Evaluating the Impact of the Genesee County AmeriCorps Program On the Members, Partner Organizations, and Local Communities
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Authors
Bertschi, Jonquil Suzanne
Issue Date
1999
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Since October 1997, I have been serving as an AmeriCorps member in Flint, Michigan,
with the Genesee County AmeriCorps Program (GCAP). I work at the Resource Center, a
nonprofit organization composed of Leadership Flint, Flint Executive Service Corps, and
Volunteer and Information Services. I work exclusively with Volunteer and Information
Services, recruiting volunteers for local nonprofits and answering callers' questions about where
to receive assistance for various problems such as money for food or utilities, free medical care,
or subsidized housing.
While performing my job, I feel that I am making a difference in the lives of people that I
touch. However, I had no written or concrete proof that this was the case-only my sense that I
was making a difference. When I was recruiting volunteers at local colleges and universities, I
inevitably encountered people who questioned the purpose of AmeriCorps and the money spent
on the program. It was difficult for me to argue the effectiveness of AmeriCorps in general and
GCAP in particular. I could say, "I recruited over 800 volunteers last year," to which they would
respond, "How do you know they wouldn't have volunteered anyway?" I did not have a
response.
I could recruit 800 volunteers, they could do 9,000 hours of service, but did anyone's life
change as a result? What about other GCAP members? Were tutors really helping kids get
better grades? Were HIV I AIDS activists making a dent in the spread of this disease? I simply
did not know, and no one else seemed to be able to tell me.
I looked over our monthly reports made to The Urban League, the administrator of the
GCAP Collaborative. These reports shed little light on our impact. Rather than measuring the
effects of our efforts, they measured the products of our efforts. For example, I have never had to
measure what happened at a result of recruiting 800 volunteers (e.g. Did they lower crime rates?
Did they improve children's education?); I just had to record how many hours they volunteered.
Thus began my interest in measuring the impact of GCAP.'
When I began this project, I thought it would be easy. After working at the Resource
Center for a year, I assumed I would be able to look at existing reports, do a couple of surveys,
compile the information, and then I would have the whole thing figured out. However, I soon
realized that three months offered little time for uncovering all the information I needed to do an
exhaustive report. Instead, I had to learn a lot more about collaborations, personal development,
measurements, and time/money constraints. Consequently, I can only offer a glimpse into the
impact of GCAP, several suggestions of how to measure this impact in future research and
reports, and some tips to make our programs more effective.
Description
xi, 68 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo, Mich. : Kalamazoo College.
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved.