WASHINGTON, USA – AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, launched today its 2022 Volunteer Generation Fund grant competition open to any local nonprofit, community, faith-based, tribal and state organizations and school districts. The Volunteer Generation Fund focuses on investments in volunteer management practices that increase both volunteer recruitment and retention. As part of AmeriCorps’ historic $1 billion American Rescue Plan investment, the 2022 grant competition will fund programs that address the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on students.
This announcement follows the launch of the National Partnerships for Student Success, a public-private partnership between the Biden-Harris administration, including the Department of Education and AmeriCorps, the Johns Hopkins Everyone Graduates Center and a diverse coalition of education and service organizations committed to providing the academic, mental health and other supports students need to succeed.
“AmeriCorps is invested in making the NPSS program a success for the mental, emotional and physical well-being of students across the nation,” said Michael D. Smith, AmeriCorps, Chief Executive Officer, (CEO). “For the first time ever, we’re inviting all organizations that recruit volunteers to become tutors, mentors, student success coaches or post-secondary transition coaches to apply. Together with heroic educators, families and caregivers, we must continue to address the longstanding inequities and opportunity gaps worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
At a time when Americans of all ages are looking for ways to give back, AmeriCorps will support organizations which utilize volunteerism. AmeriCorps priorities for this funding opportunity are programs that recruit volunteers to provide high-impact tutoring or mentoring for academic, mental, and overall student well-being; work plans that advance justice and equality in historically underserved communities; efforts to help local communities respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic; programs that increase volunteerism in youth, intergenerational or family volunteering; activities that specifically recruit skill-based volunteers particularly in education. In addition, AmeriCorps is looking to support nonprofit organizations as they continue to rebuild the volunteer infrastructure across the country necessary to support communities.
The application deadline is Tuesday, September 13 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. AmeriCorps expects to notify successful applicants in early 2023. Read more details about the grant criteria and technical assistance opportunities.