Written Comments for the Serve America Act Listening Session

This testimony offers recommendations on the implementation and assessment of new programs aimed at recruiting older adults into national and community service. These new programs will be created under the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, a piece of national and community service legislation that was signed into law by President Obama on April 21, 2009. Testimony was offered at a Listening Session, convened by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Corporation requested input in response to specific questions, grouped into five broad categories: Expanding Opportunities to Serve, Combining Assets for Greater Impact, Demonstrating Impact, Spurring Innovation and Supporting the Nonprofit Sector (New Initiatives), and Achieving Growth through Simpler Grantmaking. This testimony responds to several of the questions posed by the Corporation.