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AmeriCorps is different from the traditional volunteer program.
AmeriCorps is about:

• Getting Things Done, though it only a part of the overall program design - an AmeriCorps program should include plans to address both community strengthening and member development.
• Getting Things Done in the community while also offering a great participant experience.
• Carefully planned, well managed projects that engage participants in important tasks and teach them valuable skills, and form a solid foundation from which participants can effectively contribute to their communities.

AmeriCorps is not about:

• Just keeping participants busy, offering temporary solutions, or providing free labor to organizations.
  

AmeriCorps programs must have:

1. Successful recruitment and placement strategies.
2. A clear structure for member in which to serve.
3. Integration of service learning principles.
4. Sufficient training and learning of staff and members.
5. Good support/supervision - both individual and group.
6. Leadership, teamwork, and diversity opportunities.

Additional Overview Resources
History of Service and Volunteerism
National Service Organizational Chart

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Fiscal and Legal Information Budget Changes

If a program needs to move funds from one line-item to another, the program will need to complete a Budget Line Adjustment Request (BLAR) and return it to your program officer at the OFBCI. The OFBCI will review the request and notify grantees of the status. If approved, the OFBCI will make the appropriate changes to the grantee budget in WBRS. In some cases, budget changes may also require Corporation approval. If necessary, the OFBCI will request approval from the CNCS and notify the grantee of the status.

Grantees must obtain the prior written approval of the Program Officer before making the following changes in the approved Program design and/or budget:

• Slot Conversions/Corrections;
• Changes in the scope, objectives or goals of the Program, whether or not they involve budgetary changes;
• Substantial changes in the level of participant supervision;
• Any changes in the budget line items for grantee match and CNCS funds.
• Specific costs requiring prior approval before incurrence under OMB Circulars A-21, A-87 or A-122. For certain cost items the cost circulars require approval of the awarding agency for the cost to be allowable. Examples of these costs are overtime pay, rearrangement and alteration costs, and pre-award costs; and purchases of equipment over $5,000 using grant funds, unless specified in the approved application and budget.

Budget Line Adjustment (BLAR) Procedure

1. Program submits an original of the BLAR form to the Program Officer.
2. Program Officer date stamps and logs in the BLAR form in the Program Tracking Database.
3. The Program Officer reviews BLAR. If approved, the Program Officer forwards BLAR to the Deputy Director. If not approved, Program Officer will follow up with Program.
4. The Deputy Director reviews the BLAR to ensure the following is correct:
   1. BLAR is in accordance with federal guidelines
   2. date
   3. vendor ID # or federal ID# (not grant #)
   4. the correct program year is checked
   5. calculations are correct
   6. column 1 (D) and 4 (J) reflects the original budgets
   7. column 2 (F) and 5 (L) reflects the changes requested
   8. column 3 (H) and 6 (N) reflects the new budget amounts
   9. an original signed in black ink
   10. signed signature and date does not contain correction fluid
5. The Deputy Director approves the BLAR and if necessary obtains approval from CNCS.
6. If approved, the Program Officer enters the change into the WBRS system. If not approved, the Program Officer notifies the program and outlines the reasons as to why the request was rejected.
7. The Program Officer notifies the program of approval and CNCS of changes made in WBRS.

Grantee Match Overview

The following are guidelines related to grantee match and are meant as a tool to assist programs in developing and tracking match. For a complete list of grantee match requirements, please refer to the Federal Provisions and the Indiana AmeriCorps*State Policies and Procedures.

• Match for Section II - Member Costs (except for any match that is either for Health Care or exceeds the 15% minimum) must be in non-federal monies
• Match for Section II - Member Costs must be in cash
• Federal Work Study - a grantee is not required to report such wages on the AmeriCorps grant. 15% of living allowance paid to members for any service beyond the hours worked under the Federal Work Study program must be provided from non-federal sources
• Match must not be included as contributions for any other federally-assisted program
• Match must be necessary and reasonable for the proper and efficient accomplishment of Program objectives
• Match must be allowable under applicable OMB Cost Principles (A-21, A-87, A-122) and OMB Uniform Administrative Requirements (A-102 and A-110)
• Grantee match for administrative costs may not exceed 10% of all direct cost expenditures (Corporation and Grantee Share). If a grantee wants to claim more than 10% match in Administrative costs, it must have or obtain a federally approved indirect cost rate
• Grantee must provide and account for the matching funds as agreed upon in the approved application and budget
• Year to date actuals for Section II (Member Costs) on each FSR due to the OFBCI must be in accordance with the percentages on the approved budget
• All match must be verifiable from Grantee records

Grantee Match and Requests for Reimbursement

According to the AmeriCorps Provisions, AmeriCorps programs are required to meet their budgeted match. The OFBCI will not process the requests for reimbursement if the appropriate match is not being met. If a grantee is not meeting match, the OFBCI will notify the grantee in writing and require a resubmission of the Request for Reimbursement which reflects an appropriate match percentage.

Remember; the match percentage required is that in your approved budget, not the minimum Corporation-defined percentages, if different.

Programs that are significantly behind on match percentages will be asked to submit a memo detailing how the program intends to meet the match requirement by the end of the next period and justify any changes that can account for the difference in match percentages.

If the program continues to not meet its match, Requests for Reimbursement will not be processed and your case will be reviewed by the OFBCI staff. Possible Consequences include, but are not limited to:

Non-payment of Request for Reimbursement
Non-renewal of grant award for the next program year
Request for payment from the program for over reimbursement, if applicable

If a grantee is unable to meet it's budgeted match percentages, it may send a written request that the required percentages be lowered. The request should be submitted to the program's Program Officer via the BLAR form.

Grant Payment Requirements

Grantees must request reimbursement for actual expenditures; therefore, only costs already incurred and posted to the grantee's ledger will be reimbursed.

This is done by creating a Periodic Expense Report (PER) in WBRS and submitting the PER to the OFBCI for review. Grantees may request reimbursement as often as once a month, but no less frequently than every quarter.

To request reimbursement, complete a PER in WBRS. WBRS will automatically calculate budget balances; it is up to you to ensure that budget line items are not overexpended. PERs will not be processed if requests exceed budgeted amounts.

NOTE:

• PERs must be prepared on an accrual basis, once a month.

• Cash expenditures reported to Corporation and Grantee Share must be based on actual costs as opposed to budgeted rates.

• All funds spent must be allowable and correspond with program progress.

• Amounts reported to Grantee Share for in-kind match should be determined in accordance with applicable OMB Cost Principles (A-21, A-87, A-122) and OMB Uniform Administrative Requirements (A-102 and A-110).

• Request must not exceed budgeted amount in each line item without a Budget Change Request Form being submitted.

• Match for the current period (both cash and in-kind) should be reported in the Current Expenditures Grantee Share column of the PER.

• Section II-Member costs must be commensurate with enrollment status in WBRS.

Request for Funds Instructions
Request for Funds Example Form
Request for Funds Form 

Additional Fiscal and Legal Resources:
Budget Line Request Form

Checklist for Reviewing Periodic Expense Reports
Match Certification Form

Grant Closeout Package
Grant Closeout Package Instructions
Grant Closeout Package Example

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Program Management

WBRS Access Form
Complete this form to gain access to the web-based reporting system (WBRS). Updated 08/2007

Slot Conversion Request Form 
Complete this form to convert vacant member slots to other kinds of member slots

Indiana AmeriCorps New Program Start-Up Guide
This is a supplemental guide to use as you develop your Indiana AmeriCorps program. Updated 08/2007

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1. Join AmeriCorps
2. Get an AmeriCorps member for my program
3. Find a volunteer opportunity in my area
4. Sign up to receive e-Newsletters from OFBCI
5. Find out more about other national service programs in my area (Senior Corps, AmeriCorps*VISTA, and Learn and Serve America).
6. Connect with other AmeriCorps alumni
7. Learn more about Body & Soul
8. Become a SHARE Network Indiana member