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ANNOUNCEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY 

Federal Agency Name: Corporation for National and Community Service 

Funding Opportunity Title: AmeriCorps State and National Grants FY 2014

Announcement Type: Final Initial Announcement 1/14/2014

CFDA Number: 94.006

Notice of Intent to Apply: Submission of a Notice of Intent to Apply is required to be eligible 

for this competition and is due Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time by email to IntentToApply@cns.gov. 

Application Deadline: Applications are due Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern 

Time. CNCS expects that successful applicants will be notified no later than May 2, 2014, 

contingent on timely full year appropriations.

State Commissions and Territories deadlines may be significantly before the CNCS deadlines, so 

prospective single-state applicants are encouraged to check with the commission in the state or 

territory where they intend to apply as soon as possible.

OVERVIEW

The mission of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is to improve 

lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic participation through service and volunteering. 

CNCS—through its AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs—has helped to engage millions of 

citizens in meeting community and national challenges through service and volunteer action. 

This AmeriCorps State and National (AmeriCorps) Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity

(Notice) will focus grant making for fiscal year 2014 in six focus areas: Disaster Services,

Economic Opportunity, Education, Environmental Stewardship, Healthy Futures, and Veterans 

and Military Families.

Indian Tribes are eligible to apply to this Notice; however a separate Notice of Federal Funding 

Opportunity for Indian Tribes for either fully operational or planning grants will be released later 

in the fall with an application deadline of spring 2014. Indian Tribes should apply for Education 

Tier 1 or VetSuccess AmeriCorps (Veterans and Military Families Tier 1) programs as a part of 

this NOFO as these will not be options in the separate Tribal NOFO that will be released in the 

fall.

In order to maximize the impact of the public investment in national service, CNCS will provide 

grants to programs that demonstrate that they will engage AmeriCorps members in an evidencebased or evidence-informed approach to providing a service intervention that will result in 

intended solutions to community problems (e.g., based on proposed program’s performance and 

evaluation data or research demonstrating the effectiveness of a similar intervention). Applicants 

will be awarded points for providing evidence that their proposed intervention will lead to the 

outcomes identified in the theory of change (logic model). Applicants shall provide evidence that 

the proposed intervention is effective for the proposed population and community challenge. 
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CNCS believes that all Americans should have opportunities to participate in national service, 

including those that have been traditionally underrepresented in national service, such as rural 

residents, people with disabilities, veterans and military families, Native Americans, and 

“Opportunity Youth--defined as economically disadvantaged individuals age 16-24 who are 

disconnected from school or work for at least six months prior to service.” CNCS recognizes that 

service can create powerful pathways to education and employment for these populations, 

transforming their communities and creating broad economic benefit for the country. 

CNCS remains committed to ensuring programs that recruit and retain underrepresented 

individuals are a substantial cohort of the national service network. Veterans, military families, 

and Opportunity Youth are included in Tier 1 of CNCS’ funding priorities, and recruiting 

traditionally underrepresented populations into service is a strategic characteristic. Particular 

weight will be given to the percent of MSYs that an applicant intends to devote to opportunity 

youth.

CNCS requires that programs co-brand as AmeriCorps programs and that their participants 

consistently identify, and are recognized, as AmeriCorps members providing value to the 

community. Applicants will be asked to provide their implementation plans to ensure that this 

occurs. As this is mandatory in the event that an applicant is awarded grant funds no points will 

allocated to this section.

Section V of this Notice includes a description of the review and selection process. Publication of 

this Notice does not obligate CNCS to award any specific number of grants or to obligate the 

entire amount of funding available.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Purpose of AmeriCorps Funding

AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations proposing to engage AmeriCorps 

members in evidence-based or evidence-informed (e.g., based on proposed program’s data or a 

similar program’s data) interventions to strengthen communities. An AmeriCorps member is an 

individual who engages in community service through an approved national service position. 

Members may receive a living allowance and other benefits while serving. Upon successful 

completion of their service, members receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award from the 

National Service Trust. 

For two decades, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has invested in 

community solutions across the nation - working hand in hand with local partners to improve 

lives, expand economic opportunity, and engage millions of Americans in solving problems in 

their communities. 

With its unique structure as a public-private partnership and its model of engaging citizens and 

requiring matching resources from outside parties, national service can benefit the recipients of 

service, those who serve, local communities, and our nation.
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Through all its programs, CNCS seeks to expand economic opportunity – helping Americans 

acquire the skills, education, and training they need for productive employment. By helping 

more Americans graduate, pursue higher education, and find work, national service can provide 

immediate and long term benefits by expanding individual opportunity, building family stability, 

and creating more sustainable, resilient communities.

Through AmeriCorps and its other programs, CNCS brings vital leadership, resources, and 

coordination to some of the most pressing challenges facing America: educating students for jobs 

of the 21st century; assisting individuals, families, and neighborhoods on the road to economic 

recovery; addressing the needs of military families and a new generation of veterans; helping 

communities rebuild after natural disasters; increasing energy efficiency and improving at-risk 

ecosystems; and providing information to improve the health and welfare of individuals in 

disadvantaged communities.

B. Focus Areas

In order to carry out Congress’ intent and to maximize the impact of investment in national 

service, CNCS is targeting AmeriCorps funds to the following focus areas:

Disaster Services

Grant activities will increase the preparedness of individuals, improve individuals’ readiness to 

respond, help individuals recover from disasters, and help individuals mitigate disasters. 

Grantees also have the ability to respond to national disasters under CNCS cooperative 

agreements and FEMA mission assignments. 

Economic Opportunity

Grants will provide support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to 

the improved economic well-being and security of economically disadvantaged people. Grant 

activities will help economically disadvantaged people to have improved access to services 

aimed at contributing to their enhanced financial literacy; transition into or remain in safe, 

healthy, affordable housing; and have improved employability leading to increased success in 

becoming employed. 

Education 

Grants will provide support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to 

improved educational outcomes for economically disadvantaged individuals, especially children. 

CNCS is particularly interested in program designs that support youth engagement and servicelearning as strategies to achieve improved academic outcomes. Grant activities will improve

school readiness for economically disadvantaged young children; educational and behavioral 

outcomes of students in low-achieving elementary, middle, and high schools; and the preparation 

for, and prospects of success, in post-secondary educational institutions for economically 

disadvantaged students. 

Environmental Stewardship

Grants will provide support for direct services that contribute to increased energy and water 

efficiency, renewable energy use, or improving at-risk ecosystems. In addition, grants will 

support increased individual behavioral change leading to increased efficiency, renewable energy 
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use, and ecosystem improvements particularly for economically disadvantaged households and 

communities. Grant activities will decrease energy and water consumption; improve at-risk 

ecosystems; increase behavioral changes that lead directly to decreased energy and water 

consumption or improved at-risk ecosystems; and increase green training opportunities that may 

lead to decreased energy and water consumption or improved at-risk ecosystems.

In addition, the Administration is exploring ways to provide service, training, education, and 

employment opportunities for young Americans through protecting, restoring and enhancing 

public and tribal lands. CNCS is exploring potential programs along the lines of a “21st century 

Civilian Service Corps” that can facilitate conservation service work on public lands and 

encourage a new generation of natural resource managers and environmental scientists, 

particularly in low income and disadvantaged communities. 

Healthy Futures

Grants will provide support for health needs within communities including access to care, aging 

in place, and childhood obesity. Grant activities will improve access to primary and preventive 

health care for communities served by CNCS-supported programs; increase seniors’ ability to 

remain in their own homes with the same or improved quality of life for as long as possible; and 

increase physical activity and improve nutrition in youth with the purpose of reducing childhood 

obesity.

Veterans and Military Families

Grants will positively impact the quality of life of veterans and improve military family strength. 

Grant activities will increase the number of veterans and military service members and their 

families served by CNCS-supported programs and increase the number of veterans and military 

family members engaged in service through CNCS-supported programs. To the greatest extent 

possible, proposed activities should be aligned with the Veteran and Military Family National 

Performance Measures. 

Governor and Mayor Initiative

CNCS will be continuing its pilot of the Governor and Mayor Initiative, which will be given 

priority consideration in Tier 1. CNCS will accept one application per state. If a state has a 2013-

14 Governor and Mayor Initiative, the state can apply this year as well with a new application. 

However, CNCS is interested in increasing the number of states that have Governor and Mayor’s 

Initiative as well as funding high quality program designs.

The application must address a pressing challenge the Governor wishes to solve in her or his 

state. A Governor must apply with one Mayor in his or her state and a minimum of two 

nonprofits. In conjunction with the Mayor, the Governor will be responsible for identifying and 

selecting those nonprofits that are best able to achieve a demonstrated positive impact on the 

problem. The application should include letters of commitment from all relevant parties. If the 

Governor and Mayor have not yet selected partnering nonprofit entities, they should describe the 

process that the Governor and Mayor will use to select the nonprofit entities. The application, 

submitted to the State Commission, will respond to the application criteria and explain how 

several nonprofits working together, with the Governor’s office serving as a convener, will 

effectively deploy AmeriCorps members for a collective impact. Only the Governor, Mayor, 
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their designated government office (but not the state commission), or a public university may 

apply for grants under the Governor and Mayor initiative. Applications from other entities will 

be deemed non-compliant and will not be considered under this initiative.

For example, a Governor and a Mayor in a state could conclude the most pressing challenge 

facing the state is its high school graduation rate. The Governor and/or Mayor would submit one 

application describing:

 How the partnership will be organized and AmeriCorps resources will be allocated 

between the partnering entities (State, locality, and nonprofit entities).

 The proposed theory of change and program model.

 How they will utilize an identified consortium of nonprofits that are well positioned to 

achieve outcomes identified in the theory of change.

C. Additional Program Models

Capacity Building

Grants also will provide support for capacity building activities provided by national service 

participants. As a general rule, CNCS considers capacity building activities to be indirect 

services that enable CNCS-supported organizations to provide more, better, and sustained direct 

services in CNCS’ six focus areas. Capacity building activities cannot be solely intended to 

support the administration or operations of the organization. Examples of capacity building 

activities include recruiting and/or managing community volunteers; implementing effective 

volunteer management practices; completing community assessments that identify goals and 

recommendations; developing new systems and business processes (technology, performance 

management, training, etc.); or enhancing existing systems and business processes.

Capacity Building program models are unlikely to be suitable for Tier 1 Education and 

VetSuccess AmeriCorps programs.

Encore Programs

Congress set a goal that 10 percent of AmeriCorps funding should support encore service 

programs that engage a significant number of participants age 55 or older. CNCS seeks to meet 

that 10 percent target in this competition and encourages encore programs to apply. 

Professional Corps 

Professional Corps programs recruit and place qualified members in positions as teachers, health 

care providers, police officers, engineers, or other professionals in communities with an 

inadequate number of such professionals. Applicants are eligible to apply for funding for a 

portion of the program costs. Professional Corps members’ salaries are paid entirely by the 

organizations with which the members serve, and are not included in the budget. In order to be 

considered for funding, applicants must demonstrate that there are an inadequate number of 

professionals in the community(ies) where the corps seeks to place members. These grants can 

either be fixed amount or cost reimbursement grants.

Tier 1 Education programs can be either cost reimbursement or EAP fixed amount grants.
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D. National Performance Measures

The SAA emphasizes measuring the impact of service and focusing on a core set of issue areas. 

CNCS’ five-year Strategic Plan establishes an ambitious set of objectives that support the 

mission and goals to implement the Serve America Act. These strategic goals guided the 

development of 16 agency-wide Priority Performance Measures. National Performance Measures

allow CNCS to demonstrate aggregated impact of all its national service programs, including 

AmeriCorps State and National. They are divided in two categories: Priority Measures and 

Complementary Program Measures. For more information, please refer to the National 

Performance Measure Instructions.

E. 2014 AmeriCorps Funding Priorities 

In the FY 2014 AmeriCorps competition, CNCS seeks to prioritize the investment of national 

service resources in economic opportunity, education, veterans and military families, disaster 

services, and the Governor and Mayor Initiative. CNCS will continue to focus on national 

service programs that improve academic outcomes for children, youth, and young adults. This 

focus reflects the extensive experience and past success of national service programs in 

education, and aligns with the efforts of the Department of Education. 

In February, 2013, CNCS established the School Turnaround AmeriCorps initiative, a 

collaborative effort by CNCS and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to increase 

educational achievement, high school graduation rates, and college readiness for students in our 

nation’s lowest-performing elementary, middle, and high schools. On July 16, 2013, CNCS and 

ED announced the thirteen grantees for the School Turnaround AmeriCorps program. CNCS 

and ED are continuing to fund and support those grantees. 

CNCS will support new and recompete Tier 1 Education grantees, which will work with students 

in schools implementing turnaround models under the Department of Education’s School 

Improvement Grants (SIG) program or turnaround principles under Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act (ESEA) flexibility. The SIG program provides grants to state educational agencies 

(SEAs) that make competitive subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) that demonstrate 

the greatest need for the funds and the strongest commitment to use the funds to provide 

adequate resources in order to raise substantially the achievement of students in the state’s 

lowest-performing schools. Tier 1 Education grantees, in coordination with local school and 

LEAs turnaround efforts under SIG and ESEA flexibility, will support schools and communities 

in improving student performance. The program reflects CNCS’ commitment to increasing 

opportunities for children in disadvantaged communities through high-quality education.

All Tier 1 Education projects funded under this Notice are expected to improve student academic 

performance, academic engagement, attendance outcomes, or some combination thereof, in 

eligible schools.

The six strategies listed as the Tier 1 Education bullets on page 11 are aligned with those 

required of SIG schools in implementing their intervention models, as well as the requirements 

associated with priority schools that are implementing the turnaround principles under ESEA 
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flexibility. In addition, these strategies are based on research on turning around the lowestperforming schools.[3]

Leveraging community, LEA, and school-level support systems can be an important component 

in comprehensive turnaround efforts. As such, CNCS encourages applicants to partner with 

multiple eligible schools within an LEA and coordinate turnaround efforts among multiple 

school sites. Doing so will enable applicants to take advantage of economies of scale, and aid in 

changing community, LEA, and school cultures.

To maximize the impact of the public investment in national service and school improvement, 

Tier 1 Education grants will be awarded to eligible organizations that use data and work directly 

with school leaders to identify needs and develop interventions that are aligned with LEA and 

school turnaround efforts.

To be funded under this Notice, programs must use AmeriCorps members to improve 

educational outcomes for students in eligible schools through interventions with an evidence 

level, as defined in this Notice.

CNCS seeks to prioritize the investment of national service resources in rural schools. Schools 

must meet the rural school definition (See Appendix). Furthermore, programs must demonstrate 

significant program focus, design, and outcomes in rural schools to receive priority 

consideration.

Tier 1 Veterans and Military Families – VetSuccess AmeriCorps

In addition, contingent upon availability of funding, CNCS seeks to increase its investment in 

programs that serve veterans and military families or engage veterans and military families in 

service such as VetSuccess AmeriCorps on Campus AmeriCorps(hereafter known as VetSuccess 

AmeriCorps).

VetSuccess on Campus AmeriCorps will combine the resources, expertise, and infrastructure of 

AmeriCorps and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)’ VetSuccess on Campus program. 

The purpose of this initiative is to expand and strengthen the VetSuccess on Campus program by 

providing AmeriCorps members as additional human capital to VA Counselors. Through this 

partnership, up to 188 full time AmeriCorps members will be placed on as many as 94 college 

campuses for the 2014-2015 academic year. Members will be placed on 15 campuses through 

continuation grant awards and as many as 79 new campuses may be covered by new grant 

awards.

Veteran-Students face a multitude of potential barriers to their academic success, including 

difficulty adjusting to campus life after military service. The Department of Veterans Affairs 

places specially trained professional vocational rehabilitation counselors, known as VetSuccess 

on Campus Counselors (VSOC Counselors), on the specific campuses listed in Appendix XI. 

The VSOC Counselors provide services and support to all Veteran-Students, Service members 

and their dependents. At host schools, the VSOC Counselors offer a broad range of services, 

 

[3] For a summary of research supporting the interventions implemented under SIG and ESEA flexibility, please visit 

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/college-career-ready.pdf.
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including educational, vocational/career, and adjustment counseling. CNCS seeks programs that 

can place AmeriCorps members on the specific campuses listed below to support and assist the 

VSOC Counselors in order to increase access to supportive services for Veteran-Students. These 

supportive services are designed to make Veteran-Students more successful in their academic 

pursuits, ease adjustment to the campus environment, and successfully transition to civilian 

employment after graduation. The AmeriCorps members will assist in providing increased 

support to Veteran-Students at campuses with large Veteran student populations as identified by 

VA.

Once on campus, the AmeriCorps members will coordinate efforts with the VSOC Counselors 

and support Veteran-Students. VSOC Counselors will coordinate VA-provided training, access 

to the host campus, and space for members, as available. AmeriCorps programs will provide 

additional logistical support as required for the success of the initiative. 

CNCS will also focus investment in programs that increase community resiliency through 

disaster preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation. CNCS will focus investment in 

programs that increase economic opportunities for communities and AmeriCorps members.

Finally, CNCS will focus on summer programming for K-12 students, especially those programs 

that address the academic “summer slide.” Proposed activities will engage youth and young 

adults as summer members to help support summer reading, math, science, and environmental 

learning activities for youth in rural and urban areas most likely at risk of summer learning loss.

CNCS will seek to build a diversified portfolio across the focus areas, and other considerations 

are outlined below in Section V. B. Applicants proposing programs that receive priority 

consideration are not guaranteed funding. Furthermore, programs must demonstrate significant 

program focus, design, and outcomes to receive priority consideration.

CNCS will give priority consideration to applicants in the following Tiers, in descending order 

of preference. In order to figure out an applicant’s tier please follow these four steps: 

1) Determine the theory of change

2) Select the relevant performance measures. Programs that fit Priority Measures should use 

those measures. (See Section IX)

3) Allocate AmeriCorps members to those performance measures

4) Convert AmeriCorps members to MSYs

Tier 1

Applicants that identify the program as a Governor and Mayor Initiative by checking the box in 

the Performance Measure section. 

OR

Applicants that select:

 Priority Measures in Veterans and Military Families, or

 Priority Measures in Disaster Services, or
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 The following Complementary Program Measures in Economic Opportunity: O1, O2, O3, 

O9, O10, 012, O14, O15, O17(Programs that select O12, O14, O15, O17 must also select an 

additional Priority or Complementary Program Measure from Tier 1, 2, or 3 that measures 

community impact.)

and

Have 30% or more of their MSYs in those performance measures. 

OR

Opportunity Youth

CNCS seeks to encourage AmeriCorps programs to engage Opportunity Youth as AmeriCorps 

members. Applicants that allot 30% of their MSY to Opportunity Youth members, defined as 

economically disadvantaged individuals age 16-24 who are disconnected from school or work 

for at least six months prior to service. Applications that devote an even higher percentage of 

their MSYs to Opportunity Youth will be more competitive, and CNCS intends to increase the 

minimum requirement for this priority area in future years.

 and

Select the following Complementary Program Measures in Economic Opportunity to measure 

the impact of the program on the Opportunity Youth serving in the program: O12 and O15 or 

O14 and O17. (Applicants must also select an additional Priority or Complementary Program 

Measure from Tier 1, 2, or 3 that measures community impact.) 

OR

VetSuccess AmeriCorps

Applicants that select the following Priority or Complementary Program Measures in Veterans 

and Military Families (V1, V2, V3)

and

Have 100% of their MSYs in those performance measures

and

Have 100% of their operating sites and service site locations at the colleges and universities in 

Appendix XI

and

Have Full Time Members placed in teams of two for the full academic year. Applicants can 

apply for less than Full Time Members but their applications will not be as competitive

and

Prioritize the recruitment of Veterans or military family members with some college experience 

to serve as AmeriCorps members in the program

and

Have AmeriCorps members that support VetSuccess on Campus Counselors(VSOC) and directly 

serve the needs of Veterans on campus by:

 Refering Veteran-Students to VSOC Counselors for career, academic, or adjustment 

counseling and/or provide supportive services to assist and encourage Veteran-Students 

to seek and receive counseling services.

 Coordinating with VSOC Counselors to build an on-campus mentor and tutor program, 

including engaging Veterans in student organizations and assist with campus employment 

outreach for Veteran-Students needing part-time or full-time jobs.
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 Providing VSOC Counselors with Careerscope Assessment Reports and other activity 

data reports.

 Coordinating outreach and marketing events to publicize VSOC services in order to 

encourage Veteran-Students to engage with VSOC Counselors.

 Providing advice to Veteran-Students on the registration process for utilizing campus 

resources.

 Assisting in building and enhancing efforts that help create and sustain a Veteransupportive campus.

 Providing guidance to Veteran-Students on support resources available on their college 

campus and from VA.

 Refering Veteran-Students to other on-campus Veterans programs (e.g. health care, 

counseling, education benefits). 

 Coordinating and assisting with campus internship/fellowship placement programs that 

lead to employment.

 Assisting Veteran-Students with programs including, among other things: online testing 

using Careerscope portal; Employment Workshops focusing on “Translating Military 

Skills into a Civilian Resume”; Coordination of vocational testing; New Student

Orientation; On campus Veteran-Student mentoring program; On campus VeteranStudent tutoring program; Town Hall Meetings; Job Fairs; Health Fairs in collaboration 

with VA Medical Centers; “Boots to Books” Workshops; and Yellow Ribbon events. 

 Reporting issues or concerns regarding Veterans on campus to VSOC Counselors and 

complete monthly reports requested by the VSOC Counselors. 

OR

Tier 1 Education

Applicants that select the following Priority Measures in Education (ED2, ED4A, ED5, ED6, 

ED27)

and

Have 100% of their MSYs in those performance measures

and

Have 100% of their operating sites and service site locations at Tier I and Tier II schools that are 

using SIG funds to implement one of the four SIG models1; at the time of the applicant’s 

application submission; and priority schools that are implementing in the 2013-2014 school year, 

or are committed to implement in the 2014-2015 school year, interventions aligned with the 

ESEA flexibility turnaround principles or SIG models2. 

 

1

For a listing of many SIG schools, please visit http://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/awardedschls.xls. As described in this Notice, 

only those SIG schools that are Tier I or Tier II schools and are implementing one of the four SIG models may be served by Tier 

1 Education grantees. CNCS strongly encourages applicants to consult with SEAs in their states to determine eligibility of the 

schools they seek to serve to ensure the application is not disqualified for failing to propose to serve eligible schools. 

2 To be eligible to receive services by new or recompete programs funded through Tier 1 Education grants, schools must have 

been identified as a priority school by their SEA at the time of the applicant’s application submission and must either (1) be 
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and

Address multiple student needs and are aligned with comprehensive school turnaround plans by: 

 Providing ongoing mechanisms for family and community engagement.

 Establishing a school culture and environment that improve school safety, attendance, 

and discipline and address other non-academic factors that impact student achievement, 

such as students’ social, emotional, and health needs.

 Accelerating students’ acquisition of reading and mathematics knowledge and skills;

 Increasing graduation rates through strategies such as early warning systems, creditrecovery programs, and re-engagement strategies.

 Increasing college enrollment rates through college preparation counseling assistance to 

include completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and college 

applications, and educating students and their families on financial literacy for college; or

 Supporting school implementation of increased learning time.

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Tier 2

Applicants that select:

 Priority Measures in Veterans and Military Families, or 

 Priority Measures in Disaster Services, or

 Complementary Program Measures in Economic Opportunity (O1, O2, O3, O9, O10, 012, 

O14, O15, O17)

Programs that select O12, O14, O15, and O17 must also select an additional Priority or 

Complementary Program Measure from Tier 1, 2, or 3 which measures community impact.

and

Have less than 30% or more of their MSYs in those performance measures. 

OR

Applicants that select Priority Measures in:

 Economic Opportunity, or 

 Education, or

 Environmental Stewardship, or

 Healthy Futures, or

 Capacity Building.

and

 

implementing SIG models or interventions aligned with the turnaround principles in the 2013-2014 school year or (2) are 

committed to implement SIG models or interventions aligned with the turnaround principles in the 2014-2015 school year.

Lists of priority schools are posted on the website of each state educational agency. CNCS strongly encourages applicants to 

consult with SEAs in their states to determine eligibility of the schools they seek to serve to ensure the application is not

disqualified for failing to propose to serve eligible schools.

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Increased learning time means using a longer school day, week, or year schedule to significantly increase the total number of 

school hours to include additional time for (a) instruction in core academic subjects including English, reading or language arts, 

mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography; (b) instruction in other 

subjects and enrichment activities that contribute to a well-rounded education, including, for example, physical education, service

learning, and experiential and work-based learning opportunities that are provided by partnering, as appropriate, with other 

organizations; and (c) teachers to collaborate, plan, and engage in professional development within and across grades and 

subjects. (75 FR 66363, 66367)
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Have 30% or more of their MSYs in those performance measures

NOTE: CNCS’ expectation is that if an applicant selects Tier 1 or Tier 2 is not at the 30% MSY 

threshold, the applicant will explain in the narrative why it was not possible to meet the 30% 

threshold. Based on reviewers’ assessment, an applicant may or may not remain in Tier 1 or 2. 

Tier 3:

Applicants that select Priority Measures in:

 Economic Opportunity, or 

 Education, or

 Environmental Stewardship, or

 Healthy Futures, or

 Capacity Building.

and

Have less than 30% of their MSYs in those performance measures

OR

Applicants that select Complementary Program Measures. These measures can be found in 

Section IX. 

Tier 4: Applicants in the Focus Areas with self-nominated measures.

Tier 5: Applicants outside the Focus Areas with self-nominated measures.

Continuation requests for expansion will receive priority consideration and preference in the 

same manner as described above.

School Turnaround Continuation Applicants: Under most circumstances, continuation applicants 

may continue to place members at schools that were eligible schools in the 2013-2014 school 

year but are not eligible schools in the 2014-2015 school year. Continuation applicants 

proposing to continue to place members at schools that no longer meet the eligibility definition 

should explain the reasons why the school no longer meets the eligible school definition. 

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Funding Available

CNCS expects a highly competitive AmeriCorps FY 2014 grant competition. CNCS expects to 

award new, recompeting, and continuation AmeriCorps grants. The actual level of funding will 

be subject to the availability of annual appropriations, which have not yet been made. 

B. Award Amount

Awards will be for funds and AmeriCorps member slots. CNCS will review applications and 

determine the appropriate award amount, if any. Award amounts vary.
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C. Award Period

Unless otherwise specified, the grant generally covers a three-year project period. In approving a 

multi-year project period, CNCS generally makes an initial award for the first year of operation.

In most cases, the application is submitted with a one-year budget. Continuation funding is not 

guaranteed. Factors considered in awarding continuation grants include satisfactory performance, 

demonstrated capacity to manage the grant, compliance with grant requirements, agency 

priorities, and the availability of appropriated funds. CNCS reserves the right to adjust the 

amount of a grant or elect not to continue funding for subsequent years.

D. Types of Grants

AmeriCorps grants can be awarded on a cost reimbursement or fixed amount basis. CNCS will 

not provide both types of grants for the same project in one fiscal year. See Definitions in the 

Appendix.

Fixed amount grants are only available to recompeting programs. Second and third-year 

continuation applicants with cost reimbursement grants must submit a new application if they are 

interested in applying for a fixed amount grant. New applicants are not eligible to apply for 

fixed amount grants.

Full-time fixed amount applicants in the Education Focus Area will be required to select either a 

Priority Education Measure or Complementary Program Measure. Applicants proposing nonEducation programs may select from Tiers 1-5. All performance measures will be negotiated 

prior to grant selection and award. Approved applicants must agree to participate in any relevant 

evaluations conducted by CNCS. 

The only subtype of fixed amount grant that Tier 1 Education applicants may apply for is the 

EAP Fixed Amount grant type.

General Summary

Grant Types Cost Reimbursement Fixed Amount

Available 

Subtypes

Traditional Professional Corps Full-Time/Less than FT 

serving in a full time 

capacity

EAP Professional 

Corps

Maximum 

Cost per 

MSY (see 

section 3)

$13,300 $2,000 $13,000 $800 $2,000

Type of Slots 

in the 

National 

Service Trust

All

(Except there is a 

strong preference for 

VetSuccess Tier 1 

Veterans and Military 

Families to be FT)

All Full-Time or Less than 

Full-Time serving in a 

full time capacity Only

All Full-Time Only

Budget 

Submission 

Required

Yes No
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III. ELIGIBILITY

A. Eligible to apply

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; Indian Tribes; and 

intermediaries planning to subgrant awarded funds are encouraged to apply. Receiving funding 

previously from CNCS or another Federal agency is not a prerequisite to applying under this 

Notice.

Organizations that have been convicted of a Federal crime are disqualified from receiving the 

assistance described in this Notice. Pursuant to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an 

organization described in Section 501 (c)(4) of the Internal Revenue code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. § 

501 (c)(4), that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to apply.

Grant Types Cost Reimbursement Fixed Amount

Availability 

of Funds 

linked to 

enrollment 

and retention 

of awarded 

MSY

No Yes

Special 

Requirements

Must place qualified 

professionals in communities 

with an inadequate number of 

such professionals. Member 

salaries must be paid entirely 

by organization where 

member serves and not 

included in the budget.

If in Education Focus 

Area, must select 

Priority Education 

measure or 

Complementary Program 

measure. Non-Education 

programs may select 

PMs from any Tier.

Must place qualified 

professionals in 

communities with an 

inadequate number 

of such 

professionals. No 

CNCS funds may be 

used to pay member 

living allowance or 

salary.

Match 

Requirements

Yes Yes; Living allowance or 

salary paid to members may 

not be counted toward the 

match requirement.

No, but organizations must raise the additional revenue 

required to operate the program.

Financial 

Tracking

Requirements

Yes No

Available to 

New 

Applicants

Yes No

Match 

Requirement 

– Level

First-time Applicant required to match at 24% each 

year for the first three-year funding period; subsequent 

match requirements determined according to 45 CFR 

2521.60; NCSA 121(e)(5) (42 USC) requires that other 

federal funds used to match a grant awarded under this 

notice must report the amount and source of these funds 

to CNCS on the FFR

There is no specific match requirement for fixed 

amount grants but CNCS does not provide all the funds 

necessary to operate the program. Organizations must 

raise the additional revenue required to operate the 

program. 
15

New Applicants

CNCS encourages organizations that have never received funding from CNCS or AmeriCorps to 

apply for the grants described in this Notice. New organizations should submit applications with 

the understanding that the general practice is to award no more than 50 member slots for new 

Grantees. New applicants are not eligible to receive fixed amount grants.

Applicants that must apply through State Commissions 

Organizations that are proposing a project that operates in only one state must apply to this 

competition through the Governor-appointed State or Territory Commissions. Each state and 

territory administers its own selection process and puts forward to CNCS the applicants they 

select to compete for funding. Organizations should contact their State Commissions to learn 

about their state or territory processes and deadlines. The list of State and Territory Commissions 

can be found here: http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/contact-us/state-service-commissions.

Applicants that may apply directly to CNCS

Applicants in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the 

U.S. Virgin Islands apply directly to CNCS because these Territories have not established a state 

commission. Applicants are eligible to apply for funds for member support and program costs. 

Government entities of the Territory are not eligible to apply. CNCS will fund successful 

applicants with funding allocated to the Territories as part of the formula funding process.

Organizations that propose to operate AmeriCorps programs in more than one state or territory 

apply directly to CNCS. State Commissions and Territories deadlines may be significantly 

before the CNCS deadlines, so prospective single-state applicants are encouraged to check with 

the commission in the state or territory where they intend to apply as soon as possible. Tribes 

apply directly to CNCS. 

B. Match Requirements

Fixed amount Grants

There is no specific match requirement for fixed amount grants but CNCS does not provide all 

the funds necessary to operate the program. Organizations must raise the additional revenue

required to operate the program. 

Cost Reimbursement Grants (non-fixed amount)

A first-time successful applicant is required to match at 24 percent for the first three-year 

funding period. Starting with year four, the match requirement gradually increases every year to 

50 percent by year ten, according to the minimum overall share chart found in 45 CFR §2521.60. 

Section 121(e)(5) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended, requires 

programs that use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant to report the amount and 

source of these funds to CNCS on the Federal Financial Report. Grantees must track and be 

prepared to report on that match separately each year. 

The living allowance or salary provided to AmeriCorps members in Professional Corps programs 

does not count toward the matching requirement.
16

Alternative Match

Under certain circumstances, applicants may qualify to meet alternative matching requirements 

that increase over the years to 35 percent instead of 50 percent as specified in the regulations at 

45 CFR §2521.60(b). To qualify, applicants must demonstrate that the proposed program is 

either located in a rural county or in a severely economically distressed community as defined in 

the Application Instructions. Applicants that plan to request an alternative match schedule must 

submit a request. State programs submit requests for alternative match to the State Commission. 

State Commissions submit on behalf of their state programs and Multi-State Programs (National 

Direct) submit their requests to ACAlternateMatchScheduleRequests@cns.gov.

C. Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award 

Management (SAM)

Applications must include a DUNS number and an Employer Identification Number. The DUNS 

number does not replace an Employer Identification Number. DUNS numbers may be obtained 

at no cost by calling the DUNS number request line at (866) 705-5711 or by applying online: 

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.The website indicates a 48-hour e-mail turnaround time on 

requests for DUNS numbers; however, we suggest registering at least 30 days in advance of the 

application due date. After obtaining a DUNS number, all applicants must be registered with the 

Systems for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/. 

SAM collects, validates, stores, and disseminates data in support of Federal agency contracts, 

grant awards, cooperative agreements, and other forms of federal assistance. All grant recipients 

are required to maintain a valid SAM registration, which must be renewed annually. Applicants 

that are not already registered with SAM are urged to begin the registration process immediately 

in order to avoid any delays in submitting applications. Applicants must have a DUNS number in 

order to register with SAM. To register online go to https://www.sam.gov/portal/pulbic/SAM/.

D. Other Requirements

1. Member Living Allowance

The proposed budget must include a living allowance for full-time members that is between 

$12,100 (minimum) and $24,200 (maximum) per member except as noted below. A living 

allowance is not considered a salary or a wage. 

Programs are not required to provide a living allowance for members serving in less than fulltime terms of service. If a program chooses to provide a living allowance to a less than full-time 

member, it must comply with the maximum limits in the Table below. For cost-reimbursement 

grants, the amount must be included in the proposed budget as either CNCS or grantee share.

While full-time fixed amount grant applicants are not required to submit detailed budgets, they 

are still required to provide a living allowance that complies with the minimum and maximum 

requirements to members (EXCEPTION: as noted in section D.2. below.) Fixed amount grant 

applicants are not required to indicate that amount in the application and request those positions 

as “without living allowance” in the budget. 
17

Table 1: Minimum and Maximum Living Allowance

Service Term Minimum # 

of Hours

Minimum Living 

Allowance

Maximum Total Living 

Allowance 

Full-time 1700 $12,100 $24,200

One-year Half-time 900 n/a $12,800

Reduced Half-time 675 n/a $9,600

Quarter-time 450 n/a $6,400

Minimum-time 300 n/a $4,260

2. Exceptions to the Living Allowance Requirements (for programs existing prior to September 

21, 1993)

If a program existed prior to September 21, 1993, a living allowance is not required. If an 

applicant chooses to offer a living allowance, it is exempt from the minimum requirement of 

$12,100, but not the maximum requirement of $24,200.

EAP Fixed amount Grantees are not required to provide a living allowance, but if a living 

allowance is provided, it must comply with the maximum requirements set forth in the Living 

Allowance Table above.

Professional Corps Grantees members must receive a living allowance or salary, which must 

meet the minimum, but may exceed the maximum living allowance set in the Living Allowance 

Table above. Professional Corps member salaries are paid entirely by the organizations with 

which the members serve, and are not included in the budget. Tier 1 Education EAPs may 

exceed the maximum living allowance.

3. Maximum Cost per Member Service Year (MSY) 

Maximum Costs per MSY are set forth in Table 2 below. CNCS considers comparative costs per 

MSY in making funding decisions. New applicants that submit with a low cost per MSY and 

recompeting applicants that submit with a lower cost per MSY than previously funded may 

receive higher priority for funding. The CNCS cost per MSY is determined by dividing the 

CNCS share of budgeted grant costs by the number of MSYs requested. It does not include child 

care or the value of the education award a member may earn. The maximum amount an applicant 

may request from CNCS per MSY is determined on an annual basis. 

Continuation and recompeting Grantees requesting a higher cost per MSY than in the previous 

year must include a compelling rationale for this increased cost. This applies even if the 

increased cost per MSY is less than the maximum. 

New and recompeting State Commission sub-Grantees/applicants will be held to the maximum 

cost per MSY for their grant type. This does not affect continuation programs currently funded at 

a higher cost per MSY. 
18

Table 2: 2014 Maximum Cost per MSY

Grant Program Maximum

Individual Competitive State Program (cost reimbursement) $13,300

Multi-state (cost reimbursement) $13,300

Professional Corps Grant (Cost Reimbursement) $2,000

Professional Corps Fixed amount Grant $2,000

Education Award Program Fixed amount Grant $800

Full time Fixed amount Grant $13,000

State Commission Formula Prime $18,000

Individual State Formula Program $20,000

State Commission Average (of all its subgrants) $13,300

 

4. Member Enrollment Requirements for Existing Grantees

We expect Grantees to enroll all the members included in their grant award. Enrollment rates 

have a direct bearing on the number of slots and the size of awards approved in the continuation 

and recompete processes. Continuation and recompeting Grantees that have not achieved full 

enrollment in the previous year must provide an explanation and a corrective action plan in their

application. Successful applicants that do not fully enroll are likely to receive a decrease in 

funding in subsequent years.

5. Member Retention Requirements for Existing Grantees

We expect Grantees to pursue the highest retention rate possible. Retention rates will have a 

direct bearing on the number of slots and the size of awards approved in the continuation and recompete processes. Successful applicants that do not retain their members are likely to receive a 

decrease in funding in subsequent years. We recognize retention rates may vary among equally 

effective programs depending on the program model. Continuation or recompeting Grantees that 

have not achieved full retention in the most recently completed program year must provide an 

explanation and a corrective action plan in their application.

6. Amount of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for FY 2014

AmeriCorps members serving in programs funded with FY 2014 dollars who successfully 

complete a term of service will receive an Education Award from the National Service Trust of 

$5,645 for a year of full-time service, with correspondingly smaller awards for less-than-fulltime service. The amount of the Education Award is linked to value of the Pell Grant. A member 

has up to seven years after his or her term of service to use the Education Award. 

Table 3: Term of Service and FY14 Education Award

Term of Service Minimum # of Hours FY14 Education Award

Full Time 1700 $5,645

One-Year Half Time 900 $2,822

Reduced Half Time 675 $2,150

Quarter Time 450 $1,493

Minimum Time 300 $1,195
19

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. How to Apply

Organizations that propose to operate in a single state apply directly to the State Commission for 

the state in which they will operate. Single-state applicants must contact their state commissions 

for state-specific deadlines and application instructions. Organizations that propose to operate in 

more than one state apply directly to CNCS. State Commissions and Territories deadlines may 

be significantly before the CNCS deadlines, so prospective single-state applicants are 

encouraged to check with the commission in the state or territory where they intend to apply as 

soon as possible. Organizations in states and territories without commissions apply directly to 

CNCS. 

This Notice should be read together with the AmeriCorps Regulations, 45 CFR §§ 2520–2550, 

the Application Instructions, and the Performance Measure Instructions which are incorporated 

by reference. The Notice and Application Instructions can be found at

http://www.americorps.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp. The full regulations are 

available online at www.ecfr.gov. The TTY number is 800-833-3722. For a printed copy of 

related material, call 202-606-7508.

1. Notice of Intent to Apply (Required for application submission)

State Commissions and multi-state applicants are REQUIRED to send a Notice of Intent to 

Apply by Wednesday, December 11, 2013. Notifications should be sent by e-mail to 

IntentToApply@cns.gov SUBJECT: AmeriCorps State and National Notice of Intent. CNCS 

will not consider notifications received after the deadline. Failure to submit a Notice of Intent 

to Apply will render an applicant ineligible to apply. All Notices of Intent to Apply will 

receive an email response acknowledging receipt. Single state programs applying through a State 

Commission should not provide this information directly to CNCS.

The Notice of Intent to Apply should include the name of the applicant organization, address, 

contact person, e-mail address, and phone number. Applicants should state the type of grant for 

which they intend to apply and the focus area the anticipated application will address. State 

Commissions must include an estimate of the number of new and recompete applications

planned for submission by focus area (number of applications submitted cannot exceed this 

amount). 

Notice of Intent to Apply will help CNCS plan more efficiently for external review. Providing an 

e-mail address will allow CNCS to contact applicants directly if application materials are 

updated.

Continuation grantees that are only submitting continuations are not required to submit a notice 

of intent to apply nor should state commissions include them in their estimate of anticipated 

applications. 

2. Submission Dates and Times

The deadline for applications from State Commissions, National Directs, and Indian Tribes is 

5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday January 22, 2014. CNCS will not consider applications 
20

received after the deadline, except when noted below. CNCS reserves the right to extend the 

submission deadline and any notice of such extended deadline will be posted in eGrants. This 

deadline applies to continuation Grantees, as well as new and recompeting applicants. 

State Commissions and Territories deadlines may be significantly before the CNCS deadlines, so 

prospective single-state applicants are encouraged to check with the commission in the state or 

territory where they intend to apply as soon as possible.

3. Late Applications

CNCS may, at its discretion, consider an application received after the deadline, but only if the 

applicant submits a letter to LateApplications@cns.gov explaining the extenuating circumstance 

that caused the delay. Communication with CNCS staff including your program officer is not a 

substitution for sending a letter to LateApplications@cns.gov. The letter must be received no 

later than one business day after the application deadline. If the applicant experiences technical 

difficulties with eGrants that are unresolved, the correspondence must include the eGrants help 

desk ticket number. CNCS determines whether or not to accept a late application for review on a 

case-by-case basis. 

If extenuating circumstances make the use of eGrants impossible, applicants may send a hard 

copy of the application to the address provided in Section VII. Agency Contacts, via overnight 

carrier. Applicants must use a non-U.S. Postal Service carrier because of security-related delays 

in receiving mail from the U.S. Postal Service. All deadlines and requirements in this Notice

apply to hard copy applications. Hard copy applications must include a cover letter detailing the 

circumstances that make it impossible to submit via e-Grants. CNCS does not accept applications 

submitted via fax or e-mail.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

1. Submitting in eGrants

Applicants must submit their applications electronically via the CNCS web-based system, 

eGrants. Because it is a unique system, it is recommended that applicants create an eGrants 

account and begin the eGrants application creation process at least three weeks before the 

deadline. Applicants should draft the application as a word processing document, then copy and 

paste the document into the appropriate eGrants fields no later than 10 days before the deadline. 

Please note the length of a document in your word processing software likely will be different 

than what will appear in eGrants. See more details under 2.Page Limits.

Contact the National Service Hotline at 800-942-2677 or 

https://questions.nationalservice.gov/app/ask if a problem arises while creating an account or 

while preparing or submitting an application in eGrants. National Service Hotline hours are 

Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET. Be prepared to provide the application ID, 

organization’s name, and the Notice to which your organization is applying.

If technical issues will prevent an applicant from submitting an application on time, please 

contact the National Service Hotline prior to the deadline to explain the technical issue and 

receive a ticket number. If the issue cannot be resolved by the deadline, the applicant must 

continue working with the National Service Hotline to submit via eGrants.
21

An application is only complete if it includes all required documentation and is received by the 

application due date. Incomplete applications will not be considered. All additional required 

documents that are not possible to attach in eGrants are due by the application deadline. See 

below for a list of required documentation. All documents should be attached to an email and 

sent to americorpsgrants@cns.gov.Your email subject should include your organization name 

and Application ID number. 

Please note: if the applicant is applying through a state commission, please check the state or 

territory’s application information to determine the process for submission of documents.

Required Additional Documents:

 Logic Model Worksheet (See section 2.b.)

 Organizational Chart (See section 3.a.)

 Letters of Commitment from most significant community partners (See section 3.a.) Tier 

1 Education applicants’ Letters of Commitment must be from schools and LEAs (Refer to 

Section IV.D. Coordination with State and Local Education Agencies for guidance on the 

required elements of inclusion.)Letters of Commitment for Governor and Mayor Initiative (if 

applicable)

Tier 1 Education applicants: List of schools which should include the name and National Center 

for Education Statistics (NCES) identification number of each eligible partner school with which 

the applicant will be working. Please specify whether the school is an elementary, middle, or 

high school. Also indicate if the school meets the rural school definition. For the purpose of this 

Notice, a rural school is a school that is assigned a locale code of 41 (located in a census-defined 

rural territory less than 5 miles from an urban cluster), a locale code of 42 (located in a censusdefined rural territory more than 5 miles but less than or equal to 25 miles from an urban cluster), 

or a locale code of 43 (located in a census-defined rural territory that is more than 25 miles from 

an urban cluster) by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Note: To identify the 

locale code of any school, access the NCES public school database here: 

http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/

School Name NCES ID School Type Indicate if 

SIG or 

Priority or 

both

Indicate if 

Rural 

School

ABC School XXXXXXXXXXXX Elementary Rural

123 School XXXXXXXXXXXX Middle N/A

Applications submitted as part of the Governor and Mayor Initiative must check the “Governor 

and Mayor Initiative” box in the Performance Measure tab and email a letter of endorsement 

cosigned by the Governor and Mayor, as well as signed letters of commitment from partnering 

nonprofits to americorpsgrants@cns.gov by the application due date in order to be considered for 

this Initiative. 
22

2. Page Limits

In eGrants, applicants will enter text in the following fields

 Executive Summary

 Program Design 

 Organizational Capability 

 Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy 

 Evaluation Plan (Tier 1 Education applicants will enter N/A in the Evaluation Plan field.) 

Applications may not exceed 15 pages for the Narratives, including the Executive Summary and 

SF 424 Facesheet, as the pages print out from eGrants. CNCS strongly encourages applicants to 

print out the application from the “Review and Submit” page prior to submitting it to check that 

the application does not exceed the page limit. This limit does not include the budget,

performance measures, evaluation plan or required supplementary materials (e.g., letters of 

commitment, organizational chart, logic model worksheet). 

Reviewers will not consider submitted material that is over the page limit, even if eGrants allows 

an applicant to enter and submit text over the limit. Do not submit non-required supplemental

materials such as videos, DVDs, brochures, letters of support (other than those required for 

Governor and Mayor Initiative applicants), or any other item not requested in the Notice or 

application instructions. CNCS will not review or return them. 

C. Coordination among State Commissions and Multi-state Applicants 

CNCS expects State Commissions and multi-state applicants to consult and coordinate activities 

at the local level, as specified in Section 131 of the NCSA [42 U.S.C. § 12583]. This 

consultation is designed to ensure the most effective use of national service resources and lead to 

enhanced coordination among Grantees. The list of State and Territory Commissions can be 

found here: http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/contact-us/state-service-commissions. To 

ensure coordination:

Multi-state applicants and Grantees must:

 Consult in a timely manner and before submission of their application with the State 

Commission of each state in which the organization knows it will operate and describe this 

consultation in their applications. Contact the State Commission(s) for details about the 

consultation process.

 Provide the State Commission with contact information for multi-state programs in the state 

after grants are awarded, and update these lists on an annual basis.

 Participate in the State Commission’s annual needs assessment and training plan 

development activities, and in the development of its state service plan, as well as appropriate 

training and other events.

 Include the State Commission on the multi-state Grantee’s mailing list and invite it to 

appropriate training and other events.

State Commissions must:

 Consult in a timely manner with the multi-state applicants and Grantees that contact them 

prior to application submission.
23

 Consider the schedules and needs of multi-state programs operating in their states when 

planning annual events and technical assistance activities. 

 Include multi-state programs in their annual needs assessment and training plan development 

activities, and in the development of their state service plan.

 Add staff of multi-state programs in their state to their mailing list and invite them to 

appropriate training and other events.

CNCS will solicit State Commission input on multi-state applicants proposing to operate in their 

state. Participation by State Commissions in providing this input is strongly encouraged. The

input will be provided via eGrants.

D. Coordination with State and Local Education Agencies (Tier 1 Education)

Applicants must submit a Letter or Letters of Commitment from all eligible partner schools and 

their corresponding LEAs, including evidence of the applicants’ consultation with school and

LEA leadership. School leadership must include the school leader responsible for leading the 

turnaround effort. LEA leadership may include either the superintendent or an official at the 

LEA responsible for SIG or priority school implementation. Letters must be signed by school 

and LEA leadership.

School Turnaround AmeriCorps continuation grantees requesting to bring on new schools must 

submit letters of commitment from the new eligible partner schools and their corresponding 

LEAs.

The letter of commitment must affirm the following:

1. The applicant’s program design plan is submitted in consultation with the LEA and each 

eligible partner school(s).

2. The applicant’s program design aligns with each eligible partner school(s)’ and LEA’s 

turnaround plan.

3. Commitment to develop after the grant selection announcement a partnership agreement 

between the applicant and the school(s) and LEA that addresses the alignment between 

the applicant’s program design and each school(s)’ and LEA’s turnaround plan, as well as 

the parties’ plan for ongoing collaboration throughout the grant period, as detailed in 

Section XII. An applicant working with multiple schools in one LEA may develop a 

single partnership agreement for that LEA that contains all of the elements set forth in 

Section XII for each school partner within that LEA. The partnership agreement does not 

need to be completed at the time of the application submission but it must be available 

upon request at the time of receiving the award. The partnership agreement should be 

updated throughout the three-year project period as necessary to reflect changes.

4. The letters should include what the partners see as the benefit provided by the applicant’s 

AmeriCorps members and what activities would not happen without the AmeriCorps 

members.

The letters should include a commitment from partner schools and the LEA to participate 

in the national evaluation, which will include sharing student and school outcomes data 

with the applicant and data collection from school and LEA staff as needed. If 

applicable, the letter should explain why data sharing with the legal applicant is not 
24

possible at this time and what steps will be taken to overcome the barriers within the 

project period. 

The letter of commitment must also include the name and National Center for Education 

Statistics (NCES) identification number of each eligible partner school with which the applicant 

will be working.

E. Funding Restrictions

Grants under this program, except for full-time fixed amount and EAP grants, are subject to the

applicable Cost Principles under OMB Circulars 2 CFR Part 220(formerly A-21), 2 CFR Part 

230 (formerly A-122), or 2 CFR Part 225 (formerly A-87) and the Uniform Administrative 

Requirements for grants under A-102 (45 CFR Part 2541) or A-110 (45 CFR 2543 or 2 CFR Part 

215).

F. Growing Private Sector Partnerships

CNCS is exploring new ways to engage private sector funders to provide additional support for 

national service programs. Applicants wishing to make information from their application 

available to potential private sector funders can opt in during the application process. Such 

applicants may be asked to provide information in different formats at a future date.

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Assessment Criteria

Each applicant must clearly describe a project that will deploy AmeriCorps members effectively 

to solve a significant community problem. We urge your organization to submit a high quality 

application carefully following the guidance in the Notice and in the Application Instructions. 

The quality of your application will be an important factor in determining whether your 

organization will receive funding. Your application will be assessed as follows:

Threshold issues

Applications should reflect that they meet the threshold requirements for the grant type for which 

they are applying. A few examples follow. If an applicant wants a grant for a Professional Corps, 

its application should demonstrate that the community, in which it will place professionals, has 

an inadequate number of said professionals. If an applicant wants a fixed amount grant, its

application should reflect that only full-time or less than full-time positions serving in a full time 

capacity will be permitted. An application for the Mayor’s and Governor’s initiative should

clearly reflect that the application is from one Governor, one Mayor, and a minimum of two 

nonprofits.

1. Executive Summary (Required - 0 percent)

Please fill in the blanks of these sentences to complete the executive summary. 

The [Name of the organization] will have [Number of] AmeriCorps members who will [what the 

members will be doing] in [the locations the AmeriCorps members will be]. At the end of the 1st

program year, the AmeriCorps members will be responsible for [anticipated outcome of project]. 

In addition, the AmeriCorps members will leverage an additional [number of leveraged 

volunteers, if applicable] that will be engaged in [what the leveraged volunteers will be doing.] 
25

This program will focus on the CNCS focus area of [Focus Area(s)].* The CNCS investment of 

$[amount of request] will be matched with $[amount of projected match], $[amount of local, 

state, and federal funds] in public funding and $[amount of non-governmental funds] in private 

funding. 

*If the program is not focused on CNCS’ focus area, omit this sentence. 

Fixed amount grant applicants should list their leveraged resources as they are not required to 

match. 

CNCS will post all Executive Summaries of awarded grant applications on 

www.nationalservice.gov in the interest of transparency and Open Government.

2. Rationale and Approach/Program Design (50 percent)

For Tier 1 Education: The desired outcomes are to improve the academic performance, 

academic engagement, and/or attendance outcomes of students in eligible schools. In assessing 

Program Design, reviewers will examine the degree to which the applicant demonstrates how 

AmeriCorps members are particularly well-suited to deliver effective turnaround interventions 

and achieve the desired student outcomes in these schools.

For all programs, reviewers will consider the quality of your response to the following:

a. Problem/Need (9 points)

Describe the community needs the AmeriCorps members will be addressing. Provide 

information about the extent/severity of the need in the community(ies) where your proposed 

AmeriCorps members will serve and cite specific relevant data such as unemployment rate as 

well as the poverty rate. 

In addition to the above information, Tier 1 Education applicants should provide the following 

information:

 Involvement of eligible school(s) and LEA leadership in identifying the need.

 Need(s) identified by eligible partner school(s) and LEA leadership that the AmeriCorps 

members will be addressing. 

 The extent/severity of the need in the school(s) where the proposed AmeriCorps members 

will serve and cite specific relevant data. 

b. AmeriCorps Members as Highly Effective Means to Solve Community Problems

Evidence Base and Measurable Community Impact (25 points)

These criteria are addressed by submitting both the Logic Model chart via email and the 

narrative related to evidence basis. Please complete and submit by the application deadline the 

Logic Model chart (See Attachment X). This chart should be completed with a landscape 

orientation with a font size no smaller than 10 point. The chart should not exceed two single 

sided pages when printed. Applicants with multiple interventions should complete one Logic 

Model chart which incorporates each intervention while remaining within the two page single 

sided page limit. This chart should be e-mailed to americorpsgrants@cns.gov as an attachment to 
26

the application. Printing the chart to ensure proper formatting and that is no more than two pages 

single sided is highly recommended. 

Theory of Change and Logic Model (17 points)

Applicants will be awarded up to 17 points for providing a detailed theory of change (logic 

model) using the Logic Model Worksheet (see appendix). A theory of change is a description of 

how and why as set of activities are expected to lead to early, intermediate, and long-term 

outcomes over a specified period (Anderson, 200). A logic model is a graphical representation of 

program activities and their intended outcomes as depicted in the theory of change. 

Points will be awarded based on qualityand completeness of the logic model. The logic model 

shall depict:

 Number of locations or sites in which members are providing services

 Number of AmeriCorps members that will be delivering the intervention

 The core activities that define the intervention or program model that members will be 

implementing or delivering

 The duration of the intervention (e.g., the total number of weeks, sessions or months of 

the intervention)

 The dosage of the intervention (e.g., the number of hours per session or sessions per 

week)

 The target population for the intervention (e.g., disconnected youth, third graders at a 

certain reading proficiency level)

In addition to completing the Logic Model worksheet, describe how the intervention is designed 

to address the problem described in the previous section.

For Tier 1 Education applicants, also provide the following to supplement your logic model:

 Explain how the potential contribution of AmeriCorps members addresses the needs 

identified by eligible school and LEA leadership. 

 For applicants that propose to serve multiple school sites, explain how you will 

coordinate your turnaround efforts among those sites and take advantage of the scale of 

the project (e.g., through economies of scale).

 Explain the extent to which the project addresses multiple student needs and is aligned 

with comprehensive school turnaround plans, including the extent to which the proposed 

project incorporates at least one, or preferably more than one, of the following:

o Providing ongoing mechanisms for family and community engagement.

o Establishing a school culture and environment that improves school safety, 

attendance, and discipline and addresses other non-academic factors that impact 

student achievement, such as students’ social, emotional, and health needs.

o Accelerating students’ acquisition of reading and mathematics knowledge and skills.

o Increasing graduation rates through strategies such as early warning systems, creditrecovery programs and re-engagement strategies.

o Increasing college enrollment rates through college preparation counseling assistance 

to include completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and 

college applications, and educating students and their families on financial literacy for 

college.
27

o Supporting school implementation of increased learning time. 

Applicants that selected Tier 1 or Tier 2: Unless otherwise stated CNCS’ expectation is that at 

least 30 percent of your MSYs are in the identified performance measures. If that is not the case, 

please explain in the narrative why it was not possible to meet the 30% threshold. Based on 

reviewers’ assessment, an applicant may or may not remain in Tier 1 or 2.

Tier 1 Education applicants are encouraged to apply for a minimum of 20 MSYs. 

VetSuccess AmeriCorps (Tier 1 Veterans and Military Family) applicants should have only full 

time members placed in two-member teams. Applicants that apply for less than full time 

members will not be as competitive as those with only full time members. 

Evidence Base (8 points)

Applicants will be awarded up to 8 points for providing evidence that their proposed intervention 

will lead to the outcomes identified in the theory of change. In this section, applicants shall 

provide a description of the studies and evaluations conducted that provide evidence that the 

proposed intervention is effective for the proposed population and community challenge. This 

section must include specific citations of studies and/or publicly available evaluation and 

research reports. 

The evidence presented by applicants will be scored and placed into one of the four tiered evidence 

levels described below:

 Pre-preliminary evidence (applicants awarded 1 point) means the applicant presents 

evidence that it has collected quantitative or qualitative data from program staff, program 

participants, or beneficiaries that have been used for program improvement, performance 

measurement reporting, and/or tracking. An example could be gathering feedback from 

program participants following their service year.

 Preliminary evidence (applicants awarded 2 points) means the applicant presents an initial 

evidence base that can support conclusions about the program’s contribution to observed 

outcomes. The evidence base consists of at least 1 non-experimental study conducted on the 

proposed program (or another similar program that uses a comparable intervention). A study

that demonstrates improvement in program participants over time on one or more intended 

outcomes OR an implementation (process evaluation) study used to learn and improve 

program operations would constitute preliminary evidence. Examples of research that meet 

the standards include:1) outcome studies that track program participants through a service 

pipeline and measure participants’ responses at the end of the program; and 2) pre- and posttest research that determines whether participants have improved on an intended outcome.

 Moderate evidence (applicants awarded 4 points) means the applicant presents a reasonably 

developed evidence base that can support causal conclusions for the specific program 

proposed by the applicant with moderate confidence. The evidence base consists of 1 or more 

quasi-experimental studies conducted on the proposed program (or another similar program 

that uses a comparable intervention) with positive findings on one or more intended outcome

OR 2 or more non-experimental studies conducted on the proposed program with positive 
28

findings on one or more intended outcome OR 1 or more experimental studies of another 

relevant program that uses a similar intervention. Examples of research that meet the 

standards include: well-designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental studies that 

compare outcomes between the group receiving the intervention and a matched comparison 

group (i.e. a similar population that does not receive the intervention).

 Strong evidence (applicants awarded 8 points) means the applicant presents an evidence 

base that can support causal conclusions for the specific program proposed by the applicant 

with the highest level of confidence. This consists of 1 or more well-designed and wellimplemented experimental studies conducted on the proposed program with positive findings 

on one or more intended outcome.

For all studies presented by applicants to meet the four tiered evidence levels above, reviewers will 

examine: a) how closely the program model evaluated in the studies matches the one proposed by the 

applicant; b) the methodological quality of the studies presented (e.g., statistical power, internal 

and/or external validity, sample size, etc.); c) the recency of the studies, with a preference towards 

studies that have been conducted within the last six years; d) strength of the findings, with more 

weight given to findings that show a large and persistent positive effect on participants. 

c. Member Training (8 points)

What are the anticipated training topics and the timeline for member training? How and when 

will the applicant ensure that members and generated volunteers are aware of and are adhering to 

the rules regarding prohibited activities? 

In addition to the above, Tier 1 Education applicants should provide the following information: 

How will you coordinate the training of AmeriCorps members with school leadership and staff? 

Explain your plans for providing members with opportunities to share best practices and lessons 

learned to promote effectiveness of interventions and encourage AmeriCorps members’ 

sustained participation in the ongoing efforts to turn around the nation’s lowest-performing 

schools.

d. Member Supervision (8 points)

Describe the plan for supervising members that ensures they will receive adequate support and 

guidance. 

In addition to the above, Tier 1 Education applicants should provide the following information: 

How will you coordinate the supervision of AmeriCorps members with school leadership and 

staff?

VetSuccess AmeriCorps (Tier 1 Veterans and Military Family) applicants: While VSOC 

Counselors will provide guidance and support to members, the program is responsible for 

providing member supervision.

e. Commitment to AmeriCorps Identification (Required - 0 points)

How will the program participants know they are AmeriCorps members? How will the 

communities in which they serve know they are AmeriCorps members? How will the applicant’s

program ensure that its participants will wear the AmeriCorps logo daily? How will the applicant
29

ensure participants are prepared to speak about their AmeriCorps experience to members of the 

community?

3. Organizational Capability (25 percent)

In assessing how the applicant will meet the criteria, reviewers will consider the quality of your 

response to the following:

a. Organizational Background and Staffing (7 points/10 points for new applicants)

Describe how the organization has the experience, staffing, and management structure to plan

and implement the proposed program. Describe the applicant organization’s prior experience 

administering AmeriCorps grants or other federal funds. Please email an organizational chart to 

americorpsgrants@cns.gov.

In additional to the above, Tier 1 Education applicants should provide the following information: 

Describe the involvement of eligible school and LEA leadership in designing and implementing 

the program.

As documentation of community support and commitment to the program, please submit letters 

from the applicant’s most significant community partners. The letters should include what the 

partners see as the benefit to the community provided by the applicant’s AmeriCorps members 

and what activities would not happen without the AmeriCorps members. Please email them to 

americorpsgrants@cns.gov. 

Tier 1 Education applicants: Instead of submitting letters from the applicant’s most significant 

community partners, submit a Letter or Letters of Commitment from all eligible partner schools 

and their corresponding LEAs, including evidence of the applicants’ consultation with school 

and LEA leadership. See Section IV.D for information about what the letters of commitment 

should include. Please email the letter(s) to americorpsgrants@cns.gov. Include your application 

ID in the subject field.

b. Compliance and Accountability (11 points/15 points for new applicants)

How will the applicant’s organization ensure compliance with AmeriCorps rules and regulations 

including those related to prohibited activities at the Grantee, subgrantee, and service site 

locations (if applicable)? How will the applicant’s organization prevent and detect compliance 

issues? How will the applicant’s organization hold itself, subgrantees, and service site locations 

(if applicable) accountable if instances of risk or noncompliance are identified? 

c. Past Performance For Current Grantees and Former Grantees Only (7 points for 

recompeting applicants and formula Grantees)

Describe the applicant’s performance against performance measure targets during its last three 

years of program operations. How successful has the applicant been in solving the identified 

problem? If the applicant did not meet performance targets, provide an explanation and describe 

the plan for improvement. 

Describe any compliance issues and areas of weakness/risk identified during the last full year of 

program operation at your organization, your subgrantees (if applicable), and service site
30

locations (if applicable). If the applicant, its subgrantees, and/or service site locations had 

compliance or areas of weakness/risk identified, provide an explanation and describe the 

corrective action taken and your plan for improvement.

Enrollment: If the program enrolled less than 100% of the slots received during its last full year 

of program operation, provide an explanation, and describe the plan for improvement. 

Enrollment rate is calculated as slots filled, plus refill slots filled, divided by slots awarded.

Retention: If the applicant was not able to retain all of its members during the last full year of 

program operation, provide an explanation, and describe the plan for improvement. While CNCS

recognizes retention rates may vary among effective programs depending on the program model, 

the expectation is that Grantees to pursue the highest retention rate possible. Retention rate is 

calculated as the number of members exited with award (full or partial award) divided by the 

number of members enrolled.

d. Continuous Improvement (0 points)

Describe the plans for soliciting timely and regular feedback from internal and external 

stakeholders to inform continuous improvement efforts. Describe the plans for using data to 

inform continuous improvement.

Tier 1 Education applicants: In addition to the information above, describe the plans for soliciting 

timely and regular feedback from internal and external stakeholders, including school and LEA 

staff, students, and families, to inform continuous improvement efforts. Describe the plans for using 

data on student academic performance, academic engagement, and/or behavioral outcomes to inform 

continuous improvement.

4. Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (25 percent)

In assessing how the applicant will meet the criteria, reviewers will consider the quality of your 

response to the following:

a. Cost Effectiveness (13 points)

Cost Per MSY

Cost effectiveness will be evaluated by analyzing cost per MSY in relation to your program 

design. Having a low cost per member is a competitive advantage. New applicants that submit 

with a low cost per MSY and recompeting applicants that submit with a lower cost per MSY 

than previously funded may receive higher priority for funding. If the applicant requests above 

the maximum, it must justify your request. Please note that such requests are rarely approved.

All recompeting and continuation Grantees requesting a higher cost per MSY than in the 

previous year must include a compelling rationale for this increased cost including why this 

increase could not be covered by grantee share. This applies even if the increased cost per 

MSY is less than the maximum or if the increase is due to increased costs associated with 

the grant.

Discuss how the program is a cost effective approach for addressing the community need(s) 

identified in the application. Consider the total costs and benefits of the program and, to the 

extent possible, document the costs and benefits. Compare the cost effectiveness of the program 
31

with the costs and benefits of alternative models or approaches (if available), and demonstrate 

how your program model is most cost effective. Applicants with a program design that achieves 

equal results at a lower cost will be advantaged over programs that achieve similar results at a 

higher cost. Discuss how the applicant will raise the additional resources it will need to manage 

and operate an AmeriCorps program beyond the fixed amount and/or beyond the CNCS share 

and match if more resource is needed. Indicate the amount of non-CNCS resources (in-kind and 

cash) secured to date and the plans for securing the remaining resources. 

Tier 1 Education applicants: in addition to the information above, provide a description of how 

the resources requested will supplement, and not supplant, SIG funding or other existing school 

funding streams.

b. Budget Adequacy (12 points)

Applicants must fill out the budget and ensure the following information in the budget narrative

(requested information in the budget screens):

 Identify the non-CNCS funding and resources necessary to support the project.

 Indicate the amount of non-CNCS resource commitments (in-kind, and cash) and the 

sources of these commitments.

For fixed price grantees, identify the total amount the applicant has budgeted to operate the 

program, including the fixed amount from the CNCS and how your program determined that 

amount. Keep in mind that full-time AmeriCorps program costs include expenditures for the 

AmeriCorps living allowance, health care, and criminal history checks. Education Award 

Programs are not required to pay living allowances or cover health care for members, but must 

conduct criminal history checks. 

When considering the above information, reviewers will assess the quality of the application 

based on the following factors:

 The extent to which the budget is clear.

 The extent to which the budget includes sufficient resources to carry out the program 

effectively.

 Whether an applicant adequately budgeted for its required share of costs.

5. Evaluation Summary or Plan (Required for recompeting grantees - 0 percent)

If the applicant is competing for the first time, please enter N/A in the Evaluation Summary or 

Plan field since it pertains only to recompeting Grantees. If the applicant is recompeting for 

AmeriCorps funds for the first time the program must submit your evaluation plan, the 

Evaluation Summary, or Plan field in eGrants. If the applicant is recompeting for a subsequent 

time, the program must submit your evaluation report as well as an evaluation plan for the next 

three-year period. 

Evaluation plans must include the following:

 A description of the intervention or program to be implemented by members. The 

description must include a theory of change and a clear statement of the outcomes 

anticipated.
32

 A description of the program evaluation design including research questions, research 

methodology and the outcomes that will be measured.

 A description of the data collection procedures including the types and sources of data, 

the population or sample, and a data analysis plan. The organization’s data management 

system should be addressed if it will be used to collect data for the evaluation.

 A description of how the evaluation results, both interim and final, will be used.

The evaluation requirements differ depending on the amount of your grant, as described in 45 

CFR § 2522.710:

 If you are a State and/or National Grantee (other than an Education Award Program grantee), 

and your average annual CNCS program grant is $500,000 or more, you must arrange for an 

external evaluation of your program, and you must submit the evaluation with any 

subsequent application to CNCS for competitive funds as required in §2522.730 of this 

subpart.

 If you are a State and/or National Grantee whose average annual CNCS program grant is less 

than $500,000, or an Education Award Program Grantee, you must conduct an internal or an 

external evaluation of your program, and you must submit the evaluation with any 

subsequent application to CNCS for competitive funds as required in §2522.730 of this 

subpart.

A formula program will be considered a recompeting application, if it satisfies the CNCS

definition of “same project,” below, and has been funded in formula for at least one three-year 

cycle. If the project satisfies the definition of same project, and the applicant has completed one 

three-year cycle, you will be required to submit an evaluation plan. If the project does not satisfy 

the definition, it will be considered new and will not be required to submit an evaluation plan, 

summary, or completed evaluation.

Two projects will be considered the same if they:

 Address the same issue areas

 Address the same priorities

 Address the same objectives

 Serve the same target communities and population

 Utilize the same sites

 Use the same program staff and members

Tier 1 Education applicants: Because approved applicants are required to participate in a CNCS 

National Evaluation, no evaluation plans are required. 

Participation in the national evaluation will satisfy the program’s evaluation requirements. As 

part of the national evaluation, grantees may be asked to share or collect additional school and 

student data in addition to their performance measures. Grantees may also be asked to regularly 

collect and report to the CNCS Office of Research and Evaluation additional data on member 

activities and to help facilitate data collection that may be required from school staff. CNCS will 

provide further information.
33

Programs need to get approval from their CNCS program officers to be considered a new 

project. 

6. Amendment Justification (0 percent)

Enter N/A. This field will be used if you are awarded a grant and need to amend it. 

7. Clarification Information (0 percent)

Enter N/A. This field will be used to enter information that requires clarification in the postreview period. 

8. Continuation Changes (0 percent)

Enter N/A. This field will be used to enter changes in your narratives in your continuation 

requests. 

B. Goals of the Review and Selection Process

The assessment of applications involves a wide range of factors and considerations. As in the 

past, CNCS will engage external reviewers to provide insight and input with respect to eligible 

applications. In addition, CNCS staff will apply their experience and expertise in evaluating 

applications. In the end, the review and selection process will produce a diversified set of highquality programs that represent the priorities and selection factors described in this Notice.

Specifically, the review and selection process will:

1. Identify eligible applications that satisfy the following considerations:

 High alignment with criteria 

 Priorities, in the order of Tier preference outlined in Section I.E., above

 Relative risk and opportunity

2. Consider:

 Recruitment and deployment of community volunteers to leverage impact

 State Commission rank and recommendations on single-state applicants

 State Commission input on multi-state applications

 The strength of the need and evidence base for the program

3. Yield a diversified portfolio based on the following strategic considerations:

 Geographic representation

 Meaningful representation of 

o Rural and urban communities 

o Small and large programs 

o Single and multi-state programs

o Faith- and community-based organizations

 For Tier 1 Education applicants: Meaningful representation of 

o Rural and urban eligible schools

o Eligible elementary, middle, and high schools

 Focus area representation
34

 Organizations and/or program models that build capacity for individuals, nonprofits and 

communities to solve problems

 Organizations and/or program models that recruit and engage traditionally underrepresented 

populations as AmeriCorps members and expand opportunities to serve as AmeriCorps 

members, particularly for new Americans, low-income individuals, “Opportunity Youth--

defined as economically disadvantaged individuals age 16-24 who are disconnected from 

school or work for at least six months prior to service.”, rural residents, older Americans, 

veterans, communities of color, Native Americans, and people with disabilities

 Organizations that embrace innovative approaches to solving problems, including servicelearning

Applicants must check the relevant boxes in the Performance Measure tab in eGrants in order to 

be considered for CNCS’ assessment of the above strategic considerations. Applicants should 

only check the boxes if the strategic consideration is an intentional part of their program design 

and they have implementation strategies.

C. Stages in the review and selection process

1. Compliance Review

CNCS staff will review all applications submitted to CNCS to determine compliance with 

eligibility, deadline, and completeness requirements. In order to be compliant and advance to 

External Review, an applicant must satisfy all the following requirements:

 Submit a Notice of Intent to Apply by the deadline: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 (see 

Section IV.A.1)

 Submit an application and all required additional documents by the application 

submission deadline: Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. (see Section IV.A.2)

 Submit an application that is complete, in that it contains all required elements and 

additional documents via e-mail and follows the instructions provided in this Notice.

2. External Review

External reviewers will assess applications based on the Rationale and Approach/Program 

Design and Past Performance criteria. Each application will be reviewed by external 

reviewers. External reviewers will be recruited and selected on the basis of demonstrated 

knowledge of AmeriCorps programming, and/or the selection criteria and focus areas. All 

external reviewers will be screened for conflicts of interest. Submitted program evaluations 

will be considered at this stage. 

3. Post Review Quality Control (Quality Control)

After the external reviewers complete their assessment, staff will review the results for 

fairness and consistency. Some applications may be selected for a Quality Control 

assessment. This additional level of review may be used to assess:

 Applications ranked first by a State Commission that received low scores in External 

Review. 

 Applications for which there are significant panel anomalies. 

 Applications submitted by high-performing current Grantees that received a low score in 

External Review.
35

Applications identified for additional assessment will receive a Quality Control review. 

4. Selection of Applications for Internal Review

Applications will advance to Internal Review based on the results of the External Review and 

Quality Control, as well as the consideration of the priorities outlined in Section I.B. above 

and the strategic considerations identified in Section V.B.3. above. Strategic Consideration 

will be given based on the check boxes selected by the applicant in the “Grant Characteristics” 

section of the Performance Measures tab in eGrants. Those applications that do not advance to 

internal review will not be recommended for funding. 

5. Internal Review

CNCS staff will assess Program Design, particularly focusing on the theory of change and 

evidence-basis for the proposed solution(s) to the identified community problem(s), 

appropriateness of AmeriCorps service as a solution, and potential quality of the member 

experience; Organizational Capability; and Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy. 

Following staff assessment, some applicants may receive requests to provide clarifying 

information and/or make changes to their application including the budget. This information is 

used by CNCS staff in making final recommendations. Applications may be recommended for 

funding even if they are not asked clarification questions. A request for clarification does not 

guarantee a grant award. Failure to respond to requests for additional information in a timely 

fashion will result in the removal of applications from consideration.

CNCS staff will determine which applications to recommend for selection based on their 

assessment of the applicants that move from External Review and Quality Control into

Internal Review, and Clarification in light of CNCS’ Tier priorities and strategic 

considerations.

6. Risk Assessment Evaluation

CNCS staff will evaluate the risks to the program posed by each applicant, including 

conducting due diligence to ensure an applicant's ability to manage federal funds. This 

evaluation is in addition to the evaluation of the applicant’s eligibility or the quality of its 

application on the basis of the Selection Criteria. Results from this evaluation will inform 

funding decisions. If CNCS determines that an award will be made, special conditions that 

correspond to the degree of risk assessed may be applied to the award. In evaluating risks, 

CNCS may consider the following: 

 Financial stability;

 Quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards prescribed 

in applicable OMB Guidance;

 History of performance as reflected in the applicant’s record in managing previous CNCS 

awards, cooperative agreements, or procurement awards, including: 

o Timeliness of compliance with applicable reporting requirements, and 

o If applicable, the extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be 

expended prior to future awards;

 Information available through any OMB-designated repositories of government wide 

eligibility qualification or financial integrity information, such as—
36

o Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), 

o Duns and Bradstreet, or 

o “Do Not Pay”;

 Reports and findings from single audits performed under OMB Circular A-133 and 

findings of any other available audits; 

 IRS Tax Form 990;

 An applicant organization's annual report;

 Publicly available information including information from an applicant organization's 

website; and

 The applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other 

requirements.

7. Selection for Funding

With the goal of a diversified portfolio based on the NOFO priorities and strategic 

considerations, the Chief Executive Officer will select the final portfolio based on staff 

recommendation from the applicants that advanced to Internal Review.

8. Feedback to Applicants

Following grant awards, each applicant will receive the results of external and, if applicable, 

internal review pertaining to their application. Feedback will be based on the review of the 

original application and will not reflect any information that may have been provided during 

clarification. 

CNCS is committed to transparency in grantmaking. The following information pertaining to 

this competition for new and recompete applications will be published on the CNCS website 

(http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/open-government-initiative/transparency/results-grantscompetition), within 90 business days after all grants are awarded:

 A blank template of external review form.

 A list of all compliant applications submitted.

 Executive summaries of all compliant applications submitted by the applicants as part of the 

application. 

 Standard Form 424 Face Sheet (SF424) and Program Narrative submitted by applicants for 

successful applications. 

 Summaries of external reviewers’ comments for successful applications.

 A list of external reviewers who completed the review process.

D. Continuation Expansion Requests

Requests for continuation expansions will be assessed using the same criteria as the new and 

recompete applications and whether the applicant has lowered its cost per MSY.

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Award Notice

CNCS will award grants following the grant selection announcement. We anticipate announcing 

the results of this competition around May 2, 2014, dependent on the availability of 

appropriations. 
37

B. Documents that Govern the Grant

The Notice of Grant Award incorporates the approved application as part of a binding 

commitment under the grant as well as the AmeriCorps regulations and grant provisions. 

C. Project/Award Period

The project start date may not occur prior to the date CNCS awards the grant. AmeriCorps 

members may not enroll prior to the start date of the award. AmeriCorps members may not begin 

service prior to the beginning of the member enrollment period as designated in the grant award. 

A program may not certify any hours a member performs prior to the beginning of the member 

enrollment period.

Unless otherwise specified, the grant generally covers a three-year project period. In approving a 

multi-year project period, CNCS generally makes an initial award for the first year of operation. 

In most cases, the application is submitted with a one-year budget. Continuation funding is not 

guaranteed. Factors considered in awarding continuation grants include satisfactory performance, 

demonstrated capacity to manage the grant, compliance with grant requirements, agency 

priorities, and the availability of appropriated funds. CNCS reserves the right to adjust the 

amount of a grant or elect not to continue funding for subsequent years.

Tier 1 Education and Tier 1 Veterans and Military Families VetSuccess applicants: The project 

period must align with the 2014-2015 academic school year.

D. Use of Material

To ensure that materials generated with CNCS funding are available to the public and readily 

accessible to Grantees and non-Grantees, CNCS reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and 

irrevocable right to obtain, use, modify, reproduce, publish, or disseminate publications and 

materials produced under the award, including data, and to authorize others to do so. 45 CFR § 

2543.36; 2541.30

E. Reporting Requirements 

Cost reimbursement Grantees are required to provide mid-year and end of year progress reports, 

semi-annual financial reports, and an internal or external evaluation report as required by the 

AmeriCorps regulations §§2522.500-2522.540 and §§2522.700-2522.740. 

Fixed amount Grantees are required to provide mid-year and end of year progress reports and an 

internal or external evaluation report. All grantees provide quarterly expense reports through the 

Payment Management System at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

If you receive an award directly from CNCS, you will be required to report at www.FSRS.gov

on all subawards over $25,000 and may be required to report on executive compensation for your 

organization and for your subgrantees. You must have the necessary systems in place to collect 

and report this information. See 2 CFR. Part 170 for more information and to determine how 

these requirements apply.

While applications will not be evaluated on these criteria, Grantees will be expected to have data 

collection and data management policies and practices that provide reasonable assurance that 
38

they are providing CNCS with high quality performance measure data. At a minimum, Grantees 

should have policies and practices which address the following five aspects of data quality:

 The data measures what it intends to measure;

 The Grantee collects data in a consistent manner;

 The Grantee takes steps to correct data errors; 

 The Grantee ensures that the data reported is complete; and

 The Grantee actively reviews data prior to submission. 

Progress Report Data

In addition to semiannual reporting outcomes and progress toward the grant approved 

performance measures, additional data must be reported annually (as applicable). These include:

 Number of volunteers leveraged.

 Number of individuals that applied to be AmeriCorps members

In addition to the above, Tier 1 Education and School Turnaround AmeriCorps continuation 

grantees must also report the following data:

 List of schools that were served, including their NCES identification numbers and the 

number of members placed at each school.

 Number of schools served, including:

o # of SIG schools

o # of priority schools

o # of urban schools

o # of rural schools

o # of elementary schools, middle schools, and/or high schools

 Number of students served, including:

o # of English Learners

o # of students with disabilities

In addition to the above, Tier 1 Opportunity Youth grantees must also report the number of 

Opportunity Youth enrolled as members.

F. National Evaluation

Approved Tier 1 Education applicants must participate in a National Evaluation conducted by 

CNCS. Participation in the national evaluation will satisfy the program’s evaluation requirement 

for this grant. As part of the national evaluation, grantees may be asked to share or collect 

additional school and student data in addition to their performance measures. Grantees may also 

be asked to regularly collect and report to the CNCS Office of Research and Evaluation 

additional data on member activities and to help facilitate data collection that may be required 

from school staff. CNCS will provide further information.

G. Re-Focusing of Funding 

CNCS reserves the right to re-focus funding in the event of disaster or other compelling need for 

service. 
39

VII. AGENCY CONTACT

This Notice is available at http://www.nationalservice.gov/build-your-capacity/grants/fundingopportunities. The TTY number is 202–606-3472. For further information or for a printed copy 

of this Notice, call (202) 606-7508. For questions regarding multi-state or Indian Tribes 

applications submitted directly to CNCS, please call (202) 606-7508 or send an e-mail to 

americorpsgrants@cns.gov . A list of all State and Territory Commissions can be found here: 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/contact-us/state-service-commissions. The mailing address 

is:

Corporation for National and Community Service

ATT: Office of Grants Policy and Operations/ASN Application

1201 New York Avenue N.W.

Washington, DC 20525

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION TO KNOW BEFORE APPLYING

In addition to consulting the Notice and AmeriCorps regulations as directed in these instructions, 

State Commissions and multi-state applicants may also consult the CNCS web site for a schedule 

of technical assistance conference calls, Frequently Asked Questions, and other resources 

targeted to multi-state applicants. Applicants in a single state should consult with their State 

Commission.
40

APPENDIX - DEFINITIONS

Cost Reimbursement Grants fund a portion of program operating costs and member living 

allowances with flexibility to use all of the funds for allowable costs regardless of whether or not 

the program recruits and retains all AmeriCorps members. Cost reimbursement grants include a 

formal matching requirement. 

Full-time Fixed Amount / Less than FT serving in a full time capacity Grants (Non-EAP)

These fixed amount grants are available for programs that enroll full-time members or less than 

full-time members that are serving in a full time capacity only, including Professional Corps. 

These grants provide a fixed amount of funding per Member Service Year (MSY) that is 

substantially lower than the amount required to operate the program. Organizations use their own 

or other resources to cover the remaining cost. Programs are not required to submit budgets or 

financial reports, there is no specific match requirement, and programs are not required to track 

and maintain documentation of match. However, CNCS provides only a portion of the cost of 

running the program and organizations must still raise the additional resources needed to run the 

program. Programs can access all of the funds, provided they recruit and retain the members 

supported under the grant based on the MSY level awarded. 

Fixed amount grants are only available to recompeting programs. Second and third-year 

continuation applicants with cost reimbursement grants must submit a new application if they are 

interested in applying for a fixed amount grant. New applicants are NOT eligible to apply for 

fixed amount grants.

Full-time fixed amount applicants in the Education Focus Area are required to select either a 

Priority Education Measure or Complementary Program Measure. Applicants proposing nonEducation programs may select from Tiers 1-5. 

Education Award Fixed Amount Grants (EAP) Programs apply for a small fixed amount per 

MSY, can enroll less than full-time members, and use their own resources to cover all other 

costs. Programs can access funds under the grant based on enrolling the full complement of 

members supported under the grant. As with full-time fixed amount grants, there are no specific 

match or financial reporting requirements. 

Fixed amount grants are only available to recompeting programs. Second and third-year 

continuation applicants with cost reimbursement grants must submit a new application if they are 

interested in applying for a fixed amount grant. New applicants are NOT eligible to apply for 

these grants.

One Member Service Year (MSY) is equivalent to a full-time AmeriCorps position (at least 

1700 service hours.)

A Rural School is a school that is assigned a locale code of 41 (located in a census-defined rural 

territory less than 5 miles from an urban cluster), a locale code of 42 (located in a census-defined 

rural territory more than 5 miles but less than or equal to 25 miles from an urban cluster), or a 

locale code of 43 (located in a census-defined rural territory that is more than 25 miles from an 
41

urban cluster) by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Note: To identify the 

locale code of any school, access the NCES public school database here: 

http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/
42

IX. NATIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Priority Measures 

Capacity Building

G3-3.1: Number of community volunteers recruited by CNCS-supported organizations or National Service 

Participants

G3-3.2: Number of community volunteers managed by CNCS-supported organizations or National Service 

Participants

G3-3.3: Number of organizations implementing three or more effective volunteer management practices as a 

result of capacity building services provided by CNCS-supported organizations or National Service Participants

G3-3.3: Number of organizations implementing three or more effective volunteer management practices as a 

result of capacity building services provided by CNCS-supported organizations or National Service Participants

Education

ED21: Number of children that completed participation in CNCS-supported early childhood education programs

ED23: Number of children demonstrating gains in school readiness in terms of social and/or emotional 

development

ED24: Number of children demonstrating gains in school readiness in terms of literacy skills

ED25: Number of children demonstrating gains in school readiness in terms of numeracy (math) skills

ED2: Number of students that completed participation in CNCS-supported K-12 education programs

ED4A: Number of disadvantaged youth/mentor matches that were sustained by the CNCS-supported program 

for at least the required time period

ED5: Number of students with improved academic performance in literacy and/or math

ED27: Number of students in grades K-12 that participated in the mentoring or tutoring or other education 

program, including CNCS-supported service learning, who demonstrated improved academic engagement

ED6: Number of students that improved their school attendance over the course of the CNCS-supported 

program’s involvement with the student

Economic Opportunity1

O5: Number of economically disadvantaged individuals, including homeless individuals, receiving housing 

services

O11: Number of economically disadvantaged individuals, including homeless individuals, transitioned into safe, 

healthy, affordable housing

Environmental Stewardship2

EN4: Number of acres of national parks, state parks, city parks, county parks, or other public and tribal lands that 

are improved

EN5: Number of miles of trails or waterways (owned/maintained by national, state, county, city or tribal 

governments) that are improved and/or created

Disaster Services

D1: Number of individuals that received CNCS-supported services in disaster preparedness

D2: Number of individuals that received CNCS-supported services in disaster response

D3: Number of individuals that received CNCS-supported services in disaster recovery

D4: Number of individuals that received CNCS-supported services in disaster mitigation

1The following Economic Opportunity measures may also be used to report on your program’s performance in providing 

services in the Disaster Services focus area,

2 The following Environmental Stewardship measures may also be used to report on your program’s performance in providing 

services in the Disaster Services focus area,
43

Healthy Futures3

H8: Number of homebound OR older adults and individuals with disabilities receiving food, transportation, or 

other services that allow them to live independently

H9: Number of homebound OR older adults and individuals with disabilities who reported having increased 

social ties/perceived social support

H10 (formerly O6): Number of individuals receiving emergency food from food banks, food pantries, or other 

nonprofit organizations

H11 (formerly O7): Number of individuals receiving support, services, education and/or referrals to alleviate 

long-term hunger

H12: Number of individuals that reported increased food security of themselves and their children (household 

food security) as a result of CNCS-supported services

Veterans and Military Families

V1: Number of veterans that received CNCS-supported assistance

V8: Number of veterans' family members that received CNCS-supported assistance

V7: Number of family members of active duty military service members that received CNCS-supported assistance

V9: Number of active duty military service members that received CNCS-supported assistance

V2: Number of veterans engaged in service opportunities as a National Service Participant or volunteer.

V10: Number of military family members engaged in service opportunities as a National Service Participant or 

volunteer.

3 The following Healthy Futures measures may also be used to report on your program’s performance in providing services in the 

Disaster Services focus area,
44

Complementary Program Measures

Education

ED1: Number of students who start in a CNCS-supported education program

ED3A: Number of disadvantaged youth/mentor matches that are commenced by CNCS-supported programs

ED7: Number of students with no or decreased disciplinary referrals and suspensions over the course of the 

CNCS-supported programs' involvement 

ED8: Number of youth with decreased substance abuse, arrest, or gang involvement 

ED9: Number of students graduating from high school on time with a diploma 

ED10: Number of students entering post-secondary institutions 

ED11: Number of students earning a post-secondary degree 

ED12: Number of CNCS-Supported National Service Participants who begin serving as teachers through a 

Teacher Corps program 

ED13: Number of CNCS-Supported National Service Participants who completed serving as teachers through a 

Teacher Corps program 

ED14: Number of individuals teaching in high need schools 

ED15: Number of students in CNCS-supported teacher classrooms with improved academic performance

ED17: Number of teachers remaining in the education field, but not teaching in a school (school support staff, 

school administration, district administration policy, education nonprofits, etc.) after their term of service

ED18: Number of teachers who have had a positive impact on student learning as determined by observationbased assessments of teacher performance 

ED19: Number of individuals receiving certification to teach in schools after their term of service 

ED20: Number of children who start in a CNCS-supported early childhood education program

ED22: Number of children accessing high quality early childhood education programs

ED26: Number of students acquiring a GED 

Economic Opportunity

O4: Number of housing units developed, repaired, or otherwise made available for low-income individuals, 

families or people with disabilities

O13: Number of economically disadvantaged National Service Participants who have not obtained their high 

school diploma or equivalent prior to the start of their term of service

O16: Number of National Service Participants that obtain a GED/diploma while serving in CNCS-supported 

programs or within one year after finishing serving in CNCS-supported programs

O1: Number of economically disadvantaged individuals receiving financial literacy services

O9: Number of economically disadvantaged individuals with improved financial knowledge

O2: Number of economically disadvantaged individuals receiving job training and other skill development 

services

O3: Number of economically disadvantaged individuals receiving job placement services

O10: Number of economically disadvantaged individuals placed in jobs

O12: Number of economically disadvantaged National Service Participants who are unemployed prior to their 

term of service

O15: Number of economically disadvantaged National Service Participants that secure employment during their 

term of service or within one year after finishing a CNCS-supported program

O14: Number of economically disadvantaged National Service Participants who have their high school diploma 

or equivalent but have not completed a college degree prior to their term of service

O17: Number of National Service Participants that complete a college course within one year after finishing a 

CNCS-supported program 
45

Environmental Stewardship

EN1: Number of housing units of low-income households and structures weatherized or retrofitted to 

significantly improve energy efficiency 

EN2: Number of low-income households home and public building energy audits conducted 

EN3: Number of individuals receiving education or training in energy-efficient and environmentally-conscious 

practices, including but not limited to sustainable energy and other natural resources, and sustainable 

agriculture 

EN6: Number of tons of materials collected and recycled

Healthy Futures

H1: Number of individuals who are uninsured, economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, or living in 

rural areas utilizing preventive and primary health care services and programs

H2: Number of clients to whom information on health insurance, health care access and health benefits 

programs is delivered

H3: Number of clients enrolled in health insurance, health services, and health benefits programs 

H4: Number of clients participating in health education programs

H5: Number of children and youth engaged in in-school or afterschool physical education activities with the 

purpose of reducing childhood obesity

H6: Number of children and youth receiving nutrition education with the purpose of reducing childhood obesity

H7: Number of clients receiving language translation services at clinics and in emergency rooms

Veterans and Military Families

V3: Number of veterans assisted in pursuing educational opportunities 

V4: Number of veterans assisted in receiving professional certification, licensure, or credentials 

V6: Number of housing units developed, repaired, or otherwise made available for veterans 

Capacity Building

G3-3.4 Number of organizations that received capacity building services from CNCS-supported organizations or 

national service participants

G3-3.5: Number of staff and community volunteers that received training (of one or more types) as a result of 

capacity building services provided by CNCS-supported organizations or national service participants

G3-3.6: Number of organizations that completed a community assessment identifying goals and 

recommendations with the assistance of CNCS-supported organizations or national service participants

G3-3.7: Hours of service contributed by community volunteers who were recruited by CNCS-supported 

organizations or national service participants

G3-3.8: Hours of service contributed by community volunteers who were managed by CNCS-supported 

organizations or national service participants

G3-3.9: Number of organizations reporting that capacity building activities provided by CNCS-supported 

organizations or national service participants have helped to make the organization more efficient

G3-3.10: Number of organizations reporting that capacity building activities provided by CNCS-supported 

organizations or national service participants have helped to make the organization more effective

G3-3.11: Number of new systems and business processes (technology, performance management, training, etc.) 

or enhancements to existing systems and business processes put in place as a result of capacity building services 

provided by CNCS-supported organizations or national service participants

G3-3.12: Number of organizations that monitored their progress towards the goals identified in their community 

assessment with the assistance of CNCS-supported organizations or national service participants

G3-3.13: Number of additional activities completed and/or program outputs produced by the program as a 

result of capacity building services provided by CNCS-supported organizations or national service participants in 

a) Disaster Services, b) Economic Opportunity, c) Education, d) Environmental Stewardship, e) Healthy Futures 

and/or f) Veterans and Military Families
46

Capacity Building, cont.

G3-3.14: Number of organizations that have experienced an increase in requests for their programs and services 

as a result of capacity building services provided by CNCS-supported organizations or national service 

participants

G3-3.15: Number of additional types of services offered by organizations as a result of capacity building services 

provided by CNCS-supported organizations or national service participants in a) Disaster Services, b) Economic 

Opportunity, c) Education, d) Environmental Stewardship, e) Healthy Futures and/or f) Veterans and Military 

Families

G3-3.16: Dollar value of cash resources leveraged by CNCS-supported organizations or national service 

participants

G3-3.17: Dollar value of in-kind resources leveraged by CNCS-supported organizations or national service 

participants

G3-3.18: Number of new beneficiaries that received services as a result of capacity building efforts in: Disaster 

Services, Economic Opportunity, Education, Environmental Stewardship, Healthy Futures, and/or Veterans and 

Military Families

G3-3.19: Number of new beneficiaries from one or more targeted or underserved populations (counts by target 

population, e.g., racial or ethnic group) that received services as a result of capacity building efforts in: Disaster 

Services, Economic Opportunity, Education, Environmental Stewardship, Healthy Futures, and/or Veterans and 

Military Families
47

Tier 1 Education applicants and School Turnaround AmeriCorps continuations are required to select from the 

priority measures below. Applicants may select additional optional complementary measures. The opt-in rules 

provide guidance to applicants by indicating the required or recommended pairing, or alignment, of output and 

outcome measures. 

Tier 1 Education PRIORITY MEASURES 

ED2: Number of students that completed participation in CNCS-supported K-12 education programs

ED4A: Number of disadvantaged youth/mentor matches that were sustained by the CNCS-supported

program for at least the required time period

ED5: Number of students with improved academic performance in literacy and/or math

ED6: Number of students that improved their school attendance over the course of the CNCS-supported 

program’s involvement with the student

ED27: Number of students in grades K-12 that participated in the mentoring or tutoring or other education 

program, including CNCS-supported service learning, who demonstrated improved academic engagement

Tier 1 Education COMPLEMENTARY MEASURES 

ED1: Number of students who start in a CNCS-supported education program 

ED3A: Number of disadvantaged youth/mentor matches that are commenced by CNCS-supported 

programs 

ED7: Number of students with no or decreased disciplinary referrals and suspensions over the course of 

the CNCS-supported programs' involvement 

ED9: Number of students graduating from high school on time with a diploma 

ED10: Number of students entering post-secondary institutions 

In addition to the above measures, applicants may opt in to track the following SIG outcomes. For purposes of 

eGrants, these are considered applicant-determined measures. 

Tier 1 Education Applicant Determined MEASURES 

SIG 1: Number of minutes within the school year 

SIG 2: Number and percentage of students completing advanced coursework (e.g., AP/IB), early-college high 

schools, or dual enrollment classes 

SIG 3: Dropout rate 

SIG 4: Truants 

A. Opt-In Rules

Choose one output and then at least one of the corresponding outcomes. Applicants may choose additional 

outcomes. The expectation is that at least 100 percent of your MSYs are in the required priority measures noted 

below. 

CNCS Strategic Category Output

(Choose ONE)

Outcome 

(Choose at 

least one)

Supplemental 

Outcomes 

(optional)

Strategic Plan Objective 2: 

Succeeding in K-12 

(Tutoring and Other 

Education Programs)

ED 2: Number of students who completed 

participation in a CNCS-supported K-12 

education program

ED5, ED6, 

or ED27

ED7, ED 9, ED10, SIG 

1, SIG 2, SIG 3 or SIG 

4

Strategic Plan Objective 2: 

Succeeding in K-12 

(Mentoring Programs)

ED4A: Number of disadvantaged 

youth/mentor matches that were sustained 

by the CNCS-supported program for at least 

the required time period

ED5, ED6, 

or ED27

ED7, ED 9, ED10, SIG 

1, SIG 2, SIG 3 or SIG 

4
48

X. Logic Model Chart

Project 

Resources

Core Project 

Components

Evidence of 

Project 

Implementation 

and Participation

INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS

Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term

What we invest 

(# and type of 

AmeriCorps 

members)

What we do Direct products 

from program 

activities

Changes in 

knowledge, 

skills, attitudes, 

opinions

Changes in 

behavior or 

action that result 

from 

participants' 

new knowledge

Meaningful 

changes, often 

in their 

condition or 

status in life

Evidence of Change

Outcomes
49

XI. VetSuccess (Tier 1 Veterans) Service Site Locations

VetSuccess(Tier 1 Veterans and Military Families) Campuses State

Troy University AL

University of Alabama AL

Northwest Arkansas College (partner - University of Arkansas) AR

University of Arkansas (partner - NW Arkansas CC) AR

Arizona State University AZ

American River College CA

California State - LA (partner - Pasadena CC and LA CC) CA

California State University-Long Beach (Partner - Long Beach 

City College) CA

Citrus College (Partner - Mt. San Antonio) CA

Irvine Valley College (partner - Saddleback) CA

LA City College (partner - Pasadena CC and Cal State) CA

Long Beach City College (Partner - California State University) CA

Mira Costa College CA

Mt. San Antonio College (Partner - Citrus College) CA

Pasadena City College (partner - Cal State and LA City CC) CA

Saddleback College (partner - Irvine Valley College) CA

George Washington University DC

Florida International University FL

Florida State College at Jacksonville FL

Florida State University (Partner - Tallahassee CC) FL

Northwest Florida State College FL

Santa Fe Community College (Partner - UF) FL

Tallahassee Community College (Partner - Florida State 

University) FL

University of Florida (partner with Santa Fe CC) FL

University of West Florida FL

Hawaii Pacific University HI

Leeward Community College (Partner - University of Hawaii 

Manoa) HI

University of Hawaii-Manoa (Partner - Leeward Community 

College) HI

Boise State University ID

Southwestern Illinois College IL

University of Illinois – Champaign IL

Johnson County Community College KS

Bluegrass Community College (Partner - University of Kentucky KY

Eastern Kentucky University KY
50

University of Kentucky (Partner - Bluegrass Community College) KY

Eastern Michigan University MI

Kalamazoo Valley Community College MI

Washtenaw Community College MI

Western Michigan University MI

Webster University-St. Louis MO

East Carolina University NC

Bellevue University NE

University of Nebraska (Omaha) NE

Middlesex Community College (partner - Rutgers) NJ

Rutgers University (partner - Middlesex Community College) NJ

Central New Mexico Community College NM

University of New Mexico NM

University of Nevada - Las Vegas NV

Syracuse University NY

The Ohio State University OH

University of Cincinnati OH

Portland CC OR

Harrisburg Area Community College PA

Midlands Technical College SC

Austin Peay State University - Clarksville TN

Austin Community College TX

Central Texas College TX

Houston Community College TX

Lone Star College System-University Park TX

Sam Houston State University TX

San Antonio College TX

Tarrant County College District-NorthEast TX

Tarrant County College District-South TX

Texas A&M University - College Station TX

University of Houston TX

University of Texas – Arlington TX

Ecpi University VA

George Mason University VA

Liberty University VA

Norfolk State University Norfolk VA

Northern Virginia Community College - Alexandria (partner with 

Annandale campus) VA
51

Northern Virginia Community College - Annandale (partner with 

Alexandria campus) VA

Old Dominion University VA

St. Leo University - South Hampton VA

Tidewater CC - Virginia Beach VA

Tidewater CC –Chesapeake VA

Tidewater CC –Portsmouth VA

Tidewater Community College-Norfolk VA

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee WI

VetSuccess Campuses Covered by Continuation Grantees State

University of Alaska – Anchorage AK

San Diego State University CA

University of South Florida FL

University of Maryland - University College MD

Kellogg Community College MI

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor MI

Cleveland State University OH

Portland State University OR

Community College of Rhode Island RI

Rhode Island College RI

Middle Tennessee State University TN

Texas A&M University-Central Texas TX

University of Texas-San Antonio TX

Salt Lake Community College UT

University of Utah UT
52

XII. Written Partnership Agreements – Tier 1 Education

Tier 1 Education awardees are required to develop and maintain written partnership agreements 

among an eligible school or schools, LEA, and community-based partners working together to 

implement the Tier 1 Education program. These agreements will articulate the alignment 

between the local Tier 1 Education program design and school and LEA turnaround plans, as 

well as the parties’ plan for ongoing collaboration throughout the grant period. These agreements 

must be made available to CNCS upon request. 

The partnership agreements must be consistent with the awarded application plans, and articulate 

how the key entities responsible for program implementation will work together along the 

following elements of high-quality partnerships between eligible schools, LEAs, and 

community-based organizations: 

• Managing collaboratively. Jointly establishing program direction and priorities, planning, 

budgeting, training and aligning program staff, communicating across the partnership, and 

continuously improving program services. 

• Sharing data and evaluation. Sharing information, data, performance measures, and evaluation 

strategies that guide project management, resource allocation, and service delivery while 

maintaining data privacy requirements. 

• Sharing resources. Jointly using resources such as staff, funding, administrative systems, 

school facilities, curricula, and instructional materials. 

• Clarifying and communicating roles and responsibilities. Clearly articulating roles and 

responsibilities for each partner organization to help optimize program services and limited 

resources. 

In addition, partnership agreements must also address the following strategies, when applicable: 

• Aligning in-school and out-of-school. Coordinating to ensure that out-of-school academic and 

enrichment efforts complement in-school instruction and programming. 

• Coordinating on safety, health, and student supports. Coordinating to promote school and 

community safety, reinforce health and wellness programming, and provide necessary student 

supports. 

• Cooperating on family engagement. Coordinating interactions with families to strengthen 

positive family engagement that reinforces learning in multiple settings. 

• Coordinating among CBOs. Coordinating and establishing agreements between multiple 

community-based organizations (CBOs) when working with the same schools and students.
53

GUIDANCE FOR STATE COMMISSIONS

Each State Commission is responsible for developing an application process that includes the 

review and selection of AmeriCorps programs for submission to CNCS for funding. 

Resources 

The AmeriCorps regulations 45 CFR §§ 2520 – 2550, contain program specific information and 

requirements that you need to understand and incorporate into your application instructions. 

The Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity (Notice) for the AmeriCorps State and National and 

the Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity (Notice) for AmeriCorps State and National and 

Indian Tribe Planning Grant funding contain specific information about how much funding will 

be available for AmeriCorps grants, applicant eligibility, how to apply, and special 

considerations and priorities for funding that are not included in the applications instructions. 

The Application Instructions for the State and National competitions are linked from the Notice 

web pages. 

Requirements for Competitive Submission 

Your State Commission Prime Application Package(s) for State Commission AmeriCorps State 

Competitive, State Commission AmeriCorps State Competitive Fixed Amount Grants, and/or 

State Commission Competitive Education Awards Program, and Planning grant funding must 

include: 

 Applicant information from the state commission (prime application) 

 Assurances and Certifications signed by the appropriate authorizing official 

 The AmeriCorps State and National program applications you are recommending for funding 

 Commission ranking of applications as outlined in the AmeriCorps regulations 45 CFR § 

2522.465 

 Recommendation summaries for each application submitted 

In addition, state commissions are responsible for ensuring that each recommended application 

complies with all of the submission requirements set forth in the Notice and Application 

Instructions, including assessing inadequate number of professionals for applicants applying for 

Professional Corps. This means that in addition to the prime and sub-applications, the 

commission will ensure that required Evaluations, and Labor Union Concurrences will also have 

been submitted to CNCS by the submission due date, if applicable. 

Do not submit supplementary materials such as videos, brochures, letters of support, or 

any other item not requested in the Application Instructions or the NOFO. CNCS will not 

review or return them. 
54

State Competitive New or Re-Competing Selection Process 

This is to assist you in developing your commission specific application materials and 

developing your selection processes for State Commission AmeriCorps State Competitive, State 

Commission AmeriCorps State Competitive Fixed Amount Grants, and/or State Commission 

Competitive Education Awards Program, and Planning funding. State commissions must follow 

state law requirements regarding requests for proposals and the selection of programs within

their state. Commission outreach and review processes should be consistent with board approved 

policies and may be run concurrently with formula or other competitions. Commissions should 

provide information on the following topics to program applicants: 

 Funding availability 

 State Commission AmeriCorps State Competitive, State Commission AmeriCorps State 

Competitive Fixed Amount Grants, and/or State Commission Competitive Education Awards 

Program, and Planning

 State maximum cost per MSY and budget guidelines 

 State priorities 

 Corporation priority areas 

 Selection criteria 

 Other information the commission or state may require 

The state commission is responsible for: 

 Submission of Competitive, Fixed Amount, Professional Corps, Education Award Only and 

Planning Grant applications to CNCS for funding consideration 

 Thoroughly reviewing the recommended applications to ensure they are complete, accurate, 

and in compliance with all program and budget requirements before submitting them to 

CNCS in eGrants 

 Preparing ranking and recommendations for new/re-competing programs to fund 

 Preparing recommendations for continuing programs to fund 

 Reviewing Federal Financial Reports to monitor and report on continuing and re-competing 

programs’ progress toward the matching requirements stipulated in the AmeriCorps rule 45

CRF §§ 2521.35-2521.91 

 Reading, understanding, and signing all assurances, certifications, and restrictions, including 

the certification of each program’s progress toward the matching requirements 

 Assessing a program’s request for an Alternative Match Schedule and submitting the 

commission’s assessment and recommendation to CNCS for any program they are including 

on their prime application 

 Assessing any other requests for allowable waivers, developing the commission’s 

recommendation for the waiver and submitting the materials to CNCS for consideration 
55

Be sure to set a due date for applications that allows adequate time before CNCS’ due date to 

review program applications, analyze budgets, and work with the programs on revisions to 

budgets, proposed activities, and performance measures, as necessary. 

Commission Review Requirements 

Commissions are required to conduct a competitive review to assess new and re-competing state 

Formula, Competitive, Fixed Amount, Education Award Only, Professional Corps and Planning 

grant applications. Commissions must certify in eGrants that the selection process complied with 

the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA), as amended, AmeriCorps 

regulations, and all state laws and conflict of interest rules. 

The AmeriCorps regulations, 45 CFR § 2522.460 and § 2522.475, describe the extent to which 

commissions must use the Corporation’s selection criteria and priorities when selecting programs 

and to what extent commissions may consider priorities other than those stated in the regulations 

or in the Notice. Include the criteria the commission will use to evaluate and select applications 

in your application materials. 

State Commission Ranking and Recommendation Summaries 

The AmeriCorps regulations, 45 CFR § 2522.465, include requirements regarding ranking 

applicants for State Competitive funding, including competitive planning grants. Submit the 

rankings in eGrants using the “Manage Subs” screen in the prime application to enter 

information on each of the new or re-competing sub-applications. Once the information for each 

sub-application has been entered, save and close. The main Manage Subs page will now include 

all subs listed under “For Competitive Submissions” with a “Rank: Select a Rank” drop down 

menu next to each. There will be no ranking drop down menu for continuation programs. 

Provide rankings in order of funding priority in the sub-applications section of the Competitive 

Prime Application in eGrants. Each ranked program must have a different rank (i.e., no “ties”).If 

a state is responding to more than one NOFO and thus will rank the programs in each NOFO, 

please note applicant rank order in the Commission Rank Justification field of the commission 

competitive Prime Application. It is not currently possible to rank Fixed Amount applications in 

e-grants. If your state is also submitting Fixed Amount applications, please submit your rank 

order of the combined cost reimbursement and Fixed Amount applications to your CNCS 

program officer. 

Summarize the criteria and process used by the commission to arrive at the submitted rankings in 

the Commission Rank Justification field of the commission Competitive Prime Application. 

There is a character limit of 1,000 characters. In order to be able to avoid e-grant error that will 

not allow you to submit your application, please complete these tasks in the following order: 1) 

the drop-down menu for rank and save, 2) the rank justification, and 3) the recommendation 

summaries.

For each continuation, new and re-competing competitive application (including Competitive, 

Fixed Amount, EAP, Professional Corps and Planning) that is being submitted to the 

Corporation, provide a “Recommendation Summary” including the information listed below: 

 Provide a summary of the program’s service activities. 
56

 Describe the program’s strengths and how it will complement the commission’s existing 

portfolio and address needs identified in the State Service Plan. 

 Discuss potential challenges to success and the commission’s strategy for meeting the 

challenges through training and technical assistance. 

 For continuing and re-competing programs, review the most recent financial report, list the 

overall percentage of match, and provide the commission assessment of the program’s 

ability to meet its match. 

 For continuing and re-competing programs, discuss any programmatic compliance issues, 

including enrollment, retention, performance and progress toward impact. If programmatic 

issues are identified, describe how the program will address them and what steps the 

commission will take to ensure success. 

 For continuing and re-competing programs, discuss each program’s record for submitting 

forms and reports in a timely manner (including 30-day enrollment, 30-day exits, fiscal 

reporting deadlines, and progress reporting deadlines). 

 For re-competing programs, provide either an assessment of each program’s evaluation 

efforts to date or a completed evaluation, as applicable. 

Continuation Applications 

The funding decision for continuation applications will be based on the sub-applicant 

continuation application, the commission’s recommendation summary, including whether to 

increase, maintain level, or decrease funding, the availability of funds, and information 

consistent with 45 CFR § 2522.470. All continuing sub-grantees will complete the continuation 

application in eGrants and submit it to the commission. The commission will complete a review 

and recommendation to the Corporation.

Matching Requirements 

The state commission is responsible for meeting an aggregate overall match requirement based 

on the subgrantees’ individual match requirements. See 45 CFR §§ 2521.50-2521.90 and 

additional guidance from the Corporation for the matching requirements that apply to a given 

commission and its sub-grants. Section 121(e) of the National Community Service Act (NCSA) 

requires that grantees that use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant report the 

amount and source of these funds to the Corporation. If a grantee uses federal funds as match, 

they will be required to report the sources and amounts on the FFR. 

State Commission Up to Two Percent Fixed Administrative Cost Option 

While the Corporation encourages State Commissions to provide the full five percent to 

subgrantees for administrative costs, commissions may require subgrantees to allocate up to twofifth of the five percent (i.e., one percent of the federal dollars awarded) to be retained by the 

commission to cover commission-level administrative costs. For the both the competitive and 

formula grant, Commissions that will have less than 30% of their 2013 Commission Support 

grant funds unexpended may retain up to two-fifths of the five percent. Any administrative funds 

retained by the commission must be used solely in support of the AmeriCorps programs from 

which they have been retained. The commission’s accounting system must track and allocate 

these administrative funds separately.