Our partner application for the 2024-2025 service year is now closed. 

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What does it mean to partner with GrizzlyCorps?

 

GrizzlyCorps is dedicated to building local community resilience which cannot be done without the investment of partner organizations. Each year GrizzlyCorps partners with local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions and Tribal Nations.  As a GrizzlyCorps Host Site, you will have a unique opportunity to support and mentor developing professionals as they begin their careers. 
 

The Application Process: 

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Prospective host sites complete an application defining unmet resilience and capacity needs in their organization, capacity building project details, fiscal contributions, desired member skills. Our application is open annually from mid-January through mid-March. Successful applicants are notified in April of each year. The program year starts in September. 

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GrizzlyCorps staff evaluate applications using a rubric designed to ensure that projects: meet a clearly defined resiliency need; provide an appropriate fellow role; connect to eligible high need beneficiaries; provide sufficient supervision and dedicated professional development opportunities; and do not displace or supplant staff. If GrizzlyCorps receives more project applications than we have available fellows, our team will prioritize support based on urgency of need (e.g. communities facing more significant burdens, or critical capacity gaps), preservation of geographic diversity, professional development opportunities for the fellow, and alignment with state priorities. Partners can apply for multiple fellows. 
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GrizzlyCorps fellows are typically recent college graduates with relevant backgrounds (e.g. agriculture and forestry, planning, policy, community development) who will implement between one (1) to six (6) capacity-building projects. Example projects include developing farm action and fire reduction plan measures; researching regenerative agriculture and ecological forestry techniques and effectiveness; implementing pilot projects; developing a local community resilience plan; assisting site assessments; organizing education outreach and sessions; and more. The fellows intervention process supports a wide spectrum of activities thereby allowing fellows to respond to local needs while implementing a structured framework during their service. Fellows are not allowed to perform generic administrative duties (e.g. office management, answering and directing phone calls for team members, filing paperwork not associated with direct projects) nor fundraise for their host site in any capacity. 
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GrizzlyCorps fellows can support our partner organizations by (1) providing tangible resource or system development outcomes (e.g. reports, inventories, etc.), which can improve efficiency, effectiveness, or scale and reach of your projects; (2) improving opportunities to engage stakeholders and volunteers, so that activities have broader and longer-term support from your communities; and (3) conducting field work and introducing or developing new tools and resources. In the short-term, our fellow’s will help you engage, implement, and build capacity for local community resilience efforts that address the unprecedented threats of climate change. In the long-term our program, through the service of our fellows, will accelerate local adoption of policies and programs that reduce environmental risks or address critical socioeconomic threats driven by climate change to ensure community resilience across California. 

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GrizzlyCorps is also committed to developing the next generation of climate leaders. Our program is intended to be a professional development program for recent college graduates or early career individuals. Our host sites are expected to provide their fellows with staff mentorship, regular feedback, professional development opportunities, and flexibility to participate in GrizzlyCorps and external training. 
 

 

The Process:

All GrizzlyCorps projects will increase the capacity of local communities to promote resilience and respond to climate threats. Examples of projects include developing local plans, inventorying risks and vulnerabilities, implementing pilot and demonstration projects, and engaging keys stakeholders.

 

Overall, all GrizzlyCorps members follow the same 4-stage intervention process with support of their host organization:             

• Gap Assessment where members identify capacity building goals

• Research, planning, and implementation projects to address these goals

• Volunteer recruitment activities to engage the community in efforts

• Transitioning of knowledge to community members

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Throughout this process, our partners are required to supervise and provide support to the fellow throughout their term of service. Our partners are asked to fill out a Pre-service Capacity Assessment, which will help our fellows complete the Gap Assessment at the beginning of their term of service and ultimately ensure that their projects align with your organization’s needs. Partners will also be expected to participate in regular check-ins with the GrizzlyCorps team, as well as performance measure evaluations and professional development opportunities.

 

GrizzlyCorps Fellows, in accordance with AmeriCorps guidelines, can only engage in specific goals or tasks. All members will exclusively engage in:

• Capacity building projects to address resilience and local climate needs.

• Volunteer engagement to recruit and build volunteer services and support existing volunteers.

• Professional development to build both professional skills and community development skills, and to enhance the esprit de corps experience.

 

Benefits to our Partners:

• Partner placements receive dedicated project support from enthusiastic emerging professionals who receive professional development and sector training

• Direct support for specific resiliency projects

• Increased capacity for sustainable and resilient communities

• A pipeline for future resiliency projects

• Stronger State-local partnerships for information and expertise exchange

• AmeriCorps members with training in climate change, regenerative agriculture, fire management, and forest resilience

• Increased outreach and volunteerism at the local level

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Responsibilities: 

• Provide meaningful supervision and well thought out projects for fellows. 

• Create or offer fellow(s) opportunities for professional development and sector training. 

• Provide physical space to work (projects may be considered if you cannot offer workspace, please reach out to our team to discuss). 

• Completion of two capacity assessments, three fellow performance assessments and other AmeriCorps required paperwork, including timesheet approval and end of year feedback. 

• Hosts are NOT responsible for providing housing, stipend, workers compensation or health insurance. GrizzlyCorps covers all of these benefits. 

• Host Sites are given special preference if they can provide housing and are expected to provide assistance for fellows in finding housing. 

• A contribution/match toward the costs of the GrizzlyCorps program (which includes the fellow stipend, medical insurance, workers compensation, recruitment, training, and administrative costs). The amount of the 2024-2025 contribution is expected to be $28,000.

• Fellow stipends are $30,000 for the 2024-2025 service year.

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