Partnership Opportunities
CivicSpark is a national service program implemented by the CivicWell (formerly the Local Government Commission), dedicated to supporting organizations and local public agencies to address community resilience issues such as climate change, water resource management, housing, and mobility. Starting in 2022, CivicSpark now operates in the three western states of California, Colorado, and Washington.
Partnership Details
CivicSpark follows strict requirements regarding the projects and partners we can support.
- Fellows cannot be placed at for-profit organizations.
- Fellows must implement projects or initiatives with a clear scope of work designed to build organizational capacity.
- Partners must agree to follow all AmeriCorps requirements (see here for more information)
Currently, CivicSpark places highly motivated emerging leaders with local organizations for 11-month terms to support research, planning, and implementation projects for community resilience. Through our program’s model, CivicSpark staff work with project partners to coordinate a positive fellowship experience. Site Supervisors provide direct project supervision of Fellows, with support from CivicSpark Regional Coordinators and other program staff.
Beyond basic requirements, we are looking for project partners with a commitment to Fellows growth and development through direct project oversight, a dedicated Fellow supervisor, as a well as a supportive professional environment.
Public agencies, state agencies, Tribes, and non-profit organizations can contract directly to host CivicSpark Fellows. Participating public agency service recipients must demonstrate a “capacity need”, measured by meeting at least one of the following criteria:
Significant communitywide burdens including: a score of .75 or higher on the CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index; a score of 25 or less on the California Healthy Places Index; a score of 75 or higher on CalEnviroScreen; an unemployment rate above the state average.
Absence of an adopted and up-to-date strategy (plan, element or other) that comprehensively addresses the target resiliency issue with appropriate funding, programs, and policies, to implement the strategy.
A defined resilience capacity gap as evidenced by at least 1 significant program, policy, or planning goal for a specific resilience issue that has not been met, or cannot be met, without resource or system development assistance.
Projects must support local public agency resiliency needs such as climate change adaptation or mitigation, affordable housing, energy efficiency, water management or policy, sustainable mobility, or other community resillience issue. Beyond the basic criteria, our program is looking for tangible and impactful resiliency projects with a:
- Clear, suitable scope of work
- Commitment to implementation
- Strong connection to public agencies’ needs
CivicSpark positions are funded in part by AmeriCorps, and in part by participating local governments, or third party funders. Participation in this program requires a fiscal contribution based on the amount and type of support provided by the CivicSpark program.
Rates for the program are all-inclusive, covering: Workers compensation, liability insurance, workplace costs, Fellow personnel benefits etc.; both the CivicSpark Fellow and CivicWell staff support; and are based solely on costs for project work hours, not training time spent by the Fellow.
For additional information, please visit our FAQ page.
2023-24 Pricing
| State | Cost per Fellow | Project Support Provided per Fellow | Additional Benefits per Fellow |
|---|---|---|---|
| California & Washington | $31,000 | 11 Months and 1,300+ project hours |
80 additional project-prep hours, 100 volunteer engagement hours |
| Colorado | $34,000 | 11 Months and 1,300+ project hours |
80 additional project-prep hours, 100 volunteer engagement hours |
TQT 2024 Pricing
| State | Cost per Fellow | Project Support Provided per Fellow | Additional Benefits per Fellow |
|---|---|---|---|
| California & Washington | $22,000 | 7.5 Months and 920+ project hours |
55 additional project-prep hours, 70 volunteer engagement hours |
| Colorado | $24,000 | 7.5 Months and 920+ project hours |
55 additional project-prep hours, 70 volunteer engagement hours |
*This represents the general pricing structure and the floor for pricing, but some variations may exist depending on terms and conditions of specific placements.
Step 1: Submit Online Project Application
We estimate it should take 30-45 minutes to complete the application once you have developed your project concept.
Step 2: Application Review & Follow-Up
CivicSpark staff will review project applications and schedule a call with your project lead. Through these conversations, staff will ensure your project will deliver results while also meeting our goals as an AmeriCorps program. Staff will then consider your project for approval based on our programmatic priorities.
Step 3: Project Approval & Contracting
Once approved, agencies must complete a Service Agreement (contract),outlining mutual roles and responsibilities between project partners and CivicWell (formerly the Local Government Commission), as well as payment terms.
Step 4: Candidate Review and Interviewing
CivicSpark staff will share qualified candidates for consideration, at which time partners should interview candidates who may be a good fit. CivicSpark staff will make the final offer to the Fellow for placement. .
Step 5: Pre-Service Eligibility Form
Project service recipients must complete a Elgibility Form prior to the start of service. This survey establishes baseline information about the agency’s capacity needs and goals relating to the project. This information is used to set goals and evaluate success after project completion.
February 6th, 2023: Early Partner Application Deadline
February 17th, 2023: Priority Partner Application Deadline
March 31st, 2023: Regular Partner Application Deadline
April 21st, 2023: Late Partner Application Deadline
November 3rd, 2023: TQT Partner Application Deadline
How have Fellows supported community resilience projects? Hear from our Partners!
More Questions?
Feel free to contact Bill Sadler at bsadler@civicwell.org to discuss any additional questions.
The fellows have been great to work with and I am confident they have great careers ahead of them. The work they are doing for us and the cities of the region is invaluable.
CivicSpark has been an invaluable resource to the County of Santa Barbara, and we’re still experiencing the benefits. Once our ECAP was adopted and the rubber hit the road, our CivicSpark Fellow was able to take on a crucial role in coordinating implementation, and monitoring and reporting.
Our CivicSpark fellows have brought a fresh perspective on how we engage the community in energy planning in the Sierra Nevada, and they are not short on ambition.
The projects our fellow is working on are important for the County’s success in designing and implementing climate action strategies. They are also significant components in broader thinking about long-term sustainability. Without our CivicSpark fellow, these significant pieces of work would be several years out for their completion.
The CivicSpark has been invaluable to the successful launch of our building energy transparency requirement…Collaboration of the CivicSpark Bay Area team has enriched our program through new perspectives and best practices from other cities. It has been a great experience for all involved.
Our CivicSpark members have been very active, enthusiastic, and engaged with our staff and have been a pleasure to work with. Their outreach work and communication has been wonderful.
This program is providing a lot of value for us. When we are required to address the climate action plans, it is a requirement we can’t implement. This is providing us some real action and support and we are seeing progress.