NCUA News Release
OFFICE  OF  THE  CHAIRMAN

NCUA CHAIRMAN INFORMS CREDIT UNIONS OF GRANTS FOR THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE’S NEXT GENERATION OF NATIONAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS

$4 Million CNCS Notice of Funds Availability Issued;
Targeted for Seed Money for New and Start-Up Organizations

WASHINGTON, October 22, 2003 — National Credit Union Administration Chairman Dennis Dollar announced today that $4 million is available from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which oversees AmeriCorp, for Next Generation Grants, and will be made to eligible non-profit organizations.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a partner in the NCUA’s Access Across America initiative, which focuses on creating economic empowerment for Americans from all walks of life.

These grants are designed to expand and build on the good work of national and community service. For the Next Generation Grants, the CNCS is seeing innovative service models that fall under at least one of three service areas: programs that engage individuals in an intensive commitment to service in communities (defined as serving at least 40 hours per week); volunteer programs for seniors (age 55+); and programs that connect service with education. As with past Corporation programs, CNCS expects these new programs to engage volunteers in service, which result in measurable outcomes to beneficiaries and participants.

“America’s credit unions have proven to be among the most innovative in developing initiatives to serve their communities. I encourage credit unions and their related non-profit organizations to review the program requirements of this unique funding opportunity to assess whether this program would be beneficial for your members and outreach efforts in serving many underserved areas,” said Chairman Dollar. “Credit union-community partnerships have a record of success in producing great results especially in the areas of expanding access to homeownership, financial literacy programs, and volunteer tax assistance programs.”

Proposals are due by 5 p.m. EST, on November 17. Additional information can be found at http://www.cns.gov/whatshot/notices.html

The NCUA website www.ncua.gov and the Access Across America website www.accessacrossamerica.gov have links to the Corporation for National and Community Service as well.

The National Credit Union Administration, governed by a three-member board appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, is the independent federal agency that regulates, charters and supervises federal credit unions. NCUA, with the backing of the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, operates and manages the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, insuring the savings of more than 80 million account holders in all federal credit unions and the overwhelming majority of state-chartered credit unions.