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MEMBER SERVICE AGREEMENT OUTLINE

This outline is a training tool designed to help new AmeriCorps program staff create a member service agreement. It will be most 

helpful when used alongside the Grant Terms and Conditions, AmeriCorps Regulations, and other AmeriCorps-specific guidance. 

The outline is for reference only; it does not contain citations for all AmeriCorps grant or program requirements. Additional 

information on member service agreements can be found on AmeriCorps State and National grantee pages on AmeriCorps.gov 

under Resources – “Manage Members”.

Guidance documents referenced in this outline: 

• AC = AmeriCorps State and National Grants Program Specific Terms and Conditions 

• General = AmeriCorps Grants General Terms and Conditions 

• 45 CFR = AmeriCorps Regulations 

Annual General and Program Specific Terms and Conditions can be found on AmeriCorps State and National grantee pages on 

AmeriCorps.gov under Resources – “View Terms and Conditions”.

The AmeriCorps member service agreement thoroughly describes the relationship between an individual (an AmeriCorps member) 

and the AmeriCorps program, and it is a requirement in the AmeriCorps Grant Terms and Conditions. AmeriCorps members 

should receive, read, and agree to all elements of the service agreement before they begin service.

SECTION REQUIREMENTS RECOMMENDATIONS/

BEST PRACTICES

TITLE • N/A • The member service agreement may also be a called a member 

contract; determine which document title is most appropriate for 

your program.

INTRODUCTION 

AND PURPOSE OF 

AGREEMENT

• N/A • Clearly state the parties involved in the agreement (the member’s

name and the grant recipient organization name) and specify that 

the agreement is regarding an AmeriCorps term of service with 

[insert program name]. 

MEMBER ELIGIBILITY 

REQUIREMENTS

• N/A • Include the full list of member eligibility requirements in 45 CFR 

§2522.200(a).

• Include a statement that, by signing the member service agreement, 

the individual certifies under penalty of law that he or she meets the 
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eligibility requirements as stated above in 45 CFR §2522.200(a). 

Note: the member's signature is not sufficient to verify age, 

citizenship, or criminal history, but it is sufficient to verify high school 

education.

• Consider the additional eligibility requirements for tutoring 

programs, if applicable (45 CFR § 2522.900-.940), and ensure that 

those requirements are clearly stated.

MEMBER POSITION 

DESCRIPTION

• Full text of the member 

position description (AC 

V.B)

• Reference the member position description briefly in the body of the 

agreement and include the full text of the position description as an 

appendix.

• Additional information on member position descriptions can be 

found on AmeriCorps State and National grantee pages on 

AmeriCorps.gov under Resources – “Manage Members. 

TERMS OF SERVICE • Requirements to 

successfully complete the 

term of service and be 

eligible for the education 

award (AC V.B.2): 

o Minimum number 

of service hours 

o Other 

requirements as 

developed by the 

recipient 

• Specify the type of service term (full-time, half-time, etc.) and the 

required number of service hours associated with that term.

• Specify the start and end dates for the term of service, ensuring that 

the total duration of the term is 12 months or less.

• Other requirements to successfully complete the term of service may 

include:

o Completing the full duration of the service term (for example, 

some programs require members to serve until the specified 

end date on the contract even if they complete their required 

hours earlier); 

o Satisfactorily completing all assignments, tasks, or projects; 

o Submitting all required timesheets and data collection 

reports.

BENEFITS OF 

SERVICE

• Amount of the Segal 

AmeriCorps Education 

Award being offered for 

successful completion of 

the term of service in 

which the individual is 

enrolling (AC V.B.3) 

o Note: current 

education award 

• For the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award:

o Specify the exact dollar amount of the award.

o If desired, include additional information from the Segal 

Americorps Education Award webpage about the use and 

limitations of the education award.

• For living allowance:

o State the living allowance as a weekly/biweekly/monthly dollar 

amount and emphasize that payments will not fluctuate based 

on the number of hours served in a particular time period; if a 
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amounts can be 

found in the 

Notice of Funding 

Opportunity under 

which the 

AmeriCorps grant 

was awarded

• Amount of the living 

allowance the member 

will earn, if applicable 

(AC VIII.A). 

o Note: minimum 

and maximum 

living allowance 

amounts for each 

type of service 

term can be found 

in the Notice of 

Funding 

Opportunity under 

which the 

AmeriCorps grant 

was awarded

• Healthcare coverage, if 

applicable (AC VIII.D) 

o Note: healthcare 

coverage must be 

provided or made 

available to all fulltime members 

(except EAP or 

Partnership 

Challenge grants) 

and may be 

provided to lessthan-full-time 

member serves all required hours and is permitted to 

conclude his or her term of service before the originally 

agreed upon end of term, living allowance payments must 

cease, and the recipient may not provide a lump sum payment 

to the member (AC VIII.A). 

o If desired, specify the minimum number of hours a member 

must serve during a pay period in order to earn a living 

allowance. 

o Specify that FICA and income taxes will be withheld from the 

living allowance (AC VIII.C). 

• For healthcare coverage:

o Specify the nature of the healthcare coverage provided by the 

program (see AC VIII.D. for health insurance options that 

satisfy the requirement). 

• For childcare coverage: 

o Specify how the member may apply for childcare benefits. 

• Programs may offer additional benefits to members if desired, such 

as a housing allowance. The agency, an applicant, or a grantee can 

define the AmeriCorps State and National AmeriCorps member 

living allowance as the living allowance that a program is paying a 

member. No other member benefits are required to be included in 

a program’s calculation to determine the minimum living allowance 

amount or whether the program is in compliance with the maximum 

living allowance amount. 
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members serving 

in a full-time 

capacity) (AC 

VIII.D.) 

• Childcare coverage if the 

member qualifies (AC 

VIII.E and 45 CFR § 

2522.250) 

• Student loan forbearance 

and interest payments if

the member qualifies 

STANDARDS OF 

CONDUCT

• Standards of conduct as 

developed by the 

recipient or sub recipient 

(AC V.B.4) 

• Provide a list of positive behaviors that will be expected for 

AmeriCorps members (e.g., following directions, showing respect to 

others). 

• Provide a list of behaviors that will not be tolerated for AmeriCorps 

members (e.g., tardiness or unexcused absences, stealing or lying).

PROHIBITED 

ACTIVITIES

• List of prohibited 

activities, including those 

specified in the 

regulations at (45 CFR § 

2520.65 and AC V.B.5)

• To meet the requirement for this section, copy and paste the full text 

from AC V.C into this section of the member service agreement. 

NONDUPLICATION 

AND 

NONDISPLACEMENT 

• Text of 45 CFR § 

2540.100(e)-(f), which 

relates to nonduplication 

and nondisplacement 

(AC V.B.6)

• To meet the requirement for this section, copy and paste the full text 

from 45 CFR § 2540.100(e)-(f) into this section of the member service 

agreement; include the header "45 CFR §§ 2540.100(e)-(f)." 

FUNDRAISING BY 

MEMBERS

• Text of 45 CFR § 

2520.40-.45, which 

relates to fundraising by 

members (AC V.B.7)

• To meet the requirement for this section, copy and paste the full text 

from 45 CFR § 2520.40-.45 into this section of the member service 

agreement; include the header "45 CFR §§ 2520.40-.45." 

REQUIREMENTS 

UNDER THE DRUGFREE WORKPLACE 

ACT

• Summary of the 

requirements under the 

Drug-Free Workplace Act 

(41 U.S.C. § 701 et seq.

and AC V.B.8)

• To meet the requirements for this section, include the following 

information:

o The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, 

possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited 

while serving as an AmeriCorps member.
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o As a condition of AmeriCorps service, the member must abide 

by the terms of this prohibition and must notify the program 

director of any conviction under a criminal drug statute no 

later than 5 days after such a conviction. 

o Specific actions will be taken against members for violations of 

this prohibition, including personnel actions up to and 

including termination, and/or the requirement to satisfactorily 

participate in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation 

program. 

• More specific details about the actions programs must take for drug 

violations can be found in 45 CFR §2522.230 and must be included 

in the "Consequences" section of the member service agreement.

CIVIL RIGHTS 

REQUIREMENTS

• Civil rights requirements, 

complaint procedures, 

and rights of 

beneficiaries (AC.V.B.9) 

• To meet the requirements for this section, you may use the following 

sample language from the General Terms and Conditions (General

III. H): 

This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, 

national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, 

gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental 

status, genetic information, and military service. It is also unlawful to 

retaliate against any person who, or organization that, files a 

complaint about such discrimination. In addition to filing a complaint 

with local and state agencies that are responsible for resolving 

discrimination complaints, you may bring a complaint to the 

attention of AmeriCorps. If you believe that you or others have been 

discriminated against, or if you want more information, contact:

Office of Civil Rights and Inclusiveness 

AmeriCorps 

250 E Street, SW 

Washington, DC 20024 

202-606-3461 (Civil Rights Hotline); eo@cns.gov 

CONSEQUENCES 

FOR VIOLATING 

STANDARDS OF 

• Suspension and 

termination rules (AC 

V.B.10)

• Include a step-by-step policy for how violations of the program's 

Standards of Conduct will be handled (e.g., verbal warning, written 

reprimand, etc.).
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CONDUCT • The specific 

circumstances under 

which a member may be 

released for cause (AC 

V.B.11) 

• If these steps include suspension and/or release for cause, or if 

certain type(s) of violations would result in an immediate suspension 

or release for cause, describe this clearly. 

• Copy and paste the full text from 45 CFR §2522.230 into this section 

of the member service agreement; include the header "45 CFR 

§2522.230."

GRIEVANCE 

PROCEDURES

• Full text of the program's 

grievance procedure (AC 

V.B.12) 

• Reference the grievance procedure briefly in the body of the 

agreement (e.g., "The member understands that he/she has a right 

to file a grievance to resolve disputes in accordance with the 

grievance procedures described in Appendix X") and include the full 

text of the procedure as an appendix.

• To create a grievance procedure that meets AmeriCorps agency 

requirements, start with the full text of 45 CFR §2540.230. 

• Edit the text to increase the clarity of the procedure or to add 

specific program/organizational details (such as the name/job title of 

the individual to whom written grievances should be submitted). 

• Do not change any of the required timeframes and steps in the 

procedure.

OTHER 

REQUIREMENTS 

ESTABLISHED BY 

THE RECIPIENT

• N/A • Possible items to include:

o Authorization to conduct a criminal background check (this 

can also be handled through a separate authorization 

document; see https://www.americorps.gov/granteessponsors/history-check; 

o Required service or training events that the member will be 

expected to attend, such as member orientation and/or 

National Day of Service events;

o Vacation/sick leave policies for the program, such as the 

number of leave days a member may take and the process for 

requesting leave; 

o Process by which members with disabilities may request 

reasonable accommodations; 

o The process by which this agreement may be amended if 

necessary (e.g., by written consent of both parties).

SIGNATURES AND 

DATES

• Member signature and 

date (AC V.B)

• Include program staff signature and date.

• Member service agreements should be signed before 
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• Parental or legal 

guardian signature and 

date for members under 

18 years of age (AC IV.B)

commencement of service so that members are fully aware of their 

rights and responsibilities (AC V.B).