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CNCS is conducting a study to better understand how AmeriCorps grantees are working in their 

communities. As an AmeriCorps grantee your responses will make a valuable contribution to our 

understanding of the role that AmeriCorps plays in the communities that it serves. 

Part I. Volunteers / Volunteer Recruitment

In this section, we will ask about how your AmeriCorps funded program may utilize volunteers.

1. Within your organization, do you rely on volunteers for any component of your program’s 

services or activities?

Yes_____ No____ 

If no, skip to Part II

2. Which of the following methods does your organization use to recruit volunteers? Check all 

that apply.

Passive recruitment, through word of mouth and referrals from 

current volunteers

Media outreach recruitment, through newspapers, bulletins, and 

Web sites

Active recruitment, using a volunteer recruiter or manager and 

planned volunteer drives

Other (please describe) 

3. Over the past 12 months, approximately how many individuals volunteered for your 

organization ?

 0 ___ 1-10___ 11-20___ 21-30___ 31-40___ 41-50___ 50+___

4. Over the past 12 months, approximately how many new volunteers did your AmeriCorps 

members recruit?

 0 ___ 1-10___ 11-20___ 21-30___ 31-40___ 41-50___ 50+___

5. Over the past 12 months, approximately how many volunteers did your AmeriCorps 

members manage? Manage includes train, assign work, supervise.

 0 ___ 1-10___ 11-20___ 21-30___ 31-40___ 41-50___ 50+___
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6. Approximately what percentage of your volunteers are from:

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

The community where you provide direct 

services

Communities outside of where you provide 

direct services

7. What are some of the biggest challenges you face in recruiting volunteers from the 

community where you serve? (Open-ended response)

8. Volunteers can be engaged for different schedules of service. Approximately what 

percentages of your volunteers are engaged at the following frequencies? 

Volunteer Frequency Percentage

Daily

Weekly

Several times per month

Once per month

Less than once per month

9. Thinking about how volunteers fit into your program, please select your reason(s) for using

volunteers (select all that apply). 

Increase program’s capacity to deliver services

Provide targeted program services for unmet community needs

Access underserved populations

Develop the community’s capacity and resources for solving problems

Develop community support for program services

Provide opportunity for community and neighborhood restoration and development 

(crisis response/block watch/block clean-up) 

Other: 

10. Of those you selected which are the 2 most important reasons?

________________________________________________________

11. Thinking about how volunteers work in your program, please select the tasks your volunteers 

perform (select all that apply). 

Service delivery

Management and administrative support 

Consulting services

Program guidance/Administrative decisions

Program design and promotion
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Volunteer recruitment/retention/training/management

Community outreach

Intake/screening and referral

Other

12. What are the skill levels required by the tasks your volunteers perform? Check all that apply.

Non-technical skills (neighborhood clean-up, food service/distribution)

Specialized training (mentoring, tutoring, intake, screening)

Technical skills (IT, graphic design, spreadsheets)

Managerial skills (training, supervision, project management)

Administrative support (office management

Program administration (Board of directors/Committee Chair/Fund 

Development. 

13. Of these skill levels, which is the most common skill level required by your program?

______________

14. On average, how frequently do you provide training to volunteers (excluding on-the-job 

training)?

No formal training One time only Twice per year Quarterly Monthly

15. On average, how prepared were your volunteers to carry out their assigned tasks, BEFORE 

any training was provided?

Not prepared Somewhat prepared Moderately prepared Well prepared 

16. Thinking about your program operations and services, how important are volunteers to your 

success? 

Not important Somewhat important Important Very important Extremely important 

17. To what degree do your volunteers link your organization to the community?

18.

Not at all A little Somewhat To a large degree

19. To what degree do your volunteers become leaders in the community?

Not at all A little Somewhat To a large degree

20. Can you give an example?
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Part II. AmeriCorps Members

This section asks you questions about the AmeriCorps members in your program.

21. Approximately what percentage of your AmeriCorps members are from:

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

The community where you provide direct 

services

Communities outside of where you provide 

direct services

22. Thinking about how AmeriCorps members fit into your program, please select your reason(s) 

for applying for an AmeriCorps grant (select all that apply). 

Enhance program/service development and implementation

Increase organizational capacity (planning, research, fund raising)

Increase capacity to provide direct service.

Engage community residents

Enhance volunteer recruitment, management and training

Other: 

23. Of those you selected which is your most important reason?

________________________________________________________

24. What activities are your AmeriCorps members directly involved in (select all that apply): 

Development and implementation of program/service

Planning, research, fundraising

Direct service provision

Engaging community residents to identify or address community needs

Volunteer recruitment, management and training

Develop partnerships with other organizations in the community

Connect community decision-makers and residents

Advocacy on behalf of local issues or concerns

Other: 

25. If your AmeriCorps member engages in any volunteer activity, on average what percentage 

of the member’s time is spent recruiting volunteer?

0 25% 50% 75% 100%

26. If your AmeriCorps member engages in any volunteer activity, on average what percentage 

of the member’s time is spent training volunteers? This includes explicit training activities as 

well as on-the-job training.

0 25% 50% 75% 100%
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27. If your AmeriCorps member engages in any volunteer activity, on average what percentage 

of the member’s time is spent managing volunteers? Managing includes assigning activities, 

supervising, or handling other administrative tasks associated with the volunteers.

0 25% 50% 75% 100%

28. On average, how prepared were your AmeriCorps members to fulfill their assigned tasks, 

BEFORE any training was provided? 

Not at all prepared

Somewhat prepared

Moderately prepared

Well prepared

29. Which of the following types of skills does your program provide AmeriCorps members?

Leadership skills

Problem-solving skills

Conflict resolution skills

Technical skills in specific field

Safety skills

30. Thinking generally about your AmeriCorps members, state your level of agreement with the 

following statements. 

Don’t 

know

Strongly 

disagree

Disagree Neither 

agree 

nor 

disagree

Agree Strongly 

agree

AmeriCorps members have 

been given education 

opportunities they otherwise 

would not have had.

AmeriCorps members have 

been given employment 

opportunities they otherwise 

would not have had. 

Following participation as AmeriCorps members, approximately what percentage of your former 

members have continued to be engaged in your community?

Don’t know None 20% 40% 50%...100%
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Part III. Partnerships

In carrying out their tasks, AmeriCorps members may collaborate with other organizations in the 

community where they serve. This section asks you questions about how your members may

collaborate with these organizations. 

For the purposes of this survey, a community partnership is a formal or informal 

collaborative relationship between organizations that enhances either their ability to 

identify a need in the community, or enhances their ability to respond to needs. 

31. Does your organization currently collaborate with partner organizations or individuals in the

community you serve?

Yes___ No___

32. Do your AmeriCorps members collaborate or work with other organizations in the 

communities they serve?

Yes___ No___ 

Alternate wording: 

Does your organization currently collaborate with partner organizations or individuals in your 

community related to your AmeriCorps grant? Related to means the partner either was formed as 

a result of your grant or your AmeriCorps members collaborate with the partner.

Yes___ No___

If no, skip to part IV.

33. How do your AmeriCorps members work with other organizations (select all that apply)?

Coordinate services (intake, referral, case management, case review)

Collaborating with partners to conduct needs assessments or participate in 

research on a local issue. 

Participate in short and long range planning 

Collaborate with partners on existing service delivery

Collaborate with community partners to expand existing services

Collaborate with partners on the development/implementation of new services

Serve on or lead professional associations, ad hoc committees or work groups 

with partners or provider organizations

Collaborate on fund raising are Members allowed to fund raise?, program 

promotion, public relations campaigns

Share technical skills or resources and administrative tasks

Organize community projects or community advocacy work (community 

gardens, block watches etc.)
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Other collaborative activity: 

If 26=yes and 27=yes, answer 29 and skip 30.

34. Please list up to three organizations that you have maintained a partnerships with for one year 

or longer related to your AmeriCorps grant.

Organization #1 Organization #2 Organization #3

Organization Name:

Contact Individual:

Email address:

Phone:

If 26=yes and 27=no, answer 30

35. Please list up to three organizations that you have maintained a partnerships with for one year 

or longer.

Organization #1 Organization #2 Organization #3

Organization Name:

Contact Individual:

Email address:

Phone:

36. Please check the primary area(s) of collaboration that you share with each partner

Organization #1 Organization #2 Organization #3

Fiscal and management duties 

(e.g. funding projects, purchasing of services

agreements, sharing facility space, record 

keeping and managing information systems)

Organizational tasks

(e.g. developing programs or services, program 

evaluation,

staff training, promotion, collaborative 

workshops and conferences 

Service functions (e.g. client services –

screening, evaluation/assessment, shared intake 

forms, service plan development, case 

conference or reviews, referrals

Administrative Tasks

(e.g. formal/informal agreements

contracts, legally mandated collaborative 

relationships, interagency committees, 

advocacy

37. Have your AmeriCorps members helped your organization develop new partnerships or 

strengthen existing ones?
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Yes_____ No_____

If 31=yes

38. What impact have your AmeriCorps members had on your capacity to form new community

partnerships?

 None Some impact Moderate impact Strong impact

39. What impact have your AmeriCorps members had on developing your existing community

partnerships?

 None Some impact Moderate impact Strong impact

If 32 or 33>None

40. Please briefly describe some of the ways that your AmeriCorps members contributed to 

forming new partnerships:

_________________________

41. Please briefly describe some of the ways that your AmeriCorps members contributed to 

strengthening existing partnerships:

_________________________

Part IV. AmeriCorps Program in General

 

42. What, if anything, makes the AmeriCorps program a resource for your community?

43. If you were to change how the AmeriCorps program operated, what is one thing you would 

do to improve the program?

Part VI. Organizational Background

Now we would like to ask you some background information about you and the organization you 

work with.

44. What is your role in your organization?

45. What is your role in your organization’s AmeriCorps grant?

46. How long have you been at your organization?

47. How many years has your agency/organization been in operation? If less than one year, 

please indicate the number of months

____ Years ____ Months
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48. Please indicate the NUMBER of staff members in your organization. (If you don’t have an 

exact number a rough estimate would be appreciated.):

49. Approximately how many paid staff members are involved in the regular operations of 

AmeriCorps-funded program’s work?

___1 – 5 ___6 - 10 ___11 – 15 ___20 or more