AmeriCorps Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why is housing important? Why perform repairs and modifications on existing homes?
When can I start a CapacityCorps term?
What are the terms of service?
Am I eligible to serve in AmeriCorps with Rebuilding Together?
What do CapacityCorps members do? Where do they serve?
Why should I serve in CapacityCorps?
What are the benefits of serving in CapacityCorps?
Q: What is Rebuilding Together?
A: Rebuilding Together is the leading national nonprofit organization with a mission to repair the homes of people in need and revitalize our communities. Through our national network of affiliates, Rebuilding Together works proactively and collaboratively with community leaders, long-term residents, funders and volunteers to foster dialogue and create a movement focused on building safe and healthy homes and communities across the country.
Q: Why is housing important? Why perform repairs and modifications on existing homes?
A: On average, our homeowners live at or below the poverty level and are forced to choose between food, medicine and shelter needs. We provide these critical home repairs at no cost to qualified homeowners. Rebuilding Together is often the last resort to preserving their homeownership – their only personal
asset. Rebuilding Together affiliates serve neighbors in 120 communities and neighborhoods across the country.
Q: What is CapacityCorps?
A: Rebuilding Together’s 11-month, capacity building AmeriCorps program is called CapacityCorps. Each year, 50 CapacityCorps members serve 28 affiliates in 20 states. Rebuilding Together CapacityCorps members build the capacity of grassroots Rebuilding Together programs so that they may be more sustainable, effective, and efficient in helping additional low-income homeowners and communities in need. For more information about the program, positions available across the country, and more, check out our website www.rebuildingtogether.org/americorps. CapacityCorps members serve essential roles in building the capacity of their host site organizations in vital program areas, including: recruiting and managing volunteers, performing direct home repairs, connecting homeowners in need with our services, building community partnerships and creating new programs.
Q: When can I start a CapacityCorps term?
A: For our current openings and term start dates, visit this page.
Q: What are the terms of service?
A: In order to complete your term of service and receive an Education Award, CapacityCorps members must fulfill both of the following requirements: serve a minimum of 1,700 hours before the end of their term, and serve full-time (39-40 hours per week) during the entire term. Read more here.
Q: Am I eligible to serve in AmeriCorps with Rebuilding Together?
A: Applicants must meet the following criteria to serve with Rebuilding Together CapacityCorps:
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- Must be a US citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident
- Individuals may serve no more than four terms in AmeriCorps State and National
- Must pass a criminal history review
Individuals must pass a criminal history review, including: an FBI criminal background check with fingerprints, state background checks, and a check of the national sex offender registry. What findings would disqualify me from serving in AmeriCorps? Anyone convicted of murder as defined and described in 18 U.S.C. § 1111 is ineligible to serve. Anyone who refuses to undergo the check may not serve. Anyone who makes a false statement in connection with a program’s inquiry concerning the individual’s criminal history, including your self-report in your AmeriCorps.gov application, is ineligible to serve. If the National Service Criminal History Check returns results that implicate criteria other than those above, Rebuilding Together has the discretion, subject to any federal civil rights law and state law requirements, to decide whether or not the results of a criminal history background check disqualify an individual from service with the grantee.
Q: What do CapacityCorps members do? Where do they serve?
A: CapacityCorps is named for members’ goal of building capacity at their host sites. But what does that look like in terms of the day-to-day activities you would be doing during a term of service with Rebuilding Together? Each of our 20 CapacityCorps host sites are looking to build their capacity in different ways and want CapacityCorps members to fill different positions of need at their individual affiliate. Some Rebuilding Together affiliates are looking for CapacityCorps members to recruit or coordinate volunteers, others want to coordinate rebuilding day projects, perform direct hands-on repairs, or reach out into the community to build community partnerships or help homeowners become aware of the services Rebuilding Together may be able to provide for them. Each Rebuilding Together affiliate has unique position descriptions for each of the CapacityCorps positions at their affiliate.
Visit www.rebuildingtogether.org/americorps/openings to see a full list of CapacityCorps host sites, position descriptions and links to apply.
Q: Why should I serve in CapacityCorps?
A: Let currently serving members and alumni tell you about why they decided to serve in CapacityCorps and what this experience meant to them. Check out our YouTube playlist to see all our videos in which members explain CapacityCorps, why the work that they’re doing matters in their communities, the impact that safe and healthy housing programs have on the lives of their clients and more.
Q: What are the benefits of serving in CapacityCorps?
Serving with CapacityCorps offers of host of professional development, networking and leadership
opportunities. Here are just some of the benefits of service:
- Nonprofit management experience such as partnership development, community engagement, volunteer management and program development.
- Opportunity to address housing issues hands-on in your community.
- Work with and support 49 other AmeriCorps members across the country.
- Living allowance of $15,500 over 11-month term of service
- Health insurance including dental and vision plans.
- Education Award of TBA May 2021 (was $6,195 for 2020) for qualifying education expenses or loans, upon completion of the term of service.
- Federal student loan forbearance and interest accrual payment.
- Positions are eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
- Professional development benefit of $200/member provided by RT National.
- Mental Health benefit provided by RT National (covers 6 visits with a mental health professional OR 6 months of an online/tele-service subscription).
- Travel for a National AmeriCorps event in late January/early February 2022 (see below for more information).
A: Once a year, all CapacityCorps members come together to perform hands-on repairs on several homes in the same community during a Rebuilding Together AmeriCorps event. We will be hosting an in-person event called Kick Off to Rebuild (KTR) in Los Angeles, California from February 7-12, 2022 with our AmeriCorps members. Rebuilding Together AmeriCorps members will gather for a weeklong rebuilding project and conference. The tentative plan is to have two days of professional development, service learning, and team building sessions followed by a few days hands on at a project. Travel, housing, and meals are provided by the program for the MLK Project. Housing may be in volunteer housing, which could include shared living facilities. As we get closer, we will develop and share a COVID safety protocol to ensure members are as safe as possible during travel. We will be actively monitoring the COVID situation for this event. The event may be cancelled if things do not continue in a positive direction. Members may opt out if they have COVID travel concerns.
Q: How can I apply?
A: All applicants must apply through the application portals online at www.rebuildingtogether.org/capacitycorps. After you apply, your application will be reviewed by each of the local Rebuilding Together host sites separately. Successful applicants will be invited to interview with the affiliate. The entire process typically takes about four weeks from the time of your initial application online. We make offers on available positions as suitable candidates are identified, don’t wait until the deadline to apply as the position may no longer be available!
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