MEMORANDUM

DATE: March 10, 2023 (revised March 31, 2023)

TO: AmeriCorps Grantees and Sponsors

FROM: Lisa Bishop, Director, Office of Grant Administration

RE: Elimination of Financial Report to the Payment Management System

The Office of Grant Administration is pleased to announce a financial reporting 

reduction in burden for all our grantees and sponsors who utilize the Payment 

Management System (PMS).

Over the course of 2023, PMS is eliminating the quarterly Federal Financial Report 

(FFR)/Federal Cash Transaction Report (FCTR) for all federal recipients. The exact 

timing is determined in tandem with the federal awarding agencies.

Given the challenges some of our grantees have with the timing of these reports, 

particularly related to timely closeouts, AmeriCorps opted for the last FFR/FCTR our 

grantees submit to PMS to be the one due no later than April 30, 2023, that covers 

the reporting period of January 1, 2023 – March 31, 2023.

Key Highlights with all revisions highlighted and underlined:

• Grantees must still file the quarterly FFR/FCTR in PMS due no later than April 

30, 2023, to be compliant with program-specific terms and conditions and to 

avoid funds being placed on hold by PMS

• Grantees will not be able to revise their April 2023 FFR/FCTR in PMS after May 

31, 2023

• Grantees will still have read only access to FCTRs in PMS after June 2023

• Beginning with drawdowns on an after April 115, 2023, grantees will assert

via the statement in the attachment that award funds are used in compliance 

with all award conditions and federal statutory requirements each time they 

request a drawdown from PMS as part of the drawdown action:

o There will be no lapse in grantees ability to draw funds between April 1-

15, 2023 unless they are on manual hold or review for other reasons

o It is critical that the person(s) doing your drawdowns be authorized 

by your organization to make this assertion

o Grantees may need to revise internal policies and/or procedures to 

reflect this change

• AmeriCorps will revise grantee and AmeriCorps staff closeout guidance and 

release a new training that reflects the new, more simplified, grantee closeout 

process made possible by the elimination of this report to PMS

250 E Street SW 

Washington, D.C. 20525

202-606-5000 / 800-942-2677
• AmeriCorps will eliminate references to the PMS report in future programspecific terms and conditions

• AmeriCorps and PMS will conduct User Acceptance Testing prior to a onetime batch upload of disbursement data from PMS in late June 2023

• After June 30, 2023, AmeriCorps will receive daily data uploads from PMS 

that will enable us to verify real-time disbursements and determine if 

grants financially reconcile

• There are no other changes to AmeriCorps’ or AmeriCorps grantees’ 

relationship with PMS at this time

• There are no changes to the eGrants Federal Financial Reports submitted by 

cost reimbursement grantees. Please refer to your program-specific terms 

and conditions for those requirements and timelines.

While we realize this will likely be a welcome change to many of you, we also 

understand that it is another significant change on a short timeline that could have 

significant ramifications for you. Please let your portfolio manager know if you have 

issues or concerns because of this change so that we can work together internally to 

support you through this transition.

We will post this guidance and any updates about this transition the Manage Your 

Grant | AmeriCorps as warranted. Additionally, PMS continues to expand its 

trainings and reporting functionality for grantees. Please visit Payment 

Management Services (pms.psc.gov) for more information about PMS resources.

Thank you in advance for your efforts and for your patience during this transition to a 

more streamlined and less burdensome reporting.
ATTACHMENT: AmeriCorps Declaration and Certification to the U.S. 

Department of Health & Human Services as to this Payment/Drawdown 

Request that will be required as part of the actual draw down in PMS

 

I declare the following to the Corporation of National and Community Service 

(CNCS), under penalty of perjury: (1) I have authority to make this certification 

on behalf of the award recipient; (2) I have conducted (or have had conducted 

for the award recipient) a review of the terms and conditions of this award; all 

certifications and assurances for this award; and all statutory and regulatory 

requirements applicable to this award; and (3) I also have conducted (or have 

had conducted for the award recipient) a review as to all other matters 

represented in this declaration and certification.

On behalf of myself and the award recipient, I certify to CNCS , under penalty 

of perjury, that the following are true: (1) The award recipient is in compliance 

with all applicable laws, regulations, certifications, and assurances, including 

all terms and conditions of the award as to the obligation, expenditure, and 

drawdown of award funds, and all related statutory and regulatory 

requirements included in the certifications and assurances for this award; (2) If 

this request is for reimbursement: the request is accurate and complete; all 

obligations, expenditures, and cash receipts are supported by the requisite 

accounting records; and all costs included in the request are reasonable, 

allowable, and allocable to the award; (3) If this request is for an advance: the 

request is accurate; all obligations, expenditures, and cash receipts will be 

supported by the requisite accounting records; and (absent a specific statute 

that provides otherwise) the recipient will disburse the funds for costs that are

reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the award within 3 business days, or 

immediately return the funds to HHS; (4) any and all information provided 

with this request for cash disbursement is accurate; and (5) there have been 

no changes to the award recipient's representations as to eligibility for the 

award that could affect the recipient's eligibility for continued disbursements 

under the award.

I understand that, in making payment pursuant to this request, CNCS will rely 

upon this declaration and certification to determine whether to disburse 

funds, and that its accuracy is a condition of payment. I also understand that a 

false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement in this declaration and certification or 

otherwise in connection with this payment/drawdown request (or 

concealment or omission of a material fact as to either) may be the subject of 

criminal prosecution (including under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1001 and/or 1621), and 

also may subject me and the award recipient to civil and administrative 

penalties and other remedies, including under the federal False Claims Act 

(31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3730), Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act (31 U.S.C. §§ 

3801-3812), Civil Monetary Penalties Law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7a), or 

otherwise.