Introduction

Public Allies Arizona is excited to offer you an opportunity to propose a community-based service project using a small group of Public Allies AmeriCorps members to build your organization’s capacity.

Public Allies is a 10-month full-time nonprofit apprenticeship program that trains the next generation of leaders. Our mission is to create a just and equitable society and the diverse leadership to sustain it. We are changing the face and practice of leadership in communities by demonstrating our conviction that everyone can lead, and that lasting social change results when citizens of all backgrounds step up, take responsibility, and work together.

The Public Allies Team Service Project (TSP) is an experiential learning opportunity integral to the apprenticeship. Allies partner with a nonprofit or community group to create, implement, and evaluate a sustainable, community-based service project. Over the course of the project, from October through the end of April, the teams of Allies spend a minimum of 100 hours working on the Team Service Project.

This project utilizes a formal request for proposal (RFP) process for the initial project selection. We encourage you to submit your project ideas, even if you are not sure exactly how to implement the project. Once the partnership is formed, projects are collaboratively developed and finalized by all parties based on discussion and exploration.

Public Allies staff, alumni, and Allies will consider multiple potential projects in order to find the best match possible that ensures maximum impact for community work. Our goal is to create projects in partnership with our local community that will both celebrate and serve the public in powerful and effective ways. We look forward to hearing from you!

Team Service Project details

Project partner benefits

1. Increased capacity to pilot something new, improve existing services, or adapt to recent changes caused by COVID-19
2. Allies spend a minimum of 100 hours working on the Team Service Project
3. Allies complete 20+ hours of training on topics that support project planning and execution*
4. Team support and coaching from Public Allies staff, 2nd year Allies, and alumni
5. Connection to a robust network of professionals and organizations associated with the Public Allies Arizona and ASU Lodestar Center

* Topics include: Building Capacity in Nonprofit Organizations, Asset Based Community Development, Developing Collaborations, Community Outreach, Project Planning/Management, Group and Meeting Facilitation, Volunteer Engagement, Performance Measurement/Using Data

Project partner requirements

1. Commit to supporting and engaging with a team of Public Allies AmeriCorps members, providing basic management and help on tasks as needed
2. Ensure the project falls within one of the AmeriCorps focus areas and is free of AmeriCorps Prohibited Activities
3. Fully fund the project. Allies may not raise money for their projects, but may help secure in-kind products or services. Each TSP team will have $50 available to use for incidental items such as office supplies, copying and other small purchases
4. Attend (virtual) Project Orientation in order to meet Ally group and outline partnership (see timeline below)
5. Complete the project by deadline (see timeline)
6. Present TSP Project with Ally team at Presentations of Impact (see timeline)

Project partner expectations

1. Utilize a team of Allies for all phases of project (see timeline)
2. Co-create a project that is community-driven and provides a direct service to a community or builds the capacity of a non-profit or community
3. Develop project with measurable outcomes and SMART objectives
4. Build on the assets of the community to promote ownership of the project and local empowerment
5. Maintain active support, commit time and resources, proactively solve problems, ensure staff buy-in, and communicate both promptly and regularly with Allies and Program Managers
6. Provide organizational and staff support throughout the duration of the project

Proposal information

Selection criteria

Projects will be selected based on potential community impact, how well the project builds on assets within the community it serves, sustainability, and potential for collaboration between the Ally group and potential project partner.

Project examples

Listed below are project examples for each of the Americorps focus areas.

Healthy Futures

Inter-generational gardening project: Collaborate with youth-serving agencies to engage youth and adults to plant flowers at the homes of elders and learn about sustainable gardening

Education

Girl empowerment conference: Work with organizations in the community to coordinate a community-wide conference for young girls of color to explore their identity, leadership, and encourage civic engagement in their community

Economic Opportunity

Volunteer program enhancement: Enhance local community center’s finance education program by redefining needs and expectations for corporate volunteer groups, designing a menu for groups to choose from, creating a volunteer manual, and coordinating the execution of the first project

Disaster Services

Volunteer and partner engagement: Coordinate with physicians at a local hospital to create a volunteer training program for county-wide COVID19 testing centers, establish a corporate partnership program to ensure a steady supply of PPE

Environmental Stewardship

Habitat restoration and community education: Partner with local parks service to identify and restore multiple habitat sites for specific endangered species and collaborate with parks service education coordinator to design K-5 endangered species curriculum for public school teachers that aligns with grade-level state education standards

Veterans/Military Families

Veterans and higher education: Partner with university veterans center to increase retention of student veterans through development of resources for student veterans experiencing mental health challenges that incorporates alumni mentorship and online resources

Acknowledgements

Public Allies is a national organization with sites throughout the United States. We would like to acknowledge the staff and Allies at the Twin Cities site for their embodiment of our core value of collaboration by sharing Team Service Project documents, planning resources, and insight over the past several years. This document and other aspects of our planning process were modeled directly after their shared resources.