250 E Street SW

Washington, D.C. 20525

202-606-5000 / 800-942-2677

202-606-5000 / 800-942-2677

VGF New Grantee Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure the necessary steps are taken to develop a compliant Volunteer 

Generation Fund project. If you have any questions about the tasks or resources below, 

please reach out to your Portfolio Manager.

Familiarize Yourself with Grant Systems

 eGrants is AmeriCorps’ grants management system. Use eGrants to submit 

applications and amendments, complete required progress and financial reports, and 

access award-related documents. Contact the AmeriCorps Hotline via web form, live 

chat, or by phone (1-800-942-2677) if you encounter a system issue with eGrants.

 Litmos is AmeriCorps’ online learning platform. Use Litmos to complete the 

mandatory National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) and Key Concepts in 

Financial Grants Management eCourses, as well as any additional courses that may be 

relevant to your grant. Access the Litmos Getting Started Guide for information on 

setting up an account.

 The Payment Management System (PMS), not operated by AmeriCorps, is the 

online grants payment platform from which grantees receive federal funds. Use PMS 

to draw down award funds. Access the PMS Help Desk, User Guide, and Grant 

Recipient Training schedule for support using PMS.

Familiarize Yourself with Grant Resources

 Review the AmeriCorps General Terms and Conditions and program-specific 

Volunteer Generation Fund Terms and Conditions. 

 Review and bookmark the resources on the Volunteer Generation Fund and Days of 

Service Grantees and Manage Your Grant pages of the AmeriCorps website. Use the 

Volunteer Generation Fund and Days of Service Grantees page to access programspecific resources throughout your grant.

 Review the AmeriCorps Office of Monitoring’s Uniform Monitoring Package (UMP).

Use this resource as a guide as you finalize policies and procedures for your 

organization.
 2 

250 E Street SW

Washington, D.C. 20525

202-606-5000 / 800-942-2677

202-606-5000 / 800-942-2677

Establish Grant-Compliant Personnel Policies and Procedures

 Create policies and procedures to ensure you meet all National Service Criminal 

History Check (NSCHC) requirements. Identify at least one staff member to complete 

the NSCHC eCourse in Litmos annually. Further details on NSCHC compliance can 

be found in the Getting Started with NSCHC Resources guide and Common Findings 

of NSCHC Noncompliance resource. Refer to the NSCHC page and Office of 

Monitoring's NSCHC Recommendations for additional resources and guidance.

 Create and maintain records of position descriptions for all staff members working on 

grant activities that clearly delineate roles and responsibilities.

 Establish a system for staff timekeeping. Complete the Ensuring Correct and 

Supported Salary Allocations eCourse in Litmos to learn how to develop a

timekeeping system that is grant compliant.

Establish Financial Grants Management Policies and Procedures

 Review financial reporting requirements and develop policies and procedures that 

ensure fiscal compliance. Refer to the General Terms and Conditions and 2 CFR 200

to determine requirements.

 Create a process with your accounting department that regularly allows for review of 

actual against budgeted expenses, including those covered by match funding.

 Create a process for submitting Federal Financial Reports (FFRs). Complete the FFR 

Training for Grantees in Litmos for guidance and review FFR deadlines in the VGF 

Terms and Conditions. 

Establish Data Collection and Reporting Procedures

 Create a plan and set of tools for grant-related data collection. Review Attachment A 

of the VGF Application Instructions for instructions on Performance Measure tracking 

and reporting and Section F.4 of the VGF Notice of Funding Opportunity for 

expectations for data quality. Complete the National Performance Measurement Core 

Curriculum to help guide data collection for your project.

 Create a data reporting system that stores data securely and allows data to be easily 

analyzed for reporting.

 Review Project Progress Report (PPR) deadlines in the VGF Terms and Conditions. 

Instructions for completing PPRs will be posted three to four months before each PPR

submission deadline on the Volunteer Generation Fund and Days of Service Grantees

webpage.