CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 1 

Congressional 

Budget Justification

FISCAL YEAR 2015
2 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is the federal agency dedicated to community-driven civilian service 

for the purpose of improving lives, strengthening communities, and fortifying the civic health of our nation.
CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 3 

Table of Contents

Part I. Overview .........................................................................................1

Part II. Budget Request and Performance Plan ......................................................... . .3

Part III. Accomplishments ............................................................................... .7

Part IV. Bill Language and Analysis....................................................................... .11

Part V. Organizational Structure ........................................................................ .19

Part VI. Budget Activites................................................................................. .21

Budget Activity 1: AmeriCorps State and National . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

 Budget Activity 2: AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

 Budget Activity 3: AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

 Budget Activity 4: AmeriCorps VISTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Budget Activity 5: AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

 Budget Activity 6: State Service Commission Support Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

 Budget Activity 7: Subtitle H, Innovation, Demonstration, and Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Budget Activity 8: Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

Budget Activity 9: Subtitle J, Training and Technical Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Budget Activity 10: National Service Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Budget Activity 11: Salaries and Expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Disability Inclusion Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Part VII. Office of Inspector General ...................................................................... .73

Part VIII. Appendix.........................................................................................77
4 

The Corporation for National and Community Service

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 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
 5 

Part I: Overview

Message from the CEO

Since its creation 20 years ago, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has engaged our 

nation’s greatest resource—the American people—to get things done.

Working hand in hand with thousands of local partners, CNCS programs improve lives, strengthen 

communities, and engage millions of Americans in solving tough problems.

The Fiscal Year 2015 Budget request will continue this smart investment—engaging Americans of all ages 

and backgrounds in results-driven service, expanding economic opportunity, fostering social innovation, and 

driving community impact through increased competition and efficiency.

Expanding Economic Opportunity

The Budget request will continue our focus on economic opportunity by educating students for the jobs of 

the 21st century, helping seniors live independently, connecting returning veterans to employment, rebuilding 

communities after disasters, teaching financial literacy, and more.

In addition, national service offers a ladder of opportunity for those who serve—by helping them graduate, gain career skills, pursue higher education, 

and find work. For both beneficiaries and participants, national service helps expand individual opportunity, build family stability, and create more 

sustainable, resilient communities.

Driving Impact and Innovation

This Budget request continues the vision of the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act to target resources on a core set of critical national 

problems. It aligns CNCS programming to focus on these priority areas, and uses a common set of performance measures to evaluate progress. 

Through the Social Innovation Fund, CNCS will continue to leverage substantial non-federal support for the growth of evidence-based programs that 

improve the lives and build the economic independence of low-income individuals. 

The Budget includes a proposal to reorganize Senior Corps programs to enhance competitiveness and efficiency while continuing to tap the valuable 

skills and life experiences of older Americans to meet critical community needs.

Recognizing the importance of evidence-based approaches, the Budget supports a robust research and evaluation agenda to help find and share 

effective practices, increase accountability, and strengthen investment in high-impact programs. 

Expanding Partnerships and Growing Volunteerism

National service is a model of public-private partnerships that recognizes progress is best made by working together. The modest federal investment 

leverages hundreds of millions of additional resources from non-CNCS sources to strengthen community impact and increase return on taxpayer dollars.

Recognizing the wisdom of this approach, President Obama created the Task Force on Expanding National Service to increase national service 

opportunities through partnerships with other federal agencies and the private sector. Building on the success of FEMA Corps, School Turnaround 

AmeriCorps, and other initiatives, CNCS will create new service corps partnerships that meet critical challenges and create pathways to opportunity 

for those who serve. 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
6 

The Corporation for National and Community Service

The Budget request also provides key resources to strengthen the nation’s volunteer sector, support the vital work of State Service Commissions, and 

build the capacity of organizations to recruit and retain volunteers to address critical community needs.

National Service Works for America 

America has always been at its best when citizens work together, joined in common purpose. A sense of shared responsibility is woven into the fabric 

of our nation. For decades, successive Administrations of both parties have invested in national service as a smart way to tap the ingenuity and cando spirit of the American people.

As we mark CNCS’s 20th anniversary, we look forward to building on this great foundation and creating more opportunities for Americans to make a 

difference in their communities.

In Service,

Wendy Spencer

Chief Executive Officer

 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part I: Overview

OVERVIEW | PART I

From the earliest days of our nation, Americans have stepped forward to 

help their neighbors and their communities, cultivating a rich legacy of 

service and citizenship that continues to this day. 

Service is fundamental to who we are and how we meet our challenges 

in America. As citizens, we recognize that that we have responsibilities 

as well as rights; that our destinies are bound together. As President 

Obama said in the 2014 State of the Union, “Citizenship demands a sense 

of common cause; participation in the hard work of self-government; an 

obligation to serve to our communities.”

One of the ways Americans express their citizenship is by serving their 

communities. National service and volunteerism show the best of the 

American spirit—people turning toward problems instead of away, 

working together to find community solutions.

Since its creation 20 years ago, the Corporation for National and 

Community Service (CNCS) has led the nation’s efforts to tap the energy 

of citizens to solve problems in their communities. Working hand-in-hand 

with thousands of local partners, CNCS improves lives, expands economic 

opportunity, bolsters civic and faith-based organizations, and engages 

millions of Americans in service. 

Americans engaged in national service make an intensive commitment to 

tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing our nation: educating 

students for jobs of the 21st century; supporting individuals, families, and 

neighborhoods on the road to economic recovery; addressing the needs 

of military families and a new generation of veterans returning from war; 

helping communities rebuild after natural disasters; promoting health and 

well-being; and preserving the nation’s parks and public lands. 

Through its programs, CNCS engages 5 million Americans in service each 

year at more than 60,000 locations across the country, from large cities to 

small towns to rural areas. 

In all its programs, CNCS seeks to expand economic opportunity—helping 

disconnected youth, new Americans, veterans, military families, seniors, 

people with disabilities, and others acquire the skills, education, and 

training they need for productive employment. By helping more Americans 

graduate, pursue higher education, and find work, national service 

provides immediate benefits to the community and significant long-term 

benefits to service recipients and those who serve.

Expanding Impact through Partnerships 

National service is a public-private partnership that recognizes no one sector 

can meet our challenges alone and that we make progress best by working 

together. Nearly everything CNCS does is accomplished by working with and 

through others—including nonprofit and faith-based organizations, schools 

and higher education institutions, tribes, government at all levels, and 

businesses—and ultimately individual citizens. 

As the nation’s largest grantmaker for service and volunteering, CNCS 

supports tens of thousands of organizations—schools, food banks, 

homeless shelters, health clinics, youth centers, veterans service 

facilities, hospitals, and other organizations. CNCS’s programs help 

these organizations expand their reach and impact through their direct 

service and by recruiting and managing volunteers. The modest federal 

investment by CNCS leverages hundreds of millions of additional 

resources from non-CNCS sources to strengthen community impact.

In addition to collaborating with nonprofit organizations across the 

country, CNCS also works with federal, state, local, and tribal government 

to coordinate efforts, engage citizens, and carry out programming to 

meet important community needs. Congress created national service as 

a shared federal-state partnership, providing a central role for governors 

in designing and implementing national service through State Service 

Commissions. CNCS also works closely with mayors and city officials 

across the country, supporting organizations that achieve measurable 

results where the need is greatest.

On the federal level, CNCS has developed several innovative partnerships 

with other agencies to meet critical challenges and expand opportunities 

for those who serve. For example, FEMA Corps is a 1,600 member unit of 

AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) that strengthens 

disaster capacity, prepares young people for emergency management 

careers, and saves significant taxpayer dollars. School Turnaround 

AmeriCorps is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Education 

and CNCS that is bringing hundreds of new AmeriCorps members into 

some of the nation’s lowest-performing schools, where they work to boost 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 1 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

student academic achievement, attendance, high school graduation rates, 

and college and career readiness.

Building on the success of these partnerships, President Obama created 

the President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service, co-chaired by 

the White House Domestic Policy Council and CNCS. The Task Force is 

working to strengthen citizen problem-solving by developing strategies to 

expand national service to meet national needs through partnerships with 

other federal agencies and the private sector. 

Through these efforts, the Task Force will engage more Americans in 

national service, expand economic and educational opportunities for those 

who serve, enhance federal agencies’ capacity to achieve their missions, 

efficiently use tax dollars, help individuals develop skills that will enable 

them to prepare for long-term careers, and build the pipeline of Americans 

ready to enter public service.

Evaluation and Accountability

CNCS has made it a priority to develop a knowledge and evidence base 

to support the agency’s mission, programs, and strategic goals through 

rigorous program evaluation and research initiatives. CNCS’s emphasis on 

evaluation is aligned with the Administration’s guidance on the importance 

of using evidence and rigorous evaluation in budget, management, and 

policy decisions. CNCS believes that implementing a robust research and 

evaluation agenda is a critical underpinning of the agency and its ability 

to achieve and communicate the value that national service and social 

innovation bring to communities across the country. 

CNCS also has a deep and ongoing commitment to ensuring the highest 

levels of accountability in the agency’s financial and program operations. 

CNCS is fostering a culture of integrity, accountability, and transparency 

by fortifying its internal controls, oversight, and monitoring. CNCS 

established a new Office of Accountability and Oversight and implemented 

an Integrity Framework as a set of disciplined practices to help ensure 

CNCS’s organizational effectiveness, cohesion, and longevity. 

2 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part II: Budget Request

BUDGET REQUEST AND PERFORMANCE PLAN | PART II

FY 2015 Budget Request and Performance Plan 

The FY 2015 Budget request of $1.05 billion will support the Corporation 

for National and Community Service and its thousands of state and local 

partners in activities to improve lives, strengthen communities, foster 

civic engagement, and engage millions of Americans in national service 

and volunteerism. 

CNCS harnesses America’s most powerful resource—the energy and 

talents of its citizens—to solve problems and strengthen communities. 

By supporting local organizations and leveraging outside resources, CNCS 

provides critical services to individuals and communities in need and puts 

more Americans on the pathway to economic and educational opportunity.

The resources and authorities provided by this Budget request will support 

CNCS’s efforts to develop partnerships, strengthen competition, align 

resources, and leverage investments. The request will help CNCS and 

the network it supports to meet community needs with higher levels of 

impact, accountability, and efficiency.

Specifically, CNCS proposes to support a record 114,000 AmeriCorps 

members engaged in high-impact service addressing the critical 

challenges identified in the Serve America Act: disaster services, 

economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy 

futures, and veterans and military families. Serving in many of the 

nation’s most impoverished communities, AmeriCorps members solve 

problems and provide vital support to America’s education and civic 

sectors, helping thousands of nonprofit and faith-based organizations 

expand their reach and impact on pressing local problems. AmeriCorps 

seeks to expand economic opportunity for those who serve by providing 

valuable skills, experiences, and support for pursuing higher education. 

To enhance impact and efficiency, the Budget proposes to transition the 

existing Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program 

models into AmeriCorps. In FY 2015, this transition will preserve existing 

program goals and infrastructure within the competitive framework of 

AmeriCorps and make participants eligible to receive a new type of Segal 

AmeriCorps Education Award. This will result in the largest number of 

AmeriCorps members in the program’s 20-year history.

CNCS will also continue to work with federal agencies and the private 

sector, in coordination with the President’s Task Force on Expanding 

National Service, to expand national service opportunities to tackle 

national priorities. Building on the success of the FEMA Corps unit of 

AmeriCorps NCCC, School Turnaround AmeriCorps, and other initiatives, 

CNCS will develop partnerships to create new service corps that meet 

critical challenges and create pathways to opportunity for those who serve. 

As part of this work, CNCS will collaborate with other federal agencies 

as well as State Service Commissions, higher education institutions, and 

the nonprofit sector. CNCS will also seek support from federal agencies 

and investment from both the corporate and philanthropic communities to 

maximize the size and scope of these new initiatives.

Finally, the agency will invest in the validation and growth of evidencebased programs that improve the lives of low-income individuals 

through the Social Innovation Fund (SIF). The SIF mobilizes public and 

private resources to grow innovative, community-driven solutions that 

have evidence of impact. Through rigorous evaluation, the SIF will 

contribute to the knowledge base of proven program models that can 

be replicated in communities across the country, including by other 

CNCS-funded programs.

The FY 2015 Budget request makes critical investments in programs 

and activities that will continue to address the social and economic 

challenges facing our communities. These investments are also aimed 

at building the capacity of CNCS and grantees toward achieving greater 

accountability, efficiency, and impact. To meet these goals, this Budget 

proposes the following: 

AmeriCorps State and National: The request of $335.4 million for 

AmeriCorps State and National will support nearly 75,000 AmeriCorps 

members. This represents an increase of nearly 4,000 AmeriCorps 

members above the projected member level for FY 2014. With this funding, 

AmeriCorps State and National will continue to invest in evidence-informed 

and evidence-based community solutions, providing a critical source of 

human capital to meet pressing community needs across the country and a 

pathway to economic and educational opportunity for Americans who serve. 

In FY 2015, AmeriCorps State and National plans to expand the number 

of professional corps members. As a result, these grants will provide only 

the education awards and loan forbearance benefits to professional corps 

members except in unique instances where programs can demonstrate 

limited resources and require additional program dollars to operate. 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 3
The Corporation for National and Community Service

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program: The request of $92.8 million 

will transition the Foster Grandparent Program model to AmeriCorps. This 

funding will support approximately 21,200 AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent 

members who will continue to provide one-on-one mentoring, nurturing, 

and support to children with special or exceptional needs, or who are at 

an academic, social, or financial disadvantage. In 2015, the transition will 

preserve existing program infrastructure in the competitive framework of 

AmeriCorps. Foster Grandparents will become AmeriCorps members and 

be eligible for a new type of $250 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, 

which will have expanded uses including covering the cost of educational 

or enrichment activities for a family member or child they are serving 

through the program. In future years, the AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent 

grantees will have the opportunity to compete for funding under the 

broader AmeriCorps program. AmeriCorps Foster Grandparents serving 

with grantees that are successful in the AmeriCorps competition will 

receive the quarter-time Segal AmeriCorps Educational Award, which is 

equivalent to approximately $1,530 in FY 2015.

AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program: The request of $38.3 million 

will transition the Senior Companion Program model to AmeriCorps. This 

funding will support approximately 8,800 AmeriCorps Senior Companion 

Program members. These AmeriCorps members will continue to provide 

a cost-effective option in the continuum of care available to the nation’s 

aging population by providing companionship, transportation, help with 

light chores, and respite to help older and frail adults live independently 

in their own homes. In 2015 AmeriCorps Senior Companions will be 

eligible for a new type of $250 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, which 

will have expanded uses including covering the cost of educational or 

enrichment activities for a family member. In future years, the AmeriCorps 

Senior Companion grantees will have the opportunity to compete for 

funding under the broader AmeriCorps program. AmeriCorps Senior 

Companions serving with grantees that are successful in that AmeriCorps 

competition will receive the quarter-time Segal AmeriCorps Educational 

Award, which is equivalent to approximately $1,530 in FY 2015.

AmeriCorps VISTA: The request of $92.4 million will support an estimated 

7,800 full-time and summer AmeriCorps VISTA members focused on antipoverty projects. AmeriCorps VISTA will continue to direct resources to 

projects that demonstrate promise in pre-K readiness and K-12 success, 

safe and affordable housing, improving access to food and health care, 

and support to veterans and their families. 

AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps: The request of $30 

million for AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) will 

support an estimated 1,200 members. AmeriCorps NCCC members 

gain skills, opportunity, and leadership abilities while meeting pressing 

community needs in the areas of disaster response; infrastructure 

improvement; environmental stewardship and conservation; urban and 

rural development; and energy conservation.

National Service Trust: The request of $253.9 million, along with 

anticipated carryover, will fund Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards 

for approximately 114,000 eligible AmeriCorps members, including 

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent and AmeriCorps Senior Companion 

members, who complete their terms of service. The FY 2015 maximum 

award for full-time service is $5,785.

State Service Commissions: The Budget requests $16 million for 

State Service Commissions to support Commissions in performing their 

critical oversight, monitoring, and strategic functions and to implement 

CNCS grants and programs effectively. State Commissions administer 

approximately two-thirds of AmeriCorps grant funds and play a key role 

in identifying local needs, monitoring subgrantees, and leading citizen 

service efforts in their states. This increased investment of $1 million 

above the FY 2014 level will enhance the Commissions’ ability to develop 

partnerships, monitor programs, provide training, and cultivate highperforming grantees focused on accountability and impact. 

Innovation, Demonstration, and Assistance: The request of $92.1 

million provides key resources aimed at developing new ideas while 

expanding proven initiatives that address specific community needs. 

Of this $92.1 million, $70 million is for the Social Innovation Fund, $19 

million is for the Volunteer Generation Fund, and $3.1 million will support 

important field-building activities including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 

of Service, and the ongoing United We Serve initiative (The President’s 

Call to Service).

The Social Innovation Fund: The request of $70 million will help to 

identify, scale up, and rigorously evaluate promising programs across the 

nation. The 2015 Budget continues to request that up to 20 percent of 

funds be available for Pay for Success projects. Pay for Success models 

leverage philanthropic and private dollars to fund services up front, with 

government paying only after they generate results.

The Volunteer Generation Fund: The request of $19 million will focus on 

strengthening the ability of organizations to recruit, retain, and manage 

volunteers. In 2015, as part of a transition, the Volunteer Generation Fund 

will incorporate the most competitive RSVP projects. This integration 

of RSVP into the Volunteer Generation Fund will improve efficiency and 

strengthen volunteer recruitment and retention work. 

Training and Technical Assistance: The request of $1 million supports 

a strategic approach for providing training and technical assistance 

4 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part II: Budget Request

to CNCS grantees and sponsors. Among other items, this funding will 

facilitate the reorganization of the Foster Grandparent Program, the Senior 

Companion Program, and RSVP. 

Evaluation: The request of $5 million supports the design and execution 

of research and evaluation studies and will facilitate the use of evidence 

and evaluation by CNCS and national service organizations. This funding 

level supports research to increase the evidence and knowledge base for 

CNCS programs, including programs launched in coordination with the 

President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service. These efforts will 

allow CNCS to promote a culture of evaluation and evidence within the 

agency and among grantees by facilitating evidence-based and evidenceinformed grantmaking, and by providing relevant technical assistance.

Salaries and Expenses: The request of $87.3 million supports Information 

Technology operations, modernization, and staffing levels needed to 

ensure efficient agency operations and program delivery. 

Office of Inspector General: The request of $6 million will support 

Office of Inspector General activities to conduct audits, evaluations, and 

investigations to enhance the management and overall performance of 

CNCS and its grantees and promote economy and efficiency. 

TABLE 1. CNCS FY 2015 Budget Summary (dollars in thous

FY13 

Enacted 

Level

ands)

Budget Account

FY14 

Enacted 

Level

FY15 

President’s 

Budget

Increase/

Decrease 

2014-2015)

% Difference 

( (2014-2015)

Operating Expenses $711,009 $756,849 $703,093 -$53,756 -7%

AmeriCorps State and National 326,336 335,430 335,430 - 0%

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparents Program* - - 92,806 92,806 100%

AmeriCorps Senior Companions Program* - - 38,330 38,330 100%

AmeriCorps NCCC 30,214 30,000 30,000 - 0%

AmeriCorps VISTA 89,861 92,364 92,364 - 0%

State Service Commission Support Grants 12,738 15,038 16,038 1,000 7%

Senior Corps 196,637 202,117 - -202,117 -100%

Subtitle H 50,493 76,900 92,125 15,225 20%

Innovation, Demonstration, and Other 4,246 3,100 3,100 - 0%

Social Innovation Fund 42,471 70,000 70,000 - 0%

Volunteer Generation Fund** 3,776 3,800 19,025 15,225 401%

Evaluation 2,838 5,000 5,000 - 0%

Subtitle J, Training and Technical Assistance 1,892 - 1,000 1,000 100%

Disability Inclusion Grants - - - - -

National Service Trust 200,719 207,368 253,885 46,517 22%

Salaries and Expenses 78,510 80,737 87,257 6,520 8%

Office of the Inspector General 3,784 5,000 6,000 1,000 20%

Total*** $994,021 $1,049,954 $1,050,235 $281 0.03%

*Proposed reorganization of Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Programs into AmeriCorps in FY 2015.

**Includes $15.225 million for the integration of RSVP into VGF in FY 2015.

***Total budget authority may not equal sum total of budget accounts due to rounding.

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 5 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

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6 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part III: Accomplishments

ACCOMPLISHMENTS | PART III

FY 2013 Accomplishments 

In fulfilling its mission in FY 2013, CNCS continued to provide 

targeted, critical support through its national network of State Service 

Commissions, grantees, and partners that delivered needed services to 

communities throughout the country. Fiscal Year 2013 accomplishments 

are described more fully in the program chapters. A partial sample of FY 

2013 accomplishments is listed below, grouped by goals set out in the 

agency’s FY 2011 through FY 2015 Strategic Plan.

Increase the impact of national service on local needs in 

communities served by CNCS-supported programs.

• Engaged more than 71,000 AmeriCorps members and more than 

315,000 Senior Corps volunteers in results-driven service to 

strengthen education, expand economic opportunity, provide health 

services, help communities recover from disasters, support veterans 

and military families, and more. 

• Provided teaching, tutoring, mentoring, afterschool support, and other 

services to students in more than 10,000 public schools, including 

one in three persistently low-achieving schools. 

• Delivered independent living services—including direct support and 

respite for informal caregivers—to more than 650,000 clients.

• Provided support to hundreds of thousands of survivors of natural 

and man-made disasters, including Hurricane Sandy; Hurricane Isaac; 

flooding of the Yukon River in Alaska; the Moore, OK tornado; the 

fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas; and ongoing long-term recovery 

efforts for communities struck by disasters including Joplin, MO.

• Awarded the fourth year of funding for the Social Innovation Fund 

(SIF) to experienced grant-makers with strong track records of 

success in expanding the impact of high-performing organizations 

in improving the lives of people in low-income communities. The 

SIF portfolio now represents a $177.6 million federal investment in 

twenty intermediary grantees, which is expected to leverage more 

than $423 million in non-federal match commitments. Through the 

SIF, approximately 220 local nonprofits and programs in 37 states 

have received funding commitments. 

• Continued implementation of FEMA Corps, an innovative cost-saving 

partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to 

establish a new unit of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community 

Corps (NCCC) solely devoted to disaster preparedness and response. 

FEMA Corps strengthens the nation’s disaster capacity, increases 

the reliability and diversity of the disaster workforce, promotes an 

ethic of service, prepares young people for emergency management 

careers, and saves significant taxpayer dollars. FEMA Corps members 

provided invaluable service in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and 

recent tornadoes in the Midwest and have developed innovative ways 

to serve disaster survivors.

• Launched School Turnaround AmeriCorps, a partnership between the 

Department of Education and CNCS to bring hundreds of AmeriCorps 

members into some of the lowest-performing schools where they work 

to boost student academic achievement, attendance, high school 

graduation rates, and college and career readiness.

• Provided historic levels of support to the military community, with 

AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers serving nearly 1.5 

million veterans and military families in more than 200 communities 

across the country. CNCS programs also engage more than 27,000 

veterans in service through AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, tapping 

their skills and experiences to meet challenges on the home front. 

As part of our support for the military community, CNCS launched 

VetSuccess AmeriCorps, a new partnership that brings the resources, 

expertise, and infrastructure of AmeriCorps to the Department of 

Veterans Affairs’ VetSuccess on Campus program. 

• Launched STEM AmeriCorps, a multi-year initiative to place 

AmeriCorps members in nonprofits across the country to mobilize 

STEM professionals to inspire young people to excel in science, 

technology, engineering, and math to build the pipeline for future 

STEM careers.

Strengthen national service so that participants engaged 

in CNCS-supported programs consistently find opportunity, 

satisfaction, and meaning.

• Released landmark “Volunteering as a Pathway to Opportunity” 

research which provides the most compelling empirical evidence 

to date establishing an association between volunteering and 

employment. The study finds that unemployed individuals who 

volunteer have 27 percent higher odds of being employed at the 

end of the year than non-volunteers. The relationship between 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 7
The Corporation for National and Community Service

volunteering and employment holds stable regardless of a person’s 

gender, age, ethnicity, geographical area, or job market conditions. 

Maximize the value we add to grantees, partners, 

and participants.

• Recruited and managed more than 4 million community volunteers 

through AmeriCorps to multiply the impact of national service 

participants and strengthen nonprofit and faith-based organizations.

• Strengthened volunteer recruitment and management practices in 

18 states through the Volunteer Generation Fund.

• AmeriCorps VISTA members raised more than $160 million in cash 

and in-kind resources in support of anti-poverty programs.

• Supported five regional training events led by State Service 

Commissions that engaged more than 1,000 staff from AmeriCorps 

and Senior Corps grantees, State Service Commissions, and other 

national service partners. These trainings focused on performance 

measures, compliance with grant requirements, evaluation strategies

and best practices, and used a peer-to-peer approach that leveraged

the knowledge and skills of the field to advance the mission of 

national service.

• Continued National Call to Service initiatives which leveraged 

hundreds of thousands of Americans in projects on the Martin 

Luther King Jr. Day of Service and the September 11th National Day 

of Service and Remembrance, with many focused on supporting 

veterans, soldiers, and military families.

Fortify management operations and sustain a capable, 

responsive, and accountable organization.

• Achieved an unqualified “clean” audit opinion for the 14th 

consecutive year. 

• Created a new Office of Accountability and Oversight to coordinate 

accountability initiatives.

• Expanded the use of competition to increase quality and impact, 

including new competitions for regional training events and 

School Turnaround AmeriCorps, and continued implementation of 

competition in RSVP. 

• Revamped internal controls process and developed a culture of 

heightened accountability among staff at the agency and the 

agency’s network of State Commissions and grantees.

• Launched new improved website for enhanced viewer usability and 

internal efficiency. 

• Hosted a second Senior Corps Virtual Conference to share 

performance measure tools, tips, and methods with Senior 

Corps grantees.

• Implemented a number of information technology enhancements to 

enable the agency to meet Serve America Act requirements, achieve 

the objectives outlined in its Strategic Plan, and efficiently administe

programs and initiatives. 

CNCS also strengthened relationships with governors, mayors, and 

other local elected officials across the country. These officials are 

important partners in identifying local needs and ensuring national 

service resources are effectively meeting those needs. On April 9, 2013, 

832 mayors representing nearly 100 million Americans participated in 

the first-ever Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service. The day 

emphasized the broad, bipartisan support that national service enjoys in 

the country and the important impact of AmeriCorps and Senior Corps 

in local communities. Sponsors included CNCS, the National League of 

Cities, Cities of Service, and Mayor Michael Nutter, President of the U.S. 

Conference of Mayors. CNCS has also worked closely with the National 

Governors Association and many individual Governors and Lieutenant 

Governors on strategies to promote national service and volunteerism to 

address critical challenges in their states.

r 

, 

8 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part III: Accomplishments

TABLE 2. FY 2013 CNCS Priority Goals, Measures, and Contributing Programs 

Goal Focus Area Measure ID & Name ACSN VISTA NCCC SC SIF

Goal 1:

Increasing 

Community 

Impact

Disaster 

Services

Number of individuals that received assistance from 

CNCS-supported programs in disaster preparedness, 

mitigation, response, and/or recovery. 

• • •

Economic 

Opportunity

Percent of economically disadvantaged people that 

received housing-related assistance from CNCSsupported members, participants, and volunteers who 

showed improvement in their housing situation.

• * • *

Education Percent of children that demonstrated gains in school 

readiness. 

• * • *

Education Percent of students served by or serving in CNCSsupported programs that demonstrated improved 

academic performance (including the percent meeting 

state proficiency levels in literacy and/or math, or whose 

scores on state standardized tests improved).

• * • *

Education Percent of students served by CNCS-supported programs, 

or engaged in CNCS-supported service-learning, that 

demonstrated improved academic engagement.

• * • *

Environmental 

Stewardship

Number of at-risk acres (land and/or water) improved by 

CNCS-supported members, participants, and volunteers.

• • •

Healthy 

Futures

Percent of homebound or older adults and individuals 

with disabilities that received CNCS-supported services 

who reported having increased social ties/perceived 

social support.

• •

Healthy 

Futures

Number of individuals that gained access to food 

resources provided with the assistance of CNCSsupported members, participants, or volunteers.

• * • *

Veterans 

and Military 

Families

Number of each of the four categories of service 

recipients (veterans, veterans’ family members, family 

members of active duty military, and military service 

members) that received CNCS-supported assistance.

• * • •

Goal 2:

Strengthening 

Member 

Experience

Veterans 

and Military 

Families

Number of veterans and military family members 

engaged in providing services through CNCS-supported 

programs.

• • • •

Member 

Experience

Percent of service participants engaged in CNCSsupported programs who report gaining skills they 

can apply to future educational, professional, or civic 

endeavors.

• • • •

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 9 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

TABLE 3. FY 2013 CNCS Priority Goals, Measures, and Contributing Programs 

Goal Focus Area Measure ID & Name ACSN VISTA NCCC SC SIF

Goal 3:

Building 

Partner 

Capacity

Social 

Innovation

Percent of organizations that implement evaluations that 

demonstrate stronger evidence of program effectiveness 

than prior to receiving CNCS national service participants 

or funding.

•

CapacityBuildingNumber of community volunteers recruited and/or 

managed by CNCS-supported organizations or National 

Service Participants.

• • • •

Goal 4:

Strengthening 

Operations

IT Complete modernization of IT infrastructure. CNCS Office of the COO

Financial 

Management

Ensure that no material internal control or compliance 

issues are identified in annual financial statement audit.

CNCS Office of the COO

Grant 

Management

Award and close grants and contracts within prescribed 

timeframes.

CNCS Office of the COO

* Related projects and/or grants align with, but do not necessarily contribute to, respective priority measures.

For the measures reflected in the table above, many CNCS grantees and 

projects began collecting data in FY 2013. By the end of FY 2014, the 

agency will begin to analyze this information to determine where resources 

are having the biggest impact. The agency will also be able to make an 

initial assessment of the rate at which grantees are adopting performance 

measures, and what challenges exist. This will inform the agency’s 

training and technical assistance efforts in following years to ensure 

grantees are effective and efficient.

FY 2014–FY 2018 CNCS Strategic Plan Update 

CNCS is currently updating its FY 2014 through FY 2018 Strategic Plan, 

which is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2014. Through a revised 

strategic plan the agency will continue to focus on growing national 

service, leveraging evaluation to drive community impact and social 

innovation, and expanding economic opportunity for those who serve and 

the beneficiaries of service. While working toward these goals, CNCS will 

also renew its commitment to operational efficiency and accountability.

10 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part IV: Bill Language and Analysis

BILL LANGUAGE AND ANALYSIS | PART IV

Operating Expenses

For necessary expenses for the Corporation for National and Community 

Service (referred to in this title as “CNCS”) to carry out the Domestic 

Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended (referred to in this title as 

“1973 Act”) and the National and Community Service Act of 1990, 

as amended (referred to in this title as “1990 Act”), [$756,849,000] 

$703,093,000, notwithstanding sections 198B(b)(3), 198S(g), 501(a)

(6), 501(a)(4)(C), and 501(a)(4)(F) of the 1990 Act: Provided, That of the 

amounts provided under this heading: (1) up to 1 percent of program grant 

funds may be used to defray the costs of conducting grant application 

reviews, including the use of outside peer reviewers and electronic 

management of the grants cycle; (2) $70,000,000 shall be available for 

expenses authorized under section 501(a)(4)(E) of the 1990 Act, of which 

$4,000,000 shall be available for the purposes of subsection 198K(m)(1) in 

addition to amounts reserved under 198K(m)(1) and (2); (3) [$15,038,000] 

$16,038,000 shall be available to provide assistance to State commissions 

on national and community service, under section 126(a) of the 1990 

Act and notwithstanding section 501(a)(5)(B) of the 1990 Act; (4) 

$30,000,000 shall be available to carry out subtitle E of the 1990 Act; and 

(5) [$3,800,000] $19,025,000 shall be available for expenses authorized 

under section 501(a)(4)(F) of the 1990 Act, which, notwithstanding the 

provisions of section 198P, shall be awarded by CNCS on a competitive 

basis: Provided further, That not to exceed 20% of funds made available 

under section 501(a)(4)(E) of the 1990 Act may be used for Social 

Innovation [Funds] Fund Pilot Program-related performance-based awards 

for Pay for Success projects and shall remain available until September 

30, 2016: Provided further, That, with respect to the previous proviso, any 

funds obligated for such projects shall remain available for disbursement 

until expended, notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 1552(a): Provided further, That 

any funds de-obligated from projects under section 501(a)(4)(E) of the 1990 

Act [such projects] shall immediately be available for activities authorized 

under section 198K of such Act. (Departments of Labor, Health and Human 

Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014)

Payment to National Service Trust Fund

(including transfer of funds)

For payment to the National Service Trust established under subtitle 

D of title I of the 1990 Act, [$207,368,000] $253,885,000, to remain 

available until expended: Provided, That CNCS may transfer additional 

funds from the amount provided within “Operating Expenses” allocated 

to grants under subtitle C of title I of the 1990 Act to the National Service 

Trust upon determination that such transfer is necessary to support the 

activities of national service participants and after notice is transmitted 

to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and 

the Senate: Provided further, That amounts appropriated for or transferred 

to the National Service Trust may be invested under section 145(b) of 

the 1990 Act without regard to the requirement to apportion funds under 

31 U.S.C. 1513(b). (Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, 

Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014)

Salaries and Expenses

For necessary expenses of administration as provided under section 501(a)

(5) of the 1990 Act and under section 504(a) of the 1973 Act, including 

payment of salaries, authorized travel, hire of passenger motor vehicles, 

the rental of conference rooms in the District of Columbia, the employment 

of experts and consultants authorized under 5 U.S.C. 3109, and not 

to exceed $2,500 for official reception and representation expenses, 

[$80,737,000] $87,257,000 (Departments of Labor, Health and Human 

Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014)

Office of Inspector General

For necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector General in carrying out 

the Inspector General Act of 1978, [$5,000,000] $6,000,000. (Departments 

of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies 

Appropriations Act, 2014)

Administrative Provisions

[Sec. 401. CNCS shall make any significant changes to program 

requirements, service delivery, or policy only through public notice and 

comment rulemaking. For fiscal year 2014, during any grant selection 

process, an officer or employee of CNCS shall not knowingly disclose any 

covered grant selection information regarding such selection, directly or 

indirectly, to any person other than an officer or employee of CNCS that is 

authorized by CNCS to receive such information.] 

Sec. [402] 401. AmeriCorps programs receiving grants under the National 

Service Trust program shall meet an overall minimum share requirement 

of 24 percent for the first 3 years that they receive AmeriCorps funding, 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 11
The Corporation for National and Community Service

and thereafter shall meet the overall minimum share requirement as 

provided in section 2521.60 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, 

without regard to the operating costs match requirement in section 121(e) 

or the member support Federal share limitations in section 140 of the 

1990 Act, and subject to partial waiver consistent with section 2521.70 of 

title 45, Code of Federal Regulations. 

[Sec. 403. Donations made to CNCS under section 196 of the 1990 Act for 

the purposes of financing programs and operations under titles I and II of 

the 1973 Act or subtitle B, C, D, or E of title I of the 1990 Act shall be used 

to supplement and not supplant current programs and operations.] 

Sec. [404]402. In addition to the requirements in section 146(a) of the 

1990 Act, use of an educational award for the purpose described in 

section 148(a)(4) shall be limited to individuals who are veterans as 

defined under section 101 of the Act. 

Sec. [405]403. For purposes of carrying out section 189D of the 1990 Act:

(1) Entities described in paragraph (a) of such section shall be 

considered “qualified entities’’ under section 3 of the National 

Child Protection Act of 1993 (NCPA); and

(2) Individuals described in such section shall be considered 

“volunteers’’ under section 3 of NCPA; and

(3) State Commissions on National and Community Service 

established pursuant to section 178 of the 1990 Act, are 

authorized to receive criminal history record information, 

consistent with Public Law 92–544.

Sec. 404. (a) Section 121 of the 1990 Act is amended in subsection (e)(4) to 

read as follows:

“(4) Waiver

“The Corporation may waive in whole or in part the requirements of 

paragraph (1) with respect to—

“(A) a national service program in any fiscal year if the Corporation 

determines that such a waiver would be equitable due to a lack of 

available financial resources at the local level; or

“(B) national service programs under 122(a)(6), provided that the 

Corporation share shall not exceed 90 percent.”;

(b) Section 122 of the 1990 Act is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), by adding after paragraph (5) the following 

new paragraph:

“(6) Senior AmeriCorps

“(A) In general—

“(i) The recipient may carry out national service programs through 

Senior AmeriCorps that provide opportunities for seniors to meet unmet 

local, State, and national needs in the areas of education, public 

safety, emergency and disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery, 

health and human needs, and the environment, and that empower 

people 55 years of age or older to contribute to their communities 

through service, enhance the lives of those who serve and those whom 

they serve, and provide communities with valuable services, through 

activities such as those described in subparagraph (B) and those that 

improve performance on the indicators described in subparagraph (C).

“(ii) Participation in the Senior AmeriCorps national service programs 

is reserved for individuals:

“(I) Who are 55 years of age or older; and

“(II) Whose income is not more than 200 percent of the poverty line 

defined in section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act 

(42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) and adjusted by the Chief Executive Officer.

“(B) Activities—

“(i) Foster Grandparent Program is a Senior AmeriCorps program that 

may carry out activities such as:

“(I) providing supportive person-to-person services in health, 

education, welfare, and related services to children having special 

or exceptional needs or circumstances identified as limiting their 

academic, social, or emotional development;

“(II) providing person-to-person services as foster grandparents 

to one or more children who are individuals with disabilities, who 

have chronic health conditions, who are receiving care in hospitals, 

who reside in homes for dependent and neglected children, or who 

are receiving services provided by day care centers, schools, early 

intervention programs under part C of the Individuals with Disabilities 

Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.), Head Start agencies under 

the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), or other programs, 

establishments, and institutions providing services for children having 

special or exceptional needs or circumstances identified as limiting 

their academic, social, or emotional development; or

“(III) activities described as Education Corps activities.

12 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part IV: Bill Language and Analysis

“(ii) Senior Companion Program is a Senior AmeriCorps program that 

may carry out activities such as:

“(I) providing services designed to help older persons requiring long-term 

care, including services to persons receiving home health care, nursing 

care, home-delivered meals or other nutrition services; services designed 

to help persons deinstitutionalized from mental hospitals, nursing homes, 

and other institutions; and services designed to assist persons having 

developmental disabilities and other special needs for companionship; and

“(II) assisting homebound elderly individuals to remain in their own homes 

and to enable institutionalized elderly individuals to return to home care 

settings.

“(iii) General Provisions for all Senior AmeriCorps Programs—

“(I) A Senior AmeriCorps program shall provide participants with a living 

allowance that is approximately 25 percent of the living allowance 

described in Section 140(a)(1) or that is otherwise determined to be 

appropriate by the Corporation.

“(II) Notwithstanding sections 139(b)(3), 146(a)(3), and 147(b), the Chief 

Executive Officer shall provide a national service education award of $250 

to participants in Senior AmeriCorps programs upon successful completion 

of a term of service of at least 450 hours.

“(III) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except as may be provided 

expressly in limitation of this subclause, payments for living allowance, 

stipend, national service education award, or other support as the Chief 

Executive Officer determines is appropriate for the member’s national 

service, including out-of-pocket expenses made to Senior AmeriCorps 

participants, shall not, in any way, reduce or eliminate the level of, or 

eligibility for, assistance or services any such Senior AmeriCorps participants 

may be receiving under any governmental program, except that this 

subclause shall not apply in the case of such payments when the Chief 

Executive Officer determines that the value of all such payments, adjusted 

to reflect the number of hours such participants are serving, is equivalent 

to or greater than the minimum wage then in effect under the Fair Labor 

Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) or the minimum wage, under 

the laws of the State where such members are serving, whichever is greater.

“(IV) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, payments for living 

allowance, stipend, national service education award, or other support as the 

Chief Executive Officer determines is appropriate for the member’s national 

service, including out-of-pocket expenses made to Senior AmeriCorps 

participants, shall not be subject to any tax or charge or be treated as wages 

or compensation for the purposes of unemployment benefits, temporary 

disability, retirement benefits, public assistance, workers’ compensation, 

minimum wage laws, or similar benefits and/or payments.

“(V) Notwithstanding section 129(d), the Corporation may provide 

assistance under section 121(a) directly to entities carrying out Senior 

AmeriCorps Programs in a single state after obtaining confirmation from 

the State Commission in that State that the Corporation has consulted with 

and coordinated with the State Commission when seeking to operate the 

program in that State.

“(VI) For the purposes of Senior AmeriCorps programs, the terms “child” 

and “children” mean any individual or individuals who are less than 21 

years of age.

“(C) Senior AmeriCorps Indicators.—The indicators for a Senior AmeriCorps 

program described in this paragraph may include—

“(i) Number of children served with special and/or exceptional needs;

“(ii) Number of children with special and/or exceptional needs who 

demonstrate measurable success in reading and pre-literacy;

“(iii) Number of children served with special and/or exceptional needs who 

demonstrate positive improvement in school readiness;

“(iv) Number of seniors engaged in serving a community’s unmet need;

“(v) Number of adults served with independent living support;

“(vi) Number of clients and caregivers who report that services received 

result in improved quality of life, reduced loneliness, or increased social 

ties/support;

“(vii) Number of caregivers receiving respite;

“(viii) Number of clients who demonstrate that services received result in 

improved quality of life; and

“(ix) Any additional indicator (applicable to a particular recipient and on 

which an improvement in performance is needed) that is approved by the 

Corporation.”;

(2) in subsection (b)(3) after “(1), (2), (3), (4),”, by striking “or” and, after 

“(5)”, inserting “, or (6)”; and

(3) in subsection (c)(1) after “paragraphs (1) through”, by striking “(5)” and 

inserting “(6)”;

(c) Section 129 of the 1990 Act is amended by adding after subsection (l) 

the following new subsection:

“(m) Rule for Senior AmeriCorps.—The Corporation may exclude from 

calculations in subsections (a), (b), (d) and (e) of this section funds 

allocated by the Corporation to Senior AmeriCorps programs under section 

122(a)(6).”;

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 13 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

(d) Section 137 of the 1990 Act is amended—

(1) by adding after subsection (b) the following new subsection:

“(c ) Special Rules for Senior AmeriCorps programs.—

Notwithstanding section 137(a) of this Act, an individual shall be 

eligible to be a participant in a Senior AmeriCorps program described 

in section 122(a)(6) of this Act, that is carried out with assistance 

provided under section 121(a) of this Act, if the individual satisfies 

the requirement in parts B and C of title II of the Domestic Volunteer 

Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 5011 et seq.) and section 122(a)(6)(A)(ii) 

of this Act.”; and

(2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d);

(e) Section 140 of the 1990 Act is amended in subsection (a)(6) to 

read as follows:

“(6) Exceptions

“(A) The requirement of paragraph (1) shall not apply to any program 

that was in existence on September 21, 1993.

“(B) A national service program carried out using assistance provided 

under section 121 of this Act shall provide a living allowance to each 

participant in a Senior AmeriCorps program under section 122(a)(6) in 

an amount equal to or greater than the amount that corresponds to a 

term of service of at least 450 hours or that is otherwise determined 

to be appropriate by the Corporation.”

(f) Section 148 of the 1990 Act is amended in subsection (a) as 

follows:

(1) at the end of paragraph (4), by striking “and”;

(2) in paragraph (5), by striking “(e).” and inserting “(e); and”; and

(3) by adding after paragraph (5) the following new paragraph:

“(6) to pay expenses incurred on behalf of a child, grandchild, foster 

child, or child who is a beneficiary of service provided by a Senior 

AmeriCorps program under section 122(a)(6) to participate in a nonprofit summer or after school educational or enrichment program, but 

only if the individual eligible to receive the national service education 

award is eligible due to service in a Senior AmeriCorps program.”.

(Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, 

and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014.)

14 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part IV: Bill Language and Analysis

TABLE 4. Appropriations Language Analysis 

Language Provision/Change Explanation

Operating Expenses

1. Pay for Success extended period of availability

Add: 

Provided further, That not to exceed 20 percent of funds made available under section

501(a)(4)(E) of the 1990 Act may be used for Social Innovation Fund Pilot Program-related 

performance-based awards for Pay for Success projects and shall remain available until 

September 30, 2016: 

In order to ensure that Pay for Success applicants 

have the time they need to put together robust 

applications, CNCS is requesting that this portion of 

SIF funds remain available through September 30th,

2016. 

2. SIF Re-capture and Re-obligation Authority

Modify: 

Provided further, That any funds deobligated from projects under section 501(a)(4)(E) of 

the 1990 Act [such projects] shall immediately be available for disbursement for activities 

authorized under section 198K of such Act.

Expands the existing recapture and reobligation 

authority for Pay for Success projects to all FY 2015 

SIF grant dollars. This flexibility will assure that SIF is 

able to maximize these resources and use them for the 

intended purpose.

Administrative Provisions

3. Administrative Authority.

Delete: 

CNCS shall make any significant changes to program requirements, service delivery, or 

policy only through public notice and comment rulemaking. 

The Corporation has resolved the underlying concern 

that prompted inclusion of this provision a decade 

ago. As a government corporation, it will increase our 

cost effectiveness and our ability to be responsive to 

the needs of the public to have the flexibilities of the 

1990 Act fully restored.

4. Administrative Authority.

Delete: 

For fiscal year 2014, during any grant selection process, an officer or employee CNCS shall 

not knowingly disclose any covered grant selection information regarding such selection, 

directly or indirectly, to any person other than an officer or employee of CNCS that is 

authorized by CNCS to receive such information.

This language is unnecessary because the existing 

government ethics laws protect the integrity of the 

grantmaking process.

5. Gift Fund Authority.

Delete: 

Donations made to the CNCS under section 196 of the National and Community Service Act 

of 1990 (“1990 Act’’) for the purposes of financing programs and operations under titles 

I and II of the 1973 Act or subtitles B, C, D, or E of title I of the 1990 Act shall be used to 

supplement and not supplant current programs and operations.

This language is duplicative of the statutory 

requirement that CNCS programs supplement and not 

supplant existing community resources and infringes 

on the prerogatives of the Executive Branch in carrying 

out programs consistent with the authorizing statute.

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 15 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

TABLE 4. Appropriations Language Analysis (continued)

Language Provision/Change

6. Senior AmeriCorps.

Add:

Sec. 404. (a) Section 121 of the 1990 Act is amended in subsection (e)(4) to read as follows:

"(4) Waiver

"The Corporation may waive in whole or in part the requirements of paragraph (1) with 

respect to—

"(A) a national service program in any fiscal year if the Corporation determines that such a 

waiver would be equitable due to a lack of available financial resources at the local level; or

"(B) national service programs under 122(a)(6), provided that the Corporation share shall 

not exceed 90 percent.";

(b) Section 122 of the 1990 Act is amended—

(1) in subsection (a), by adding after paragraph (5) the following new paragraph:

"(6) Senior AmeriCorps

"(A) In general—

"(i) The recipient may carry out national service programs through Senior AmeriCorps that 

provide opportunities for seniors to meet unmet local, State, and national needs in the areas 

of education; public safety; emergency and disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery; 

health and human needs; and the environment that empower people 55 years of age or older 

to contribute to their communities through service, enhance the lives of those who serve and

those whom they serve, and provide communities with valuable services, through activities 

such as those described in subparagraph (B) and those that improve performance on the 

indicators described in subparagraph (C).

"(ii) Participation in the Senior AmeriCorps national service programs is reserved for 

individuals:

"(I) Who are 55 years of age or older; and

"(II) Whose income is not more than 200 percent of the poverty line defined in section 673(2) 

of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) and adjusted by the Chief 

Executive Officer.

"(B) Activities—

"(i) Foster Grandparent Program is a Senior AmeriCorps program that may carry out 

activities such as:

"(I) providing supportive person-to-person services in health, education, welfare, and 

related services to children having special or exceptional needs or circumstances identified 

as limiting their academic, social, or emotional development;

"(II) providing person-to-person services as foster grandparents to one or more children 

who are individuals with disabilities, who have chronic health conditions, who are 

receiving care in hospitals, who reside in homes for dependent and neglected children, 

or who are receiving services provided by day care centers, schools, or early intervention 

programs under part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1431 

et seq.), Head Start agencies under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), or other 

programs, establishments, and institutions providing services for children having special 

or exceptional needs or circumstances identified as limiting their academic, social, or 

emotional development; or

Explanation

This language is necessary to accomplish the 

integration of the Foster Grandparent and Senior 

Companion programs into AmeriCorps while 

preserving the existing structure and character of the 

existing programs. Please see pages 29-33 for a more 

complete explanation of this requested change.

16 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part IV: Bill Language and Analysis

TABLE 4. Appropriations Language Analysis (continued)

Language Provision/Change Explanation

"(III) activities described as Education Corps activities.

"(ii) Senior Companion Program is a Senior AmeriCorps program that may carry out activities such as:

"(I) providing services designed to help older persons requiring long-term care, including services to persons receiving home health care, nursing 

care, home-delivered meals or other nutrition services; services designed to help persons deinstitutionalized from mental hospitals, nursing homes, 

and other institutions; and services designed to assist persons having developmental disabilities and other special needs for companionship; and

"(II) assisting homebound elderly individuals to remain in their own homes and to enable institutionalized elderly individuals to return to home care 

settings.

"(iii) General Provisions for all Senior AmeriCorps Programs—

"(I) A Senior AmeriCorps program shall provide participants with a living allowance that is approximately 25 percent of the living allowance 

described in Section 140(a)(1) or that is otherwise determined to be appropriate by the Corporation.

"(II) Notwithstanding sections 139(b)(3), 146(a)(3), and 147(b), the Chief Executive Officer shall provide a national service education award of 

$250 to participants in Senior AmeriCorps programs upon successful completion of a term of service of at least 450 hours.

"(III) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except as may be provided expressly in limitation of this subclause, payments for living allowance, 

stipend, national service education award, or other support as the Chief Executive Officer determines is appropriate for the member's national 

service, including out-of-pocket expenses made to Senior AmeriCorps participants, shall not, in any way, reduce or eliminate the level of, or 

eligibility for, assistance or services any such Senior AmeriCorps participants may be receiving under any governmental program, except that this 

subclause shall not apply in the case of such payments when the Chief Executive Officer determines that the value of all such payments, adjusted 

to reflect the number of hours such participants are serving, is equivalent to or greater than the minimum wage then in effect under the Fair Labor

Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) or the minimum wage, under the laws of the State where such members are serving, whichever is 

greater.

"(IV) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, payments for living allowance, stipend, national service education award, or other support as the 

Chief Executive Officer determines is appropriate for the member's national service, including out-of-pocket expenses made to Senior AmeriCorps 

participants, shall not be subject to any tax or charge or be treated as wages or compensation for the purposes of unemployment benefits, 

temporary disability, retirement benefits, public assistance, workers' compensation, minimum wage laws, or similar benefits and/or payments.

"(V) Notwithstanding section 129(d), the Corporation may provide assistance under section 121(a) directly to entities carrying out Senior 

AmeriCorps Programs in a single state after obtaining confirmation from the State Commission in that State that the Corporation has consulted 

with and coordinated with the State Commission when seeking to operate the program in that State.

"(VI) For the purposes of Senior AmeriCorps programs, the terms "child" and "children" mean any individual or individuals who are less than 21 

years of age.

"(C) Senior AmeriCorps Indicators.—The indicators for a Senior AmeriCorps program described in this paragraph may include—

"(i) Number of children served with special and/or exceptional needs;

"(ii) Number of children with special and/or exceptional needs who demonstrate measurable success in reading and pre-literacy;

"(iii) Number of children served with special and/or exceptional needs who demonstrate positive improvement in school readiness;

"(iv) Number of seniors engaged in serving a community's unmet need;

"(v) Number of adults served with independent living support;

"(vi) Number of clients and caregivers who report that services received result in improved quality of life, reduced loneliness, or increased social 

ties/support;

"(vii) Number of caregivers receiving respite;

"(viii) Number of clients who demonstrate that services received result in improved quality of life; and

Senior Americorps continued

TABLE 4. Appropriations Language Analysis (continued)

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 17 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

Language Provision/Change Senior Americorps continued Explanation

"(ix) Any additional indicator (applicable to a particular recipient and on which an improvement in performance is needed) that is approved by the 

Corporation.";

(2) in subsection (b)(3) after "(1), (2), (3), (4),", by striking "or" and, after "(5)", inserting ", or (6)"; and

(3) in subsection (c)(1) after "paragraphs (1) through", by striking "(5)" and inserting "(6)";

(c) Section 129 of the 1990 Act is amended by adding after subsection (l) the following new subsection:

“(m) Rule for Senior AmeriCorps.—The Corporation may exclude from calculations in subsections (a), (b), (d) and (e) of this section funds allocated

by the Corporation to Senior AmeriCorps programs under section 122(a)(6).”;

(d) Section 137 of the 1990 Act is amended—

(1) by adding after subsection (b) the following new subsection:

“(c ) Special Rules for Senior AmeriCorps programs.—Notwithstanding section 137(a) of this Act, an individual shall be eligible to be a participant 

in a Senior AmeriCorps program described in section 122(a)(6) of this Act, that is carried out with assistance provided under section 121(a) of this 

Act, if the individual satisfies the requirement in parts B and C of title II of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 5011 et seq.) and 

section 122(a)(6)(A)(ii) of this Act.”; and

(2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d);

(e) Section 140 of the 1990 Act is amended in subsection (a)(6) to read as follows:

"(6) Exceptions

"(A) The requirement of paragraph (1) shall not apply to any program that was in existence on September 21, 1993.

"(B) A national service program carried out using assistance provided under section 121 of this Act shall provide a living allowance to each 

participant in a Senior AmeriCorps program under section 122(a)(6) in an amount equal to or greater than the amount that corresponds to a term of

service of at least 450 hours or that is otherwise determined to be appropriate by the Corporation."

(f) Section 148 of the 1990 Act is amended in subsection (a) as follows:

(1) at the end of paragraph (4), by striking "and";

(2) in paragraph (5), by striking "(e)." and inserting "(e); and"; and

(3) by adding after paragraph (5) the following new paragraph:

"(6) to pay expenses incurred on behalf of a child, grandchild, foster child, or child who is a beneficiary of service provided by a Senior AmeriCorps 

program under section 122(a)(6) to participate in a non-profit summer or after school educational or enrichment program, but only if the individual 

eligible to receive the national service education award is eligible due to service in a Senior AmeriCorps program.".

TABLE 4. Appropriations Language Analysis(continued)

18 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 

The Corporation for National and Community Service

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20 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

BUDGET ACTIVITIES | PART VI

BUDGET ACTIVITY 1:

AmeriCorps State and National

(National and Community Service Act of 1990, Title I, Subtitle C)

FY 2015 Budget Summary 

For FY 2015, CNCS requests $335.430 million for AmeriCorps State and 

National, equal to the FY 2014 enacted level, to support approximately 

74,900 AmeriCorps members, approximately 3,900 more AmeriCorps 

members than projected for FY 2014. Together with AmeriCorps VISTA, 

AmeriCorps NCCC, and the integration of the Foster Grandparent 

Program and the Senior Companion Program into AmeriCorps, this 

Budget will result in a record 114,000 AmeriCorps members, the 

highest number in the program’s 20 year history.

With this funding, AmeriCorps State and National will continue to invest in 

evidence-informed and evidence-based community solutions. It will also 

provide a critical source of human capital to meet pressing community 

needs across the country and provide a pathway to economic and 

educational opportunity for Americans who serve. In addition to the efforts 

of the AmeriCorps members themselves, they will recruit and manage 

millions of community volunteers to serve alongside them. 

With 20 years of experience, AmeriCorps has the infrastructure, experience, 

and capacity to support responsible growth and ensure that resources 

will support organizations that achieve measurable results where the 

need is greatest. Building upon this strong infrastructure, the Foster 

Grandparent Program and the Senior Companion Program will be integrated 

into AmeriCorps in FY 2015. The inclusion of these stipended programs 

for older Americans will increase the impact and reach of AmeriCorps, 

provide continued opportunities for seniors to put their experience to work, 

and optimize the operational efficiency of CNCS programs. Please see 

the AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program and the AmeriCorps Senior 

Companion Program chapters for more details on how this growth of the 

AmeriCorps portfolio will increase impact across the country. 

TABLE 5. AmeriCorps State and National Budget Summary (dollars in thousands)

Budget Account

FY13 

Enacted 

Budget

FY14 

Enacted 

Budget

FY15 

President’s 

Budget

Increase/ 

(Decrease) 

(2014-2015)

Formula Grants to States $110,704 $113,789 $115,729 $1,940 

Competitive Grants 196,633 202,112 202,308 196

Set-asides for U.S. Territories 3,136 3,223 3,278 55

Set-asides for Indian Tribes 3,136 3,223 3,278 55

Education Award Program 4,568 4,696 3,250 (-1,446)

Childcare 4,895 5,032 4,232 (-800)

Grantmaking Support 3,263 3,354 3,354 0

Total Budget Authority1 $326,336 $335,430 $335,430 0

Total State and National Members (est.) 63,378 70,974 74,900 3,926

1

 Total budget authority may not equal sum total of budget accounts due to rounding.

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 21 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

22 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 

Program Summary

For nearly two decades, AmeriCorps has engaged hundreds of thousands 

of Americans in community service in every state. As highlighted through 

the President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service, national service 

and volunteering can be effective solutions to national challenges and 

have positive and lasting impacts that reach beyond the immediate 

service experience. Since its inception in 1994, AmeriCorps members 

have dedicated hundreds of millions of hours of service in communities 

across the nation—tutoring children who are struggling in school, 

responding to natural disasters, building homes for low-income families, 

helping veterans and their families, preserving the environment, and 

addressing other local community needs. AmeriCorps members are a 

valuable resource for many of our country’s most respected and innovative 

nonprofit organizations, enhancing their ability to serve the country’s most 

vulnerable citizens.

Serving in many of the nation’s most impoverished communities, 

AmeriCorps provides vital support to America’s education and civic 

sectors, supporting tens of thousands of schools, afterschool centers, 

food banks, homeless shelters, community health clinics, youth centers, 

and veterans service facilities at a time of strong demand for such 

services. AmeriCorps invests in entrepreneurial organizations that have 

been recognized for their innovative approaches to citizen problemsolving. AmeriCorps members, and the volunteers they recruit and 

manage, help existing organizations expand their reach and impact on 

solving local problems. 

AmeriCorps programs are designed and managed by national and 

community organizations that have demonstrated knowledge, expertise, 

and capacity to effectively deploy AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps 

members address critical challenges identified in the Serve America Act 

and the CNCS Strategic Plan: disaster services, economic opportunity, 

education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and 

military families. 

AmeriCorps leverages substantial private investment each year from 

businesses, foundations, and other sources. Every grant dollar that 

AmeriCorps invests results in approximately another dollar in additional 

investment by community partners. 

Not only does AmeriCorps make a major contribution to solving community 

problems, it also expands economic opportunity for those who serve by 

building their leadership and employment skills. AmeriCorps members 

gain service-specific skills as well as leadership, project management, 

and problem-solving skills, which are very much in demand by employers. 

AmeriCorps also serves as a training ground for our nation’s future leaders 

and public servants. Longitudinal research1

 has found that AmeriCorps 

has a significant positive impact on members’ attachment to community, 

their understanding of community problems, and their participation in 

community meetings and events. AmeriCorps alumni are more likely 

than their peers to enter into public service careers, with 60 percent of 

AmeriCorps alumni choosing to work with a nonprofit organization or 

public agency.2 AmeriCorps also has a great impact on the career choices 

of minority members and individuals from disadvantaged circumstances. 

The 2008 AmeriCorps longitudinal study found that minority AmeriCorps 

State and National members were significantly more likely to have a career 

in public service than members of the comparison group (44 percent 

compared to 26 percent). AmeriCorps State and National members from 

disadvantaged circumstances were 20 percentage points more likely to be 

employed in a public service field than the comparison group (46 percent 

compared to 26 percent).3

AmeriCorps alumni are a diverse talent pool that can help staff the 

federal government of the future. AmeriCorps alumni have transferable 

skills and work experience in areas that are aligned with the missions 

of many federal agencies. With a commitment to continue serving the 

public through career civilian service, AmeriCorps alumni are a source of 

talent that can enhance agencies’ capacity to achieve their mission. The 

President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service is working across 

the federal government to focus on national service as a talent pipeline for 

federal agencies. As a result of the Task Force’s work, in fall 2013, the U.S. 

Office of Personnel Management issued guidance to all federal agencies 

encouraging them to recruit AmeriCorps alumni into their agency.

AmeriCorps State and National Program Structure

AmeriCorps State and National administers the following grant programs: 

State Formula grants are awarded to governor-appointed State Service 

Commissions using a formula. The Commissions, in turn, fund programs 

on a competitive basis that address local needs in their states. By statute, 

thirty-five (35) percent of program funds available for grantmaking are 

allocated by statute for state formula grants.

U.S. Territories grants are awarded to governor-appointed Territory 

Service Commissions using a population-based formula. The 

1,2,3 Corporation for National and Community Service, Still Serving: Measuring the Eight-Year Impact of AmeriCorps on Alumni, Washington, D.C., 2008.
Part VI: Budget Activities

Commissions, in turn, fund programs on a competitive basis that 

address local needs. By statute, one percent of grant funds are available 

exclusively for Territories.

Indian Tribe grants are awarded to Indian Tribes that have successfully 

competed in a national selection process. By statute, one percent of grant 

funds are available exclusively for Indian Tribes.

Single and Multi-State Competitive grants are awarded to organizations 

operating in one state (Single) or one or more states (Multi-State) that 

have successfully competed in a national grant competition conducted 

by CNCS. Some of these grants are awarded on a fixed-amount basis and 

others are cost-reimbursement grants. Funds are awarded for planning or 

implementation grants.

FY 2013 Accomplishments and Program Impact

AmeriCorps State and National grant awards are made near the end of the 

fiscal year. As a result, programs funded with the FY 2012 grants operate 

into FY 2013. Accordingly, FY 2012 is the most recent year for which there 

is complete accomplishment information. This information is reported as 

FY 2013 accomplishments.

Utilizing FY 2012 funds, AmeriCorps State and National grantee 

organizations were awarded 66,544 AmeriCorps members who served 

in all 50 states, in more than 15,000 locations in 3,884 communities. 

AmeriCorps members recruited, trained, or supervised more than 2.6 

million community volunteers. These AmeriCorps-managed volunteers 

provide a significant boost to organizations by greatly expanding their 

reach and impact.

In support of the focus areas laid out in the Serve America Act and CNCS’s 

Strategic Plan, AmeriCorps State and National targets its funding towards 

disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental 

stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and military families. Some 

examples of data from the recent AmeriCorps grantee progress reports 

show that AmeriCorps State and National achieved the following:

Economic Opportunity

• 28,562 economically disadvantaged people received housingrelated assistance.

Education

• 142,086 students showed improved academic performance.

• 28,049 children demonstrated gains in school readiness 

for kindergarten.

• 103,242 students demonstrated improved academic engagement.

Environment Stewardship

• 1,019,043 at-risk acres or miles of land and/or water were improved.

Disaster Services

• 921,863 individuals received assistance in disaster preparedness, 

response, recovery, and/or mitigation. 

Healthy Futures

• 43,639 individuals received support, services, education and/or 

referrals to alleviate long-term hunger. 

• 80,735 clients participated in health education programs.

• 80,862 children and youth received nutrition education with the 

intent of reducing childhood obesity.

Veterans and Military Families

• 36,004 veterans received services and assistance.

In addition to the performance data above, the following are some 

examples of successful AmeriCorps State and National programs.

Education and Evaluation

Education is the single largest priority area for AmeriCorps State and 

National grantees. During FY 2013, 53 percent of all current AmeriCorps 

State and National grantees were focused on the education priority area. 

AmeriCorps State and National grantees are providing education services 

in the neighborhoods of one in 10 public schools (10,010 out of 103,483 

total public schools). AmeriCorps State and National grantees are serving 

students from one out of three persistently low-achieving schools (514 out 

of 1,555 PLA schools). The communities AmeriCorps members serve are 

also more likely to be impoverished. On average, schools where members 

serve have 15 percentage points more students receiving free or reduced 

price lunch than schools where members are not serving.4

A substantial portion of these AmeriCorps members are serving in 

programs that have a demonstrated impact on students. For example, 

CNCS and Minnesota Reading Corps, the largest AmeriCorps singlestate program in the nation, completed a randomized control trial impact 

evaluation in FY 2013. Findings show that kindergarten, first, and third 

4 In this analysis, “communities” is defined as Census tract. CNCS believes this is the most accurate measure of the direct services AmeriCorps State & National grantees are providing for schools, 

given the current data CNCS has on grantees. AmeriCorps grantees providing education services may not be serving directly in schools, but are working with students that attend these schools, and 

therefore are directly impacting school performance.

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 23 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

grade students who received tutoring by Minnesota Reading Corps 

AmeriCorps members achieved significantly higher literacy assessment 

scores than students who did not.

Being able to read at grade level by the end of third grade is especially 

important because it allows a student to pivot from learning to read to 

reading to learn in fourth grade. More information about this study and 

the positive effect AmeriCorps members had on Minnesota Reading Corps 

students can be found in the Evaluation chapter starting on page 60.

Capacity Building 

Volunteer Maryland’s mission is to build stronger, healthier communities 

by developing volunteer programs that meet critical needs in the areas 

of education, human needs, public safety, homeland security, and the 

environment. Volunteer Maryland’s goals are three-fold: improve the lives 

of Maryland citizens and the natural environment; build and sustain the 

capacity of secular and faith-based nonprofits to mobilize community 

volunteers; and develop the leadership skills and ethic of service 

of Maryland residents. Through Volunteer Maryland, 32 AmeriCorps 

members served in nonprofits throughout Maryland during 2012-2013. 

These members improved the capacity of the organizations where they 

served, establishing systems for sustainable volunteer recruitment and 

management. These AmeriCorps members recruited 5,982 volunteers for 

nonprofits in Maryland. These volunteers provided 77,656 hours of service. 

The CNCS grant of $401,100 was matched by $518,317 in funds from 

other sources. 

Healthy Futures

More than five hundred AmeriCorps members in 23 states served with 

the National Association of Community Health Centers to improve 

access to health care for medically underserved individuals. AmeriCorps 

members enrolled more than 89,000 individuals in health services, health 

insurance, and other health benefit programs. The support of AmeriCorps 

members allowed for over 127,000 previously uninsured, economically 

disadvantaged, or rural residents to receive preventive and primary health 

care services. The program also develops the health care workforce of 

tomorrow by providing training to AmeriCorps members placed at federally 

qualified health centers across the country.

Tribal Program

In a study of families living on the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo reservation, 

which is located in west Texas, the local Housing Department found that 

70 percent of surveyed families fell at or below the poverty level. Fiftyfive percent of tribal members in the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo service area 

have incomes below $20,000 per year. Tribal members have a college 

graduation rate of 5 percent, which is considerably lower than that of 

nearby El Paso (18 percent) and for the U.S. (27 percent). 

In response to these challenges, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo hosts an 

AmeriCorps program called Target Tigua, which supports economic and 

community development to rebuild its tribal nation. AmeriCorps members 

focus on increasing the capacity of tribal departments to be effective at 

meeting the needs of the tribal members and provide financial literacy 

training to tribal members. AmeriCorps members serve in emergency 

and environmental management, financial literacy, cultural and historic 

preservation, museum/tourism, and economic development. In 2012-

13, 14 AmeriCorps members served to make nine tribal agencies more 

efficient at providing services and increased the financial literacy of 

157 tribal members, as demonstrated through a measure of increased 

knowledge regarding key financial literacy topics such as savings and 

checking accounts and the utilization of financial services. 

FY 2013 Grant Competition 

In FY 2013, the AmeriCorps grant competition focused on supporting 

national service programs that demonstrate clear evidence and impact. 

Applicants that selected the CNCS’s priority performance measures 

received funding priority. In addition, the competition gave preference to 

programs that addressed high priority areas, including:

• Improving academic outcomes for economically disadvantaged 

children in School Improvement Grant/Priority schools.5

• Engaging and serving veterans and military families. 

• Helping individuals and communities prepare, respond, recover, and 

mitigate disasters and increase community resiliency. 

• Supporting access to services and resources that contribute to the 

improved economic opportunity for low income people.

• AmeriCorps Governor and Mayor Initiative applications that address 

the most pressing local issues as identified by a city and state 

government.

The FY 2013 grant cycle was highly competitive, with strong demand 

by organizations seeking AmeriCorps resources at a time of reduced 

availability of grant funding. As a result, there was not sufficient funding 

to support many strong applications or support expansion requests from 

existing AmeriCorps programs. New or re-competing applicants requested 

more than twice as much funding as was available and requested nearly 

5 School Improvement Grants (SIG), authorized under section 1003(g) of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Title I or ESEA), are grants to State Educational Agencies 

(SEAs). SEAs use the grants to make competitive subgrants to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) that demonstrate the greatest need for the funds and the strongest commitment to use the funds to 

provide adequate resources in order to raise substantially the achievement of students in their lowest-performing schools. 

24 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

double the number of AmeriCorps positions available. Approximately one 

in three programs that submitted a grant application was approved for 

funding. This level of demand for AmeriCorps members demonstrates the 

value that AmeriCorps brings to nonprofit and faith-based organizations 

and the communities they serve and serves as one of the drivers for 

CNCS’s efforts to grow AmeriCorps national service opportunities through 

efforts such as the President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service.

In FY 2013, approximately 63,378 AmeriCorps members were funded by 

AmeriCorps State and National grants for the 2013-14 grant year. This 

represents approximately 5,300 fewer members than projected for FY 

2013. The FY 2013 AmeriCorps member level projection was based upon 

estimates of average cost per member and the percentages of member 

slot types (e.g., quarter-time, half-time, full-time, etc.) based on historical 

data. The difference between the projected and the actual member levels 

is due to the number and types of members that were actually requested 

by qualified applicants. 

For FY 2013, formula, Education Award (only) Program, Territories, and 

Tribal grants had fewer members than projected. While the competitive 

pool yielded 958 more members than projected, the formula grants 

yielded 1,707 fewer members than projected, EAP grants yielded 4,367 

fewer members than projected, Territories grants yielded 105 fewer 

members than projected, and Tribal grants yielded 79 fewer members than 

projected. In order to produce the most accurate projections in its budget 

documents, CNCS continually reviews its estimates about the number 

of members that applicants will request through the AmeriCorps grant 

application process. 

With the FY 2013 grant competitions, CNCS is on track to support 

AmeriCorps members addressing critical needs in urban and rural 

communities across the nation. Almost 90 percent of programs funded in 

FY 2013 are utilizing the agency’s priority performance measures, while 

the remainder are focused on measuring the impact of their important and 

unique local activities. The high utilization rate of the priority performance 

measures will enable CNCS to demonstrate the collective impact of 

AmeriCorps programs in helping the Administration achieve critical goals 

such as preparing the nation’s children for 21st century jobs and helping 

our veterans and military families continue to prosper in civilian life. 

FIGURE 3. FY 2013 Grant Awards – Dollars Awarded by Focus Area

Other

$11, 421.486.33

Education

$168, 689,677.12

Economic Opportunity

$45,505,162.64

Environment

$25,036,414.98

Disaster Services

$9,960,109.72

Veterans and Military Families

$12,121,354.02

Capacity Building

$21,896,066.33

Healthy Futures

$24,322,423.86

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 25 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

Partnerships

As outlined above, CNCS has strong existing partnerships with local and 

national grantees, State Service Commissions, and Tribes. In addition, as 

part of the President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service, CNCS 

continues to grow partnerships with other federal agencies and the private 

sector to broaden and deepen the impact of national service while further 

leveraging CNCS’s appropriated funds. As part of the Task Force, CNCS 

is placing increased emphasis on creating partnerships with public and 

private organizations that make it possible to support more AmeriCorps 

members to serve and meet critical community needs across the country. 

Building upon its long history as a public-private partnership (where every 

AmeriCorps grant requires a match by an outside funder), AmeriCorps 

State and National will continue to explore and develop partnerships to 

leverage outside funds to support additional AmeriCorps members. Some 

specific examples of existing partnerships follow below.

In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, CNCS has 

developed an initiative to improve the nation’s persistently low-performing 

schools. Launched in February 2013, the School Turnaround AmeriCorps 

program is designed to support the placement of a dedicated cadre of 

AmeriCorps members in persistently low-performing schools across the 

country. School Turnaround AmeriCorps members are placed in schools 

implementing school turnaround interventions. School Turnaround 

AmeriCorps members keep students on track by increasing student 

academic achievement, attendance, and high school graduation rates; 

improving college and career readiness; and providing college enrollment 

assistance and advice.

The School Turnaround AmeriCorps partnership reflects both agencies’ 

mutual commitment to increasing opportunities for students in 

disadvantaged communities by providing a high-quality education. 

The program supports organizations that serve low-performing schools 

around the country, including those in rural areas, and builds on the 

efforts of Together for Tomorrow, a CNCS partnership with the U.S. 

Department of Education and the White House Office of Faith-based 

and Neighborhood Partnerships.

In its first year, this initiative made grants for hundreds of School 

Turnaround AmeriCorps members to support a variety of intervention 

efforts aimed at addressing the unique needs of each School Improvement 

Grant and Priority school. The 13 School Turnaround AmeriCorps grantees 

have placed AmeriCorps members in approximately 70 schools in 

urban and rural communities across the country. Members will support 

turnaround interventions in 14 states and the District of Columbia. School 

Turnaround AmeriCorps will be supported by an investment of $7.5 million 

from each agency, for a total of $15 million over a span of three years. 

Additionally, AmeriCorps members who complete their service in the 

program will qualify for the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award; these 

education awards will total up to $1.5 million a year. In addition to the $15 

million federal investment, School Turnaround AmeriCorps will leverage 

an anticipated $18 million in additional grantee match funding. The 13 

grantees, some of which are described below, were selected from 66 

applicants from around the country.

• Berea College (Kentucky) Partners for Education, Knox Central High 

School, and Leslie County High School have created PartnerCorps, an 

AmeriCorps program that supports and sustains school turnaround 

efforts at both Knox and Leslie high schools by utilizing AmeriCorps 

members as mentors, college advisors, and family connectors to 

engage low-income and rural students. 

• Blackfoot Community Center (Idaho) AmeriCorps members serve 

as classroom facilitators for 280 seventh- and eighth-grade students 

from Snake River Junior High School, providing tools for family and 

community engagement; and establishing a school culture and 

environment that improves school safety, attendance, and discipline; 

while also addressing other non-academic factors that impact 

student achievement.

• City Year (multi-state) AmeriCorps members partnered with schools 

in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and the District of Columbia in 

support of turnaround strategies by improving conditions that help 

students complete school. AmeriCorps members tutor, mentor, and 

coach 1,900 targeted kindergarten to 9th grade students. These 

AmeriCorps members also promote a positive school climate, improve 

family engagement, and provide extended day learning. 

• Denver Public Schools (Colorado) AmeriCorps members tutor 

students to increase math proficiency at five low performing 

elementary and middle schools.

• Detroit Parent Network (Michigan) AmeriCorps members are placed 

in six high schools in Detroit with the Project Graduation drop-out 

prevention program, which is designed to improve student graduation 

rates and college enrollment. AmeriCorps members serve as 

academic coaches/advisors; provide individual and family coaching; 

organize parent/student academic and college events; conduct 

workshops on graduation requirements, ACT preparation, and college 

selection; and aid in the completion of federal student aid and college 

entrance applications.

• ReNEW Schools Achieving College Readiness through School 

Turnaround Support (Louisiana) AmeriCorps members give academic 

support in six low-performing, high-poverty New Orleans schools. The 

members will target approximately 2,000 at-risk students from pre26 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

kindergarten through 12th grade to boost academic gains in literacy 

and math, increase attendance, and improve student behavior.

In addition to School Turnaround AmeriCorps, in FY 2013 CNCS launched 

the VetSuccess AmeriCorps in partnership with Department of Veterans 

Affairs (VA). VetSuccess AmeriCorps partnered AmeriCorps members 

with VA Vet Success on Campus counselors working on college campuses 

across the country to meet the many diverse needs of student veterans. 

VetSuccess AmeriCorps combines the resources and infrastructure of 

AmeriCorps with the expertise of VA’s VetSuccess on Campus program. 

Through the President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service, 

CNCS will continue to examine additional partnerships with other federal 

agencies where the AmeriCorps members’ service can positively impact 

communities in need and help agencies better achieve their missions by 

leveraging the can-do spirit of the American people. 

AmeriCorps 20th Anniversary

The 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps provides an opportunity to highlight 

the important role that national service plays in meeting critical 

community needs and transforming the lives of those who serve. Efforts 

were initiated in September 2013, and will culminate in a nationwide swearing in ceremony in September 2014. This will recognize the 

extraordinary impact of AmeriCorps and its 20 years of serving America. 

Through events, stories, and service projects, stakeholders will celebrate 

the contributions and commitment of AmeriCorps members and alumni 

in strengthening our communities and country through national service. 

The 20th anniversary will highlight the impact and value of AmeriCorps 

and lay the groundwork for expanding opportunities for Americans to serve 

their communities through new partnerships in coordination with the 

President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service. 

FY 2015 Budget Request and Performance Plan

For FY 2015, CNCS requests $335.430 million for AmeriCorps State and 

National, equal to the FY 2014 enacted level, to support approximately 

74,900 AmeriCorps members, approximately 3,900 more AmeriCorps 

members than projected for FY 2014. With this funding, AmeriCorps State 

and National will continue to invest in evidence-informed and evidencebased community solutions to solve our pressing national challenges. From 

entrenched poverty and the school dropout crisis to veteran reintegration 

and devastation by natural disaster, America’s cities and rural areas face 

persistent challenges. AmeriCorps is a solution to bring national resources 

and local expertise to solve pressing community challenges. 

By incorporating the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion 

Program models into AmeriCorps, this Budget will unify national 

service and diversify the AmeriCorps grantee portfolio. Capitalizing on 

the existing similarities between these programs, merging the Foster 

Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program into AmeriCorps 

makes programmatic and operational sense. In addition, the AmeriCorps 

Foster Grandparent Program and the AmeriCorps Senior Companion 

Program will provide for greater collaboration and synergy across national 

service programs, which will increase community impact while expanding 

opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to participate in 

AmeriCorps. 

In FY 2015, AmeriCorps State and National plans to expand the number 

of professional corps members. As a result, these grants will provide only 

the education awards and loan forbearance benefits to professional corps 

members except in unique instances where programs can demonstrate 

limited resources and require additional program dollars to operate. 

AmeriCorps State and National will work to provide additional 

opportunities for programs that engage disconnected youth. These 

programs play an important role in traditionally underserved communities 

and provide educational and economic opportunity to those who serve. 

AmeriCorps will focus its funding priorities on evidence-based programs 

that produce results and form strong partnerships. Consistent with the 

Serve America Act and the CNCS Strategic Plan, AmeriCorps State and 

National will continue to leverage the strength of members, programs, 

State Service Commissions, and the American public to build a network 

of programs that offer effective solutions in the areas of greatest need 

with a focus on the agency’s six focus areas: disaster services, economic 

opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and 

veterans and military families. 

Evaluation

AmeriCorps State and National will enhance its efforts to demonstrate the 

impact of national service by strengthening its rigorous grantee evaluation 

program. AmeriCorps requires grantees to conduct an evaluation of their 

program’s impact. In conjunction with CNCS’s performance measures, 

these program evaluations provide a solid foundation to evaluate the 

impact of national service. For example, all re-competing grantees are 

required to submit an evaluation plan and evaluation summary, which are 

used to better inform grantmaking decisions. 

In FY 2014 AmeriCorps State and National grant applicants will be 

evaluated based on whether their proposed interventions will lead to 

the outcomes identified in their theories of change. Applicants will be 

evaluated on the degree to which their studies and evaluations provide 

evidence that their proposed interventions are effective for their proposed 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 27 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

TABLE 6. AmeriCorps State and National Vital Stats

FY11 Actual FY12 Actual FY13 Actual FY14 Target FY15 Target

Appropriation (in thousands) $345,960 $344,348 $326,336 $335,430 $335,430

Number of member slots awarded (or estimated) 70,406 66,544 63,378 70,974 74,900

Cost per MSY $7,999 $8,023 $7,706 $7,750 $6,553*

* For FY 2015, the Cost per MSY includes no-cost member slots (such as professional corps) that will receive only the education awards and loan forbearance benefits but no programmatic funding 

(except in unique instances where programs can demonstrate limited resources and require additional program dollars to operate). When these slots are removed from estimates, the Cost per MSY 

for the remaining slots is $9,829.

populations and community challenges. Specifically, applications will be 

scored based on:

1) The amount of evidence.

2) The quality of evidence based on the study design.

3) The degree of consistency between the program model evaluated in 

the studies and the one proposed by the applicant.

4) The criteria for evidence-informed or evidence-based models, with 

higher points going towards evidence-based programs.

This approach is in alignment with OMB guidance regarding tiered 

evidence models, which incentivizes higher levels of evidence in grant 

programming and decision making. Specifically, both AmeriCorps 

evaluation requirements and the FY 2014 AmeriCorps grant competition 

encourage grantees to use evaluation designs that incorporate 

randomized control trials, quasi-experimental studies, and other strong 

evaluation models. 

To further increase the knowledge base and efficacy of national service 

programs, AmeriCorps State and National will pilot an evaluation strategy 

that pools grantee and subgrantee evaluation resources. This collaborative 

effort has the benefit of consolidating research funding, building a 

uniform research design, and developing an evidentiary basis across 

programs. Pooling the resources and data of grantees with common focus 

areas allows CNCS to create economies of scale that increase efficiency 

and improve outcomes by developing shared research designs, ensuring 

comprehensive assessments that broaden the rigorous evidence basis for 

the impact of national service. 

AmeriCorps State and National’s focus on evaluation will improve the 

rigor of program evaluations and foster continuous improvement to 

identify best practices and develop evidence-based models that can 

be replicated. 

Additionally, AmeriCorps State and National will continue to assess the 

following program metrics in FY 2015 to improve mission results:

• Cost per Member

• Member enrollment

• Member retention.

State Service Commissions are critical to implementing AmeriCorps and 

engaging citizens in solving problems. The requested level will ensure 

effective use of resources, enhance performance and impact, strengthen 

accountability, and fortify the capacity of State Service Commissions to 

provide opportunities for more Americans to serve. 

BUDGET ACTIVITY 2:

AmeriCorps Foster 

Grandparent Program

(National and Community Service Act of 1990, Title I, Subtitle II)

FY 2015 Budget Request Summary 

In FY 2015, CNCS requests $92.806 million for the AmeriCorps Foster 

Grandparent Program. The requested funding will support approximately 

21,200 AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program members. In FY 2015, 

the Foster Grandparent Program model will transition from Senior Corps to 

AmeriCorps. This change will preserve existing program infrastructure in 

the competitive framework of AmeriCorps in 2015. 

The current statute does not permit competition in the Foster Grandparent 

Program; transitioning the program to the competitive framework of 

AmeriCorps will encourage grantees to enhance their impact and allow highperforming grantees the opportunity to grow. A competitive AmeriCorps

28 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

TABLE 7. AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program Budget Summary (dollars in thousands)

Budget Account FY13 Enacted FY14 Enacted

FY15 President’s 

Budget

Increase/Decrease 

(2014-2015)

Grants to Projects $103,871 $106,461 $92,806 $(13,655)

Grantmaking and Business Support $910 $1,241 N/A N/A

Total Budget Authority1 $104,781 $107,702 $92,8062

 $(14,896)

Number of Federally Funded CNCS awards/grantees 313 313 313 -

Average Federal Award/Grant $331,856 $340,131 $296,502 $(43,629)

Number of CNCS Volunteer Service Years (VSY)3 22,700 23,185 N/A N/A

Number of AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Members3 N/A N/A 21,2004 N/A

1

 Figures for FY 2013 and FY 2014 reflect funding for the Senior Corps Foster Grandparent Program.

2

 This funding does not include $4.437 million for Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards, which is accounted for in the National Service Trust.

3

 AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers are counted differently. This Number of AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Members is comparable to the Number of CNCS Volunteer Service Years in 

previous years. 

4

 The number of AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program Members and the Number of CNCS VSY referenced in the table do not include Foster Grandparents that are funded by non-CNCS sources, 

including state and local governments and other entities. This non-CNCS funding supported approximately 1,000 VSY in FY 2013 and is projected to support approximately 1,200 VSY in FY 2014. 

Foster Grandparent Program will deepen the current program’s impact 

and increase benefits for its national service participants. The AmeriCorps 

Foster Grandparent Program will continue to focus on providing one-on-one 

mentoring, nurturing, and support to children with special or exceptional 

needs, or who are at an academic, social, or financial disadvantage. 

Under this Budget, the existing grantees will become AmeriCorps Foster 

Grandparent Program grantees and the participants will become AmeriCorps 

Foster Grandparent Program members.

The Foster Grandparent Program model strongly aligns with AmeriCorps’ 

focus on education and economic opportunity. Together these two focus 

areas constitute the majority of programs in the existing AmeriCorps 

portfolio. The addition of the Foster Grandparent Program will strengthen 

AmeriCorps’ impact in these priority areas and allow AmeriCorps to 

surpass the goal of reserving at least 10 percent of member positions for 

seniors, as laid out in the 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. 

In addition to the programmatic benefits, transitioning the Foster 

Grandparent Program model to AmeriCorps will also have benefits for 

the Foster Grandparent Program participants. During a transition period, 

Foster Grandparents will continue to receive a living allowance as part 

of their service and, as a result of becoming a part of the AmeriCorps 

program network, will be eligible for a new type of Segal AmeriCorps 

Education Award. AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program members 

may use the education award or transfer it to qualified family members 

or the children they mentor. The education award can help pay for tuition 

or loan repayment at institutions of higher learning or qualified job 

training expenses. The Budget also proposes that the new type of Segal 

AmeriCorps Education Award may be used to pay for educational and 

enrichment programming like afterschool programs or summer camps 

for family members or for the children that they are serving through the 

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program. 

In FY 2015, all AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent members will receive a 

new type of $250 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. In subsequent 

years, AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent programs will have the opportunity 

to compete for AmeriCorps funding. AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent 

members participating in programs that are successful in that AmeriCorps 

competition will receive the quarter-time Segal AmeriCorps Educational 

Award, which is equivalent to approximately $1,530 in FY 2015.

All AmeriCorps Foster Grandparents are at or below 200 percent of the 

federal poverty level. In FY 2015, AmeriCorps Foster Grandparents will 

serve as quarter-time AmeriCorps members, receive a living allowance of 

$2,771, and may be provided with funds to help offset the cost of service, 

including mileage reimbursements. This living allowance will be slightly 

greater than the average stipend that Foster Grandparents currently 

receive for serving 20 hours a week. In FY 2015, these benefits will 

continue to be disregarded from income calculations for the purposes of 

determining eligibility in other federal benefit programs and federal taxes. 

Grants are provided to eligible sponsoring organizations, including 

nonprofit organizations and state, local, and tribal governments. In FY 

2015, AmeriCorps grants will be awarded to current Foster Grandparent 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 29 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

Program grantees for one year only. In subsequent years, AmeriCorps 

Foster Grandparent Program grantees will be able to compete for threeyear grant periods in the broader AmeriCorps program.

Program Summary

First established in 1965, the Foster Grandparent Program is an 

intergenerational program that provides people aged 55 and over with 

opportunities to provide one-on-one mentoring, nurturing, and support 

to children with special or exceptional needs, or who are at an academic, 

social, or financial disadvantage. Foster Grandparents help young children 

with special or exceptional needs gain skills and confidence to succeed in 

school, tutor children in literacy, and assist children in the child welfare 

system. The AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program contributes to 

the goals of the President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service, 

which seeks to expand opportunities for Americans to provide impactful 

service in their local communities across the country. AmeriCorps Foster 

Grandparents, in turn, represent the communities in which they serve.

An AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent serves as a caring and consistent 

adult presence in a child’s life. This support, provided at critical stages in 

the development process, can help a child gain the confidence and skills 

to be successful in school and expand his or her economic opportunities 

later in life. In turn, AmeriCorps Foster Grandparents derive significant 

emotional and health benefits from their service, which can improve their 

quality of life and provide them with a strong sense of purpose. CNCS is 

conducting the 2013 Senior Corps Study (ongoing research) to investigate 

the potential health benefits for the members. 

FY 2013 Accomplishments and Program Impact 

In FY 2013, FGP volunteers delivered approximately 23.4 million hours 

of service in their communities. Volunteers, including more than 1,000 

veterans, served a total of 196,000 children, including mentoring more than 

113,000 children, 3,400 of whom were children of military families, and 

6,600 of whom were children of incarcerated parents.

As GAO has recognized, CNCS’s authorizing statute limits competition 

and performance accountability in the Foster Grandparent Program. 

Transitioning to the competitive framework of AmeriCorps will improve 

CNCS’s ability to reward performance and allow high-performing grantees 

the opportunity to grow. Below are examples of the Foster Grandparent 

Program activities in FY 2013. 

Tri-State Collaboration with Jumpstart for School 

Readiness

In FY 2012, Jumpstart and the Foster Grandparent Program collaborated 

to create the Jumpstart/Foster Grandparent Community Corps with 

pilot initiatives in Los Angeles, CA and Atlanta, GA. This collaboration 

was built on the success of Jumpstart’s existing AmeriCorps program. 

Jumpstart AmeriCorps programs have demonstrated the many benefits 

realized by placing national service members in early learning and pre-K 

classrooms to build school readiness of the children. Based on this 

model, the Jumpstart Community Corps is an evidence-based program 

that utilizes a research-based language and literacy curriculum as 

one-to-one literacy support for economically disadvantaged preschool 

children to improve their school readiness. 

In FY 2013, this Jumpstart/Foster Grandparent Community Corps 

partnership expanded to Washington, DC. This collaboration demonstrates 

the effectiveness of combining the Foster Grandparent Program and 

AmeriCorps models. Under the Jumpstart/Foster Grandparent Community 

Corps design, the Foster Grandparents receive 35 hours of training to 

serve six hours per week (200 hours per school year) in teams in preschool classrooms to implement the education literacy curriculum. 

In Los Angeles, 80 Foster Grandparents tutored 182 preschool children 

during the 2012-2013 school years. Of the 165 children who fully 

participated in the program at least 120 days, 96 percent demonstrated 

gains in language and literacy skills while 58 percent demonstrated gains 

of one developmental level or more. 

Helping Youth in Juvenile Detention Facilities 

in Maryland

The Foster Grandparent program in Baltimore, MD is sponsored by the 

Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. The Foster Grandparents 

primarily support young people, ages 12 to 21 years, in juvenile detention 

facilities. In FY 2013, 22 Foster Grandparent volunteers served 300 

young people. The Foster Grandparents serve as tutors and mentors 

to help the young people set goals that will benefit them once they 

return home. For the younger students, the volunteers serve as tutors, 

encouraging them to participate in classroom discussion. Teachers report 

that students supported by Foster Grandparents demonstrate improved 

classroom behavior and are more focused on their work. In FY 2013, one 

Foster Grandparent tutored 10 students to help them pass the GED test. 

These activities are consistent with the AmeriCorps program’s focus on 

education and economic opportunity. 

Foster Grandparents also serve in alternative schools that provide nontraditional curriculum. In 2013, nine Foster Grandparents served a total 

of 80 students aged 14-18 in alternative school settings. These Foster 

Grandparents serve one-on-one in classroom-based small groups to tutor 

and mentor the students. They also help teach life skills such as grocery 

shopping and meal preparation. Teachers report that students working 

30 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

with Foster Grandparents demonstrate fewer emotional outbursts and 

greater respect for adults and their classmates. Ninety percent of the 

students working with Foster Grandparents improved in identified behavior 

areas such as following directions, staying on task, and following rules. 

FY 2015 Budget Request and Performance Plan

In FY 2015, CNCS requests $92.806 million for the Foster Grandparent 

Program. The requested funding will support approximately 21,200 

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program members. In addition to these 

program funds, $4.4 million is included in the National Service Trust 

to support a new type of $250 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for 

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent members in FY 2015. 

Bringing Competition to the AmeriCorps Foster 

Grandparent Program

Under this Budget, the AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program will 

transition to a competitive program after FY 2015. In FY 2015 existing 

grantees will receive AmeriCorps grants. In succeeding years, AmeriCorps 

Foster Grandparent Program grantees will be able to compete for threeyear grants in the broader AmeriCorps program. Competition will take 

advantage of the existing AmeriCorps competition process, and will 

enhance the program’s efficiency, accountability, and impact. As with the 

other national service programs, competition represents an important 

step forward in ensuring greater return on the long-term investment 

in the AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program. It also reflects CNCS’s 

commitment to modernization, program impact, and accountability. 

CNCS believes that competition strengthens programs and community 

impact, and can be done in a way that minimizes disruptions to both the 

current participants and the communities they serve. Competition is a 

powerful tool to ensure accountability, prioritize funding for programs 

with stronger evidence of effectiveness, and reflects how grantmaking 

is moving across the federal government. Competition will also help 

ensure AmeriCorps Foster Grandparents engage in a meaningful service 

experience and that communities can provide the effective services that 

all children deserve.

BUDGET ACTIVITY 3:

AmeriCorps Senior Companion 

Program

(National and Community Service Act of 1990, Title I, Subtitle C)

FY 2015 Budget Request Summary 

In FY 2015, CNCS requests $38.330 million for the AmeriCorps Senior 

Companion Program. The requested funding will support approximately 

8,800 AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program members. The 2015 Budget 

aligns all stipended national service programs under the AmeriCorps 

program. The current statute does not permit competition in the Senior 

Companion Program. Transitioning the program to the competitive 

framework of AmeriCorps will encourage grantees to enhance their impact 

and allow high-performing grantees the opportunity to grow. 

In FY 2015, the Senior Companion Program model will transition to 

AmeriCorps with existing Senior Companion Program grantees becoming 

AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program grantees and Senior Companion 

Program participants becoming AmeriCorps Senior Companions. In 

2015 this change will preserve existing program infrastructure in the 

competitive framework of AmeriCorps while enhancing efficiency. The 

Senior Companion Program focus strongly aligns with the AmeriCorps’ 

focus on economic opportunity and healthy futures and will assist 

AmeriCorps in surpassing the goal of reserving at least 10 percent of 

member positions for seniors, as laid out in the 2009 Edward M. Kennedy 

Serve America Act. 

A competitive AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program will deepen 

the program’s impact and increase benefits for its national service 

participants. The AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program will continue 

to provide an important option in the continuum of care available to 

the nation’s aging population. Under this Budget, AmeriCorps Senior 

Companions, age 55 and older, will serve tens of thousands of older and 

frail adults by providing companionship, transportation, help with light 

chores, and respite to assist seniors to remain in their own homes. 

In addition to the programmatic benefits, transitioning the Senior 

Companion Program model to AmeriCorps will benefit the Senior 

Companion Program participants. AmeriCorps Senior Companions will 

receive a living allowance as part of their service and, as a result of 

becoming part of an AmeriCorps program, will be eligible for a new type of 

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 31 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

TABLE 8. AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program Budget Summary (dollars in thousands)

Budget Account FY13 Enacted FY14 Enacted

FY15 President’s 

Budget

Increase/Decrease 

(2014-2015)

Grants to Projects $43,672 $44,553 $38,330 $(6,223)

Grantmaking and Business Support $606 $959 N/A N/A

Total Budget Authority1 $44,278 $45,512 $38,3302 $(7,182)

Number of Federally Funded CNCS awards/grantees 178 178 178 0

Average Federal Award/Grant $245,348 $243,365 $215,331 $(28,034)

Number of CNCS Volunteer Service Years (VSY) 3 9,350 9,270 N/A N/A

Number of AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Members3 N/A N/A 8,8004 N/A

1

 Figures for FY 2013 and FY 2014 reflect funding for the Senior Corps Senior Companion Program.

2

 This funding does not include $1.8 million for Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards, which is accounted for in the National Service Trust.

3

 AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers are counted differently. This Number of AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program Members is comparable to the Number of CNCS Volunteer Service 

Years in previous years. 

4

 The number of AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program Members and the Number of CNCS VSY referenced in the table do not include Senior Companions that are funded by non-CNCS sources, 

including state and local governments and other entities. This non-CNCS funding supported approximately 2,000 VSY in FY 2013 and is projected to support approximately 2,200 VSY in FY 2014. 

All AmeriCorps Senior Companions are at or below 200 percent of the 

federal poverty level. In FY 2015, AmeriCorps Senior Companions will 

serve as quarter-time AmeriCorps members, receive a living allowance of 

$2,771, and may be provided with funds to help offset the cost of service, 

including mileage reimbursements. This living allowance will be slightly 

greater than the average stipend that Senior Companions currently receive 

for serving 20 hours a week. In FY 2015, these benefits will continue to 

be disregarded from income calculations for the purposes of determining 

eligibility in other federal benefit programs and federal taxes. 

In FY 2015, AmeriCorps Senior Companions will receive a new type of 

$250 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. AmeriCorps Senior Companion 

Program members may use the education award or transfer it to 

qualified family members. The education award can help pay for tuition 

or loan repayment at institutions of higher learning or qualified job 

training expenses. The Budget also proposes that the new type of Segal 

AmeriCorps Education Award may be used to pay for educational and 

enrichment programming like afterschool programs or summer camps 

for family members. After FY 2015, AmeriCorps Senior Companion 

Program grantees will have the opportunity to compete for AmeriCorps 

funding. Once programs have successfully competed in an AmeriCorps 

Senior Companion Program funding competition, their AmeriCorps Senior 

Companions will receive the quarter time Segal AmeriCorps Education 

Award, which is equivalent to approximately $1,530 in FY 2015.

Program Summary

The AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program provides an important option 

in the continuum of care available to the nation’s aging population. For 

forty years, Senior Companions, age 55 and older, have served tens 

of thousands of older and frail adults by providing companionship, 

transportation, help with light chores, and respite to assist seniors to 

remain in their own homes. This impact of this work will continue, with 

greater benefits for participants, in the AmeriCorps Senior Companion 

Program. Under this Budget, AmeriCorps Senior Companions will help 

aging Americans and veterans maintain their dignity and quality of life, 

while enriching their own lives through their national service experience. 

AmeriCorps Senior Companions’ traditional clients are frail seniors, 

particularly women over the age of 85 who live alone. Other clients include 

individuals with disabilities and their caregivers. 

Companionship provides benefits to both the AmeriCorps Senior 

Companions and their clients, and CNCS is conducting the 2013 Senior 

Corps Study (ongoing research) to investigate these potential health 

benefits. AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program members also serve 

family and other informal caregivers, who provide daily support to frail 

seniors living at home. Caregiving can have a negative impact on the 

caregiving family’s economic opportunities, and caregiver burnout is an 

important contributor to nursing home use. 

32 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

Senior Companion grants are provided to eligible sponsoring organizations, 

including nonprofit organizations and state, local, and tribal governments. 

In FY 2015, AmeriCorps grants will be administratively awarded to current 

grantees for one year. In out years, AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program 

grantees will compete for three year grant awards through the broader 

AmeriCorps program. 

FY 2013 Accomplishments and Program Impact 

In FY 2013, Senior Companion volunteers delivered 10.7 million hours 

of service to approximately 46,750 frail, older adults and others with 

physical or other limitations, of whom 3,480 were veterans. Senior 

Companions, including approximately 600 veterans, transport clients to 

medical appointments, help shop for food and basic necessities, provide 

companionship to offset isolation, and offer respite to 6,900 family 

members and informal caregivers. 

As GAO has recognized, CNCS’s authorizing statute limits competition 

and performance accountability in the Senior Companion Program. 

Transitioning to the competitive framework of AmeriCorps will improve 

CNCS’s ability to reward performance and allow high-performing grantees 

the opportunity to grow. Below are examples of the Senior Companion 

Program activities in FY 2013.

Senior Companion Program in Action

Independent Living Support for Frail Seniors and Respite to 

Family and Informal Caregivers 

Kentucky: The Senior Companion Program sponsored by Central Kentucky 

Community Action Council serves frail homebound elderly and disabled 

persons in rural Breckinridge, Grayson, Hardin, Marion, Nelson, and 

Washington counties. Between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, 44 Senior 

Companions delivered services to 106 elderly clients, enabling them to 

continue to live independently in their own homes. The Senior Companions 

provided respite care to allow primary caregivers to attend to their own 

personal or work needs. For those clients with no family, the Senior 

Companion volunteers provided in-home assistance. These volunteers 

provided more than 46,937 hours of respite and in-home services and 

served over 1,000 more hours than what was budgeted. 

Minnesota: Through the Senior Companion Program sponsored by 

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, 395 Senior Companions provided 

weekly companionship services to 2,227 frail elders, with 85 percent 

reporting less isolation and loneliness and 88 percent remaining in 

their own homes for the entire year. Companionship services include 

accompanying and transporting clients to a senior center, health care 

facility, or recreational activity; providing grief support; reading; writing 

letters; filling out forms; and friendly visiting. Providing respite services, 

another 20 Senior Companions provided temporary relief for caregivers of 

195 elders. Eighty-five percent of caregivers reported less stress and an 

improved sense of well-being and 80 percent reported they would be able 

to keep their loved one at home for at least six more months. 

Service Partnerships

Senior Companion Program grantees work with states to expand services 

through Medicaid Home and Community-based Waivers. In 2012, six states 

elected to incorporate Senior Companion services into their Medicaidfunded home and community-based services, providing more than 

$775,000 to support 383 Senior Companions. The 2015 Budget preserves 

the ability of states to continue these partnership arrangements.

FY 2015 Budget Request and Performance Plan

In FY 2015, CNCS requests $38.330 million for the Senior Companion 

Program. The requested funding will support approximately 8,800 

AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program members. In addition to these 

program funds, $1.8 million is included in the National Service Trust 

to support Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for AmeriCorps Senior 

Companion members. 

Bringing Competition to the AmeriCorps Senior 

Companion Program 

Under this Budget, the existing grantees will become AmeriCorps grantees 

in FY 2015. After FY 2015, the AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program 

would transition to a competitive program within the broader AmeriCorps 

program. This competition would enhance the program’s efficiency, 

accountability, and impact. Competition represents an important 

step forward in ensuring greater return on the long-term investment 

in the AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program. It also reflects CNCS’ 

commitment to modernization, program impact, and accountability. 

CNCS believes that competition strengthens programs and community 

impact, and can be done in a way that minimizes disruptions to both 

the current program participants and the communities they serve. 

Competition is a powerful tool to ensure accountability, prioritize funding 

for more effective grantees, and reflects how grant making is moving 

across the federal government. Competition will also help ensure 

AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program members get the meaningful 

service experience they desire and that communities can provide the 

effective services that older Americans deserve.

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 33 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

BUDGET ACTIVITY 4:

AmeriCorps VISTA

(Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, Title I, Part A)

FY 2015 Budget Request Summary 

In FY 2015, CNCS requests $92.364 million for the AmeriCorps 

VISTA program, equal to the FY 2014 enacted level. This funding will 

support approximately 5,550 member service years, placing a total of 

approximately 7,800 AmeriCorps VISTA members (including 6,300 fulltime AmeriCorps VISTA members and 1,500 AmeriCorps VISTA Summer 

Associates), an increase of approximately 100 AmeriCorps VISTA members 

from FY 2014. AmeriCorps VISTA will continue to direct resources to 

projects that provide interventions that demonstrate promise in providing 

pre-K readiness and K-12 success, safe and affordable housing, access to 

food and health care, and support to veterans and their families. 

Program Summary

AmeriCorps VISTA helps reduce poverty and build economic opportunity 

throughout the country. Authorized in 1964 as Volunteers in Service 

to America, the program became part of the AmeriCorps network of 

programs in 1993. AmeriCorps VISTA’s history illustrates that, as 

highlighted in the July 2013 Presidential Memorandum entitled “Expanding 

National Service,” national service and volunteering can be effective 

solutions to national challenges and can have positive and lasting impacts 

that reach beyond the immediate service experience.

As AmeriCorps VISTA marks its 50th anniversary in 2015, the program 

continues to support efforts to alleviate poverty by engaging individuals 

aged 18 and older in a year of full-time service. These AmeriCorps VISTA 

members build the organizational, administrative, and financial capacity 

of non-profits and public agencies that help low-income Americans 

gain the skills and resources they need to break the cycle of poverty. 

AmeriCorps VISTA members are assigned to nonprofit community 

organizations and public agencies through an application process 

managed locally by CNCS State Offices.

The AmeriCorps VISTA program embraces the core principles of 

sustainability, capacity building, and strengthening community. Through 

activities such as community outreach, partnership development, 

resource development, and establishment of volunteer recruitment 

and management systems, AmeriCorps VISTA members strengthen the 

ability of local organizations to carry out their missions and programs. 

Sponsoring organizations must ensure their AmeriCorps VISTA projects 

engage residents of the targeted low-income community in project 

planning, development, and implementation.

AmeriCorps VISTA promotes service and community engagement at the 

local level. By creating and expanding the capacity of organizations that 

serve low-income populations, AmeriCorps VISTA members help make a 

lasting impact on community needs. AmeriCorps VISTA members, many of 

whom are recruited from the low-income communities being served, also 

find satisfaction, meaning, and educational and economic opportunity 

through their service.

FY 2013 Accomplishments and Program Impact

In FY 2013, AmeriCorps VISTA placed 7,211 AmeriCorps VISTA members 

(including 5,695 full-time and 1,516 Summer Associates), in more than 

1,200 communities and organizations across the country. The capacitybuilding activities performed by the AmeriCorps VISTA members varied 

depending on the local needs, but some activities were common among 

many sponsors. For example, 81 percent of all sponsors assigned one 

or more of their AmeriCorps VISTA members to resource development, 

and these members raised more than $160 million in cash and in-kind 

resources in support of anti-poverty programs. Similarly, 88 percent of 

sponsoring organizations used one or more of their AmeriCorps members 

to build their capacity to recruit and manage community volunteers. These 

AmeriCorps VISTA members meaningfully engaged nearly 1.4 million 

community volunteers in serving their communities. 

Additionally, AmeriCorps VISTA members worked to build capacity 

in the areas of education, employment, housing, and financial 

development programs. They provided critical support to organizations 

assisting individuals and communities affected by long-term poverty, 

unemployment, and the recent economic recession. 

FY 2013 was an important year for AmeriCorps VISTA as the program 

continued developing the performance measurement tools needed to 

measure the impact of AmeriCorps VISTA projects. Staff completed 

technical requirements for a new project application and reporting system, 

which will assist applicants in developing project plans that incorporate 

CNCS national performance measures, capture data to demonstrate 

progress, and increase accountability. These new systems will be fully 

implemented for FY 2014 and will improve resource allocation decisions 

and outcome measurement. AmeriCorps VISTA developed new training 

and technical assistance materials regarding performance measures 

and the new application and reporting system. CNCS will continue to 

take advantage of the National Service Knowledge Network website 

and the AmeriCorps VISTA Campus, an online learning and knowledge 

34 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

TABLE 9. AmeriCorps VISTA Budget Summary (dollars in thousands)

Budget Account

FY13 Enacted 

Level

FY14 Enacted 

Level

FY15 President’s 

Request

Increase/Decrease 

(2014-2015)

Subsistence Allowance $52,463 $54,382 $54,867 $485 

Post-Service Stipend 1,653 $1,668 $1,668 $0 

Healthcare 9,983 $10,868 $10,896 $28 

Childcare 1,090 $1,328 $1,328 $0 

Workers Compensation 862 $936 $940 $4 

Travel, Relocation, and Settling In 2,252 $3,113 $3,113 $0 

Supervision and Transportation 7,651 $5,236 $5,114 ($122)

Grantmaking Support 353 $670 $443 ($227)

Training 11,387 $11,907 $11,825 ($82)

Evaluation, Administration, etc. 825 $870 $784 ($86)

Recruitment and Outreach 1,341 $1,385 $1,385 $0 

Total Budget Authority1 $89,861 $92,364 $92,364 $0 

Total AmeriCorps VISTA Members 7,211 7,700 7,800 100 

1

 Total budget authority may not equal sum total of budget accounts due to rounding.

management website, to offer around-the-clock support in professional 

development, peer support, and program guidance.

Continuing with an increased focus on evidence-informed decision making, 

AmeriCorps VISTA will roll out a toolkit for program staff that will enable 

them to use data gathered from the online member portal and member exit 

surveys to strengthen the success of AmeriCorps VISTA projects.

Service Partnerships

Building on its long history of public-private partnerships, AmeriCorps 

VISTA created and expanded collaborations with federal agencies, 

nonprofits, and the private sector in FY 2013. The President’s Task Force 

on Expanding National Service notes that national service partnerships 

achieve multiple goals: engaging more Americans in service; expanding 

economic and educational opportunities; enhancing agencies’ capacity to 

meet their missions; efficiently using tax dollars; and helping individuals 

develop skills that will prepare them for long-term careers both inside and 

outside of government.

During FY 2013, 20 percent of all AmeriCorps VISTA living allowances for 

members were supported through cost share agreements. This cost share 

program enabled CNCS to support nearly 1,600 additional AmeriCorps 

VISTA members in FY 2013. Other examples of public-private partnerships 

are described below.

Hunger Alleviation

Since August 2010, AmeriCorps VISTA has partnered with the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to support hunger 

alleviation efforts in communities spanning 30 states. By building and 

strengthening coalitions of corporate, government, and community-based 

anti-hunger groups, AmeriCorps VISTA members raised $490,000, $3.5 

million and $5.5 million in cash resources during fiscal years 2011, 2012, 

and 2013, respectively. Building upon each previous year’s successes, 

the AmeriCorps VISTA members have raised $9.5 million dollars, despite 

fundraising being only a small part of each AmeriCorp VISTA member’s 

capacity-building assignment. 

In addition, AmeriCorps VISTA members met and exceeded project goals 

to create sustainable community resources that will outlive the initial 

investment resources provided by CNCS and the USDA. Between August 

2010 and August 2013, 364 AmeriCorps VISTA members and AmeriCorps 

VISTA Summer Associates improved access to affordable farmers markets 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 35 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

and created community gardens, volunteer-recruitment systems, nutrition 

workshop curriculums, and nonprofit fundraising templates. As a result of 

AmeriCorps VISTA’s efforts in FY 2013, 342 local anti-hunger community 

organizations nationwide received capacity-building services from 

AmeriCorps VISTA members and ended FY 2013 in a stronger and more 

sustainable position than they began the year.

Together for Tomorrow

Together for Tomorrow, an initiative developed by CNCS, the U.S. Department 

of Education, and the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood 

Partnerships, engages AmeriCorps VISTA members to expand community 

partnerships to improve some of our lowest-performing schools. Together for 

Tomorrow was launched in FY 2012 with six pilot projects that engaged 60 

AmeriCorps VISTA members in five states. In FY 2013, Together for Tomorrow 

expanded to include 39 projects with a total of 215 AmeriCorps VISTA 

members in 33 states. These AmeriCorps VISTA members fostered local 

community partnerships to focus on student outcomes such as attendance, 

behavior, course performance, and college access. 

Financial Opportunity Corps

In partnership with Bank of America and the Points of Light Institute, 

AmeriCorps VISTA launched the Financial Opportunity Corps to support 

low- and moderate-income households. This initiative will place 20 

AmeriCorps VISTA members at local nonprofit, public, and faith-based 

organizations throughout the country. The AmeriCorps VISTA members 

will build local capacity at their sites by launching and supporting 

proven financial coaching programs to help low- and moderate-income 

households achieve financial stability. 

HandsOn Tech

AmeriCorps VISTA has also partnered with the Points of Light Institute 

and Google to create HandsOn Tech, an initiative designed to increase the 

nonprofit sector’s effective use of technology. AmeriCorps VISTA placed 

28 HandsOn Tech AmeriCorps VISTA members in eight cities across the 

country to advance the anti-poverty work of nonprofit organizations 

serving low-income communities. This project builds the capacity 

of nonprofit organizations to effectively use technology to support 

mission-driven strategies. AmeriCorps VISTA members also recruit local, 

skills-based volunteers who continue to serve in the community. This 

sustainable model not only provides community-based technology training, 

but also provides vital employment skills and connects local community 

organizations to technological resources. The more effective use of 

technology will provide for greater efficiencies in the service delivery of 

the nonprofit organizations and lead to greater impact on issues facing 

low-income individuals and families in urban centers.

Focus on Impact

AmeriCorps VISTA programming continues to align with the CNCS 

Strategic Plan. AmeriCorps VISTA collects and reviews data from 

sponsors on agency-wide capacity-building performance measures, 

which demonstrate the results of AmeriCorps VISTA capacity-building 

efforts. AmeriCorps VISTA also prioritizes investment of its capacitybuilding resources in organizations and programs that align with CNCS’s 

Strategic Plan. In particular, AmeriCorps VISTA targets its capacitybuilding resources in organizations and programs that seek to provide 

economic opportunity (employment, financial literacy, and housing); 

education (pre-K readiness, K-12 success, and post-secondary success); 

veterans and military families (employment, housing, and education); and 

healthy futures (food security and access to health care) for economically 

disadvantaged individuals and communities. 

Economic Opportunity

Economic Opportunity remains a critical AmeriCorps VISTA focus area, 

encompassing nearly a third of the new projects developed in FY 2013. 

Faith-based and community organizations used AmeriCorps VISTA 

resources to create or expand projects that help people find employment, 

move into safe and affordable housing, and become financially 

independent. For example:

Thirty four AmeriCorps VISTA members at the Legal Assistance Foundation 

of Metropolitan Chicago helped low‐income individuals obtain legal 

representation and navigate the legal system, an important step towards 

economic self‐sufficiency. In 2013, AmeriCorps VISTA members recruited 

and trained 246 attorneys and paralegals (generating 3,819 hours of 

community volunteer service); coordinated the service of an additional 261 

attorneys/paralegals (generating an additional 6,010 hours of volunteer 

service); and served 4,859 individuals, an increase in service of 333 

percent from 2012. 

Education

Education continues to be a significant focus area, totaling more than 35 

percent of all new projects developed in FY 2013. To break the cycle of 

poverty through education, AmeriCorps VISTA members perform service in 

schools and community organizations that focus on improving educational 

outcomes for the economically disadvantaged through locally determined 

interventions. For example:

In 2013, Baltimore City’s Office of the Mayor recruited 93 young Baltimore 

natives to serve as AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate members to 

support Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s Read to Succeed program. 

Read to Succeed helps prevent summer learning loss among first through 

36 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

fifth graders. The City of Baltimore funded half of the AmeriCorps 

Summer Associate members through cost share. These AmeriCorps 

VISTA members helped the school system operate a full-day, five-week 

summer reading and enrichment program that provided strong academic 

instruction, quality enrichment activities, and nutritious meals for nearly 

3,000 Baltimore students most in need of reading support. In addition, 

AmeriCorps VISTA members facilitated reading instruction, led daily 

physical activities, and coordinated twice-weekly cultural field trips. 

AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates served more than 100,000 summer 

meals, including more than 60,000 suppers through the USDA Summer 

Food Service Program. 

As part of the Together for Tomorrow Initiative, six AmeriCorps VISTA 

members serving with Heart of Florida United Way in Orlando, FL 

leveraged more than 1,100 volunteers to mentor, tutor, and perform 

other activities at low-performing schools. These volunteers served more 

than 9,500 hours, which represents a value of more than $209,000. The 

AmeriCorps VISTA members also generated in-kind and cash contributions 

totaling over $46,000.

Healthy Futures

In FY 2013, nearly 15 percent of all new projects supported organizations 

that meet the health needs of economically disadvantaged individuals, 

including access to nutritional resources and health care. For example:

Seven AmeriCorps VISTA members brought in more than a million dollars 

in cash and other resources to the Rhode Island Free Clinic in FY 2013. 

Since the AmeriCorps VISTA members were placed in 2011, the Free Clinic 

has quadrupled patient visits from 2,000 to 8,000 per year. The clinic 

now has 300 volunteer doctors, a 200 percent increase since FY 2009. 

The clinic has expanded its operations to 45 hours a week, all driven by 

an active corps of nearly 700 volunteers. “All of this happens because of 

you,” said Stephanie Chafee, First Lady of Rhode Island and co-founder 

of the clinic, to the AmeriCorps VISTA members, who recruit and retain 

volunteers, research and analyze patient data and health outcomes, 

and coordinate fundraising and grant initiatives. The AmeriCorps VISTA 

members are on the front lines of public health and public service, helping 

to build the clinic’s capacity to provide critical health services to lowincome patients.

Across Ohio, 66 AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate members helped 

the Ohio Association of Food Banks provide food and resources to those 

in need. VISTA Summer Associates served 474,098 meals at 64 summer 

feeding programs during 2013, an increase of more than 24 percent 

in the number of meals served over program year 2012. AmeriCorps 

VISTA full-time members focused on capacity-building initiatives such 

as recruiting new Ohio Benefit Bank sites, developing resources, and 

coordinating community volunteers. In 2013, AmeriCorps VISTA members 

recruited 10,025 volunteers who spent 92,735 hours volunteering in their 

communities. The AmeriCorps VISTA members also secured more than 

$325,129 in cash and in-kind donations for organizations fighting poverty 

and hunger in Ohio.

Veterans and Military Families

AmeriCorps VISTA continues to expand programming to support new 

projects that assist low-income veterans and military families, as well 

as enhance existing projects to better serve low-income veterans. The 

AmeriCorps VISTA program encourages all projects, particularly those 

that serve veterans and military families, to recruit veterans to serve as 

AmeriCorps VISTA members. For example: 

AmeriCorps VISTA members assigned to the Oregon National Guard 

Service Member and Family Support Directorate are focusing on the needs 

of 8,600 Service Members and more than 19,000 family members in the 

areas of unemployment and underemployment. The AmeriCorps VISTA 

members will identify local resources and establish community support 

networks under the Joining Community Forces and Partners in Care 

programs in an effort to expand support from seven to 36 counties. 

AmeriCorps VISTA members with Metropolitan Community College in 

Omaha, NE help veterans and their families make the transition from life 

in the military to life in the classroom. The AmeriCorps VISTA members 

have set up resource guides and a website specifically for student 

veterans, compiled a list of faculty members with military experience, and 

facilitated the student veterans’ transition to the local community through 

service events.

New Initiatives in FY 2014

In the 2013 State of the Union Address, the President announced the 

creation of Promise Zones to establish opportunities for the middle class 

and put people back to work. In early 2014, the President named the first 

five Promise Zones, located in San Antonio, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, 

Southeastern Kentucky, and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Each of the 

five has put forward a strategic plan on how they will partner with local 

business and community leaders to make investments that reward hard 

work and expand opportunity. Five full-time AmeriCorps VISTA members 

will be made available to each Promise Zone. These AmeriCorps VISTA 

members will recruit and manage volunteers and strengthen the capacity 

of Promise Zones to expand economic opportunity.

AmeriCorps VISTA is supporting the Jewish Federations of North America 

and the Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Agencies to increase 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 37 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

their capacity to serve Holocaust survivors in the United States. The 

AmeriCorps VISTA members will focus on the needs of the 25 percent of 

Holocaust survivors residing in the United States that live at or below the 

federal poverty line helping them to live the remainder of their lives with 

dignity and comfort. 

Strengthening Member Development and Support 

Findings of the 2013 Training Assessment reflect that structured learning 

opportunities which provide personalized feedback and guidance have the 

greatest impact on a member’s development and success. The greatest 

returns on investment were in the coaching and supervision from the 

sponsor and the Pre-Service Orientation (PSO). In 2015, AmeriCorps VISTA 

will develop more resources to better prepare AmeriCorps VISTA sponsors 

and supervisors to support AmeriCorps VISTA members, therefore 

improving the likelihood that they will be successful in achieving their 

program outcomes. 

AmeriCorps VISTA Campus Infrastructure

The AmeriCorps VISTA Campus is a robust online learning website with 

self-directed tutorials, research materials, facilitator-led courses, webinars, 

forums, and social media links. To make the AmeriCorps VISTA Campus 

even more effective, it will transition to a new content management system 

to offer additional features, including a dynamic, personalized homepage, 

a powerful search engine, and a seamless environment between our 

resources and those linked outside of the VISTA Campus. After conducting 

a VISTA Campus usability study and content inventory, AmeriCorps VISTA 

reorganized the site to improve its value to users. 

Through the AmeriCorps VISTA Campus, AmeriCorps VISTA now has a 

platform to expand its audience, reaching CNCS State Offices, AmeriCorps 

VISTA members, AmeriCorps VISTA Leaders, AmeriCorps VISTA alumni, 

AmeriCorps VISTA project sponsors, potential sponsoring organizations, 

and future members. The AmeriCorps VISTA Campus website allows 

AmeriCorps VISTA to quickly communicate policy and breaking news, guide 

personal and professional development, and open valuable professional 

development opportunities by facilitating personalized relationshipbuilding activities. 

AmeriCorps VISTA’s webinar series has grown exponentially through 

the use of the VISTA Campus platform. AmeriCorps VISTA has also 

experimented with podcasts for its Leaders and members. The podcasts 

provide useful information on communication, relationship-building, and 

project management. 

Members’ satisfaction with service and their ability to attain their 

service goals are dependent on the supervisor’s communication with 

the members, which guides the members’ professional development. 

We continue to provide additional resources and support to supervisors 

using the Campus. Additionally, supervisors may suggest courses on the 

member’s individual learning plan. These features allow AmeriCorps VISTA 

to connect the sponsor to important resources and also offer guidance on 

appropriate development opportunities for members and supervisors. 

AmeriCorps VISTA continues to connect to its members through quarterly 

emails, which highlight courses and tutorials, and provide opportunities 

for members to provide feedback on their training needs and degree of 

satisfaction. These emails deliver the evaluation tool developed during 

the training assessment with the satisfaction survey associated with 

these quarterly messages. As a result, AmeriCorps VISTA more accurately 

measures the relevance and timeliness of its training and tracks the 

members’ assessment of their productivity in their projects, providing 

AmeriCorps VISTA the ability to intervene at the programming level and 

fine-tune training. 

The AmeriCorps VISTA Campus has greatly expanded since 2010 and its 

growing audience relies on it to carry out more functions. As such, the 

Campus will migrate from a learning management system to a content 

management system as a way to respond to our stakeholders’ needs. 

Training and Development Initiatives

AmeriCorps VISTA’s perspective on member development has broadened 

to encompass support in their career paths in addition to support during 

their service. Through the AmeriCorps VISTA Campus, members have 

access to courses accredited by the American Council on Education. 

AmeriCorps VISTA recently entered into a partnership with Roger 

Williams University to accredit service and facilitate members achieving 

an undergraduate or graduate degree at Roger Williams or transfer to 

another college or university. AmeriCorps VISTA will reach out to other 

universities to assess our competency-based training model and consider 

similar partnerships. 

In partnership with the University of Virginia, AmeriCorps VISTA has 

statistically validated the competencies members develop though 

AmeriCorps VISTA service. Validation of these competencies affords 

AmeriCorps VISTA the opportunity to partner with organizations (e.g., 

universities and other education institutions, professional networks, and 

foundations) that can certify or accredit the AmeriCorps VISTA member’s 

service and training. The advantage of accreditation to national service 

and AmeriCorps VISTA members is clear. Service is valued professionally 

and intellectually; training is valued and rewarded; and career pathways 

evolve that offer easy access to alumni. The advantage to colleges and 

institutions is that they will attract greater numbers of high-caliber 

38 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

individuals. Foundations and nonprofits will be able to employ well-trained, 

experienced individuals in areas of pressing need. 

AmeriCorps VISTA has been advancing the work of the Talent Pipeline 

working group of the President’s Task Force on Expanding National 

Service. The Talent Pipeline working group is tasked with encouraging the 

hiring of national service alumni. AmeriCorps VISTA’s outreach promotes 

AmeriCorps VISTA’s Non-Competitive Eligibility status. AmeriCorps VISTA 

members who have successfully completed their service attain NonCompetitive Eligibility status for one year following their completion of 

service. This provides the alumni the opportunity for an appointment 

by a federal agency into the federal competitive service and/ or allows 

AmeriCorps VISTA alumni to compete for certain federal employment jobs 

only available to federal employees. 

AmeriCorps VISTA will also develop an Institute on the VISTA Campus to 

offer career-building opportunities such as school credit, certification, 

awards, and badges. AmeriCorps VISTA will also work to develop 

agreements with corporate sponsors to offer outstanding AmeriCorps VISTA 

alumni paid internships to enhance their skills and jump start their careers.

Outreach and Alumni

2015 marks the 50th anniversary of AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers serving 

America. VISTA has operated for 20 years in the AmeriCorps network and 

for 30 years before that in the Office of Economic Opportunity/ACTION. In 

2015, AmeriCorps VISTA will celebrate the work of its 200,000 alumni and 

look forward by developing new partnerships and new strategies to carry 

out its mission in the 21st Century. 

FY 2015 Budget Request and Performance Plan

CNCS requests $92.364 million for the AmeriCorps VISTA program, 

equal to the FY 2014 enacted level. This funding will support roughly 

5,550 member service years, placing a total of approximately 7,800 

AmeriCorps VISTA members (including 6,300 full-time AmeriCorps VISTA 

members and 1,500 AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates), and an 

increase of approximately 100 AmeriCorps VISTA members above FY 

2014. This increase in member numbers is possible because AmeriCorps 

VISTA has strengthened its infrastructure, improved training and 

member development, reduced per member costs, refined performance 

management, and increased its data-informed decision-making. 

AmeriCorps VISTA will continue to direct resources to projects that provide 

evidence-informed interventions that demonstrate promise in:

• Education—Pre-K readiness, K-12 success, postsecondary 

readiness.

• Economic Opportunity—Securing safe, healthy and affordable 

housing, developing financial literacy and other services aimed at 

increasing economic security, and enhancing employability.

• Healthy Futures—Improving access to food and health care.

• Veterans and Military Families—Engaging and providing support for 

veterans and their families in service, in particular in employment, 

housing, education, and access to care.

AmeriCorps VISTA will continue to coordinate with other federal and 

local agencies through the President’s Task Force on Expanding National 

Service and by supporting the White House Promise Zone and Strong 

Cities Strong Community initiatives. Additionally, through pilot programs 

in partnership with NeighborWorks America, AmeriCorps VISTA will explore 

ways to use its resources to help nonprofits expand their evaluation and 

data-driven management capacity.

While AmeriCorps VISTA has evolved over the years in response to 

America’s ever-changing society, at its core the program’s vision 

remains the same: the most effective long-term solutions to fight 

poverty and improve economic opportunity originate in the community 

itself. Organizations and agencies rooted in the community can leverage 

federal, state, and local resources to empower the community. As always, 

AmeriCorps VISTA resources are best used when focused on building the 

capacity of these locally based organizations to strengthen the community.

TABLE 10. AmeriCorps VISTA Vital Stats

FY11 Actual FY12 Actual FY13 Actual FY14 Target FY15 Target

Appropriation (in thousands) $98,662 $94,820 $89,861 $92,364 $92,364

Number of New Members Enrolled 7,438 7,300 7,211 7,700 7,800

Number of Member Service Years (MSYs) 5,786 5,745 5,591 5,559 5,550

Cost per MSY $17,089 $16,506 $16,041 $16,615 $16,642

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 39 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

BUDGET ACTIVITY 5:

AmeriCorps National Civilian 

Community Corps 

(National and Community Service Act of 1990, Title I, Subtitle E)

FY 2015 Budget Request Summary

In FY 2015, CNCS requests $30 million for AmeriCorps National Civilian 

Community Corps (NCCC), equal to the FY 2014 enacted level. The FY 

2015 request will support an annualized enrollment of 1,011 members—

slightly higher than the annualized number of members expected to 

serve in FY 2014. The funding request permits NCCC to provide a flexible 

program model that meets the needs of nonprofits, municipalities, 

educational institutions, and other partners when local resources are 

scarce and other national programs are unable to provide services. 

Program Summary

AmeriCorps NCCC is a residential, team-based program that provides 

opportunities for young Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 to 

address pressing national and community needs in all 50 states through 

10 months of full-time, intensive national service. As highlighted in the 

President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service, national service 

and volunteering can be effective solutions to national challenges and 

can have positive and lasting impacts that reach beyond the immediate 

service experience by providing participants with a pathway to future 

public service and community involvement. This is especially true in 

the case of AmeriCorps NCCC, where the program’s service, training, 

and certifications increase employment skills, leadership abilities, 

and economic opportunity for young adults—particularly those from 

disadvantaged circumstances. 

AmeriCorps NCCC’s structure of five regional campuses allows for rapid 

deployment of teams to meet both local and national needs. Thus, 

AmeriCorps NCCC plays a critical role in achieving the agency’s strategic 

goal of increasing the impact of national service on meeting community 

needs. AmeriCorps NCCC’s flexible structure enables the program to 

partner with resource-challenged communities that lack the financial, 

human capital, or organizational capacity to manage grant programs. The 

structure also enables AmeriCorps NCCC to strategically partner with other 

national service programs to multiply community impact in the areas of 

disaster response, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship 

and conservation, urban and rural development, and energy conservation. 

CNCS’s strategic goal to meet the needs of disaster survivors continues 

to be a focus for AmeriCorps NCCC. Rigorous training in response and 

recovery skills, including first aid, CPR, firefighting, case management, 

asset mapping, and volunteer coordination, prepare AmeriCorps NCCC 

members to serve as the lead CNCS disaster responders. In this 

capacity, AmeriCorps NCCC serves as a force multiplier working with 

local organizations (which are often not functioning at full capacity in 

the aftermath of the disaster) to rapidly and effectively coordinate and 

manage the large numbers of episodic volunteers who frequently appear 

in the wake of major disasters. Since 2000, more than 15,000 AmeriCorps 

NCCC members from across the country have served more than 5.4 million 

hours on 2,042 disaster service projects.

Service Partnerships 

FEMA Corps

Building on AmeriCorps NCCC disaster work and a 19-year history 

of working together on disaster response and recovery efforts, the 

Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FEMA) and CNCS launched an innovative partnership in 2012 

to further strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to and recover 

from disasters while expanding professional disaster management 

opportunities for young people.

FEMA Corps is a new unit of AmeriCorps NCCC whose members are 

devoted solely to disaster response and recovery efforts. The program 

provides for a corps of 1,600 members annually. 

FEMA Corps was launched to:

• Enhance the federal government’s disaster capabilities.

• Increase the reliability and diversity of the disaster workforce.

• Expand education and economic opportunity for young people. 

• Achieve significant cost savings for the American taxpayer.

In FY 2012-2013, FEMA Corps teams provided vital services to survivors 

of Hurricane Sandy, including the distribution of more than 24,000 

educational and preparedness kits in New York and New Jersey. FEMA 

Corps teams assisted more than 13,300 people in Moore, OK affected 

by an EF5 tornado that devastated the city on May 20, 2013. In total, 

FEMA Corps teams have served in 74 cities across 32 states and have 

completed more than 6,500 damage or needs assessments, answered 

more than 28,000 registration or helpline calls, and conducted more than 

65,000 case reviews for disaster survivors. 

40 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

TABLE 11. AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps Budget Summary (dollars in thousands)

Budget Account

FY13 

Enacted Level

FY14 

Enacted Level

FY15 

President’s Budget

Increase/Decrease 

(2014-2015)

Program Support $12,388 $13,145 $12,055 ($1,090)

Program Operations $17,826 $16,855 $17,945 $1,090

Total Budget Authority $30,214 $30,000 $30,000 0

Total Annualized Members1 1,011 1,011 1,011 0

1

 Annualized member levels reflect the average number of members serving each month across the entire fiscal year.

AmeriCorps NCCC members serving in FEMA Corps have also helped FEMA 

innovate when providing services to disaster survivors. One example is the 

newly developed Disaster Survivor Assistance teams that resulted from 

lessons learned during Hurricane Sandy. Initially, FEMA Corps members 

went door-to-door sharing information about FEMA services and inviting 

survivors to a Disaster Recovery Center. FEMA realized that FEMA Corps 

members could also use tablets, smartphones, and global positional 

devices to help residents who had lost power and Internet service to sign 

up for disaster relief without leaving their homes. Based on this experience, 

FEMA Corps worked with FEMA to create and implement these new Direct 

Survivor Assistance teams, which provide disaster survivors a faster and 

more efficient way to sign up for post-disaster assistance and is a major 

improvement over the previous process. The Disaster Survivor Assistance 

teams were used in subsequent disasters in FY 2013, including response to 

the Moore, OK tornado. In rolling out the President’s Management Agenda, 

President Obama highlighted this innovation as an example of government 

delivering services better, faster, and more efficiently. 

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development 

Corporation

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation in Youngstown, 

OH, is a citywide multifaceted neighborhood development organization 

launched to catalyze strategic reinvestment in neighborhoods throughout 

the City of Youngstown, OH. Starting in 2012 and continuing through 

2013, AmeriCorps NCCC members have worked in partnership with the 

Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation to create green 

space for the city by cleaning and clearing vacant lots of former homes 

and buildings. AmeriCorps NCCC members removed more than 12 tons of 

debris and trash and started eight community gardens. NCCC’s support 

ensured community gardens would provide affordable and accessible food 

to low-income neighborhoods while empowering residents to grow their 

own food. 

The Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia

The Citizens Conservation Corps of West Virginia conducts projects and 

programs that strengthen and revitalize communities by building selfesteem, providing educational enhancements, and identifying employment 

opportunities through meaningful work experiences for young people. 

In the summer of 2013, after two years of joint planning, the Citizens 

Conservation Corps of West Virginia, AmeriCorps NCCC, the Boy Scouts 

of America, and other organizations launched The Initiative, a large-scale 

community service effort in which 16 AmeriCorps NCCC teams from the 

Atlantic and Southern Regions took part. 

AmeriCorps NCCC members assisted the Citizens Conservation Corps of 

West Virginia with preparation, development, and logistical planning for 

320 Boy Scout community service projects. The Initiative projects engaged 

more than 40,000 volunteers in nine counties over a five-day period. 

AmeriCorps NCCC played a key organizing role coordinating the volunteers, 

with other AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs pitching in. 

After the five service days ended, teams helped complete unfinished 

projects including work site clean-up, collecting data, and taking inventory 

of tools and materials. AmeriCorps NCCC members provided assistance by 

leading volunteers on projects including painting a Wilderness Volunteer 

Fire Department, starting a community garden, and building a ramp for 

wheelchair access. AmeriCorps NCCC’s collaborative effort increased 

community members’ access to recreational areas, made schools and 

community centers safer, and restored historic sites’ aesthetic appeal.

Member Development and Impact

AmeriCorps NCCC is a strong contributor to the agency’s strategic 

goal of providing professional, educational, and life benefits to service 

participants. Data from a 2012 exit survey of AmeriCorps NCCC members 

found that 83 percent of members attributed a change in their attitude 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 41 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

toward community service to their service training and experience.6 In 

addition, 82 percent of the members said they intended to volunteer more 

frequently after their AmeriCorps NCCC service,7 which continues to 

validate the strong trend first noted in the AmeriCorps longitudinal study.

Throughout the 10-month program, young people are empowered through 

service, training, and leadership development activities. AmeriCorps NCCC 

members leave the program with the technical and life skills needed to 

become productive and engaged citizens as well as feeling prepared and 

obligated to become leaders in their own community and workplace. 

Youth from Disadvantaged Circumstances

AmeriCorps NCCC continues to recruit a diverse member community to 

serve across the country. NCCC continues to maintain that approximately 

32 percent of NCCC members are from disadvantaged circumstances. 

Since focusing on the goal of the Kennedy Serve America Act to recruit and 

place youth from disadvantaged circumstances into AmeriCorps NCCC, 

the outreach and recruitment partner relationships have been revamped. 

NCCC staff have also reviewed and revised the training and support 

provided to members to insure a quality service experience. AmeriCorps 

NCCC is now engaged in reviewing and revising the Life after AmeriCorps 

program so that it provides viable options for all of those who serve in 

AmeriCorps NCCC, especially youth from disadvantaged circumstances. 

To help AmeriCorps NCCC members successfully transition to their next 

step, new relationships with community colleges across the country 

have been initiated. We provide information on alternative educational 

institutions which accept the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, help 

members develop resumes and program portfolios to present to potential 

employers, and carry out creative efforts to increase the number of 

members who complete service with a GED or high school diploma. 

FY 2013 Performance Accomplishments 

and Impact

In FY 2013, AmeriCorps NCCC implemented the first full year of project 

sponsor surveys which provide outcome evidence on the community 

impact of the AmeriCorps NCCC program model. Results show two 

primary outcomes of AmeriCorps NCCC projects. First, AmeriCorps NCCC 

service enhanced the capacity of the sponsoring organization to meet 

community needs. Second, collaborating with AmeriCorps NCCC expanded 

or enhanced the sponsoring organization’s community impact. Ninetyfive percent of the sponsors enhanced their ability to provide services, 

including increasing the number of people they could serve and the 

amount of service they could provide. 

In FY 2013, AmeriCorps NCCC enrolled approximately 1,000 members 

and recruited or managed an additional 86,000 volunteers in efforts to 

improve communities throughout the country. The program continued to 

focus its efforts on the focus areas identified in the Serve America Act 

and CNCS’s Strategic Plan: natural and other disasters, infrastructure 

improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, urban and 

rural development, and energy conservation. In support of CNCS’s work 

in these strategic focus areas, AmeriCorps NCCC teams spent eight 

percent of project hours on infrastructure improvement, 24 percent on 

environmental stewardship and conservation, 34 percent on urban and 

rural development, and two percent on energy conservation projects. 

AmeriCorps NCCC members devoted 32 percent of total project hours to 

disaster services nationwide. 

In FY 2013, AmeriCorps NCCC members:

• Suppressed or contained wildfires on 52,748 acres, removed 

2,600 acres of brush or undergrowth to prevent fires, and performed 

prescribed burns on more than 2,200 acres to prevent further 

wildfire spreading.

• Assisted 17,600 homeless people, 16,500 at-risk youth, and 

4,700 veterans.

• Taught 15,800 people in environmental classes/workshops.

• Planted 329,000 new trees.

• Recruited and coordinated 86,000 volunteers.

• Constructed 640 houses and weatherized/outfitted 175 homes 

with energy-efficient modifications.

• Returned approximately $21 million tax dollars to American 

communities through tax preparation services.

AmeriCorps NCCC members participated in disaster response and 

recovery efforts in 49 states in FY 2013 including continued recovery 

efforts in Joplin, MO and in the Atlantic states following Hurricane Sandy. 

In addition, AmeriCorps NCCC teams provided support following the 

wildfires in Colorado as well as the tornados in Moore, OK and Hattiesburg, 

MS. The program supported disaster response efforts in partnership with 

FEMA, the American Red Cross, State Service Commissions, and local 

municipalities throughout the United States. Many AmeriCorps NCCC 

teams were recognized by state legislatures for the impact of their work. 

6,7 A third-party evaluator, JBS International, Aguirre Division, analyzed the survey data and submitted a report (NCCC Member Development Performance Measures Survey: Summary of Results for 

Graduating Class XVIII) to NCCC in February 2013. The overall response rate for the survey was 74%. (N = 936).

42 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

TABLE 12.FY 2013 NCCC Project Accomplishments1

Issue Area Team Service Hours Completed2 Percentage of Total Team Service Hours

Natural and Other Disasters 403,444 32%

Infrastructure Improvement 101,577 8%

Environmental Stewardship and Conservation 311,097 24%

Energy Conservation 17,188 2%

Urban and Rural Development 438,323 34%

Total 1,271,6292 100%

1

 All data submitted as of 1/10/2014.

2

 These hours do not include those devoted to training or the 80 hours of individual service each NCCC member must complete with a community sponsor of their own choosing.

NCCC members received recognition from Senators Mikulski (Maryland) 

and Bennett (Colorado) and proclamations from Staten Island Borough 

President, James Molinaro, for relief work after Hurricane Sandy.

Campus Development

In FY 2014, NCCC will complete the process of relocating its Atlantic 

campus from Perry Point, MD to Baltimore, MD. Because of this move 

to the Sacred Heart of Mary School in the Dundalk neighborhood of 

Baltimore, AmeriCorps NCCC will continue its service to the State of 

Maryland and the Atlantic Region while bringing an infusion of 18-24 

year olds to Baltimore. The facility, which was originally constructed in 

the 1960s, has been upgraded to be compliant with the Americans with 

Disabilities Act and has been adapted for occupancy by AmeriCorps 

NCCC members.

AmeriCorps NCCC in Action: Project Examples 

Education

The Denver Green School in Denver, CO, provides a hands-on, brains-on 

experience to all students, staff, and community, preparing all learners 

to lead the way toward a sustainable, bright green future. Since 2011, six 

Southwest Region AmeriCorps NCCC teams worked to meet compelling 

educational needs at Denver Green School. The Denver Green School 

serves diverse southeast Denver neighborhoods with students from over 

25 countries. Sixty-five percent qualify for a free or reduced lunch rate. 

AmeriCorps NCCC members primarily served as classroom math and 

literacy coaches for students. Members also worked on creating a oneacre farm and a 20,000 square foot garden for the school, creating the 

first farm-to-cafeteria program in the state of Colorado.

Economic Opportunity

Next Step VITA, formerly known as KC CASH, assists low-income taxpayers 

with their federal and state income tax returns for free through the 

IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Facilitated Self 

Assistance programs. In FY 2013, AmeriCorps NCCC members served 

clients full-time at Kansas City’s Full Employment Council (FEC) as 

well as other sites in the area. Overall, the team prepared 1,417 federal 

returns (not including state or dual-state returns). The National Society of 

Accountants calculated that it costs each taxpayer, on average, $229 to 

have their taxes prepared by a professional accountant. KC CASH, along 

with the help of the team, was able to allow the clients to keep that money 

in their pockets. Additionally, the team was able to inform the clients and 

the community about the availability of the Earned Income Tax Credit, the 

Child Tax Credit, and education credits, among others. 

Supporting Veterans and Military Families

The Minneapolis Veterans Home was established in 1887 for indigent 

veterans of the Civil War and today provides skilled nursing and 

domiciliary care to 341 veterans. In FY 2013, AmeriCorps NCCC members 

improved the home’s living conditions by sanding, painting, and cleaning 

62 rooms that totaled 19,879 square feet. AmeriCorps NCCC’s contribution 

enabled the residents to move back into their rooms before the holidays 

and enjoy time with their families in a familiar place. 

Helping Communities Respond to Disasters

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, seven teams worked alongside Jersey 

Cares to coordinate volunteers and provide direct assistance to survivors 

in New Jersey communities. AmeriCorps NCCC members engaged in labor 

intensive work that returned a sense of normalcy to the disaster-affected 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 43 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

TABLE 13. AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps Vital Statistics

FY11 Actual FY12 Actual FY13 Actual FY14 Target FY15 Target

Appropriations ($ in Thousands) $28,788 $31,882 $30,214 $30,000 $30,000

Number of Member Service Years 1,149 1,200 1,200 1,200 1,200

Annualized Enrollment 1,036 1,011 1,011 1,011 1,011

Cost Per MSY $27,936 $27,909 $29,885 $29,674 $29,674

Cost Per MSY in Constant 2009 Dollars $27,606 $27,252 $27,503 $26,800 $26,248

communities. These teams recruited and coordinated more than 800 

volunteers, directly assisted more than 6,900 disaster survivors, and 

removed more than 205 tons of trash and debris. 

Strengthening Energy Efficiency

In FY 2013, an AmeriCorps NCCC team in Denver, CO served 

1,767 hours with Veterans Green Jobs insulating and weatherizing 

homes, distributing energy efficiency kits, and educating youth on 

sustainability and energy conservation. AmeriCorps NCCC members 

also worked with the Cesar Chavez Foundation in Phoenix, AZ, 

installing xeriscaping which provides plants that can survive with 

minimal water and care. To make space for the new energy-efficient 

landscape, members removed a half ton of exotic vegetation and ten 

and a half tons of debris and trash. This project drastically reduced the 

amount that the Cesar Chavez Foundation spends on water costs while 

also reducing environmental impact. 

Promoting Environmental Stewardship

In FY 2013, AmeriCorps NCCC teams worked with The Bishop’s Ranch 

of the Episcopal Diocese of California to reduce erosion on the property 

and sustain a healthy watershed habitat. AmeriCorps NCCC members 

constructed 1,462 feet of irrigation trenches and 507 feet of erosion 

control next to roads, on trails, and through areas of landscape to redirect 

rain water. Members also removed 12 tons of underbrush and exotic 

vegetation, including 3,000 pounds of an invasive blackberry species. 

The creation and restoration of trail systems in the backcountry lands 

allowed for more visitors to access and gain a better appreciation of the 

natural world. 

FY 2015 Budget Request and Performance Plan

In FY 2015, CNCS requests $30 million for AmeriCorps NCCC, equal to the 

FY 2014 level. 

The FY 2015 request will support an annualized enrollment of 1,011 

members. The projected FY 2015 cost per member of $26,248 is a slight 

decrease over the FY 2014 cost of $26,800 (in 2009 constant dollars).

This Budget supports a program that is making a strong and lasting 

impact on communities and the AmeriCorps NCCC members who serve in 

them. People across the nation have benefited from AmeriCorps NCCC’s 

service to meet vital community needs as well as the program’s swift 

and intense disaster response and recovery efforts. The Budget permits 

AmeriCorps NCCC to provide a flexible program model that meets the 

needs of nonprofits, municipalities, educational institutions, and other 

partners when local resources are scarce and other national programs are 

unable to provide services.

44 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

BUDGET ACTIVITY 6:

State Service Commission 

Support Grants

(National and Community Service Act of 1990, Title I, sections 

126(a) and 178)

FY 2015 Budget Request Summary 

For FY 2015, CNCS requests $16 million for State Service Commissions 

(Commissions), a $1 million increase above the FY 2014 enacted level. 

This budget level is necessary to support Commissions in performing their 

critical administrative, oversight, monitoring, and strategic functions, and 

to implement CNCS grants and programs effectively. The Commissions 

administer and monitor approximately two-thirds of CNCS AmeriCorps 

State and National grant funds. Commissions need to develop a broader 

range of partnerships in the states, support and monitor programs, and 

ensure resources are directed effectively at the local level.

Program Summary

When Congress created CNCS in 1993, it envisioned national service as 

a shared federal-state partnership, providing a central role for governors 

in designing and implementing national service through Commissions. 

Commissions perform a vital function in identifying and developing 

strong and effective program models, ensuring that national service 

meets local needs, and providing fiscal and programmatic oversight 

and accountability. As highlighted through the President’s Task Force 

on Expanding National Service, national service and volunteering can 

be effective solutions to national challenges and can have positive and 

lasting impacts that reach beyond the immediate service experience. 

More than a thousand private citizens serve as governor-appointed 

commissioners and direct the states’ national service efforts. 

Commissions serve as invaluable partners to CNCS, identifying local 

needs, directing federal and state resources, ensuring oversight and 

accountability, tracking performance measures and community impact, 

and leading citizen service efforts in their states and territories.

For nearly 20 years, Commissions have administered and monitored 

AmeriCorps grants, serving as the driving force on the state level for 

using service as a strategy to address local problems. In times of need, 

Commissions lead efforts to tackle critical challenges through citizen 

engagement. They manage volunteers and donations after natural 

disasters; decrease high school dropout rates; increase mentoring efforts; 

support people with disabilities; help veterans make the transition to 

civilian life; and establish volunteer centers, online matching platforms, 

and other systems to engage citizens effectively in service. 

Today, the nation’s 53 Commissions operate at the state and local 

level administering and monitoring approximately two-thirds of CNCS’s 

AmeriCorps State and National grant funds. Commissions perform 

many essential tasks. They provide outreach to prospective AmeriCorps 

grantees, conduct grant competitions, provide training and technical 

assistance to local AmeriCorps grantees, and build the capacity of 

faith-based and community organizations seeking to operate AmeriCorps 

programs. They are uniquely well-suited to this work because they know 

and understand state and local needs. 

Commissions are an integral part of state government structures and are 

often closely connected with governors’ offices. They establish state-wide 

goals for national service and volunteer action and actively pursue them 

in collaboration with other CNCS programs, volunteer centers, Voluntary 

Organizations Active in Disasters, and other partners. Their activities 

include hosting statewide volunteer conferences, coordinating state 

volunteer training and matching systems, and coordinating volunteers in 

response to disasters. In addition to the training and technical assistance 

activities described above, they have frontline responsibility for ensuring 

grantees comply with all federal rules and regulations and oversee and 

monitor their subgrantees.

Commission Support grants are an example of leveraging federal 

resources to meet locally identified needs. These grants have a 1:1 match 

requirement. For every federal dollar provided, states must match a 

dollar of state or private funds. Given tight state budgets, this continued 

state funding is an indication that governors value the critical role of 

Commissions in assessing and addressing local needs.

FY 2013 Accomplishments and Program Impact

Commissions received and reviewed more than 900 applications for 

AmeriCorps program funding in the FY 2013 grant cycle, resulting in the 

selection of 794 new and continuation programs in a highly competitive 

process. In addition, those Commissions with AmeriCorps National Direct 

operating sites in their states support and connect those sites to the 

AmeriCorps network in the state. They train staff to manage the programs 

and monitor the grants to ensure funds are used efficiently and effectively. 

Commissions are responsible for conducting a variety of activities in their 

states to ensure accountability and maintain a strong network of service 

delivery. These activities include training, performance reviews, site visits, 

risk assessments, and other oversight activities. As the centers for national 

service and volunteer activity in their states, Commissions have established 

partnerships that strengthen service and expand volunteer opportunities. 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 45 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

TABLE 14. State Commission Support Grants Budget Summary (dollars in thousands)

Budget Account FY13 Enacted Level FY14 Enacted Level

FY15 President’s 

Budget

Increase/Decrease 

(2014-2015)

State Service Commission $12,738 $15,038 $16,038 $1,000

Support Grants

Total Budget Authority $12,738 $15,038 $16,038 $1,000

To ensure the effectiveness of Commissions, CNCS monitors their 

performance in several ways, including tracking Commission spending 

rates to ensure that they execute in an efficient and accountable manner. 

As such, CNCS measures Commission spending rates on their State 

Support grants and the AmeriCorps formula grants they administer for 

programs in their states. 

For State Support grants, CNCS measurements require that Commissions 

spend their allotted funds for permitted activities within a given fiscal 

year. In FY 2013, 79 percent of Commissions met the Support Grant 

goal.8

 For spending related to AmeriCorps state formula grants, CNCS 

measurements require that Commissions disperse funds to subgrantees 

in a timely and accountable manner. In FY 2012, 81 percent of 

Commissions exceeded the goal for executing AmeriCorps program funds 

in their states.9

For AmeriCorps formula grants, CNCS monitors Commissions to ensure 

that AmeriCorps grant activities are being carried out as planned. While 

programs report on specific performance measures, CNCS tracks the 

enrollment and retention rates for AmeriCorps members in the states to 

ensure that funded programs are operating according to their authorized 

member levels so that service activities can be fully executed. For FY 

2012, enrollment rates in Commission programs were 98.62 percent 

and member retention rates were 87.28 percent.10 CNCS will continue 

to monitor Commission performance metrics to ensure that they spend 

federal funds efficiently and effectively to carry out national service 

activities in their states. 

Service Partnerships

Commissions are forging partnerships with the private sector and with 

other state agencies to provide more service opportunities and to meet 

state and local needs. The Washington Commission on National and 

Community Service partnered with the Washington Employment Security 

Agency to place AmeriCorps members with a wide variety of organizations 

across the state meeting the needs of low-income, elderly, unemployed, 

and other individuals. 

In Iowa, State Farm provided support to the Iowa State Commission to 

train local community organizations to work successfully with volunteers 

and provides funds to the Commission’s Volunteer Generation Fund 

program. The Alabama Commission partners with Lamar Advertising 

to post volunteer promotion messages on Lamar’s electronic billboards 

across the state. The California Commission established a council to 

work with businesses to expand employee volunteer opportunities and 

partner with them to support other national service activities. Throughout 

California over 8,800 Bank of America employees recorded over 200,000 

volunteer hours with non-profits in a variety of service activities including 

the Soldier Support initiative that assembled nearly 4,000 care packages 

for deployed troops. 

Disaster Response. State Service Commissions played a key role in 

responding to major disasters in FY 2013, including in New York, New 

Jersey, Rhode Island, and other states affected by Hurricane Sandy. 

As part of this disaster response effort State Commissions took on key 

roles, including managing volunteers and donations. In addition, State 

8 For State Support grants, CNCS measures the number of Commissions that expend at least 90 percent of their allocated funds in a given year. CNCS considers above 90 percent to be fully expended 

because expending 100 percent of funds is often not possible due to circumstances beyond Commission control. These circumstances include unexpected staff turnover and state hiring freezes. In 

addition, other state budget issues may result in unexpended federal funds when the states cannot fully meet the dollar-for-dollar match requirement for drawing down on CNCS funds. 

9 For AmeriCorps state formula program funds, CNCS measures the number of Commissions that expend at least 90 percent of their allocated funds in a given year. CNCS considers above 90 percent 

to be fully expended because member living allowances account for the largest portion of the grant budget and member living allowances are never fully expended unless all programs are uniformly 

at 100 percent enrollment and 100 percent retention.

10 Only 2012 data is available because the 2013 program year extends into 2014 and final data is not yet available. 

46 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

Commissions outside the affected regions lent a hand by supporting 90 

programs in New York and New Jersey, sending 2,700 members there 

to assist with clean-up and rebuilding efforts and to coordinate the 

thousands of other volunteers responding to the devastation.

Regional Training Conferences. The Commissions in Colorado, 

Tennessee, Iowa, New Jersey, and Oregon conducted regional training 

and compliance conferences for AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs 

operating in the states in their respective regions. These training sessions 

prepared CNCS programs to track their performance measures, measure 

outcomes in addressing pressing community needs, and to ensure 

compliance with CNCS and federal grant requirements, including training 

on federal financial management requirements, performance measure 

validation, and criminal history checks. These regional conferences 

facilitated partnerships between programs, identified evaluation 

strategies, and shared best practices across the network of CNCS 

programs and other volunteer activities in the states. As the overseers 

of programs in their states, Commissions know programs’ strengths and 

where they need improvement and are uniquely positioned to plan training 

and development sessions to meet their needs. 

FY 2015 Budget Request and Performance Plan

For FY 2015, CNCS requests $16.038 million for Commissions, a $1 million 

increase above the FY 2014 enacted level. This level is necessary to 

support Commissions in performing their critical administrative, oversight, 

monitoring, and strategic functions and to implement CNCS grants and 

programs effectively. Commissions need to develop a broad range of 

partnerships in their state to ensure resources are directed effectively at 

the local level. 

This funding level will bolster Commission capacity to implement the 

necessary performance-based culture, assist grantees with programmatic 

deliverables, and implement new financial compliance requirements. 

Commissions will monitor programs and conduct site visits to ensure 

grantees are accounting for federal funds appropriately and meeting 

performance outcomes. In addition, the request will be used to provide 

state-wide training and technical assistance for national service programs 

and participants. Commissions will use the funds to conduct training for 

program staff across the state on the new performance measures and 

compliance requirements.

Implementation and Accountability

CNCS will provide support to Commissions including training, technical 

assistance, and best practices. CNCS has revised the grant application 

instructions and progress report for the Commission Support Grants. 

These changes will strengthen CNCS’s ability to track Commission 

accomplishments and outcomes. In addition, CNCS will provide 

Commissions with performance standards designed to ensure they have 

high quality systems in place to select and monitor programs, build 

partnerships to expand service and volunteering, and track outcomes 

designed to address each state’s pressing community needs.

CNCS will assess the following performance metrics in FY 2015:

• Statewide member enrollment rates

• Statewide member retention rates

• Monitoring and oversight execution

• Commission budget execution.

The current statute does not permit competition in the Foster Grandparent 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 47 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

TABLE 15. Innovation, Demonstration, and Assistance Budget Summary (dollars in thousands)

Budget Account

FY13 

Enacted Level

FY14 

Enacted Level

FY15 

President’s Budget

Increase/Decrease 

(2014-2015)

Social Innovation Fund $42,471 $70,000 $70,000 $0 

Volunteer Generation Fund1 $3,776 $3,800 $19,025 $15,225

Innovation, Demonstration, and Call to Service $4,246 $3,100 $3,100 $0

Total Budget Authority $50,493 $76,900 $92,125 $15,225

1

 For FY 2015, CNCS proposes to integrate the most competitive RSVP grants into the Volunteer Generation Fund. This budget includes $15.225 million for RSVP grants.

BUDGET ACTIVITY 7:

Subtitle H, Innovation, 

Demonstration, and Assistance

(National and Community Service Act of 1990, Title I, Subtitle H)

Subtitle H Summary

Subtitle H funding provides resources for CNCS to strengthen the nation’s 

volunteer sector, bring more Americans into service, encourage social 

innovation, strengthen existing national service programs, and support 

and encourage new forms of national service and civic participation. 

This budget activity includes the Social Innovation Fund, the Volunteer 

Generation Fund, and Call to Service initiatives to engage more Americans 

in service to meet pressing community needs including the Martin Luther 

King, Jr. National Day of Service and the September 11th National Day of 

Service and Remembrance. The activities in Subtitle H promote national 

service and volunteering; identify and incubate innovative program 

models; disseminate effective practices, and strengthen the reach and 

impact of national service programs and voluntary organizations across 

the country.

Social Innovation Fund

FY 2015 Budget Request Summary

CNCS is requesting $70 million for the Social Innovation Fund (SIF), equal 

to the FY 2014 enacted level. Of this request, approximately $62 million 

will fund new and continuation grants. This includes up to $14 million for 

Pay for Success projects. Pay for Success models leverage philanthropic 

and private dollars to fund services up front, with government paying only 

after they generate results. An additional $4 million will fund a pilot to 

improve grantee and subgrantee access to administrative data to enable 

high-quality, rigorous evaluations at a lower cost. Up to five percent 

($3.5 million) of SIF grant funds will be set aside to support research, 

technical assistance, and knowledge-related activities required by the 

Serve America Act (SAA). Another (up to) one percent ($700,000) will fund 

CNCS’s grant review process. 

Program Summary

The SIF improves the lives of people in low-income communities by 

mobilizing public and private resources to grow innovative, communitydriven solutions that have evidence of compelling impact in three priority 

areas of need: economic opportunity, youth development, and healthy 

futures. At a time when public, private, and nonprofit organizations are 

struggling to meet the nation’s most pressing challenges, and when tough 

choices are being made at every level to maximize limited resources, the 

SIF represents a new way of doing business for the federal government. 

Through rigorous evaluation, the SIF will contribute to the knowledge base 

of proven program models that can be replicated in communities across 

the country, including by other CNCS-funded programs.

The SIF uses an open and highly competitive grant process that awards 

federal funds to selected grantees or “intermediaries” with strong 

grantmaking expertise and track records of success in identifying, 

supporting, and evaluating nonprofits. Through the SIF, these 

intermediaries address significant social challenges with compelling 

evidence-based programs in one or more of the designated issue 

areas. The grantees match the SIF funds with resources from private 

or other non-federal sources; select nonprofits (“subgrantees”) that 

are positioned to deliver the intended program impact; and support the 

growth and evaluation of their program models. 

The SIF model is innovative and combines several key elements 

that reinforce a clear role for the federal government as catalyst for 

transformational change and impact. These elements include:

48 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

• Requiring all intermediaries to select subgrantees to implement 

interventions that are both innovative and evidence-based and then 

engage subgrantees in formal evaluations of program performance 

and impact. All interventions must have at least preliminary evidence 

of effectiveness.

• Providing capital to evaluate interventions and scale those that 

work, leading to greater impact in the near term and more robust 

evaluations benefitting from testing with new populations and 

communities.

• Partnering with grantmaking intermediaries, which strengthens 

existing nonprofit infrastructure rather than creating additional 

government bureaucracy.

• Leveraging of non-federal resources through a 1:1 non-federal 

match requirement, both at the grantee and subgrantee levels 

(for a total of a nearly 3 to 1 match for every federal dollar), which 

builds stronger, more sustainable, and more diversified funding bases 

for each program.

• Reliance on evidence of effectiveness as a critical factor in funding 

decisions both at the CNCS level, and in the intermediaries’ selection 

of their sub-grantees.

• Requirements for rigorous program evaluation to increase 

accountability and create a robust pipeline of proven models for 

further investment.

• Explicit mandate to capture and share knowledge, practices, and 

tools that emerge from the grant program in order to enable increased 

social innovation in the broader nonprofit sector.

The SIF encourages innovation across a continuum, scaling what works 

where there is strong evidence of effectiveness, supporting programs as 

they seek to build strong evidence, and seeking out and testing promising 

earlier-stage programs with a preliminary level of evidence that have a 

clear plan to move to a higher evidence tier. There is a natural tension 

between evidence and innovation, but in order to discover game-changing 

solutions, SIF must develop a balanced portfolio that values both. 

For the SIF, innovation is about more than just new; it’s about faster, 

cost-effective, data-driven ways to solve old problems and lead to 

better results for the public good. As part of this effort, all organizations 

funded by SIF are required to enter with at least preliminary evidence of 

effectiveness, and obtain at least a moderate level of evidence by the end 

of their grant period. The grant sizes, program growth, and length of grant 

terms for these promising innovations support limited scaling that aims to 

further validate the model. 

The SIF maximizes the value it adds to grantees through its emphasis 

on improving their capacity to conduct rigorous evaluations. Similarly, 

the SIF National Assessment, a comprehensive, systematic effort to be 

conducted over the next three years, will assess the impact of SIF itself. 

Progress on the national assessment will be summarized and reported 

annually beginning in late FY 2014. To bolster the level of rigorous 

evidence produced by SIF grantees and consistent with the Serve America 

Act, CNCS is authorized to set aside up to five percent of the SIF’s 

annual budget to fund supplementary activities that enhance the impact 

of the grant program, including evaluation, knowledge capture, and 

dissemination initiatives. 

FY 2013 Accomplishments and Program Impact

FY 2013 was the SIF’s fourth year of making grants. During FY 2013, 

the SIF focused mainly on continuation grants to existing intermediary 

organizations; providing oversight and guidance to ensure sub-grant 

competitions were executed and evaluation plans designed and 

implemented; and sharing stories of successes and lessons learned from 

the model and the grantees themselves. In FY 2013, the SIF continued to 

operate under the following guiding principles: 

• Build a solid programmatic and operational foundation to support 

growth and development of promising, innovative program models 

and the generation of compelling outcomes.

• Strengthen the application of rigorous evidence and evaluation in 

critical program phases. 

• Develop key knowledge initiatives, sharing what the SIF learns about 

what works in tackling our nation’s toughest challenges for the 

benefit of other federal agencies and the nonprofit sector. 

Accordingly, the major achievements of the SIF during FY 2013 are related 

to standing up strong programs with solid evidence models; ensuring a 

healthy field of subgrantees are implementing interventions and building 

critical partnerships; and collecting and sharing knowledge critical to the 

SIF network and the broader social sector. 

The SIF portfolio now represents a $177.6 million federal investment 

in twenty intermediary grantees, which is expected to leverage more 

than $423 million in non-federal match commitments. Through the SIF, 

approximately 221 local nonprofits and programs in 37 states have 

received funding commitments. 

Progress in SIF Priority Areas of Need 

While it is too early to have substantial evaluation results and information 

on beneficiary outcomes, the SIF witnessed significant progress in FY 

2013 with grantees implementing diverse evaluation models, building 

robust partnerships, and surpassing early indicators of success as 

highlighted on the following page:

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 49 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

Priority Area of Need – Economic Opportunity

• Jobs for the Future: Over halfway through its third year, Jobs 

for the Future has met 87 percent of its total three year match, 

while sub-grantees have surpassed their match requirements by 

raising $11,300,000 over the past three years. Jobs for the Future 

subgrantees have served 19,835 job seekers and incumbent workers, 

exceeding their original targets. 

• Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City: Its 16 subgrantees, operating 

five different innovative and effective anti-poverty programs in eight 

cities, have enrolled more than 10,000 participants into its programs. 

The Mayor’s fund is implementing a rigorous evaluation plan, in which 

60 percent of their evaluations will end with a strong evidence of 

effectiveness, and an additional 20 percent are adapting program 

models with strong evidence to new populations or locations.

Priority Area of Need – Healthy Futures

• U.S. Soccer Foundation: Subgrantees have just completed their first 

full year of programming featuring a fall and spring season. U.S. 

Soccer exceeded its first year participant goal of 12,000 youths, 

engaging 12,830 children in its 2012-2013 Soccer for Success 

program. U.S. Soccer is implementing a single evaluation which will 

result in a moderate level of evidence for their intervention.

Priority Area of Need – Youth Development

• Venture Philanthropy Partners: Its six subgrantees have enrolled 

more than 10,000 participants into its programs. Venture 

Philanthropy Partners continues to focus its technical assistance not 

only on scale and evaluation but also its network component, which 

has led to the creation of the Latin American Youth Center Career 

Academy. This charter school will have programming from the six 

subgrantees co-located in one place. Venture Philanthropy Partners 

is implementing a rigorous set of evaluations, in which 83% of their 

implemented interventions will show a progression in the evidence 

base.

• Mile High United Way: Has met 100 percent of its match for its first 

year, while subgrantees have raised $1,893,913. Subgrantees have 

served 2,466 children, exceeding their original target for the first year 

of programming. 

Serving People

SIF programs are on track to meet their long-term scaling goals, having 

already served more than 270,000 individuals in the SIF’s three priority 

areas of need. The number of people served will continue to grow as SIF 

subgrantees report evaluation data for work that is already underway. 

Examples of individuals served through the SIF include:

Jobs for the Future is working with business communities in local regions 

to determine workforce needs and provide workers with targeted training 

and technical assistance to meet those needs. In FY 2013, Jobs for the 

Future helped to advance the careers of more than 8,800 low-income 

individuals while also meeting the needs of local employers. Through 

evaluation they will assess the outcomes of participation in workforce 

partnership programs for both employees and employers and will help 

determine the participant characteristics, program types, and types of 

services that yield the most desirable outcomes. 

Capital Impact Partners, formerly known as NCB Capital Impact, is 

investing in community-based nonprofits that aim to grow and replicate 

shared equity homeownership programs that enable local organizations 

to manage public investment in affordable homeownership. Rather than 

offering one-time grants, Capital Impact’s shared equity homeownership 

programs enable new homebuyers to partner with a government or 

nonprofit agency acting as a co-investor, injecting substantial public 

funds to reduce homeownership costs. In return, homebuyers agree to 

limit, or share, their equity appreciation to preserve affordability so that 

the initial public investment can ultimately serve far more families. So far, 

NCB’s subgrantees leveraged an additional $1.3 million in local matching 

funds and served more than 600 additional households.

Mile High United Way funds and supports programs implementing 

early learning and literacy strategies to help improve third grade literacy 

rates in the most underserved rural and urban communities across the 

state of Colorado. Many of these programs engage volunteers. Each 

program will participate in a unique evaluation to determine its impact on 

increasing third grade reading proficiency as measured by standardized 

reading assessments or other measures predictive of third grade reading 

achievement. Combined, these programs will serve 22,000 Colorado 

children from birth through third grade. 

Evaluation

Evaluation plans have been approved for all current grantees. In total, 86 

interventions are funded and will be evaluated. Evaluation plans for 72 

interventions have been approved, including 10 in Economic Opportunity, 

13 in Healthy Futures, and 49 in Youth Development. CNCS will provide 

a summary of grantee evaluation progress in CNCS’s FY 2014 Annual 

Financial Report. During FY 2014, subgrantee evaluation plans will be 

submitted and approved for the FY 2012 cohort. The following is an 

overview of the types of evaluation models being conducted across the 

portfolio and targeting levels of evidence:

• 33 percent (24 studies) use experimental design approach or 

randomized controlled trials to test the intervention.

50 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

• 47 percent (34 studies) use quasi-experimental design studies 

using comparison groups; 15 studies use propensity score matching 

technique to develop the comparison group; 19 studies use other 

forms of matched comparison group design.

• 19 percent (14 studies) use non-experimental design including 

pre- and post- test (outcomes) studies, feasibility, and 

implementation studies. 

At this time, 79 percent of the studies underway are targeting either 

moderate or strong level of evidence through their evaluation efforts.11 

While grantees are only required to publicize final evaluation results, in FY 

2013, the SIF received 62 interim or other evaluation reports, which 

are in the process of being reviewed to monitor progress and encourage 

needed course corrections. Additionally, the Mayor’s Fund to Advance 

New York City along with their evaluation partners at MDRC have publicly 

released three case studies outlining interim findings. 

Knowledge Initiative and Knowledge Network

The Knowledge Initiative and Knowledge Network are up and running. 

The Knowledge Network is a web-based community for the portfolio to 

maximize its ability to execute its SIF programs by offering information, 

guidance materials, and supportive resources; and opportunities to share 

protocols, ideas, and promising practices; as well as an online forum to 

discuss strategies, ask questions, and solicit support. The Knowledge 

Network will also produce a robust role model for the development of 

learning communities that will be of use for the SIF portfolio of grantees, 

the social innovation field, and CNCS. 

The Knowledge Initiative is a multifaceted effort that aims to document 

and share lessons learned and best practices so that growth of evidencebased solutions can be achieved both in SIF’s portfolio and in the social 

service field at large. To achieve this goal SIF has begun capturing 

experience and learning being generated by SIF programs. Knowledge 

Initiative products will include long-form case studies, research reports, 

blog posts, infographics, videos, and various gatherings. In FY 2013 

the Knowledge Initiative was a key contributor to “Getting Results, 

Transforming Lives,” the 2010-2012 SIF Investment Report, which 

provided detailed reporting on progress to date and was distributed to 

stakeholders and the broader social sector.12 

FY 2015 Budget Request and Performance Plan

CNCS is requesting $70 million for the SIF, equal to the FY 2014 enacted 

level. Of this request, $62 million will fund new and continuation grants. 

This includes up to $14 million for Pay for Success projects. Pay for 

Success models leverage philanthropic and private dollars to fund 

services up front, with government paying only after they generate results. 

In order to ensure that Pay for Success applicants have the time they 

need to put together robust applications, CNCS is requesting that this 

portion of SIF funds remain available through September 30th, 2016. An 

additional $4 million will fund grantee access to administrative data for 

high-quality, rigorous evaluations. Up to five percent ($3.5 million) of SIF 

grant funds will be set aside to support research, technical assistance, 

and knowledge-related activities stipulated in the SAA and essential 

to the ability of SIF to deliver expected value. Another (up to) 1 percent 

($700,000) will fund CNCS’s grant review process. 

Beginning in 2014, CNCS is shifting to a policy that provides multiple 

years of SIF funding at the time of initial award. This approach will provide 

grantees with greater stability in their budgeting, ease administrative 

burden, and stabilize the amount of funding that is available for new 

awards each year. In addition, for any FY 2015 SIF grant dollars that 

SIF grantees are unable to use by the end of their grant period, CNCS is 

requesting the authority to re-capture those funds and re-obligate them to 

further the objectives of the SIF. This flexibility will assure that SIF is able 

to maximize these resources and use them for the purpose for which they 

were intended. 

This budget request maintains FY 2014 funding levels, which represented 

a significant increase from previous years. The continuation of this 

increased level of funding is vital as the SIF reaches maturity and seeks 

to expand its reach to meet and exceed its founding goals.

A Refreshed and Renewed Grantmaking Strategy

In FY 2015, the SIF will take advantage of two key milestones to deepen 

impact and expand reach. First, given the necessary timeline for 

intermediaries to run competitions and for sub-grantees to implement 

programs, in FY 2015 SIF will have significant data on grantee results and 

overall program operations. Second, because the SIF statute mandates 

that no grant period can be longer than five years, the original cohort of 

intermediary grantees will receive their final year of funding in FY 2014. 

CNCS will leverage these milestones to showcase best practices and 

lessons learned to stakeholders, partners, and observers in an effort to 

educate, inspire and seed replication of promising practices. FY 2015 

provides an opportunity to maximize SIF’s benefit to the social sector by 

focusing on the areas described below.

11 Note that studies targeting a moderate level of evidence include those that plan to target the moderate level of evidence in a two-step process. Studies that target a strong level of evidence include 

three interventions that came in with multiple, well-designed randomized control trial/quasi-experimental design that are conducting non-experimental studies of intervention implementation and 

outcomes.

12 http://www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sif_investment_report2013_0.pdf. 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 51 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

In FY 2015 SIF will build on five years of funding and operational 

experience to deploy a refreshed grantmaking strategy to: 

Address Urgent Challenges and Build Evidence in Strategic Areas. The 

SIF proposes to explore methods of identifying and funding applicants and 

interventions that are not only enhancing or expanding their own model, 

but are also building evidence of effective interventions in areas where 

there is a lack of evidence about what works to address urgent challenges 

facing the nation. CNCS will determine these urgent challenges through a 

strategic, evidence-based, collaborative process in partnership with peer 

federal agencies. CNCS expects the issue area(s) that rise to the top will 

be those where there is significant interest from potential funders and a 

significant gap in the evidence about what works to meet the need. 

Through this process CNCS will also work with peer federal agencies to 

determine how interventions that are proven to be effective can transition 

to improve the effectiveness of existing, ongoing federal programs. SIF 

will continue to prioritize funding interventions that are not currently 

receiving funding from other federal sources. SIF will also expand efforts 

to identify gaps in federal funding of social interventions and create 

stronger connections to federal agencies and private sector partners 

that can benefit from and help grow SIF tested solutions. SIF has the 

potential to catalyze greater effectiveness in communities it funds, but 

will also produce data and lessons that will enrich CNCS as a whole, and 

stakeholders across the national service community. 

Expand Access to Capital through Pay For Success. In FY 2015, the 

SIF will use up to 20 percent of grant funds to invest in Pay for Success 

projects. CNCS proposes to make the funds requested for the Pay for 

Success initiative available until the end of FY 2016 to provide CNCS with 

sufficient time to develop an effective mechanism for attracting high 

quality projects, ensure that Pay for Success applicants have the time 

they need to put together robust applications, assess their likelihood of 

success, and distribute funds during the start-up of this initiative. The 

Budget also continues language to allow for a longer period of expenditure 

for these projects, which is necessary in a model where government funds 

are not paid out up front when services are provided, but rather later on 

based on their success in achieving outcomes as measured through a 

rigorous evaluation.

Showcase success and lessons learned from the SIF model and 

its diverse portfolio of grantees. The Social Innovation Fund is 

committed to improving the effectiveness of nonprofits, grantmakers, 

and government agencies by rigorously documenting and sharing best 

practices and lessons learned. The lessons shared will encompass the 

progress and challenges of SIF programs, both in execution and in scaling, 

as well as recommendations for the social sector on how to integrate 

innovation, evidence, and scale into their programs. In FY 2015, the 

SIF will expand its knowledge-sharing efforts by hosting a summit on 

community innovation and evidence-based approaches, jointly developing 

the CNCS “What Works” Research Clearinghouse, and releasing 

comprehensive research and evaluation results and best practice guides 

to advance SIF priorities and strengthen the field. 

Start a Central Administrative Data Access Facilitator Pilot.

CNCS requests $4 million to fully fund a five-year pilot to facilitate 

SIF grantee’s and subgrantee’s access to high-quality administrative 

data. This data facilitation hub will serve as the conduit that aids all 

subgrantees in accessing data available across state and federal sources, 

which is a key aspect of evidence-based grantmaking but currently 

fraught with challenges. 

These challenges include disparate standards for accessing each source 

of data, negotiating data access agreements, learning which data 

sources are most appropriate for different purposes, and formatting files 

in such a way that they can be matched against the administrative data 

sources. This initiative has the potential to reduce evaluation costs while 

simultaneously improving evaluation quality. It will also enhance CNCS’s 

ability to assist subgrantees in reaching a moderate or strong level of 

evidence. If the proof of concept is successful, it could be replicated by 

other interested parties, and could serve as a model for reducing the cost 

of high-quality evaluations for nonprofit organizations.

SIF’s FY 2015 grantmaking strategy will ensure SIF is able to meet its 

goals and intended outcomes, and specifically lead to: 

• Increased cross-sector investment in replicating and expanding 

proven social solutions 

• A more diverse portfolio 

• A robust network of social innovation funds across sectors and 

geographies 

• A smarter field with fresh data and results and an increased 

awareness of the need for evidence-based approaches and 

comprehensive evaluation 

• A stronger national innovation infrastructure and burgeoning social 

innovation and evidence-based marketplace

• Increased capacity and sustainability of grantees resulting from 

partnerships with other CNCS programs and stakeholders. 

Volunteer Generation Fund

FY 2015 Budget Request Summary

CNCS requests $19.0 million for the Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF), an 

increase of $15.2 million above the FY 2014 enacted level. This Budget 

will strengthen volunteer management practices across the country and 

52 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

provide for the integration of the most competitive RSVP projects into the 

VGF. The incorporation of RSVP grantees into the VGF will enhance CNCS’s 

ability to effectively support volunteer opportunities for older Americans in 

communities across the country. 

RSVP’s focus on placing volunteers in high quality assignments that 

meet community needs mirrors the VGF’s goal of strengthening the 

country’s volunteer infrastructure by recruiting, supporting, and retaining 

volunteers. Consolidating these two programs under an expanded VGF 

will more effectively build the nation’s volunteering infrastructure while 

engaging older Americans in meeting unmet community needs. Under 

this Budget, VGF grants will continue to provide funding to increase the 

number of people who volunteer in meaningful roles that address the 

highest priority local and national challenges. In addition, this Budget 

ensures that federal funds achieve the greatest impact by funding the 

volunteer connector organizations that use best practices to provide 

critical services where they are needed most. 

Program Summary

Volunteers provide enormous social and economic benefit to our 

communities and the nation. The 2013 Volunteering and Civic Life in 

America report from CNCS found that 64.5 million adults volunteered 

through an organization in 2012, providing nearly 7.9 billion hours of 

service. The estimated value of this volunteer service is nearly $175 

billion, based on the Independent Sector’s estimate of the dollar value 

of volunteer time. Whether tutoring at-risk students or providing job 

training to veterans or responding to natural disasters, volunteers have a 

powerful impact on critical challenges facing our nation. Volunteering also 

provides important benefits to those who serve—helping them develop 

and maintain skills, expand professional networks, stay connected to their 

community, and experience physical and mental health benefits. 

A growing body of research shows an association between volunteering 

and mental and physical health benefits, particularly for older Americans. 

The CNCS report Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent 

Research documents major findings from more than 30 rigorous 

longitudinal studies that reviewed the relationship between health and 

volunteering. The studies, which were controlled for other factors, found 

that volunteers have greater longevity, higher functional ability, lower 

rates of depression, and less incidence of heart disease

In June 2013, CNCS released research that provides a compelling 

empirical case establishing an association between volunteering and 

employment. The study, “Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment: 

Does Volunteering Increase Odds of Finding a Job for the Out of Work?” 

finds that unemployed individuals who volunteer over the next year have 

27 percent higher odds of being employed at the end of the year than 

non-volunteers. This association between volunteering and employment 

remains consistent across each year of the 10-year study period and 

varying unemployment rates, suggesting that volunteering may provide an 

advantage regardless of economic conditions. Importantly, the relationship 

was strongest among individuals without a high school diploma (51 

percent increase in odds) and individuals who live in rural areas (55 

percent increase in odds). 

The VGF, a program created by the Serve America Act, authorized CNCS to 

invest in America’s voluntary sector to increase the impact of volunteers 

addressing important needs in communities. The program builds on 

a bipartisan history of supporting investments in volunteer connector 

organizations that began with President George H. W. Bush and has 

continued through successive Administrations of both parties. 

The VGF supports efforts that expand the capacity of volunteer connector 

organizations to recruit, manage, support, and retain individuals to serve 

in high quality volunteer assignments. The Serve America Act authorized 

two funding streams: competitive grants to nonprofit organizations and 

State Service Commissions, and formula-based allocations to State 

Service Commissions. In its first four years, VGF funds were used by 

State Service Commissions to identify effective approaches to expand 

volunteering, strengthen the capacity of volunteer connector organizations 

to recruit and retain volunteers, and develop strategies to effectively use 

volunteers to solve problems. 

There is strong potential for organizations to increase their community 

impact by recruiting skilled volunteers, including retiring Baby Boomers 

and other seniors. Baby Boomers—the generation of 77 million 

Americans born between 1946 and 1964—represent a vast talent pool. 

The volunteer potential of Baby Boomers is vital to the nonprofit world, 

not just because of the generation’s size but also because of Boomers’ 

relatively high education levels, skills, and health. Boomers are entering 

their later years with a broad range of skills, talents, and experience that 

can be harnessed to help nonprofits increase their capacity, operate more 

efficiently, and have a bigger impact on community problems. As such, the 

integration of RSVP into the VGF helps advance the goal of engaging more 

Baby Boomers and other seniors into high impact volunteer work while 

providing a talent source for community organizations and simultaneously 

building the country’s volunteer infrastructure. 

FY 2013 Accomplishments and Program Impact

Volunteer Generation Fund

The Volunteer Generation Fund has shown promising early results. 

Additional investments will build on this early success to stimulate 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 53 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

greater innovation in the voluntary sector, help nonprofits attract and 

retain skilled volunteers, create a sustainable infrastructure of volunteer 

connector organizations, and build the capacity of the voluntary sector 

to more effectively use volunteers, including older Americans, to address 

critical community needs. 

In FY 2013, CNCS awarded $3.8 million in VGF grants to 18 State 

Service Commissions to support volunteer connector organizations, train 

nonprofits in volunteer management, and increase the number of new 

and continuing volunteers in their states. State Service Commissions 

provided direct support to numerous nonprofits and volunteer connector 

organizations in urban and rural communities in their states, and 

reported on performance measures related to volunteer recruitment 

and management. 

FY 2013 VGF grant performance highlights include:

• Creation and expansion of volunteer centers in underserved 

communities.

• Launch and expansion of skill-based volunteer programs.

• Improved systems and training for coordinating disaster and 

emergency volunteers to meet immediate and long-term needs.

• Development of a research-based volunteer management curriculum 

for nonprofit organizations.

• Training and deployment of volunteer leaders to coordinate and 

manage community service projects.

• Convening of networks to share and disseminate best practices.

• Training and technical assistance to enhance nonprofit organizational 

capacity to manage and engage volunteers in meaningful service.

Following are several examples of State Service Commission VGF 

accomplishments:

Michigan Community Service Commission: Using their VGF grant, 

the Michigan Community Service Commission made subgrants to seven 

volunteer connector organizations across the state to increase the 

number of volunteers addressing health and public safety issues in local 

communities. One subgrant went to the Allegan County United Way to 

support the creation of a Volunteer Medical Corps to provide free quality 

healthcare to uninsured and underinsured county residents. The Volunteer 

Medical Corps holds day-long Free Health Care Clinics providing medical, 

dental, and mental health services to eligible children and adults. 

Volunteer physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, medical 

assistants, dentists, dental hygienists, mental health providers, as well as 

non-medical staff provide pro bono services at the clinics. In the first year, 

the Allegan County United Way recruited a total of 243 new volunteers, 

59 of whom were highly skilled. Seventy patients were seen in their first 

two-day clinics including children with strep throat, an undiagnosed 

diabetic mother, and a father with pneumonia. In addition, a collaborative 

of 16 partners has been formed that now accesses medical supplies 

and pharmaceuticals. As a result of this increased volunteer activity and 

effectiveness, the Allegan County Volunteer Medical Corps and community 

collaborative are creating systemic change to address health care 

challenges in this rural county.

Washington Commission for National and Community Service: In 

2012-13, the Washington Commission for National and Community Service 

issued VGF mini-grants to fund a range of projects that place Volunteer 

Centers of Washington in the role of key mobilizers, collaborators, and 

professionals in the field of volunteer management. Many aspects of the 

projects capitalize on the increased capacity of volunteer centers, with 

strategies ranging from engaging volunteer leaders, opportunities for 

veterans and active duty military volunteers, training for local agencies 

to better manage volunteers, and mobilizing skilled volunteers to meet 

the most pressing community needs. The VGF has not only strengthened 

the infrastructure of volunteer centers, but also the individual skills 

and practice in the field thereby elevating the state’s volunteer network. 

Statewide, the VGF helped leverage 10,141 volunteers serving more than 

258,000 hours.

Kansas Volunteer Commission: In 2013, the Kansas Volunteer 

Commission used the VGF to strengthen the volunteer infrastructure in 

the state of Kansas. A total of $188,059 was granted to 16 volunteer 

connector organizations, including two Kansas RSVP projects, to help 

expand their efforts in recruiting, managing, and supporting Kansans 

who serve in high quality volunteer roles. To maximize the impact in 

participating communities, this investment leveraged more than $200,000 

in local resources. In addition to financial support, the Kansas Volunteer 

Commission delivered 11 volunteer management trainings to more 

than 480 individuals throughout Kansas. Topics included implementing 

a volunteer engagement initiative, effective tactics for volunteer 

recruitment, principles of supervising volunteers, and keeping volunteers 

engaged over time.

Maryland Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism: As 

a VGF grantee of the Maryland Governor’s Commission on Service and 

Volunteerism, Business Volunteers developed “Service Ambassadors” with 

three goals: create improvements in the Baltimore region by connecting 

individuals and nonprofits to programs and services, spur volunteer 

participation and leadership, and develop an engaged volunteer corps that 

boosts nonprofit capacity. Over the past three years, Business Volunteers 

delivered training, mentoring, and support to equip volunteers with tools to 

54 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

maximize their impact. In addition to engaging 242 Service Ambassadors, 

Business Volunteers leveraged 2,256 new volunteers in 228 volunteer 

opportunities, and developed 620 partnerships with organizations. 

Business Volunteers also coordinated 465 team volunteer projects and 

helped more than 100 nonprofits improve their facilities, clean green 

spaces and waterways, and deliver services to the community.

RSVP

In FY 2013, RSVP volunteers delivered an estimated 39.3 million hours 

of service in their communities.13 These hours were delivered by more 

than 274,500 volunteers who served in more than 38,000 community 

organizations nationwide to deliver a wide range of services. 

Working through such networks as Area Agencies on Aging, city and 

county governments, Volunteer Centers, local United Way organizations, 

social services agencies, faith-based organizations, and many others, 

RSVP volunteers: 

• Served 461,000 veterans in activities such as transportation 

and employment service referrals.

• Mentored more than 87,000 children.

• Provided independent living services to 610,000 adults, primarily

 frail seniors.

• Provided respite services to nearly 15,000 family or informal 

caregivers.

• Engaged 21,600 veterans who served as RSVP volunteers.

RSVP in Action

Below are examples of RSVP Program activities in FY 2013. With the 

changes proposed under this Budget, RSVP grantees transitioned into the 

VGF would continue meet a range of community needs in FY 2015. 

Disaster Recovery: In FY 2013, nearly 10,000 RSVP volunteers engaged 

in disaster response activities. These include recovery efforts following the 

fertilizer plant explosion in the town of West, Texas; flooding in Springfield, 

MO; wildfires in Colorado; as well as long-term response to Hurricane 

Sandy and the EF5 tornado that struck Moore, OK. Among other activities, 

RSVP volunteers: 

• Served as the lead administrator for a community-based long 

term volunteer reception center to manage and coordinate community 

volunteers.

• Tutored and mentored children impacted by the disasters.

• Rebuilt and restored damaged homes.

• Coordinated donations and resources.

• Offered respite and companionship services to frail seniors and other 

vulnerable individuals in the communities.

• Conducted disaster training and coordinated outreach.

Economic Security in New York: The RSVP Financial Coaching Corps 

Program at the Community Service Society of New York engages RSVP 

volunteers to provide one-on-one financial coaching to low-wage earning 

clients to build pathways to economic security. In 2012, the program 

placed 27 volunteer coaches at 23 partner sites, helping 701 clients, 

most of whom were experiencing extensive debt and credit problems. 

RSVP volunteer coaches assisted clients by reviewing and helping to 

correct credit reports, contacting debt collectors, and challenging court 

judgments. Of the clients that were helped by RSVP volunteers: 71 percent 

were unemployed; 78 percent earned $10,000 or less; 86 percent were 

Black or Latino; and 65 percent lived in public or transitional housing. 

Outcomes for these clients included: 50 percent were helped with credit 

repairs; 28 percent were helped with budgeting and money management 

issues; 20 percent were helped with banking issues; 6 percent were 

helped with public benefits eligibility; and 65 percent were helped with 

other credit and debt issues.

Serving Veterans and Military Families 

Across the country, RSVP volunteers are engaged in numerous activities 

to support veterans and military families, ranging from driving veterans 

to medical appointments to connecting them to resources that help 

transition to civilian life. In western Arkansas, many veterans do not 

have access to properly trained tax preparation professionals. The 

funding received by the RSVP program sponsored by Western Arkansas 

Counseling and Guidance Center helped to recruit an additional 40 RSVP 

volunteers, including 12 military veterans, who supported 31 active 

military families, 376 veteran families, and 206 spouses of veterans. 

Some of the RSVP volunteers were specially trained and provided freeof-charge tax preparation services that had an IRS estimated value of 

$76,625. Other RSVP volunteers served approximately 225 veterans 

providing Medicare assistance for the veterans and their spouses. This 

included conducting education sessions for new Medicare beneficiaries; 

assistance during the Medicare open enrollment period for Medicare 

Parts C and D; and help with filing applications for federal low income 

subsidy and the Arkansas Medicare Savings Program for veterans and/or 

spouses with modest incomes. 

FY 2014 Competition

The FY 2014 RSVP competition is underway, with awards scheduled for the 

third and fourth quarters of FY 2014. CNCS estimates approximately $13.5 

35 Data provided were reported as actual and final for the period July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 55 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

million will be awarded to an estimated 175 applicants in more than 40 

states to harness the skills and experience of RSVP volunteers. 

RSVP and Performance Measures 

Since FY 2013, RSVP grantees that are competitively awarded have been 

required to implement standardized CNCS agency-wide performance 

measures. Adoption of the CNCS agency-wide performance measures 

has focused the RSVP grantees on increasing community impact. As 

of FY 2014, 60 percent of all RSVP projects have implemented the 

new performance measures. The majority of the new RSVP standard 

performance measures reflect CNCS agency-wide priorities and 

supporting measures, augmented by a number of program specific 

measures. CNCS will require all grantees to adopt subsets of the CNCS’s 

priority performance measures to track and report their effectiveness and 

impact. Starting in FY 2015, RSVP projects transitioned to the Volunteer 

Generation Fund will continue to report on performance using CNCS 

agency-wide and supporting measures. 

FY 2015 Budget Request and Performance Plan

CNCS requests $19.0 million for the Volunteer Generation Fund, an 

increase of $15.2 million above the FY 2014 enacted level. This funding 

will strengthen volunteer management practices across the country and 

provide for the integration of the most competitive RSVP projects into 

the Volunteer Generation Fund. CNCS will utilize $3.8 million to support 

Volunteer Generation Fund competitive grants to State Commissions to 

support volunteer recruitment and retention, and the remaining $15.2 

million will be used to support the most competitive RSVP projects 

transitioning to the VGF.

VGF Grants to State Commissions

In implementing the $3.8 million in Volunteer Generation Fund competitive 

grants to State Commissions, CNCS will focus investments on volunteer 

management practices that increase both volunteer recruitment and 

retention. Retention is key to ensuring new volunteers are productively 

engaged and to bring stability to nonprofit operations, allowing 

organizations to focus on driving greater impact. Effective strategies 

to retain volunteers include components for skill building and skill 

matching. Skill building refers to practices that ensure volunteers can 

learn new skills that expand opportunities for employment, especially 

among populations such as the unemployed, veterans, and disadvantaged 

youth. Skill matching refers to matching volunteers with opportunities 

complementary to their skills in order to make the best use of their time 

and talents. VGF grants will also seek to strengthen volunteer recruitment 

and retention activities geared towards skilled volunteers, including older 

volunteers. The integration of RSVP into the VGF program will advance 

that goal.

RSVP Integration

For four decades, RSVP has tapped the skills and experience of older 

Americans to meet a wide range of community needs. Under this Budget 

request, RSVP will continue to engage older Americans in high quality 

volunteer assignments as part of the Volunteer Generation Fund. 

The integration of RSVP into the VGF will enhance competitiveness 

and increase efficiency. The Budget request would transition the most 

competitive RSVP projects from the FY 2013, FY 2014, and upcoming FY 

2015 competition into the VGF. In 2015, the transitioned grantees would 

conduct activities similar to their current operations, engaging 55-plus 

Americans in high quality volunteer assignments that meet critical local 

needs. RSVP projects transitioned to VGF would continue to report on 

performance using CNCS agency-wide and supporting measures. 

While CNCS has successfully implemented competition in RSVP, the 

experience has demonstrated the need for more flexibility in RSVP’s 

competition. The integration of RSVP into VGF will allow for more free 

and open competition in future years while continuing to emphasize 

quality and outcomes and preserve rural investments. As competition is a 

powerful tool to spur innovation and ensure accountability, the enhanced 

competition of VGF will better enable CNCS to support organizations 

based on their community impact. Competition will also help ensure 

RSVP volunteers engage in the meaningful service experience they desire, 

strengthening volunteer recruitment and retention. 

A promising strategy in the volunteer field is the growing trend towards 

skilled volunteering and pro bono service. These programs give nonprofits 

access to the professional skills they need to increase their capacity, 

operate more efficiently, and have a bigger impact on community 

problems. By transitioning RSVP into the VGF, RSVP programs will be 

positioned to share effective practices in recruitment and retention of 

skilled 55-plus volunteers with the broader volunteer community through 

training and dissemination practices supported by the VGF. Similarly, 

effective volunteer management practices by VGF grantees will be shared 

with RSVP projects, enhancing overall impact. 

In addition to increased competition and a better-integrated volunteer 

infrastructure, incorporating RSVP into VGF will also streamline operations 

by consolidating programs and improving the clarity and consistency of 

grant administration for volunteering organizations across the country. 

With VGF as a unified program infrastructure, volunteer connector 

organizations will benefit from the creation of a single grant competition. 

For decades, RSVP projects across the country have met critical national 

and local needs while increasing civic engagement and the health and 

well-being of older Americans. With the immense volunteer potential of 

56 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

America’s 55-plus population, RSVP will continue to play that critical 

role as part of an expanded Volunteer Generation Fund. By focusing 

on recruitment and retention, investing in organizations using best 

practices for skill building and skill matching, and continuing to engage 

older Americans in high impact service through RSVP, CNCS will use the 

Volunteer Generation Fund to strengthen volunteer management practices 

in nonprofits across the country, helping them broaden their volunteer 

base and increase their impact on community challenges.

Innovation, Demonstration, and Call to Service

FY 2015 Budget Request Summary

CNCS requests $3.1 million, equal to the FY 2014 enacted level, to 

fund priority activities of the Call to Service initiative to engage more 

Americans in meeting pressing needs in their communities and to 

support innovative national service programs. 

Program Summary 

In addition to the Social Innovation Fund and the Volunteer Generation 

Fund, Subtitle H also supports innovative Call to Service initiatives to 

increase the impact of national service and volunteerism including Days 

of Service, partnerships, recognition activities, and United We Serve. To 

ensure that the best service practices are shared and scaled, these funds 

also support conferences and convenings where voluntary sector thought 

leaders and practitioners meet to advance effective service approaches.

FY 2013 Accomplishments

Call to Service

In FY 2013, Call to Service activities including national days of service, 

partnerships, and convenings that engaged hundreds of thousands of 

Americans in service, expanding to new communities, demonstrating 

impact, and recognizing the efforts of those who serve. 

The 2013 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service was an 

especially significant moment for national service, as the nation’s 

largest day of service coincided with the 57th Presidential Inauguration. 

Americans came together in all 50 states to deliver meals, refurbish 

schools and community centers, collect food and clothing, promote 

nonviolence, support veterans and military families, and more. 

Six 2013 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service grantees mobilized 

nearly 400,000 volunteers to participate in service projects around the 

country. These grantees reported their impact within CNCS’s focus areas. 

More than 60,000 people received disaster services support, more than 

12,000 people received financial literacy services, and almost 10,000 

veterans and members of their families were engaged in service. Grantees 

also reported collecting or serving more than 287,000 pounds of food for 

needy families. The digital presence of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National 

Day of Service Day also increased in FY 2013, as the website experienced 

a five-fold increase in traffic, with 263,143 visitors, compared to 54,361 

the previous year. 

In Hurricane Sandy-affected New Jersey, 500 HopeWorldwide volunteers 

conducted door-to-door needs assessments for work referrals to 

organizations addressing recovery. They learned that at least 500 

households (in habitable homes) were still without power more than two 

months after the storm. In New Orleans, CNCS grantee HandsOn organized 

250 local volunteers and partnered with another CNCS grantee, City Year, 

to improve a neighborhood school. Together, they created 30 school garden 

benches, planted 80 trees on school grounds, and installed four school 

garden sheds. Working with the local Neighborhood Association, they also 

cleared five empty lots of debris and abandoned fencing. 

To encourage service throughout the year, President Obama also 

established a National Day of Service in 2013 that inspired more than 

150,000 Americans to pledge to serve a total of 1.3 million hours. CNCS 

continues to engage these volunteers by working with other federal 

agencies and nonprofit partners to provide monthly opportunities to make 

good on their pledges.

In 2013, hundreds of thousands of Americans also participated in the 

September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance, paying 

tribute to and honoring the victims and heroes of that day. The projects 

associated with the National Day of Service and Remembrance included 

building affordable housing for veterans and military families, educating 

citizens on disaster preparedness, and organizing food drives. 

In New York, CNCS grantees MyGoodDeed and The Mission Continues 

organized more than 500 volunteers to paint and landscape areas around 

the New York City Fire Department and EMS Training Academies. In Ohio, 

fifty veterans and military service members joined Habitat MidOhio’s 

AmeriCorps members to help build six homes in Columbus. In Paramus, 

NJ, more than 300 volunteers participated in Operation Goody Bag’s 

Night of Remembrance and Hope, assembling care packages for troops 

serving in the armed forces that included handwritten notes and drawings 

donated by schoolchildren from all over the country.

Through National Mentoring Month, CNCS and its partners raised 

awareness about the positive impact high-quality mentoring relationships 

can have on young people’s academic achievement, self-esteem, social 

skills, and career development. The National Mentoring Summit brought 

together 500 nonprofit, business, and government leaders to enhance the 

quality and impact of the mentoring programs, chart the mentoring field’s 

future, and focus the power of mentoring on measurable outcomes. 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 57 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

The fourth annual summer Let’s Read. Let’s Move. initiative promoted 

children’s physical activity and summer reading loss prevention. 

Highlights of this year’s initiative included a launch event with Washington 

DC Public Schools and the Junior League of Washington. National 

service members and staff joined 50 second-grade students at Garfield 

Elementary School and a professional athlete with the National Football 

League. The event marked the first of a 15,000-book donation by the 

Junior League of Washington to the D.C. Public School system. 

Working with the Department of Education, CNCS recognized 690 

schools for exemplary community service in the 2013 President’s Higher 

Education Community Service Honor Roll. Of these designees, five 

institutions received the Presidential Award, the highest honor. One of the 

recipients was Gettysburg College, where 72 percent of students engage 

in community service. With one in every four families dealing with food 

insecurity and 70 percent of the community living in poverty, Gettysburg 

students have distributed more than 12,000 pounds of food, and have 

provided afterschool tutoring and mentoring for young learners in the 

community and for migrant farm workers and their children.

In FY 2013, CNCS also launched a new and improved website, 

NationalService.gov that united all of CNCS’s programs under one online 

identity. This new site operates on a content management system used 

by several federal agencies and private sector firms. This reconfigured 

and streamlined online presence enables CNCS to better analyze 

the site’s statistics and enhance the page to ensure visitors get the 

information they need, from applying for a grant to finding a volunteer 

opportunity in their community.

Another example of the cost-effective use of technology includes CNCS’s 

use of a centralized email communication system, GovDelivery. The system 

unified the multiple contact lists of the 500,000 Americans who have 

signed up to receive information from CNCS and enables timely delivery 

of information to grantees, project sponsors, and other key audiences. 

This centralization allows for coordinated communication and avoids 

duplicative messages, thus increasing the efficiency with which CNCS 

communicates with its stakeholders. 

Support for Innovative Service and Other Assistance

In FY 2013, CNCS made great strides in beginning to measure the 

value of training programs and understand grantee training needs. For 

example, CNCS launched an important effort to collect knowledge gains 

on grantee training related to performance measures, financial and grants 

management, and program compliance for AmeriCorps and Senior Corps. 

Pre- and post-test questions were developed to survey training knowledge 

gains. The surveys were piloted at the Regional Training and Technical 

Assistance Conferences and at the AmeriCorps Symposium. The pilot data 

will be available in FY 2014.

As in past years, CNCS continued to provide training to its Senior Corps 

network through a Virtual Conference in FY 2013. More than 1,900 unique 

registrants focused on impact and performance measures. This conference 

supports applicants for the upcoming Senior Corps competitions and 

trains Senior Corps program staff on performance measures. A conference 

pre- and post-test indicated 86 percent of respondents agreed or strongly 

agreed that they gained new knowledge and skills as a result of the 

conference. In addition, 95 percent of attendees indicated that they would 

use the information gathered at the conference. 

Also during FY 2013, CNCS introduced communities of practice and 

related forums addressing disaster services and the Senior Corps and 

AmeriCorps communities. The design of these interactive groups was 

adopted from the very successful veterans and military families (VMF) 

community of practice. 

Subtitle H Funds investment in the VMF Knowledge Network and Community 

Forum created a body of knowledge and useful practitioner materials 

for the national service network where none existed before. More than 

2,000 individual practitioners participate and use more than 200 library 

resources, 30 recorded webinars, and 87 discussion topics. In FY 2013, the 

VMF community forum hosted monthly conference calls, 12 webinars, and 

monitored and responded to over 300 posted comments. This investment 

in communities of practice is an essential support CNCS provides to 

grantees and projects, and is the basis for the CNCS’s training and technical 

assistance for impact, compliance, and program requirements.

FY 2015 Budget Request and Performance Plan

CNCS requests $3.1 million, equal to the FY 2014 enacted level, to 

fund priority activities of the Call to Service initiative to engage more 

Americans in meeting pressing needs in their communities and to support 

innovative national service programs. 

CNCS offers unique value by applying resources to support and expand 

effective social solutions. These solutions increase support for veterans 

and military families, including wounded warriors, communities affected 

by disasters, and the most persistently failing schools in our country. 

CNCS uses Subtitle H funds to assist nonprofits in applying national 

service and volunteerism as a solution to pressing community challenges. 

Call to Service

The President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service creates 

opportunities to engage even more Americans in results-driven service. 

This work will expand economic and educational opportunities for those 

58 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

who serve, enhance Federal agencies’ capacity to achieve their missions, 

more efficiently use tax dollars, and build the pipeline of Americans 

ready to enter public service. This is also an opportunity for CNCS to 

advance digital innovation, engage the public, and increase awareness of 

civic engagement the President has consistently focused on throughout 

his Administration.

In FY 2015, CNCS will lead the nation’s two principal Days of Service: the 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and the September 11th National 

Day of Service and Remembrance. Consistent with previous years, CNCS 

will align these Days of Service with CNCS’s strategic priorities including 

economic opportunity, education, and veterans and military families. 

CNCS is building on digital innovation to elevate the importance of service 

consistent with the President’s Call to Service. The digital enhancements 

are consistent with the President’s Task Force on Expanding National 

Service because they would provide new touch points for the Days of 

Service and other examples of civic engagement with the ultimate goal of 

engaging more Americans in volunteering. 

CNCS will continue exploration of a mobile application and other new 

engagement tools for Serve.gov, the online home for The President’s Call 

to Service, to help Americans track their volunteering hours and/or share 

their volunteering experiences. This new technology would be especially 

useful in communicating with the 130,000 Americans who pledged to 

volunteer in their communities as part of the 2013 National Day of Service. 

CNCS will also continue to use the Challenge.gov website to sponsor 

contests and challenges to support agency initiatives. Furthermore, 

CNCS’s investment in a more robust online platform and other tools will 

make it easier for Americans to find local volunteer opportunities. 

Support for Innovative Service and Other Assistance

These funds will focus on supporting national service expansion by 

convening community and federal partners in planning and dialogue, 

assessing needs, and providing resources to support service at the 

center of solving community problems. CNCS will continue to support the 

AmeriCorps Grantee Symposium and the Virtual Conference, expanding 

reach to include new audiences, reaching over 2,400 grantees and projects 

with critical training on core competencies. New content will be developed 

to reflect new requirements as well as best practices in program and 

financial management. Webinar and e-course series are a centerpiece for 

ongoing grantee and project support. Materials will also be developed to 

support the expansion of national service and its related programs. 

In FY 2015, CNCS will continue to build capacity of the field to respond to 

disasters. Two trainings are planned at FEMA’s Emergency Management 

Institute in Emmittsburg, MD. The training for State Commission staff 

is part two of a training series that started in 2013. Content will focus 

on effective engagement and management of spontaneous volunteers in 

times of disaster. The training for grantee Disaster Response Teams is a 

new training focused on best practices, standard operating procedures in 

times of disaster, and program development. 

Subtitle H funding level will support current hosting and maintenance of 

the training infrastructure and content known as the Knowledge Network 

and the Online Learning Center. By FY 2015, expansion of national service 

and new partnerships will require additional capacity for the Knowledge 

Network. These funds will support the content, capacity, and interactive 

elements needed for expanded partnerships and for inclusion of people 

with disabilities. 

In FY 2015, CNCS will again support competitive grants for Regional 

Training Conferences. CNCS will also continue to support at least six 

Communities of Practice, a cost-effective approach which engages 

social media and marketing approaches to reach, interact, and deliver 

content to stakeholders. 

By FY 2015, all CNCS sponsored virtual and in person training events will 

include a knowledge gains assessment. Funds will be used to implement 

the recommendations that resulted from the pilot assessments in FY 2013. 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 59 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

BUDGET ACTIVITY 8:

Evaluation

(National and Community Service Act of 1990, Title I, section 179)

FY 2015 Budget Request Summary 

For FY 2015, CNCS requests $5 million, equal to the FY 2014 enacted 

level, for research and evaluation activities. This funding level will allow 

the agency to make important advances in the development and use of 

evidence in its programs. The CNCS Office of Research and Evaluation 

will implement studies to increase the evidence and knowledge base 

for its national service programs, including those programs launched 

in coordination with the President’s Task Force on Expanding National 

Service. These efforts will allow CNCS to promote a culture of evaluation 

and evidence within the agency and among grantees by facilitating 

evidence-based and evidence-informed grantmaking, and by providing 

relevant technical assistance. 

Working with other agencies across the federal government, CNCS 

is exploring ways to strengthen data capacity and conduct rigorous 

evaluations to understand the impacts of important CNCS and crosssector initiatives. As part of this effort CNCS will examine ways to utilize 

reliable administrative data sources at the federal, state, and local level 

for measuring common outcomes across multiple sites. This approach can 

enhance the quality of the evaluations while minimizing their costs.

Program Summary

The mission of the CNCS Office of Research and Evaluation is to:

• Build the evidence base for CNCS national service programs.

CNCS will identify, generate, and disseminate evidence of the impact 

of national service and social innovation in the six priority areas 

defined in the Serve America Act.

• Facilitate the use of evidence and evaluation within CNCS and 

among its grantees. The Office of Research and Evaluation will 

work with its CNCS colleagues to use high-quality performance and 

evaluation data in budget, management, and policy decisions.

To achieve this mission, the Office of Research and Evaluation focuses on 

the following priorities:

• Conducting research and evaluation on CNCS national service 

programs. 

• Supporting CNCS and its partners (State Commissions, grantees, and 

sponsor organizations) through evaluation capacity-building activities 

and resources.

• Facilitating evidence-based and evidence-informed grantmaking. 

Guiding principles include:

• Maintain a primary focus on documenting the impact of CNCS 

national service programs.

• Build on the existing knowledge base and best practices of CNCS and 

its programs, grantees, and partners.

• Establish and sustain effective working relationships with other CNCS 

programs and agency partners within the national service network.

• Employ a Research-to-Practice model that uses evaluation and 

performance data for continuous improvement and learning.

• Disseminate lessons broadly so that partners and the general public 

may benefit. 

The Office of Research and Evaluation helps ensure that CNCS is 

aligned with the President’s Management Agenda, which emphasizes 

the importance of using evidence and rigorous evaluation in budget, 

management, and policy decisions. 

FY 2013 Accomplishments and Program Results

CNCS renewed its investment in a high-quality research and evaluation 

program in FY 2013. CNCS established an independent Office of Research 

and Evaluation and allocated the necessary resources to ensure success. 

For the first time in over three years, the Office of Research and Evaluation 

became fully staffed and all of its staff members have advanced degrees 

in relevant disciplines. By creating a clear mission and corresponding 

priorities (above), the Office of Research and Evaluation created the 

opportunity for numerous accomplishments in FY 2013, several of which 

are highlighted below. 

Research and Evaluation Projects

Two signature studies that have advanced the evidence and knowledge 

base for national service and volunteering are described below. In 

addition, research and evaluation projects that were initiated in FY 2013 

and will be implemented in FY 2014 are highlighted and have equal 

potential for strengthening the evidence base for national service and 

social innovation programs.

Impact Evaluation of the Minnesota Reading Corps K-3 Program. This 

randomized controlled trial impact evaluation was completed in FY 2013. 

Minnesota Reading Corps is the largest AmeriCorps State program in 

the country. The goal of the Minnesota Reading Corps is to ensure that 

students become successful readers and meet reading proficiency targets 

by the end of the third grade. To meet this goal, the Minnesota Reading 

Corps program, and its host organization, ServeMinnesota Action Network, 

recruit, train, place, and monitor AmeriCorps members to implement 

research-based literacy enrichment activities and interventions for at-risk 

Kindergarten through third grade (K-3) students and preschool children.

60 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

TABLE 16. Evaluation Budget Summary (dollars in thousands)

Budget Account FY13 Operating Level FY14 Enacted Level

FY15 President’s 

Budget

Increase/Decrease 

(2014-2015)

Evaluation $2,838 $5,000 $5,000 $0

Total Budget Authority $2,838 $5,000 $5,000 $0

CNCS sponsored a randomized controlled trial impact evaluation of over 

1,300 K-3 students at 23 participating schools that were determined to be 

eligible for the Minnesota Reading Corps program during the 2012-2013 

school year. The goal of the impact evaluation was to determine both 

the short-and long-term effects of the program on elementary students’ 

literacy outcomes. The study found:

• Kindergarten, first, and third grade students who received tutoring by 

Minnesota Reading Corps AmeriCorps members achieved significantly 

higher literacy assessment scores than students who did not.

• Minnesota Reading Corps tutoring resulted in statistically significant 

impacts across multiple racial groups and despite important risk 

factors, including Dual Language Learner status and Free and 

Reduced Price Lunch eligibility, in kindergarten and first grade.

• The Minnesota Reading Corps model is replicable in multiple school 

settings using AmeriCorps members with varied backgrounds.

Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment: Does Volunteering 

Increase Odds of Finding a Job for the Out of Work? This research 

study was initiated and completed in FY 2013.While researchers have 

studied numerous strategies for unemployed persons to increase their 

chances of finding employment through activities such as acquiring 

additional training or education, there was little empirical literature on 

the extent to which volunteering can serve to maximize one’s chances of 

finding employment. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2002-2012 

Current Population Survey September Volunteer Supplement, CNCS’s 

groundbreaking report on Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment filled 

this critical gap by using statistical techniques to test the hypothesis 

that volunteering is associated with an increased likelihood of finding 

employment for individuals out of work. 

After controlling for demographic variables, CNCS found that volunteering 

was associated with 27 percent higher odds of employment. The 

association between volunteering and employment had the strongest 

effect on individuals without a high school diploma or equivalent (51 

percent increase in odds) and individuals who live in rural areas (55 

percent increase in odds). The study also found that the relationship 

between volunteering and employment is stable across gender, race 

and ethnic categories, age, time, Metropolitan Statistical Area, and 

unemployment rate. This study provides an important proof point for 

the effect that volunteering can have on improving an individual’s 

employment prospects. 

New Projects. In FY 2013 the Office of Research and Evaluation 

successfully competed and awarded contracts to third party researchers 

to: (1) conduct a national assessment of the Social Innovation Fund 

initiative; (2) conduct an evaluability assessment for the School 

Turnaround AmeriCorps initiative; and (3) conduct a non-response bias 

study for the AmeriCorps Member Exit Survey data collected by CNCS. 

These projects will be implemented in FY 2014.

Grantee Support

Providing CNCS grantees with evaluation capacity-building resources 

is essential for increasing the use of evidence and evaluation. CNCS 

provided this support through the Office of Research and Evaluation staff 

and partnerships with qualified contractors.

AmeriCorps Grantee Evaluation Training and Technical Assistance.

The Office of Research and Evaluation worked closely with AmeriCorps 

State and National and its grantees to build their evaluation capacity. In 

partnership with a contractor, the Office supported the review of CNCS 

evaluation resources and assisted in the review of evaluation reports and 

plans submitted as part of the FY 2013 AmeriCorps State and National 

Grant Competition. The Office of Research and Evaluation also developed 

and delivered two webinars, planned various workshops for the Annual 

AmeriCorps Grantee Symposium, and created an evaluation technical 

assistance strategy for FY 2014.

In addition, as part of efforts to assist grantees in fulfilling grant 

requirements for program evaluation, AmeriCorps State and National 

explored the feasibility of using an evaluation strategy that relies 

on grantees and/or sub-grantees pooling evaluation resources. The 

evaluation efforts of individual grantees and sub-grantees are often 

limited by the amount of funding available to support this work. By 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 61 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

identifying those with common priority focus areas, AmeriCorps State and 

National will help develop shared research designs and identify potential 

research entities that could conduct credible assessments for those who 

elect to participate in the pilot effort. This collaborative effort has the 

benefit of consolidating research funding, building a credible research 

design, and developing conclusions based on a representative number of 

observations in various programs. 

Social Innovation Fund Grantee (and Sub-Grantee) Evaluation 

Technical Assistance. The central purpose of this project is to review, 

monitor, and assess local evaluations conducted by SIF grantees and their 

sub-grantees to ensure that sound and rigorous evaluations are designed 

and conducted in a way that helps the organizations demonstrate a 

stronger level of evidence. 

To ensure that the grantees and sub-grantees and their respective 

evaluation partners develop robust evaluation plans to meet the 

expectations of the Social Innovation Fund, CNCS has developed a guiding 

document for plan development and documentation. Plans are required 

to go through a review and approval process by CNCS as part of the SIF 

grant requirements. The guidance requires that each evaluation plan 

include a description of the program, prior research conducted on the 

intervention, contribution of the proposed evaluation to the existing body 

of evidence, target level of evidence, evaluation approach and measures, 

evaluation timeline, budget, and deliverables. Furthermore, the guidance 

outlines how the plan should address data collection methodology, 

analysis and reporting plans, and the targeted level of evidence for the 

intervention.

Program Support

The activities highlighted here illustrate how the Office of Research and 

Evaluation worked with CNCS program offices to use evidence as a lever 

of change in grantmaking processes. 

Reliability and Validity of the Senior Corps 2013 RSVP Grant 

Application Review Process. The Office of Research and Evaluation 

conducted a measurement study validating the 2013 Senior Corps RSVP 

grant application review process and confirmed that the review accurately 

and reliably measured applicant quality. This validation provided evidence 

of the objectivity and accuracy of the application review process. The 

study provided support for preparing for competition in the Senior 

Companion Program and the Foster Grandparent Program and should 

assist CNCS during the transition of these programs into AmeriCorps 

beginning in FY 2015. 

Adding Evidence Review Criteria to the AmeriCorps State and National 

FY 2014 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The Office of Research 

and Evaluation worked closely with the program to integrate evidence 

in the review criteria for the AmeriCorps State and National FY 2014 

Notice of Funding Opportunity. Levels of evidence similar to those used 

for the Social Innovation Fund initiative were incorporated and will be 

used to assess the evidence base of the programs run by organizations 

seeking CNCS support. In addition, the Office of Research and Evaluation 

supported outreach efforts to the various evaluator communities for the 

external review panels used during grant application review process. 

President’s Task Force on National Service. The Office of Research 

and Evaluation supported various partnership development discussions 

by drafting program theories of change and corresponding evaluation 

designs. Specifically, staff drafted theories of change/logic models and 

evaluation options for the School Turnaround AmeriCorps partnership, the 

21st Century Conservation Service Corps partnership, and the VetSuccess 

AmeriCorps partnership. 

FY 2015 Budget Request and Performance 

For FY 2015, CNCS requests $5 million, equal to the FY 2014 enacted 

level, for evaluation and research activities. This budget request would 

allow CNCS to continue a number of critical evaluation projects in FY 

2015, initiate new research and evaluation studies informed by an agencywide learning agenda developed in FY 2014, continue to build evaluation 

capacity among its grantees, and increase the agency’s ability to collect 

quality program data with the potential for use in low-cost experiments. 

Research and Evaluation Projects

Social Innovation Fund (SIF) National Assessment. The National 

Assessment of the Social Innovation Fund, a three-year assessment 

initiated in FY 2014, is designed to examine how participation in SIF has 

affected the policies and practices of intermediaries, federal funders, 

and others in the grantmaking and nonprofit world. It will help CNCS and 

other interested stakeholders assess change over the initiative’s five-year 

lifecycle and answer key questions that flow out of the initiative’s theory 

of change. The National Assessment relies on quantitative and qualitative 

methods with a core quasi-experimental design. Methods include:

• Review of databases and documents on the SIF and the work

of the intermediaries.

• A quasi-experimental evaluation design that uses longitudinal 

surveys of intermediaries and a comparison group of other grant 

makers to examine differences in experiences and outcomes between 

SIF intermediaries and other grant makers. 

• In-depth interviews and focus groups throughout the assessment, 

including:

• Early conversations with stakeholders to inform the 

assessment approach.

62 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

• Interviews with SIF stakeholders to obtain their perspectives on how 

the SIF has influenced the work of the intermediaries. Stakeholders 

to be interviewed include intermediary board chairs; other funders 

of the intermediaries; policy makers; evaluation partners; experts in 

the field; and SIF sub-grantees and other organizations funded by 

the intermediary but not participating in SIF.

• Case studies to explore topics or themes in more depth.

National Evaluation of School Turnaround AmeriCorps Initiative.

CNCS and the Department of Education (ED) partnered to create School 

Turnaround AmeriCorps in FY 2013. This collaboration was designed to 

increase educational attainment, high school graduation, and college 

readiness for students in our nation’s persistently lowest-achieving 

schools. Informed by the FY 2014 planning and design year, the national 

evaluation of the School Turnaround AmeriCorps initiative is scheduled 

to begin in FY 2015. The national evaluation of the School Turnaround 

AmeriCorps initiative is guided by this question: what is the value-add of 

AmeriCorps above and beyond the school turnaround resources already 

invested in these schools? The evaluation will use the most rigorous 

design possible to assess this key research question. The national 

evaluation will build the knowledge base associated with this initiative. 

Results of the evaluation will be used to strengthen programming and 

document the implementation and outcomes of School Turnaround 

AmeriCorps and the contributions of AmeriCorps members.

Grantee Support

Evaluation Capacity Building. The Office of Research and Evaluation 

will continue supporting the use of evidence and evaluation among CNCS 

grantees through the provision of training and technical assistance. 

Building on progress achieved in FY 2014, the Office will continue to 

examine the use of evaluation bundling as a strategy to offer access to 

experiential and potentially financial evaluation support from CNCS in 

ways that traditional technical assistance strategies and single program 

evaluations do not provide.

National Service Repository. The requested level of funding also 

includes resources to support a new online repository for all national 

service research and evaluation studies. This online repository, or 

clearinghouse, will build on existing structures at the Departments of 

Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services. CNCS proposes a 

phased approach to the design and launch of its repository with FY 2015 

representing a pilot phase to follow the FY 2014 planning phase and that 

would precede a public release. A resource such as this will provide easier 

grantee access to research-based programs and practices.

Program Support

The Office of Research and Evaluation will continue to support programs 

in their efforts to use high-quality data in budget, management, and 

policy decisions. 

Improving Administrative Data Quality. The Office of Research and 

Evaluation will work with programs to improve the quality of CNCS 

administrative data. Office staff will work with programs and the Office 

of Management and Budget to revise agency information collection 

processes (e.g., member entrance and application forms, member exit 

survey). Improvements in data processes will increase the agency’s ability 

to provide all Americans with the opportunity to serve as well as link 

national service member characteristics to outcomes. 

BUDGET ACTIVITY 9:

Subtitle J, Training, and 

Technical Assistance

(National and Community Service Act of 1990, Title I, Section 1980 

and Subtitle J)

FY 2015 Budget Request Summary 

In FY 2015, CNCS requests $1 million, an increase of $1 million above the 

FY 2014 enacted level. This requested amount is for activities authorized 

under Subtitle J, including training and technical assistance in support of 

the agency’s strategic plan, AmeriCorps expansion, and the transition of 

Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program grantees into 

AmeriCorps and of RSVP grantees into the Volunteer Generation Fund.

Program Summary

Through Subtitle J, the National and Community Service Act authorizes 

CNCS to provide training and technical assistance to improve the 

programmatic quality of current and potential national service programs 

and projects.14 CNCS’s current training and technical assistance strategy 

focuses on: 1) the development and availability of materials and interactive 

resources through technology; 2) data analysis of knowledge gains and 

performance measures for performance management purposes; and 3) 

creating more inclusive environments so that individuals of all abilities can 

serve. For FY 2015 and beyond, CNCS is supporting technology that ensures 

CNCS partners have access to the knowledge to be successful in core 

competencies. Subtitle J funds also support the hosting and maintenance 

of the training and technical assistance website and the online learning 

14 The NCSA (1990), as amended by the SAA (2009), authorizes CNCS to use up to 2.5 percent of its program appropriations to fund training and technical assistance activities. 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 63 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

center. These platforms house core curriculum, tools, and materials, and 

enable the tracking of gains in participant knowledge. 

FY 2013 Accomplishments and Program Impact 

CNCS surveyed the effectiveness of compliance, impact, and management 

accountability training for the first time in FY 2013. Knowledge gains 

were measured in pre- and post-tests, at the Regional Training 

Conferences, and the AmeriCorps Grantee Symposium. CNCS identified 

training outcomes and competencies in the core content areas of 

implementing performance measures and complying with program, 

fiscal, and grant requirements. 

Online Infrastructure

Thousands of CNCS-sponsored organizations across multiple programs 

are supported by training and technical assistance funds. The agency’s 

capacity to provide technical assistance relies on its online infrastructure. 

Training content will focus on implementing CNCS performance measures 

and financial and grant compliance requirements. CNCS delivered more 

training online in FY 2013 than in the previous year, anchored by the 

annual Senior Corps virtual conference.15

Based on FY 2013 reports, CNCS training and technical assistance 

websites hosted over one million unique visitors, delivered 246 webinars to 

20,899 participants, provided 200 e-courses and webinars completed by 

15,000 participants, and supported the downloading of 100,000 resource 

documents. These analytics demonstrate the growing demand for online 

resources, with numbers in all categories increasing since 2012. 

In FY 2013, CNCS transitioned the Knowledge Network to internal 

management and planned for the transition of the online learning center. 

Careful analysis of user data led to CNCS eliminating underused features, 

outdated material, and underutilized functionality. This helped CNCS realize 

significant cost savings that will benefit the agency in subsequent years.

Regional Training Conferences

In FY 2013, CNCS began shifting responsibility for hosting training events 

from CNCS to its grantees through a competitive grant process. This 

proved to be cost effective and popular with grantees. Five grantees were 

awarded $50,000 each, and generated nearly $121,000 in match funding.

The grantee community was enthusiastic about the new model. There 

were three times as many applicants as grants available. Participation 

rates were high among the target audience of AmeriCorps and Senior 

Corps grantees. Twelve hundred people participated in the conferences. 

Sessions focused on core competencies utilizing CNCS available materials 

and resources, including performance measures, and fiscal, program, and 

grants compliance. 

FY 2015 Budget Request and Performance Plan

In FY 2015, CNCS requests $1 million, an increase of $1 million above the 

FY 2014 enacted level. This requested amount is for activities authorized 

under Subtitle J, including training and technical assistance in support of 

the agency’s strategic plan, AmeriCorps expansion, and the transition of 

Senior Corps grantees to other CNCS programs.

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program and 

AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program Transition

To support the transition of the Foster Grandparent Program and the 

Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps programs, CNCS will 

provide significant training and technical assistance to current project 

sponsors. The support will be provided in two primary areas: operating an 

AmeriCorps program and preparing for competition.

While Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program 

sponsors operate CNCS programs, the regulations, requirements, 

and operations of AmeriCorps differ from their current practice. This 

training will ensure that existing Foster Grandparent Program and Senior 

Companion Program grantees understand the AmeriCorps requirements, 

including operating principles, structure, reporting, fiscal requirements, 

timekeeping, member benefits, branding, performance measures, and 

other subjects. New materials will be developed to support project 

sponsors in communicating with participants about new requirements and 

changes in benefits, including the living allowance and Segal AmeriCorps 

Education Award. 

In addition, CNCS will prepare AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program 

and AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program grantees to compete as 

AmeriCorps programs following the transition year in FY 2015. This 

training, similar to other pre-application trainings conducted by CNCS, 

would cover a range of subjects related to competing for AmeriCorps 

grants, including the application process, grant categories, understanding 

the Notices of Funding Opportunity and Application Instructions, use of 

eGrants, performance measures, and other topics.

Mechanisms for training could include regional conferences and distance 

training, such as virtual meetings, online tutorials, and webinars. CNCS 

will utilize the existing Knowledge Network and the Online Learning Center 

to share training resources. CNCS previously convened two successful 

15 CNCS offered 21% more online courses than the previous year (46 vs. 38) and enrolled 27% more individuals in these courses (14,931 vs. 11,767).

64 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

TABLE 17. Training and Technical Assistance Budget Summary (dollars in thousands)

Budget Account FY13 Enacted Level FY14 Enacted Level

FY15 President’s 

Budget

Increase/Decrease 

(2014-2015)

Training and Technical Assistance $1,892 $0 $1,000 $1,000

Total Budget Authority $1,892 $0 $1,000 $1,000

Senior Corps Virtual Conferences, demonstrating a proven track record in 

this type of training and technical assistance delivery. 

RSVP Program Transition

Funding will also support training and technical assistance for RSVP 

projects transitioning to the Volunteer Generation Fund. The training 

activities will focus on operating under the VGF program, including 

reporting, fiscal requirements, performance measures, and other subjects. 

Assistance will facilitate the sharing of knowledge and effective practices 

for volunteer recruitment and retention, particularly for older Americans 

and skilled volunteers. In addition, training will be provided to prepare 

RSVP projects for competition under VGF. Training methods and vehicles 

will include in person gatherings or conferences, conference calls, 

webinars, or other virtual training opportunities.

BUDGET ACTIVITY 10:

National Service Trust 

(National and Community Service Act of 1990, Title 1, Subtitle D)

FY 2015 Budget Request Summary 

For FY 2015, CNCS requests $253.885 million for the National Service 

Trust, an increase of $46.517 million above the FY 2014 enacted level. 

The budget request will support approximately 114,000 new member 

enrollments in the National Service Trust.

Program Summary

The National Service Trust (the Trust) was established by the National 

and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 to provide funds for Segal 

AmeriCorps Education Awards for eligible AmeriCorps members, 

including those in AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA, 

and AmeriCorps NCCC, who successfully complete their terms of service. 

In FY 2015, the Trust will also fund a new type of Segal AmeriCorps 

Education Award for AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program and 

AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program members. Funding for the Trust 

comes from appropriations, interest earned, and proceeds from the sale 

or redemption of Trust investments. The Segal AmeriCorps Education 

Awards can be used to: 

• Repay qualified student loans. 

• Pay education expenses at a qualified institution of higher education 

(or GI-Bill institution for eligible members).

• Repay eligible interest expenses. 

By statute, the value of the education award is linked to the maximum 

level for Pell Grants each year. For FY 2015, the estimated value of the 

education award for a full-time member who completes his or her term 

of service is $5,785. In FY 2015, the Budget proposes that AmeriCorps 

Foster Grandparent Program and AmeriCorps Senior Companion 

Program members will earn a new type of Segal AmeriCorps Education 

Award, which may be used by the member, qualified family members, 

or (in the case of AmeriCorps Foster Grandparents) by the children 

they are serving through the program. In addition to the permitted 

uses above, the Budget proposes that this special award may also 

be used to pay for educational and enrichment programming such as 

afterschool programs or summer camps. 

FY 2013 Accomplishments and Program Impact 

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award: Between CNCS’s inception in FY 

1993 and September 2013, AmeriCorps members have earned more than 

$2.65 billion in education awards and used over $1.85 billion of that 

$2.65 billion to fund their education and repay student loans. In addition, 

CNCS made $70.26 million in interest forbearance payments, covering 

the interest costs of outstanding student loans for AmeriCorps members 

during their terms of service. Approximately $271.06 million in earned 

education awards have expired without being used as of September 30, 

2013. The Trust obligation formula has been adjusted to reflect the rate of 

these expired awards. 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 65 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

In FY 2009, CNCS received an additional $40 million to fund education 

awards for AmeriCorps members, supported by the Recovery Act. As of 

September 30, 2010, CNCS obligated $34.6 million, which will be paid 

as members use their awards, with $3.5 million set aside in the National 

Service Trust Reserve.

FY 2015 Budget Request and Performance Plan

For FY 2015, CNCS requests $253.885 million for the National 

Service Trust. The Budget request will support approximately 114,000 

new AmeriCorps member enrollments in the Trust, in line with the 

following principles: 

• An estimated average Trust cost per member service year (MSY) 

of $3,879.

• Full-time members comprise approximately 43 percent of 

the portfolio.

• No increase to the National Service Trust Reserve. (As established 

by the Strengthen AmeriCorps Program Act, a portion of the funds in 

the Trust are held in reserve and are for use only in the event that the 

estimates used to calculate obligations differ from actual results. The 

reserve currently totals $46.7 million for the General Fund and $3.5 

million for the Recovery Act Fund. To date, no reserve funds have been 

used. CNCS will continue to monitor the factors used to estimate 

Trust funding and make adjustments in the future if necessary.)

Calculation of Trust Budgetary Needs 

CNCS used the following assumptions to calculate the Trust budget 

request for FY 2015: 

Member Service Years. This request will provide full and partial Segal 

AmeriCorps Education Awards for approximately 114,000 members. 

AmeriCorps State and National, VISTA, and NCCC will serve approximately 

57,959 MSYs. Approximately 30,000 AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent 

Program and Senior Companion Program members will serve in a 

one-quarter time MSY capacity. An additional 1,120 VISTA members are 

projected to choose a cash stipend in lieu of an education award, and 

therefore do not affect funding needs in the Trust. 

Enrollment Rate. Consistent with the Strengthen AmeriCorps Program 

Act legislative history, the calculation of Trust funding assumes that all 

members will be enrolled in the Trust, allowing for refillable slots. Over 

the past five years, enrollment rates have averaged about 98 percent of 

available slots.

Earning Rate. Based on the Strengthen AmeriCorps Program Act 

legislation, the FY 2015 calculation assumes that about 84 percent of 

members enrolled in the Trust will complete their service and earn an 

award, which is consistent with the Trust model. This typically ranges from 

77 to 86 percent depending on term type.

Full Value of the Award. This calculation assumes that members earning 

an award will earn the full value based on their earning category (e.g., 

full-time, part-time, and reduced part-time). Historically, CNCS has found 

that about four percent of members exit programs early and receive a 

slightly reduced award. 

Usage Rate. Based on Trust model projections, for FY 2015, CNCS is 

projecting 88 percent of the awards earned will be used, which includes a 

factor of 100 percent for members over age 55. Under the Serve America 

Act, education awards earned by members over age 55 can be transferred 

to an eligible beneficiary. CNCS is projecting that all transferable awards 

eventually will be used.

Net Present Value. Two years can elapse between the time that CNCS 

receives an appropriation for the Trust, a grant is awarded, and a 

member is enrolled and completes his or her service term. In addition, 

members have seven years from the completion of their service to use 

their award. Consequently, over nine years can elapse between the initial 

appropriation to the Trust and when an education award is used. Members 

who perform multiple terms of service, or are unavoidably prevented from 

using their education award can also receive an extension of the time the 

education award can be used. CNCS takes this time frame into account 

by discounting the education award to its net present value. The discount 

factors used in the calculation are based on historical usage patterns, 

Office of Management and Budget projected interest rates, and the 

weighted average maturity of CNCS’s Trust portfolio.

TABLE 18. National Service Trust Budget Summary (dollars in thousands)

Budget Account FY13 Enacted Level FY14 Enacted Level

FY15 President’s 

Budget

Increase/Decrease 

(2014-2015)

National Service Trust $200,719 $207,368 $253,885 $46,517

Total Budget Authority $200,719 $207,368 $253,885 $46,517

66 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

Reserve Account. This request does not include additional funding for the 

National Service Trust Reserve, which currently stands at $50.2 million 

and is adequate to cover unanticipated costs.

BUDGET ACTIVITY 11:

Salaries and Expenses 

(National and Community Service Act of 1990, Section 501(a)(5); 

Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, Section 504(a))

FY 2015 Budget Request Summary 

For FY 2015, CNCS requests $87.257 million to support Salaries and 

Expenses, an increase of $6.5 million above the FY 2014 enacted level. 

This request supports national service growth and work aligned with the 

President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service. Funds support 

Information Technology (IT) operations, IT modernization, and staffing 

levels needed to ensure efficient agency operations and program delivery. 

This request includes a one percent pay raise and funding to support 

infrastructure enhancements.

Program Summary

CNCS’s Salaries and Expenses (S&E) budget activity provides resources 

for the administration of all CNCS programs. Administrative activities 

include program development; grant award oversight and monitoring; 

grants and contract management; financial management; budget 

formulation, execution, and oversight; development of regulations and 

policy; and IT system development and support.

FY 2013 Management Performance and 

Accomplishments

In FY 2013, CNCS undertook and accomplished a number of critical 

initiatives across the agency to improve operations, performance, and 

accountability. Within the last year, CNCS completed the following 

management initiatives:

Accountability 

CNCS continued to foster a culture of integrity, accountability, and 

transparency by fortifying its internal controls, oversight, and monitoring. 

In this spirit of continual improvement, and consistent with the CNCS 

strategic plan, CNCS established a new Office of Accountability and 

Oversight and implemented an Integrity Framework, a set of disciplined 

practices to help ensure CNCS’s organizational effectiveness, cohesion, 

and longevity. Under this framework all CNCS staff members are 

called upon to act with integrity, in accordance with high ethical 

and professional standards, and to continually assess and improve 

daily business practices. To support this proposition, CNCS updated 

all management team work plans to include an enhanced integrity 

performance standard. 

Accounting and Financial Management Services

As an initiative to increase efficiency through automation, CNCS adopted 

a government standard for streamlining invoice processing management. 

CNCS implemented the Department of the Treasury’s Invoice Processing 

Platform (IPP) in FY 2013. The impetus for implementing IPP was to 

achieve greater stability in CNCS’s vendor payments process by moving 

away from a paper-based system. IPP is a secure, Web-based system that 

allows CNCS to more efficiently manage invoicing from purchase order 

through payment notification by enforcing proper workflow in validating, 

approving, and paying invoices.

Human Capital 

In FY 2013, as part of an effort to reduce paper and improve service to 

employees, CNCS, in conjunction with the Office of Personnel Management 

(OPM), implemented an electronic official personnel folder system. This 

E-Government initiative provides employees with easier and faster access 

to their Official Personnel Folder, the file containing the employment 

history of civilian federal government employees. This transition reduces 

costs associated with storage, maintenance, and retrieval of records and 

maintains compliance with OPM and federally-mandated employee record 

management regulations.

The BEST Initiative (Build Employee Satisfaction Together) began in FY 

2013 at CNCS to facilitate the agency’s ability to leverage diversity and 

foster inclusion to increase employee engagement and productivity. Led 

by the Office of Civil Rights and Inclusiveness, the first phase of the 

initiative began in March and concluded in June. The initiative introduced 

senior leaders and managers to The New IQ (the 20 behaviors identified 

by OPM that lead to an inclusive environment). Leaders participated in 

focused discussions dedicated to utilizing the Employee Viewpoint Survey 

data as a tool and received guidance for effectively utilizing The New IQ to 

strengthen their programs and units. 

Information Technology 

CNCS’s recent IT investments have focused on fortifying management 

operations and sustaining a capable, responsive, and accountable 

organization, consistent with the CNCS strategic plan. These investments 

have resulted in a core set of IT services to support mission needs and 

robust IT policy, process, and tools to enable secure and effective IT 

management. In a climate of limited resources and rapidly changing 

agency mission needs, the Office of Information Technology renewed 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 67 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

TABLE 19. Salaries and Expenses Budget Summary (dollars in thousands)

Object Class

FY13 

Enacted Level

FY14 

Enacted Level

FY14 to FY15 

Adjustments FY15 Request

11.1 - Full-time permanent $38,170 $39,650 $291 $39,941

11.3 - Other than full-time permanent 1,050 1,300 -220 1,080

11.5 - Other personnel compensation 520 650 -115 535

Total personnel compensation $39,740 $41,600 -44 $41,556

12.1 - Civilian personnel benefits 12,560 12,200 0 12,200

21.0 - Travel and transportation of persons 1,299 1,100 199 1,299

23.1 - Rental payments to GSA 7,501 7,500 1 7,501

23.3 - Communications, utilities, and misc. charges 1,700 1,500 200 1,700

25.2 - Other Services* 15,355 16,237 6,309 22,546

26.0 - Supplies and Materials 355 600 -145 455

Total, Salary and Expenses $78,510 $80,737 $6,520 $87,257 

Full Time Equivalent 460 460 460

*The IT investment for FY 2015 is $18 million. This funding represents the S&E portion of CNCS IT costs. It does not reflect the IT costs covered by program funds.

emphasis on core functions of protecting systems and data; expanding IT 

capabilities and modernizing systems to meet evolving business needs; 

maximizing return on IT investment; and effectively managing agency 

information resources. Below are a few FY 2013 IT accomplishments: 

Support Evolving Agency Mission Requirements

• Completed Phase 2 implementation of the Performance Measures 

module enabling AmeriCorps VISTA, NCCC, and SIF programs 

to establish performance measures and targets and enhance 

reporting of performance measures at program levels. With this 

work completed, grantees can report performance information in 

the agency’s primary grants management system, eGrants, thereby 

strengthening accountability and enabling CNCS programs to 

demonstrate the impact of service in communities. 

• Completed the CNCS IT Modernization Roadmap to increase staff 

efficiency and to improve grant and member management data 

quality, timeliness, and accessibility. The plan, which serves as 

an IT investment guide, includes a number of initiatives that will 

deliver system enhancements and new capabilities through a series 

of projects of not more than 180 days duration, designed to provide 

tangible benefits aligned with CNCS goals and objectives. 

• Initiated an eSPAN system enhancement project to automate/

streamline AmeriCorps VISTA Cost Share collection processes.

Maximize Return on Agency IT Investment

• Began acquisition planning for the re-competition of the CNCS’s 

Managed Data Center contract to reduce IT infrastructure operating 

costs while minimizing the impacts on IT service delivery.

• Continued to refine IT management and governance processes by 

increasing coordination between the Executive Review Board and 

lower-level system change control boards. These updates ensure 

IT investments are aligned with business strategy and are wellcoordinated across the agency. 

Manage Agency Information Resources

• Continued data warehouse enhancements adding new, more localized 

(e.g., city, county, Congressional district) data sets to State Profiles 

reports used by agency stakeholders to help them assess CNCS 

service footprint and impact. This new functionality expands staff 

access to data and self-service analytical tools. These improvements 

implement the basic IT analytical services that will be expanded 

with future IT modernization projects. 

• Completed the migration to an agency-wide web content 

management platform resulting in web-site consolidation and 

operational efficiencies. Also, initiated a project to migrate CNCS 

training and technical assistance web based resources to the 

new platform.

68 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

FY 2015 Budget Request and Performance Plan

For FY 2015, CNCS requests $87.257 million to support Salaries and 

Expenses, an increase of $6.5 million above the FY 2014 enacted level. 

This request supports national service growth and work aligned with the 

President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service. Funds support IT 

operations, IT modernization, and staffing levels needed to ensure efficient 

agency operations and program delivery. This request includes a one 

percent pay raise and funding to support infrastructure enhancements.

Information Technology 

The FY 2015 IT budget request will fund the continued operations and 

maintenance of existing IT services ($12.9M) and several new high-priority 

IT modernization projects ($5.1M). This request will enable IT to increase 

service levels and complete several transformative IT modernization 

initiatives that will enable CNCS to make evidence/evaluation based 

decisions and deliver more efficient IT services.

Continued IT operations and maintenance funding will enable CNCS to 

sustain on-going IT assets and services including IT infrastructure (e.g., 

Network, Telecommunications, Data Center, End User Support); enterprise 

applications (e.g., eSPAN/eGrants/My AmeriCorps Portal, Data Warehouse, 

Financial Management System); web site hosting and support; National 

Service Hotline services; and subscriptions to government-wide IT shared 

services/E-Government initiatives (e.g., eRulemaking, eTravel). 

Additionally, this request will fund the transition of CNCS’s Managed Data 

Center Services contract to a new service provider. In early FY 2015, CNCS 

will incur costs associated with closing out the existing contract and 

transitioning the operations and maintenances of hardware, software, and 

network to the new contractor. CNCS expects that the new Managed Data 

Center Services contract will deliver new foundational IT capability and 

result in 10 percent data center cost savings from FY 2013 levels. 

This request will also fund the highest priority work in CNCS’s three-year 

IT Modernization Plan, which will transform business operations through 

improved access to data to support decision making and streamlined 

system work flows that are aligned with core business processes. Projects 

will ultimately deliver a modern, more flexible IT platform that supports 

business agility and enables information sharing, collaboration, and 

stakeholder engagement. Modernization initiatives that will be funded 

with this request include:

• Grants Application and Review Process (GARP) Automation – IT 

support for GARP has historically been challenging due to short lead 

times for providing support, limited technical capability to support 

virtual reviews, and a varied and changing GARP Process. GARP 

is both central to the agency’s primary grantmaking mission and a 

key capacity factor in supporting the partnerships created through 

the President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service. Following 

agency streamlining of the GARP process, this request will fund 

projects that will automate the new streamlined process as much as 

possible and implement new IT services and capability.

• Improved Analytical Support – This initiative includes a series of 

projects that will enable staff to have self-service access to data 

and reports from across CNCS programs to support evidence-based 

policies and decision making. New data management and analytical 

services will enhance stakeholder communication and information 

sharing, and enable CNCS to more effectively manage agency data. 

This project will add a new organizational layer to CNCS’s Data 

Warehouse to simplify how users can access agency data directly. 

This will result in timely, accurate, and consistent data outputs for 

reports, program decision making, oversight, and agency outreach. 

This project will also apply new data edits and validations to ensure 

that data is accurate and contributes to high-quality agency data 

products as well as developing new dashboards and reports to 

improve overall business intelligence.

• Streamline Member Management Systems – Funds will be used 

to streamline member management process and move supporting 

IT services to a common, modern IT platform. Projects will improve 

data quality, mitigate risks and inefficiencies associated with current 

member management processes, and offer members and sponsors 

access to 21st Century E-Government services.

Staffing

CNCS requests $53.8 million to support 460 Full Time Equivalents (FTE). 

The request includes a one percent pay raise. 

Accountability

CNCS requests a funding level of $250,000 for contract support for 

assessments required under the Improper Payments Enforcement and 

Recovery Act (IPERA) and other Integrity Framework activities. All federal 

agencies are required under IPERA and its implementing guidance to 

assess whether their programs are susceptible to significant levels of 

improper payments. Under these requirements, each CNCS program must 

be assessed at least once every three years. 

CNCS Research Clearinghouse 

CNCS requests $1.85 million to initiate a “what works” clearinghouse 

repository that will provide wider access to the agency’s research and 

evaluation reports. CNCS will make accessible the empirical findings 

associated with AmeriCorps, SIF, and any other CNCS sponsored work. 

This repository will be pursued in close coordination with the Departments 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 69 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education to leverage the 

knowledge and infrastructures of those agencies.

Disability Inclusion Grants

FY 2015 Performance Plan 

In FY 2015, CNCS plans to use two percent of the accounts required by 

statute (AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps National Civilian 

Community Corps, Innovation, and National Service Trust—C, D, E, and H) 

to support people with disabilities serving in CNCS programs. Pursuant to 

the Serve America Act, the primary objective of CNCS disability inclusion 

strategy is to enroll and support members with disabilities serving in 

CNCS programs. 

This work focuses on increasing the number of members with disabilities 

as well as tracking and supporting these members throughout their 

service. In order to recruit and retain people with disabilities in national 

service programs, CNCS grantees and project staff need specific 

knowledge and skills to be able to articulate the benefits of service, design 

appropriate service experiences, provide reasonable accommodations, and 

create an environment of inclusion and support. 

Program Summary

Disability inclusion is a priority for CNCS. Pursuant to its authorizing 

legislation, CNCS seeks to expand opportunities for the meaningful and 

successful inclusion of people with disabilities in national service. CNCS 

disability inclusion strategy is consistent with the CNCS strategic plan.

CNCS disability inclusion work mitigates the real and perceived barriers 

to full inclusion of people with disabilities in national service programs. In 

addition, this work helps national service participants to:

• Engage in a high-quality service experience.

• Find meaning in their service experience that leads to continued 

service in their communities.

• Discover professional, educational, or civic opportunities through 

their service experience. 

• Gain health benefits associated with service, particularly for veterans 

and participants over the age of 55. 

FY 2013 Accomplishments and Program Impact 

In FY 2013, to support the goal of inclusion of people with disabilities in 

service, CNCS: 

• Partnered with disability organizations and agencies at national, state 

and local levels to leverage expertise and networks around recruitment. 

For example, through a grant to the University of Massachusetts, CNCS 

worked with Vocational Rehabilitation counselors across the country to 

identify barriers to participation for people with disabilities and solicit 

participation through recruitment efforts. 

• Provided training and technical assistance, resources, and 

materials on inclusive practices to program and project managers 

to build knowledge and skills and successfully engage people 

with disabilities in national service. In addition, CNCS supported 

a fully accessible website focused on disability inclusion: www.

serviceandinclusion.org.

• Entered into a data sharing agreement with the Social Security 

Administration (SSA) to match AmeriCorps member data from 

2008-2011 with records from the Social Security Administration’s 

databases. For the purposes of this research, “disabled” means 

individuals receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or 

Supplemental Security Income for their own disability (individuals 

can receive SSDI on behalf of their disabled parents). The data 

generated by this partnership allows CNCS to understand more 

clearly where members receiving SSA benefits are serving across the 

three AmeriCorps programs. It may also lead to the identification of 

correlations between AmeriCorps members receiving SSA disability 

benefits and certain demographic characteristics (age, gender, race/

ethnicity) as compared to their prevalence in the U.S. population. This 

data will assist CNCS in outreach, recruitment and, retention efforts 

among service members with disabilities.

• Hired a Disability and Inclusion Advisor to promote a national agenda 

for engaging people with disabilities, in its programs and with 

other federal partners, as well as private nonprofits that engage 

constituent groups with disabilities. 

• Offered strategic engagement slots to AmeriCorps State and 

National organizations interested in expanding their program through 

strategic outreach and enrollment of people with disabilities. 

Specifically, grantees were given the opportunity to request 

additional positions to be filled by AmeriCorps members with 

disabilities. Applicants described their intent to recruit, engage, 

and retain additional members with disabilities and provided a 

detailed outreach plan for how these members will be recruited and 

supported. As a result, in the FY 2013 combined competition, 13 

programs were awarded $1,193,604 in additional funds to engage 

members with disabilities.

FY 2015 Performance Plan 

In FY 2015, CNCS plans to use two percent of the accounts required by 

statute (AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps National Civilian 

70 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VI: Budget Activities

Community Corps, Innovation and National Service Trust) to support 

people with disabilities serving in CNCS programs. Pursuant to the Serve 

America Act, the primary objective of CNCS’s disability inclusion strategy 

is to enroll and support members with disabilities serving in CNCS 

programs. This work focuses on increasing the number of members with 

disabilities as well as tracking and supporting these members throughout 

their service. In order to recruit and retain people with disabilities in 

national service programs, CNCS grantees and project staff need specific 

knowledge and skills to be able to articulate the benefits of service, design 

appropriate service experiences, provide reasonable accommodations, and 

create an environment of inclusion and support. 

As part of this overall inclusion strategy, CNCS is working on ways to 

improve the way it tracks the participation rates of people with disabilities 

in CNCS programs. CNCS has a data sharing agreement with the Social 

Security Administration to identify the percentage of CNCS program 

participants that qualify for disability benefits. In addition, CNCS is 

working to incorporate the Office of Personnel Management’s disability 

status questions into its member demographic surveys.

Increasing Member Levels

CNCS proposes to increase the number of members with disabilities that 

serve in national service programs by reserving funds to support their 

participation in CNCS programs. These funds will be used to fund member 

slots and accommodations for new service participants with disabilities.

Building Partnerships

CNCS plans to work with other federal agencies to examine strategies 

that can support young people with disabilities who are transitioning from 

school-based settings into AmeriCorps opportunities. 

CNCS is working to develop recruiting partnerships with disability 

organizations. By focusing on the development of partnerships, CNCS 

will educate organizations about the opportunities that exist within 

AmeriCorps for their constituent groups.

Supporting Members and Their Service Experience

CNCS will partner with the Department of Labor’s Job Accommodation 

Network to assist national service programs with reasonable 

accommodation. By statute, people with disabilities must be provided 

accommodations to enable them to serve.

The Disability and Inclusion Advisor will ensure there is a clear, ongoing narrative throughout CNCS written and virtual communications 

that articulates the potential and benefits of people with disabilities 

participating in national service. She will also engage in a public relations 

campaign among CNCS partners to promote the concept that people with 

disabilities can be more than recipients of service; they can be effective 

service members themselves. 

CNCS will implement disability status questions into its routine data 

collections within the AmeriCorps member exit form. With this information, 

CNCS will be able to continually assess whether strategies to increase the 

number of persons with disabilities engaged in service are effective. 

The Disability and Inclusion Advisor will execute a multi-faceted outreach 

plan to engage the national service field and the disability community 

in order to connect CNCS grantees with local resources to assist in the 

recruitment of people with disabilities. 

• Use the initial data flowing from the exit form as a baseline for 

disability engagement. 

• Look at the disability-specific data as a road-map for the 

partnerships and outreach that need more attention due to low levels 

of engagement. 

• Design and share educational materials with grantees to address 

under-representation revealed in the exit survey. 

• Maintain and add useful content to the Disability Knowledge 

Network, which serves as a home for five 2014 disability e-courses. 

The Network also offers links to other helpful resources to support 

CNCS grantees and serves as a virtual hub for training, frequently 

asked questions, resources, e-courses, and webinars. 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 71 
72 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 

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Part VII: Office of Inspector General

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL | PART VII

Program Summary/Mission

To prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse, the Office of Inspector 

General (OIG), Corporation for National and Community Service, conducts 

audits, evaluations, and investigations of CNCS grantees, programs, 

and operations. OIG also recommends revisions to CNCS policies and 

practices, with the goal of promoting economy and efficiency. 

FY 2015 Budget Request Summary

Audits, evaluations, investigations, and analysis are the primary tools 

used by OIG to protect Federal taxpayer dollars invested in national 

service. For maximum impact, OIG targets its oversight on processes that 

flow across multiple agency programs, activities, and operational units, as 

well as on high-risk grant recipients. OIG continues to investigate conduct 

that threatens the integrity of Federal programs, to support criminal 

prosecutions, and to secure substantial recoveries. 

The FY 2015 request of $6,000,000 would allow OIG to undertake more 

robust oversight of a grantmaking organization with a budget of $1 

billion, which funds programs throughout the United States. This level of 

funding would return OIG to its FY 2008 funding level. It will also enable 

OIG to rebuild from the devastating 49 percent budget cut—from $7 

million to $ 4 million—that OIG unexpectedly suffered in FY 2012 and 

which carried forward through FY 2013. Given the highly labor-intensive 

nature of OIG’s work and the need to increase investigative and audit 

coverage, these increased resources are necessary for OIG to meet its 

mission requirements. The proposed staff training budget for FY 2015, 

encompassing audit, investigative and support personnel, totals $77,000, 

with the majority devoted to training necessary for OIG investigators and 

auditors to maintain their professional credentials. OIG also anticipates 

contributing $15,000 to meet its statutory obligation to support the 

operations of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and 

Efficiency (CIGIE). 

Audit Section

For a grantmaking organization such as CNCS, audits and evaluations 

are the lifeblood of oversight. For FY 2015, the OIG Audit Section requires 

$2,816,272. Of this amount, $800,000 is required to fund the statutorily 

mandated Financial Statement Audit (including the audit of the National 

Service Trust), the Federal Information Security Management Act 

evaluation (FISMA), and review of CNCS’s compliance with the Improper 

Payments and Elimination and Recovery Act (IPERA), which are performed 

under OIG supervision by outside contractors.

The requested Audit Section budget will also enable OIG to perform audits 

and evaluations of state commissions, which disburse approximately 50 

TABLE 20. Office of Inspector General Budget Summary (dollars in thousands)

Budget Activities FY13 Enacted FY14 Enacted FY15 Request

Increase/Decrease 

(2014-2015)

Audit 1,262 2,033 2,816 783

Investigation 576 713 1,412 699

Support 1,558 1,608 1,153 (455)

Information Technology 338 574 527 (47)

OIG Training 43 57 77 20

CIGIE 7 15 15 0

Total Operations and Budget Authority 3,784 5,000 6,000 1,000

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 73
The Corporation for National and Community Service

percent of the CNCS’s AmeriCorps State and National grants, as well 

as audits of other high-risk grantees. Typically OIG enlists the services 

of Independent Public Accounting Firms for larger grantee audits and 

reviews, with smaller ones conducted by Audit staff. These reviews test for 

both financial accountability and regulatory compliance of the grantee. 

OIG grantee audits have uncovered serious lapses in these areas. For 

example, one of the few grant audits completed in FY 2013 revealed lax 

financial management by Atlantic Human Resources, Inc. (AHR), a Senior 

Corps grantee. More than $1.4 million in costs claimed by AHR during 

2008-2011 were duplicative, unsubstantiated, or incurred improperly. 

These overcharges, which reflected fundamental weaknesses in financial 

system internal controls, represented 71 percent of the costs charged 

under the grant. 

CNCS’s own internal operations are another increasingly important 

OIG focus. A recent evaluation of CNCS’s Fixed Amount Grant program 

disclosed a lack of oversight and supervision, as well as inadequate 

internal control systems and an absence of meaningful safeguards 

against waste, fraud, or mismanagement. As a result, CNCS was left 

with an uncollectible debt of more than $1 million when CNCS’s largest 

fixed amount grantee ceased operations and declared bankruptcy. To 

avoid further losses and reduce vulnerabilities in the Fixed Amount Grant 

program, OIG recommended a series of specific remedial actions, some of 

which have been implemented and others of which CNCS has deferred for 

further study.

In addition to evaluations and reviews of critical internal business 

processes and traditional grantee audits, other FY 2015 priorities include: 

Performance measures: CNCS is now updating its strategic plan in 

accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), 

with specific information on performance initiatives to be released in 

FY 2014. This area has claimed significant management attention and 

consulting dollars from CNCS. Accordingly, OIG will begin to evaluate the 

effectiveness of these new performance measures. 

Internal controls and grant monitoring: Recognizing shortcomings in 

these areas, CNCS created an Oversight and Accountability Office in FY 

2012 and the Board of Directors instructed the CEO to implement further 

improvements. OIG intends to evaluate the progress of these measures 

and to evaluate whether grant monitoring protocols are sufficient to 

address the OIG’s most common audit findings. Recently issued grant 

management requirements from OMB necessitate a more rigorous 

oversight process, and OIG plans on evaluating whether CNCS has met the 

new standards. 

Improper Payments: Recommendations for improvement of CNCS 

procedures for identifying, quantifying, reducing, and recapturing 

improper payments will be another key initiative for FY 2015. 

Use of contractors: CNCS has come to rely more and more on contractors 

to carry out many of its basic functions. In FY 2013, CNCS awarded 

approximately $65 million in contracts. OIG intends to expand on an audit 

of Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs), which discovered pervasive 

deficiencies in contract management in the BPA environment. Given the 

quantity and dollar value of contracts for which CNCS is responsible, 

oversight and monitoring are vital for ensuring effective contracting and 

safeguarding taxpayer dollars.

Social Innovation Fund: This high-visibility initiative within CNCS’s 

Innovation, Demonstration and Assistance programs received a 

substantial increase in its appropriation for FY 2014. OIG intends to 

resume pre-award audits focusing on new SIF grantees’ ability to manage 

and account for Federal funds, as well as auditing one or more SIF grants.

Information technology: CNCS uses a customized database program 

to manage most of its AmeriCorps volunteers, grant awards, and 

programmatic actions, but much of its IT infrastructure is antiquated 

and no longer aligns with CNCS’s business processes. CNCS has 

commissioned a study from MITRE Corporation to recommend how best 

to adapt the existing systems to current and future needs in a costeffective manner. OIG is keenly interested in this issue, which touches 

on all aspects of CNCS’s operations and especially on its ability to 

cost-effectively monitor its grant portfolio. Currently, the IT systems 

cannot provide data analytics or other comparisons of grants or subsets 

of them; the lack of this information cripples CNCS’s oversight of the 

three-quarters of its budget devoted to grant programs. We will continue 

to focus on the allocation of IT resources and the quality of IT security, 

management, and reporting necessary to support informed decisionmaking by CNCS’s senior leadership. 

Investigation Section

The Investigation Section requires funding of $1,412,288. The Investigative 

Section reviews allegations of serious misconduct that jeopardizes the 

integrity of CNCS operations or programs. Investigative Section agents, 

all of whom are based in Washington, DC, travel as required throughout 

the United States to pursue leads concerning misconduct and coordinate 

with Federal, State, and local prosecutors. While in the field, investigators 

take the opportunity to conduct Fraud Awareness Briefings (FABs), 

outreach efforts that educate agency and grantee staff about proper 

grant administration, to prevent or minimize losses from fraud, as well as 

about whistleblower protections. The Investigative Section operates the 

74 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VII: Office of Inspector General

fraud hotline and the Whistleblower Protection hotline through which OIG 

receives reports of potential misconduct or fraud from CNCS and grantee 

employees. Investigators periodically review samples of agency employees’ 

purchase and travel card transactions to search for potential misuse. 

Our results have been measurable. During FY 2013, OIG opened 43 

actions, closed 36 actions and identified more than $1,078,316 in 

savings to the Federal government based on changes in grantee behavior 

stemming from OIG’s work. The Investigative Section recovered more 

than $590,842 in stolen or misused funds and identified more than $4.5 

million in potential recoveries. When warranted, investigators recommend 

suspensions and debarment of individuals and organizations, tracks their 

status, and encourages CNCS to act in timely fashion. 

Resource constraints have required the Investigative Section to refer 

most administrative allegations to CNCS for further inquiry. Investigators 

continue to offer advice and recommendations in connection with these 

CNCS-led reviews. We expect to continue this practice in FY 2015, 

allowing our investigators to direct their attention to the most serious 

or high-risk matters. In addition, OIG investigators intend to conduct 

site visits at high-risk grantees to ensure that Federal program funds 

are being safeguarded and that members are performing service in 

accordance with the grant terms and conditions. 

Support Section

The OIG Support Section requires $1,152,966 for FY 2015. These resources 

fund the immediate office of the Inspector General, as well as support 

the critical areas of physical security, human resources, budgeting, and 

accounting. The Support Section also houses the analytical operations 

section (AOS) that functions as the OIG’s central data mining point and 

provides direct support to the Audit and Investigations Sections. Typical 

tasks include extracting detailed information about grantee organizations 

and or expenditures from CNCS’s systems, conducting background 

research regarding grantees or affiliated individuals, reconciling CNCS 

grantees’ drawdown of federal funds against their expenditures to assist 

OIG audits or for audit planning, and identifying and analyzing key Single 

Audit reports.

Information Technology

For FY 2015, the Information Technology Section funding needs are 

$526,833. The OIG’s principal priority for this section is to better leverage 

technology on an enterprise-wide basis to more efficiently meet the OIG’s 

mission. The Information Technology Section provides public transparency 

by means of a technology infrastructure that allows internal and external 

customers to access our public reports on any type of device, from 

anywhere in the world, any time of the day. The Information Technology 

Section also provides OIG staff with a rich set of tools to better manage 

work papers and products collaboratively, expeditiously, and accurately, 

aided by our virtualized network of computer servers, clients, and software.

Virtualization is one of OIG’s main strategies to meet the targets of the 

OMB data center consolidation initiative. With the availability of additional 

resources, OIG is resuming transitioning its operations to a cloudcomputing environment, which will increase storage, replace outdated 

hardware, and strengthen fault tolerance for the virtual systems. 

Strategic Goals and Performance Measures

OIG is charged with providing timely and independent information to 

Congress and CNCS’s Chief Executive Officer regarding the effectiveness 

and efficiency of CNCS’s 338 programs and operations. OIG’s ultimate 

objective is to improve CNCS’s ability to meet its responsibilities, including 

those of a fiduciary of public funds, and achieve its mission. OIG’s audit 

and investigative plans are therefore designed to assist CNCS in achieving 

its strategic goals, reducing program vulnerabilities, strengthening 

program integrity in the delivery of benefits to program participants, and 

increasing the efficiency and effectiveness with which CNCS manages 

and exercises its stewardship of grant funds. 

The OIG’s Strategic Plan and Performance Measures can be found at 

http://www.cncsoig.gov/latest-strategic-plan.

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 75 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

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76 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VIII: Appendix

APPENDICES | PART VIII

APPENDIX A. Corporation for National and Community Service Appropriations History, 1994-2015

(dollars in thousands)

Activity FY94 Enacted FY95 Enacted FY96 Enacted FY97 Enacted FY98 Enacted

Total, Operating Expenses 543,503 651,587 566,844 586,499 653,975

National Service Trust 98,751 115,070 56,000 59,000 70,000

AmeriCorps State and National 155,500 219,000 215,000 215,000 227,000

AmeriCorps VISTA 42,724 47,700 41,235 41,235 65,235

AmeriCorps NCCC 10,000 18,000 18,000 18,000 18,000

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program1

AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program1

National Senior Service Corps2 130,278 135,764 128,341 144,764 163,240

RSVP 34,388 35,708 34,949 35,708 40,279

Foster Grandparent Program 66,117 67,812 62,237 77,812 87,593

Senior Companion Program 29,773 31,244 31,155 31,244 35,368

Senior Demonstration Program 0 1,000 0 0 0

Innovation, Demonstration and Assistance3 31,900 30,000 29,850 30,000 30,000

Innovation, Demonstration and Other

Social Innovation Fund

Volunteer Generation Fund4

Non-Profit Capacity Building Fund

Evaluation 4,600 5,500 5,000 5,000 5,000

Learn and Serve America 40,000 46,000 43,000 43,000 43,000

State Commissions Support Grants5 24,750 28,723 24,918 25,000 27,000

Partnership Grants 5,000 5,830 5,500 5,500 5,500

Special Volunteer Programs

Disability Placement Funds 0 0 0 0 0

Training and Technical Assistance6 0 0 0 0 0

Salaries and Expense Account 31,151 31,160 28,541 27,850 28,129

Office of the Inspector General 944 2,000 2,000 2,000 3,000

TOTAL, CNCS7 575,598 684,747 597,385 616,349 685,104

1

 CNCS proposes to reorganize the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps in FY 2015.

2 In 2015 CNCS proposes to reorganize Senior Corps by integrating the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps and integrating the most competitive RSVP grantees 

into the Volunteer Generation Fund.

3

 Pursuant to P.L. 110-28 $1.360 million was transferred from Innovation, Demonstration and Assistance to the Salaries and Expense Account in FY 2007.

4

 Includes $15.225 million for the most competitive RSVP grantees in 2015.

5

 NCSA administrative expenses are included in the State Commission Support Grants Program line item prior to FY 2004

6

 Training and Technical Assistance dollars were provided in a separate appropriation beginning in FY 2010.

7

 Total budget authority may not equal sum of budget accounts due to rounding.

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 77 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

APPENDIX A. Corporation for National and Community Service Appropriations History, 1994-2015 

(dollars in thousands) (continued)

Activity FY99 Enacted FY00 Enacted FY01 Enacted FY02 Enacted FY03 Enacted

Total, Operating Expenses 682,266 696,545 729,112 698,501 745,755

National Service Trust 70,000 70,000 69,846 0 99,350

AmeriCorps State and National 237,000 233,395 230,492 240,492 173,863

AmeriCorps VISTA 73,000 80,574 83,074 85,255 93,674

AmeriCorps NCCC 18,000 17,892 20,954 24,896 24,838

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program1

AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program1

National Senior Service Corps2 173,910 182,818 188,547 206,379 215,934

RSVP 43,001 46,117 48,884 54,884 58,501

Foster Grandparent Program 93,256 95,988 98,868 106,700 110,775

Senior Companion Program 36,573 39,219 40,395 44,395 46,260

Senior Demonstration Program 1,080 1,494 400 400 398

Innovation, Demonstration and Assistance3 28,500 28,500 28,437 28,488 35,269

Innovation, Demonstration and Other

Social Innovation Fund

Volunteer Generation Fund4

Non-Profit Capacity Building Fund

Evaluation 5,000 5,000 4,989 5,000 2,981

Learn and Serve America 43,000 43,000 42,905 43,000 42,721

State Commissions Support Grants5 28,356 27,895 30,932 30,991 32,289

Partnership Grants 5,500 7,471 28,936 29,000 14,901

Special Volunteer Programs 5000 9935

Disability Placement Funds 0 0 0 0 0

Training and Technical Assistance6 0 0 0 0 0

Salaries and Expense Account 29,129 31,129 32,229 32,213 34,346

Office of the Inspector General 3,000 3,985 4,989 4,994 5,961

TOTAL, CNCS7 714,395 731,659 766,330 735,708 786,062

1

 CNCS proposes to reorganize the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps in FY 2015. 

2

 In 2015 CNCS proposes to reorganize Senior Corps by integrating the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps and integrating the most competitive RSVP grantees 

into the Volunteer Generation Fund. 

3

 Pursuant to P.L. 110-28 $1.360 million was transferred from Innovation, Demonstration and Assistance to the Salaries and Expense Account in FY 2007. 

4

 Includes $15.225 million for the most competitive RSVP grantees in 2015.

5

 NCSA administrative expenses are included in the State Commission Support Grants Program line item prior to FY 2004

6

 Training and Technical Assistance dollars were provided in a separate appropriation beginning in FY 2010. 

7

 Total budget authority may not equal sum of budget accounts due to rounding.

78 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VIII: Appendix

APPENDIX A. Corporation for National and Community Service Appropriations History, 1994-2015

(dollars in thousands) (continued)

Activity FY04 Enacted FY05 Enacted FY06 Enacted FY07 Enacted FY08 Enacted

Total, Operating Expenses 867,833 856,574 837,936 805,760 782,744

National Service Trust 129,233 142,848 138,600 117,720 122,539

AmeriCorps State and National 312,147 287,680 264,825 264,825 256,805

AmeriCorps VISTA 93,731 94,240 95,464 95,468 93,800

AmeriCorps NCCC 24,853 25,296 36,730 26,789 23,782

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program1

AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program1

National Senior Service Corps2 214,264 215,857 217,586 217,586 213,785

RSVP 58,156 58,528 59,685 59,685 58,642

Foster Grandparent Program 110,121 111,424 110,937 110,937 108,999

Senior Companion Program 45,987 45,905 46,964 46,964 46,144

Senior Demonstration Program 0 0 0 0 0

Innovation, Demonstration and Assistance3 11,159 13,227 16,280 29,771 18,893

Innovation, Demonstration and Other

Social Innovation Fund

Volunteer Generation Fund4

Non-Profit Capacity Building Fund

Evaluation 2,982 3,522 3,960 3,960 3,891

Learn and Serve America 42,746 42,656 37,125 37,125 37,459

State Commissions Support Grants5 11,929 11,904 12,516 12,516 11,790

Partnership Grants 14,913 14,384 14,850 0 0

Special Volunteer Programs 9876 4960

Disability Placement Funds 0 0 0 0 0

Training and Technical Assistance6 0 0 0 0 0

Salaries and Expense Account 61,321 64,480 66,083 70,324 67,759

Office of the Inspector General 6,213 5,952 5,940 4,963 5,828

TOTAL, CNCS7 935,367 927,006 909,959 881,047 856,331

1

 CNCS proposes to reorganize the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps in FY 2015.

2 In 2015 CNCS proposes to reorganize Senior Corps by integrating the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps and integrating the most competitive RSVP grantees 

into the Volunteer Generation Fund.

3

 Pursuant to P.L. 110-28 $1.360 million was transferred from Innovation, Demonstration and Assistance to the Salaries and Expense Account in FY 2007.

4

 Includes $15.225 million for the most competitive RSVP grantees in 2015.

5

 NCSA administrative expenses are included in the State Commission Support Grants Program line item prior to FY 2004

6

 Training and Technical Assistance dollars were provided in a separate appropriation beginning in FY 2010.

7

 Total budget authority may not equal sum of budget accounts due to rounding.

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 79 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

APPENDIX A. Corporation for National and Community Service Appropriations History, 1994-2015

(dollars in thousands) (continued)

Activity FY09 Enacted FY10 Enacted FY11 Enacted FY12 Enacted FY13 Enacted

Total, Operating Expenses 811,639 857,021 780,809 750,252 711,009

National Service Trust 131,075 197,000 199,260 211,797 200,719

AmeriCorps State and National 271,196 372,547 349,300 344,348 326,336

AmeriCorps VISTA 96,050 99,074 98,876 94,820 89,861

AmeriCorps NCCC 27,500 29,000 28,942 31,882 30,214

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program1

AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program1

National Senior Service Corps2 213,785 220,900 207,883 207,490 196,637

RSVP 58,642 63,000 50,299 50,204 47,578

Foster Grandparent Program 108,999 110,996 110,774 110,565 104,781

Senior Companion Program 46,144 46,904 46,810 46,722 44,278

Senior Demonstration Program 0 0 0 0 0

Innovation, Demonstration and Assistance3 18,893 60,500 60,379 53,280 50,493

Innovation, Demonstration and Other 5,500 5,489 4,481 4,246

Social Innovation Fund 50,000 49,900 44,815 42,471

Volunteer Generation Fund4 4,000 3,992 3,984 3,776

Non-Profit Capacity Building Fund 1,000 998 0 0

Evaluation 3,891 6,000 5,988 2,994 2,838

Learn and Serve America 37,459 39,500 0 0 0

State Commissions Support Grants5 11,790 17,000 16,966 13,441 12,738

Partnership Grants 0 0 0 0 0

Special Volunteer Programs 0 0

Disability Placement Funds 0 5,000 4,990 0 0

Training and Technical Assistance6 0 7,500 7,485 1,996 1,892

Salaries and Expense Account 71,715 88,000 87,824 82,843 78,510

Office of the Inspector General 6,512 7,700 7,684 3,992 3,784

TOTAL, CNCS7 889,866 1,149,721 1,075,577 1,048,884 994,022

1

 CNCS proposes to reorganize the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps in FY 2015.

2 In 2015 CNCS proposes to reorganize Senior Corps by integrating the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps and integrating the most competitive RSVP grantees 

into the Volunteer Generation Fund.

3

 Pursuant to P.L. 110-28 $1.360 million was transferred from Innovation, Demonstration and Assistance to the Salaries and Expense Account in FY 2007.

4

 Includes $15.225 million for the most competitive RSVP grantees in 2015.

5

 NCSA administrative expenses are included in the State Commission Support Grants Program line item prior to FY 2004

6

 Training and Technical Assistance dollars were provided in a separate appropriation beginning in FY 2010.

7

 Total budget authority may not equal sum of budget accounts due to rounding.

80 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VIII: Appendix

APPENDIX A. Corporation for National and Community Service Appropriations History, 1994-2015

(dollars in thousands) (continued)

Activity FY14 Enacted FY15 President’s Budget

Total, Operating Expenses 756,849 703,093

National Service Trust 207,368 253,885

AmeriCorps State and National 335,430 335,430

AmeriCorps VISTA 92,364 92,364

AmeriCorps NCCC 30,000 30,000

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program1 92,806

AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program1 38,330

National Senior Service Corps2 202,117 0

RSVP 48,903 0

Foster Grandparent Program 107,702 0

Senior Companion Program 45,512 0

Senior Demonstration Program 0 0

Innovation, Demonstration and Assistance3 76,900 92,125

Innovation, Demonstration and Other 3,100 3,100

Social Innovation Fund 70,000 70,000

Volunteer Generation Fund4 3,800 19,025

Non-Profit Capacity Building Fund 0 0

Evaluation 5,000 5,000

Learn and Serve America 0 0

State Commissions Support Grants5 15,038 16,038

Partnership Grants 0 0

Special Volunteer Programs 0 0

Disability Placement Funds 0 0

Training and Technical Assistance6 0 1000

Salaries and Expense Account 80,737 87,257

Office of the Inspector General 5,000 6,000

TOTAL, CNCS7 1,049,954 1,050,235

1

 CNCS proposes to reorganize the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps in FY 2015.

2 In 2015 CNCS proposes to reorganize Senior Corps by integrating the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps and integrating the most competitive RSVP grantees 

into the Volunteer Generation Fund.

3

 Pursuant to P.L. 110-28 $1.360 million was transferred from Innovation, Demonstration and Assistance to the Salaries and Expense Account in FY 2007.

4

 Includes $15.225 million for the most competitive RSVP grantees in 2015.

5

 NCSA administrative expenses are included in the State Commission Support Grants Program line item prior to FY 2004

6

 Training and Technical Assistance dollars were provided in a separate appropriation beginning in FY 2010.

7

 Total budget authority may not equal sum of budget accounts due to rounding.

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 81 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

APPENDIX B. Summary of CNCS Programs and Budget

The following exhibit provides information about CNCS programs and other activities.

Program/Activity Description FY15 President’s Budget 

(in Thousands)

Major Programs

AmeriCorps State 

and National

With funds channeled through States, Territories, Tribes, and community-based 

organizations, AmeriCorps grants enable communities to recruit, train, and place 

AmeriCorps members to meet critical local needs in the areas of disaster services, 

economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and 

veterans and military families, as directed by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act 

of 2009.

$335,430

AmeriCorps Foster 

Grandparent Program 

(Proposed)*

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Programs provide income-eligible members aged 55 

and older with service opportunities to provide one-on-one mentoring and support to 

at-risk children. To maximize impact and efficiency, existing Foster Grandparent Program 

grantees will become AmeriCorps grantees under this Budget and be eligible for a new 

type of $250 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award.

$92,806

AmeriCorps Senior 

Companion Program 

(Proposed)*

AmeriCorps Senior Companions Programs provide income-eligible members aged 55 and 

older with service opportunities to support tens of thousands of seniors and people with 

disabilities to remain in their own homes. To maximize impact and efficiency, existing 

Senior Companion Program grantees will become AmeriCorps grantees under this Budget 

and be eligible for a new type of $250 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award.

$38,330

AmeriCorps VISTA AmeriCorps VISTA is an anti-poverty program that provides opportunities for individuals 

18 years or older with a full year of service in low-income communities. VISTA members 

support the efforts of non-profits and communities to build and enhance sustainable anti 

poverty programs.

$92,364

AmeriCorps NCCC AmeriCorps NCCC is a 10-month residential national service program for people ages 

18–24. AmeriCorps NCCC members will be deployed to respond to natural disasters and 

engage in urban and rural development projects across the nation.

$30,000

National Service Trust Funds education awards to eligible national service program participants until 

the awardees use them. The 2015 Budget request supports education awards for 

approximately 114,000 AmeriCorps members.

$253,885

State Commission Support 

Grants

These population-based formula grants support the operation of State Service 

Commissions that administer approximately two-thirds of AmeriCorps State and National 

grant funds. Commissions are responsible for monitoring sub-grantees and ensuring that 

they comply with federal requirements and performance expectations. These grants must 

be matched by the Commissions.

$16,038

82 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VIII: Appendix

APPENDIX B. Summary of CNCS Programs and Budget (continued)

The following exhibit provides information about CNCS programs and other activities.

Program/Activity Description FY15 President’s Budget 

(in Thousands)

Major Programs

Innovation and 

Demonstration Activites 

(Includes proposed 

integration of the most 

competitive RSVP grantees 

into VGF)*

These initiatives and programs are aimed at incubating new ideas, while expanding 

proven initiatives that address specific community needs. This includes the Social 

Innovation Fund, which helps identify and scale-up promising programs across the 

country. The FY 2015 Budget for the Social Innovation Fund continues to request that up 

to 20 percent of funds be available for Pay For Success projects. The Volunteer Generation 

Fund will focus on strengthening the ability of nonprofits and other organizations 

to recruit, retain, and manage volunteers, especially senior volunteers. In 2015, the 

Volunteer Generation Fund will expand to support the most competitive RSVP grantees. 

Additional activities include the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, and United 

We Serve, the President’s Call to Service initiative.

$92,125

Training and Technical 

Assistance

CNCS provides training and technical assistance services to programs and entities 

receiving or applying for financial support from the CNCS.

$1,000

Evaluation This activity supports the design and implementation of research and evaluation studies 

and will facilitate the use of evidence and evaluation by CNCS and national service 

organizations.

$5,000

Salaries and Expenses Funds for administering and managing CNCS programs. $87,257

*For FY 2015, CNCS proposes to reorganize Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion program models into AmeriCorps, and integrate the most competitive RSVP grantees into VGF. 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 83 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

APPENDIX C. Summary of Program Benefits for Participants

Program Eligibility Stipend

AmeriCorps State 

and National

In general, an AmeriCorps State and National member must (1) be as least 17 years old 

at the commencement of service, or have been an out-of-school youth 16 years of age 

at the commencement of service, participating in a youth corps program. (2) S/he must 

have a high-school diploma (or its equivalent) or agree to obtain a high-school diploma 

or its equivalent prior or using the ed awards. (3) S/he must be a citizen, national, or 

lawful permanent resident alien of the United States.

Minimum living allowance of $12,100 

for full-time members in program 

Year 2014. A minimum living 

allowance is not required for less 

than full-time members or Education 

Award Program members.

AmeriCorps Foster 

Grandparent 

Program 

(Proposed)1

To be an AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent member, an individual must (1) be 55 years 

of age or older. (2) S/he must be determined by a physical examination to be capable, 

with or without reasonable accommodation, of serving children with exceptional or 

special needs without detriment to either himself or herself or children served. (3) In 

order to receive a living allowance, the individual must have an income that is within 

the income eligibility guidelines (within 200% of poverty).

Yes, if income guidelines are 

met (200% of poverty), then the 

participant will receive a living 

allowance up to $2,771.

AmeriCorps 

Senior Companion 

Program 

(Proposed)1

To be an AmeriCorps Senior Companion member, an individual must (1) be 55 years 

of age or older. (2) S/he must be determined by a physical examination to be capable, 

with or without reasonable accommodation, of serving without detriment to either 

himself or herself or adults served. (3) In order to receive a living allowance, the 

individual must have an income that is within the income eligibility guidelines (within 

200% of poverty).

Yes, if income guidelines are 

met (200% of poverty), then the 

participant will receive a living 

allowance up to $2,771.

AmeriCorps NCCC An AmeriCorps NCCC member must (1) be between the ages of 18 and 24, and (2) s/he 

must be a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. 

Yes. Eligible members receive the 

living allowance ($400/month for 

10 months), lodging and meals. 

Team leaders earn $1,136 per month 

during 11 months of service.

AmeriCorps VISTA An AmeriCorps VISTA member must (1) be 18 years of age or older, and (2) s/he must 

be a citizen, national, or legal resident of the United States.

Yes. Members receive the following 

living allowance: $928/month to 

$1606/month (based on regional cost 

of living and tied to the poverty rate.)

Foster 

Grandparent 

Program2

To be a Foster GrandParent volunteer, an individual must (1) be 55 years of age or 

older. (2) S/he must be determined by a physical examination to be capable, with or 

without reasonable accommodation, of serving children with exceptional or special 

needs without detriment to either himself or herself or children served. (3) In order to 

receive a stipend, individual must have an income that is within the income eligibility 

guidelines (within 200% of poverty).

Yes, if income guidelines are met 

(200% of poverty), then members 

receive $2.65/hour tax free.

Senior Companion 

Program2

To be a Senior Companion, an individual must (1) be 55 years of age or older. (2) S/he 

must be determined by a physical examination to be capable, with or without reasonable 

accommodation, of serving without detriment to either himself or herself or adults served. 

(3) In order to receive a stipend, individual must have an income that is within the 

income eligibility guidelines (within 200% of poverty).

Yes, if income guidelines are met 

(200% of poverty), then members 

receive $2.65/hour tax free.

RSVP1 To be an RSVP volunteer, an individual must (1) be 55 years of age or older. 

(2) S/he must agree to serve without compensation. (3) S/he must reside in or nearby 

the community served by RSVP.

No.

Volunteer 

Generation Fund 

RSVP (Proposed)1

To be an RSVP volunteer, an individual must (1) be 55 years of age or older. 

(2) S/he must agree to serve without compensation. (3) S/he must reside in or nearby 

the community served by RSVP.

No.

1

 For FY 2015, CNCS proposes to reorganize Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion program models into AmeriCorps, and integrate the most competitive RSVP grantees into VGF.

2

 In 2015, Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent programs that receive funding directly from states may continue to operate under the existing program models from the DVSA. 

84 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VIII: Appendix

APPENDIX C. Summary of Program Benefits for Participants (continued)

Program Term of Service Healthcare Childcare

Segal AmeriCorps 

Education Award

AmeriCorps State 

and National

An AmeriCorps member serves for 

at least one of the following terms: 

full-time (minimum of 1700 hours up 

to 12 months), half-time (minimum of 

900 hours for up to 12 or 24 months), 

reduced half-time (minimum of 675 

hours for up to 12 months), quartertime (minimum of 450 hours for up 12 

months), minimum-time (minimum of 

300 hours up to 12 months).

Full-time members must receive 

health care benefits except for 

members in the Education Award 

Program. Less than full time 

members may not receive health care 

with CNCS funds.

Only full-time 

members are eligible 

to receive child care 

when the member’s 

household income 

does not exceed 75% 

of the state’s median 

income for a family 

of the same size. 

Rate established 

by state Child Care 

Development Grants.

Yes.

AmeriCorps Foster 

Grandparent 

Program 

(Proposed)1

Open enrollment. Service schedule with 

a minimum of 450 hrs. 

No (Note: Each AmeriCorps Foster 

Grandparent receives a physical 

examination annually with the cost 

covered by the project/grantee). 

No. Yes (new type of 

Segal AmeriCorps 

Education Award of 

$250 for FY 2015).

AmeriCorps 

Senior Companion 

Program 

(Proposed)1

Open enrollment. Service schedule with 

a minimum of 450 hrs. 

No (Note: Each AmeriCorps Senior 

Companion receives a physical 

examination annually with the cost 

covered by the project/grantee).

No. Yes (new type of 

Segal AmeriCorps 

Education Award of 

$250 for FY 2015).

AmeriCorps NCCC An AmeriCorps NCCC member serves 

full-time in a team-based residential 

program for 10 months.

Yes (CNCS administered health plan. Yes. Maximum $400 

per month per child.

Yes.

AmeriCorps VISTA Full time for one year. Yes (CNCS administered health plan). Yes. Maximum $400 

per month per child.

Yes or may select 

an end of service 

stipend accrued at 

the rate of $125/

month.

Foster 

Grandparent 

Program2

Open enrollment. Service schedule 

between 15 and 40 hours per week. 

No (Note: Each Foster Grandparent 

receives a physical examination 

annually with the cost covered by the 

project/grantee).

No. No.

Senior Companion 

Program2

Open enrollment. Service schedule 

between 15 and 40 hours per week. 

No. (Note: Each Senior Companion 

receives a physical examination 

annually with the cost covered by the 

project/grantee).

No. No.

RSVP1 Open enrollment-no set schedule. Can 

serve as few or as many hours as the 

volunteer chooses (volunteer hours 

varies).

No. No. No.

Volunteer 

Generation Fund 

RSVP (Proposed)1

Open enrollment-no set schedule. Can 

serve as few or as many hours as the 

volunteer chooses (volunteer hours 

varies).

No. No. No.

1

 For FY 2015, CNCS proposes to reorganize Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion program models into AmeriCorps, and integrate the most competitive RSVP grantees into VGF.

2

 In 2015, Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent programs that receive funding directly from states may continue to operate under the existing program models from the DVSA. 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 85 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

APPENDIX D. AmeriCorps, VGF RSVP, and SIF Grant Match Requirements

At a Glance

AmeriCorps State and National 

For grants made from FY 2014 Appropriations, AmeriCorps State, and National grantees must meet the minimum match requirements below based 

on the number of years they have been operating their AmeriCorps programs.

Required match levels are based on the grant award. For example, a program that receives a grant of $250,000 is required to match 24% ($60,000) 

in the first year, cash and/or in-kind.

Minimum grantee match requirement

Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7 Y8 Y9 Y10

24% 24% 24% 26% 30% 34% 38% 42% 46% 50%

Programs in severely economically distressed communities or rural areas may be allowed to follow alternative match requirements, as per the 

following schedule: 

Alternative match requirements

Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7 Y8 Y9 Y10

24% 24% 24% 24% 24% 24% 29% 31% 33% 35%

Programs that can demonstrate an inability to raise either the minimum grantee requirements or the alternative grant requirements, shown above, 

may apply to CNCS for a full or partial waiver.

AmeriCorps VISTA 

Certain project sponsors (not grantees) share in the project costs with AmeriCorps VISTA by providing VISTA members’ subsistence allowance. 

Cost-sharing among projects is encouraged but not required by AmeriCorps VISTA. Additionally, AmeriCorps VISTA has a limited number of projects 

receiving operating grants; VISTA does not require a non-federal match from these projects.

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program* 

In FY 2015, each AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program must match at least 10 percent of the total cost of the project for all years. 

AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program* 

In FY 2015, each AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program must match at least 10 percent of the total cost of the project for all years. 

Volunteer Generation Fund RSVP* 

In FY 2015, Volunteer Generation Fund RSVP grantees must match:

10 percent of the total cost of the project for the first year,

20 percent of the total cost of the project for the second year, and

30 percent of the total cost of the project for the third, and subsequent years.

Social Innovation Fund

SIF intermediary grantees are required to match their CNCS grant dollar for dollar, in cash from non-federal sources. Intermediary subgrantees are 

required to provide the same match—dollar for dollar in cash—for every dollar they receive from intermediaries.

* For the FY 2015 Budget, CNCS proposes to reorganize the Senior Corps Foster Grandparents Program and the Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps, and integrate the most competitive 

RSVP grantees into VGF. For FY 2015, these programs will have the same match requirements as they do under their existing Senior Corps grants.

86 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VIII: Appendix

APPENDIX E. AmeriCorps Members by Program Type: FY 1996–2015

Program

Actual 

1996 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

1997 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

1998 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

1999 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2000 

Awarded Pct

Education Award Program N/A 15,280 31.3% 10,508 20.8% 12,464 22.4% 16,436 25.1%

National Direct 8,239 28.8% 6,601 13.5% 7,446 14.7% 7,020 12.6% 6,958 10.6%

State Formula and Competitive 14,625 51.1% 19,701 40.4% 21,181 41.9% 22,123 39.7% 28,088 42.9%

Territories 93 0.3% 246 0.5% 59 0.1% 215 0.4% 252 0.4%

Tribes 97 0.3% 202 0.4% 135 0.3% 242 0.4% 425 0.6%

Other State and National 586 2.0% 1,212 2.5% 4,286 8.5% 5,796 10.4% 5,387 8.2%

VISTA Ed Awards 2,506 8.8% 3,150 6.5% 4,256 8.4% 4,653 8.4% 4,960 7.6%

VISTA Stipends 1,548 5.4% 1,442 3.0% 1,895 3.7% 1,959 3.5% 1,902 2.9%

NCCC 926 3.2% 964 2.0% 820 1.6% 1,195 2.1% 994 1.5%

Total 28,620 48,798 50,586 55,667 65,402

Program

Actual 

2001 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2002 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2003 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2004 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2005 

Awarded Pct

Education Award Program 20,651 28.4% 23,859 34.4% 6,899 21.6% 28,975 38.9% 25,024 34.2%

National Direct 7,287 10.0% 7,225 10.4% 3,517 11.0% 9,751 13.1% 10,221 14.0%

Professional Corps N/A N/A N/A - 1,545 2.1%

State Formula and Competitive 33,278 45.7% 29,548 42.7% 13,740 42.9% 28,436 38.2% 28,658 39.1%

Territories 128 0.2% 142 0.2% - 149 0.2% 26 0.0%

Tribes 212 0.3% 314 0.5% 86 0.3% 185 0.2% 162 0.2%

Other State and National 2,200 3.0% 752 1.1% 652 2.0% - -

VISTA Ed Awards 5,801 8.0% 4,270 6.2% 3,086 9.6% 4,061 5.4% 4,475 6.1%

VISTA Stipends 2,128 2.9% 1,920 2.8% 2,711 8.5% 1,782 2.4% 1,962 2.7%

NCCC 1,156 1.6% 1,250 1.8% 1,300 4.1% 1,184 1.6% 1,147 1.6%

Total 72,841 69,280 31,991 74,523 73,220

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 87 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

APPENDIX E. AmeriCorps Members by Program Type: FY 1996–2015 (continued)

Program

Actual 

2006 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2007 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2008 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2009* 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2010** 

Awarded Pct

Education Award Program 23,112 29.8% 23,303 31.7% 22,111 29.6% 20,856 23.5% 20,521 (22.9%)

National Direct 11,332 14.6% 12,568 17.1% 13,810 18.5% 16,942 19.1% N/A

Professional Corps 1,331 1.7% 2,426 3.3% 1,645 2.2% 1,637 1.8% N/A

State Formula and Competitive 33,605 45.0% 27,047 36.8% 28,431 38.1% 36,183 40.8% N/A

Competitive Grants (new for 2010) N/A N/A N/A N/A 36,858 41.1%

State Formula Only (new for 2010) N/A N/A N/A N/A 22,198 24.5%

Territories 116 0.1% 123 0.2% 60 0.1% 60 0.1% 236 0.3%

Tribes 158 0.2% 80 0.1% 72 0.1% 91 0.1% 191 0.2%

Other State and National - - - - -

VISTA Ed Awards 4,797 6.2% 5,162 7.0% 4,871 6.5% 7,901 8.9% 6,537 7.3%

VISTA Stipends 2,057 2.6% 1,690 2.3% 2,533 3.4% 3,882 4.4% 2,100 2.3%

NCCC 1,126 1.5% 1,184 1.6% 1,102 1.5% 1,068 1.2% 1,200 1.3%

Total 77,634 73,583 74,635 88,620 89,631

Program

Actual 

2011 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2012 

Awards Pct

Actual 

2013 

Awards** Pct

Projected 

2014 

Awards Pct

Projected 

2015 

Awards Pct

Education Award Program 15,884 20.1% 13,164 17.3% 11,186 15.6% 16,313 20.4% 10,614 9.3%

National Direct 

Professional Corps

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A N/A 13,250 11.6%

State Formula and Competitive N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Competitive Grants (new for 2010) 33,882 42.9% 32,519 42.8% 33,863 47.2% 33,880 42.4% 27,882 24.5%

State Formula Only (new for 2010) 20,136 25.5% 20,463 27.0% 17,927 25.0% 20,181 25.3% 17,461 15.3%

Territories 286 0.4% 224 0.3% 224 0.3% 338 0.4% 310 0.3%

Tribes 218 0.3% 174 0.2% 178 0.2% 264 0.3% 237 0.2%

Other State and National -

VISTA Ed Awards 5,507 7.0% 6,751 8.9% 6,011 8.4% 6,440 8.1% 6,614 5.8%

VISTA Stipends 1,797 2.3% 1,414 1.9% 1,200 1.7% 1,260 1.6% 1,120 1.0%

NCCC 1,200 1.5% 1,200 1.6% 1,200 1.7% 1,200 1.5% 1,200 1.1%

AmeriCorps Foster Grandparents* 21,232 18.7%

AmeriCorps Senior Companions* 8,769 7.7%

No Cost Slots 5,146 4.5%

Total 78,910 75,909 71,789 79,876 113,835

* CNCS proposes to reorganize Senior Corps in FY 2015 by integrating the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps. As a result, in FY 2015, CNCS plans to 

support 21,232 AmeriCorps Foster Grandparent Program and 8,769 AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program quarter-time members. 

** Award counts are based on CNCS’s FY 2013 sequestered funding level.

88 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VIII: Appendix

APPENDIX F. AmeriCorps Members by Service Term: FY 1996–2015

Program

Actual 

1996 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

1997 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

1998 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

1999 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2000 

Awarded Pct

Full-time 19,607 68.5% 25,809 52.9% 27,401 54.2% 27,671 49.7% 29,944 46.0%

Full-time S/N 14,627 51.1% 20,253 41.5% 20,430 40.4% 19,864 35.7% 22,088 34.0%

Part-time 8,131 28.4% 16,858 34.5% 14,588 28.8% 15,545 27.9% 16,049 24.7%

Reduced Part-time 882 3.1% 6,131 12.6% 8,597 17.0% 12,451 22.4% 19,049 29.3%

Total 28,620 48,798 50,586 55,667 65,042

Program

Actual 

2001 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2002 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2003 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2004 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2005 

Awarded Pct

Full-time 34,450 47.3% 33,860 48.9% 18,470 57.7% 33,359 44.8% 32,459 44.3%

Full-time S/N 25,365 34.8% 26,420 38.1% 11,373 35.6% 26,332 35.3% 24,875 34.0%

Part-time 16,413 22.5% 14,366 20.7% 6,890 21.5% 15,262 20.5% 11,896 16.2%

Reduced Part-time 21,978 30.2% 21,054 30.4% 6,631 20.7% 25,902 34.8% 28,865 39.4%

Total 72,841 69,280 31,991 74,523 73,220

Program

Actual 

2006 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2007 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2008 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2009* 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2010** 

Awarded Pct

Full-time 35,203 45.3% 33,937 46.1% 36,561 49.0% 44,599 50.3% 39,715 44.3%

Full-time S/N 27,223 35.1% 27,059 36.8% 28,822 38.6% 32,941 37.2% 32,151 35.9%

Part-time 12,839 16.5% 10,126 13.8% 9,971 13.4% 11,113 12.5% 11,581 12.9%

Reduced Part-time 29,592 38.1% 29,520 40.1% 28,103 37.7% 32,908 37.1% 38,335 42.8%

Total 77,634 73,583 74,635 88,620 89,631

Program

Actual 

2011 

Awarded Pct

Actual 

2012 

Awards Pct

Actual 

2013 

Award  Pct

Projected 

2014

Awards Pct

Projected 

2015 

Awards Pct

Full-time 35,882 45.5% 38,002 50.1% 38,271 53.3% 37,203 46.6% 48,618 42.7%

Full-time S/N 28,991 36.7% 30,844 36.7% 31,376 43.7% 29,703 37.2% 25,994 22.8%

Part-time 7,888 10.0% 7,381 9.7% 7,315 10.2% 9,746 12.2% 8,323 7.3%

Reduced Part-time 5,001 6.3% 3,709 4.9% 3,264 4.5% 3,229 4.0% 2,660 2.3%

Quarter-Time** * 17,733 13.6% 9,423 12.4% 8,751 12.2% 10,544 13.2% 38,714 34.0%

Minimum-Time 19,406 24.6% 17,394 22.9% 14,188 19.8% 19,154 24.0% 15,520 13.6%

Total 78,910 75,909 71,789 79,876 113,835

* Fiscal Year 2009 data includes additional AmeriCorps State and National and VISTA members funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). 

** FY 2010 includes additional VISTA members funded under ARRA.

*** CNCS proposes to reorganize Senior Corps in FY 2015 by integrating the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program models into AmeriCorps, resulting in 30,001 quarter-time 

members. 

****Award counts are based on CNCS’s FY 2013 sequestered funding level. CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 89 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

APPENDIX G. AmeriCorps Grants over $500,000

The list below shows all AmeriCorps programs that received a grant of more than $500,000 in 2013 under the AmeriCorps State, National, and Fixed

Amount grant programs. The match levels shown are based on grantee budgets. Organizations that appear more than once are local affiliates of 

national organizations that are funded through State Service Commissions instead of the national organization. For example, City Year, Inc. is a 

National Direct grantee. There are also other City Year affiliates that receive funding through state commissions. In the case of state programs, 

the State Commissions are the grantees, but do not operate any programs directly. Therefore, for state programs, we list the subgrantees - the 

organizations that actually operate the programs. For National Direct programs, the grantee organization is listed. 

Under Fixed Amount grants, organizations receive specific amounts per full-time member and members who complete their service hours receive 

an Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. The amount provided by CNCS is substantially less than the cost of operating the AmeriCorps program and 

the organization bears all other operational and member support costs, including the living allowance. Therefore, no match is required. In all other 

cases, the grantee share is the sum of all non-CNCS funds.

Program Type State Grantee Name

CNCS 

Share

Grantee 

Share

Total 

Budget

% Grantee 

Match

National Direct MA YouthBuild USA, Inc $8,517,098 $8,517,098 $17,034,196 50%

National Direct MA City Year, Inc. $8,281,000 $8,281,000 $16,562,000 50%

Fixed Amount GA Habitat for Humanity International, Inc. $7,780,500 N/A $7,780,500 N/A

Fixed Amount MD Notre Dame Mission Volunteers Program, Inc. $7,546,088 $9,222,502 $16,768,590 55%

Fixed Amount WA WA State Employment Security Department $7,345,000 N/A $7,345,000 N/A

State Competitive MN ServeMinnesota Action Network $6,825,000 $6,826,317 $13,651,317 50%

Fixed Amount WI Public Allies, Inc. $6,331,000 N/A $6,331,000 N/A

Fixed Amount MD National Association of Community Health 

Centers, Inc.

$6,087,000 N/A $6,087,000 N/A

Fixed Amount NY Teach For America $4,482,400 N/A $4,482,400 N/A

State Competitive MN ServeMinnesota Action Network $3,766,750 $3,767,832 $7,534,582 50%

National Direct MA Jumpstart for Young Children, Inc. $3,114,794 $3,166,111 $6,280,905 50.4%

State Competitive PA City Year, Inc. $2,932,500 $2,932,500 $5,865,000 50%

State Competitive MA City Year, Inc. $2,860,200 $2,860,200 $5,720,400 50%

National Direct DC Equal Justice Works $2,828,170 $1,229,106 $4,057,276 30.30%

Fixed Amount MA Citizen Schools, Inc. $2,782,000 N/A $2,782,000 N/A

State Competitive NY City Year, Inc. $2,774,950 $2,774,950 $5,549,900 50%

State Competitive CA City Year, Inc. $2,500,000 $2,500,000 $5,000,000 50%

National Direct DC The Corps Network $2,404,636 $3,574,896 $5,979,532 59.8%

State Competitive IL City Year, Inc. $2,331,200 $2,331,200 $4,662,400 50%

Fixed Amount PA Health Federation of Philadelphia $2,204,475 N/A $2,204,475 N/A

State Formula MN ServeMinnesota Action Network $2,018,273 $1,329,711 $3,347,984 39.7%

State Competitive MT Montana Conservation Corps, Inc. $1,872,000 $3,349,067 $5,221,067 64.1%

National Direct MD University of Maryland Center on Aging $1,871,466 $1,876,011 $3,747,477 50.1%

Fixed Amount WA WA State Department of Ecology $1,824,000 N/A $1,824,000 N/A

90 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VIII: Appendix

APPENDIX G. AmeriCorps Grants over $500,000

Program Type State Grantee Name

CNCS 

Share

Grantee 

Share

Total 

Budget

% Grantee 

Match

National Direct LA St. Bernard Project $1,759,678 $1,103,367 $2,863,045 38.5%

National Direct DC Experience Corps dba AARP Experience Corps $1,750,577 $1,974,375 $3,724,952 53%

State Competitive NY Harlem Children's Zone $1,651,000 $2,475,711 $4,126,711 60%

Fixed Amount DC American National Red Cross DC $1,586,000 N/A $1,586,000 N/A

State Formula NY NYS Department of State $1,500,000 $472,000 $1,972,000 23.9%

National Direct OR Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest $1,490,562 $1,291,500 $2,782,062 46.4%

State Competitive DC City Year, Inc. $1,482,000 $1,482,000 $2,964,000 50%

State Competitive TX City Year, Inc. $1,476,300 $1,476,300 $2,952,600 50%

National Direct NY Local Initiatives Support Corporation $1,428,080 $2,277,718 $3,705,798 61.5%

State Competitive NY The Service Collaborative of WNY, Inc. $1,368,762 $1,589,309 $2,958,071 53.7%

State Competitive LA City Year, Inc. $1,362,500 $1,362,500 $2,725,000 50%

State Formula TX UT Austin Charles A. Dana Center $1,330,000 $1,788,985 $3,118,985 57.4%

Fixed Amount CA Napa County Office of Education $1,300,000 N/A $1,300,000 N/A

Fixed Amount NY New York City Office of the Mayor $1,296,750 N/A $1,296,750 N/A

State Competitive UT Ogden CIty School District $1,207,219 $1,472,329 $2,679,548 54.9%

State Competitive WV West Virginia University Research Corp. $1,198,587 $1,198,588 $2,397,175 50%

State Competitive HI Kupu $1,193,375 $789,584 $1,982,959 39.8%

State Competitive CA Bay Area Community Resources / BAYAC 

AmeriCorps

$1,170,000 $2,215,167 $3,385,167 65.4%

State Competitive CA Jumpstart for Young Children, Inc. $1,168,348 $1,177,922 $2,346,270 50.2%

State Formula PA Keystone SMILES Community Learning Center $1,164,588 $1,420,923 $2,585,511 55%

State Competitive MA City of Boston $1,137,143 $547,713 $1,684,856 32.5%

Fixed Amount MN Minnesota Alliance With Youth $1,107,225 N/A $1,107,225 N/A

Fixed Amount DC The Corps Network $1,087,891 N/A $1,087,891 N/A

Fixed Amount MA New Sector Alliance, Inc. $1,083,020 N/A $1,083,020 N/A

State Competitive CA California Children and Families Foundation $1,077,522 $1,469,990 $2,547,512 57.7%

Fixed Amount MN Minnesota Alliance With Youth $1,033,200 N/A $1,033,200 N/A

National Direct MA City Year, Inc. $1,027,706 $1,024,100 $2,051,806 49.9%

National Direct NY Up2Us, Inc. $1,005,417 $1,353,575 $2,358,992 57.4%

State Competitive MA Jumpstart for Young Children, Inc. $1,004,795 $1,005,422 $2,010,217 50%

National Direct GA Points of Light Foundation $992,019 $1,001,982 $1,994,001 50.2%

State Formula CA Playworks Education Energized $989,339 $891,625 $1,880,964 47.4%

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 91 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

APPENDIX G. AmeriCorps Grants over $500,000 (continued)

Program Type State Grantee Name

CNCS 

Share

Grantee 

Share

Total 

Budget

% Grantee 

Match

State Competitive CA Child Abuse Prevention Council, Inc. $979,890 $1,762,711 $2,742,601 64.3%

State Competitive TX College Forward $965,655 $699,382 $1,665,037 42%

State Formula TX CitySquare $962,179 $837,326 $1,799,505 46.5%

Fixed Amount TX Teach For America $950,000 N/A $950,000 N/A

State Formula PA Allegheny County Department of Human 

Services

$947,625 $964,953 $1,912,578 50.5%

State Formula TX AVANCE, Inc. - El Paso Chapter $936,247 $683,538 $1,619,785 42.2%

Territories VI Lutheran Social Services, VI $936,004 $809,900 $1,745,904 46.4%

State Competitive WV United Way of Central West Virginia $930,998 $930,999 $1,861,997 50%

Fixed Amount NY The New Teacher Project $908,038 N/A $908,038 N/A

State Formula CA Playworks Education Energized $877,800 $2,221,895 $3,099,695 71.7%

State Formula CA Napa County Office of Education $876,608 $866,434 $1,743,042 49.7%

Fixed Amount DC National Council of La Raza $871,831 $750,000 $1,621,831 46.2%

State Formula FL City Year, Inc. $854,000 $854,000 $1,708,000 50%

State Formula CA Administrative Office of the Courts $849,206 $984,640 $1,833,846 53.7%

State Competitive MI City Year, Inc. $843,664 $843,664 $1,687,328 50%

State Competitive CA Reading Partners $827,900 $2,781,556 $3,609,456 77.1%

State Competitive NY Jumpstart for Young Children, Inc. $789,214 $814,788 $1,604,002 50.8%

State Competitive OH College Now Greater Cleveland $779,826 $393,340 $1,173,166 33.5%

State Competitive FL City Year, Inc. $776,530 $776,530 $1,553,060 50%

Fixed Amount CO University of Denver (Colorado Seminary) $763,872 N/A $763,872 N/A

State Formula PA Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8: Pennsylvania 

Mountain Service Corps

$760,468 $760,468 $1,520,936 50%

Fixed Amount NH Student Conservation Association, Inc. $747,734 N/A $747,734 N/A

Fixed Amount DC Rebuilding Together, Inc $731,244 N/A $731,244 N/A

State Competitive ME LearningWorks $727,075 $311,407 $1,038,482 30%

State Competitive TX CIS of Central Texas $711,044 $726,804 $1,437,848 50.5%

State Competitive OR American Red Cross Oregon Trail Chapter $702,460 $779,059 $1,481,519 52.6%

Fixed Amount DC AIDS United $702,000 N/A $702,000 N/A

State Competitive CO Mile High Youth Corps (Year One, Inc.) $698,561 $698,299 $1,396,860 50%

State Formula KY Barren County School Board $690,935 $619,320 $1,310,255 47.3%

State Competitive FL City Year, Inc. $665,000 $665,000 $1,330,000 50%

Fixed Amount WA Washington State Department of Veterans 

Affairs

$650,000 N/A $650,000 N/A

92 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VIII: Appendix

APPENDIX G. AmeriCorps Grants over $500,000 (continued)

Program Type State Grantee Name

CNCS 

Share

Grantee 

Share

Total 

Budget

% Grantee 

Match

Fixed Amount WI Public Allies, Inc. $637,000 N/A $637,000 N/A

National Direct KY Berea College $633,689 $203,148 $836,837 24.3%

State Competitive PA Managing Director's Office $631,750 $632,808 $1,264,558 50%

Fixed Amount CO Mile High United Way $630,389 N/A $630,389 N/A

State Formula OK Red River Community Corps, Inc. $625,100 $625,326 $1,250,426 50%

Fixed Amount NY FoodCorps, Inc. $625,000 N/A $625,000 N/A

State Competitive OH City Year, Inc. $625,000 $625,000 $1,250,000 50%

State Competitive NV Great Basin Institute $613,693 $1,863,906 $2,477,599 75.2%

State Competitive IA Des Moines Independent Community School 

District

$610,064 $403,483 $1,013,547 39.8%

Fixed Amount MD Catholic Volunteer Network $607,240 N/A $607,240 N/A

State Competitive CA Kern County Superintendent of Schools $600,000 $1,254,747 $1,854,747 67.7%

State Competitive KY Homeless And Housing Coalition of Kentucky $598,482 $628,525 $1,227,007 51.2%

State Formula CA Safe Passages $595,349 $553,822 $1,149,171 48.2%

State Formula LA Louisiana Delta Service Corps $595,218 $618,856 $1,214,074 51%

Tribal CA Hoopa Valley Tribe $585,000 $427,414 $1,012,414 42.2%

National Direct CO Southwest Conservation Corps $576,489 $2,605,593 $3,182,082 81.9%

State Formula MA Phoenix Charter Academy $555,639 $433,233 $976,522 44.5%

State Formula OK Red River Community Corps, Inc. $570,782 $379,944 $950,726 40%

Fixed Amount DC LIFT $570,274 N/A $570,274 N/A

State Competitive IN Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County Indiana, Inc $559,284 $406,756 $966,040 42.1%

Fixed Amount WI Public Allies, Inc. $555,750 N/A $555,750 N/A

State Formula OH Educational Service Center of Central Ohio $552,572 $350,242 $902,814 38.8%

State Competitive NY Monroe Community College $551,203 $551,203 $1,102,406 50%

National Direct NH Student Conservation Association, Inc. $551,072 $2,322,827 $2,873,899 80.8%

State Competitive NH City Year, Inc. $550,621 $550,621 $1,101,242 50%

State Competitive NC East Carolina School of Education $546,974 $186,341 $733,315 25.4%

Fixed Amount KY Operation UNITE $543,400 N/A $543,400 N/A

State Formula GU Sanctuary, Inc. $540,013 $121,507 $661,520 18.4%

State Formula CA Prevent Child Abuse California $878,088 $454,881 $1,332,969 34.1%

State Competitive IA Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources $532,155 $625,131 $1,157,286 54%

State Formula FL Palm Beach County Literacy Coalition $532,000 $328,264 $860,264 38.2%

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 93 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

APPENDIX G. AmeriCorps Grants over $500,000 (continued)

Program Type State Grantee Name

CNCS 

Share

Grantee 

Share

Total 

Budget

% Grantee 

Match

State Formula NV United Way of Southern Nevada $531,975 $444,547 $976,522 45.5%

State Competitive MA Northeastern University $530,529 $701,211 $1,231,740 56.9%

National Direct ME Goodwill Industries of Northern New England $530,000 $608,642 $1,138,642 53.5%

State Formula CA Santa Barbara County Education Office $527,999 $816,902 $1,344,901 60.7%

National Direct MO Youth Volunteer Corps $527,680 $280,113 $807,793 34.7%

Fixed Amount CA Napa County Office of Education $520,000 N/A $520,000 N/A

Fixed Amount NV WestCare Foundation, Inc. $512,080 N/A $512,080 N/A

National Direct CA Partners in Care Foundation $507,422 $329,577 $836,999 39.4%

94 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VIII: Appendix

APPENDIX H: AmeriCorps Formula Grant Allocation

State FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15

Alabama 1,267,542 1,208,480 1,223,964 2,096,427 1,975,058 1,960,901 1,965,431 1,961,914     1,931,239 

Alaska 500,000 500,000 500,000 628,908 600,000 600,000 600,000 600,000          600,000 

Arizona 1,699,504 1,655,251 1,706,598 2,684,552 2,541,103 2,436,878 2,455,656 2,450,877     2,425,016 

Arkansas 774,707 740,256 749,672 1,529,436 1,446,096 1,432,504 1,435,092 1,432,942     1,415,031 

California 10,048,095 9,545,212 9,650,323 12,148,399 11,434,561 11,280,355 11,372,022 11,344,281    11,157,028 

Colorado 1,310,082 1,269,497 1,296,835 2,194,924 2,081,365 2,049,892 2,068,944 2,065,161      2,050,943 

Connecticut 965,963 914,565 919,240 1,725,420 1,625,390 1,614,627 1,616,663 1,614,044     1,590,384 

Delaware 500,000 500,000 500,000 628,908 600,000 600,000 600,000 600,000         600,000 

District of Columbia 500,000 500,000 500,000 628,908 600,000 600,000 600,000 600,000         600,000 

Florida 4,985,769 4,765,982 4,812,036 6,406,461 6,030,290 6,000,132 6,070,069 6,055,982      5,984,986 

Georgia 2,580,803 2,492,439 2,542,955 3,692,285 3,480,668 3,381,231 3,408,986 3,401,753      3,351,908 

Hawaii 500,000 500,000 500,000 628,908 600,000 600,000 600,000 600,000        600,000 

Idaho 500,000 500,000 500,000 628,908 600,000 600,000 600,000 600,000        600,000 

Illinois 3,536,630 3,356,211 3,387,256 4,652,573 4,363,343 4,246,624 4,245,828 4,236,439     4,147,825 

Indiana 1,740,074 1,656,958 1,674,203 2,630,739 2,473,848 2,446,631 2,451,148 2,446,380     2,409,670 

Iowa 821,895 780,274 788,309 1,566,338 1,478,904 1,467,734 1,470,504 1,468,262     1,451,121 

Kansas 761,809 724,901 735,690 1,507,400 1,426,002 1,413,592 1,417,189 1,415,084     1,397,015 

Kentucky 1,159,240 1,107,584 1,120,874 1,973,447 1,861,609 1,838,098 1,840,383 1,837,188    1,810,493 

Louisiana 1,181,755 1,121,093 1,158,038 2,028,911 1,916,845 1,896,322 1,903,097 1,899,742 1,873,885 

Maine 500,000 500,000 500,000 628,908 600,000 600,000 600,000 600,000 600,000 

Maryland 1,547,755 1,467,129 1,479,080 2,405,211 2,268,004 2,251,500 2,266,305 2,262,014      2,232,834 

Massachusetts 1,774,160 1,684,237 1,706,017 2,683,869 2,527,919 2,466,640 2,481,959 2,477,112 2,443,248 

Michigan 2,782,468 2,630,074 2,626,360 3,736,079 3,487,319 3,398,510 3,398,627 3,391,420 3,325,319 

Minnesota 1,424,109 1,357,265 1,370,594 2,270,179 2,138,098 2,114,516 2,123,187 2,119,264 2,092,808 

Mississippi 802,176 762,188 771,523 1,548,929 1,460,700 1,443,989 1,445,228 1,443,051 1,423,798 

Missouri 1,610,315 1,535,042 1,552,069 2,495,001 2,347,800 2,303,184 2,305,219 2,300,828 2,264,604 

Montana 500,000 500,000 500,000 628,908 600,000 600,000 600,000 600,000 600,000 

Nebraska 500,000 500,000 500,000 1,188,844 1,126,535 1,122,130 1,125,421 1,124,068 1,114,602 

Nevada 687,795 669,903 682,664 1,452,654 1,371,819 1,371,679 1,381,234 1,379,222 1,368,422 

New Hampshire 500,000 500,000 500,000 628,908 600,000 600,000 600,000 600,000 600,000 

New Jersey 2,404,583 2,268,171 2,279,600 3,342,767 3,138,900 3,099,557 3,110,146 3,103,682 3,050,936 

New Mexico 538,709 514,408 520,985 1,255,243 1,191,311 1,190,018 1,190,552 1,189,032 1,174,302 

New York 5,320,993 5,039,253 5,117,103 6,719,208 6,291,855 6,115,645 6,141,623 6,127,352 6,012,050 

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 95 
The Corporation for National and Community Service

APPENDIX H: AmeriCorps Formula Grant Allocation (continued)

State FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15

North Carolina 2,440,949 2,366,125 2,421,310 3,552,559 3,349,993 3,786,689 3,151,159 3,249,973 3,312,220 

North Dakota 500,000 500,000 500,000 628,908 600,000 670,356 600,000 600,000        600,000 

Ohio 3,163,463 2,994,378 3,015,582 4,226,295 3,952,744 4,504,827 3,625,946 3,713,540 3,786,677 

Oklahoma 986,470 944,597 956,288 1,778,016 1,682,813 1,895,196 1,578,230 1,636,133     1,660,472 

Oregon 1,019,969 978,580 995,066 1,821,215 1,720,924 1,941,241 1,600,625 1,657,525     1,682,366 

Pennsylvania 3,428,770 3,246,599 3,268,248 4,557,316 4,272,742 4,857,664 3,948,972 4,037,248 4,117,989 

Puerto Rico 1,082,538 1,359,316 1,038,117 1,865,355 1,702,427 1,988,291 1,539,091 1,572,768   1,595,618 

Rhode Island 500,000 500,000 500,000 628,908 600,000 670,356 600,000 600,000   600,000 

South Carolina 1,190,983 1,150,994 1,176,154 2,050,467 1,936,479 2,185,602 1,819,022 1,884,841 1,915,022 

South Dakota 215,505 225,995 219,882 628,908 600,000 670,356 600,000 600,000 600,000 

Tennessee 1,664,359 1,607,716 1,631,695 2,591,202 2,442,686 2,761,974 2,278,010 2,347,975 2,389,035 

Texas 6,478,999 6,242,197 6,386,955 8,352,573 7,930,333 8,903,046 7,471,332 7,716,833     7,884,006 

Utah 702,825 690,780 718,438 1,496,749 1,422,988 1,595,392 1,324,025 1,380,583   1,398,919 

Vermont 500,000 500,000 500,000 628,908 600,000 670,356 600,000 600,000 600,000 

Virginia 2,106,462 2,013,873 2,039,745 3,085,600 2,911,928 3,288,955 2,736,231 2,822,758 2,874,970 

Washington 1,762,751 1,689,112 1,719,474 2,705,875 2,561,330 2,884,204 2,394,781 2,475,906 2,519,971 

West Virginia 501,190 500,000 500,000 1,196,061 1,130,733 1,274,887 1,059,133 1,098,967 1,110,688 

Wisconsin 1,531,433 1,462,767 1,477,601 2,391,278 2,248,015 2,548,874 2,084,656 2,145,283 2,181,581 

Wyoming 500,000 500,000 500,000 628,908 600,000 670,356 600,000 600,000 600,000 

TOTAL 86,503,598 83,239,403 83,936,545 125,781,666 118,551,479 134,071,246 110,704,105 113,789,000 115,729,000 

96 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VIII: Appendix

APPENDIX I: Social Innovation Fund Intermediaries

Impact 

Area Grantees

Average Awarded 

Grant Description

Initial 

Award FY

Economic Development

 Jobs for the 

Future, Inc. 

$3.2 million Jobs for the Future, Inc and the National Fund for Workforce Solutions 

(NFWS) will expand their targeted training and technical assistance to 

low-income individuals while also addressing the critical skill needs of 

employers. The funds will dramatically increase economic opportunities for 

disadvantaged workers and job seekers through investments in regional 

workforce collaboratives that partner with employers to identify jobs and 

career pathways in high-growth industries.

FY10 

Local Initiatives 

Support 

Corporation 

$4.2 million The Local Initiatives Support Corporation will grow Financial Opportunity 

Centers – a workforce development and asset-building model that boosts 

earnings, reduces expenses and coaches low-income families on how to 

make better financial decisions. The Centers are a core component of the 

organization’s strategy to build sustainable communities.

FY10 

Mayor’s Fund to 

Advance New York 

City 

$5.7 million The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and the NYC Center for 

Economic Opportunity (CEO) will replicate effective anti-poverty programs 

originally piloted by CEO in eight urban areas. By advancing the education,

employment, and financial savings of low-income adults and families, the 

programs will combat poverty across a diverse cross-section of America.

FY10 

REDF $1.5 million REDF will create job opportunities for thousands of Californians with multiple

barriers to employment – including dislocated youth, individuals who 

have been homeless or incarcerated, and those with severe mental illness 

– in sustainable nonprofit social enterprises in low-income communities 

throughout the state. The project includes testing to determine the potential 

of these enterprises as scalable employment 

FY10 

NCB Capital 

Impact

$1 million NCBCI’s Stewardship Capacity Fund (SCF) will scale and replicate “shared 

equity homeownership” (SEH) programs to build the capacity of local 

organizations to more effectively manage public investment in affordable 

homeownership for low-income families.

FY11

Healthy Futures

Foundation for a 

Healthy Kentucky 

$1 million The Foundation for a Health Kentucky will improve access to needed health 

services, reduce health risks and disparities, and promote health equity 

in low-income communities in Kentucky. Subgrantees will focus on testing 

innovative strategies to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, curb 

smoking and other unhealthy habits, and increase access to health services 

in underserved communities. 

FY10

CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 97 
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APPENDIX I: Social Innovation Fund Intermediaries (continued)

Impact 

Area Grantees

Average Awarded 

Grant Description

Initial 

Award FY

Healthy Futures (Continued)

Missouri 

Foundation for 

Health

$1 million The Missouri Foundation for Health is investing in sub-grantees working 

in low-income communities across the state to reduce risk factors and 

the prevalence of two preventable causes of chronic disease and death: 

tobacco use and obesity. The project draws on an integrated community 

change model blending two transformative models of prevention on obesity 

and tobacco control.

FY10

 National AIDS 

Fund 

$2 million The National AIDS Fund will support innovative strategies that increase 

access to care and improve health outcomes for low-income individuals 

living with HIV/AIDS. The project will employ rigorous evaluation, informing 

the implementation of the White House National HIV/AIDS Strategy and 

offering lessons that reduce barriers to care for a broad range of people living 

with HIV/AIDS and other chronic diseases. 

FY10 

US Soccer 

Federation 

Foundation

$1 million The US Soccer Federation Foundation (USSFF) will support the expansion 

and replication of Soccer for Success (SfS), a no-cost, after-school, 

sports-based youth development program whose goal is to improve health 

by arresting and reducing obesity through physical activity and nutrition 

education.

FY11

The John 

A. Hartford 

Foundation

$1 million The John A. Hartford Foundation will fund organizations to disseminate its 

IMPACT model of depression treatment through community health clinics 

in low-income rural areas in Wyoming, Washington, Alaska, Montana, 

and Idaho. By reducing costs for health expenditures and caregiving and 

increasing employment income of those affected by depression, they aim to 

increase economic well-being for individuals served.

FY12

Corporation 

for Supportive 

Housing

$1.2 million Corporation for Supportive Housing will expand and replicate supportive 

housing models that combine health, housing, and social services to 

improve the health and housing outcomes of homeless individuals with 

complex health needs who frequently us multiple public crisis systems.

FY11

Youth Development 

New Profit, Inc. $5 million New Profit, Inc.collaborates with innovative youth-focused nonprofit 

organizations with existing evidence to yield significant improvements in 

helping young people navigate the increasingly complex path from high 

school to college and productive employment. The project will expand the 

reach of these nonprofits to improve the lives of young people in low-income 

communities throughout the country. 

FY10 

98 CNCS FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justification 
Part VIII: Appendix

APPENDIX I: Social Innovation Fund Intermediaries (continued)

Impact 

Area Grantees

Average Awarded 

Grant Description

Initial 

Award FY

Youth Development (Continued)

The Edna 

McConnell Clark 

Foundation

$10 million The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation is combining large grants, strategic 

business planning, rigorous evaluation, and capital aggregation to increase 

the scale and impact of youth development organizations in communities of 

need across the United States. Their subgrantees are focusing on improving 

the educational skills and workforce readiness of economically disadvantaged 

young people as well as helping them to avoid high-risk behavior. 

FY10

Venture 

Philanthropy 

Partners

$2 million Venture Philanthropy Partners will create a powerful network of effective 

nonprofit organizations in the Washington D.C. National Capital Region 

supporting an integrated approach to addressing the education and 

employment needs of low-income and vulnerable youth ages 14-24.

FY10

 Twin Cities Strive 

in Partnership 

with Greater Twin 

Cities United Way

$1 million Twin Cities Strive in partnership with Greater Twin Cities United Way, will 

focus on improving kindergarten readiness, 3rd-grade reading proficiency, 

9th-grade readiness for upper-level math, four-year high school graduation, 

and post-secondary enrollment among low-income students in the St. Paul/

Minneapolis area. 

FY12

 United Way of 

Greater Cincinnati 

$1 million United Way of Greater Cincinnati, the Strive Partnership, and other funders 

will address the needs of low-income children and youth from “cradle to 

career” in the Greater Cincinnati-area though investments in early education, 

mentoring and literacy programs, college access, career pathways, and other 

innovations. 

FY10 

GreenLight Fund $1 million GreenLight Fund will target low-income children and youth to close the 

achievement and opportunity gap in Boston, Philadelphia, and the San 

Francisco Bay Area, selecting two subgrantees in each of the sites.

FY12

 United Way for 

Southeastern 

Michigan

$2 million United Way for Southeastern Michigan will build on the expertise of its 

partnering organizations and facilitate the development of a portfolio of 

replicable early childhood learning communities in needy communities in 

greater Detroit and surrounding areas.

FY11

 Mile High United 

Way

$1.8 million Mile High United Way (MHUW) will fund subgrantee programs that leverage 

community volunteers to collectively address 3rd grade literacy rates in rural 

and urban areas across the state of Colorado. Building upon a strong state 

movement for reform and with strong bipartisan support from Colorado’s 

Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and state legislature, Mile High United Way is 

poised to introduce key transformations in Colorado’s education system.

FY11

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