Measuring Capacity Building: We have a 3-part system to measure effectiveness of our capacity building projects.

Part 1: Prior to Service Term: Complete the Service Recipient Identification and Eligibility Form (Updated for 25-26!)

For 25-26 we have integrated the eligibility information into the Partner Application process. If you have been approved as a project partner you qualify!

• Service Recipients are the local organizations, departments, programs or projects Fellows support. Service recipients must be public agencies, community organizations with a 501(c)(3) status, or initiatives with a fiscal sponsor. Each Fellow must support at least one to two service recipients.

Part 2: Month 1 of Service: Gap Assessment

• Completed by Fellow and Service Recipient within first month of service term

• Identifies capacity needs and goals

• Outlines how Fellow will meet capacity needs and goals

Part 3: End of Service Year: Post-Service Capacity Assessment

• Completed by service recipient (organization staff) at conclusion of service term

• Evaluates how the Fellow project met capacity needs and goal

Within 2 weeks of project approval

• We will craft a project description (using language from your application) to post on our project page. We will provide the direct link to your direct project from there once we have them up.

• CivicSpark staff will provide marketing materials to promote your project. CivicSpark recruits Fellow candidates in general, and candidates will review openings on our website, but your promotion attracts candidates who may be local and apply to the Fellowship with your project in mind.

• Our marketing materials also include sample language for promoting to other potential partners. We appreciate your help building awareness of the CivicSpark opportunity in your network. If you need more specific language for your partner site, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your CivicSpark contact.

CivicSpark will continue to be fiscally sponsored by the Public Health Institute for the 25-26 service year. Our 25-26 service agreement remains largely the same from 24-25, except for some minor changes (e.g. dates or service, partner fee amount, etc.). Returning partners can opt to amend their current 24-25 service agreement if they prefer, or enter into a new agreement. All new partners, including returning partners who did not host a fellow during the 24-25 but did when CivicSpark was fiscally sponsored at CivicWell (23-24 service year or prior) must enter into a new service agreement.

TEMPLATES:

New Agreement 

Amendment (24-25 Returning Partners Only)

Please see below for more info:

1. We strongly prefer partners use our standard service agreement template as it simplifies and streamlines the contracting process. However, if your agency requires to use your own template, that is fine as long as the Exhibits in our standard template are incorporated into your template. Because the review process can take longer when using your own template, we encourage you to get this process started as soon as possible.

2. Using the updated new or amendment template, please review and edit, and plan to circulate this with legal / financial / administrative decision-makers in your agency/organization as needed to determine needs and process for approving the contract.

3. Before approving and signing through your internal processes, please send a word version of the updated draft with any revisions or change requests to civicsparkcontracts@phi.org for CivicSpark/PHI to review, including if you are using your own template. Once our staff have reviewed and approved any revisions, we will let you know so the signing process can begin.

4. Please also fill out this Additional Documentation Requirements Form so the PHI team knows what other information you need, such as a Certificate of Insurance, Business License or Vendor Form. You can find PHI’s W-9 here.

Candidate routing and interviews can be a long process, so please aim to conduct interviews as soon as possible after receiving candidates from us.  The Candidate Review Season (Routing Season) is June 9th, 2025- July 31st, 2025.  CivicSpark staff will begin releasing candidate lists the week of June 9th, 2025.

CivicSpark will also be hosting a Routing Informational Meeting on Thursday, June 5th at 10 AM Pacific.  While we will record this meeting we do encourage all partners to attend in person!  REGISTER HERE 

Preparing for Interviews

• Direct site supervisors should be involved in interviews. Current Fellows may participate but they should not lead the process.
• Determine any blackout dates you are unable to conduct interviews and notify your CivicSpark contact.
• In-person interviews are ideal, but not always practical. At a minimum, we suggest video calls.
• Request writing samples or other deliverables in advance as necessary.
• Review these Interview Questions (will be added soon!) for important topics to discuss with candidates during interviews.
• Plan to focus interviews to both dig into a candidate’s skills, commitment, and fit for the project. Discuss opportunities for their professional growth and the benefits of serving in your community.
• Note that all Fellows must live within the state of the service placement (ex: even if a candidate is currently living in another state, they have noted to us they are willing to move to your state/area of service, which is why we add them to your list). Please ensure a discussion occurs prior to an offer.

Interview & Selection Process

1. CivicSpark will send you a list of profiles of pre-vetted candidates.
2. We route candidates to multiple partners at once, so be sure to schedule interviews as quickly as possible. Delays in the interview process could mean candidates are hired on at another site, or they are no longer available to take part in CivicSpark.

   • Please notify candidates of which project you are reaching out about, especially if you have 2 distinct projects at your organization.

   • See below for a template email / process for scheduling that may be helpful.

3. Once interviews are complete and you have decided on a candidate to make an offer to, notify CivicSpark contact of candidate preferences (ranked in order of preference). Please be sure to complete the offer template questions for the fellow and submit that with your rankings
4. As Fellows are enrolled as AmeriCorps members through CivicSpark and PHI provides our human resources services, our staff must make candidate offers. Please do not reach out to candidates directly to make an offer. Candidates have 2 business days to respond and cannot get any other offers from Project Partners during this period.
5. Once your candidate has accepted the placement, please notify candidates you did not select that the project is now closed. You are in the best position to provide feedback and reasoning as to why they were not selected.
6. Second Year Fellow Considerations
   1. Fellows who serve for a second term at the same agency will receive an extra $5,000 stipend paid by the partnering agency. This increased stipend acknowledges their experience and allows them to take on a greater leadership role within their service site, regional team, and the cohort at large. Serving for a second year at the same site is contingent on 1) the Fellow’s interest and commitment to serving an additional term, and 2) the project partner’s interest and ability to provide the additional funds which go entirely to the Fellow’s stipend.

CivicSpark will host a virtual Partner Orientation before the start of each term (invites coming soon!) for new and returning Site Supervisors. Topics covered include: Staff introductions, changes for the Service Year, and introduction to CivicSpark policies and procedures.

This year we will be hosting two Orientation sessions- one for returning partners and the other for new partners.  Save the date below, or you may register now by clicking the corresponding link below. (Reminders will be sent out in early August 2025.)
Thursday, August 28th
Returning Partner Orientation 10AM Pacific
New Partner Orientation 1PM Pacific

Please ensure that at least the Site Supervisor is able to attend the Orientation session, as well as any other staff who will play a role in supporting the Fellow.

Prior to On-Site Start Date

Identify Site Supervisor(s): As part of your project application you identified a primary Site Supervisor. If the designated Site Supervisor(s) have changed since you applied, please notify Justin (justin@civicsparkfellowship.org). 

Site Supervisor(s) are the primary point of contact for the Fellow and CivicSpark staff, and serve not only as project leads but also as role models, mentors, and resources for Fellows. Site Supervisors are responsible for developing and guiding an appropriate capacity building project scope and supporting the Fellow’s implementation of service activities. Site Supervisors also are expected to complete post- service capacity assessments, Fellow performance assessments, site meetings, and scheduled one-on-one and group meetings. 

Background Checks: Our program conducts background checks required by AmeriCorps through the National Service Criminal History Check process. This includes a search of the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW), as well as state and FBI databases. All Fellows must clear this check at least one day before the start of their fellowship. Due to AmeriCorps and PHI HR requirements, we are not able to share these results with partners other than confirming they received a “Pass” result. If additional background checks are needed by your organization, please notify your staff contact ASAP so the Fellow can be informed with next steps.

Prepare Fellow Technology and Workspace: 

Ensure your Fellow has:

• Access to their desk/workspace (or remote set-up for digital access)
• Access to a computer and internet access 
• Access to email (if providing an agency email) and any internal sites/serves as necessary
• Connection to printer (if in office) 
• Instructions on how to view staff calendars and reserve meeting rooms (if in office) 
• Understanding of on-site safety procedures and emergency plans (if in office) 

Brief Staff: Brief others in the office on the CivicSpark program and role of Fellow, as well as prohibited activities relating to the Fellow.

Refine Project Scope: Solidify the project scope of work, prepare any relevant project resources and documents, and identify relevant training the Fellow might need to be successful. As applicable, schedule internal or external training opportunities for the first month. If your project scope has changed since you applied, please notify Justin (justin@civicsparkfellowship.org).

Fellow Orientation 

Fellows will begin their service year with a mix of CivicSpark-staff facilitated Orientation and project site Orientation. More detailed information on Fellow Orientation schedule, day(s) with CivicSpark staff and day(s) on-site will be provided by Partner Orientation in August. 

In preparation for Orientation, you can expect the following: 

CivicSpark Staff-Led Sessions (led by CivicSpark and PHI staff)

• Fellows complete onboarding instructions (setting up PHI email, enrolling or waiving PHI benefits, I-9 verification, etc) on day 1 
• Fellows are introduced to the AmeriCorps and CivicSpark program model, including prohibited and unallowable activities
• Fellows are introduced to program expectations, scheduling, and timesheets
• Fellows meet their co-Fellows, CivicSpark staff, and build community as a cohort
• Additional Orientation sessions scheduled throughout the first month 

Host Site Led Orientation (led by you, the project site) 

You can expect to spend the first 1-2 weeks orienting and onboarding your Fellow(s). Whether your Fellow will begin on site or remotely, welcome your Fellow(s) to your agency and project their first days with you. Please spend time reviewing key logistics, expectations, and project information with your Fellow as part of site orientation. Suggested start-up is listed below:

Logistics (before day 1 on-site) 

• Email your Fellow to confirm expectations and agenda for day 1 on-site 
  • If in-person: share address, transit/parking information, building access, etc 
  • If virtual: Share virtual meeting link and expectations 
• Confirm that the Fellow workspace, including computer, workstation, document access, etc, are set-up and ready for your Fellow to begin 
• Coordinate with your Fellow to insure all agency-specific paperwork, background, checks, etc. are completed if necessary

Role Expectations (once on site)

• Agree on a weekly work schedule with Fellow
  • Cover alternative workweek schedules, if applicable 
  • Identify key dates or times Fellow might need to work offsite or off-hours
• Schedule weekly check-ins with Fellow
• Review communication expectations and best practices 
• Review history and expectations of the host agency. This may be your Fellow’s first full-time professional role and need strong support to integrate into an office environment. 

Site and Project Orientation (once on site) 

• Introduce your Fellow to the organization and capacity building projects
• Review scope of work including major deliverables and timelines
• Share necessary project materials for review 
• Connect Fellow to key project staff in the office and role Fellow (including prohibited activities)