President's 2014 Budget Request for National Service
A Message from CEO Wendy Spencer:
Today President Obama is sending his Fiscal Year 2014 budget request to Congress, including proposed funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). You can read our complete budget request now on our budget page.
The President's budget requests $1.061 billion for the CNCS and its programs, an increase of $12.2 million over the 2012 current funding level.
This is a strong budget request that will improve lives, strengthen communities, expand economic opportunity, foster innovation and civic engagement, and engage millions of Americans in solving critical problems through national service.
For nearly two decades, CNCS has invested in community solutions across the nation -- working hand in hand with local partners to tackle our most pressing challenges. Through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, the Social Innovation Fund, and other initiatives, CNCS programs engage more than five million Americans in results-driven service each year at more than 70,000 locations across the country, from large cities to small towns to rural areas.
The 2014 budget will bring vital leadership, resources, and coordination to some of the most pressing challenges facing America: educating students for jobs of the 21st century, supporting individuals, families, and neighborhoods on the road to economic recovery; addressing the needs of military families and a new generation of veterans returning from war; helping communities rebuild after natural disasters; promoting health and wellbeing, and preserving the nation's parks and public lands.
The budget also strengthens the national service delivery system to achieve higher levels of efficiency, accountability, and impact. Guided by the vision of the Serve America Act and our comprehensive five-year Strategic Plan, CNCS will continue to focus on a core set of social needs; drive and measure performance; expand cross-sector partnerships and interagency collaboration; leverage private sector resources; and embrace innovative models and modern technology to make the best use of limited resources.
Recognizing the need for new approaches to complex problems, we are fostering innovation through all of our programs. Through the Social Innovation Fund, we will continue to leverage substantial private sector support for the growth of evidence-based programs that improve the lives and build the economic independence of low-income individuals.
To strengthen volunteer management practices across the country, the budget requests an increase for the Volunteer Generation Fund to invest in organizations using best practices for recruitment and retention, including skill building and skill matching. Recognizing his exemplary life of public service and leadership in volunteerism, the budget renames the program the George H.W. Bush Volunteer Generation Fund.
America has always been at its best when citizens work together, joined in common purpose. A sense of shared responsibility is woven into the fabric of our nation.
For more than 45 years, successive Administrations of both parties have invested in national service as a way to tap the ingenuity and can-do spirit of the American people. At this time of social need, when Americans of all ages are looking for ways to give back, national service is a smart and cost-effective investment.
Guided by the Serve America Act, this budget will expand opportunities for Americans to serve, focus service on our toughest challenges, and increase the impact of citizens in their communities, building a better future for our people, neighborhoods, and nation.