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2022 Terms and Conditions for AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Demonstration Grant Program 

(SDP)

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 2021 SDP Program Terms and Conditions 1 

II. Award Period and Incremental Funding 1

III. Prohibition on Use of Funds 3

IV. Stipends 4

V. Failure to Maintain Volunteer Service Years 4

VI. External Evaluation and Data Collection 4

VII. Lobby Disclosure 4

VIII. Reporting Requirements 5

IX. Program Income 6

X. Budget and Programmatic Changes 7

XI. National Criminal History Checking Training 8

I. CHANGES FROM THE 2021 SDP PROGRAM TERMS AND CONDITIONS 

- Section III.H. Added Abortion Services or Referrals to Prohibited Activities. 

- Section VIII. A. Added a Progress Report Light. 

- Section VIII.C. Emphasized that grantees must submit a quarterly Federal Financial Report 

(FFR)/Federal Cash Transaction Report to the Dept. of Health and Human Services/Payment 

Management System (HHS/PMS) as part of the final financial reconciliation of the grant. 

- Section XI: Updated the links for the required National Service Criminal History Check Training.

- Section XI.A.: Added $0 grant exemption.

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. In approving a multi-year 

project period, AmeriCorps generally makes an initial award for the first year of operation. Additional 

funding is contingent upon satisfactory performance, a recipient’s demonstrated capacity to manage an 

award and comply with award requirements, and the availability of Congressional appropriations. 
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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), as well as in 45 CFR §§ 2551.121 and 2552.121, while charging 

time to a Senior Demonstration Grant program, accumulating service or training hours, or otherwise 

performing activities supported by the Senior Demonstration Grant Program or AmeriCorps, staff and 

volunteers may not engage in the following activities: 

A. Political activities. 

1. No part of any award shall 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 shall 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 

shall 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 §§ 2551.121(a)(3) and 

2552.121(a)(3), anti-lobbying language in AmeriCorps’s current appropriations 

legislation (like anti-lobbying language in AmeriCorps’s past appropriations 

legislation) prohibits recipients from using AmeriCorps funds to pay the salary or 

expenses of any grant or contract recipient, or agent acting for such 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 in the Senior Demonstration Grant Program shall not 

perform any service or duty or engage in any activity that would otherwise be performed by an 
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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. 

A Senior Demonstration Grant Program grantee agency or organization to which AmeriCorps 

Seniors volunteers are assigned, or which operates or supervises any SDP project or program, 

shall 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 grant or from entering into agreements with parties other than beneficiaries to 

support additional volunteers beyond those supported by the AmeriCorps grant; 

2. A volunteer station may contribute to the financial support of the SDP project or 

program. However, this support shall not be a required precondition for a potential 

station to obtain Senior Demonstration Grant Program services; 

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

volunteers, or pay for other volunteer support costs, the agreement shall be stated in a 

written Memorandum of Understanding. The sponsor shall 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 shall AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers receive fees for service 

from service recipients, their legal guardians, members of their family, or friends. 

D. Labor and anti-labor activity.

The sponsor shall not use grant funds directly or indirectly to finance labor or antilabor 

organizations or related activities. 

E. Fair labor standards.

A sponsor that employs laborers and mechanics for construction, alteration, or repair of 

facilities shall pay wages at prevailing rates as 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 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer, nor a member of the project staff funded by 

AmeriCorps, shall give religious instruction, conduct worship services or engage in any form 

of proselytization as part of his or her 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, 
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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 shall 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 community group established by the sponsor 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 service. 

IV. STIPENDS 

The recipient may not expend funds approved for payment of stipends for any other purpose 

without the prior written approval of AmeriCorps’ Portfolio Manager.

V. FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VOLUNTEER SERVICE YEARS

Failure of the Recipient to maintain Volunteer Service Year (VSY) program levels in accordance 

with the approved work plan and budget covered by the Notice of Grant Award may result in a 

reduction of funding for the succeeding year in accordance with AmeriCorps Seniors program

policies.

VI. 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. 

VII. 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 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 shall 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 
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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 VII.A. above.

C. For Senior Demonstration Program Grant awards that exceed $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 Portfolio Manager.

VIII. 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 shall complete and submit a full progress report at the end of 

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

than 30 days after the end of the budget period. The recipient shall also submit a Progress 

Report Lite six months after the start of the budget period through the appropriate electronic 

system.

B. Financial Reports. The recipient shall 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 grant over the performance period of the grant, in 

accordance with AmeriCorps guidelines. 

Recipients who receive funding from AmeriCorps with budget periods starting in April or 

October submit according to the following schedule:

Due Date Reporting Period Covered 

April 30 October 1 – March 31

October 30 April 1 – September 30

Recipients who receive funding from AmeriCorps with budget periods starting in January or 

July submit according to the following schedule:

Due Date Reporting Period Covered 

July 30 January 1 – June 30

January 30 July 1 – December 31

C. 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. 

Additionally, grantees must submit a quarterly FFR/Federal Cash Transaction Report to 

PMS no later than 120 days after the end of the project period.
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D. $0 SDP Grantees. Any SDP that receives a $0 award is exempt from the semi-annual and 

final financial reporting requirements. All $0 SDP grantee should follow the progress 

reporting requirement noted in VIII.A. above. 

E. Reporting at the Dept. of Health and Human Services/Payment Management System 

(HHS/PMS). All recipients must submit the Federal Financial Report (FFR) Cash 

Transactions Report on a quarterly basis to the HHS/PMS per the Electronic Funds Transfer 

Agreement.

F. 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. 

IX. PROGRAM INCOME 

A. General. Income, including fees for service earned as a direct result of the grant-funded 

program activities during the grant period, must be retained by the recipient and used to finance 

the grant’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 § 200.307(e)(1) and be 

deducted from total claimed costs, or with prior written approval from AmeriCorps, the 

requirements of 2 CFR § 200.307(e)(2) through a budget amendment used to enhance the 

program (additive process). Recipients that have unexpended program income must report it 

online “o” of the Federal Financial Report (FFR). 

C. Fees for service. When using assistance under this grant, 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 grant terms and conditions.

X. 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. Substantial changes in key personnel specified in the application.
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3. The disengagement from the project for more than three months, or at least 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 grant 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 

grants 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 preaward costs. Please ensure you consult the regulations prior to incurring costs to 

ensure allowability. 

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

approved application and budget. 

3. Unless the AmeriCorps share of the grant 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 grant. 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.

XI. 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) e-course training every year to ensure that recipients 

conducting criminal history background checks comply with all NSCHC requirements. The 
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AmeriCorps designated e-course provides a thorough overview of the requirements and can be 

found at: https://americorpsonlinecourses.litmos.com. 

A. 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.

B. $0 SDP Grantees. Any SDP that receives a $0 award is exempt from the NSCHC training 

requirements.