FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What is the difference between direct and indirect service?
A: VISTAs must perform indirect service such as capacity building, organizing, presentations, recruitment; they cannot do direct service as volunteers typically do, i.e. stocking shelves, cleaning, taking meeting minutes. VISTAs are living, breathing grants, which means they must perform tasks that further the mission set out in their application (VAD). For example, a VISTA answering the phone for your organization is the equivalent of grant funds intended for a new roof being used to stock the break room with snacks. If used inappropriately, a site could lose their current VISTA and future VISTA opportunities.
A: VISTAs must perform indirect service such as capacity building, organizing, presentations, recruitment; they cannot do direct service as volunteers typically do, i.e. stocking shelves, cleaning, taking meeting minutes. VISTAs are living, breathing grants, which means they must perform tasks that further the mission set out in their application (VAD). For example, a VISTA answering the phone for your organization is the equivalent of grant funds intended for a new roof being used to stock the break room with snacks. If used inappropriately, a site could lose their current VISTA and future VISTA opportunities.
