice tone, timing and fluctuations change the way in which you are perceived. Learn to make the most of your volunteer experience through communication technique learned in this highly interactive session. Come with me to enter the world of princesses, godfathers, knights and vagabonds.
Engaging Faith Based Organizations
Audiences: All programs
Faith-based organizations play an important role in strengthening communities, and are positioned to do even more. This panel discussion will examine the critical roles faith based organizations play in community development and how to collaborate with them for more impact.
Advanced Volunteer Management Institute - March 27
Keep Calm and Motivate! They come to work for a cause, not applause. But how do you keep them coming back and engaged after the initial sparks of gratification have given way to the realization that there's work to be done. Using assessment tools, discover the untapped energy of highly motivated volunteers Learn three strategies to understand and work with your volunteers to achieve remarkable success for your organization. Tap into the listener's subconscious using body language to speak beyond the conscious mind and activate discretionary effort. Use influential language to anticipate and diffuse resistance. Managing volunteers by connecting to their motivation will create happy and productive volunteers who can help you change the world!
Spontaneous Volunteer Management Institute - March 27
Volunteers – sometimes hundreds, sometimes thousands – show up to help after a disaster, bringing skills, energy and compassion to the relief effort. These volunteers can be vital to disaster response and recovery. This training seeks to help National Service Programs understand the benefits and challenges associated with the management of spontaneous unaffiliated volunteers and to clarify roles that your program might play in the management of this effort.
This material is based upon work supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service under FY 2014 Training and Technical Assistance - Regional Training Conferences Grant No.14TCHUT001. Opinions or points of view expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of, or a position that is endorsed by, the Corporation or the Regional Training Conferences program.
