FY 2023 AmeriCorps State and National American Rescue Plan (ARP) Planning Grants | AC 08 21 22

Opportunity Information: Apply for AC 08 21 22

The FY 2023 AmeriCorps State and National American Rescue Plan (ARP) Planning Grants opportunity is a discretionary grant program run by AmeriCorps to help organizations build and design new AmeriCorps service programs before they launch. The basic idea is to fund the upfront planning work required to create a strong, community-focused AmeriCorps program that can later host AmeriCorps members to carry out evidence-based interventions. AmeriCorps frames this opportunity within its broader mission of improving lives, strengthening communities, and expanding civic engagement by bringing people together through national service and volunteering to address major local and national challenges.

These are planning grants, not operating grants for placing AmeriCorps members. That distinction matters because the funds are meant to support development activities (like program design, partnerships, systems, and readiness), and the solicitation explicitly states that a planning grant may not be used to support AmeriCorps members. Instead, recipients use the planning year to develop a program model that will be competitive and feasible for an AmeriCorps program grant in the next cycle, if they decide AmeriCorps is a good fit for their community needs. In other words, the grant is intended to help applicants move from a program concept to a fully planned, evidence-informed service program that is ready for implementation funding.

The award ceiling for a single planning grant is up to $240,000 for a 12-month planning period. The project period is limited to no more than one year, and the applicant proposes a start date; however, the start date cannot be earlier than the date AmeriCorps actually awards the grant. The funding instrument type is a grant, and applicants must apply under a cost reimbursement format, meaning the recipient generally incurs allowable costs and then seeks reimbursement according to the approved budget and grant rules rather than receiving an upfront lump sum.

A wide range of entities are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, and special district governments, as well as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. Tribal eligibility is broad as well, covering federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other tribal organizations. Nonprofits are also eligible, including both 501(c)(3) organizations and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education). This broad eligibility reflects the reality that AmeriCorps programs can be housed in many different kinds of community-based and public-serving organizations.

The funding activity categories listed for this opportunity span multiple community priorities, including community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment/labor/training, environment, food and nutrition, health, housing, and other related areas. That range signals that AmeriCorps is not limiting planning grants to a single issue area; instead, applicants can propose planning work tied to the local problem they intend to address through service, as long as the resulting program design will be structured around evidence-based interventions and aligns with AmeriCorps expectations for national service programming.

Key administrative details from the source include the funding opportunity title and number (FY 2023 AmeriCorps State and National American Rescue Plan (ARP) Planning Grants; AC 08 21 22), the CFDA/Assistance Listing number (94.006), and the agency (AmeriCorps). The opportunity was created on 2022-08-18, and the original closing date listed is 2022-11-14. The description also notes that recipients are encouraged to compete for an AmeriCorps program grant in the following grant cycle if, after the planning period, they believe an AmeriCorps member-based program would be useful and appropriate for their community.

• The AmeriCorps in the community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment, labor and training, environment, food and nutrition, health, housing, other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2023 AmeriCorps State and National American Rescue Plan (ARP) Planning Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 94.006.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2022-08-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-11-14. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $240,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for AC 08 21 22

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