Interfaith Enrichment Corps
Become a Member
Serve at a nonprofit in Indianapolis through the Interfaith Enrichment Corps, the Center for Interfaith Cooperation’s AmeriCorps program. Learn and connect with cultural services, faith communities, and community resources along with a cohort of service members. Members build quality interfaith relationships that explore community solutions in an asset-based approach. Specific service activities vary per site.
This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, political affiliation, or, in most instances, religion.
Service Description
AmeriCorps members, serving with anchor institutions in communities facing interfaith and intercultural possibilities, will build supportive relationships with neighboring congregations.
Authentic community-building efforts will connect members with faith groups to provide the support that enriches time, energy, tools, and capacity of volunteers and leaders. Willingness to reach across barriers of cultural and religious differences, coupled with an approach that supports existing efforts will enhance the incredible assets of our communities.
Members will be trained to discuss, consider, and communicate key issues that our sites and partners work with, including:
- Effective nonprofit best practices such as event planning and volunteer management.
- Religious literacy and ability to navigate the sensitivities and assets of various faith groups.
- The unique assets of and barriers faced by immigrants and refugees
- Mental health statistics, connecting resources and addressing stigma
- Socioeconomic disparities and implicit bias
- Other resource assets for referral and connection in the network of Indianapolis community organizations
Members won’t need to become experts on all these topics. Rather, through the key activity of building relationships, members will listen, learn, understand the goals of that community, and employ supportive problem-solving skills:
- What do community leaders, clergy, volunteers see for the future of their community/congregation?
- In what ways are they serving that they would like to continue – or would like more people to be involved in?
- By learning from the community, we can intuitively support their efforts without adding to their plates.
Once confirmed, our Service Sites for 2022-23 and the service descriptions for their Member roles will appear below.
Member Duties
- Pursue interfaith understanding, cultural connection, and community vitality through service.
- Serve with a team of other members in a year of nonprofit networking and community-based learning out of Center for Interfaith Cooperation and partner sites around Central Indiana.
- Build authentic professional relationships with immigrants, faith groups, and service providers by facilitating and engaging in honest and sensitive conversations.
- Learn and use nonprofit best practices to support site organizations and community training opportunities.
- Cultivate a working understanding of root causes of community needs including mental health stigma, implicit bias, resource disparity, social isolation.
- Identify and pursue training that leverages local experts and professionals for the benefit of your site and the AmeriCorps team.
Skills
- Conflict Resolution
- Community Organization
- Communications
- Leadership
- Public Health
- Social Services
- Computers/Technology
Program Benefits
- Biweekly Living Allowance during active service (up to $22,000 per year for 22-23)
- Group Training and Individualized Professional Development (read about our Core Competencies)
- Eligible for the Segal Education Award upon successful completion of service
Eligibility and Policies
Member eligibility criteria (additional specific qualifications vary by service site and role)
- IEC members must be U.S. Citizens aged 18 or older with a high school diploma or equivalent.
- Reliable transportation is recommended
- Service in the IEC may be compatible with work or attendance at school during off-hours for individuals with exceptional time management skills.
How to Apply
Member Candidates may submit a pre-application at any time here. The recruitment process has multiple steps. Interested candidates can speed the selection process somewhat by registering to create a new Member profile in the AmeriCorps Portal.You will receive an email confirmation within 72 hours with instructions to schedule a screening call. Once screened, candidates will be invited to 1) interview with our service sites and 2) submit an official application as soon as the opportunity is live in the AmeriCorps Portal.
For more information, contact Program Director Josih Hostetler at josih@indycic.org.
Host a Member
Center for Interfaith Cooperation trains and places AmeriCorps members in partner congregations and organizations interested in building a strong, resourced interfaith community.
Service Site EXPECTATIONS and POLICIES
Service Site Eligibility Criteria
- Only non-profit organizations are eligible to be Service Sites. Ideal partners have faith-based outreach or programs, work with underserved and/or minoritized populations, and/or address one or more of the social determinants of health.
- All IEC service sites must articulate interfaith goals for the service term and have capacity to supervise member(s) and provide them with a dedicated workspace and a named supervisor.
- Supervisors must complete a minimal number of reporting tasks in a timely fashion, including timesheet approvals and simple pre-, mid-, and post- service evaluations.
- Where demand for Member placements exceeds our program’s capacity, program staff will select sites based on mission alignment, expected Member experience/professional development potential, and past performance (if applicable)
Benefits to Service Sites
An AmeriCorps member at your congregation or organization will build your capacity to (a) collaborate with religious communities, (b) cultivate interfaith understanding and cultural relevance, and (c) enhance and augment mission services in a sustainable fashion.
Members commit to 1700 hours of service and training, with CIC providing the majority of professional development opportunities needed to support success.
Members do not replace staff or volunteers and instead take on a unique role in an organization, engaging in service activities such as volunteer recruitment and support, community collaboration, mental health stigma reduction, staff/volunteer training, cultural connections, event planning, and other community-oriented activities.
Cost Share
Cost sharing for the 2022-23 program is as follows:
$9000 toward program funding for each full-year (September-August) member hosted
$1500 toward member health insurance coverage (if enrolled – members covered via another policy may waive AmeriCorps coverage)
Timeline - 2022-23 Service term
The IEC service year runs from September – August.
1 July: Service Descriptions due to CIC
July: Sites interview candidates following a screening by CIC
2 August 10am or 9 August 4pm: Site Supervisor Orientation Sessions; Signed MOUs due
15-20 August: Placements finalized; Member background check process begins
6-9 September: Member Orientation
9 September: Site Orientation Day. Members and Supervisors attend Orientation together in the morning. The afternoon is reserved for site-specific orientation activities (office tours, goal setting, technology training, etc.)
October 1: Cost share invoices distributed; Site Profiles and Volunteer Management Surveys due
February – March 2023: Service Site Compliance Visits
How to host a member
Service Site applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Access the service site application here.
Faith communities and organizations should contact Josih Hosteler at josih@indycic.org with any questions.
AmeriCorps is the federal agency connecting individuals and organizations through service and volunteering to tackle the nation’s most pressing challenges.
Engage with the IEC
CIC welcomes board members, volunteers, and partners to join us for select training activities, where space permits. We are also pleased to welcome community organizations to present on local resources, non-profit skills, or service opportunities in our bi-weekly enrichment sessions.
2022-23 Members and Sites
George H. – Touba Gardens
Hadessa H. – Felege Hiwot Center
Van B. – Hope for Tomorrow
Kathy A. – Catholic Charities
Nina P. – Mothers on the Rise, Fairbanks School of Public Health
Yeabsera T. – Center for Interfaith Cooperation
Connor B. – Center for Interfaith Cooperation
2022-23 Enrichment
Our AmeriCorps members are tasked with building connections between faith communities, people in need, and resource providers. In order to support them in their service, we provide training opportunities that spotlight central Indiana nonprofits, highlight the importance of cultural and religious sensitivity, and cover a wide range of skills and topics from soft skills and an ethic of service to nonprofit management, volunteer coordination, safety, and distaster planning.
For skill shares, the goal is not to teach everything someone might need to know about the topic in 60 minutes, but rather to give an overview of some important elements, share tips for getting started, favorite tools, books, etc. If you have a skill or topic you’d like to share with our cohort, you can volunteer here.
For the IEC Grievience Procedure, please click here.