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Program Description

Breakthrough Central Texas is an affiliate of Breakthrough Collaborative, a 

national college preparation program for low-income middle school students 

who are soon-to-be first-generation college students. Breakthrough Central 

Texas’s Austin program (Breakthrough Austin) offers out-of-school learning 

opportunities, leadership experiences, and personalized advising. Those 

services help students overcome systemic, societal barriers to earning 

college degrees. AmeriCorps members serve as caseworkers in the program, 

providing academic support and guidance, monitoring students’ grades and 

holding students accountable for their academic performance, and providing 

students with resources they need to be successful. Breakthrough Austin

commits to working with each student for 12 years to successfully guide them 

and their families through the complex process of preparing for, enrolling in, 

and completing college. 

AmeriCorps, the federal agency 

for volunteerism and national 

service, 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 invests 

more than $800 million in grants 

for local nonprofit, community, 

tribal, and state organizations; 

places more than 250,000 

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

Breakthrough Central Texas’s Austin Program

AmeriCorps.gov 
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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 for per dollar invested.

The ROI analysis of total benefits per funder dollar estimated the Breakthrough Austin program’s ROI to be 

between $0.03 and $10.22, depending on how long AmeriCorps members experience increased earnings as 

a result of the program. Total benefits per federal dollar are higher, between $0.16 and $54.56. These results 

are driven by favorable employment and education outcomes for AmeriCorps members following their 

service, as well as by favorable employment and education outcomes for students served. 

Overview of Benefits and Costs

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

Benefits of Breakthrough Austin include: 

• Additional lifetime earnings resulting from improved education and employment outcomes.

Because of the program, participants will have support and services in the process of preparing for

and completing college, and as a result will have higher lifetime earnings.

• 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 a Segal AmeriCorps Education

Award after successful completion.

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

increased AmeriCorps member earnings post-service, and from program participants, once they

enter the workforce. State and local government realize 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 and

program participants, government spends less on these items.

Program costs for Breakthrough Austin programming totaled $810,388 and came from the following 

sources:

• Federal government (AmeriCorps)

• State and local government

• Private funders
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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 including contributions and non-federal grant, other 

contributions, and program fees). The ROIs 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).

ROI Calculation

ROI Scenario

Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term

Total Benefits per Federal Dollar $0.16 $29.89 $54.56

Total Benefits per Funder Dollar $0.03 $5.60 $10.22

Federal Government Benefits per Federal Dollar $0.06 $8.52 $15.24

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

AmeriCorps members, societal stakeholders, 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—where benefits for only one-year post-program are included—the ROI results 

indicate that there is a short-term loss to investing given the results of the total benefits per funder dollar and 

the federal government benefits per federal dollar ROI calculations. An ROI that is below $1 in the first year 

post-program is common in programs where there is an initial one-time investment made and benefits 

accrue in the following years. This is because it often requires several years of benefits to recoup the initial 

investment and generate positive returns. 

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

following factors:

• Income gains by program participants due to higher educational attainment. Breakthrough

participants enjoy increased earnings during their working years attributable to their increased

educational attainment.

• 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.

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

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

program participants, government spends less on these items. 

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

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

Contract # GS00Q14OADU209 and Order # 5332A20R0013. Information in the report is in the public domain. Please, direct 

communications related to the report to Lily Zandniapour at lzandniapour@cns.gov and Sarah Yue at syue@cns.gov. Cite the report as 

follows: Clark, D., Borgida, J., Kulka, L., Miller, B., Modicamore, D., Pershing, J., Thompson, P., Sarwana, M., & Voigt, G. (2022). Return on 

Investment Study: Breakthrough Austin. ICF.