1 

NOTICE of FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Federal Agency Name: AmeriCorps

Funding Opportunity Title: Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 AmeriCorps State and National 

Competitive Grants

Announcement Type: Initial Announcement

Assistance Listing Number: 94.006

Summary Statement: This is a funding opportunity for Institutions of higher education, 

local governments, including school districts, nonprofit organizations, State Service 

Commissions, States and US Territories, Indian Tribes, and public health departments to 

apply for AmeriCorps members to strengthen communities by serving.

Disclosure: Publication of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (Notice) does not obligate 

AmeriCorps to award any specific number of grants or to commit any particular amount of 

funding. The actual level, timing, and process of grant funding will be subject to the 

availability of annual appropriations. 

Important Dates

• Applications are due no later than Thursday, January 4, 2024 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern 

Time. Single-state applicant deadlines to State Service Commissions may be 

significantly before the AmeriCorps deadlines, so prospective state applicants should 

contact the Commission in the state or territory where they intend to apply as early as 

possible. The list of Commissions can be found on the AmeriCorps State Service 

Commissions' webpage. 

• Successful applicants will be notified by mid April 2024. 

• Successful applicants will be issued awards by mid July 2024. 
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Table of Contents

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY................................................................................ 1

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION.................................................................................................. 4

o A.1. Purpose of AmeriCorps State and National Funding........................................................4

o A.2. Funding Priorities...........................................................................................................4

o A.3. Performance Goals or Expected Outcomes......................................................................5

o A.4. Program Authority..........................................................................................................6

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION ................................................................................. 6

o B.1. Estimated Available Funds..............................................................................................6

o B.2. Estimated Award Amount...............................................................................................6

o B.3. Period of Performance ....................................................................................................6

o B.4. Type of Award................................................................................................................6

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION ........................................................................................... 8

o C.1. Eligible Applicants .........................................................................................................8

Types of Applicants.............................................................................................................................8

Threshold Issues ..................................................................................................................................9

o C.2. Cost Sharing or Matching ............................................................................................ 10

Cost Reimbursement Grants............................................................................................................10

Match Waiver......................................................................................................................................10

Alternative Match...............................................................................................................................11

o C.3. Other Eligibility Requirements..................................................................................... 11

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION................................................... 11

o D.1. Address to Request an Application Package................................................................. 11

o D.2. Content and Form of Application Submission .............................................................. 12

D.2.a. Application Content ..............................................................................................................12

D.2.b. Page Limits..............................................................................................................................12

o D.3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)........................... 13

o D.4. Submission Dates and Times ....................................................................................... 13

D.4.a. Application Submission Deadline.......................................................................................13

D.4.b. Additional Documents Deadline.........................................................................................14

D.4.c. Late Applications....................................................................................................................14

o D.5. Intergovernmental Review........................................................................................... 15

o D.6. Funding Restrictions.................................................................................................... 15

D.6.a. Award Funding Requirements .............................................................................................15

D.6.b. Indirect Costs..........................................................................................................................17

D.6.c. Pre-Award Costs.....................................................................................................................17

o D.7. Other Submission Requirements.................................................................................. 17

D.7.a. Electronic Application Submission in eGrants ..................................................................17

D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents................................................................................18

D.7.c. Coordination Among State Service Commissions and National Direct Applicants....19

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION ..................................................................... 20
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o E.1. Selection Criteria ......................................................................................................... 20

E.1.a. Executive Summary (0 percent):...........................................................................................21

E.1.b. Program Design (50 percent):..............................................................................................21

E.1.c. Organizational Capability (25 percent):..............................................................................25

E.1.d. Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (25 percent):.................................................26

E.1.e. Evaluation Plan (Required for recompeting applicants - 0 percent):.............................26

E.1.f. Amendment Justification (0 percent):..................................................................................27

E.1.g. Clarification Information (0 percent):..................................................................................27

E.1.h. Continuation Changes (0 percent):.....................................................................................27

o E.2. Review and Selection Process...................................................................................... 27

E.2.a. Initial Application Compliance and Eligibility Review ......................................................27

E.2.b. Application Review.................................................................................................................27

E.2.c. Pre-Award Risk Assessment ..................................................................................................28

E.2.d. Consideration of Integrity and Performance System Information..................................29

E.2.e. Selection for Funding.............................................................................................................29

E.2.f. Applicant Resolution...............................................................................................................30

o E.3. Feedback to Applicants................................................................................................ 30

o E.4. Transparency in Grantmaking ...................................................................................... 30

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION .......................................... 31

o F.1. Federal Award Notices................................................................................................. 31

o F.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements........................................................ 31

F.2.a. Uniform Guidance ..................................................................................................................31

F.2.b. Requests for Monitoring or Payment Integrity Information.............................................31

F.2.c. AmeriCorps Terms and Conditions .....................................................................................31

F.2.d. National Service Criminal History Check Requirements ..................................................31

F.2.e. Official Guidance ....................................................................................................................32

o F.3. Use of Material ............................................................................................................ 32

o F.4. Reporting ..................................................................................................................... 33

o F.5. Continuation Funding Information and Requirements................................................... 33

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS............................................................. 34

H. OTHER INFORMATION .................................................................................................... 34

o H.1. Technical Assistance ................................................................................................... 34

o H.2. Re-Focusing of Funding .............................................................................................. 34

I. IMPORTANT NOTICES....................................................................................................... 34

APPENDIX I – AMERICORPS FOCUS AREAS................................................................... 36

o AmeriCorps Focus Areas .................................................................................................... 36
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FULL TEXT OF THE NOTICE

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A.1. Purpose of AmeriCorps State and National Funding

AmeriCorps improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through 

service and volunteering. AmeriCorps brings people together to tackle some of the country’s 

most pressing challenges through national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps members

and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement 

of communities and those serving. AmeriCorps helps make service a cornerstone of our 

national culture. 

AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations (Use Section C.1. Eligible 

Applicants) proposing to engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidenceinformed interventions/practices to strengthen communities. An AmeriCorps member is an 

individual who engages in community service through an approved national service position. 

Members may receive a living allowance and other benefits while serving. Upon successful 

completion of their service, members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award that they 

can use to pay for higher education expenses or apply to qualified student loans. 

Please use the AmeriCorps Focus Areas in Appendix I.

A.2. Funding Priorities 

AmeriCorps released its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, which defines the agency’s goals and

objectives to advance the agency’s mission to improve lives and strengthen communities. 

AmeriCorps will execute the following goals to better position the agency to respond to 

national and local needs and help the communities it serves prosper: 

1. Partner with communities to alleviate poverty and advance racial equity 

2. Enhance the experience for AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors 

volunteers

3. Unite Americans by bringing them together in service

4. Effectively steward federal resources

5. Make AmeriCorps one of the best and most equitable places to work in the federal 

government

AmeriCorps will invest in existing and new partnerships with non-profit, faith-based, and 

Tribal organizations, and State Service Commissions, to get things done for America. The 

agency will prioritize investment in the most critical issues of our time — public health, climate 

and the environment, and education and economic opportunity — within AmeriCorps’ Focus 

Areas (Appendix 1) and will increase its efforts to ensure AmeriCorps members, AmeriCorps 

Seniors volunteers, and community-based volunteers reflect the communities where they 

serve. We will target our investments toward communities where the need is greatest, 

particularly those with populations that face racial inequality and poverty. These steps will 

enable more Americans than ever to strengthen the communities that need it most across the 

nation through their service.
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AmeriCorps’ priorities for this funding opportunity are:

• Organizations leading service in communities with concentrated poverty, rural 

communities, tribal communities, and those organizations serving historically 

underrepresented and underserved individuals, including but not limited to 

communities of color, immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities, people who 

identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, people with arrest and/or conviction 

records, and religious minorities; 

• Evidence-based interventions on the AmeriCorps Evidence Exchange that are 

assessed as having Moderate or Strong evidence. Please note that many of these 

interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in improving outcomes for individuals 

living in underserved communities and that the agency has committed resources to 

supporting grantees seeking to replicate and evaluate these interventions in similar 

communities;

• Veterans and Military Families, Caregivers, and Survivors – a program model that 

improves the quality of life of veterans and improves the well-being of military and 

veteran families, caregivers, and survivors; 

• Faith-based organizations; 

• Programs that provide additional benefits to AmeriCorps members aimed at 

enhancing member experience and bolstering member recruitment and retention 

such as paying more than the minimum living allowance, transportation, housing, 

food, etc.; 

• Programs that create workforce pathways for AmeriCorps members, including 

deliberate training, certifications, and hiring preferences or support; 

• Environmental Stewardship, including supporting communities to become more 

resilient through measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve land and 

water, increase renewable energy use and improve at-risk ecosystems, especially in 

underserved households and communities; 

• Community-based programs that enhance and expand services to second chance 

youth and/or engage those youth as AmeriCorps members; 

• Programs that support civic bridgebuilding programs and projects to reduce 

polarization and community divisions; and providing training in civic bridgebuilding 

skills and techniques to AmeriCorps members; 

• Programs focused on implementing or expanding access to high-quality early 

learning and those that prepare AmeriCorps members to enter early learning careers.

To receive priority consideration, applicants must show that the priority area is a significant 

part of the program focus and intended outcomes and must include a high-quality program 

design. Proposing programs that receive priority consideration does not guarantee funding. 

A.3. Performance Goals or Expected Outcomes

National Performance Measures 

AmeriCorps expects applicants to use National Performance Measures as part of a 

comprehensive performance measurement strategy that relies on both performance and 

evaluation data to learn from their work and make tactical and strategic adjustments to 

achieve their goals. 

All applications must include at least one aligned performance measure (output and 

outcome) that corresponds to the proposed primary intervention. This may be a National 
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Performance Measure or an applicant-determined measure. For more information, please 

refer to the National Performance Measure Instructions. 

A.4. Program Authority

Awards under this Notice are authorized by the National and Community Service Act of 1990, 

as amended, (42 U.S.C. §12501 et seq.)

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

B.1. Estimated Available Funds

AmeriCorps expects a highly competitive AmeriCorps grant competition. AmeriCorps 

reserves the right to prioritize providing funding to existing awards over making new awards.

The actual level of funding is subject to the availability of annual appropriations. 

B.2. Estimated Award Amount

Award amounts will vary as determined by the scope of the projects. 

B.3. Period of Performance

AmeriCorps anticipates making three-year grant awards. AmeriCorps generally makes an 

initial award for the first year of the period of performance, based on a one-year budget.

Applicants must submit a one-year budget. Applicants may propose any program start date 

that aligns with their program design. The period of performance may not be before July 1, 

2024. Continuation awards for subsequent years are not guaranteed; they depend upon 

availability of future appropriations and satisfactory performance. For fully funded awards 

(those who have received more than one year of funding), those funds are guaranteed. 

B.4. Type of Award 

Award recipients will be assigned to an AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager, who will be 

responsible for assessing recipient performance, providing training and technical assistance, 

and serving as the agency’s primary point of contact. 

AmeriCorps may award Operating Grants, including a Cost Reimbursement or a Fixed 

Amount grant, to any successful applicant, but the availability of a Full-Cost Fixed Amount 

grant is limited to certain applicants. 

Professional Corps applicants are ineligible to receive for Cost Reimbursement grants. Use

the C.1. Eligible Applicants section and the Mandatory Supplemental Information for more

information, including definitions of terminology. AmeriCorps will not provide both types of 

grants for the same project in one fiscal year. 
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Grant Types Cost 

Reimbursement Fixed Amount 

Available 

Subtypes Traditional Full-Cost 

Education 

Award 

Program 

(EAP) 

Professional 

Corps 

Use MSI for 

further 

requirements) 

No 

Cost 

Slots

Maximum Cost 

per MSY* $25,000 $25,000 $800 or $1,000** $1,000 $0 

Type of Slots 

in the National 

Service 

Trust*** 

FT, TQT, HT, 

RHT, QT, MT, 

AT

FT, TQT, HT, 

RHT, QT, MT, 

AT

FT, TQT, 

HT, RHT, 

QT, MT, 

AT

FT Only

FT, 

TQT, 

HT, 

RHT, 

QT, 

MT, AT

Budget 

Submission 

Required 

Yes No No No 

Availability of 

Funds Linked 

to Enrollment 

and Retention 

of Awarded 

MSYs

No Yes No 

Special 

Requirements N/A N/A 

Must place 

qualified 

professionals in 

communities 

with an 

inadequate 

# of such 

professionals. 

Member 

salaries & 

benefits must 

be paid entirely 

by organization 

where member 

serves & not 

included in 

budget.

N/A 

Financial 

Reporting 

Requirements

Yes No 

Available to 

New 

Applicants

Yes No Yes
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* Member Service Year (MSY): One Member Service Year (MSY) is equivalent to a full-time 

AmeriCorps position (at least 1,700 service hours.)

** Per 42 U.S.C. § 12581a, the Corporation may provide the operational support under this 

section for a program in an amount that is not more than $800 per individual enrolled in an 

approved national service position, or not more than $1,000 per such individual if at least 50 

percent of the persons enrolled in the program are disadvantaged youth.

***FT = Full Time, TQT = Three Quarter Time, HT = Half Time, RHT = Reduced Half Time, QT 

= Quarter Time, MT = Minimum Time, AT = Abbreviated Time

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

C.1. Eligible Applicants

The following non-Federal entities (all of which are defined in 2 CFR 200.1) are eligible to 

apply: 

• Indian Tribes 

• institutions of higher education 

• local governments, including school districts 

• nonprofit organizations 

• State Service Commissions

• states and US Territories

Applicants must have a valid SAM registration and Unique Entity Identifier to receive an 

award. Use Section D.3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

for more information.

New Applicants

AmeriCorps encourages organizations that have not received prior funding from AmeriCorps

to apply (e.g. small community based organizations, faith based organizations, etc.). 

New applicants are eligible to apply for Cost Reimbursement and Education Award Program 

(EAP) grants but are not eligible to apply for Full Cost Fixed Amount grants.

Types of Applicants

1. State and Territory Service Commissions (for Single-State Applicants)

Organizations that propose to operate in only one state must apply through the Governorappointed State or Territory Commissions. Each Commission administers its own selection 

process and submits the applications it selects to compete for funding directly to 

AmeriCorps. Single-State applicants must contact their Commissions to learn about their 

state or territory processes and deadlines. State deadlines may be significantly earlier than 

the AmeriCorps deadlines and may have additional requirements. The list of Commissions 

can be found on the AmeriCorps.gov State Service Commissions webpage. A Single-State 

application from a State or Territory with a Commission that is submitted directly to 

AmeriCorps by the applicant rather than the Commission will be considered noncompliant 

and will not be reviewed. In order to be reviewed as a National Direct applicant rather than a 
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Single-State applicant, at least two specific states must be named in the “multi-state 

operating sites” section of the application at the time of submission. Use the Mandatory 

Supplemental Information for descriptions of National Direct and Single-State applicants.

2. National Direct Applicants 

Multi-State: Organizations that propose to operate AmeriCorps programs in more than one 

State or Territory apply directly to AmeriCorps. 

Although National Direct applicants do not have to apply to Commissions, there are 

substantial requirements to coordinate with the Commissions for states in which national 

service programs will operate. Use the D.7.c. Coordination among State Service 

Commissions and National Direct Applicants section for information on these important 

requirements. 

States and Territories without State Service Commissions: Applicants in South Dakota, 

American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin 

Islands apply directly to AmeriCorps because this State and these Territories do not have an 

established Commission. 

Federally recognized Indian Tribes: Applicants that are Indian Tribes apply directly to 

AmeriCorps. 

In addition to Indian Tribes as defined in 2 CFR 200.1, tribal organizations that are controlled, 

authorized, or chartered by Federally recognized Indian Tribes are also eligible to apply. If an 

entity applies for an award as a tribal organization that is controlled or chartered by one or 

more Indian Tribes, the organization must provide copies or links to documentation which 

demonstrates that the organization is controlled or chartered by a federally recognized 

Indian Tribe. If an entity applies as an organization authorized by a federally recognized tribe, 

or multiple specific federally recognized tribes, it must submit a resolution or other 

authorization, adopted by the Tribal Council (or comparable tribal governing body) of each

Indian Tribe. The authorization(s) must identify the entity applying for an AmeriCorps award 

by name as a tribal organization that is authorized by the Indian Tribe(s) for the purpose of 

applying for AmeriCorps funding (or federal grant funds generally). 

In addition to being eligible to apply under this Notice, Federally recognized Indian Tribes 

will also be eligible to apply for operating or planning grants under a separate Notice of

Funding Opportunity for Indian Tribes at the AmeriCorps.gov Funding Opportunities 

webpage with an application deadline in the spring. AmeriCorps may request applicants 

apply under the Tribal competition, rather than under this Notice. 

Threshold Issues

Applications should reflect that they meet the following threshold requirements for the grant 

type for which they are applying. 

• Professional Corps applicants and/or applicants determined to be a Professional 

Corps by AmeriCorps, must demonstrate that the community in which it will place 

AmeriCorps members serving as professionals has an inadequate number of said 

professionals. 
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• If the proposed service activities require specialized member qualifications and/or 

training (e.g., tutoring programs: 45 CFR 2522.910-.940), the applicant must describe 

how the program will meet these requirements. 

• In order to be considered for funding, all applicants must propose program designs 

that are either evidence-based or evidence-informed. Applicants assessed as lower 

than the Preliminary evidence tier (i.e., Pre-Preliminary) must provide adequate 

responses to the Evidence Quality review. 

C.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

There is no cost share or matching requirement for Fixed Amount grants. AmeriCorps does 

not provide all the funds necessary to operate the program, therefore organizations should 

raise the additional revenue required to operate the program. 

New applicants are eligible to apply for Cost Reimbursement and Education Award Program 

(EAP) grants but are not eligible to receive Full-Cost Fixed Amount grants.

Cost Reimbursement Grants 

Applicants are required to match funds based on the chart below. The applicant’s match can 

be non-AmeriCorps cash and/or in-kind contributions. Applicants must indicate whether the 

match is proposed or secured. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to meet the match 

requirement at the time of application submission. Use Section D.6. Funding Restrictions for 

more information. 

A first-time successful applicant is required to match at 24 percent for the first three-year 

funding period. Starting with year four, the match requirement gradually increases every year 

to 50 percent by year ten, according to the minimum overall share chart found in 45 CFR 

2521.60 and below.

AmeriCorps 

Funding Year

1, 2, 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+

Grantee Share 

Requirements

24% 26% 30% 34% 38% 42% 46% 50%

42 U.S.C. §12571(e) requires grantees that use other Federal Funds as matching funds for an 

AmeriCorps grant to report those amounts and sources to AmeriCorps on a Federal Financial 

Report. Grantees must track and be prepared to report on that match separately each year 

and at closeout. 

Match Waiver

Please use the Match Waiver information for AmeriCorps State and National Grantees

located on the AmeriCorps.gov Manage Your Grant webpage. Programs applying through 

State Service Commissions must submit requests for alternative match to the Commission, 

who will submit it to AmeriCorps on their behalf. Commissions and National Directs will 

submit requests via the Alternative Match Request form located on the AmeriCorps.gov 

Manage Your Grant webpage.
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Alternative Match

Under certain circumstances, applicants may qualify to meet alternative matching 

requirements that increase over the years to 35 percent instead of 50 percent as specified in 

45 CFR 2521.60(b). To qualify, applicants must demonstrate that the proposed program is 

either located in a rural county or in a severely economically distressed community as defined 

in the Application Instructions. Applicants who plan to request an alternative match schedule 

should submit a request at the time the application is submitted. Programs applying through 

State Service Commissions must submit requests for alternative match to the Commission, 

who will submit it to AmeriCorps on their behalf. Commissions and National Directs will 

submit requests via the Alternative Match Request form located on the AmeriCorps.gov 

Manage Your Grant webpage.

C.3. Other Eligibility Requirements

Under Section 132A(b) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended, 

organizations that have violated a Federal criminal statute may not receive assistance 

described in this Notice. 

Applications that propose to engage in activities that are prohibited under AmeriCorps’ 

statutes, regulations, or the terms and conditions of its awards are not eligible to receive 

AmeriCorps funding.

Note that under appropriations provisions annually enacted by Congress, if AmeriCorps is 

aware that any corporation has any unpaid federal tax liability

• that has been assessed; 

• for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have 

lapsed; and 

• that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority 

responsible for collecting the tax liability; 

that corporation is not eligible for an award under this Notice. However, this exclusion will not 

apply to a corporation that a federal agency has considered for suspension or debarment 

and determined that suspension or debarment is not necessary to protect the interests of the 

federal government.

Pursuant to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an organization described in the Internal 

Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. §501 (c)(4) that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible 

to apply for AmeriCorps funding.

D. Application and Submission Information

This Notice should be read together with the AmeriCorps regulations, Application 

Instructions, Performance Measure Instructions, and Mandatory Supplemental Information. 

These documents are available online at AmeriCorps.gov Funding Opportunities webpage . 

D.1. Address to Request an Application Package

All information associated with this funding opportunity is available through the AmeriCorps

Funding Opportunities webpages. Applicants should refer to AmeriCorps Funding 

Opportunities for more information and instructions on how to fully respond to this Notice. 
12

Applicants can also send an email to americorpsgrants@cns.gov or call (202) 606-7508 for a 

printed copy of the Notice, Guidance, and Application Instructions. 

D.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

D.2.a. Application Content 

Complete applications must include the following elements: 

• Standard Form 424 (SF-424) Face Sheet: Automatically generated when applicants 

complete the data elements in the eGrants system. 

• Narrative Sections

o Executive Summary: 

o Program Design

o Organizational Capability

o Cost-Effectiveness & Budget Adequacy

o Evaluation Summary/Plan

• Logic Model

• Performance Measures

• Standard Form 424A Budget

• Continuation Changes

• Clarification

• Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications

D.2.b. Page Limits

There are page limits for the Narratives and Logic Model:

• Narratives

o Applications must not exceed 10 double-spaced pages for the Narrative or 12 

pages for multi-state applications with more than five operating sites as the 

pages print out from eGrants. AmeriCorps will use the number of locations in 

the “multi-state operating sites” field in AmeriCorps’ web-based management 

system to determine whether a multi-state application has more than five 

operating sites. The “multi-state operating sites” field can be found by clicking 

on the “operating sites” link in the system. Multi-state applicants that list five or 

fewer operating sites cannot exceed 10 pages for the Narrative. 

o The application sections that count towards the page limit include: 

 SF-424 Face Sheet 

 Executive Summary 

 Program Design, Organizational Capability, and Cost-Effectiveness & 

Budget Adequacy narratives

o The application page limit does not include: 

 Evaluation Summary/Plan

 Clarification Summary

 Continuation Changes

 Budget, Performance Measures

 Any required additional documents. 
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• Logic Model 

o The Logic Model may not exceed eight pages when printed with the 

application from the “Review” tab in AmeriCorps’ web-based management 

system. 

Please note that the length of the application as a word processing document may differ from 

the length of the document printed out from eGrants. The character limits in eGrants do not 

align with page limits set in the Notice. AmeriCorps strongly encourages applicants to 

print out the application from the “Review and Submit” tab in eGrants prior to 

submission in order to confirm that the application does not exceed the page limit.

AmeriCorps will not consider the results of any alternative printing methods when 

determining if an application complies with the page limit. Reviewers will also not consider 

material that is over the page limit, even if eGrants allows applicants to enter and submit 

additional text.

D.3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 

All applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) and maintain an 

active SAM registration until the application process is complete. If an applicant is awarded a 

grant, it must maintain an active SAM registration throughout the life of the award. Use the 

SAM Quick Guide for Grantees for more information. 

SAM registration must be renewed annually. AmeriCorps suggests that applicants finalize a 

new registration or renew an existing one at least three weeks before the application 

deadline, to allow time to resolve any issues that may arise. Applicants must use their SAMregistered legal name and physical address on all grant applications to AmeriCorps. 

The legal applicant’s name and physical address in eGrants must match exactly the 

applicant’s SAM-registered information.

Applications must include a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), which is generated as part of 

the SAM registration process. AmeriCorps will not make awards to entities that do not have a 

valid SAM registration and UEI. 

Applications must include an Employer Identification Number. The UEI and Employer 

Identification Number must be entered by the organization’s Grantee Administrator as an 

organization attribute, and this will apply the information to all applications for the 

organization.

If an applicant has not fully complied with these requirements by the time AmeriCorps is 

ready to make a federal award, AmeriCorps may determine that the applicant is not qualified 

to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to 

another applicant.

D.4. Submission Dates and Times

D.4.a. Application Submission Deadline

Applications are due not later than Thursday, January 4, 2024, by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. 
14

State Service Commissions’ deadlines may be significantly before the AmeriCorps deadline, 

so prospective Single-State applicants should contact their respective Commission as soon as 

possible. 

AmeriCorps will not consider applications submitted after the deadline, except as noted in 

Section D.4.c. Late Applications. AmeriCorps reserves the right to extend the submission 

deadline. AmeriCorps will post a notification in the event of an extended deadline on 

AmeriCorps’ funding opportunities webpage. 

D.4.b. Additional Documents Deadline

Additional documents are due by the application submission deadline. Use Sections D.4.a. 

Application Submission Deadline and D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents for more 

information.

D.4.c. Late Applications

All applications received after the submission deadline published in this Notice, on 

Thursday, January 4, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, are presumed to be noncompliant. To overcome this presumption, the applicant must:

• Submit a written explanation or justification of the extenuating circumstance(s) that 

caused the delay, including: 

o Timing and specific cause(s) of the delay

o Ticket number if a request for assistance was submitted to the AmeriCorps

Hotline

o Information provided to the applicant by the AmeriCorps Hotline

o Other documentation or evidence that supports the justification

• Ensure that AmeriCorps receives the written explanation or justification and any other 

evidence that substantiates the claimed extenuating circumstance(s), via email to 

LateApplications@cns.gov no later than 24 hours after the application deadline as 

stated in the Notice.

Communication with AmeriCorps staff, including an applicant’s Portfolio Manager, is not a 

substitute for a written explanation or justification of the extenuating circumstance that 

caused the delay as outlined above. Applicants are required to continue working in eGrants, 

AmeriCorps' web-based application system, and with the AmeriCorps Hotline to submit the 

application. AmeriCorps will determine whether or not to accept a late application on a caseby-case basis. 

Applicants that do not meet the application submission deadline and do not submit a written 

explanation or justification or any other evidence to overcome the presumption of noncompliance within the published timeframe will be deemed noncompliant. If AmeriCorps

sustains a noncompliant determination, the application will not be reviewed or selected for 

award.

AmeriCorps will not consider an advance request to submit a late application. Please 

carefully review and follow the guidance in this section and submit your application as soon 

as possible.
15

D.5. Intergovernmental Review

This Notice is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs.” 

D.6. Funding Restrictions 

D.6.a. Award Funding Requirements

1. Member Living Allowance

A living allowance is not considered a salary or a wage. Programs are not required to provide 

a living allowance for members serving in less than full-time terms of service. If a program 

chooses to provide a living allowance to a less than full-time member, it must comply with the 

maximum limits in the table below. For Cost Reimbursement grants, the amount must be 

included in the proposed budget as either AmeriCorps or grantee share. Exceptions are 

noted below. 

While Fixed Amount grant applicants are not required to submit detailed budgets, they are 

still required to provide a living allowance to members that complies with the minimum and 

maximum requirements. Exceptions are noted below. Fixed Amount grant applicants should 

indicate that amount in the application. 

Table: Minimum and Maximum Living Allowance

Service Term Minimum 

# of 

Hours

Minimum 

Living 

Allowance

Maximum Total 

Living Allowance 

Full-time 1,700 $18,700 $37,400

Three Quarter-time 1,200 n/a $26,180

Half-time 900 n/a $18,700

Reduced Half-time 675 n/a $14,212

Quarter-time 450 n/a $9,724

Minimum-time 300 n/a $7,854

Abbreviated-time 100 n/a $2,244

Exceptions to the Living Allowance Requirements 

a. Programs existing prior to September 21, 1993, are not required to offer a living 

allowance. If an applicant chooses to offer a living allowance, it is exempt from the minimum 

requirement, but not the maximum requirement set forth in the Living Allowance table in this 

Notice. 

b. Education Award Program (EAP) Grantees are not required to provide a living 

allowance, but if a living allowance is provided, it must comply with the maximum 

requirements set forth in the Living Allowance Table in this Notice. 

c. Professional Corps Grantees must provide members a living allowance or salary, which 

must meet the minimum, but may exceed the maximum living allowance set in the Living 

Allowance Table in this Notice. Professional Corps member salaries and benefits including 
16

childcare are paid entirely by the organizations with which the members serve; and are not 

included in the budget request to AmeriCorps (Federal share). 

2. Maximum Cost per Member Service Year (MSY) 

The AmeriCorps cost per MSY is determined by dividing the AmeriCorps share of budgeted 

grant costs by the number of MSYs requested. It does not include childcare or the value of 

the education award a member may earn. The maximum amount an applicant may request 

from AmeriCorps per MSY is determined on an annual basis. 

New and recompeting State Service Commission subgrantees/applicants will be held to the 

maximum cost per MSY for their grant type. 

Table: Maximum Cost per MSY

Grant Program Maximum

Individual Competitive State/Territory Program (cost 

reimbursement)

$25,000

Multi-state competitive (cost reimbursement) $25,000

Professional Corps competitive Fixed Amount 

Applicants/Grantees

$1,000*

Full-cost competitive Fixed Amount Grant $25,000

Education Award Program (EAP) Fixed Amount Grant 

(competitive and formula)

$800 or $1,000**

All non-EAP formula subgrants $27,000***

 

*AmeriCorps requires Professional Corps programs to cover the operating expenses 

associated with the AmeriCorps program through -non-AmeriCorps resources. AmeriCorps

will only consider operating funds of up to $1,000 per MSY if an applicant is able to 

demonstrate significant organizational financial need.

** Per 42 U.S.C. 12581a, the Corporation may provide the operational support under this 

section for a program in an amount that is not more than $800 per individual enrolled in an 

approved national service position, or not more than $1,000 per such individual if at least 50 

percent of the persons enrolled in the program are disadvantaged youth.

***$18,000 adjusted for inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for all Urban 

Consumers (As of April 2023 CPI was 0.5 percent). 

AmeriCorps reserves the right to 1) treat an applicant that meets the statutory requirements 

of a Professional Corps as such, whether or not they submitted their application as a 

professional corps program; and 2) determine whether an applicant has demonstrated 

inability to effectively operate in the absence of AmeriCorps operating funds.

3. Segal AmeriCorps Education Award

AmeriCorps members who successfully complete a term of service will be eligible for an 

Education Award from the National Service Trust. The amount of the Education Award is 

linked to the value of the Pell Grant. A member has up to seven years after their term of 
17

service to use the Education Award. Use the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award webpage 

for more information.

D.6.b. Indirect Costs

Application budgets may include indirect costs. Based on qualifying factors, applicants may 

either use a Federally approved indirect cost rate or a 10 percent de minimis rate of modified 

total direct costs, or may claim certain costs directly, as outlined in 2 CFR 200.4133 states, 

local governments, and Indian Tribes may use previously approved indirect cost allocation 

plans. All methods must be applied consistently across all federal awards. Applicants that 

have a federal negotiated indirect cost rate, or that will be using the 10% de minimis rate,

must enter that information in the Organization section in eGrants. However, under section 

121(d) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended and AmeriCorps’ 

regulations at 45 CFR 2521.95 and 2540.110, no more than five percent of award funds may 

be used to recover indirect costs on AmeriCorps State and National grants. 

Use the AmeriCorps eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions for how to enter the 

organization’s indirect cost rate. Applicants should not submit documentation addressing the 

indirect cost rate agreement via email.

Please note: To request a federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, when 

AmeriCorps is the applicable cognizant agency for an organization’s indirect costs, the 

applicant must submit a request to IndirectCostRate@cns.gov. The applicant may also obtain 

instructions and additional information by contacting the email address above.

D.6.c. Pre-Award Costs

Pre-award costs, where authorized, are allowed after receiving written approval from 

AmeriCorps. 

D.7. Other Submission Requirements

D.7.a. Electronic Application Submission in eGrants

Applicants must submit applications electronically via eGrants, AmeriCorps' web-based 

application system. AmeriCorps recommends that applicants create an eGrants account and 

begin the application at least three weeks before the deadline. Applicants should draft the 

application as a Word document, then copy and paste the text into the appropriate eGrants 

field no later than 10 days before the deadline.

The applicant’s authorized representative must be the person who submits the application. 

The authorized representative must use their own eGrants account to sign and submit the 

application. A copy of the governing body’s authorization for this official representative to 

sign must be on file in the applicant’s office.

Applicants should contact the AmeriCorps Hotline at (800) 942-2677 if they have a problem 

when they create an account, prepare, or submit the application. Information about the 

AmeriCorps Hotline hours are also posted on the AmeriCorps Hotline webpage.
18

Be prepared to provide the application ID, organization’s name, and the name of the Notice

to which the organization is applying. If the issue cannot be resolved by the deadline, 

applicants must continue working with the AmeriCorps Hotline to submit via eGrants.

If circumstances make it impossible for an applicant to submit in eGrants, applicants may 

send a paper copy of the application via overnight carrier below. Applicants must include a 

written explanation and any other documentation or evidence that support their inability to 

submit their application electronically. 

AmeriCorps

ATTN: Office of Grant Administration (OGA)/AmeriCorps State and National

Application 

250 E Street, SW, Suite 300

Washington, DC 20525

Please use a non-U.S. Postal Service carrier to avoid security-related delays. All deadlines 

and requirements in this Notice also apply to paper applications. AmeriCorps does not 

accept applications submitted via fax or email.

D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents 

All documents must be submitted by the Prime Applicants (State Service Commissions or 

National Directs). Subapplicants cannot submit documentation on behalf of the Commission 

in the Notice. 

All applicants: 

1. Evaluation briefs, reports, studies. Please refer to the Evidence Base section and 

Mandatory Supplemental Information for detailed instructions by evidence tier. If 

multiple evaluation briefs/reports/studies are submitted by the applicant, the most 

recent (as measured by the date of completion or publication) will be reviewed first, 

and any documents submitted beyond the allowable number will not be reviewed. 

2. Labor union concurrence (if applicable)

3. All applicants regardless of funding level are required to submit an Applicant 

Operational and Financial Management Survey . Please submit the OFMS using the

online form, where applicants will be required to submit their response electronically. 

Forms submitted as a PDF, or any other document format may not be accepted. 

Recompete applicants who have previously received three or more years of competitive 

funding for the same project being proposed:

1. Evaluation plan. Please use the evaluation plan template available on the Notice 

webpage. Evaluation plans are not scored and will not be reviewed until after funding 

decisions are made.

Recompete applicants who have previously received six or more years of competitive 

funding for the same project being proposed:

1. Evaluation report. Please submit in Microsoft Word. The evaluation report should 

include a title page with the AmeriCorps grant number for the project that was 

evaluated, the name of the project, and the date of completion of the report. If any of 

this required information is missing, the applicant may not receive credit for meeting 

their evaluation requirements. 
19

Entities applying on behalf of a Federally Recognized Tribe (New and recompeting)

1. Tribal organization eligibility documentation (Use Section C.1 Eligible Applicants) 

Additional documents must be emailed to AdditionalDocuments@cns.gov with the following 

subject line: “Legal Applicant Name” – “Application ID Number.” Emails should include:

• Legal applicant name and its point of contact information

• Application ID number

• List of documents that are attached to the email by filename, labeling each document 

type according to the above numbered list

• Individually attached files that are clearly labeled, and that include the legal applicant 

name and application ID number within the file name and heading of each document.

o To ensure that all required additional documents are considered, please 

provide each document as a separate single file, labeled appropriately. Please 

do not send multiple documents in one combined file, and do not send a 

single document in multiple files.

o If the size of an applicant’s files requires multiple emails, please also include an 

ordering system in the subject line, such as “(1 of 3)”

• Prime applicants should send separate emails with each subapplicant’s materials, 

referencing the subapplicant’s Application ID

Failure to submit the required additional documents, following the email instructions in this 

section, by the deadline may have a negative effect on the assessment of an application. 

Do not submit any items that are not requested in this Notice or Application Instructions. 

AmeriCorps will not review or return them. 

D.7.c. Coordination Among State Service Commissions and National Direct Applicants 

AmeriCorps expects new/recompete Commissions and National Direct applicants to consult 

and coordinate activities at the local level, as specified in 42 U.S.C. § 12583. This consultation 

is designed to ensure the most effective use of national service resources and lead to 

enhanced coordination. The list of Commissions can be found on the AmeriCorps.gov State 

Service Commissions webpage. 

To ensure coordination:

National Direct applicants, except Federally recognized Indian Tribes, must: 

Before Application Submission:

• Consult with the Commission of each state and/or territory in which the organization 

plans to operate and describe this consultation in their applications. Contact the 

Commissions for details about the consultation process. Provide information that 

connects the proposed activities to the current State/Territory Service plan and/or 

State Logic Model.

After Award:

• Provide the Commission with contact information for National Direct programs in the 

state and/or territory and update the information on an annual basis.
20

• Participate in the Commissions’ annual needs assessment and training plan 

development activities, and in the development of its state/territory service plan, as 

well as appropriate training and other events.

• Include the Commission on the National Direct’s mailing/email distribution lists and 

invite it to appropriate training and other events.

State/Territory Service Commissions must: 

Before Application Submission:

• Consult in a timely manner with the new/recompete National Direct applicants, except 

Indian Tribes, that contact them prior to application submission.

After Award:

• Consider the schedules and needs of National Direct applicants, including Indian 

Tribes, operating in their states when planning annual events and technical assistance 

activities. 

• Include National Direct programs, including Indian Tribes, in their annual needs 

assessment and training plan development activities, and in the development of their 

state/territory service plan.

• Add staff of multi-state programs in their state/territory to their mailing/email 

distribution lists and invite them to appropriate training and other events.

AmeriCorps will solicit Commission input on National Direct applicants, except Indian Tribes, 

proposing to operate in their state/territory via the AmeriCorps’ web-based management 

system. Commissions have the opportunity to select “support,” “do not support,” or “neutral,” 

and provide comments. Participation by Commissions in providing this input is strongly 

encouraged. AmeriCorps reviews and considers Commission input on multi-state applicants 

proposing to operate in their state.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

E.1. Selection Criteria

Each applicant must describe a project that will deploy AmeriCorps members effectively to 

solve a significant community problem. AmeriCorps urges applicants to submit high quality 

applications that carefully follow the guidance in this Notice and in the Application 

Instructions. The quality of an application will be an important factor in determining whether 

an organization will receive funding. 

Applications should include a well-designed plan with clear and compelling justifications for 

receiving the requested funds. Reviewers will assess the quality of applications by using the 

selection criteria described below and will rate them accordingly. 
21

Categories/Subcategories Percentage

Executive Summary 0

Program Design 50

• Community and Logic Model 24

• Evidence Tier 12

• Evidence Quality 8

• Notice Priority 0

• Member Experience 6

Organizational Capability 25

• Organizational Background and Staffing 15

• Member Supervision 6

• Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility 4

Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy 25

• Member Recruitment 7

• Member Retention 8

• Data Collection 7

• Budget Alignment to Program Design 3

E.1.a. Executive Summary (0 percent):

Please fill in the blanks of these sentences to complete the Executive Summary. Do not 

deviate from this template: 

“The [Name of the organization] will have [Number of] AmeriCorps members who will 

[service activities the members will be doing] in [the locations the AmeriCorps 

members will serve]. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members 

will be responsible for [anticipated outcome of project]. In addition, the AmeriCorps 

members will leverage [number of leveraged volunteers, if applicable] who will be 

engaged in [what the leveraged volunteers will be doing]. 

The AmeriCorps investment will be matched with $[amount of projected match], 

$[amount of local, state, and Federal Funds] in public funding and $[amount of nongovernmental funds] in private funding.” 

Fixed-Amount grant applicants (EAP, Full-Cost Fixed, No Cost Slots) should list their Other 

Revenue (use the Mandatory Supplemental Information) in the Executive Summary because 

they are not required to provide a specific amount of match, but still raise significant 

additional resources to operate the program. 

E.1.b. Program Design (50 percent): 

Reviewers will consider the quality of the application’s response to the criteria below. Do not 

assume all sub-criteria are of equal value. Please ensure the Community and Logic Model 

incorporates the funding priorities listed above, for example supporting communities 

historically excluded and/or underserved from government services, addressing structural 

and institutional inequities, or increasing opportunity in order to achieve sustainable change 

in communities.
22

1. Community and Logic Model (24 points)

The applicant will provide a detailed summary of the community problem, including: 

• The role current or historical inequities faced by underserved communities may play 

in contributing to the problem. 

• The community need as it relates to the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index and to 

communicate the severity and prevalence of the problem. 

The applicant’s intervention is likely to lead to the outcomes identified in the organization’s 

Logic Model. No narrative is needed other than what is contained within the logic model. 

The applicant will depict in the Logic Model:

• The inputs or resources that are necessary to deliver the intervention, including but 

not limited to:

o Locations or sites in which members will provide services

o Context in which the intervention is delivered (e.g., the setting where the 

intervention is delivered)

o Number of AmeriCorps members who will deliver the intervention

o Characteristics of AmeriCorps members, including specific knowledge, skills, and 

abilities required to implement the intervention

• The core activities that define the intervention or program model that members will 

implement or deliver, including:

o Duration of the intervention (e.g., the total number of weeks, sessions or months of 

the intervention)

o Dosage of the intervention (e.g., the number of hours per session or sessions per 

week)

o Target population for the intervention (e.g., disconnected youth, third graders at a 

certain reading proficiency level) 

• The measurable outputs that result from delivering the intervention (i.e., number of 

beneficiaries served, types and number of activities conducted, equity gaps closed). If 

applicable, identify which National Performance Measures will be used as output 

indicators. 

• Outcomes that demonstrate meaningful changes in knowledge/skill, attitude, 

behavior, or condition that occur as a result of the intervention. If applicable, identify 

which National Performance Measures will be used as outcome indicators.

Note: The Logic Model is a visual representation of the applicant’s Theory of Change. 

Programs should include short, medium, or long-term outcomes in the Logic Model. 

Applicants are not required to measure all components of their Logic Model. The applicant’s 

performance measures should be consistent with the program’s Logic Model and should 

represent significant program activities. 

Rationales and justifications should be informed by the organization’s performance data (e.g., 

program data observed over time that suggests targets are reasonable), relevant research 

(e.g. targets documented by organizations running similar programs with similar 

populations), or prior program evaluation findings.
23

Applicants with multiple interventions should complete one Logic Model chart which 

incorporates each intervention. Logic Model content that exceeds eight pages will not be 

reviewed.

2. Evidence Base (20 points)

The assessment of an applicant’s evidence base has two parts. First, the applicant will be 

assigned to an evidence tier (use the Mandatory Supplemental Information). Second, the 

quality of the applicant’s evidence and the degree to which it supports the proposed 

program design, including program aligned with the priority areas (use the A.2 Funding 

Priorities section), will be assessed and scored. 

Evidence Tier (12 points)

An evidence tier will be assessed for each applicant for the purpose of understanding the 

relative strength of each applicant’s evidence base and the likelihood that the proposed 

intervention will lead to outcomes identified in the Logic Model. 

In 2023, the evidence tiers of successful AmeriCorps State and National applicants that were 

competing were as follows: Strong 25 percent, Moderate 12 percent, Preliminary 20 percent, 

and Pre-Preliminary 43 percent. As these figures indicate, AmeriCorps values and funds 

programs at all points along the evidence continuum and expects programs to progress 

along the evidence continuum over time. Thus, applicants should not be deterred from 

applying for funding due to their current evidence level. 

Applicants who have outcome or impact evaluation reports of the same intervention 

described in the application and Logic Model (use the Mandatory Supplemental Information

for a definition of “same intervention”) may submit up to two of those reports, plus (if 

applicable) the evaluation report from their last three-year grant cycle, to qualify for the 

Preliminary, Moderate, or Strong evidence tier. In order to qualify for consideration, the 

intervention evaluated in the submitted report(s) must match the intervention proposed by 

the applicant in the following areas, all of which must be clearly described in the Community

and Logic Model sections of the application:

• Characteristics of the beneficiary population, including evidence of current or historic 

inequities facing the population; 

• Characteristics of the population delivering the intervention;

• Dosage (frequency and duration) and design of the intervention, including all key 

components and activities;

• The context in which the intervention is delivered; and

• Outcome of the intervention.

Submitted reports that do not sufficiently match the intervention proposed by the applicant 

in all of these areas will not be considered applicable and will not be reviewed or receive any 

points. Submission of additional documents that are not consistent with the guidance and 

requirements described in the Notice (e.g., advocacy pieces, policy briefs, other narratives 

that are not research studies or program evaluations) will not be reviewed.

In the Evidence Tier section of the application narrative, applicants must (1) summarize the 

study design and key findings of any outcome or impact evaluation report(s) submitted and 
24

(2) describe any other evidence that supports their program, including past performance 

measure data and/or other research studies that inform their program design. Applicants 

who submit evaluation reports for consideration must also describe in the Evidence Base 

section of the application narrative how the intervention described in the submitted reports is 

the same as the intervention described in the application (use the Mandatory Supplemental 

Information.) 

Applicants should provide citations for the studies they describe, if applicable; however, 

reviewers will not review any documents external to the application other than evaluation 

report(s) submitted in accordance with the Notice instructions.

Applicants must meet all requirements of an evidence tier in order to be considered for that 

tier. 

If the evaluation reports submitted by the applicant do not meet the definitions in the 

Mandatory Supplemental Information, the applicant may be considered for a lower evidence 

tier. 

Evidence Quality (8 points) 

After the applicant’s evidence tier has been assessed, the quality of the applicant’s evidence 

and the extent to which it supports the proposed program design will be assessed and 

scored. 

Applicants who are assessed as being in the Preliminary, Moderate, or Strong evidence tiers, 

reviewers will score the submitted evaluation reports using the following standards:

• The submitted reports are of satisfactory methodological quality and rigor for the type 

of evaluation conducted (e.g., adequate sample size and statistical power, internal 

and/or external validity, appropriate use of control or comparison groups, etc.); 

• The submitted reports describe evaluations that were conducted relatively recently, 

preferably within the last six years;

• The submitted reports show a meaningful and significant positive effect on program 

beneficiaries or AmeriCorps members in at least one key outcome of interest.

Applicants that are assessed as being in the Pre-Preliminary evidence tier, reviewers will 

score the narrative provided in the Evidence Base section of the application using the 

following standards:

• The applicant uses relevant evidence, including past performance measure data 

and/or cited research studies, to inform their proposed program design;

• The described evidence is relatively recent, preferably from the last six years;

• The evidence described by the applicant indicates a meaningful positive effect on 

program beneficiaries or AmeriCorps members in at least one key outcome of 

interest.

Applicants assessed in the Pre-Preliminary evidence tier that do not provide adequate 

responses to the Evidence Quality standards will not meet the threshold requirements for this 

Notice and will not be considered for funding.
25

3. Notice Priority (0 points)

• The applicant proposed program fits within one or more of the AmeriCorps funding 

priorities and meets all of the requirements within that bullet/section as outlined in the 

A.2 Funding Priorities section and more fully described in the Mandatory 

Supplemental Information. 

4. Member Experience (6 points)

• The applicant details how AmeriCorps members will be provided an opportunity to 

be leaders and gain skills during their term of service that will be valued by future 

employers (e.g., workforce pathways, increasing levels of responsibility and 

leadership roles for members). 

• The applicant details how AmeriCorps members will be provided a high quality

orientation to the community they will serve in that is from an asset based frame and 

guided and informed by the community.

E.1.c. Organizational Capability (25 percent): 

Reviewers will consider the quality of the application’s response to the following criteria 

below. Do not assume all sub-criteria are of equal value.

1. Organizational Background and Staffing (15 points)

• The applicant details the roles, responsibilities, and structure of the staff that will be 

implementing, providing oversight, and monitoring the program. 

• The applicant has facilitated, partnered, or participated in educational or workforce 

development programs (i.e., pre-apprenticeship/registered apprenticeship, work 

experience and job training programs, etc.)

• The applicant describes their organization’s mission and relevant experience in areas 

such as volunteer recruitment and management, community outreach, overcoming 

project implementation challenges, etc. 

2. Member Supervision (6 points)

• The applicant details how AmeriCorps members will receive sufficient guidance and 

support from their supervisor to provide effective service (e.g., structure for member 

supervision: cadence and format of supervisor/AmeriCorps member check-ins, 

member and supervisor opportunities to assess strengths and opportunities for 

growth, member training plan, etc.).

• The applicant details how AmeriCorps supervisors will be adequately 

trained/prepared to follow AmeriCorps and program regulations, priorities, and 

expectations (e.g., structure for support of supervisors, training plan for supervisors 

related to supervision and AmeriCorps rules and regulations, cadence and format of 

AmeriCorps supervisors/their supervisors check ins, opportunities to assess 

strengthens and opportunities for growth of supervisors, etc.).

3. Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (4 points)

• The leadership and staff of the organization have similar lived experience as the 

beneficiary population and/or community being served. 

• The applicant’s definitions of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility is 

demonstrated by the organization (e.g., diversity on the Board of Directors, agency 
26

staff and leadership, and/or volunteers) and the organization upholds a supportive 

and safe environment for individuals of diverse backgrounds.

E.1.d. Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (25 percent): 

Reviewers will assess the quality of the application’s response to the following criteria below. 

1. Member Recruitment (7 points)

• The applicant provides a description of budget expenses to support successful 

recruitment of AmeriCorps members best suited to serve the community, for example 

from geographic or demographic communities in which the program operates.

2. Member Retention (8 points)

• The applicant provides a description of budget expenses to support retention of 

AmeriCorps members (e.g., additional member benefits such as increasing above the 

minimum living allowance, supporting workforce pathways, certifications, coaching for 

members, resume building, individual benefit as well as community building, network 

building, member recognition, alumni programming, etc.). 

3. Data Collection (7 points)

• The applicant provides a description of budget expenses to support data collection, 

continuous improvement activities, and evaluation in service to evaluating the 

interventions and impact on the community and the member experience).

4. Budget Alignment to Program Design (3 points)

• The applicant’s budget is aligned to the program design outlined in the narrative, 

meaning activities discussed in the narrative are incorporated in the budget in the 

agency or applicant share. 

E.1.e. Evaluation Plan (Required for recompeting applicants - 0 percent): 

If the applicant has previously received three or more years of competitive funding for the 

same project being proposed (use the Mandatory Supplemental Information for the 

AmeriCorps definition of “same project”), the applicant must submit an evaluation plan as an 

attachment (use the D.7.b Submission of Additional Documents section for more 

information). If the applicant has previously received six or more years of competitive funding 

for the same project being proposed, the applicant must submit both an evaluation plan and 

an evaluation report as attachments. 

Applicants should use the evaluation plan template found on the Notice webpage to craft 

their evaluation plans. The template document provides detailed information about the 

AmeriCorps evaluation requirements (45 CFR 2522.700 -.710)and specifies the information 

that must be provided for the evaluation plan to be approved by AmeriCorps. The evaluation 

plan will not be scored and will not be reviewed until after funding decisions have been 

made.

All applicants should enter “N/A” in the “Evaluation Summary or Plan” field of the Narrative. 

Any other text entered in this field will not be reviewed. 
27

E.1.f. Amendment Justification (0 percent): 

Enter N/A. This field will be used if the applicant is awarded a grant and needs to amend it. 

E.1.g. Clarification Information (0 percent): 

Enter N/A. 

E.1.h. Continuation Changes (0 percent): 

Enter N/A. This field will be used to enter changes in the application narratives in 

continuation requests. 

E.2. Review and Selection Process

AmeriCorps will engage External Reviewers with relevant knowledge and expertise to assess 

and provide input on the eligible applications. The review and selection process is intended 

to produce a diversified set of high-quality programs that represent the priorities and 

strategic considerations described in this Notice. The determinations made by AmeriCorps

reviewers may be different from what the applicant self-determined upon submission of its 

application. The stages of the review and selection process follow:

E.2.a. Initial Application Compliance and Eligibility Review

AmeriCorps will conduct an initial Compliance and Eligibility Review to determine if an 

application meets the eligibility requirements published in this Notice and advances to the 

next stage of the review process. 

An application is compliant if the applicant is: 

• An eligible organization,

• Is eligible to apply for a Full Cost Fixed Grant,

• Eligible to submit directly to AmeriCorps, and

• In order to be reviewed as a National Direct applicant rather than a SingleState applicant, at least two specific states must be named in the “multi-state 

operating sites” section of the application at the time of submission.

• Submitted an application by the submission deadline

Reviewing for eligibility is intended to ensure that only those applications that are eligible for 

award are further reviewed. However, determinations of eligibility can take place at any point 

during the application review and selection process. Applicants that are determined to be 

ineligible will not receive an award.

E.2.b. Application Review 

External Review 

External Reviewers will assess applications based on the Program Design, Organizational 

Capability, Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy, and Evidence Selection Criteria. 

AmeriCorps will recruit and select reviewers on the basis of demonstrated expertise in 

AmeriCorps State and National programming and/or the Focus Areas, as well as experience 

assessing applications. All External Reviewers will be screened for conflicts of interest.
28

Internal Review

AmeriCorps will review and assess the input from the State Service Commissions about 

National Direct applications. Staff will also assess budget compliance and review for 

prohibited activities. 

Post-Review Quality Control

After the initial review process is complete, AmeriCorps staff will review the initial results for 

fairness and consistency. Some applications may be selected for a Post-Review Quality 

Control assessment. This additional level of review will be used to ensure fairness and 

provide assurances that an application was not disadvantaged in the original review.

E.2.c. Pre-Award Risk Assessment

AmeriCorps staff will assess the risks to the program posed by each applicant to determine 

an applicant’s ability to manage Federal Funds. This evaluation is in addition to those about

the applicant’s eligibility and the quality of its application on the basis of the E.1. Selection 

Criteria. Results from this assessment will inform funding decisions. If AmeriCorps determines 

that an award will be made to an applicant with assessed risks, special conditions that 

correspond to the degree of assessed risk may be applied to the award. Applicants may not 

be selected for funding if AmeriCorps determines that the applicant’s risks cannot be 

mitigated.

In assessing risks, AmeriCorps may consider the following criteria: 

1. Due Diligence, including: 

• Federal debt delinquency

• Suspension and debarment

• Information available through Office of Management and Budget (OMB)- designated 

repositories of government-wide eligibility qualification or financial integrity 

information, such as:

o U.S. Treasury Bureau of Fiscal Services

o System for Award Management (SAM)

o “Do Not Pay” 

• Reports and findings from single audits performed under Uniform Administrative 

Guidance and findings of any other available audits or investigations

• IRS Tax Form 990

• Oversight.gov

• Public Litigation Records

2. Operational and Financial Management, including: 

• Financial stability

• Operational and Financial Management Survey (OFMS)

3. Past Performance, including: 

• Applicant’s record in managing previous AmeriCorps awards, cooperative 

agreements, or procurement awards, including: 

o Timely compliance with applicable reporting requirements

o Accuracy of data reported

o Validity of performance measure data reported

o Conformity to the terms and conditions of previous Federal awards
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o Ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements 

imposed on award recipients

o Timely closeout of other awards

o Meeting matching requirements

o Extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to 

future awards

o Meeting National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) compliance (Use

section F.2.d. National Criminal History Check Requirements and the NSCHC 

webpage for more information

4. Other Programmatic Risks, Financial, Organizational, Compliance, and Fraud including: 

• Publicly available information, including from the applicant organization's website

• Amount of funding requested by the organization 

• Other elements, such as keyword searches for prohibited activities 

Applicants will find information to help them understand pre-award due diligence checks in 

the AmeriCorps Due Diligence Review Process and Compliance training available on the 

Manage Your Grant webpage. This content will help applicants obtain due diligence 

compliance and remain compliant throughout the grant life.

E.2.d. Consideration of Integrity and Performance System Information

Prior to making any award that exceeds the $250,000, AmeriCorps is required to review and 

consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and 

performance system accessible through SAM.gov (See 41 U.S.C. §2313). Additionally, 

AmeriCorps may expand upon these requirements and use its discretion to review and 

consider information about any applicant receiving an award, including those under

$250,000. 

Any applicant may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems 

accessible through SAM.gov and comment on any information about itself that a Federal 

awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and 

performance system accessible through SAM.gov. 

AmeriCorps may consider comments by any applicant, in addition to the other information in 

the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the 

applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under federal awards when 

completing its review of risk posed by the applicant under the E.2.c. Risk Assessment 

Evaluation section of this Notice. 

E.2.e. Selection for Funding

The review and selection process are designed to: 

• Identify how well eligible applications are aligned with the E.1 application selection 

criteria

• Build a diversified portfolio based on the following strategic considerations:

o AmeriCorps Funding Priorities (Use Section A.2. Funding Priorities) 

o meaningful representation of 

 rural communities

 innovative community strategies
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o CEO discretion to advance strategic goals

AmeriCorps will assess an applicant’s strategic considerations. Applicants must check the 

relevant boxes in the Program Information tab in AmeriCorps’ web-based management 

system. Applicants should only check the boxes if the strategic consideration is a significant 

and intentional part of their program design and if implementation strategies are described 

in the application.

In selecting applicants to receive awards under this Notice, the Chief Executive Officer will 

endeavor to include a diverse portfolio of applications based on staff recommendations, 

alignment with selection criteria, and strategic considerations.

AmeriCorps reserves the right to prioritize funding existing awards over making new awards. 

 

AmeriCorps reserves the right to award applications in an amount other than at the 

requested level of funding and will document the rationale for doing so.

AmeriCorps reserves the right to adjust or make changes to the review process, if 

unforeseen challenges or urgent circumstances make it impossible, impracticable, or 

inefficient to conduct the review process as planned. Any such adjustments or changes 

will not affect the selection criteria (E.1.) that will be used to assess applications.

E.2.f. Applicant Resolution

AmeriCorps may ask an applicant for information after notification of competition results to 

resolve any issues prior to award. AmeriCorps will ask all grantees for a written compliance 

implementation plan that includes notification of waste, fraud, and abuse to the agency’s OIG. 

An applicant’s failure to respond adequately and in a timely manner may result in the removal 

of its application from the award process. 

E.3. Feedback to Applicants

Each compliant applicant will receive feedback from the External Review of its application. 

E.4. Transparency in Grantmaking

AmeriCorps is committed to transparency in grant-making. A list of all approved applications

for new and re-competing applications will be published on AmeriCorps Funded Grants

within 90 business days after all grants are awarded. 

Submitted program narratives, executive summaries, a blank template of the external review 

worksheet, and a list of all external reviewers who completed the review process for 

successful applications will be available upon request via email to AmeriCorpsOGA@cns.gov. 

Further information about funded grants and subgrants is also available in 

USASpending.gov. 
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F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

F.1. Federal Award Notices

AmeriCorps will make awards following the selection announcement. AmeriCorps anticipates 

announcing the results of this funding opportunity by mid-April 2024 contingent on the 

availability of congressional appropriations. All applicants, successful or not, will be notified 

of funding decisions via email.

Notification of an award is not an authorization to begin activities. The Notice of Grant Award 

(NGA) signed by the Office of Grant Administration is the authorizing document. An awardee 

may not expend Federal Funds until the start of the Period of Performance identified on the 

Notice of Grant Award.

F.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 

F.2.a. Uniform Guidance

All awards made under this Notice will be subject to the Uniform Administrative 

Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform 

Guidance), in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 2205

F.2.b. Requests for Monitoring or Payment Integrity Information

AmeriCorps will request documentation from award recipients in order to monitor the 

grantee and award to ensure compliance with legal requirements, including the Payment 

Integrity Information Act of 2019. Failure to make timely responses to these requests may 

result in award funds being placed on manual hold, reimbursement only status, or other 

remedies may be applied as appropriate. 

F.2.c. AmeriCorps Terms and Conditions 

All awards made under this Notice will be subject to the FY 2024 AmeriCorps General Terms 

and Conditions, and the FY 2024 Program-Specific Terms and Conditions for the particular 

program (when applicable). These Terms and Conditions contain detailed, mandatory 

compliance and reporting requirements. Current versions of the AmeriCorps General and 

Program-Specific Terms and Conditions for each of its programs is available on the 

AmeriCorps Manage Your Grant webpage.

F.2.d. National Service Criminal History Check Requirements

The National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) is a specific screening procedure 

established by law to protect the beneficiaries of national service. We encourage grantees to 

minimize barriers to service without putting their program beneficiaries at genuine risk. The 

law requires grantees to conduct and document NSCHCs on persons (including awardfunded staff, national service participant, or volunteer) receiving a salary, living allowance, 

stipend, or education award through a program receiving AmeriCorps funds. This includes 

staff that receive part of their salary through a subgrant.

• Award recipients and subrecipients must conduct an NSCHC for AmeriCorps 

members, AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, and staff funded under, or whose salary is 
32

reflected as match on the award. Limited exceptions are described in 45 CFR 

2540.201. 

• AmeriCorps strongly encourages applicants to review the regulations and additional 

guidance to fully understand how to comply with the requirements. Use the NSCHC 

regulations and guidance.

• AmeriCorps also strongly encourages award recipients to utilize the two AmeriCorpsapproved vendors to conduct the required NSCHCs. 

• The cost of conducting NSCHC is an allowable expense under the award and the 

individual subject to the NSCHC must not be required to cover the cost.

• Failure to fully comply with all NSCHC requirements will result in significant disallowed 

costs.

Recipients must complete the following criminal history checks:

1. National Sex Offender Public website through NSOPW.gov (nationwide check);

2. State criminal history record repository or agency-designated alternative for the 

individual's State of residence and State of service; and

3. Fingerprint-based check of the FBI criminal history record database through the State 

criminal history record repository or agency-approved vendor. 

All checks must be conducted, reviewed, and an eligibility determination made before the 

individual begins work or service.

An individual is not eligible to serve or work in a position subject to the NSCHC 

requirements if the individual: 

• Refuses to consent to a criminal history check;

• Makes a false statement in connection with a criminal history check; 

• Is registered, or is required to be registered, on a state sex offender registry or the 

National Sex Offender Registry; or

• Has been convicted of murder, as defined in 18 U.S.C. 1111. 

Use 45 CFR 2540.200– 2540.207 and National Service Criminal History Check Resources for 

complete information and FAQs.

F.2.e. Official Guidance

AmeriCorps active Guidance is available on the agency’s Guidance webpage. The contents 

of these documents do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the 

public in any way unless incorporated into a contract or grant agreement. These documents 

are intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the 

law or agency policies.

F.3. Use of Material

To ensure that materials generated with AmeriCorps funding are available to the public and 

readily accessible to recipients and non-recipients, AmeriCorps reserves a royalty-free, 

nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to obtain, use, modify, reproduce, publish, or disseminate 

publications and materials produced under the award, including data, and to authorize 

others to do so (2 CFR 200.315).
33

F.4. Reporting 

Recipients are required to submit a variety of reports that are due at specific times during the 

life cycle of an award. All reports must be accurate, complete, and submitted on time.

Cost Reimbursement grantees are required to provide annual progress reports and semiannual financial reports through eGrants, AmeriCorps’ web-based grants management 

system and an internal or external evaluation report as required by the AmeriCorps 

regulations 45 CFR 2522.500-2522.540 and 2522.700-2522.740. 

Fixed Amount grantees are required to provide annual and final progress reports through 

eGrants, AmeriCorps’ web-based grants management system and an internal or external 

evaluation report. 

In addition, at the end of the award period, a grantee must submit final financial and progress 

reports that are cumulative over the entire award period and consistent with the closeout 

requirements. Fixed Amount grantees are exempt from the final financial report requirement.

The final reports are due 120 days after the end of the period of performance. 

Award recipients will be required to report at Federal Funding Accountability and 

Transparency Act Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) on all subawards over $30,000, and 

may be required to report on executive compensation for the recipient organization and its 

subrecipients. Recipients and subrecipients must have the necessary systems in place to 

collect and report this information. Use 2 CFR Part 170 for more information and to 

determine how these requirements apply. 

Once the grant is awarded, recipients will be expected to have in place data collection and 

data management policies, processes, and practices that provide assurance that they are 

reporting high quality performance measure data. At a minimum, recipients should have 

policies, processes, and practices that address the following five aspects of data quality for 

themselves and for subrecipients (if applicable):

• Data measures what it intends to measure

• Data reported is complete

• Grantee collects data in a consistent manner

• Grantee takes steps to correct data errors

• Grantee actively reviews data for accuracy prior to submission. 

Failure to submit accurate, complete, and timely required reports may affect the recipient’s 

ability to secure future AmeriCorps funding.

F.5. Continuation Funding Information and Requirements

Organizations that have current AmeriCorps State and National awards that will be in 

program Year 2 or Year 3 in FY 2024 are considered continuation applicants. Continuation 

applicants must submit an application in order to be eligible to receive funding for the FY 

2024 program year. Continuation applicants must follow the requirements for continuation 

application content as outlined in the Application Instructions.

Please use the Application Instructions for how to request use of unexpended funds. 
34

Requests by existing continuation applicants for increases in the level of funding or number 

of positions will be assessed using the E.1. selection criteria published in this Notice.

Continuation application review will also be based on progress reports, the federal financial 

report, evaluation plans, and AmeriCorps staff’s knowledge of the grant program. To be 

approved for continuation funding, recipients must demonstrate satisfactory performance 

with respect to key program goals and requirements, as well as compliance with the terms 

and conditions of the grant. 

AmeriCorps reserves the right to award applications in an amount less than the requested 

level of funding and will document the rationale for doing so. 

G. FEDERAL AWARDING Agency Contacts

For more information, call (202) 606-7508 or email AmericorpsGrants@cns.gov. 

For technical questions and problems with the eGrants system, call the AmeriCorps Hotline at 

(800) 942-2677, selecting Option 3. Information about the AmeriCorps Hotline hours are 

also posted on the AmeriCorps Hotline webpage. Be prepared to provide the application ID, 

organization’s name, and the name of the Notice to which the organization is applying.

H. Other Information 

H.1. Technical Assistance

AmeriCorps will host technical assistance calls to answer questions about the funding 

opportunity and eGrants. AmeriCorps strongly encourages all applicants to participate in 

these sessions. Information for these technical assistance calls is available on the AmeriCorps’

Funding Opportunities website. 

Resources applicants need to effectively manage their grant award, including eGrants 

instructions, terms and conditions, individual match waiver, pre-award requirements, financial 

reporting requirements, and training and technical assistance materials are found on the 

Manage Your Grant webpage. 

H.2. Re-Focusing of Funding

AmeriCorps reserves the right to re-focus program dollars under this Notice in the event of 

disaster or other compelling needs. 

I. IMPORTANT NOTICES 

I.1. Public Burden Statement

Public reporting burden for collection of information under this Notice of Funding is 

estimated to average six hours per submission, including reviewing instructions, gathering 

and maintaining the data needed, and completing the application and reporting forms. 

AmeriCorps informs people who may respond to this Notice of Funding that they are not 
35

required to respond unless the OMB control number and expiration date are current valid. 

(Use 5 CFR 1320.5(b)(2)(i)) This collection is approved under OMB Control #: 3045-0047,

Application Instructions, State and National Competitive, New and Continuation, Expiration 

Date: September 30, 2023.

I.2. Privacy Act Statement 

The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C §552a) requires that we notify applicants that the information 

requested under this Notice of Funding is collected pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §12592 and 12615 

of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended, and 42 U.S.C. §4953 of the 

Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 as amended. 

Purposes and Uses - The information requested is collected for the purposes of reviewing 

grant applications and granting funding requests. Routine uses may include disclosure of the 

information to Federal, state, or local agencies pursuant to lawfully authorized requests. In 

some programs, the information may also be provided to Federal, state, and local law 

enforcement agencies to determine the existence of any prior criminal convictions. The 

information may also be provided to appropriate Federal agencies and contractors that have 

a need to know the information for the purpose of assisting the government to respond to a 

suspected or confirmed breach of the security or confidentiality or information maintained in 

this system of records, and the information disclosed is relevant and unnecessary for the 

assistance. 

Effects of Nondisclosure - The information requested is voluntary; however, to be a recipient 

of this grant program, disclosure of personal or sensitive information is required to receive 

federal benefits. 
36

APPENDIX I – AmeriCorps Focus Areas

AmeriCorps Focus Areas

The National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended by the Serve America Act, 

emphasizes measuring the impact of service and focusing on a core set of issue areas. In 

order to carry out Congress’s intent and to maximize the impact of investment in national 

service, and to achieve the goals laid out in AmeriCorps’ Strategic Plan (2022-2026), 

AmeriCorps has the following Focus Areas:

Disaster Services

Helping individuals and communities prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the 

effects of disasters and increase community resiliency.

Economic Opportunity 

Improving the economic well-being and security of underserved individuals.

Education 

Improving educational outcomes for underserved people, especially children. AmeriCorps is 

particularly interested in program designs that support youth engagement and service 

learning as strategies to achieve high educational outcomes. 

Environmental Stewardship 

Supporting communities to become more resilient through measures that reduce 

greenhouse gas emissions, conserve land and water, increase renewable energy use and

improve at-risk ecosystems, especially in underserved households and communities.

Healthy Futures

Supporting for health needs within communities, including mitigating the impacts of public 

health crises, access to care, aging in place, public health, and addressing childhood obesity, 

especially in underserved communities. 

Veterans and Military Families 

Improving the quality of life of veterans, military families, caregivers, and survivors.