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NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Federal Agency Name: AmeriCorps

Funding Opportunity Title: Fiscal Year FY 2023 Volunteer Generation Fund ARP

Announcement Type: Amended Announcement 

Assistance Listing Number: 94.021

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.

Important Dates

• Applications are due not later than Tuesday, September 13, 2022, by 5:00 p.m. Eastern 

Time. 

• Successful applicants will be notified by December 2022 

• Successful applicants will be issued awards by February 2023

Table of Contents

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION.................................................................................................. 3

A.1. Purpose of Volunteer Generation Fund Funding............................................................................... 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION ........................................................................................... 6

C.1. Eligible Applicants........................................................................................................................... 7

C.2. Cost Sharing or Matching................................................................................................................. 7

C.3. Other Eligibility Requirements......................................................................................................... 8

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION..................................................... 8

D.1. Address to Request an Application Package ..................................................................................... 8

D.2. Content and Form of Application Submission .................................................................................. 8

D.2.a. Application Content....................................................................................................................................... 8

D.2.b. Page Limits.................................................................................................................................................... 9

D.3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) ............................................... 9

D.4. Submission Dates and Times......................................................................................................... 10

D.4.a. Application Submission Deadline................................................................................................................ 10

D.4.b. Additional Documents Deadline.................................................................................................................. 10

D.4.c. Late Applications......................................................................................................................................... 10
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D.5. Intergovernmental Review ............................................................................................................ 11

D.6. Funding Restrictions..................................................................................................................... 11

D.6.a. Award Funding Requirements..................................................................................................................... 11

D.6.b. Indirect Costs............................................................................................................................................... 11

D.6.c. Pre-Award Costs.......................................................................................................................................... 12

D.7. Other Submission Requirements ................................................................................................... 12

D.7.a. Electronic Application Submission in eGrants............................................................................................ 12

D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents.......................................................................................................... 13

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION ..................................................................... 13

E.1. Selection Criteria........................................................................................................................... 14

E.1.a. Program Design (50 percent):..................................................................................................................... 14

E.1.b. Organizational Capability (35 percent):...................................................................................................... 14

E.1.c. Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (15 percent):............................................................................... 15

E.2. Review and Selection Process........................................................................................................ 15

E.2.a. Initial Application Compliance and Eligibility Review................................................................................ 15

E.2.b. Application Review ...................................................................................................................................... 16

E.2.c. Applicant Clarification................................................................................................................................. 16

E.2.d. Pre-Award Risk Assessment......................................................................................................................... 16

E.2.e. Consideration of Integrity and Performance System Information................................................................ 18

E.2.f. Selection for Funding.................................................................................................................................... 18

E.3. Feedback to Applicants ................................................................................................................. 19

E.4. Transparency in Grant-making ...................................................................................................... 19

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION .......................................... 19

F.1. Federal Award Notices.................................................................................................................. 19

F.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements ......................................................................... 19

F.2.a. Uniform Guidance........................................................................................................................................ 19

F.2.b. Requests for Monitoring or Payment Integrity Information......................................................................... 19

F.2.c. AmeriCorps Terms and Conditions.............................................................................................................. 20

F.2.d. National Service Criminal History Check Requirements............................................................................. 20

F.2.e. Official Guidance ......................................................................................................................................... 21

F.3. Use of Material.............................................................................................................................. 21

F.4. Reporting ...................................................................................................................................... 21

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS ............................................................. 22

H. OTHER INFORMATION .................................................................................................... 22

H.1. Technical Assistance..................................................................................................................... 22

H.2. Re-Focusing of Funding................................................................................................................ 22

I. IMPORTANT NOTICES....................................................................................................... 22

APPENDIX I ............................................................................................................................... 24

AmeriCorps Focus Areas...................................................................................................................... 24
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FULL TEXT OF THE NOTICE

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A.1. Purpose of Volunteer Generation Fund Funding

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

service and volunteering. AmeriCorps brings people together to tackle 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. 

Through AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps Seniors, and the Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF), 

AmeriCorps has helped to engage millions of citizens in meeting community and national 

challenges through service and volunteer action. VGF grants will be used to develop and/or 

support community-based entities to recruit, manage, and support volunteers. AmeriCorps 

seeks to fund effective approaches that expand volunteering, strengthen the capacity of 

volunteer connector organizations to recruit and retain skill-based volunteers, and develop 

strategies to use volunteers effectively to solve problems.

President Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) calls for Americans to come together to support 

our communities. The plan offers additional funding for the Volunteer Generation Fund grants 

which will support efforts that expand the capacity of volunteer connector organizations to 

recruit, manage, support and retain individuals to serve in high quality volunteer assignments. 

Applicants that receive funding under this Notice may directly carry out the activities supported 

under the award or may carry out the activities by making subgrants to community-based 

entities, supporting volunteer generation at these entities.

Subgrants to community-based entities must include one or more of the following:

• Recruit, manage, or support volunteers to a community-based entity such as a 

volunteer coordinating agency, a nonprofit resource center, school districts, a 

volunteer training clearinghouse, an institution of higher education, or a collaborative 

partnership of faith-based and community-based organization
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• Provide technical assistance and support to strengthen the capacity of local 

infrastructure organizations, address areas of national need, and expand the number of 

volunteers nationally.

A.2. Funding Priorities 

AmeriCorps recently released its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan that defines the agency’s goals, 

objectives, and strategies to both meet and exceed the agency’s mission to improve lives and 

strengthen communities. Over the next 5 years, AmeriCorps will execute the following goals to 

position the agency to respond to national and local needs and help the communities it serves 

prosper: partner with communities to alleviate poverty and advance racial equity; enhance the 

experience for AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers; unite Americans by 

bringing them together in service; effectively steward federal resources; and make AmeriCorps 

one of the best and most equitable places to work in the federal government. 

Over the next five years, AmeriCorps will invest in existing and new partnerships with nonprofit, faith-based, and Tribal organizations, and state service commissions, to get things done 

for America. We 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 we will increase our efforts to ensure our AmeriCorps members 

and AmeriCorps Senior 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.

AmeriCorps’ priorities for this funding opportunity are:

• Programs that expand, launch or improve high-impact tutoring, mentoring and other 

school-based or out of school time programs -- including the placement and training of 

student success coaches, integrated student support coordinators, and post-secondary 

transition coaches -- which will help students succeed academically and support their 

mental health and overall wellbeing, in line with the National Partnership for Student 

Success 

• Programs that actively engage in removing structural racial inequities, advancing racial 

equality, and increasing opportunity in order to achieve sustainable change in 

communities. VGF encourages grant applications to include work plans that advance 

justice and equality in areas such as education, access to food and healthcare, workforce 

development, elder justice, and living independently.

• Efforts to help local communities respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Applicants may propose programming in any AmeriCorps focus area to aid communities 

as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Programs that are likely to generate significant, measurable improvements in the 

number of volunteers generated and retained from specific demographic groups such 

as youth service, generational/family volunteering, skill-based volunteering, or senior 

volunteering. 

• Initiatives that specifically recruit, train and deploy volunteers as a strategy to address a 

clearly identified pressing community need or to address education. 
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• Activities that specifically recruit skill-based and pro-bono volunteers.

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. 

Applicants are required to use the specific performance measures outlined in this Notice. For 

more information, please refer to the Volunteer Generation Fund Application Instructions. 

All applicants are required to use the following National Performance Measures:

• G3-3.4 (output): Number of organizations that received capacity building services 

AND

• G3-3.10A (outcome): Number of organizations that increased their effectiveness, 

efficiency, and/or program scale/reach. *

*In the Described Instrument section of measure G3-3.10A, applicants must specifically 

describe how they will measure organizational effectiveness, efficiency, or program scale/reach 

with respect to volunteer recruitment or management.

Applicants may optionally select additional performance measure(s), either National 

Performance Measures or applicant determined performance measures, to describe the type 

and
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amount of activities carried out by volunteers managed and/or generated through their 

program. All performance measures must align with the 2022 VGF Performance Measure 

Instructions posted on the AmeriCorps website. Note: the number of volunteers 

recruited/coordinated/supported by your grant, and the number of hours served by these 

volunteers, will be reported via standard Performance Data Elements and should not be 

included as performance measures.

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. §126531 et seq.) 

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

B.1. Estimated Available Funds

AmeriCorps anticipates approximately $20 million for Volunteer Generation Fund FY 23 awards.

B.2. Estimated Award Amount

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

make awards of a minimum of $100,000 

B.3. Period of Performance

Successful applicants will be issued awards by February 2023. 

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. Continuation 

awards for subsequent years are not guaranteed; they depend upon availability of 

appropriations and satisfactory performance. 

B.4. Type of Award 

VGF grants will be awarded on a cost reimbursement basis.

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. 

ARP VGF grants will be awarded if an application is successful. 

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
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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 and K-12 Schools)

• nonprofit organizations 

• state service commissions

• states and US Territories

 

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). 

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

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

information.

New Applicants

AmeriCorps strongly encourages organizations that have not received prior funding from 

AmeriCorps to apply. 

C.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Applicants are required to match funds equal to a percentage of their total program budget 

(AmeriCorps Share plus the Grantee Share equals the total program budget). The applicant’s 

match (Grantee Share) can be cash and/or in-kind contributions. See Section D.6. Funding

Restrictions for more information. 

Match requirements increase with each year and are as follows:

• 20% in the first year

• 30% in the second year

• 40% in the third year

• 50% in the fourth year and any later year in which a recipient receives a VGF grant.

Please note for this competition, Department of Education American Rescue Plan Elementary 

and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds (ARP ESSER) may be used to meet the grantee 

share of required resources. You can find the letter here.
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C.3. Other Eligibility Requirements

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 VGF regulations, 45 CFR 2520-2522 and 45 CFR 

2540.200 and the application instructions. These documents are available online on the FY 

2023 Volunteer Generation Fund ARP Funding Opportunity 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. 

Applicants can also send an email VolunteerGeneration@cns.gov or call (202) [606-3836 for a 

printed copy of the Notice and Guidance. AmeriCorps also offers live text chat. 

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: This is automatically generated when 
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applicants complete the data elements in the eGrants system. 

• Narrative Sections: 

o Executive Summary: This is a brief description of the proposed program. 

o Program Design

o Organizational Capability

o Cost-Effectiveness & Budget Adequacy

• Performance Measures

• Standard Form 424A Budget

• Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications

(https://egrants.cns.gov/cnsmisc/ECERTS.HTM and 

https://egrants.cns.gov/cnsmisc/EASSUR.HTM) 

D.2.b. Page Limits

Applications may not exceed 10 double-spaced pages as according to the pages printed out 

from eGrants. The application sections that count toward the page limit are the:

• SF-424 Face Sheet; 

• Executive Summary; and 

• Program Design, Organizational Capability, and Cost-Effectiveness & Budget 

Adequacy narratives.

The application page limit does not include the Budget, Performance Measures, or any 

required additional documents.

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) at

https://www.sam.gov/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. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees. 

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 SAM-
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registered 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.

AmeriCorps will not make awards to entities that do not have a valid SAM registration and 

Unique Entity Identify. 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. 

Applications must include an Employer Identification Number.

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

the SAM registration process. Subrecipients may also be required to have a UEI.

D.4. Submission Dates and Times

D.4.a. Application Submission Deadline

Applications are due not later than Tuesday, September 13, 2022, by 5:00 p.m. Eastern 

Time. 

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’ website. 

D.4.b. Additional Documents Deadline

Additional documents are due by the application submission deadline. See 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, of Tuesday, 

September 13, 2022 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time, are presumed to be non-compliant. To 

overcome this presumption, the applicant must:

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

caused the delay, including: 

o the timing and specific cause(s) of the delay

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

Hotline

o any information provided to the applicant by the AmeriCorps Hotline
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o any 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.

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

Awards under this Notice are subject to cost share or matching requirements, see section 

C.2. 

There are also limitations on the use of Federal Funds to recover indirect costs. As provided 

in 2 CFR 200.306(c), unrecovered indirect costs may be included as part of an applicant’s cost 

sharing or matching requirements. 

Applicants who will be pass-through entities must include in their subawards terms and 

conditions that will ensure that the pass-through entity’s award under this Notice will comply 

with the cost share and matching requirements. See 2 CFR 200.331(a)(2)-(4) and 2 CFR 

200.74. 

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 
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total direct costs, or may claim certain costs directly, as outlined in 2 CFR 200.413. 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 percent de minimis

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

section 121(d) of the NCSA 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 VGF. 

The instructions for how to enter the organization’s indirect cost rate are located

here: eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructions. 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 or via eGrants 

Questions if they have a problem when they create an account, prepare, or submit the 

application. AmeriCorps Hotline hours are also posted. 

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.
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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)/VGF 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

Applicants are required to submit the following additional documents by the application 

submission deadline:

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

2. All applicants regardless of funding level are required to submit an Operational and 

Financial Management Survey (OFMS). Please submit the OFMS as a Word document. 

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

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

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

• the legal applicant name and its point of contact information

• the application ID number

• a 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.

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.

• 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)”

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

section, by the deadline may have a negative effect on the determination of the application’s 

eligibility to advance for review. 

Do not submit any items that are not requested in this Notice. AmeriCorps will not 

review or return them.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION
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E.1. Selection Criteria

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. They will also consider the 

weights assigned to each criterion.

Categories/Subcategories Percentage

Program Design 50

• Goals and Objectives 25

• Program Impact 25

Organizational Capability 35

Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy 15

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

Goals and Objectives (25 percent)

• The extent to which the applicant convincingly links the identified 

need, proposed interventions, and the anticipated outputs and 

outcomes.

• The extent to which the program design aligns with the purpose and priorities 

(including the National Partnership for Student Success) of the VGF

• Whether the proposed interventions and activities are evidence-informed or 

evidence-based. And whether the organizations use these practices to achieve

intended outcomes in the community served.

Program Impact (25 percent)

• The extent to which the applicant demonstrates that the proposed 

project is likely to have a notable, positive impact as measured by the

magnitude of the effect on the need(s).

• The extent to which the objectives and outcomes to be achieved

by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable.

• The applicant’s plan to measure and collect data on National

Performance Measures outcomes and outputs.

E.1.b. Organizational Capability (35 percent): 

Reviewers will consider:

o The extent to which the organization has the experience, staffing, and management 

structure to plan, implement, and evaluate the proposed project.

o The extent to which the organization has the necessary plans and infrastructure to 

provide programmatic and fiscal oversight, day-to-day operational support, and data 

collection

o The applicant’s track record raising funds to support service activities and initiatives

o Likelihood of effectiveness of the applicant’s plan for securing partners and 
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community support for, and involvement in, the proposed project.

o the extent to which the organization has an effective mechanism in place to report, 

without delay, any suspected criminal activity, waste, fraud, and/or abuse to both the 

AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General and AmeriCorps and a plan for training staff 

and participants on these reporting protocols. 

o the extent to which the organization has sufficient policies, procedures, and controls 

in place to prevent, detect, and mitigate the risk of fraud, waste, abuse, and 

mismanagement, this can include an assessment of appropriate segregation of duties, 

internal oversight activities, measures to prevent timekeeping fraud, etc.

o the extent to which the organization has a monitoring and oversight plan to prevent 

and detect non-compliance and enforce compliance with AmeriCorps rules and 

regulations including those related to prohibited activities and criminal history checks 

at the grantee, subgrantee (if applicable), and service site locations.

o the extent to which the organization has a stated commitment to and a strategic plan 

for, advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the organization and its 

mission. This can include the inclusion of diversity on the Board of Directors, agency 

staff and leadership, and/or volunteers. 

E.1.c. Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (15 percent):

Reviewers will consider:

o The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and 

potential significance of the proposed project.

o The extent to which the budget is clear and in alignment with the program narrative.

o The extent to which the budget includes adequate resources to carry out the program 

effectively.

o The extent to which the program demonstrates that financial and in-kind resources will 

be obtained to support program implementation.

o Whether the applicant adequately budgets for its required share of costs.

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: 
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• is an eligible organization

• submitted an application by the submission deadline

• submitted an application that complies with the following program-specific 

requirements: 

o request a minimum amount of funding of $100,000 or greater

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, and Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Selection Criteria (E.1). AmeriCorps

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

Generation Fund programming and/or the Focus Areas, as well as experience assessing 

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

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. 

 

Selection of Applications for Internal Review

Applications will advance to Internal Review based on the results of the External Review, PostReview Quality Control, and consideration of the priorities and strategic considerations in this 

Notice. Applications that do not advance to Internal Review will not be recommended for 

funding. 

E.2.c. Applicant Clarification

AmeriCorps may ask an applicant for clarifying information. AmeriCorps staff will use this 

information to make funding recommendations. A request for clarification does not guarantee 

an award. Applicants may be recommended for funding even if they are not asked for 

clarifying information. An applicant’s failure to respond to a request for clarification adequately 

and in a timely manner may result in the removal of its application from consideration. 

E.2.d. 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 Selection Criteria 

(E.1). 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 
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correspond to the degree of assessed risk may be applied to the award. Additionally, if 

AmeriCorps concludes that the reasons for applicants having poor risk assessment are not 

likely to be mitigated, those applications may not be selected for funding. 

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 Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)

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: 

• an applicant’s record in managing previous AmeriCorps awards, cooperative 

agreements, or procurement awards, including: 

o timeliness of compliance with applicable reporting requirements

o accuracy of data reported

o validity of performance measure data reported

o conformance to the terms and conditions of previous Federal awards

o applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other 

requirements imposed on award recipients

o timely closeout of other awards

o meeting matching requirements

o the extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to 

future awards

o national service criminal history check (NSCHC) compliance. See section F.2.d. 

National Criminal History Check Requirements and the NSCHC webpage for 

more information

4. Other Programmatic Risks, including: 

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

• amount of funding requested by the organization 
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E.2.e. 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 (currently FAPIIS) (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, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and 

performance systems accessible through FAPIIS 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 FAPIIS.

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 Risk Assessment Evaluation 

section of this Notice. 

E.2.f. Selection for Funding

The review and selection process are designed to: 

• identify how well eligible applications are aligned with the application selection 

criteria (E.1)

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

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

o meaningful representation of 

 geographic diversity 

 rural communities

 small and medium programs 

 faith-based organizations

 focus areas

 innovative solutions for identified funding priorities

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 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. 
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E.3. Feedback to Applicants

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

This feedback will be based on the review of the original application and will not reflect 

information provided during clarification.

E.4. Transparency in Grant-making

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

of external reviewer comments 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. 

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 late November 2022. 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 

signed by the Office of Grant Administration Grant Award Specialist 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 
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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 FY2023 AmeriCorps General Terms 

and Conditions, and the FY2023 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 here. 

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. 

• In general, award recipients and subrecipients must conduct an NSCHC for 

AmeriCorps members, AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, and all staff funded under, or 

whose salary is reflected as match on, the award.

• AmeriCorps strongly encourages applicants to review the regulations and additional 

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

regulations and guidance: https://americorps.gov/grantees-sponsors/history-check

AmeriCorps also strongly encourages award recipients to utilize the to conduct the 

required NSCHCs. 

• Failure to conduct a compliant NSCHC may result in significant disallowed costs. 

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

individual subject to the NSCHC may not be required to cover the cost without being 

reimbursed.

An NSCHC consists of a check of the:

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; 
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• 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. 

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

complete information and FAQs.

F.2.e. Official Guidance

All 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).

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.

Recipients are required to provide annual progress reports and semi-annual financial and 

narrative progress reports through eGrants, AmeriCorps’ web-based grants management 

system. All recipients must submit quarterly financial reports to the U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services Payment Management System. 

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 close-out 

requirements. 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. See 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 
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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.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

For more information, call (202) [606-3836] or email VolunteerGeneration@cns.gov

AmeriCorps also offers live text chat. 

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

(800) 942-2677. AmeriCorps Hotline hours are also posted. 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 a technical assistance call to answer questions about the funding 

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

session. The call will be held on Wednesday August 10 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. 

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

Opportunities website. 

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

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 required to respond unless the OMB control number and expiration date are 
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current valid. (See 5 C.F.R. 1320.5(b)(2)(i).) This collection is approved under OMB Control #: 

3045-0187, Expiration Date: October 30, 2023. 

Privacy Act Statement: The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C §552a) requires that we notify you 

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. 
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APPENDIX I

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 our 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 COVID19 and other public health crises, access to care, aging in place, and addressing childhood 

obesity, especially in underserved communities. 

Veterans and Military Families 

Improving the quality of life of veterans and improve military family strength. 

Capacity Building

Support indirect services that enable AmeriCorps-supported organizations to provide more, 

better, and sustained direct services. Capacity building activities cannot be solely intended to 

support the administration or operations of the organization.