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Program Description

Montana Conservation Corps (MCC) is an environmental service program 

dedicated to promoting field research and direct conservation service. 

Founded in 1991, MCC has received AmeriCorps support since 1993. MCC 

supports communities and public lands in the Northern Rockies (including 

Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota) through the 

deployment of teams to develop beaver dam analogs (BDAs), mitigate fire 

threats, reduce the spread of invasive species, and restore and redesignate 

trails. MCC’s trained monitoring and assessment teams also capture critical 

data on the condition of forest and rangeland health. 

Return on Investment Analysis

To better understand the impact of the program in relation to costs, 

AmeriCorps commissioned a return on investment (ROI) analysis by ICF, an 

independent research firm. ROI analyses of national service programs 

estimate the monetary value of benefits that a program generates per dollar 

invested.

AmeriCorps, the federal agency 

for national service and 

volunteerism, provides 

opportunities for Americans to 

serve their country domestically, 

address the nation's most pressing 

challenges, improve lives and 

communities, and strengthen civic 

engagement. Each year, the 

agency places more than 200,000 

AmeriCorps members and 

AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in 

intensive service roles; and 

empowers millions more to serve 

as long-term, short-term, or onetime volunteers. Learn more at 

AmeriCorps.gov. 

RESEARCH BRIEF − ROI PROJECT

Montana Conservation Corps

AmeriCorps.gov 
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The ROI analysis of total benefits per funder dollar estimated the Montana Conservation Corps program’s ROI 

to be between $0.66 and $126.05, depending on a) how long AmeriCorps members experience increased 

earnings as a result of the program and b) whether low, average, or high estimates of ecosystem benefits to 

society are used. Total benefits per federal dollar are higher, between $0.73 and $144.32

Overview of Benefits and Costs

To calculate the ROI, the program benefits were identified, quantified, and compared to the program’s costs. 

Benefits of MCC include: 

• Benefits to various stakeholders of ecosystem services, reduced wildfire damage, other 

environmental benefits, and trail access. MCC uses AmeriCorps members to construct BDAs 

which revitalize degraded riparian and adjacent ecosystems, perform fuel reduction treatments on atrisk sites to reduce severity of wildfires, remove invasive species to increase benefits to society from 

ecosystems, and build and maintain trails that provide health and recreational benefits. The societal 

benefits of MCC can be attributed to three key functions of the organization: wildfire mitigation, 

habitat improvements, and maintenance of trail systems.

• Additional earnings by AmeriCorps members. Serving in AmeriCorps leads to increased wages 

and reduced unemployment post-national service through skill acquisition, as well as increased 

educational attainment post-service.

• Living allowances, stipends, and education awards. AmeriCorps members receive living 

allowances and stipends during their national service and receive Segal AmeriCorps Education 

Awards after successful completion. 

• Increased tax revenue for government. The government receives more income tax revenue from 

increased AmeriCorps member earnings post-service, as well as additional sales tax revenue related 

to those earnings. Government also realizes tax revenue from the taxable living allowances, stipends, 

and education awards provided to AmeriCorps members. 

• Reduced lifetime spending on corrections, public assistance, and social insurance. Because of 

the increase in secondary and post-secondary educational attainment for AmeriCorps members, 

government spends less on these items. 

Program costs for MCC program totaled $9,579,450 and were funded by AmeriCorps, other federal 

government sources, state and local government, Tribal governments, and private funders. 

ROI Results

The table below shows the ROI results. Each row represents a different ROI calculation depending on which 

benefits are considered (all benefits or only benefits to the federal government) and which funding is 

considered (federal funding only or all funding). The ROI estimates are presented as dollars returned for 

every $1.00 of investment. The analysis used three different scenarios to estimate benefits under different 

assumptions. Specifically, the study assumed that increased earnings attributable to the programs last for 

one year (short-term scenario), 15 years (medium-term), or 30 years (long-term). The analysis also used low, 

average, and high estimates of ecosystem benefits to society based on the literature.
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ROI Calculation

ROI Scenario

Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term

Total Benefits per Federal Dollar* 

With low ecosystem benefits $0.73 $7.75 $11.66 

With average ecosystem benefits $2.39 $27.37 $41.38 

With high ecosystem benefits $7.81 $92.69 $144.32 

Total Benefits per Funder Dollar* 

With low ecosystem benefits $0.66 $6.63 $9.79 

With average ecosystem benefits $2.11 $23.83 $35.84 

With high ecosystem benefits $6.86 $81.07 $126.05 

Federal Government Benefits per Federal Dollar -$0.02 $0.18 $0.49 

* These ROI estimates are provided based on low, average, and high estimates of ecosystem benefits to society.

The program produces strong returns for the medium- and long-term scenarios when benefits to 

AmeriCorps members, society, and state/local governments are included. This is indicated by the results of 

the total benefits per federal dollar and the total benefits per funder dollar ROI calculations for these two 

scenarios. 

In the short-term scenario—which only includes benefits for one-year post-program—the ROI of $0.66 for the 

total benefits per funder dollar calculation with the low set of ecosystem benefit estimates is below the breakeven point on funding invested, as is the total benefits per federal dollar calculation under low ecosystem 

benefits. All other total benefit scenarios and ecosystem benefit levels show positive returns. 

The federal government benefits per federal dollar calculations estimate losses for all three scenarios. As a 

program that is intended primarily to generate benefits to society, rather than benefits to the federal 

government, these results are consistent with the design of MCC.

The magnitude of the positive ROI estimates in the medium- and long-term scenarios are driven by the 

following factors:

• Revitalized ecosystem services from BDA installation. Societal benefits accrue, and do not 

diminish over time due to the long term drought resilience and riparian improvements associated 

with BDAs.

• Reduction in wildfire-related costs. Societal benefits from reduced severity of wildfires accrue, but 

diminish over time as vegetation regrows and generates more potential fuel for wildfires. 

• Increased benefits from ecosystems from reduced invasive species. Societal benefits accrue, but 

diminish over time as invasive species return.

• Benefits from trail maintenance and creation. Societal benefits from access and use of trails accrue 

over time, but diminish as trails naturally deteriorate.

• Educational attainment outcomes of AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps members receive an 

education award after serving in the AmeriCorps program, which is used by a portion of members to 

help pay for postsecondary degrees post-service. The additional educational attainment resulting 

from the use of the education award generates additional earnings for AmeriCorps members. 
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• Employment outcomes of AmeriCorps members. Past studies establish that AmeriCorps members 

experience increased employment and increased earnings post-service.

About the Office of Research and Evaluation 

The AmeriCorps Office of Research and Evaluation assists AmeriCorps and its partners in collecting, 

analyzing, and disseminating data and insights about AmeriCorps programs and civic life in America. 

For more information, please contact evaluation@cns.gov. 

Produced and published at US taxpayer expense.

About this Brief

The report summarized in this research brief was commissioned by AmeriCorps’ Office of Research and Evaluation under Contract # 

GS00Q14OADU209 and Order # 95332A20F0068. Information in this report is in the public domain. Please, direct communications 

related to this report to Lily Zandniapour at lzandniapour@cns.gov and Emily McDonald at emcdonald@cns.gov. Cite the report as 

follows: Voigt, G., Borgida, J., Clark, D., Miller, B., Modicamore, D., Pershing, J., & Thompson, P. (2023). Return on Investment Study: 

Montana Conservation Corps. ICF.