AmeriCorps State and National Competitive Grants
AmeriCorps State and National funds organizations to recruit and manage members who deliver direct service in areas such as education, public safety, disaster response, health and economic opportunity. Applications are scored on program design, organizational capability, and cost effectiveness and budget adequacy, with evidence of effectiveness weighted within program design. The FY2027 priorities include rural and Tribal communities, youth mental health and recovery, veterans and military families, public safety, public lands and wildfire mitigation, and workforce pathways for members.
Program facts
- Agency
- AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps (Corporation for National and Community Service)
- Assistance Listing
- 94.006
- Statutory authority
- National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq.); regulations at 45 CFR Parts 2520-2522
- Award ceiling
- Up to $26,800 per Member Service Year (MSY) in the FY2027 competition; total depends on MSYs requested
- Awards
- The FY2026 round awarded more than $387 million to about 260 organizations and state service commissions
- Period of performance
- Generally a 3-year project period with annual continuation funding
- Cost share
- Cost-reimbursement grants: 24% grantee share in years 1 to 3, rising to 50% by year 10 (alternative schedule for rural and severely economically distressed communities); fixed-amount grants have no set match but must cover remaining costs
- Cycle
- The national NOFO typically posts in late summer; the FY2027 NOFO posted September 1, 2026 with a deadline of January 13, 2027, and state commissions set earlier subgrant deadlines in October through December. After the April 2025 grant terminations, a June 2025 court injunction restored programs in plaintiff states and the FY2026 cycle was completed
Program goals
- Address community problems through intensive, member-delivered service
- Build evidence that interventions produce measurable outcomes
- Strengthen communities and expand civic engagement
- Prepare members for education and career pathways after service
Scoring rubric
Program design50
A theory of change and logic model with a clear problem, intervention and outcomes; evidence tier and quality; member training and supervision; member experience; and alignment with NOFO priorities.
Organizational capability25
Organizational background and staffing, compliance and accountability systems, and capacity to manage federal funds and member files.
Cost effectiveness and budget adequacy25
Cost per MSY at or below the cap, a budget aligned with the design, and diversified non-CNCS match.
Top-level weights follow the recent AmeriCorps State and National competitive NOFO structure (50, 25, 25). Sub-criteria points within program design change by year; confirm in the FY2027 NOFO and your state commission's subgrant guidance.
Eligibility
- Nonprofits, states, local governments, Tribes and institutions of higher education
- Single-state applicants apply through their state service commission; multistate programs and Tribes may apply directly to AmeriCorps
- Most applicants must propose at least 20 members
- Organizations that engaged in lobbying under section 501(c)(4) are not eligible
Required attachments
- SF-424 and application in eGrants (Grants.gov for some applicants)
- Application narrative addressing each selection criterion
- Logic model
- Performance measures with targets
- Budget and budget narrative
- Evaluation plan (recompeting) or evaluation report, and evidence documents
- Labor union concurrence where applicable and Federally negotiated indirect cost rate, if used
Formatting rules
- Narrative fields have character or page limits set in the NOFO; check the current year's application instructions
- Evidence documents must be submitted as specified, and only the allowed number of studies is reviewed
- State commission subgrant applications often use their own templates and earlier deadlines
Why applications lose points
- Logic model outcomes that do not match performance measures
- Weak or mismatched evidence for the evidence tier claimed
- Cost per MSY above the cap or match that does not meet the required share
- Missing state commission deadlines for single-state applications
- Thin description of member supervision and prohibited activities controls
How ELIXIR CONSUMERS helps with AmeriCorps ASN
- 1.Drafts the program design narrative and logic model from your prior performance measure data in the vault
- 2.Checks cost per MSY and match percentage against the current NOFO limits
- 3.Assembles evidence documents and maps each claim to the study it comes from
- 4.Tracks the national and state commission deadlines in one calendar
Questions, answered
Do we apply to AmeriCorps or our state commission?
Single-state programs apply through their state service commission. Multistate programs and Tribes can apply directly to AmeriCorps.
What is an MSY?
A Member Service Year equals one full-time member serving at least 1,700 hours. Part-time slots count as fractions of an MSY.
Is AmeriCorps still funding new programs after 2025?
Yes. The FY2026 round made awards and the FY2027 competition is open, though continuation years depend on appropriations.
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