AmeriCorps Grants 101

Welcome to the Introduction to AmeriCorps State and National. This is the first in a

series of webinars that will orient you to AmeriCorps grant funding and the basic

concepts and frameworks to help you determine how your organization might seek a

partnership with AmeriCorps.

During this presentation we will discuss the following topics:

The Corporation for National and Community Service

AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps State & National Grants

What AmeriCorps Programs Do

How an organization can become an AmeriCorps program

AmeriCorps Application and Review Process

And Resources

The module will conclude with a brief evaluation.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is an independent, federal grant-making

government agency whose mission is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic

participation through service and volunteering. For almost 20 years, CNCS—through its

programs: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, George H.W. Bush Volunteer Generation Fund, and Social

Innovation Fund—has helped to engage millions of citizens in meeting community and national

challenges through service and volunteer action.

CNCS was created in 1993 through the signing of the National and Community Service Trust Act

which expanded opportunities for Americans to serve their communities through national

service.

CNCS strives to connect Americans of all ages and backgrounds with opportunities to give back

to their communities and our nation, and is the nation’s largest grant maker supporting service

and volunteering.

Each year millions of individuals of all ages and backgrounds will serve with national and

community non-profit organizations, faith-based groups, schools, and local agencies to meet

needs in education, health, the environment, economic opportunity, veterans, disaster

services, and other critical areas.

CNCS sponsors many initiatives as well as special days of service including the September 11

National Service Day of Service and Remembrance and Martin Luther King, Jr Day of Service.

AmeriCorps is an umbrella that consists of 3 distinct programs: AmeriCorps VISTA, the

AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps program or NCCC, and AmeriCorps

State and National.

AmeriCorps VISTA provides full-time AmeriCorps members to non-profits, faith-based

and other community organizations, as well as public agencies, to create and expand

programs that bring low income individuals and communities out of poverty.

The AmeriCorps NCCC program is a full-time residential program for men and women,

ages 18-24 who engage in short-term service projects across the country. The NCCC

operates on a regional basis, with five campuses in different parts of the country.

NCCC AmeriCorps members serve on teams and complete projects in the geographic

region served by their NCCC campus. The NCCC program also leads the CNCS disaster

services initiative, FEMA Corps.

AmeriCorps State and National is the largest of the 3 AmeriCorps programs. Involving

hundreds of organizations and reaching all states and US territories. State and

National provides grants to eligible organizations to meet needs in education, health,

the environment, economic opportunity, veterans services and disaster services. The

remainder of this presentation will focus on AmeriCorps State & National.

AmeriCorps State and National provides grants to non-profits, faith & secular

community-based organizations, public agencies, Indian tribes, and institutions of

higher education.

These programs provide Americans, young and old, with opportunities to serve as

AmeriCorps members in communities across the country.

Since 1994, more than 820,000 men and women have provided service as AmeriCorps

members.

AmeriCorps Grants provide partial funding to support AmeriCorps projects and

programs. Grant recipients must contribute match funding to support the project.

AmeriCorps grants are solely for program expenses and cannot be used for general

organizational operating expenses.

AmeriCorps grants include an allotment of AmeriCorps member positions and the

funds awarded by CNCS are directly tied to the specific number of members awarded.

Recipient organizations, known as grantees, design activities for AmeriCorps Members

that demonstrate an evidence-based or evidence-informed approach to strengthening

communities and solving community problems.

AmeriCorps State and National grants allow organizations to more effectively address

community needs by using AmeriCorps resources to support existing programs. Also,

AmeriCorps allows organizations to reach previously underserved communities and

expand their activities beyond what they were able to do without AmeriCorps

Please note that AmeriCorps State and National funds cannot be used to duplicate,

displace or supplant resources that organically exist in a community. AmeriCorps

members or grant funds can help meet unmet needs or can expand an organizations’

ability to better address community needs, but they don’t take the place of community

resources that already exist.

Now that you know what AmeriCorps State and National is, let’s talk a little bit about

what these programs do.

AmeriCorps programs use service and volunteerism to address a community’s

compelling needs through a wide range of activities, such as building affordable

housing and responding to natural disasters.

AmeriCorps programs engage AmeriCorps members and other volunteers to meet

the identified needs, but members cannot take the place of existing staff or local

volunteers. So as we mentioned earlier, AmeriCorps does not displace, supplant or

duplicate any assets that already exist in a community.

There are two ways that an organization can become an AmeriCorps grantee and

operate an AmeriCorps program. Your organization can apply directly to the

Corporation for National and Community Service OR you can submit an application to a

State Service Commission.

The next few slides will explain how you decide where to submit your application.

Single-state AmeriCorps programs are implemented by organizations receiving an

AmeriCorps grant to address needs in only one state. These applications are

submitted by the program to their state service commission, and then the commission

submits the grant application to CNCS.

The link on this slide shows the contact information for each state commission.

Because each commission has its own funding priorities and their own deadlines,

you’ll need to connect with your state commission early in the application process.

The next slide will give you a little more background on State Service Commissions.

State Service Commissions are boards of 15-25 individuals nominated and appointed

by a state’s governor. This appointed board oversees the implementation of national

and community service and volunteer initiatives in their particular state or US

territory.

Most commissions employ a small professional staff to manage granting, monitoring

and evaluating single state AmeriCorps programs. In addition, state commission staff

also often administer special, state specific volunteer initiatives.

Again, commissions provide funding to single state AmeriCorps programs through

annual grant competitions. State Commissions also provide feedback to the

Corporation on the multi-state programs operating in their state.

Multi-State AmeriCorps programs are implemented by organizations that are awarded

an AmeriCorps grant to address community needs in at least two states.

Multi-State AmeriCorps programs have relationships with entities in different states

that operate the local programs.

Multi-state programs must consult with State Commissions in each of the states

where they operate to discuss their plans for future or current programming.

Multi-state applicants submit an AmeriCorps grant application directly to the

Corporation

AmeriCorps State and National sets aside 1% of our funding to support programs that

are developed and administered through federally recognized tribes. These include

any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any

Native village, Regional Corporation, or Village Corporation as defined under the

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, that the United States Government determines

is eligible for special programs and services provided under federal law to Indians

because of their status as Indians. The definition also includes tribal organizations

controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by one of these entities.

A nonprofit that desires to apply for a grant as a “tribal organization” on behalf of a

federally-recognized tribe, or multiple specific federally-recognized tribes, must

submit a sanctioning resolution adopted by the Tribal Council (or comparable tribal

governing body) of each tribe. The resolution must identify the nonprofit by name as a

“tribal organization” and it must authorize the nonprofit organization to act on behalf

of and include the tribe in a CNCS grant application for the purpose of conducting the

activities and providing the services described in the application.

AmeriCorps releases a separate Notice of Funding Opportunity, or NOFO, specifically

for Indian Tribes. Programs eligible to apply for AmeriCorps Indian Tribes funding may

choose to apply to the AmeriCorps Indian Tribes NOFO. Alternatively, Indian Tribes

can apply directly to the Corporation via the main AmeriCorps NOFO, or to a State

Service Commission

In establishing a competition for AmeriCorps funds, CNCS releases a Notice of Funding

Opportunity or NOFO and application instructions. These documents are generally

released in early fall.

Organizations use the NOFO and application instructions to create their application.

Applicants submit grant applications through the eGrants system. You can access

eGrants using the link on this screen.

A complete application consists of a narrative, a budget and performance measures,

plus a few supplementary items, such as letters of commitment from significant

community partners, that are submitted via email. The narrative will ask you to

address specific criteria as outlined in the NOFO that will include: describing the

theory of change for your AmeriCorps program and the impact members will have in

the community, demonstrating your organization’s capacity to manage the program

and administer a federal grant, and explaining how your program is a cost effective

solution to your documented needs.

At a minimum, the program budget will include the amount of funds you are

requesting and the number and type of AmeriCorps member positions you want for

your program. Some budgets will also include costs such as: personnel, member living

allowance, training, travel, supplies, and evaluation.

Once you submit your application for funding, it goes through a particular process.

First let’s talk about single state programs– these applicants submit to their state commission and the

commission conducts a review of all of the applications it receives. State commission deadlines,

practices and policies vary from state to state. Once the state completes their initial review, they submit

the most competitive grants to CNCS for a national review. Commissions submit applications to CNCS by

the deadline identified in the NOFO; It’s important to remember that single state applicants must submit

their applications to commissions in advance of this deadline, so they should contact their state

commissions early in the application process.

The multi-state programs and Indian Tribes will submit their applications directly to the Corporation by

5pm EST on the deadline.

After submission to CNCS, the rest of the process is identical. All applications undergo a compliance

check, and then are moved to an external review if they are compliant. In external review, a panel of

reviewers from outside of CNCS will review and provide feedback on a portion of the application based

on the selection criteria. The external review process assists CNCS in determining which applications

move on to staff review. In staff review, all sections of the application go through a rigorous review

process.

Near the end of staff review, CNCS will enter into a period of clarification. During clarifications,

applicants could be contacted to provide clarifying information about their submission. CNCS will notify

all applicants of the time period for clarifications a few weeks before clarifications begin.

Once clarification is complete, CNCS will make final funding determinations and awards will be

made. Generally this entire process takes about four months. We are anticipating making

awards each year in the spring.

This concludes the Introduction to AmeriCorps State and National presentation. This is

the first of five webinars to assist grant applicants in understanding how to apply for

AmeriCorps funding. In addition to these webinars, please review the Notice of

Funding Opportunity and other materials posted on our website to help you prepare

to apply for an AmeriCorps grant.

In addition to the various online resources, the AmeriCorps Outreach team will host

calls in the fall to assist applicants as you complete the application process. You can

also sign up for periodic email updates by clicking on the “Get Email Updates” link at

the top right-hand corner of the CNCS website.

Thank you for your participation, please complete the session evaluation.

If you have questions please contact CNCS via internet or phone at these addresses.