AmeriCorps, the national service program that annually matches volunteers with community needs across the country, will award grants totaling more than $370 million to nonprofit and faith-based organizations spanning the public and private sectors for the upcoming fiscal year.

Nearly half ($177.4 million) of this amount is being given to governor-appointed state service commissions that partner with AmeriCorps to address priority needs in those states. The balance ($192.6 million) will support approximately 35,000 AmeriCorps members working on more than 300 projects focused on education, the environment, job training, addiction treatment, services for veterans, disaster preparedness and recovery, and more.

“This year’s AmeriCorps state and national grants demonstrate our steadfast commitment to helping communities tackle the most urgent challenges head-on,” said AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith via a statement. “By investing significant resources into a diverse ecosystem of results-driven nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations, we’re reinforcing our decades-long focus on grassroots solutions and also amplifying how national service is creating local impact.”

AmeriCorps’s 2025 budget will support a minimum living allowance of $13 per hour for all corps members, representing an increase of approximately $2 per hour over the 2024 amount. Members who complete their year of service will also be eligible to earn education awards totaling more than $157.7 million to help pay for college or to pay back student loans. Qualifying recipients will receive an amount equal to the Pell Grant award for which they would qualify based on financial need.

“While there is a rich diversity of program focus and locations served, what all of these grantees have in common is their relentless focus on evidence-based approaches, creating pathways from service to career and prioritizing member development and safety nets, such as higher living allowances and wraparound supports,” said Smith.

AmeriCorps annually grants federal funding to local communities and organizations across the country. Additional funds beyond these typically are awarded throughout the year including funds for federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes or tribal organizations. Awards are given on a fiscal year calendar running from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, said AmeriCorps spokesperson Lucero Gamez.

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Source From Non Profit Times