AR AmeriCorps Concept Paper Funding Grant

The AR AmeriCorps Concept Paper Funding supports organizations in Arkansas to engage AmeriCorps members in impactful community service. Applicants must submit a readiness assessment and concept paper, which are reviewed on a rolling basis. Successful applicants will demonstrate a clear method for addressing community needs through effective AmeriCorps programs. Grants are available for operational and planning purposes to ensure the successful implementation of these initiatives.

NOTE:
Applicants must submit an organizational readiness assessment and concept paper to be eligible to apply for Engage Arkansas AmeriCorps annual funding. Concept papers are reviewed on a rolling basis as received. The Concept Paper phase of the application process is designed as a “qualifying” round. Applicants with a clear method of addressing a need and the potential to develop a strong AmeriCorps program will be formally invited to apply during the annual funding cycle.
AmeriCorps Funding
AmeriCorps (officially the Corporation for National and Community Service or CNCS) is an independent agency of the United States government that engages more than five million Americans in service through a variety of stipended volunteer work programs in many sectors.
Through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Volunteer Generation Fund, AmeriCorps has helped to engage millions of citizens in meeting community and national challenges through service and volunteer action. Several different types of AmeriCorps program funding are available from CNCS, but the requirements, processes, and allowable service activities are different for each program.
Engage Arkansas STATE AmeriCorps Funding
AmeriCorps State grants are available through Engage Arkansas to Arkansas nonprofits, higher education institutions, local and state governments, and tribal agencies proposing to engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions/practices to strengthen communities. An AmeriCorps member is an individual who engages in community service through an approved national service position. Members may receive a living allowance and other benefits while serving.
Upon successful completion of their service, members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award from the National Service Trust that members can use to pay for higher education expenses or apply to qualified student loans. Successful AmeriCorps State program applicants can engage at least 4 full-time or 8 half-time AmeriCorps members in an intervention, program, or service that meets critical community needs in the areas of education, disaster services, health, environmental stewardship, economic opportunity, and veterans and military families.
To maximize the impact of the investment in national service, Engage Arkansas is focused on funding programs that can demonstrate a sound plan to engage AmeriCorps members in meeting an unmet community need and the ability to design and implement effective systems to capture the outcomes of the AmeriCorps program and member’s service.
AmeriCorps operational grants are awarded to eligible organizations to recruit, train, and manage AmeriCorps members during a defined term of service. Planning grants are available to qualified organizations wishing to explore the feasibility of hosting an AmeriCorps program.