AmeriCorps Office of Research and Evaluation

December 2020

Building the Evidence Base of 

AmeriCorps Programs:

Return on Investment Studies
Welcome

Return on Investment Studies

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Dr. Lily Zandniapour

Research and Evaluation Manager

Office of Research and Evaluation, AmeriCorps
Coordinates with AmeriCorps Programs to:

• Inform the development and implementation of programs and initiatives with evidence;

• Measure the performance and results of programs and initiatives through research and evaluation;

• Build knowledge about the effectiveness of national service and volunteering as solutions to community needs using scientific 

methods;

• Encourage a culture of learning and continuous improvement within the agency and within the nonprofit organizations AmeriCorps funds; 

and,

• Shape key agency policy and program decisions using credible data.

What does the Office of Research and Evaluation 

(ORE) do?

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Examples of Questions:

• Are there short-term or intermediate term outcomes from the 

programs or program models that can be measured and attributed 

to the program? 

• Can the outcomes be monetized to calculate a financial return?

• Can the costs of the program per participant or otherwise be 

estimated?

• Can we estimate the Return on Investment (ROI) for the programs we 

implement or support?

Interest in Return on Investment (ROI)

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• ORE partnered with ICF to conduct a series of ROI Analyses

• ICF conducts feasibility studies and produces ROI studies

• They will present findings on four studies conducted in 2019-2020

• ORE intends to commission more ROI studies in the coming years and 

support the capacity of our programs and partners to increase their 

readiness for ROI analyses

Return on Investment Analyses

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• Sign up for ORE newsletter! 

• Email us at Evaluation@cns.gov!

• Check out Evidence Exchange (AmeriCorps Evidence Library) 

on our website for ROI Reports!

• Participate in our future webinars and Research Summits!

How do I stay informed?

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Dr. Janet Pershing

Vice President

Housing & Community Development, ICF

Speaker

Return on Investment Studies

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• Define return on investment (ROI) and review ROI 

research on national service programs

• Review an ROI case study: Community Technology 

Empowerment Program

• Consider how to build the foundation for an ROI study

• Consider how to find ROI-ready programs

Agenda
Defining Return on Investment (ROI) 

and Reviewing ROI Research on 

National Service Programs
Total Benefits

Total Costs

= ROI

About Return on Investment
• Columbia University (2013): The Economic Value of 

National Service (Voices for National Service & The 

Aspen Institute)

• ICF (2020): AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, Quantifying 

the Impacts (Voices for National Service)

• AmeriCorps ROI Studies Initiative 

ROI Research on National Service
2020 ROI Studies – Selected Programs
The four AmeriCorps ROI Studies Initiative studies 

produced to date:

• Reflect diversity within AmeriCorps’ program portfolio.

• Use conservative methodologies.

• Use short-term, medium-term, and long-term scenarios 

to estimate the duration of program effects.

• Show positive ROI results across all scenarios.

General Results
Case Study: 

Community Technology 

Empowerment Program
• Implemented by the St. Paul Neighborhood Network 

(SPNN) 

• Addresses the digital divide in the Minneapolis–Saint 

Paul metropolitan area

• AmeriCorps members:

• Teach informal classes.

• Provide one-on-one mentoring and training in computer and 

technology labs.

• Certify participants in technology skills.

About Community Technology 

Empowerment Project (CTEP)
• 10.3 percent of participants who were unemployed 

before starting the CTEP program indicated that CTEP 

helped them become employed.

• $30,763 was the average annualized earnings for CTEP 

program participants who were unemployed 

pre-program and employed post-program.

CTEP Evaluation Results

Source: Backman, D. (2018). 2018 Evaluation Report: Impact of the 

Northstar Assessment & Related Computer Skills Programming on 

Employment in CTEP Programs. Retrieved from 

https://www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/evidenceexchange/Sai

ntPaul_19AC208840_Report_Revised_508%20%281%29.pdf
CTEP Beneficiaries

CTEP Program Participants • Increased earnings

• Stipends, living allowances, and education awards

• Increased earnings post-service AmeriCorps Members

• Tax revenue from increased earnings

• Reduced spending on corrections, public assistance, 

social insurance.

Federal, State, and Local 

Government
CTEP ROI Results

ROI Calculation

ROI Scenario

Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term

Total Benefits per Federal Dollar $4.58 $33.35 $53.20

Total Benefits per Funder Dollar $2.95 $21.48 $34.26

Federal Government Benefits per 

Federal Dollar $1.30 $7.39 $11.60
CTEP ROI Results – Medium-Term Scenario

ROI Calculation Medium-Term ROI 

Estimate Results Statement

Total Benefits per Federal Dollar $33.35

The ROI analysis estimated that every dollar of 

federal government investment generates $33.35 in 

benefits.

Total Benefits per Funder Dollar

For AmeriCorps-supported programs, funders can 

include:

• Federal, state, and local government agencies

• Foundations and other philanthropies 

• Private donors

• Community organizations

$21.48 The ROI analysis estimated that every dollar of 

funder investment generates $21.48 in benefits.

Federal Government Benefits per 

Federal Dollar $7.39

The ROI analysis estimated that every dollar of 

investment by the federal government generates 

$7.39 in benefits to the federal government alone.
Building a Foundation for an 

ROI Study
• Step 1: Use a Logic Model.

• Identify outcome metrics.

• Identify costs and cost metrics.

• Identify benefits.

• Step 2: Do a feasibility study.

• Step 3: Compile and collect 

data.

• Step 4: Estimate and monetize 

benefits and costs.

• Step 5: Calculate ROI.

Foundational Steps
Step 1: Use a Logic Model (CTEP Example)
• Includes an analysis plan

• Includes a list of required data and data collection 

plan

• Serves as a check on feasibility before making 

investments

Step 2: Do a Feasibility Study
• May include data already in hand from operations 

and from past evaluations

• May include data that needs to be collected

• May include public datasets

Policies about participant privacy still apply!

Step 3: Compile and Collect Data
• Leverage rigorous research that connects data to 

outcomes and estimates the value of outcomes.

• Adjust dollar values for different benefits for a common 

year.

Step 4: Estimate and Monetize Benefits and Costs
• An “All In” ROI calculation includes all captured 

benefits and all captured costs.

• Also explore multiple ROI calculations that are:

• Restricted to a particular group of stakeholders.

• Restricted to a particular funding source.

• Sample ROI calculation:

Step 5: Calculate ROI

Total Benefits 

per Federal 

Dollar

Benefits to Participants + Benefits to AmeriCorps Members + Benefits to the Government

______________________________________________________________________________________

Federal Funding

=
Finding ROI-Ready Programs
• Help build evidence of the impact of national service 

by:

• Encouraging grantees to conduct rigorous evaluations that 

measure near-, medium-, and long-term outcomes and to 

capture program costs.

• Suggesting programs that may be ROI-ready to the 

AmeriCorps Office of Research and Evaluation.

Finding ROI-Ready Programs
• For more information or to suggest a program for an 

ROI study, contact Lily Zandniapour 

(LZandniapour@cns.gov), AmeriCorps Office of 

Research and Evaluation.

Questions? Discussion?
Dr. Janet Pershing

Vice President

Housing & Community Development, ICF

Speaker

Return on Investment Studies

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Closing Remarks

Return on Investment Studies

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Dr. Lily Zandniapour

Research and Evaluation Manager

Office of Research and Evaluation, AmeriCorps
• Sign up for ORE newsletter! 

• Email us at Evaluation@cns.gov!

• Check out Evidence Exchange (AmeriCorps Evidence Library) 

on our website for ROI Reports!

• Participate in our future webinars and Research Summits!

How do I stay informed?

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Closing Remarks

Return on Investment Studies

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Dr. Lily Zandniapour

Research and Evaluation Manager

Office of Research and Evaluation, AmeriCorps