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2023 Terms and Conditions for AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Demonstration 

Grant Program (SDP)

 

These AmeriCorps (AmeriCorps is the operating name for the Corporation for National 

and Community Service) Grant Program Specific Terms and Conditions and the 

General Terms and Conditions, are binding on the recipient. 

Table of Contents

I. CHANGES FROM THE 2022 SDP PROGRAM TERMS AND CONDITIONS............................. 1

II. AWARD PERIOD AND INCREMENTAL FUNDING..................................................................... 1

III. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS.............................................................................................. 2

IV. STIPENDS........................................................................................................................................ 5

V. FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VOLUNTEER SERVICE YEARS ............................................................ 5

VI. EXTERNAL EVALUATION AND DATA COLLECTION ............................................................... 5

VII. LOBBY DISCLOSURE..................................................................................................................... 6

VIII. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................................... 6

IX. PROGRAM INCOME...................................................................................................................... 8

X. BUDGET AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES............................................................................. 9

XI. NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK TRAINING ...............................................10

XII. KEY CONCEPTS OF FINANCIAL GRANTS MANAGEMENT TRAINING................................11

 

I. CHANGES FROM THE 2022 SDP PROGRAM TERMS AND CONDITIONS 

- Section II. Added clarification that grantees must submit continuation applications to 

receive funding for years 2 and 3 of their award. 

- Section VIII.: Removed the HHS/PMS reporting requirement 

- Section VIII.A.: Removed the 6-month PPR Lite reporting requirement 

- Section XII: Added annual Key Concepts of Financial Grants Management eCourse

- Throughout, changed “shall” (e.g., changed “shall not” to “may not” and “shall” to 

“must”) to better comply with plain language requirements.

II. AWARD PERIOD AND INCREMENTAL FUNDING 

 

For the purpose of this award, a project period is the complete length of time the 

recipient is proposed to be funded to complete approved activities under the award. 

A project period may contain one or more budget periods. A budget period is a 
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specific interval of time for which Federal funds are being provided to fund a 

recipient’s approved activities and budget. 

Unless otherwise specified, the award covers a three-year project period but provides 

funding in increments on an annual basis. In approving a multi-year project period, 

AmeriCorps generally provides funds for only the first year of operation. Funding for 

subsequent years is contingent upon the grantee timely submitting a continuation 

application, satisfactory performance, a recipient’s demonstrated capacity to manage 

an award and comply with award requirements, and the availability of Congressional 

appropriations. Grantees must submit a continuation application to receive funds for 

years two and three of the project period. 

AmeriCorps reserves the right to adjust the amount of an award or elect not to 

continue funding for subsequent years. The project period and the budget period 

are noted on the award document. 

III. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS 

 

As specified in 42 U.S.C. § 5043(c), as well as in 45 CFR §§ 2551.121 and 2552.121, 

while charging time to a Senior Demonstration Grant program, accumulating service 

or training hours, or otherwise performing activities supported by the Senior 

Demonstration Grant Program or AmeriCorps, staff and volunteers may not engage 

in the following activities: 

 

A. Political activities. 

1. No part of any award may be used to finance, directly or indirectly, any 

activity to influence the outcome of any election to public office, or any 

voter registration activity. No project may be conducted in a manner 

involving the use of funds, the provision of services, or the employment 

or assignment of personnel in a matter supporting or resulting in the 

identification of such project with: 

a. Any partisan or nonpartisan political activity associated with a 

candidate, or contending faction or group, in an election; or 

b. Any activity to provide voters or prospective voters with 

transportation to the polls or similar assistance in connection with 

any such election; or 
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c. Any voter registration activity, except that voter registration 

applications and nonpartisan voter registration information may 

be made available to the public at the premises of the sponsor. 

But, in making registration applications and nonpartisan voter 

registration information available, employees of the sponsor may

not express preferences or seek to influence decisions 

concerning any candidate, political party, election issue, or voting 

decision. 

2. Notwithstanding 42 U.S.C. § 5043(c), and 45 CFR §§ 2551.121(a)(3) and 

2552.121(a)(3), anti-lobbying language in AmeriCorps’s current 

appropriations legislation (like anti-lobbying language in AmeriCorps’s 

past appropriations legislation) prohibits recipients from using 

AmeriCorps funds to pay the salary or expenses of any grant or contract 

recipient, or agent acting for such recipient, related to any activity 

designed to influence the enactment of legislation, appropriations, 

regulation, administrative action, or Executive order proposed or 

pending before the Congress or any State government, State legislature 

or local legislature or legislative body, other than for normal and 

recognized executive-legislative relationships or participation by an 

agency or officer of a State, local or tribal government in policymaking 

and administrative processes within the executive branch of that 

government. 

B. Non-displacement of employed workers. 

 

An AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer in the Senior Demonstration Grant Program 

may not perform any service or duty or engage in any activity that would 

otherwise be performed by an employee of the sponsor, or that would 

supplant the hiring of, or result in the displacement of employees, or impair 

existing contracts for services. 

C. Compensation for service. 

 

A Senior Demonstration Grant Program grantee agency or organization to 

which AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers are assigned, or which operates or 

supervises any SDP project or program, may not request or receive any 

compensation from AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers or from beneficiaries for 

services of AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers. 
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1. The regulations do not prohibit a sponsor from soliciting and accepting 

voluntary contributions from the community at large to meet its local 

support obligations under the grant or from entering into agreements 

with parties other than beneficiaries to support additional volunteers 

beyond those supported by the AmeriCorps grant; 

2. A volunteer station may contribute to the financial support of the SDP 

project or program. However, this support may not be a required 

precondition for a potential station to obtain Senior Demonstration Grant 

Program services; 

3. If a volunteer station agrees to provide funds to support additional 

AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, or pay for other volunteer support costs, 

the agreement must be stated in a written Memorandum of

Understanding. The sponsor must withdraw services if the station's 

inability to provide monetary or in-kind support to the project under the 

Memorandum of Understanding diminishes or jeopardizes the project's 

financial capabilities to fulfill its obligations; 

4. Under no circumstances may AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers receive fees 

for service from service recipients, their legal guardians, members of their 

family, or friends. 

D. Labor and anti-labor activity. 

The sponsor may not use grant funds directly or indirectly to finance labor or 

antilabor organizations or related activities. 

E. Fair labor standards. 

A sponsor that employs laborers and mechanics for construction, alteration, or 

repair of facilities must pay wages at prevailing rates as determined by the 

Secretary of Labor in accordance with the Davis-Bacon Act, as amended, 40 

U.S.C. 276a. 

 

F. Religious activities. 

Neither an AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer, nor a member of the project staff 

funded by AmeriCorps, may give religious instruction, conduct worship 

services or engage in any form of proselytization as part of his or her duties. 

 

1. A sponsor or volunteer station may retain its independence and may 

continue to carry out its mission, including the definition, development, 

practice, and expression of its religious beliefs, provided that it does not 
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use AmeriCorps funds to support any inherently religious activities, such 

as worship, religious instruction, or proselytization, as part of the 

programs or services funded. If an organization conducts such activities, 

the activities must be offered separately, in time or location, from the 

programs or services funded under this part. 

G. Nepotism. 

Persons selected for project staff positions may not be related by blood or 

marriage to other project staff, sponsor staff or officers, or members of the 

sponsor Board of Directors, unless there is written concurrence from the 

community group established by the sponsor and upon prior notification and 

approval by AmeriCorps. 

H. Abortion Services or Referrals. 

While charging time to the AmeriCorps program, accumulating service or 

training hours, or otherwise performing activities supported by the 

AmeriCorps Seniors program or AmeriCorps Seniors, staff and volunteers may 

not engage in providing abortion services or referrals for receipt of service. 

IV. STIPENDS 

The recipient may not expend funds approved for payment of stipends for any other 

purpose without the prior written approval of AmeriCorps’ Portfolio Manager. 

V. FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VOLUNTEER SERVICE YEARS 

Failure of the Recipient to maintain Volunteer Service Year (VSY) program levels in 

accordance with the approved work plan and budget covered by the Notice of Grant 

Award may result in a reduction of funding for the succeeding year in accordance 

with AmeriCorps Seniors program policies. 

 

VI. EXTERNAL EVALUATION AND DATA COLLECTION 

The recipient must cooperate with AmeriCorps and its evaluators in all monitoring 

and evaluation efforts. As part of this effort, the recipient must collect and submit 

certain project data, as defined in the Progress Report Supplement (PRS) and must 

provide data as requested or needed to support external evaluations. 

 
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VII. LOBBY DISCLOSURE 

A. No Federal appropriated funds may be used by the recipient to pay to any 

person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any 

Federal agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, 

or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of 

any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any 

cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, or 

modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement. 

B. Any recipient who requests or receives a grant from AmeriCorps must file with 

AmeriCorps a certification, set forth in 31 U.S.C. Section 1352 (“Limitation on 

use of appropriated funds to influence certain Federal contracting and 

financial transactions”), which generally prohibits recipients of Federal grants 

and cooperative agreements from using Federal (appropriated) funds for 

lobbying the Executive or Legislative branches of the Federal Government in 

connection with a specific grant or cooperative agreement. By signing and 

submitting an application, the application provides certification that the 

recipient understands and will comply with this statutory requirement and that 

the recipient has not made, and will not make, any payment prohibited under 

section VII.A. above. 

C. For Senior Demonstration Program Grant awards that exceed $100,000, 

pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 1352, the recipient is required to file with AmeriCorps a 

disclosure report, Standard Form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, in 

accordance with its instructions, at the end of any quarter, when the recipient 

has paid or agreed to pay, using non-appropriated funds (including any profits 

from any covered Federal action) any lobbying entity for influencing or 

attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of 

Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of 

Congress in connection with a covered Federal action. If applicable, the report 

must be submitted to the grantee’s AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager. 

VIII. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 

The recipient is responsible for timely submission of periodic financial and progress 

reports during the project period and a final financial report at the end of the period. 

A. Progress Reports. The recipient must complete and submit an annual 

progress report. The report is submitted through the appropriate electronic 
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system no later than 30 days after the end of the reporting period.

Due Date Reporting Period Covered

April 30 April 1 – March 31

Due Date Reporting Period Covered

July 30 July 1 – June 30

B. Financial Reports. The recipient must complete and submit financial reports 

in eGrants to report the status of all funds. The recipient must submit timely 

financial reports, reporting on a cumulative basis from the start of the grant 

over the performance period of the grant, in accordance with AmeriCorps 

guidelines. 

Recipients who receive funding from AmeriCorps with budget periods starting 

in April submit according to the following schedule: 

 

Due Date Reporting Period Covered

April 30 October 1 – March 31

October 30 April 1 – September 30

 

Recipients who receive funding from AmeriCorps with budget periods starting 

in July submit according to the following schedule: 

Due Date Reporting Period Covered

July 30 January 1 – June 30

January 30 July 1 – December 31

C. Final Financial Report. Recipients completing the final year of their award 

must submit, in lieu of the last semi-annual financial report, a final financial 

report in eGrants. This final financial report is due no later than 120 days after 

the end of the project period. 
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D. $0 SDP Grantees. Any SDP that receives a $0 award is exempt from the semiannual and final financial reporting requirements. All $0 SDP grantee should 

follow the progress reporting requirement noted in VIII.A. above. 

E. Requests for Extensions. Each recipient must submit required reports by the 

given dates. Extensions of reporting deadlines will be granted only when: 1) 

the report cannot be furnished in a timely manner for reasons, in the 

determination of AmeriCorps, which are legitimately beyond the control of the 

recipient, and 2) AmeriCorps receives a written request explaining the need 

for an extension before the due date of the report.

Extensions of deadlines for reports may only be granted by the AmeriCorps 

Portfolio Manager, as appropriate. 

IX. PROGRAM INCOME 

A. General. Income, including fees for service earned as a direct result of the 

grant-funded program activities during the grant period, must be retained by 

the recipient and used to finance the grant’s non-AmeriCorps share. 

B. Excess Program Income. Program income earned in excess of the amount 

needed to finance the recipient share must follow the appropriate requirements 

of 2 CFR § 200.307(e)(1) and be deducted from total claimed costs, or with prior 

written approval from AmeriCorps, the requirements of 2 CFR § 200.307(e)(2) 

through a budget amendment used to enhance the program (additive process). 

Recipients that have unexpended program income must report it online “o” of 

the Federal Financial Report (FFR). 

C. Fees for service. When using assistance under this grant, the recipient may not 

enter into a contract for or accept fees for service performed by participants 

when: 

1. The service benefits a for-profit entity. 

2. The service falls within the other prohibited activities set forth in statute, 

regulation, or these grant terms and conditions. 
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X. BUDGET AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES 

A. Programmatic Changes. The recipient must first obtain the prior written 

approval of the AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager before making any of the 

following changes (1-3):

1. Changes in the scope, objectives or goals of the project, transfer of the 

project effort, or project timeline whether or not they involve budgetary 

changes.

2. Substantial changes in key personnel specified in the application.

3. The disengagement from the project for more than three months, or at 

least a 25 percent reduction in time devoted to the project by the 

approved Project Director.

Upon notification to the AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager, recipients may make 

programmatic changes due to, or in response to, an officially declared state or 

national disaster without written approval from AmeriCorps. As soon as 

practicable, recipients making disaster-related programmatic changes must 

discuss the performance measure adjustments, and other AmeriCorps grant 

requirements with the AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager. While written approval 

from AmeriCorps is not required before making disaster-related programmatic 

changes, AmeriCorps reserves the right to limit or deny disaster-related 

programmatic changes, including disallowing costs associated with the 

disaster related activities. 

B. Budgetary Changes. The recipient must obtain the prior written approval of 

AmeriCorps’ Portfolio Manager before deviating from the approved budget in 

any of the following ways:

1. Specific Costs Requiring Prior Approval before Incurrence under the 

uniform administrative requirement, cost principles, and audit 

requirements for Federal grants at 2 CFR § 200.407. Certain cost items 

in 2 CFR § 200.407 require prior written approval of the awarding 

agency for the cost to be allowable such as preaward costs. Please 

ensure you consult the regulations prior to incurring costs to ensure 

allowability. 
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2. Purchases of Equipment over $5,000 using grant funds, unless specified 

in the approved application and budget. 

 

3. Unless the AmeriCorps share of the grant is $100,000 or less, changes 

to cumulative and/or aggregate budget line items that amount to 10 

percent or more of the total budget must be approved in writing in 

advance by AmeriCorps. The total budget includes both the 

AmeriCorps and recipient shares. Recipients may transfer funds among 

approved direct cost categories when the cumulative amount of such 

transfers does not exceed 10 percent of the total budget. 

C. Approval of Programmatic and Budget Changes. AmeriCorps’ Portfolio 

Managers are the only officials who have the authority to alter or change the 

terms and conditions or requirements of the grant. Portfolio Managers will 

execute written amendments and recipients should not assume approvals have 

been granted unless documentation from AmeriCorps’ 

 Office of Grant Administration (OGA) has been received via a Notice of Grant 

Award. Programmatic changes also require final approval of AmeriCorps’ 

OGA after written recommendation for approval is received from the Portfolio 

Manager.

XI. NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK TRAINING 

 

All recipients must complete and retain a certificate of completion of the 

AmeriCorps’ National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) e-course training 

every year to ensure that recipients conducting criminal history background checks 

comply with all NSCHC requirements. The AmeriCorps designated e-course provides 

a thorough overview of the requirements and can be found at: 

https://americorpsonlinecourses.litmos.com. 

A. Each grant recipient must identify at minimum one staff person who has some 

responsibility for NSCHC compliance to fulfill this requirement on behalf of the 

grant recipient. The grant recipient must retain the certificate of completion 

and assign staff to retake the course annually prior to the expiration of the 

certificate. Grant recipients must save certificates of completion from each 

year as grant records. 

B. $0 SDP Grantees. Any SDP that receives a $0 award is exempt from the 

NSCHC training requirements. 
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XII. KEY CONCEPTS OF FINANCIAL GRANTS MANAGEMENT TRAINING

All recipients must complete and retain a certificate of completion of the AmeriCorps’ 

Key Concepts of Financial Grants Management eCourse training every year to ensure 

that recipients are aware of major financial grants management requirements for all 

federal recipients. The AmeriCorps designated eCourse provides a thorough 

overview of the requirements and can be found at: 

https://americorpsonlinecourses.litmos.com/account/login/?C=7513619. 

Each grant recipient must identify at minimum one staff person who has some 

responsibility for financial grants management compliance to fulfill this requirement 

on behalf of the grant recipient. The grant recipient must retain the certificate of 

completion and assign staff to retake the course annually prior to the expiration of the 

certificate. Grant recipients must save certificates of completion from each year as 

grant records.