FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb 07, 2023

National service agency invests in research and planning grants for education, workforce development and environmental conservation at more than 40 community organizations across the country

WASHINGTON, DC– AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, awarded 41 organizations more than $7.4 million to develop evidence-based programs through its State and National program.

As the first of their kind, these American Rescue Plan planning grants provide support to organizations for a 12-month planning period to develop new AmeriCorps programs based on research and evaluation. Grant recipients have been awarded up to $240,000 for a 12-month planning period. The funded Evidence-based projects include program planning for educational opportunity and economic mobility in communities facing persistent unemployment; community and civic engagement; quality of life services for veterans and military families; environmental stewardship and climate change and services for rural communities. View a full list of awards.

“Investing in evidence-based programs is critical to the success of AmeriCorps and the communities we serve,” said AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith. “These inaugural planning grants will give our community partners much-needed time and resources to develop innovative and effective solutions that leverage service to tackle urgent local challenges.” 

As part of its commitment to providing a strong return on investment for federal funding, AmeriCorps leverages rigorous evaluation methods to measure program performance. These planning grants identify opportunities for improvement and provide the framework for other organizations to replicate and scale programs in their communities. In 2022, Results for America recognized AmeriCorps for its commitment to use data and evidence to underpin the impact of the agency’s community grant investments.

Each year, AmeriCorps invests hundreds of millions of federal dollars in local communities to address their most pressing needs. In 2022, AmeriCorps made a historic $580 million investment in State Service Commissions and nonprofit and community-based organizations, as well as a $4.2 million investment in federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes through its State and National program. Funded programs will prepare students for college, revitalize cities, connect veterans to jobs, fight the opioid epidemic, rebuild communities following disasters, preserve public lands, strengthen education, foster economic opportunity, and more. Learn more about current organizational funding opportunities.

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 200,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.

AmeriCorps offers opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to be a part of the national service community, grow personally and professionally, and receive benefits for their service. Learn how to get involved at AmeriCorps.gov/serve.