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The Foster Grandparents (FGP) and Senior Companions (SCP) programs are 

AmeriCorps Seniors programs that operate in communities throughout the 

U.S. FGP engages volunteers age 55 and over to serve as role models, 

mentors, and friends to children. FGP volunteers help children learn to read 

and provide one-on-one tutoring, mentor troubled teenagers and young 

mothers care for premature infants or children with disabilities, and help 

children who have been abused or neglected.

1 SCP engages volunteers to 

provide assistance and companionship primarily to elderly individuals—and 

also to people with disabilities—who have difficulty with daily living tasks. SCP 

volunteers serve 15 to 40 hours per week helping an average of two to four

adults live independently in their own homes. 

 

1 AmeriCorps (formerly Corporation for National and Community Service). (2017). 

Foster Grandparents. Retrieved from 

https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/senior-corps/senior-corpsprograms/fostergrandparents. 

AmeriCorps, a federal agency, 

brings people together to 

tackle the country’s most 

pressing challenges, through 

national service and 

volunteering. AmeriCorps 

members and AmeriCorps 

Seniors volunteers serve with 

organizations dedicated to the 

improvement of communities. 

AmeriCorps helps make 

service to others a cornerstone 

of our national culture. Learn 

more at AmeriCorps.gov.

RESEARCH BRIEF − RETURN ON INVESTMENT STUDIES

AmeriCorps Seniors

Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions

Americorps.gov
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Return on Investment Analysis

To better understand the impact of FGP and SCP in relation to the program’s 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 

nvested. The ROI analysis estimated that FPG and SCP generate an ROI of $3.50 per funder dollar. FPG alone 

had an ROI of $2.75 per funder dollar, while SCP had an ROI of $5.08 per funder dollar. The magnitude of 

the results is driven by savings on health care, savings on assisted living costs, and the value of in-kind 

services. 

Overview of Benefits and Costs

To calculate the ROI for FGP and SCP, the program benefits were identified, quantified, and compared to the 

program’s costs. It is important to note that the benefits to the children and youth that receive services from 

FGP volunteers are not included in the ROI analysis, due to a lack of evaluations that measure those longterm outcomes. The benefits to children and youth from FGP are likely substantial. Benefits of the FGP and 

SCP program that are included in the ROI analysis include: 

• Valuable services provided in-kind. FGP & SCP program participants receive services that are 

provided in-kind by volunteers at no cost to themselves or their families.

• Improvement in health outcomes. FGP and SCP volunteers and SCP participants and caregivers 

experience improved health outcomes because of volunteering and the services provided by these 

programs.2,3 

• Participants can remain in their homes longer. Many of the individuals that receive services from 

SCP volunteers report that they can stay in their homes while receiving the services rather than having 

to move into an assisted living facility.4 

Funding for FGP and SCP for the program year studied totaled $199,685,702, consisting of $135,379,628 

and $64,306,074, respectively. The sources of funding included the following: 

• Federal Government (AmeriCorps) — $152,875,570 or 77% (FGP: $108,043,041 and SCP: 

$44,832,529) 

• Other Non-government Sources — $46,810,132 or 23% (FGP: $27,336,587 and SCP: 19,473,545)

 

2 Georges, A., Fung, W., Liang, J., Smith, J., Pratt, D., Sum, C., Birmingham, C, & Gabbard, S. (2017). Does the Senior 

Companion Respite Service Matter for the Health and Well-being of Caregivers? Retrieved from 

https://www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/evidenceexchange/CaregiverStudy_FollowUp_Report_2017_09_22_C

NCS_508.pdf

3 Georges, A., Fung, W., Smith, J., Liang, J., Sum, C., & Gabbard, S. (2018). Longitudinal Study of Foster Grandparent and 

Senior Companion Programs: Service Delivery Implications and Health Benefits to the Volunteers. Retrieved from 

https://nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/evidenceexchange/Longitudinal_Study_of_Foster_Grandparent_and_Senio

r_Companion_Programs_FINAL_508.pdf. 

4 Georges, A., Gabbard, S., Sum, C., Lovegrove, P., & Macdonald, S. (2014). Descriptive Report for the Senior Companion 

Program Independent Living Pilot/Feasibility Survey. Retrieved from 

https://www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/evidenceexchange/FR_2014_SCP_DescrpRptSCPIndPilotFeasibilitySu

rvey_0.pdf. 
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ROI Results

The table below shows the full set of ROI results for FGP and SCP. 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 federal and nongovernment). The ROIs are presented as dollars returned for every $1.00 of investment. 

ROI Calculation

AmeriCorps Seniors Program

FGP & SCP 

Combined FGP SCP

Total Benefits per Federal Dollar $4.57 $3.45 $7.29

Total Benefits per Funder Dollar $3.50 $2.75 $5.08

Federal Government Benefits per Federal Dollar $0.69 $0.16 $1.97

The magnitude of the positive ROI results is driven by:

• Health care expenditure savings. Volunteers, caregivers, program participants, private insurance, 

other healthcare payers, and the federal government realize significant savings in health care 

expenditures from the improvement in health outcomes of participants, volunteers, and caregivers 

because of FGP & SCP. Health care savings stem from reduced emergency department visits, reduced 

in-patient hospital stays, and overall improved health and wellness. 

• Assisted living expenditure savings. Individuals that receive services from SCP volunteers report 

that they can stay in their homes while receiving the services rather than having to move into an 

assisted living facility. This generates significant cost savings for these program participants. 

• Value of in-kind services. FGP & SCP program participants (and their households) that receive inkind services of considerable value. These services have monetary value and do not displace labor, 

but instead add the capacity needed to address unmet needs in communities nationwide.

The content of this reearch brief was drawn from the full AmeriCorps ROI study: Modicamore, D., Naugler, 

A., Casey, B., Miller, B., Munaretto, C., & Pershing, J. (2020). Return on Investment Study: AmeriCorps 

Seniors Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program. ICF. Visit 

nationalservice.gov/research.