FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov 17, 2022

National service agency awarded Results for America’s silver certification in annual ‘Invest in What Works Federal Standard of Excellence’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Results for America recognized this week AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, for its commitment to use data and evidence to underpin the impact of the agency’s community grant investments. 

AmeriCorps was highlighted for the agency’s use of data and evidence in more than 40,000 locations. Additionally, the agency was recognized for hiring its first chief data officer to support implementation of the Evidence Act and continue to increase the score. The agency also released a toolkit to help organizations and grantees successfully scale effective interventions, ensuring they can produce meaningful outcomes.

“Our evidence-based research builds capacity for Americans to strengthen our civic engagement and improve community solutions,” said Mary Hyde, AmeriCorps director of research and evaluation. “AmeriCorps is at the forefront of this work by supporting grantees in action-oriented research that empowers organizations and individuals to foster civic engagement skills and knowledge development. Data collection and evidence-gathering strengthens AmeriCorps' innovation and continued success in building more equitable futures for countless Americans.”

“Year after year, dedicated public servants are accelerating the progress of AmeriCorps in building and using evidence and data to advance economic mobility and close racial gaps,'' said Michele Jolin, CEO and co-founder of Results for America. “By promoting a culture of data-driven decision-making, AmeriCorps is helping the federal government invest in what works and deliver better results for the American people.”

AmeriCorps researches and develops unique service programs that explore how to engage and improve communities alongside AmeriCorps members, grantees and partner organizations. AmeriCorps leverages rigorous evaluation methods to measure program performance and identifies opportunities for improvement and provides the framework for other organizations to replicate and scale programs in their communities. Not only does this rigor produce better outcomes locally, but recent studies also show a high rate of return for the federal dollars AmeriCorps invests. Return on investment in disaster response ($12 to $1), college prep ($55 to $1) and conservation ($90 to $1) programs illustrate the win-win that national service affords communities and the country.

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 250,000 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.

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.