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AmeriCorpsVISTA Support Grant 

FY 2023 GRANT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

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

Community Service) Grant Program Specific Terms and Conditions and the 2023 

AmeriCorps General Terms and Conditions, are binding on the recipient. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. CHANGES FROM THE FY 2022 AMERICORPS VISTA SUPPORT GRANT TERMS AND 

CONDITIONS.... ................................................................................................................................ 1

II. AWARD ACCEPTANCE ............................................................................................................ 1

III. AWARD PERIOD AND INCREMENTAL FUNDING.. .............................................. .......... 1-2 

IV. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................. 2-3

V. RECOGNITION OF FEDERAL FUNDING ..............................................................3 

VI. EXTERNAL DATA COLLECTION ............................................................................................. 3

VII. SUBAWARDS PROHIBITED ...................................................................................................... 3

VIII. BUDGET AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES......................................................................... 3

IX. LOBBY DISCLOSURE ................................................................................................................ 4

X. NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK TRAINING ............................................ 5

I. CHANGES FROM THE FY 2022 AMERICORPS VISTA SUPPORT GRANT TERMS 

AND CONDITIONS

• Deleted the following sections: Notice of Funding Opportunity and Allowable 

Costs

• Section III – Defined project and budget periods

• Section X – Updated language related to the requirements

II. AWARD ACCEPTANCE

The signature on the SF-424, including electronic signature via e‐authentication on 

eGrants, constitutes a binding offer and constitutes agreement to the terms and 

conditions of award. AmeriCorps reserves the right to withdraw the award if activity 

does not begin upon award and/or as a remedy for non‐compliance as described in 

2 CFR 200.339-340. 

III. AWARD PERIOD AND INCREMENTAL FUNDING 

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 specific interval of time for which Federal 

funds are being provided to fund a recipient’s approved activities and budget. 
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Unless otherwise specified, the award covers a one-year project period. In approving a 

multi-year project period, AmeriCorps generally makes an initial award for the first year 

of operation. Additional funding for subsequent budget periods is contingent upon 

satisfactory performance, a recipient’s demonstrated capacity to manage an award and 

comply with award requirements, and the availability of Congressional appropriations. 

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 are noted on 

the award document. 

IV. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

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

member reports during the project period and a final financial report. 

Federal Financial Reports (AmeriCorps). The recipient shall complete and submit 

financial reports in eGrants (Financial Status Reports on menu tree) to report the status 

of all funds. The recipient must submit timely cumulative financial reports semiannually, twice yearly in six month increments from the budget period start date of the 

grant. 

Final Federal Financial Report (AmeriCorps). 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. The final financial report is due no later than 120 days after the end 

of the project period. 

Reporting to the Department of Health and Human Services/Payment 

Management System (HHS/PMS).

AmeriCorps issues VISTA Support Grant funds to sponsors through the U.S. Department

of Health and Human Service (HHS) Payment System. Sponsors receiving grant funds

through this system must submit a Federal Financial Report (FFR) to report AmeriCorps 

federal funding disbursements and cash on hand, 30 days after each calendar quarter

beginning with the first calendar quarter that contains the start date of the grant. FFRs 

must report disbursement of funds on a cumulative basis over the performance period 

of the grant and be submitted through the HHS Payment Management System on the 

following schedule:

Period Covering: Report Due No Later Than: 

January 1 to March 31 April 30 

April 1 to June 30 July 30 

July 1 to September 30 October 30

October 1 to December 31 January 30 

As part of the closeout process, a recipient must submit all final disbursements on the 

FFR to HHS/PMS no later than 120 days after the end of the period of performance. 
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Progress Reports. The sponsor shall complete and submit Project Progress Reports via 

AmeriCorps’ eGrants system. The Project Progress Reports shall report on the progress 

toward achievement of project performance targets. Refer to the Project Progress 

Report instructions for current due dates. (Also, see the Memorandum of Agreement.)

Sponsors will also complete a VISTA Progress Report Supplement (VPRS) annually in 

November.

Requests for Extensions. 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, legitimately beyond the control of the grantee, and 2) AmeriCorps receives 

a written request explaining the need for an extension before the due date of the report. 

Extensions of deadlines for financial and progress reports may only be granted by the

AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager. 

Other. The recipient shall meet with the AmeriCorps Regional Office or with other staff 

or consultants designated by the AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager to exchange views,

ideas, and information concerning the project as AmeriCorps determines necessary. 

The recipient shall submit such special reports as requested by AmeriCorps. 

V. RECOGNITION OF FEDERAL FUNDING 

When issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations, annual 

reports and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in 

part with AmeriCorps money, the grantee receiving federal funds, including but not

limited to state and local governments, shall clearly state (1) the percentage of the total 

cost of the program which will be financed with AmeriCorps money, and (2) the dollar 

amount of AmeriCorps funds for the project or program. 

VI. EXTERNAL ANDDATACOLLECTION

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

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

project data, as defined in the AmeriCorps VISTA Progress Report Supplement, and 

must provide data as requested or needed to support external evaluations.

VII. SUBAWARDS PROHIBITED

VISTA grant recipients may not make subawards of grant funds. Direct reimbursement 

to sites for travel and/or training expenses are not considered subawards.

VIII. BUDGET AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES

Programmatic Changes. The recipient must first obtain the prior written approval of 

the AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager before making any of the following changes (1 and 

2): 

 

1 - Changes in the scope, objectives or goals of the program, whether or not they 

involve budgetary changes; 

2 - Substantial changes in the level of member supervision; 
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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 recordkeeping, 

member activities, performance measure adjustments, and other AmeriCorps VISTA 

award 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. 

 

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 awards 

at 2 CFR Parts 200 and 2205. Certain cost items in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 2205 require 

approval of the awarding agency for the cost to be allowable such as pre-award costs. 

Please ensure you consult the regulations prior to incurring costs to ensure 

allowability. 

2 - Unless the AmeriCorps share of the award is $100,000 or less, changes to 

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

 

Approvals 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 award. Portfolio Managers will execute written amendments, 

and recipients should not assume approvals have been granted unless documentation 

from the Office of Grant Administration (OGA) has been received and executed via 

signature. Programmatic changes also require final approval of OGA after written 

recommendation for approval is received from the Portfolio Manager. 

IX. LOBBY DISCLOSURE

For awards exceeding $100,000, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 1352, the Grantee is required to 

file a disclosure report, Standard Form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, at the end

of any quarter, when the Grantee has paid or agreed to pay 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. The report must be submitted to 

the AmeriCorps Senior Portfolio Manager.
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X. NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK TRAINING 

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

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. 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 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 should save certificates of 

completion from each year as grant records.