Strategic Sustainability 

Performance Plan 

2014 
Corporation for National and Community Service 

2014 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan 

Submitted on June 28, 2014 

Contents 

Agency Policy Statement 1

Executive Summary 3

Size and Scope of Agency Operations 5

Table 1: Agency Size and Scope 5

Performance Review for Each Goal 6

Goal 1: Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction 6

Goal 3: Fleet Management 7

Goal 4: Water Use Efficiency and Management 8

Goal 5: Pollution Prevention and Waste Reduction 9

Goal 6: Sustainable Acquisition 9

Goal 7: Electronic Stewardship and Data Centers 9

Points of Contact 

Jeffrey Page, Chief Operating Officer and Acting Strategic Sustainability Officer 

jpage@cns.gov | 202.606.6632 

John Kelly, Deputy Chief of Staff 

jkelly@cns.gov | 202.606.6743 

Victoria Emerson, Director, Office of Administrative and Management Services (OAMS) 

vemerson@cns.gov | 202.606.6668 

Debra Forrestel, Support Services Specialist, OAMS 

dforrestel@cns.gov | 202.606.3610
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I. Agency Policy Statement 

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is an independent Executive Branch 

Agency. Our mission is to engage Americans in service and volunteering across the country to 

improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement. 

CNCS is committed to fulfilling its responsibilities under Executive Order 13514 - Federal Leadership 

in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance. We are committed to decreasing energy 

demands through increased energy efficiency and conservation, Green House Gas (GHG) emissions 

reduction, energy, water and waste reduction, and we promote programs focused on environmental 

stewardship and energy conservation. 

CNCS has many facilities located throughout the country that are leased through and reported by 

General Services Administration (GSA). We work closely with GSA when obtaining new space, 

conducting space renovations, or providing furnishings and equipment that meet energy efficiency 

and sustainability standards. The CNCS headquarters facility, which houses the majority of our 

employees, is a certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) building, which 

received a LEED Operations and Maintenance award from the U.S. Green Building Council. 

Through the Smart Benefits Program, we subsidize employee commuter transportation costs for 

metro, bus, or train. We encourage the effective use of telework and alternate work schedules for its 

employees. We regularly make use of conference calls, teleconferences, and web-based meetings as 

an alternative to commuting for large face to face meetings. Staff travel is reviewed for mission 

critical requirement and has been reduced to meet GHG reduction targets. 

We have implemented practices of our members at AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps 

(NCCC) campuses for room assignments and work scheduling to improve energy efficiency at those 

sites. We have recycling programs for paper, bottles, and cans at all facilities. 

The AmeriCorps NCCC program leases a fleet of GSA vehicles to support staff and members who 

travel around the country to provide critical service to underserved communities. We regularly 

evaluate our vehicle fleet to ensure that all vehicles are essential and work with GSA to obtain the 

most fuel efficient vehicles that meet our mission goals. 

We have also worked to ensure carbon offsets to fleet vehicle travel by: 

 Maximizing van and minivan use for team members before making multiple trips. 

 Ensuring support vehicles are servicing multiple teams rather than a single team. 

 Providing regular checks of vehicle tire inflation by the Safety and Campus Fleet Managers. 
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Finally, we are the nation's largest grant maker for service and volunteering and pursue programs 

that focus on environmentally sustainable practices through funding projects for Environmental 

Stewardship and Conservation, Energy Conservation, Urban and Rural Development and Disaster 

Support. 

Sincerely, 

Jeffrey Page 

Chief Operating Officer and Strategic Sustainability Officer (Acting) 

Corporation for National and Community Service 
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II. Executive Summary 

June 28, 2014 

Established in 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency 

that engages more than five million Americans in service through its core programs – Senior Corps, 

AmeriCorps, and the Social Innovation Fund – and leads President Obama’s national call to service 

initiative, United We Serve. 

As the nation’s largest grant maker for service and volunteering, CNCS plays a critical role in 

strengthening America’s nonprofit sector and addressing our nation’s challenges through service.

Our Vision:

The mission of the CNCS is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement 

through service and volunteering. CNCS pursues programs that focus on environmentally 

sustainable practices through funding projects for Environmental Stewardship and Conservation, 

Energy Conservation, Urban and Rural Development, and Disaster Support. 

Through these programs CNCS partners with community organizations and the national service 

network to mobilize citizens and volunteers to promote environmental stewardship. Through 

national service, we can train our youth and unemployed and underemployed citizens for 

conservation and “green” jobs, reconnect Americans to the outdoors, build an ethic of environmental 

stewardship, and support successful science-based conservation strategies. 

AmeriCorps NCCC programs focus on sustainability practices and with our sponsors, we promote 

energy efficiency, environmental stewardship, and disaster response as exemplified in the following 

examples: 

Strengthening Energy Efficiency – Veterans Green Jobs in Denver, CO, with AmeriCorps NCCC 

teams insulated and weatherized homes, distributed energy kits, developed a recycling program, and 

assisted with public outreach. AmeriCorps NCCC teams also worked with partner organization 

Green Light New Orleans to replace traditional light bulbs in area residents’ home with compact 

fluorescent bulbs, resulting in almost $1,000,000 in energy savings and reducing New Orleans’ carbon 

footprint by almost 10,000,000 pounds of CO2. 

Promoting Environmental Stewardship – AmeriCorps NCCC makes a significant investment in 

environmental stewardship with thousands of members engaged in environmental service activities 

each year. 
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Among the AmeriCorps NCCC accomplishments in FY2013, members suppressed or contained 

wildfires on 52,748 acres, removed 2,600 acres of brush or undergrowth to prevent fires, and 

performed prescribed burns on more than 2,200 acres to prevent further wildfire spreading. 

AmeriCorps NCCC members taught 15,800 people in environmental classes and workshops, they 

planted 329,000 new trees, and weatherized or outfitted 175 homes with energy-efficient 

modifications. 

Helping Communities Respond to Disasters – To strengthen the nation’s disaster response capacity, 

the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the CNCS established an AmeriCorps 

NCCC unit called FEMA Corps. This unit provides for up to 1,600 AmeriCorps NCCC members 

solely devoted to disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery. 

Hurricane Sandy resulted in the largest deployment of FEMA Corps teams to date. One hundred 

twenty-eight FEMA Corps teams have been deployed since October of 2012. These AmeriCorps 

members are assisting Hurricane Sandy survivors in various capacities. Several teams who served in 

the disaster area immediately after the storm assisted with Access, Inform, and Report (AIR) missions 

where they responded directly to survivors’ needs. Most recently, FEMA Corps teams have been 

working on projects to improve the process in which federal aid applications are reviewed. Since 

2012, FEMA Corps teams have assisted Sandy survivors by collecting and distributing more than 

100,000 gallons of water, answering more than 7,000 helpline calls, distributing 22,000 educational 

materials, and completing 2,700 damage assessments. 

During the Colorado floods in the fall of 2013, ten FEMA Corps teams were deployed to the disaster 

area. One FEMA Corps team delivered accessibility kits to every Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) and 

provided training on how to utilize the kit’s tools, which are designed for assisting individuals with a 

disability. The team also conducted an accessibility kit needs assessment and successfully advocated 

for significantly enhancing the kits. 
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III. Size and Scope of Agency Operations 

Table 1: Agency Size and Scope 

2014 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan 

June 28, 2014 

FY 2013 Data for Corporation for National and Community Service 

Agency Size and Scope FY 2013

Total Number of Employees as Reported in the President's Budget 460

Total Acres of Land Managed 0

Total Number of Buildings Owned 0

Total Number of Buildings Leased (GSA and Non-GSA Lease) 1 52

Total Building Gross Square Feet (GSF) 968,115

Operates in Number of Locations Throughout U.S. 52

Operates in Number of Locations Outside of U.S. 0

Total Number of Fleet Vehicles Owned 0

Total Number of Fleet Vehicles Leased 2 451

Total Number of Exempted-Fleet Vehicles (Tactical, Law Enforcement, 

Emergency, Etc.) 0

Total Amount Contracts Awarded as Reported in FPDS ($Millions) $4.8

 

1

 CNCS Buildings are not listed in the Federal Real Property Profile (FRPP) because they are 

leased and reported through GSA. 

2

 CNCS Fleet vehicles are not listed is the Federal Fleet Report because they are leased and 

reported through GSA. 
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IV. Performance Review for Each Goal 

Goal 1: Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction 

Agency Progress towards Scope 1 and 2 GHG Goals 

CNCS reviews all employee travel for necessity and has decreased travel since 2010 by more than 25 

percent based on travel cost reports. CNCS cannot quantify the GHG reduction since mileage data is 

not available. 

We subsidize commuter transportation costs for metro, bus, or train through the Smart Benefits 

system. CNCS allows telework and alternate work schedules for its employees. We encourage 

conference calls, teleconferences, and web-based meetings as an alternative to commuting to large 

face to face meetings. 

Agency Progress towards Scope 3 GHG Goals 

Employee Facilities: The CNCS facilities located throughout the country are leased through GSA. 

This GSA leased space, both Federal and Non-Federal, are reported through GSA in compliance with 

EO 13514 to reduce energy intensity in its buildings and to install and use renewable energy 

wherever possible. 

We work closely with GSA when obtaining new space, conducting renovations, or providing 

furnishings and equipment to meet energy efficiency and sustainability standards. Most of our site 

offices are small except for the headquarters facility in Washington, DC which houses the majority of 

its employees. 

The Headquarters facility is in a certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) 

building, which received a LEED Operations and Maintenance award from the U.S. Green Building 

Council. The headquarters building has a modern HVAC system and has been updated with energyefficient light fixtures, and high- efficiency toilets. CNCS reduced space by shutting down offices in 

Topeka, KS and Dallas, TX. These consolidations eliminated redundancies. 

AmeriCorps NCCC Campuses: Data collection and emission estimation has been reported annually 

through the GHG template for the AmeriCorps NCCC regions that apply. Currently, only the 

AmeriCorps NCCC Atlantic campus site pays utilities directly (thermal usage and kWa usage) out of 

our five Campus locations. 
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CNCS has implemented practices and a culture of awareness for its staff and program participants to 

realize the economic and environmental benefits of energy conservation. We engage our members 

and the community in energy saving activities and have developed enhanced energy-awareness 

routines. 

AmeriCorps NCCC has an initiative underway to reduce energy and water usage by consolidating 

the rooms and floors occupied in its dormitories, filling vehicles for long trips, buying only energy 

star appliances and high-efficiency plumbing fixtures. Staff and members are trained to conserve 

energy by keeping gas, water, and electric to a minimum. In addition, AmeriCorps NCCC members: 

 Shut down dorms completely when teams are out on spike to reduce the heat or air 

conditioning, and unplug all appliances 

 Turn off lights when leaving rooms or common areas 

 Unplug chargers or other appliances in dorms when not in use 

 Hibernate/turn off computers when not in use 

 Set all copy machines to Save Mode to conserve energy when not in use 

 Take shorter showers to reduce water waste 

 Replace old bulbs with energy efficient bulbs 

 Implement a recycling and composting program to reduce and reuse waste 

 Installed temperature control curtains on the south side of offices to regulate hot and cold 

temperature and decrease energy use. 

The AmeriCorps NCCC Atlantic Region reduced its member housing footprint from 16 houses 

through April 2012 to five houses in May 2012. AmeriCorps NCCC created an Environmental Liaison 

position. This individual will work with staff to achieve energy savings. 

Although these practices are in place to reduce energy usage, the number of volunteers has increased 

significantly since 2010 due to the expansion of programs and volunteers under the Edward M. 

Kennedy Serve America Act. This increase in members along with the recent expansion through 

FEMA Corps will affect the energy usage at the AmeriCorps NCCC campuses. 

Goal 3: Fleet Management 

AmeriCorps NCCC Fleet Vehicles: AmeriCorps NCCC program leases a fleet of GSA vehicles to 

support staff and members who travel around the country to provide critical service to underserved 

communities. Our AmeriCorps NCCC vehicle fleet and its fuel usage are monitored and managed by 

the GSA. The program works closely with GSA to obtain the most efficient vehicles that help meet its 

mission requirements. AmeriCorps NCCC uses vans and minivans to transport multiple team 

members to their assignments. 
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CNCS works with GSA to reduce fleet petroleum within its vehicle fleet, increase the use of 

alternative fuels, optimize vehicle use and fleet size, and use low emission and high fuel economy 

vehicles where possible. 



We regularly evaluate our vehicle fleet to ensure that all vehicles are essential. We work with GSA to 

obtain the most efficient vehicles that meet our mission goals. As GSA expands its fleet to incorporate 

smart vehicles, AmeriCorps NCCC will evaluate its current inventory for more efficient models if 

available. 

We have implemented practices for gas efficiency and vehicle usage to reduce carbon offset to fleet 

vehicle travel: 

AmeriCorps NCCC members travel exclusively in 12 or 15 passenger vans and all vans are 

required to have multiple occupants before making any trips. If possible, minivans are used 

for required trips of less than 8 members. 

 When we provide support vehicles to teams to transport tools, supplies and personal 

equipment, these support trips are grouped together to ensure that vehicles are supporting 

multiple teams, rather than only a single team. 

 Vehicles are checked by the Team Safety Lead to ensure tires are properly inflated. During 

each transition, vehicles are rechecked by the Campus Fleet Manager. 

Although these practices are in place to offset GHG emissions in our Vehicle Fleet, the size of the fleet 

is directly related to the number of teams. The number of members has increased significantly since 

2010 due to the expansion of programs and members under the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America 

Act. This increase in members along with the recent expansion through FEMA Corps has affected the 

size and usage of our GSA Vehicle Fleet at the AmeriCorps NCCC campuses. 

Goal 4: Water Use Efficiency and Management 

CNCS continues to work with GSA for water use efficiency and management in its buildings when 

applicable to reduce potable water use and reuse, and compliance with the Storm water Guidance 

from EPA. 

AmeriCorps NCCC has practices in place to conserve water by limiting water usage time with its 

volunteer members. 
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Goal 5: Pollution Prevention and Waste Reduction 

CNCS continues to work with GSA to pursue compliance with applicable pollution reduction and 

waste elimination goals by reducing the use of paper, toxic and hazardous chemicals, keeping 

organic materials from the waste stream and reporting, as appropriate, in compliance with EPCRA. 

We work with GSA and USDA’s Central Excess Property Operation (CEPO) for the disposition of 

assets. 

All CNCS facilities have a recycling program for paper, bottles and cans. 

CNCS has reduced paper usage and all facilities have paper recycle programs. CNCS utilizes copier 

scanning and printer duplexing to minimize paper usage. OIT is increasing employee electronic 

storage space and developing policies related to electronic file management to further reduce paper 

use. 

We utilize product recycling programs when available, for example toner cartridges and electronics 

such as e-cycle for Smartphones. 

AmeriCorps NCCC has implemented a recycling and composting program to reduce and reuse 

waste. 

Goal 6: Sustainable Acquisition 

CNCS focuses purchasing on products that are energy efficient, water-efficient, bio-based, 

environmentally-preferable, non-ozone depleting, recycled, and non-toxic, as appropriate to meet the 

agency’s mission goals. 

Procurement adheres to FAR 23.204 when purchasing goods and services. OIT has purchased energy 

smart computers. 

The AmeriCorps NCCC campuses will purchase energy star appliances as they are needed. 

Goal 7: Electronic Stewardship and Data Centers 

The agency has been buying energy smart computers since they first became available. 

All data centers have been centralized into one data center operated by the agency and two 

additional sites that are operated under contract as part of our outsourcing efforts. 
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All three sites have maximized their use of virtualization to create a much smaller network footprint. 

Future plans may possibly involve moving the systems that are currently operating at these data 

centers into the cloud for additional efficiencies.

The CNCS Office of Information Technology is prepared to identify specific goals using the template 

format below. 

Electronic Stewardship and Data Centers Units FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15

% of device types covered by current Energy Star specifications that 

must be energy-star qualified 800 90% 90% 95% 100% 100% 100%

% of electronic assets covered by sound disposition practices 900 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

% of cloud activity hosted in a data center 1 0% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

% of agency data centers independently metered or advanced 

metered and monitored on a weekly basis 3 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Reduction in the number of agency data centers 3 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

% of agency eligible electronic products with power management 

and other energy environmentally-preferable features (duplexing) 

actively implemented and in use

100 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

% of agency data centers operating at an average bandwidth 

utilization of 85% 3 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

% of agency data centers operating with an average CPU utilization 

of 60-70% 3 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

% of agency data centers operating at a PUE range of 1.3 - 1.6 3 0% 25% 50% 66% 66% 66%

% of covered electronic product acquisitions that are EPEATregistered 800 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

% of agency data center activity implemented via virtualization 3 29% 60% 85% 95% 95% 95%

Other, as defined by agency n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Leveraged Investment (funded through annually recurring existing 

budget items, such as capital improvement, O&M, etc. or ARRA) $M n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Incremental Investment (funded through new program budget 

requests specific to this EO) $M n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Alternative Investment (funded through ESPC, UESC, EUL, PPA, 

rebates, or other funding assistance) $M n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a