FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jun 21, 2013

Grants to 267 organizations reinforce AmeriCorps role as a solution to country’s pressing challenges

WASHINGTON, DC  – As thousands of service leaders gathered at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) today announced $200 million in new AmeriCorps funding to put AmeriCorps members on the ground in communities to tackle some the toughest challenges facing our nation.

The 2013 competition prioritized investments in economic opportunity, education, veterans and military families, disaster services, and a new initiative for governors and mayors. A complete list of awards can be found here.

“AmeriCorps members are an indispensable resource for nonprofits, communities, and the individuals they serve,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of CNCS. “These grants are awarded to organizations focused on helping communities address economic challenges, prepare for and recover from disasters, improve schools, and assist veterans in adjusting to life after the military. The work of AmeriCorps brings the country together by uniting individuals behind common goals in a way that’s both effective and measurable.”

The 2013 competition also provided a new opportunity for state and local officials to work together on public-private partnerships. Specifically, governors and mayors could identify a pressing challenge and partner with local nonprofits to apply for grant funding to address it.

The 2013 AmeriCorps grant cycle was highly competitive, due to the strong and growing demand by organizations seeking AmeriCorps resources.  This year, CNCS will award 267 grants to national and local nonprofits to engage more than 45,000 new AmeriCorps members in improving lives and strengthening communities from coast to coast.

The AmeriCorps grants include funding for some of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations for work that will improve the communities in the following areas:

  • Disaster Services: With $1.8 million, Washington Conservation Corps will support 275 AmeriCorps members to provide vital emergency response services in Washington state and across the country. 65 AmeriCorps members will serve with Rebuilding Together to build capacity of local programs and sites to help low-income, elderly, and veteran homeowners who are disaster survivors.
  • Economic Opportunity:  2,957 YouthBuild AmeriCorps members will gain valuable career and citizenship skills while constructing and rebuilding homes for low-income communities.  56 AmeriCorps members with LIFT will work with volunteers to find jobs, secure safe housing, and obtain referrals for services for LIFT clients.   
  • Education: Reading Partners’ $2 million grant will support AmeriCorps members who will administer reading programs in urban elementary schools that help students read at grade level. 780 AmeriCorps members with Notre Dame Mission Volunteers will provide tutoring and small-group instruction to economically disadvantaged K-12 students with a goal of increasing graduation rates.
  • Environmental Stewardship:  92 AmeriCorps members with Keepers of the Land AmeriCorps in Iowa will improve public lands through habitat restoration, trail work, and disaster response. Hoopa Tribal Civilian Community Corps AmeriCorps members will complete environmental projects on Tribal lands and in impoverished, rural areas across the United States.
  • Health: 500 AmeriCorps members serving with the National Association of Community Health Centers will work to improve healthcare for medically underserved populations in 18 states and Washington, DC. The Camphill Association of North America will utilize 100 AmeriCorps members to provide support more than 500 children, young adults, and adults with developmental disabilities in 11 Camphill communities in seven states.
  • Veterans and Military Families: A $1.4 million grant to Equal Justice Works Veteran Legal Corps will support 400 lawyer or law-student AmeriCorps members addressing legal issues that impact homeless veterans in 40 states. Student Conservation Association’s Veteran Fire AmeriCorps will engage 136 post-9/11 veterans in fuels mitigation, fire prevention, fire disaster response, and post-fire restoration on public lands, helping veterans gain valuable career skills as they transition back to civilian life.  

The AmeriCorps members supported by these grants are eligible to earn more than $165 million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards to help pay for college or to pay back student loans. After completing a full term of service, members receive an education award of $5,550 to pay for college or to pay down qualified student loans.

In addition to the $200 million in competitive AmeriCorps funding, CNCS is also awarding $110 million in formula funding to Governor-appointed state service commissions. Formula funds will be sub-granted this summer by the state service commission to organizations in their states to support additional AmeriCorps members.

AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 members in intensive service annually to serve through nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations at 15,000 locations across the country. These members help communities tackle pressing problems while mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve. Since 1994, more than 820,000 Americans have provided more than 1 billion hours of service to their communities and country through AmeriCorps. 

AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.