AmeriCorps Grants

What do AmeriCorps programs do?

AmeriCorps Program (Operational) Grantees initiate, improve, or expand the ability of an organization and community to provide services to address local unmet environmental, educational, public safety (including disaster preparedness and response), or other human needs.

What do AmeriCorps members do?

AmeriCorps members serving in AmeriCorps State & National programs perform:

  • direct service activities that meet local needs or

  • capacity-building activities that improve the organizational and financial capability of nonprofit organizations and communities to meet local needs by achieving greater organizational efficiency and effectiveness, greater impact and quality of impact, stronger likelihood of successful replicability, or expanded scale.

What is AmeriCorps?

The mission of AmeriCorps is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering. AmeriCorps has helped to engage millions of citizens in meeting community and national challenges through service and volunteer action.

Which organizations can apply for an AmeriCorps grant at Serve Wisconsin?

AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations proposing to engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed programs to strengthen communities. Organizations that will have AmeriCorps members serving only at sites in Wisconsin will submit their application to Serve Wisconsin. More information about eligibility requirements are available in the Request for Proposals document for each of the types of grants below.

AmeriCorps Funding Types

Organizations applying for an AmeriCorps grant to serve only in Wisconsin submit their AmeriCorps grant application to Serve Wisconsin. Serve Wisconsin offers several types of funding for AmeriCorps programs.

AmeriCorps Formula Planning Grant

Serve Wisconsin is not currently accepting submissions to the AmeriCorps Formula Planning Grant Request for Proposals (RFP).

The AmeriCorps Planning Grant was created to reduce organizations' barriers to creating an AmeriCorps program. Grantee organizations receive direct technical assistance from Serve Wisconsin and up to 12 months of funding to plan an AmeriCorps program.

AmeriCorps Formula Program Grant

Serve Wisconsin is not currently accepting submissions to the AmeriCorps Formula Program Grant Request for Proposals (RFP).

Formula Program Grants are awarded to fund a portion of program costs and AmeriCorps members’ living allowance.  Serve Wisconsin determines which applications receive AmeriCorps State Formula Program Grants in the State of Wisconsin.

AmeriCorps Competitive Program Grant

Serve Wisconsin is not currently accepting submissions to the AmeriCorps State Competitive Program Grant Request for Proposals (RFP).

Competitive Program Grants are awarded to fund a portion of program costs and AmeriCorps members’ living allowance. Grant applications are submitted to Serve Wisconsin through an RFP process. Eligible applications are reviewed by Serve Wisconsin in early fall, then selected applications are sent to AmeriCorps (the federal agency) where they may be selected for funding or returned back to the state for further consideration under the formula grant process.

Public Health AmeriCorps Program Grant

Serve Wisconsin is no longer accepting submissions to the Public Health AmeriCorps State Program Grant Request for Proposals (RFP).

Only current Public Health AmeriCorps grantees, also known as PHA continuation applicants, were eligible to apply in response to the Request for Proposals for programs implementing in 2024-25. Serve Wisconsin approves applications for submission to AmeriCorps, who determines which applicants are awarded Public Health AmeriCorps Program Grants in Wisconsin.