Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 AmeriCorps State and National Competitive Grants | AC 08 20 24

Opportunity Information: Apply for AC 08 20 24

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 AmeriCorps State and National Competitive Grants opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number AC 08 20 24) is a discretionary grant program run by AmeriCorps to support national service programs that improve lives, strengthen communities, and expand civic engagement through structured service and volunteering. The basic idea is that AmeriCorps funds eligible organizations to recruit, train, and manage AmeriCorps members who then deliver community-based services that address real local needs. These services are expected to be grounded in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions, meaning applicants should be able to show that their program model is supported by research, prior results, or a credible theory of change tied to measurable outcomes.

The grants focus on deploying AmeriCorps members into programs that tackle a wide range of community priorities. The listed activity areas include community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment and job training, environment, food and nutrition, health, housing, and other community needs. In practice, that means an applicant might propose members tutoring students, supporting workforce readiness efforts, expanding food access, assisting with disaster preparedness and recovery, advancing public health initiatives, helping families navigate housing support, or contributing to environmental conservation and resilience projects. The common thread is that members are not just volunteers filling gaps; they are organized into a service program designed to produce outcomes and strengthen local capacity.

AmeriCorps members are individuals who commit to a term of service with an AmeriCorps-funded program. During their service, members may receive a living allowance and other benefits depending on the program design and funding structure. After they successfully complete their service term, members earn the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, which can be used for qualified higher education expenses or applied toward eligible student loans. This benefit is a major incentive for recruiting participants and is central to AmeriCorps overall mission of combining community impact with pathways for personal and professional development.

Eligibility for this competitive grant opportunity is broad and includes many types of public, nonprofit, tribal, and educational entities. Eligible applicants include state governments; county and city or township governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); and other entities as permitted under the program. The opportunity also references State Service Commissions and/or states and U.S. territories, which is significant because AmeriCorps State and National programs are often coordinated through state-level commissions that oversee service portfolios and help administer competitive funding within their jurisdictions.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a grant funding instrument under the Community Development and related federal assistance categories, with CFDA (now commonly referenced as Assistance Listing) number 94.006. The opportunity is issued by AmeriCorps, and the original closing date listed is January 23, 2025. While the award ceiling and expected number of awards are not provided in the source details you shared, the structure is clearly intended to fund multiple programs that can demonstrate readiness to manage AmeriCorps members, deliver services effectively, and track performance in a way that aligns with AmeriCorps expectations for accountability and results.

Overall, this opportunity is designed for organizations that want to scale or strengthen structured service programs by embedding AmeriCorps members into community work that is organized, outcome-driven, and grounded in credible evidence. Successful applicants typically position their proposal around a clearly defined community problem, a service model that matches one or more of the eligible focus areas, a plan for member recruitment and support, and a practical approach to measuring results and continuously improving program performance.

• The AmeriCorps in the community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment, labor and training, environment, food and nutrition, health, housing, other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 AmeriCorps State and National Competitive Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 94.006.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-08-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-01-23. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for AC 08 20 24

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