Nonprofit Capacity Building
The Senate agreed to include the Baucus-Grassley nonprofit capacity building amendment to set up a program in the Corporation for National and Community Service to expand organizational development assistance to small and midsize nonprofit organizations. This program was included in the bill sent to the President.
Volunteer Generation Fund
This grant program, which was included in the bill sent to the President, will increase the supply of volunteers in the country and strengthen volunteer infrastructure organizations nationwide by helping nonprofits recruit, coordinate, train and manage volunteers. The Volunteer Generation Fund will help communities match volunteers to needs, while providing operational support that enables organizations to fulfill their missions.
Music and Arts Education
The Senate also accepted an amendment offered by Senators Shaheen (D-NH) and Gregg (R-NH) that expressly includes music and arts education in the Education Corps activities. The amendment will encourage the use of “skilled musicians and artists to promote greater community unity through the use of music and arts education and engagement through work in low-income communities, and education, health care, and therapeutic settings, and other work in the public domain with citizens of all ages.” This provision was included in the bill sent to the President.
Social Innovation Fund
The Social Innovation Fund is designed to create new knowledge about how to solve social challenges in the areas of economic opportunity, youth development and school support, and healthy futures, and to improve problem-solving infrastructure in low-income communities.
Advocacy Challenge
Language was included in the House version of this legislation that would prohibit individuals and organizations that participate in National Service programs from engaging in lobbying and advocacy activities outside of National Service programs. The Senate-passed bill contains restrictions on the types of activities for which national service positions can be used, preventing participants from engaging in activities such as voter registration drives, political or legislative advocacy, or providing abortion services. Nonprofit organizations remain free under the bill sent to the President to utilize their own funds to advocate for causes in which they believe.
