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Title: VISTA Annual Guidance 

Date issued: 09/01/2022

Date posted: 09/01/2022

Unique identifier: VISTA 001

Topic: VISTA Annual Program Guidance

Summary: This guidance for potential and existing project sponsors directs the development of new projects and outlines national 

programming priorities for FY 2023. The contents of this document do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to 

bind the public in any way. This document is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under 

the law or agency policies.

AMERICORPS VISTA 

ANNUAL PROGRAM GUIDANCE 

FOR CURRENT AND POTENTIAL

PROJECT SPONSORS

Fiscal Year 2023

October 1, 2022–September 30, 2023
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................................................ 2

I. MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR ....................................................................................................................... 2

I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 2

II. IMPORTANT DATES ............................................................................................................................................... 3

III. OVERVIEW OF AMERICORPS VISTA................................................................................................................ 3

IV. FRAMEWORK FOR VISTA PROGRAMMING ................................................................................................. 5

V. PROGRAMMING PRIORITIES FOR FY 2023..................................................................................................... 6

VI. PRIORITY POPULATIONS AND REGIONS FOR FY 2023 ..................................................................................... 9

VI. ASSESSMENT OF PROJECT APPLICATIONS ................................................................................................. 10

VII. MEMBER RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING.................................................................................................... 10

VIII. VISTA CONCEPT PAPER AND APPLICATION PROCESS ......................................................................... 11

I. MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

First, I would like to start this note by saying Thank You. Thank you to our current AmeriCorps VISTA members 

and project sponsors. The work you do every day inspires my staff and me to continue strengthening and 

improving the AmeriCorps VISTA program. I am proud of the work we are all doing together. 

This past year, I’ve seen all of us work hard to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic 

engagement through service and volunteering. For VISTA, the work continues and is constantly evolving. We 

know there is much more to be done in the fight against poverty. Now more than ever, AmeriCorps members 

continue to play a vital role in empowering communities, mobilizing local resources, building capacity, and 

helping to ensure sustainability of the projects you’re building. 

To that end, the AmeriCorps VISTA program is seeking to partner with communities to strengthen efforts to 

alleviate poverty and advance racial and economic equity. If you are interested in becoming a project sponsor 

and you believe AmeriCorps VISTA could be the change agent your organization needs, please consider joining 

us in this effort. 

Yours in Service,

Carly Bruder 

Acting Director, AmeriCorps VISTA

I. INTRODUCTION

This AmeriCorps VISTA Program Guidance for current and potential project sponsors directs the development 

of new projects and outlines national programming priorities for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. We anticipate awarding 

more than 100 new and 700 continuation applications to support placement of an estimated 7,000 full-time 
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members, leaders, and summer associates.

Prospective sponsors should read the guidance in its entirety. Current sponsors should review this guidance 

to stay informed of VISTA’s programming priorities. Existing projects are not expected to shift priorities to 

address changes in this guidance.

II. IMPORTANT DATES

Task Cycle 1 Cycle 2 Cycle 3 Cycle 4

Concept Papers 

Due Date

November 2, 2022 January 18, 2023 April 5, 2023 June 7, 2023

Concept Paper 

Decisions Target 

Date

December 2023 March 2023 May 2023 July 2023

Application 

Award Target 

Date

January 2023 April 2023 June 2023 August 2023

III. OVERVIEW OF AMERICORPS VISTA

AmeriCorps is the federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic 

engagement through service and volunteering. AmeriCorps brings people together to tackle the country’s 

most pressing challenges through national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps members and 

AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities 

and those serving. AmeriCorps helps make service a cornerstone of our national culture. 

Founded in 1965, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is a federal anti-poverty national service 

program designed to provide resources to nonprofit organizations and public agencies to strengthen 

efforts to address poverty and poverty-related problems in the United States. In 1993, VISTA was 

incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of national service programs, administered by the Corporation 

for National and Community Service, now known as AmeriCorps.

AmeriCorps VISTA supports efforts to address poverty by providing opportunities for Americans, 18 years of 

age and older, from a diverse range of backgrounds, to dedicate a year of full-time service with a sponsoring 

organization (“sponsor”) on a project that will create, strengthen or expand initiatives designed to empower 

individuals and communities in overcoming poverty.

AmeriCorps VISTA Projects

An AmeriCorps VISTA project refers to a set of activities, as set forth in a project application, for which a 

federal award of VISTA resources is made. An AmeriCorps VISTA project is operated and overseen by, and 

the responsibility of, a sponsor. The duration of projects varies, but typically lasts for three to five years. 

Projects are carried out by AmeriCorps VISTA members placed at project sites.
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AmeriCorps VISTA Sponsors

An AmeriCorps VISTA Sponsor is a nonprofit organization, government agency, or Native- led organization 

that applies for and receives an award to place AmeriCorps VISTA members, and in some cases, receives

AmeriCorps VISTA grant funds. Sponsors design, operate, and direct the project, recruit and supervise 

AmeriCorps VISTA members, and provide the necessary administrative support to achieve the goals of the 

project. Sponsors develop and implement projects with meaningful involvement of project beneficiaries.

The following entities are eligible to be an AmeriCorps VISTA sponsor:

• Nonprofit organizations

• Native Nations and Native- led organizations

• public and/or nonprofit schools

• state and local government agencies

Sponsorship is not limited to nonprofit organizations designated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 

specifically as 501(c)(3). Nonprofits with other IRS-designated 501(c) statuses that focus on anti-poverty 

outcomes are also eligible. Organizations that focus solely on advocacy or lobbying are not eligible.

Organizations interested in becoming a sponsor should begin by visiting AmeriCorps.gov for additional 

information. Interested organizations can also learn more by participating in a scheduled webinar or 

listening to a recorded webinar. AmeriCorps Region Office staff are available to answer questions, discuss 

project proposals, and to provide technical assistance throughout the application process.

Prospective sponsors apply by submitting a concept paper and application through the AmeriCorps webbased eGrants system under the FY 2023 AmeriCorps VISTA New Projects Notice of Funding 

Opportunity (NOFO). Additional details are available on the AmeriCorps Funding Opportunities webpage.

AmeriCorps VISTA Members

AmeriCorps VISTA members, including VISTA leaders, vary in age and hail from a range of diverse 

backgrounds and experiences. AmeriCorps VISTA sponsors are responsible for recruiting and selecting 

candidates to serve as members with their project. AmeriCorps staff maintain final approval for all sponsor 

selected candidates.

Each member commits to one year of full-time service on a specific project operated by a sponsor. A 

member’s service should focus on creating, strengthening, or expanding an organization’s specific antipoverty initiative and building local capacity to ensure sustainability once VISTA resources are 

withdrawn.

Project sponsors are eligible to apply for summer associate resources to complement their year-round 

programming. The AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate Program allows individuals to serve with an 

existing AmeriCorps VISTA project for 8, 9, or 10 weeks during the summer months. Summer associates may 

perform both direct service and capacity building activities.

All members receive a modest living allowance and other benefits during their service. After successfully 

completing a term of service, members, leaders, and summer associates may receive either a Segal 
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AmeriCorps Education Award, which can be used to pay for college or student loans, or an end-of- service 

cash stipend. Individuals interested in serving with AmeriCorps VISTA should visit https://americorps.gov/join.

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, AmeriCorps VISTA plans to support approximately 7,000 full-time VISTA members 

and summer associates who will serve with approximately 800 sponsors. They will leverage people, financial, 

and material resources to develop sustainable solutions to challenges in low-income communities across the 

country.

IV. FRAMEWORK FOR VISTA PROGRAMMING

Core Principles

Projects must be developed in accordance with AmeriCorps VISTA’s core principles: an anti-poverty focus; 

community empowerment; sustainable solutions; and capacity building.

Anti-Poverty Focus

The statutory purpose of AmeriCorps VISTA is to strengthen and support efforts to alleviate poverty and 

poverty-related problems in the United States.

The organizations supported with AmeriCorps VISTA resources address poverty in many ways. Some projects 

address social determinants of health and well-being (e.g., improving education, neighborhood resilience, 

access to health care, and healthy food); other approaches are targeted directly at increasing a household’s 

income and assets (housing, connection to benefits like cash and in-kind transfers, financial savings, and asset 

development); and still other approaches attempt to address larger regional systemic barriers to community 

development.

All VISTA service activities must be designed to support one or more specific anti-poverty projects at a site. 

Applications must clearly define the anti-poverty initiative being created or enhanced as opposed to focusing 

solely on capacity building for the organization. The anti-poverty initiative described in the Application 

Narrative must carry through to the Performance Measures and to the VISTA Assignment Description(s), 

created by approved sponsors as part of the recruitment process.

Community Empowerment

Community empowerment aims to increase the influence and control a community has over their lives as well 

as programs and structures that impact their lives. Prospective and current AmeriCorps VISTA project 

sponsors must engage people of the communities affected by the project in planning, developing, 

implementing, and evaluating the project. Each project must be responsive and relevant to the lives of 

community residents and must tap into inherent community assets, strengths, and resources. To foster 

community empowerment, projects may choose to form an advisory council that engages community 

members while strengthening relationships.

Sustainable Solutions

AmeriCorps VISTA members serve as short-term resources to build the long-term sustainability of antipoverty efforts. AmeriCorps VISTA projects make a lasting difference through the commitment, energy, and 

initiative that members bring to the community; involvement of the sponsoring agency in supervising the 
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project, supporting the members, and assessing the progress of the project toward meeting its goals; 

participation of the project beneficiaries in all phases of project development and implementation; and the 

continued involvement of community members by providing needed resources such as volunteers, material 

and financial resources, and expertise. Sponsors must develop projects with a goal to phase out the need for 

AmeriCorps VISTA members and have the project continue without AmeriCorps VISTA resources.

Capacity Building

AmeriCorps VISTA members create systems that remain long after their term of service ends. VISTA projects 

expand the scale, impact, and resource-leveraging ability of specific anti-poverty initiatives. AmeriCorps VISTA 

members strengthen sponsors’ efforts by expanding community partnerships, securing cash and in-kind 

resources, recruiting and managing volunteers, and addressing specific local needs, with all activities focused 

on creating pathways out of poverty for individuals and communities. VISTA members must focus on building 

the capacity of specific anti-poverty interventions and not on general capacity building for the sponsor or its 

sites.

While AmeriCorps VISTA members focus on capacity-building activities, they may, on occasion, perform limited 

direct service activities when deemed necessary to complete their overall capacity-building assignment. 

AmeriCorps VISTA members are not staff members or employees of the sponsoring organizations to which 

they are assigned. VISTAs may not engage in activities at sponsoring organizations that would displace or 

supplant paid staff, contractors, or existing volunteers. These prohibitions against displacement and 

supplantation include activities related to the application and management of other AmeriCorps grants and 

programs.

Key Legislation and Regulations

The VISTA program’s governing legislation and applicable regulations are as follows:

• Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (as amended)

• National and Community Service Act of 1990 (as amended)

Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, Chapter 25 Part 2556.

V. PROGRAMMING PRIORITIES FOR FY 2023

AmeriCorps recently released its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan which defines the agency’s goals, objectives, 

and strategies, to both meet and exceed the agency’s mission to improve lives and strengthen 

communities. Over the coming years, AmeriCorps will support the following goals to better position the 

agency to respond to national and local needs and help the communities it serves prosper: partner with 

communities to alleviate poverty and advance racial equity; enhance the experience for AmeriCorps 

members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers; unite Americans by bringing them together in service; 

effectively steward federal resources; and make AmeriCorps one of the best and most equitable places 

to work in the federal government. 

Over the coming years, AmeriCorps will invest in existing and new partnerships with non-profit, faith-
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based, and Native-led organizations, and state service commissions, to get things done for America. We 

will prioritize investment in the most critical issues of our time — public health, climate and the 

environment, education, and economic opportunity — and we will increase our efforts to ensure our 

AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Senior volunteers reflect the communities where they serve. We 

will target our investments toward communities where the need is greatest, particularly those with 

populations that face racial inequality and poverty. These steps will enable more Americans than ever to 

strengthen the communities that need it most across the nation through their service.

AmeriCorps VISTA is seeking project applications for programming in any of the following five

AmeriCorps Focus Areas in FY 2023:

• Economic Opportunity

• Healthy Futures

• Education

• Veterans and Military Families

• Environmental Stewardship

Priority consideration will be given to project applications that fall under the specific programming areas 

below. Additionally, VISTA will focus on awarding projects that advance racial equity and that invest in 

underserved communities, particularly those impacted by the pandemic. These priorities are established 

annually based on Administration guidance, input received from AmeriCorps staff, sector research, and a 

review of the existing portfolio of AmeriCorps VISTA projects nationwide.

Economic Opportunity

AmeriCorps VISTA’s commitment to addressing poverty includes focusing on projects that create or 

strengthen opportunities for low-income individuals to develop workforce knowledge and skills that will 

meet the needs of employers. In addition, projects that focus on housing are strongly encouraged to apply.

Priority areas include:

• Housing: Transitioning individuals into or helping them remain in safe, affordable housing, with a 

special focus on veterans and those displaced due to COVID-19 related unemployment. VISTA also 

strongly encourages organizations focused on eviction prevention to apply.

• Employment/workforce development: Improving or creating job skills training programs that lead 

to increased employment.

• Federal Benefit access: Increasing awareness of and access to federal benefit programs such as the 

Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit (CTC), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 

(SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and others.
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Healthy Futures

The VISTA program will give priority to projects that meet health needs for economically-disadvantaged 

individuals.

Priority areas include:

• Access to health care: Connecting economically-disadvantaged individuals to preventative 

education and treatment/recovery services regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, to include mental 

health services.

• Food security: Alleviating hunger and increasing access to nutritious food. Potential partners may 

include, but are not limited to, individual food banks and pantries, networks of food banks, K-12 

schools, community gardens, and after-school programs.

Education

The VISTA program will support projects that enhance access to services and resources that contribute to 

improved educational outcomes for economically-disadvantaged children. AmeriCorps VISTA will target 

new project development in communities with large concentrations of low-income students (e.g., Title I 

schools).

Priority areas include:

• School readiness and learning loss for economically-disadvantaged children.

• K-12 success in student educational and behavioral outcomes in low-achievingschools, 

including remote learning program development.

• Career and Technical Education (CTE) to help students gain the skills they need to competefor 

employment.

• College access and success for low-income students.

• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs as pathways for economicallydisadvantaged students.

Veterans and Military Families

AmeriCorps VISTA will support projects that focus on Veterans and military families experiencing poverty as 

beneficiaries.

Priority areas include:

• Economic opportunity: Employment and homelessness prevention/reduction.

• Education: School readiness, success in K-12 education, and post-secondary employment 

success.

• Healthy futures: Access to health services, including substance abuse prevention and recovery and 

mental health services.

Environmental Stewardship

The AmeriCorps VISTA program will support anti-poverty initiatives that focus on environmental 
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stewardship and climate change in low-income communities.

Priority areas include:

• Energy Efficiency: Connecting underserved populations to renewable energy and energy efficient

practices

• Awareness & Stewardship: Building community resilience

FY 2023 Summer Associate Programming

Only current sponsors are eligible to participate in the summer associate program, pending the availability 

of resources. Organizations must have a Memorandum of Agreement in place by March 31, 2023, to be 

considered a current sponsor.

AmeriCorps VISTA encourages current project sponsors that are interested in summer associate 

programming to plan for and include such requests in their continuation applications.

The summer associate program is an opportunity to enhance an existing sponsor’s approved project 

and should advance the sponsoring organization’s overall project.

VI. PRIORITY POPULATIONS AND REGIONS FOR FY 2023

Within the focus areas described in Section V, AmeriCorps VISTA encourages new project development in 

the following specific populations and geographic areas. Projects focused on serving these populations and 

communities will be given the highest consideration for investments of AmeriCorps VISTA resources.

Areas of Deep Poverty

Priority will be given to projects that serve individuals experiencing deep poverty and communities with a 

high number of households experiencing deep poverty. Deep poverty is defined as having a household 

income below 50% of the federal poverty line.

Priority consideration will be given to projects that propose serving beneficiaries experiencing deep poverty 

in Puerto Rico or states in AmeriCorps Midwest, Southeast South Central, or West Regions.

Rural Communities

More than 35% of individuals in rural counties live in high-poverty areas, and 85% of persistent poverty 

counties are in rural America. VISTA will prioritize projects that create economic opportunity and ensure access 

to health care in rural communities.

Indian Country

Programming in Indian Country remains a priority. AmeriCorps VISTA has served as a partner to Indian 

Country since our inception. We honor Native Nations sovereignty and self-determination, and their ability to 

implement programming that best fits the needs and priorities of their individual communities and people. 

Potential AmeriCorps VISTA sponsors can be Native nations, Native-led nonprofit organizations, or nonprofit 
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organizations that are proposing projects specifically targeting Indian Country. Outreach to Tribal Colleges

and Universities (TCUs) is encouraged. Potential nonprofit sponsors should ensure that their proposed 

project has the support of the local tribal government and/or Native community.

VI. ASSESSMENT OF PROJECT APPLICATIONS

In choosing which project applications to support, AmeriCorps evaluates prospective and current AmeriCorps 

VISTA sponsors on their ability to manage and effectively apply AmeriCorps VISTA resources. An AmeriCorps 

VISTA project application should:

• Explain how community members will be involved in project development andimplementation.

• Address the relevant needs of low-income communities and otherwise comply with the provisions of 

the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (DVSA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4950et seq.), and all 

applicable regulations, guidelines, and policies.

• Describe how the project intends to build program, organizational, network, and/or community 

capacity so that some systems, processes, and project activities continue beyond the VISTA term of 

the project.

• Describe the intended outcomes of the project with the targeted population andcommunity.

• Clearly state how AmeriCorps VISTA members will be trained, supervised, and supported to 

ensure project success and to comply with the DVSA, AmeriCorps VISTA regulations, and 

AmeriCorps VISTA program policies.

• Illustrate the relationship between key project elements throughout the application, including a 

statement demonstrating the need and intended outcomes, performance measures, and AmeriCorps 

VISTA member assignment description(s).

• Ensure that AmeriCorps VISTA and community resources are sufficient to achieve project goals.

• Explain how the applicant possesses sufficient management and technical capability to 

implement and oversee the project.

• Request an appropriate number of AmeriCorps VISTA members to achieve the project mission and 

recommend for selection AmeriCorps VISTA members with the requisite skills and qualifications to 

meet established goals and objectives.

• Clearly outline how the AmeriCorps VISTA project will establish a recruitment schedule and 

onboarding process.

Current sponsors will also be evaluated on their member recruitment, placement, and retention rates, as well 

as timeliness in complying with reporting deadlines for Progress Reports, Sponsor Verification Reports, and 

Federal Financial Reports, as applicable. Additional factors will be cost share repayment status, if applicable, 

and demonstrated achievement of project goals leading towards sustainability.

VII. MEMBER RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING

Once an organization’s project application is approved, the sponsor’s project director will complete the VISTA 
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Sponsor Orientation learning path on the VISTA Campus. Next, AmeriCorps staff will discuss recruitment 

timing with the project director. It is critical that project sponsors be able and ready to recruit AmeriCorps 

VISTA members to set up a successful AmeriCorps VISTA project.

All new AmeriCorps VISTA member candidates must complete VISTA Member Orientation (VMO) at the start 

of service. VISTA sponsoring organizations must design and deliver On-Site Orientation and Training for new 

members and must have a plan to supervise and support members throughout their terms of service. By 

working together to provide this type of orientation, training, and support, AmeriCorps VISTA and sponsoring 

organizations help members have effective and high-quality service experiences.

For additional assistance, please contact your Region Office or visit the AmeriCorps VISTA website.

VIII. VISTA CONCEPT PAPER AND APPLICATION PROCESS

For organizations that wish to develop an AmeriCorps VISTA project, AmeriCorps conducts a Request for 

Concept Papers process, and organizations complete a two-step process to apply for AmeriCorps VISTA 

resources:

Step 1: AmeriCorps VISTA Concept Paper

Organizations submit an AmeriCorps VISTA concept paper via eGrants. The concept paper is a 

preliminary screening tool that AmeriCorps uses to evaluate whether the organization would be an 

appropriate AmeriCorps VISTA sponsor and if the proposed project meets core criteria.

Step 2: AmeriCorps VISTA Project Application

If the concept paper is accepted, the organization is invited to submit a full AmeriCorps VISTA 

Project Application, which includes additional narratives and performance measures.

Learn more about the concept paper process here. For additional information, please contact your 

AmeriCorps Region Office.

Current AmeriCorps VISTA project Sponsors must submit continuation applications when notified by their 

AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager to ensure the Memorandum of Agreement does not lapse. Continuation 

applications should not only discuss the previous year’s accomplishments but should also address and 

incorporate any necessary program model changes to achieve sustainability.

Other Information

Guidance and Instructions

This document should be read together with the AmeriCorps VISTA Concept Paper Instructions, AmeriCorps 

VISTA Project Application Instructions, AmeriCorps VISTA Budget Instructions, and AmeriCorps VISTA 

Regulations (45CFR2556). These documents are available online at www.americorps.gov/vistarfcp.

Technical Assistance

AmeriCorps will host Request for Concept Paper Webinars to answer questions about the resource 

opportunity and eGrants. AmeriCorps strongly encourages applicants to participate in these sessions. The 

schedule and call-in information for the webinars is on the AmeriCorps website: 
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www.americorps.gov/vistarfcp. 

Please note that local AmeriCorps Regional Offices may conduct additional webinars. To email staff handling 

programming in your state, email the two-letter state abbreviation followed by @cns.gov (e.g., MD@cns.gov or 

CA@cns.gov). 

For technical questions and problems with the eGrants system, call the AmeriCorps Hotline at (800) 942-2677. 

Potential applicants can also use this link: eGrants Questions. Be prepared to provide the application ID, 

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

For resources regarding performance measurement, visit the AmeriCorps National Performance 

Measurement Core Curriculum.

Additional Resources

AmeriCorps

• General Information about AmeriCorps VISTA

• Sponsoring a VISTA Project