WASHINGTON, D.C. — Acting quickly to implement legislation signed by President Bush last week, the Corporation for National and Community Service today announced AmeriCorps grants totaling $133 million to support approximately 20,000 new AmeriCorps members who will work with hundreds of local nonprofit organizations to tutor and mentor children, feed the homeless, care for seniors, respond to disasters, and mobilize volunteers to meet other vital community needs. Today’s grants are in four categories and will be followed by additional grants later this summer.

On July 3, President Bush signed the Strengthen AmeriCorps Program Act, which establishes clear accounting guidelines for the fund that supports the education awards AmeriCorps members earn when they complete their service. The law allows the Corporation to support approximately 30,000 new AmeriCorps positions this year in addition to the approximately 20,000 positions being filled in 2003 that were approved last year but delayed by an enrollment pause.

The grants announced today are the result of a competitive process that began last October when AmeriCorps issued its 2003 grant guidelines. That guidance, while maintaining AmeriCorps’ longstanding focus on high quality programs that meet local needs, put new emphasis in several areas including increasing volunteer mobilization, addressing community needs, building partnerships with community or faith-based organizations, and achieving sustainability. The grants announced today have undergone an extensive review process by outside experts and AmeriCorps staff. This year’s application volume was high in all categories; for example, there were twice as many applicants in the national direct pool as last year.

“We are working to maximize AmeriCorps enrollment this year and trying to help our grantees continue their work in America’s communities, while at the same time dedicating ourselves to strengthening the management of this vital program so it will offer support to communities across the country for years to come,” said Rosie Mauk, Director of AmeriCorps. “AmeriCorps does tremendous good in our country. There is a huge demand for AmeriCorps – from people who want to serve and communities and nonprofits that need the help AmeriCorps members offer.”
(Read Rosie Mauk's July 11, 2003 Statement)

The grants announced today are part of annual competitions for three-year grants for the following programs.

AmeriCorps State Competitive Awards

• 115 grants totaling $57,096,226 to support approximately 7,100 members (4,830 full-time equivalents, or FTEs). This represents the combined total of grants announced on June 16 and today.

• Grantees competing for these funds have been nominated by their governor-appointed state service commissions for consideration by a national panel of reviewers.

• Of the 115 grants announced today, 77 are to previous grantees who competed for new three-year grants; 19 are to organizations continuing their second or third year of grants; and 19 are to first-time applicants.

• read list of grants

AmeriCorps State Formula

• $57,273,210, which includes approximately $5 million in competitive funds for small states, to support approximately 6,566 members (4,467 FTE).

• State formula grants are allocated to governor-appointed state service commissions based on population. These commissions in turn provide subgrants to local nonprofit and community organizations in their states to enroll AmeriCorps members to meet needs in education, environment, public safety, homeland security, and other human services.

• On June 16, the Corporation announced an initial allocation of state formula dollars and corresponding number of positions for AmeriCorps. As a result of the Strengthen AmeriCorps Program Act, the Corporation today is increasing the number of AmeriCorps positions allotted to state commissions.

• read state-by-state allocations

AmeriCorps National Direct

• 16 grants totaling $17,798,061 in program funding to support approximately 2,074 AmeriCorps members (1,411 FTE).

• Grantees are large nonprofits operating in multiple states that use AmeriCorps members to support their local affiliates in meeting community needs.

• Grantees are responsible for programmatic and fiscal oversight of their awards in the many communities served by AmeriCorps members.

• There will be an additional round of grants announced later this month for organizations in the second or third year of their grants.

• read list of grants

Education Award Program

• 19 grants totaling $945,600 to support approximately 4,255 AmeriCorps members (2,364 FTE).

• The education award program supports partnerships with national, state and local nonprofit organizations. The organizations become part of the AmeriCorps network and receive minimal administrative support while their participants become AmeriCorps members and earn education awards through their service.

• There will be an additional round of Education Award Program grants later this summer.

• read list of grants

AmeriCorps members serve full- or part-time with more than 2,500 national and local organizations. Full-time members receive an education award of $4,725 to pay for college, graduate school, or to pay back student loans. Members who serve part-time receive a partial education award. In addition to the AmeriCorps State and National grant programs, AmeriCorps also includes AmeriCorps*NCCC, a 10-month, full-time residential program for men and women between the ages of 18 and 24 who carry out projects in public safety, public health, and disaster relief, and AmeriCorps*VISTA, whose members help bring individuals and communities out of poverty by serving full-time to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, increase housing opportunities, or bridge the digital divide.

AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, which also oversees Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America. Together, the programs of the Corporation engage more than two million Americans each year in meeting critical needs in education, the environment, public safety, homeland security, and other areas. The Corporation and its programs are part of USA Freedom Corps, a White House initiative to foster a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility, and help all Americans answer the President's Call to Service.

###