AmeriCorps State and National Grants FY 2020 | CNCS 09 12 19

Opportunity Information: Apply for CNCS 09 12 19

The AmeriCorps State and National Grants FY 2020 opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number CNCS 09 12 19) is a discretionary grant program run by the Corporation for National and Community Service (the federal agency that oversaw AmeriCorps at the time). The core purpose of the grant is to fund organizations that will place AmeriCorps members into structured national service positions where they deliver community-based services that measurably strengthen communities. In practical terms, applicants propose a program model, recruit and support members, and deploy them to carry out interventions that address local needs while producing outcomes that can be tracked and demonstrated.

A central requirement embedded in the program description is the emphasis on evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions. This means proposals are expected to go beyond general volunteerism and instead use approaches that are backed by research, prior evaluations, or credible performance data. The intent is to invest federal dollars in service strategies that are likely to work and that can show results through clear performance measures. Programs typically need to explain the community problem being addressed, how members will be used to deliver the intervention, what outputs and outcomes will be achieved, and how the program will evaluate or continuously improve its effectiveness.

AmeriCorps members, as defined in the opportunity, are individuals serving in approved national service positions under the funded program. While serving, members may receive a living allowance and other benefits depending on the program design and grant budget. A key feature of AmeriCorps service is the education benefit: members who successfully complete their service earn the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award through the National Service Trust. That award can be used to pay qualified higher education expenses or to repay eligible student loans, making the program attractive both as a service opportunity and as a pathway to education and workforce development.

The funding scope is broad and spans many common AmeriCorps focus areas. The listed activity categories include community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment and training, environment, food and nutrition, health, housing, and natural resources. This wide range signals that applicants can propose projects in multiple sectors as long as the member service activities are well-defined, tied to community needs, and supported by evidence-informed methods. The CFDA number associated with the opportunity is 94.006, which is commonly used for federal tracking and reporting of AmeriCorps-related assistance.

Eligibility is intentionally expansive to allow participation across government, education, tribal entities, and the nonprofit sector. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education). This eligibility list reflects AmeriCorps emphasis on cross-sector partnerships and its role as a national service platform that can be hosted by many types of community-serving organizations.

Administratively, the opportunity was created on September 12, 2019, with an original closing date of January 8, 2020. It is categorized as a grant funding instrument and a discretionary opportunity, meaning awards are made competitively based on how well proposals meet program priorities, demonstrate capacity, and align with the evidence and performance expectations described. The source data provided does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so applicants would typically look to the full notice or related guidance for details on funding ranges, match requirements, and other budget rules that often apply to AmeriCorps State and National competitions.

Overall, this grant opportunity funds organizations to build and operate AmeriCorps programs that deploy members in targeted service roles, use interventions grounded in evidence, and produce measurable community outcomes, while also providing members with living support during service and an education award upon successful completion.

• The Corporation for National and Community Service in the community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment, labor and training, environment, food and nutrition, health, housing, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "AmeriCorps State and National Grants FY 2020" 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 2019-09-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-01-08. (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, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, 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.

Apply for CNCS 09 12 19

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