SheRen Consulting

Big shoutout to the Serve New Mexico 🎉 AmeriCorps leaders who joined SheRen Consulting for this week's Budget & Fiscal Lunch & Learn Series! Together, we dived into the essentials of planning, operating, and maintaining not only an AmeriCorps budget but a strong financial management team ready to tackle today’s challenges head-on. Thanks for bringing your dedication, energy, and questions to our learning community. Together yes we can! #gettingthingsdone #AmeriCorps #FiscalResponsibility

💜 A heartfelt thank you to Volunteer Mississippi, and a big congratulations to the AmeriCorps Class of '24-'25 for stepping up to lead and make a real difference in our communities. 💜 It was my honor to facilitate your orientation into the AmeriCorps family, where we explored the values of Service Leadership and the lifelong commitment to answering the call of service. Remember, you are the change we've been waiting for—take care of yourselves and each other as you continue to move forward on our journeys. 🌻 Until we meet again, be well, and thank you for your dedication! #VolunteerMississippi #AmeriCorps #GettingThingsDone #ServiceLeadership #AmeriCorpsMississippi

The co-chairs of the National Service Congressional Caucus have a plan to strengthen and expand AmeriCorps. The Promoting Service through AmeriCorps Act – sponsored by Sen. Chris Coons, Sen. Bill Cassidy, Rep. Doris Matsui, and Rep. Garret Graves – will create more service opportunities, expand benefits to support recruitment and improve the member experience, and strengthen pathways to education and employment for all AmeriCorps members. Learn more about the bipartisan bill: https://lnkd.in/g3JbnrXC #Stand4Service

Looking to scale up your skills without the need to take on a multi year commitment!? Becoming an AmeriCorps VISTA is a great way to enhance your skills and support the needs of community. Want to learn how to get started check out below. 👇🏾

People often ask why I continue to say "yes" to AmeriCorps, even after leaving my roles working at state commissions. The answer is simple—because AmeriCorps works. Across the nation, nearly a million students at over 9,500 schools are beginning the school year with the vital support of more than 55,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers. These dedicated individuals are making a significant impact by improving literacy, increasing graduation rates, fostering social-emotional learning, supporting mental health, and enhancing overall academic success. #AmeriCorpsInSchools is transforming lives, both in and beyond the classroom. At SheRen Consulting, we understand the strength of AmeriCorps and what it takes to build and run effective programs. Together we can and do get things done!#BackToSchoolWithAmeriCorps #AmeriCorps30 #NationalService

It's never too late to learn if National Service could be the next opportunity for you or someone you know. Check out this free information session this Wednesday. #AmeriCorps #ServiceYear #CommunityInAction

News Alert! 🎉 As the CEO of SheRen Consulting, I’m thrilled to see my former colleagues at Serve Colorado continuing our collective mission to elevate national service across the state. With a shared vision to empower national service members, I’m excited to share the news of Colorado's House Bill 24-1240, which will make the Segal Education Award tax-free at the state level starting in 2026. This is a significant win in our ongoing efforts to ensure “tax-free” benefits for those serving their communities through AmeriCorps in CO. Wondering how your state can join this movement and connect with local officials? Reach out to the America Service Commission, or learn from the examples set by Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Wisconsin, and now Colorado. Together, we can move the needle forward. Unite and Serve. #AmeriCorps #TaxFreeSegalAward #CollectiveEfforts #30years

🌟 Mastering Direct, Indirect, and Administrative Costs: Key Insights for Budget Season 🌟 As budget season approaches, understanding direct, indirect, and administrative costs is crucial for financial accuracy and compliance with funding guidelines. These categories play distinct roles in budget allocation: 1️⃣ Direct Costs: These are vital for specific programs or projects, such as project-specific salaries, materials, and direct project-related travel. They ensure targeted funding without overlap. 2️⃣ Indirect Costs: These support overall operations without linking directly to specific programs. Examples include administrative salaries, rent, utilities, and overhead costs, allocated through an indirect cost rate. 3️⃣ Administrative Costs: Essential for governance and oversight, including executive salaries and legal fees, ensuring organizational compliance and efficiency. 🚫 🚫 Common Pitfalls: Organizations often encounter pitfalls such as incomplete cost category understanding, underestimating indirect costs, inaccurate allocation methods, insufficient documentation, compliance oversights, inadequate future planning, and poor stakeholder communication. Navigating Challenges: Address these pitfalls by: ➡ Clearly differentiating between cost categories. ➡ Thoroughly documenting cost allocations. ➡ Staying updated on compliance regulations To maintain mastery of 2 CFR Part 200, consider creating a 7-week reading challenge. Dedicate time each week to review one section and its applicable appendices. Apply your newfound knowledge to daily activities to reinforce learning and enhance compliance efforts. Investing in your knowledge now will save you time and energy later. For more tips and strategies, connect with us at SheRen Consulting. Let’s ensure your organization’s financial health and compliance reaches the goals this season. 

🌟 Enhancing the RFP Process: Empowering Applicants From the Start🌟 Dear Grantmaking Colleagues, In April, The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) made significant revisions to increase access, requiring our help to start and continue innovation in our approach when working with our communities. The call for action is simple. With over 1.2 trillion dollars annually at stake, start early in building partnerships by addressing three core and commonly underutilized strategies that, as a collective, make an impact rather than inflict community harm and create barriers. Read On And Lets Discuss How: ⭐ Be Clear and Transparent: Many RFPs are bogged down with jargon and unclear instructions, leaving applicants frustrated. ⭐⭐Solution: Simplify language and provide detailed guidelines. Don’t assume - Be Cool! Applicants want to understand the requirements. Hosting Q&A sessions and offering comprehensive FAQ sections will improve the applicant experience. ⭐ Make the Application Process Straightforward & Reasonable: Excessive documentation and complicated processes can overwhelm applicants, especially local organizations. ⭐⭐Solution: Think from the applicant's perspective. The new guidance calls for revising Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) to minimize bureaucratic hurdles and provide pre-award technical assistance support. Spending time to navigate the process more easily allows applicants to concentrate on their proposals' substance. ⭐ Keep Them Engaged, Communicate, and Provide Feedback: Long waiting periods with little feedback leave applicants in the dark about their application's status. ⭐⭐Solution: Establish clear communication timelines and assign a point of contact for regular updates. The revised guidance highlights the importance of data and evaluation in program development, encouraging agencies to provide constructive feedback to enhance the applicant experience. 🔎🔎Insider Lens: Having personally created RFPs and submission of numerous grant proposals, I understand the challenges applicants face. Crafting a compelling proposal, navigating pages of pages of RFP documents, just to understand the key information. For many of our communities that are addressing needs locally, this can feel like an uphill battle and unreachable target to the areas that need the most. So the next time you create an RFP, remember “Don’t Assume - Be Cool” 😎 and keep the applicant in mind. Let's be a community that builds community by striving for efficient and empathetic processes that empower and invest in long-term solutions. 💜 Embrace change, work brighter, and stay equitably engaged. 🌎💡 #Innovation #Grantmaking #CommunityImpact #UniformGuidance #SheRenConsulting

Hello KS friends looking to diversify funds as ARPA dollars fade? Thanks to our partners at the Kansas Department of Commerce fund finding is now more attainable with the new Grants Calendar dashboard! Half the battle of starting your next project is knowing where to look and having time to respond to different requirements. High-five to the Kansas Commerce team for paving the way for others to follow 🎉 #Kansas #Funding #Grants #Commerce #Innovation 🎉