The Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) supports organizations to boost the impact of volunteers on critical community needs and rebuild the volunteer infrastructure after the covid pandemic.
Donor Name: AmeriCorps
State: All States
County: All Counties
Territory: American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/16/2023
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $1,000,000
Grant Duration: 3 years
Details:
AmeriCorps improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. AmeriCorps brings people together to tackle the some of the country’s most pressing challenges through national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities and those serving. AmeriCorps helps make service a cornerstone of their national culture.
Through AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps Seniors, and the Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF), AmeriCorps has helped to engage millions of citizens in meeting community and national challenges through service and volunteer action. This fund expands the role of AmeriCorps in strengthening the nation’s volunteer infrastructure. The Volunteer Generation Fund supports organizations to boost the impact of volunteers on critical community needs and rebuilding the volunteer infrastructure after the covid pandemic.
The Volunteer Generation Fund focuses on investments in volunteer management practices that strengthens nonprofit organizations and other entity’s ability to increase recruitment and retention of volunteers to meet critical community needs through service. AmeriCorps seeks to fund effective approaches that expand volunteering, strengthen the capacity of volunteer connector organizations to recruit and retain skill-based volunteers, and develop strategies to use volunteers effectively to solve community problems.
Applicants that receive funding under this Notice may directly carry out the activities supported under the award or may carry out the activities by making subgrants to community-based entities, supporting volunteer generation at these entities.
Subgrants to community-based entities must include one or more of the following:
- Recruit, manage, or support volunteers to a community-based entity such as a volunteer coordinating agency, a nonprofit resource center, school districts, a volunteer training clearinghouse, an institution of higher education, or a collaborative partnership of faith-based and community-based organization.
- Provide technical assistance and support to strengthen the capacity of local infrastructure organizations, address areas of national need, and expand the number of volunteers nationally.
Funding Priorities
AmeriCorps’ priorities for this funding opportunity are:
- Programs developing innovative approaches in removing barriers to engage volunteers from historically underrepresented areas including but not limited to the BIPOC, LGBTQI+, veteran and military family communities, as well as persons in rural areas and persons with disabilities.
- Programs that expand, launch, or improve high-impact tutoring, mentoring and other school-based or out of school time programs which will help students succeed academically and support their mental health and overall wellbeing, in line with the National Partnership for Student Success.
- Programs that actively engage volunteers in removing structural racial inequities, advancing racial equality, and increasing opportunity in order to achieve sustainable change in communities. VGF encourages grant applications to include work plans that advance justice and equality in areas such as education, rural communities, access to food and healthcare, workforce development, elder justice, and living independently.
- Projects engaging in activities to counter the corrosive effects of hate-fueled violence on their democracy and public safety.
To receive priority consideration, applicants must show that the priority area is a significant part of the program focus and intended outcomes and must include a high-quality program design. Proposing programs that receive priority consideration does not guarantee funding.
Funding Information
- AmeriCorps anticipates approximately $8,558,000 million for Volunteer Generation Fund Funding Opportunity FY 2023 awards.
- Award amounts will vary as determined by the scope of the projects. AmeriCorps will make awards in the range of $100,000 to $1,000,000.
- Period of Performance: AmeriCorps anticipates making three-year grant awards.
Eligible Applicants
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- County governments
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- City or township governments
- Independent school districts
- State governments
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
