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AmeriCorps VISTA Program Grant

FY 2024 GRANT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

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

National and Community Service) Grant Program Specific Terms and Conditions 

and the 2024 AmeriCorps General Terms and Conditions, are binding on the 

recipient.

Table of Contents

I. CHANGES FROM THE FY 2023 AMERICORPS VISTA PROGRAM GRANT 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS ....................................................................................... 1

II. AWARD ACCEPTANCE .............................................................................................. 1

III. LIVING ALLOWANCE AND WITHHOLDINGS ......................................................... 2

IV. AWARD PERIOD AND INCREMENTAL FUNDING.................................................. 3

V. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................... 4

VI. RECOGNITION OF FEDERAL FUNDING ................................................................. 5

VII. EXTERNAL AND DATA COLLECTION ..................................................................... 5

VIII. SUBAWARDS PROHIBITED ....................................................................................... 5

IX. BUDGET AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES .......................................................... 5

X. LOBBY DISCLOSURE .................................................................................................. 6

XI. NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK TRAINING .............................. 7

XII. KEY CONCEPTS OF FINANCIAL GRANTS MANAGEMENT TRAINING............... 7

I. CHANGES FROM THE FY 2023 AMERICORPS VISTA PROGRAM GRANT 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• Section V – Removed the HHS/PMS reporting requirement

• Section VII - Added annual Key Concepts of Financial Grants Management 

eCourse 

II. AWARD ACCEPTANCE

The signature on the SF-424, including electronic signature via eauthentication on eGrants, constitutes a binding offer and constitutes 

agreement to the terms and conditions of award. AmeriCorps reserves the 

right to withdraw the award if activity does not begin upon award and/or as a 

remedy for non-compliance as described in 2 CFR 200.339-340. 
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III. LIVING ALLOWANCE AND WITHHOLDINGS

Living Allowance (also referred to as Subsistence Allowance). The biweekly 

payments made to AmeriCorps VISTA members and AmeriCorps VISTA 

summer associates to cover housing, food, and other personal expenses 

during their term of service. Living allowances are neither salary, nor wages for 

work. Living allowances do not correspond to services provided by VISTA 

members or VISTA summer associates and are not intended to serve as 

payment for services provided by VISTA members and VISTA summer 

associates.

AmeriCorps VISTA Program Grant sponsors must obtain a W-4 Form 

(Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate), or a W-4E Form (Exemption 

from Withholding) from each AmeriCorps VISTA member. By January 31 of the 

calendar year following the payments, the grant sponsor must provide each 

member with a W-2 Form (Wage and Tax Statement) that reports the 

AmeriCorps VISTA member’s total earnings, and federal taxes withheld, for the 

period during the prior calendar year in which the sponsor provided the 

member a living allowance. AmeriCorps will provide the members with a W-2 

Form for any allowance or stipend earnings made directly by AmeriCorps. 

The sponsor will disburse the AmeriCorps VISTA member living allowances in 

arrears, either biweekly in 26 payments if following the federal VISTA 

allowance schedule, or twice monthly if the sponsor’s organizational pay 

schedule is twice a month or 24 payments in a year. The living allowance 

amounts provided by the recipient to AmeriCorps VISTA members shall be set 

according to the current AmeriCorps VISTA rate based on the county in which 

the members serve. The sponsor shall modify allowances and end-of-service 

stipends disbursed to AmeriCorps VISTA members to reflect any changes to 

such allowances, as determined by AmeriCorps. 

AmeriCorps VISTA Program Grant sponsors shall make no deductions from 

member allowances for state taxes, workers compensation, health coverage, or 

other types of fringe benefits. With regard to health coverage, AmeriCorps 

VISTA members may be covered by either private insurance, Medicaid, 

Medicare, and/or the AmeriCorps VISTA Health Benefits Program. With regard 

to workers compensation, VISTA members are covered by the Federal 

Employees Compensation Act (FECA). 

Program Grant sponsors may not expend funds approved for payment of biweekly living allowances, or stipends, for any other purpose without the prior 

written approval of AmeriCorps's Portfolio Manager. 
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Federal Workers Compensation Coverage. AmeriCorps VISTA members are 

considered federal employees for purposes of the Federal Employees 

Compensation Act (FECA) and are covered by FECA; therefore, no additional 

payment for workers compensation shall be paid to the state.

Unemployment Benefits. AmeriCorps VISTA members are not considered 

employees of the sponsor or subrecipient organization for any purpose. 

AmeriCorps VISTA members are not eligible for unemployment benefits or 

insurance based on their AmeriCorps VISTA service or at the completion of 

service; therefore, no unemployment tax shall be paid to the state.

IRS Tax Status. AmeriCorps VISTA members are regarded as federal 

employees only for certain limited purposes under the Internal Revenue Code. 

Among the limited purposes are federal income tax withholding. They are not 

employees of the grant sponsor or subrecipient organization. The rules that 

apply to FICA withholding for employees of the sponsor or subrecipient 

organization do not apply to the AmeriCorps VISTA members. (FICA should 

not be withheld from any living allowances and is only withheld from the endof-service stipend at the time it is paid to the member. State taxes should not 

be withheld from any payments.)

The sponsor will withhold federal income taxes on all taxable member 

payments and withhold FICA (Social Security and Medicare) only from the endof-service stipend and submit the withholdings to the Internal Revenue Service 

at time of payment.

IV. AWARD PERIOD AND INCREMENTAL FUNDING 

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 one-year project period. In 

approving a multi-year project period, AmeriCorps generally makes an initial 

award for the first year of operation. Additional funding for subsequent budget 

periods 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. 

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 are 

noted on the award document.
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V. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The recipient is responsible for timely submission of periodic financial, 

progress, and member reports during the project period and a final financial 

report. 

Federal Financial Reports (AmeriCorps). The recipient shall complete and 

submit financial reports in eGrants (Financial Status Reports on menu tree) to 

report the status of all funds. The recipient must submit timely cumulative 

financial reports semi-annually, twice yearly in six-month increments from the 

budget period start date of the grant.

Final Federal Financial Report (AmeriCorps). 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. The final financial report is due no 

later than 120 days after the end of the project period. 

Progress Reports. The sponsor shall complete and submit Project Progress 

Reports via AmeriCorps’ eGrants system. The Project Progress Reports shall 

report on the progress toward achievement of project performance targets. 

Refer to the Project Progress Report instructions for current due dates. (Also, 

see the Memorandum of Agreement.) Sponsors will also complete a VISTA 

Progress Report Supplement (VPRS) annually in November.

Member Payments Report. The sponsor shall submit to the AmeriCorps 

Regional Office at least monthly, a report of AmeriCorps VISTA member 

payments disbursed, showing each member by name, and the amount of 

living allowances and deductions disbursed to AmeriCorps VISTA members as 

well as the source (AmeriCorps federal or non-federal). A photocopy of a 

computer printout or accounting ledger is acceptable proof of payments.

Requests for Extensions. Extensions of reporting deadlines will be granted 

only when 1) the report cannot be furnished in a timely manner for reasons, as 

determined by AmeriCorps, legitimately beyond the control of the grantee, 

and 2) AmeriCorps receives a written request explaining the need for an 

extension before the due date of the report.

Extensions of deadlines for financial and progress reports may only be granted 

by the AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager.

Other. The recipient shall meet, as AmeriCorps determines is necessary, with 

the AmeriCorps Regional Office or with other staff or consultants designated 

by the AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager to exchange views, ideas, and 
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information concerning the project. The recipient shall submit such special 

reports as requested by AmeriCorps.

VI. RECOGNITION OF FEDERAL FUNDING

When issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid 

solicitations, annual reports and other documents describing projects or 

programs funded in whole or in part with AmeriCorps money, the grantee 

receiving federal funds, including but not limited to state and local 

governments, shall clearly state (1) the percentage of the total cost of the 

program which will be financed with AmeriCorps money, and (2) the dollar 

amount of AmeriCorps funds for the project or program.

VII. EXTERNAL AND DATA COLLECTION

The recipient must cooperate with AmeriCorps and its evaluators in all 

monitoring and evaluation efforts. As part of this effort, the grantee must 

collect and submit certain project data, as defined in the AmeriCorps VISTA 

Progress Report Supplement, and must provide data as requested or needed 

to support external evaluations.

VIII. SUBAWARDS PROHIBITED

VISTA grant recipients may not make subawards of grant funds. Direct 

reimbursement to sites for travel and/or training expenses are not considered 

subawards.

IX. BUDGET AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES

Programmatic Changes. The recipient must first obtain the prior written 

approval of the AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager before making any of the 

following changes (1 and 2): 

1. Changes in the scope, objectives, or goals of the program, whether or not 

they involve budgetary changes;

2. Substantial changes in the level of member supervision;

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 recordkeeping, member activities, performance measure 

adjustments, and other AmeriCorps VISTA award requirements with the 

AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager. 
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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. 

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 Parts 200 and 2205. Certain cost items in 2 CFR 

Parts 200 and 2205 require approval of the awarding agency for the cost to 

be allowable such as pre- award costs. Please ensure you consult the 

regulations and/or your Portfolio Manager prior to incurring costs to ensure 

allowability.

2. 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.

Approvals 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 the AmeriCorps Office of Grant 

Administration (OGA) has been received and executed via signature. 

Programmatic changes also require final approval of OGA after written 

recommendation for approval is received from the Portfolio Manager. 

X. LOBBY DISCLOSURE

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

required to file a disclosure report, Standard Form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying 

Activities, at the end of any quarter, when the Grantee has paid or agreed to 

pay 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. The report must be submitted to the AmeriCorps 

Senior Portfolio Manager.
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XI. NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK TRAINING

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

AmeriCorps 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. 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 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 

should save certificates of completion from each year as grant records. 

XII. 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 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.