As the federal government struggles to cut costs in a slumping economy, it may prove unable to step in and alleviate internal problems with organization and accounting that have put the national service program AmeriCorps -- as well as its 22,000 volunteer positions -- in jeopardy.
The 10-year-old program, one of three managed by the National Corporation for National and Community Service, provides stipends and educational grants in exchange for volunteer service projects aimed at children and low-income families throughout North America. It has enjoyed wide success since its inception.
A type of "domestic Peace Corps," according to Matt Dunne, national director of AmeriCorps*VISTA, funding for AmeriCorps is provided at both the national and state level. National programs like Teach For America and Habitat for Humanity are funded, but "a significant amount of money is commissioned to the state governments for state-based programs," Dunne added.
But despite its achievements and a large degree of political support coming from local, state and national levels, AmeriCorps' management has experienced serious organizational difficulty, including an accounting error that led to the acceptance of 20,000 more volunteers than the program could accommodate in 2002 and administrative mismanagement that culminated in the announcement of its CEO's departure next month.
As a result, the financial foundation of AmeriCorps is at risk, and consequently, so is the program's future.
While Congress cut the program's national funding at the beginning of the year, Bush signed emergency legislation earlier this month so that the program can remedy its errors. But unless additional funding is provided AmeriCorps will be forced to shrink, despite Bush's professed intentions for further expansion of the program. This past week, AmeriCorps members from around the nation failed in exhorting Congress to keep the program afloat by adding $100 million to its budget.
Despite program participants' vehement pleas, the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee defeated a measure to add to Americorps' budget. The money may, though, be approved during a disaster relief bill conference involving both branches of Congress, lawmakers indicated. Time is of the essence, however, as the fiscal year concludes at the end of September.
In the past, of Congress' frustration with Americorps has largely stemmed from its tendency to drastically over-hire.
Dunne cited willingness to serve as the underlying cause of this problem.
"After President Bush stepped forward and called on American's to serve post-Sept. 11, there was a rush of people to step up and serve," he said.
"It's a 'too much of a good thing' problem," Dunne said. "Too much willingness to set aside one or two years of one's life to serve at poverty levels in the toughest areas."
But shrinking Americorps will result in significantly fewer opportunities for those interested in non-profit service. This will particularly affect college students and recent graduates, as members of these groups make up a significant amount of the program's volunteers.
"This is a program explicitly set up to allow students to give back and get their civic bearings before going on to a career," Dunne said. "A year of experience facing the issues of poverty face-to-face, a year of giving back, is the perfect rite of passage to finding one's moral center before pursuing a career."
The program also allows participants to defer their student loans, another appealing aspect of the program to college students.
An exact figure of the number of Dartmouth students who serve in AmeriCorps is not available, said Monica Wilson, assistant director of Career Services, as "students don't often report back where they've accepted jobs."
Nevertheless, AmeriCorps in recent years has definitely served as a viable option for those interested in careers in the non-profit sector after college. Unlike many other non-profit organizations, AmeriCorps is a high-profile organization with available funding for recruiting volunteers, making it a sensible choice for those interested in community service.
Up until four years ago, AmeriCorps did a major presentation on campus, according to Wilson. Now, organizations looking for volunteers approach Career Services directly.
For those in the not-for-profit sector, the proposed cuts have proven disappointing.
Beth Halpern, the 2003-04 AmeriCorps*VISTA member and community service coordinator at the Tucker Foundation, said she was saddened by the announced cuts.
"Politicians pledge to support community service, then do something like this," Halpern said. "It's not a whole lot of money when you're talking about the federal government, but it's money that can make a huge difference."
Dunne, too, said he was concerned about the long-term effects of cutting AmeriCorps' budget.
"The long term effects of these cuts is the cynicism of thousands of young people who were called to serve and want to, but can't," he said. "Given the return on investment and the danger of disappointing a generation, it's gotta be worth it."
"This is a social effort by good men and women who want to serve their country," added Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., himself a former Peace Corps volunteer. "Because some people have screwed up, we're going to kill this program? I don't think so. I don't think that's wise."
