AmeriCorps Announces 2015 Funding Opportunity

Washington, D.C. — The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) today kicked off its 2015 AmeriCorps grant competition by releasing its Notice of Funding Opportunity for organizations interested in using national service as a solution to critical problems facing our communities and the nation.

“For 20 years, AmeriCorps members have had a positive and lasting impact on the toughest challenges facing our nation,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service.  “Thousands of organizations have discovered the extraordinary added value that AmeriCorps members bring to their work.  We’re looking for high-impact organizations across America to submit their strongest applications for how to use AmeriCorps members to improve lives, expand opportunity, and meet pressing community needs.”

The 2015 competition will target AmeriCorps grantmaking on the six national focus areas identified in the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and the agency’s Strategic Plan: disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and military families.  The notice provides further detail on funding priorities for the 2015 competition. 

To maximize its return on investment, CNCS is seeking to fund programs that use an evidence-based approach to meeting community needs.  CNCS expects organizations to use National Performance Measures as part of a comprehensive performance measurement strategy that relies on both performance and evaluation data to learn from its work as well as make tactical and strategic adjustments to achieve its goals.

Since 1994, more than 900,000 men and women have served in AmeriCorps, providing more than 1.2 billion hours of service addressing critical challenges from poverty and hunger to disasters and the dropout crisis.  AmeriCorps members have earned more than $2.7 billion in education scholarships to pay for college or pay back student loans. 

AmeriCorps members serve at more than 25,000 locations from coast to coast, strengthening education, providing disaster services, fostering economic opportunity, assisting veterans and military families, preserving the environment, and expanding health services.  While they serve others, AmeriCorps members expand opportunity for themselves, gain skills, experience, and education support to help jump start their careers. 

Organizations eligible to apply for the 2015 competition include public or private nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and other community organizations; institutions of higher education; government entities within states or territories (e.g., cities, counties); labor organizations; partnerships and consortia; and Indian Tribes. Organizations that have never received funding from CNCS or AmeriCorps are encouraged to apply.  CNCS anticipates that this AmeriCorps grant competition will be highly competitive.

Applications are due Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 5 p.m. EDT to CNCS. State Commissions and Territory deadlines may be significantly before the CNCS deadlines, so prospective state applicants are encouraged to contact with the commission in the state or territory where they intend to apply as soon as possible.

A Notice of Intent to Apply is required to be eligible for this competition and is due Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at 5 p.m. EDT.  CNCS expects that successful applicants will be notified no later than May 8, 2015, contingent on timely full year appropriations.

Potential applicants are encouraged to read all the available information, including the Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity, the Application Instructions, the Performance Measures Instructions, Glossary, and AmeriCorps Regulations 45 CFR Sections 2520 – 2550.

CNCS will hold a series of public conference calls to provide background and answer questions about the 2015 AmeriCorps funding opportunity.  Call information is available on the AmeriCorps funding notice page.