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2024 Terms and Conditions for RSVP Grants

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

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

Terms and Conditions, are binding on the recipient.

Table of Contents

I. CHANGES FROM THE 2023 RSVP GRANT TERMS AND CONDITIONS ......................... 1

II. AWARD PERIOD AND INCREMENTAL FUNDING ............................................................. 1

III. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS ...................................................................................... 2

IV. EXTERNAL EVALUATION AND DATA COLLECTION ........................................................ 4

V. LOBBY DISCLOSURE ............................................................................................................. 4

VI. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................... 5

VII. PROGRAM INCOME ............................................................................................................... 6

VIII. BUDGET AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES ...................................................................... 7

IX. NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK TRAINING .......................................... 8

X. KEY CONCEPTS OF FINANCIAL GRANTS MANAGEMENT TRAINING .......................... 8

I. CHANGES FROM THE 2023 RSVP GRANT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

- Section III.G. - Updated the citation.

- Section VI.A. - Removed programmatic reporting requirement for the reporting 

period covering July 1 – March 31 

- Section VI.A. - Added language that the PRS must provide data to support 

evaluations as requested or needed. 

- Section VI.B. – Removed financial reporting information for grantees with budget 

periods starting in July

- Section VI.C. – Added this section

II. AWARD PERIOD AND INCREMENTAL FUNDING 

For the purpose of this award, a project period is the complete length of time the 

recipient is proposed to be funded to complete approved activities under the award. 

A project period may contain one or more budget periods. A budget period is a 

specific interval of time for which Federal funds are being provided to fund a 

recipient’s approved activities and budget. 

Unless otherwise specified, the award covers a three-year project period, but 

provides funding in increments on an annual basis. In approving a multi-year project 

period, AmeriCorps generally provides funds for only the first year of operation. 
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Funding for subsequent years is contingent upon the grantee timely submitting a 

continuation application, satisfactory performance, a recipient’s demonstrated 

capacity to manage an award and comply with award requirements, and the 

availability of Congressional appropriations. Grantees must submit continuation 

applications to receive funds for years two and three of the project period.

AmeriCorps reserves the right to adjust the amount of an award or elect not to 

continue funding for subsequent years. The project period and the budget period 

are noted on the award document. 

III. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS

As specified in 42 U.S.C. § 5043(c) and 45 CFR § 2553.91, while charging time to an 

RSVP grant, accumulating service or training hours, or otherwise performing activities 

supported by the RSVP grant or AmeriCorps, staff and volunteers may not engage in 

the following activities: 

A. Political activities. 

1. No part of any award may be used to finance, directly or indirectly, any activity 

to influence the outcome of any election to public office, or any voter 

registration activity. 

No project may be conducted in a manner involving the use of funds, the 

provision of services, or the employment or assignment of personnel in a 

matter supporting or resulting in the identification of such project with: 

a. Any partisan or nonpartisan political activity associated with a candidate, 

or contending faction or group, in an election; or 

b. Any activity to provide voters or prospective voters with transportation 

to the polls or similar assistance in connection with any such election; or 

c. Any voter registration activity, except that voter registration applications 

and nonpartisan voter registration information may be made available to 

the public at the premises of the sponsor. But in making registration 

applications and nonpartisan voter registration information available, 

employees of the sponsor may not express preferences or seek to 

influence decisions concerning any candidate, political party, election 

issue, or voting decision. 

2. Notwithstanding 42 U.S.C. § 5043(c) and 45 CFR § 2553.91(a)(3), in 

accordance with AmeriCorps’ current appropriations legislation all recipients 

are prohibited, without exception, from using AmeriCorps funds to pay the 

salary or expenses of any grant or contract recipient, or agent acting for such 
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recipient, related to any activity designed to influence the enactment of 

legislation, appropriations, regulation, administrative action, or executive order 

proposed or pending before the Congress or any State government, State 

legislature or local legislature or legislative body, other than for normal and 

recognized executive-legislative relationships or participation by an agency or 

officer of a State, local or tribal government in policymaking and administrative 

processes within the executive branch of that government. 

B. Non-displacement of employed workers. An AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer may 

not perform any service or duty or engage in any activity that would otherwise be 

performed by an employee of the sponsor, or that would supplant the hiring of, or 

result in the displacement of, employees, or impair existing contracts for services. 

C. Compensation for service. An agency or organization to which AmeriCorps Seniors 

volunteers are assigned, or which operates or supervises any RSVP program may not 

request or receive any compensation from AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers or from 

beneficiaries for services of AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers. 

1. The regulations do not prohibit a sponsor from soliciting and accepting 

voluntary contributions from the community at large to meet its local support 

obligations under the award or from entering into agreements with parties 

other than beneficiaries to support additional volunteers beyond those 

supported by the AmeriCorps award. 

2. A volunteer station may contribute to the financial support of the RSVP 

Program. However, this support may not be a required precondition for a 

potential station to obtain RSVP Program services. 

3. If a volunteer station agrees to provide funds to support additional RSVP 

volunteers or pay for other volunteer support costs, the agreement must be 

stated in a written Memorandum of Understanding. The sponsor must 

withdraw services if the station's inability to provide monetary or in-kind 

support to the project under the Memorandum of Understanding diminishes 

or jeopardizes the project's financial capabilities to fulfill its obligations. 

4. Under no circumstances may an RSVP volunteer receive a fee for service from 

service recipients (i.e., program beneficiaries), their legal guardians, members 

of their families, or friends. 

D. Labor and anti-labor activity. The sponsor may not use award funds directly or 

indirectly to finance labor or anti-labor organizations or related activities. 

E. Fair labor standards. A sponsor that employs laborers and mechanics for 

construction, alteration, or repair of facilities must pay wages at prevailing rates as 
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determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with the Davis-Bacon Act, as 

amended, 40 U.S.C. 276a. 

F. Religious activities. Neither an RSVP volunteer nor a member of the project staff 

funded by AmeriCorps may give religious instruction, conduct worship services, or 

engage in any form of proselytization as part of his or her service or duties. 

1. A sponsor or volunteer station may retain its independence and may continue 

to carry out its mission, including the definition, development, practice, and 

expression of its religious beliefs, provided that it does not use AmeriCorps 

funds to support any inherently religious activities, such as worship, religious 

instruction, or proselytization, as part of the programs or services funded. If an 

organization conducts such activities, the activities must be offered separately, 

in time or location, from the programs or services funded under this part. 

G. Nepotism. Persons selected for project staff positions may not be related by blood or 

marriage to other project staff, sponsor staff or officers, or members of the sponsor 

Board of Directors, unless there is written concurrence from the Advisory Council or 

other community group established by the sponsor under 45 CFR § 2553.24 and 

upon prior notification and approval by AmeriCorps. 

H. Abortion Services or Referrals. 

While charging time to the AmeriCorps program, accumulating service or training 

hours, or otherwise performing activities supported by the AmeriCorps Seniors 

program or AmeriCorps Seniors, staff and volunteers may not engage in providing 

abortion services or referrals for receipt of such services. 

IV. EXTERNAL EVALUATION AND DATA COLLECTION

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

and evaluation efforts. 

As part of this effort, the recipient must collect and submit certain project data, as 

defined in the Progress Report Supplement (PRS) and must provide data as 

requested or needed to support external evaluations.

V. LOBBY DISCLOSURE

A. No Federal appropriated funds may be used by the recipient to pay to any person for 

influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any Federal agency, 

a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a 

Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any Federal grant, the 

making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the 
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extension, continuation, renewal, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, 

or cooperative agreement. 

B. Any recipient who requests or receives a grant from AmeriCorps Seniors must file 

with AmeriCorps a certification, set forth in 31 U.S.C. Section 1352 (“Limitation on use 

of appropriated funds to influence certain Federal contracting and financial 

transactions”), which generally prohibits recipients of Federal grants and cooperative 

agreements from using Federal (appropriated) funds for lobbying the Executive or 

Legislative branches of the Federal Government in connection with a specific grant or 

cooperative agreement. By signing and submitting an application, the application 

provides certification that the recipient understands and will comply with this 

statutory requirement and that the recipient has not made, and will not make, any 

payment prohibited under section V.A. above. 

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

required to file with AmeriCorps a disclosure report, Standard Form LLL, Disclosure 

of Lobbying Activities, in accordance with its instructions, at the end of any quarter, 

when the recipient has paid or agreed to pay, using non-appropriated funds 

(including any profits from any covered Federal action) any lobbying entity for 

influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a 

Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a 

Member of Congress in connection with a covered Federal action. If applicable, the 

report must be submitted to the grantee’s AmeriCorps Senior Portfolio Manager. 

VI. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

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

reports during the project period and a final financial report at the end of the period. 

A. Progress Reports. The recipient must complete and submit an annual progress 

report. The report is submitted through the appropriate electronic system no later 

than 30 days after the end of the reporting period. 

Due Date Reporting Period Covered

April 30 April 1 – March 31

Per Section IV., the recipient must collect and submit certain project data, as defined 

in the Progress Report Supplement (PRS) and must provide data as requested or 

needed to support external evaluations.

B. Financial Reports. The recipient must complete and submit financial reports in 

eGrants to report the status of all funds. The recipient must submit timely financial 

reports, reporting on a cumulative basis from the start of the award over the 

performance period of the award, in accordance with AmeriCorps guidelines. 
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Recipients with budget periods starting in April submit according to the following 

schedule: 

Due Date Reporting Period Covered

April 30 October 1 - March 31 

October 30 April 1 – September 30 

C. Reporting Other Federal Funds. The recipient shall report the amount and sources 

of federal funds, other than those provided by AmeriCorps, claimed as matching 

funds. This information shall be reported annually on the financial report due 

October 30 or at the time the final financial report is submitted if the final report is 

due prior to October 30. 

D. Final Financial Report. Recipients completing the final year of their award must 

submit, in lieu of the last semi-annual financial report, a final financial report in 

eGrants. This final financial report is due no later than 120 days after the end of the 

project period. 

E. Requests for Extensions. Each recipient must submit required reports by the given 

dates. Extensions of reporting deadlines will be granted only when: 1) the report 

cannot be furnished in a timely manner for reasons, in the determination of 

AmeriCorps, which are legitimately beyond the control of the Recipient, and 2) 

AmeriCorps receives a written request explaining the need for an extension before 

the due date of the report. 

Extensions of deadlines for reports may only be granted by the AmeriCorps Portfolio 

Manager, as appropriate.

VII. PROGRAM INCOME 

A. General. Income, including fees for service earned as a direct result of the awardfunded program activities during the award period, must be retained by the recipient 

and used to finance the award’s non-AmeriCorps share. 

B. Excess Program Income. Program income earned in excess of the amount needed 

to finance the recipient share must follow the appropriate requirements of 2 CFR 

Parts 200 and 2205, in particular, 2 CFR 200.307 – Program Income and be deducted 

from total claimed costs, or with approval from AmeriCorps, through a budget 

amendment used to enhance the program (additive process). Recipients that have 

unexpended program income must report it on line “o” of the Federal Financial 

Report (FFR). 
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C. Fees for service. When using assistance under this award, the recipient may not 

enter into a contract for or accept fees for service performed by participants when: 

1. The service benefits a for-profit entity. 

2. The service falls within the other prohibited activities set forth in statute, 

regulation, or these award terms and conditions.

VIII. BUDGET AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES

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

the AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager before making any of the following changes (1-3): 

1. Changes in the scope, objectives or goals of the project, transfer of the project 

effort, or project timeline whether or not they involve budgetary changes. 

2. Changes in key personnel specified in the application. 

3. The disengagement from the project for more than three months, or a 25 

percent reduction in time devoted to the project by the approved Project 

Director. Upon notification to the AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager, recipients 

may make programmatic changes due to, or in response to, an officially 

declared state or national disaster without written approval from AmeriCorps. 

As soon as practicable, recipients making disaster-related programmatic 

changes must discuss the performance measure adjustments, and other 

AmeriCorps award requirements with the AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager. 

While written approval from AmeriCorps is not required before making 

disaster-related programmatic changes, AmeriCorps reserves the right to limit 

or deny disaster-related programmatic changes, including disallowing costs 

associated with the disaster related activities. 

B. Budgetary Changes. The recipient must obtain the prior written approval of 

AmeriCorps’ Portfolio Manager before deviating from the approved budget in any of 

the following ways: 

1. Specific Costs Requiring Prior Approval before Incurrence under the uniform 

administrative requirement, cost principles, and audit requirements for Federal 

awards at 2 CFR § 200.407. Certain cost items in 2 CFR § 200.407 require prior 

written approval of the awarding agency for the cost to be allowable such as 

pre-award costs. Please ensure you consult the regulations prior to incurring 

costs to ensure allowability. 

2. Purchases of Equipment over $5,000 using award funds, unless specified in the 

approved application and budget. 
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3. Unless the AmeriCorps share of the award is $100,000 or less, changes to 

cumulative and/or aggregate budget line items that amount to 10 percent or 

more of the total budget must be approved in writing in advance by 

AmeriCorps. The total budget includes both the AmeriCorps and recipient 

shares. Recipients may transfer funds among approved direct cost categories 

when the cumulative amount of such transfers does not exceed 10 percent of 

the total budget. 

C. Approval of Programmatic and Budget Changes. AmeriCorps’ Portfolio Managers 

are the only officials who have the authority to alter or change the terms and 

conditions or requirements of the award. Portfolio Managers will execute written 

amendments and recipients should not assume approvals have been granted unless 

documentation from AmeriCorps’ Office of Grant Administration (OGA) has been 

received via a notice of grant award. Programmatic changes also require final 

approval of AmeriCorps’ OGA after written recommendation for approval is received 

from the Portfolio Manager.

IX. NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK TRAINING

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

National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) eCourse training every year to 

ensure that recipients conducting criminal history background checks comply with all 

NSCHC requirements. The AmeriCorps designated eCourse provides a thorough 

overview of the requirements and can be found at:

https://americorpsonlinecourses.litmos.com?C=325500. 

Each grant recipient must identify at minimum one staff person who has some 

responsibility for NSCHC compliance to fulfill this requirement on behalf of the grant 

recipient. The grant recipient must retain the certificate of completion and assign 

staff to retake the course annually prior to the expiration of the certificate. Grant 

recipients must save certificates of completion from each year as grant records. 

X. KEY CONCEPTS OF FINANCIAL GRANTS MANAGEMENT TRAINING

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

Key Concepts of Financial Grants Management eCourse training every year to ensure 

that recipients are aware of major financial grants management requirements for all 

federal recipients. The AmeriCorps designated eCourse provides a thorough 

overview of the requirements and can be found at: 

https://americorpsonlinecourses.litmos.com/account/login/?C=7513619. 

Each grant recipient must identify at minimum one staff person who has some 

responsibility for financial grants management compliance to fulfill this requirement 

on behalf of the grant recipient. The grant recipient must retain the certificate of 
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completion and assign staff to retake the course annually prior to the expiration of the 

certificate. Grant recipients must save certificates of completion from each year as 

grant records.