Opportunity Information: Apply for CNCS 11 21 2014
Apply for CNCS 11 21 2014
- The Corporation for National and Community Service in the community development disaster prevention and relief education energy environment food and nutrition health housing natural resources other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Operation AmeriCorps" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 94.025 Operation AmeriCorps.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 21, 2014 and posted on Nov 21, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 14, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: City or township governments Independent school districts County governments Special district governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
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Opportunity Summary:
Operation AmeriCorps is a discretionary grant competition launched by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to help tribal and local governments tackle a high-priority community challenge using national service as the main driver of change. The defining feature of this initiative is that it lets applicants request multiple AmeriCorps resources in one coordinated application, specifically AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps NCCC. The intent is to combine these service streams in a single, integrated local strategy so a community can mobilize people power, build local capacity, and deliver direct service in a way that produces clear, measurable results.
The program is designed around the idea of a short, intense, community-wide push. Applicants are expected to identify one pressing local problem that AmeriCorps resources can address holistically within a relatively short timeframe, capped at two years. Projects can be brand new efforts or expansions of an existing approach that has already shown success locally. Either way, AmeriCorps must be the added ingredient that makes the difference, meaning the proposal should show how national service members and volunteers will accelerate progress beyond what the community could do through existing staff and systems alone, and how that acceleration leads to transformative outcomes at the local level.
Eligibility is limited to government entities and related public bodies. The competition is open exclusively to tribal and local governments, including counties, cities, towns, independent school districts, special district governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and state service commissions. This structure signals that CNCS intended Operation AmeriCorps to be driven by public-sector leadership, with local or tribal officials setting the agenda, convening partners, and aligning service resources to local priorities.
For FY2015, CNCS established two funding priorities, and applicants could choose which priority to apply under. Priority One is focused on post-secondary outcomes and is given higher preference for funding than Priority Two. Under Priority One, the applicant proposes a transformational project aimed at ensuring that every graduating high school senior in the community has a concrete career or educational opportunity upon graduation. The initiative expects communities to use AmeriCorps as a catalyst to engage schools, employers, nonprofits, families, and other stakeholders so that each senior participates in one of five pathways after graduation: further education, military service, national service (AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps), employment, or a paid internship, registered apprenticeship, or job training program. In practical terms, a Priority One proposal needs to describe the AmeriCorps-driven intervention that will move the community toward universal access to those outcomes and explain how success will be measured.
Priority Two is more flexible and allows localities to identify and design a transformational project around their most pressing challenge, as long as it fits within CNCS focus areas. Those six focus areas are disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and military families. CNCS provided illustrative examples such as ensuring every third grader reads on grade level, significantly increasing energy efficiency, or ending veterans homelessness. Under Priority Two, applicants carry more responsibility for defining the project model and the outcome measures, since the priority is intentionally broad to accommodate different community needs.
Operationally, Operation AmeriCorps is categorized as a grant under CFDA 94.025, with activities spanning several public-purpose areas such as community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, energy, environment, food and nutrition, health, housing, and natural resources. The opportunity includes a cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants should expect to contribute non-federal resources as part of the overall project budget and sustainability plan. The original posting date was November 21, 2014, with a closing date of January 14, 2015, and it was archived on February 13, 2015, indicating it was a time-limited competition for that fiscal year rather than an open-ended solicitation.
Overall, the grant is best understood as a locally led, outcomes-driven effort to assemble a tailored mix of AmeriCorps program types into one coherent initiative, aimed at producing noticeable community-level change on a tight timeline. The strongest applications would be those that pick a clear, high-impact goal, show how AmeriCorps members and volunteers will be deployed in complementary roles, define measurable outcomes, and demonstrate that the project can truly shift conditions in the community rather than merely adding incremental services.
Operation AmeriCorps (CNCS) Grant Opportunity FAQs
What is Operation AmeriCorps?
Operation AmeriCorps is a discretionary grant competition launched by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to help tribal and local governments tackle a high-priority community challenge using national service as the primary driver of change.
What makes Operation AmeriCorps different from typical AmeriCorps funding opportunities?
The defining feature is that applicants can request multiple AmeriCorps resources in one coordinated application. Specifically, the initiative allows an integrated approach that combines AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps NCCC into a single local strategy.
Which AmeriCorps programs can be included in one Operation AmeriCorps application?
Applicants may request a coordinated mix of (1) AmeriCorps State and National, (2) AmeriCorps VISTA, and (3) AmeriCorps NCCC as part of one integrated proposal.
What is the overall goal or intent of the program?
The intent is to combine multiple service streams into a coherent initiative that mobilizes people power, builds local capacity, and delivers direct service to produce clear, measurable results at the community level.
How long can an Operation AmeriCorps project last?
Projects are expected to be a short, intense community-wide push, with a timeframe capped at two years.
Do applicants need to focus on more than one problem?
No. Applicants are expected to identify one pressing local problem that AmeriCorps resources can address holistically within the project timeframe.
Can the project be a brand new effort, or does it need to build on something that already exists?
Either is allowed. Projects can be brand new efforts or expansions of an existing approach that has already shown success locally.
What does it mean that "AmeriCorps must be the added ingredient that makes the difference"?
The proposal should show how AmeriCorps members and volunteers will accelerate progress beyond what the community could achieve using existing staff and systems alone, and how that acceleration will lead to transformative local outcomes.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to government entities and related public bodies. The competition is open exclusively to tribal and local governments and certain public-sector entities.
Which types of governments and public bodies are specifically listed as eligible?
Eligible applicants include counties, cities, towns, independent school districts, special district governments, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and state service commissions.
Is the program designed to be led by the public sector?
Yes. The structure signals that CNCS intended Operation AmeriCorps to be driven by public-sector leadership, with local or tribal officials setting the agenda, convening partners, and aligning service resources to local priorities.
What funding priorities were established for FY2015?
For FY2015, CNCS established two funding priorities. Applicants could choose which priority to apply under: Priority One or Priority Two.
Which priority was given higher preference for funding?
Priority One was given higher preference for funding than Priority Two.
What is Priority One focused on?
Priority One focuses on post-secondary outcomes. It calls for a transformational project aimed at ensuring that every graduating high school senior in the community has a concrete career or educational opportunity upon graduation.
Under Priority One, what outcomes or pathways are communities expected to support for graduating seniors?
Priority One expects that each senior will participate in one of five pathways after graduation: further education, military service, national service (AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps), employment, or a paid internship, registered apprenticeship, or job training program.
What does a strong Priority One proposal need to describe?
A Priority One proposal needs to describe the AmeriCorps-driven intervention that will move the community toward universal access to those post-graduation outcomes and explain how success will be measured.
What is Priority Two focused on?
Priority Two is more flexible and allows localities to identify and design a transformational project around their most pressing challenge, as long as it fits within CNCS focus areas.
What are the CNCS focus areas that Priority Two projects must fit within?
The six focus areas are disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and military families.
Are there examples of the kinds of projects that could fit under Priority Two?
Yes. CNCS provided illustrative examples such as ensuring every third grader reads on grade level, significantly increasing energy efficiency, or ending veterans homelessness.
Under Priority Two, who defines the project model and the outcome measures?
Applicants carry more responsibility for defining both the project model and the outcome measures, because Priority Two is intentionally broad to accommodate different community needs.
What is the CFDA number associated with Operation AmeriCorps?
Operation AmeriCorps is categorized as a grant under CFDA 94.025.
What types of activity areas can this grant support?
Activities can span multiple public-purpose areas, including community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, energy, environment, food and nutrition, health, housing, and natural resources.
Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
Yes. The opportunity includes a cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants should expect to contribute non-federal resources as part of the overall project budget and sustainability plan.
What were the key dates for the FY2015 competition?
The original posting date was November 21, 2014. The closing date was January 14, 2015. The opportunity was archived on February 13, 2015.
Does the archived status mean this was a time-limited opportunity?
Yes. The archived status indicates it was a time-limited competition for that fiscal year rather than an open-ended solicitation.
What kinds of applications appear most competitive based on the description?
The strongest applications would be those that (1) pick a clear, high-impact goal, (2) show how AmeriCorps members and volunteers will be deployed in complementary roles across the requested program types, (3) define measurable outcomes, and (4) demonstrate the project can shift conditions in the community rather than simply adding incremental services.
What is the central implementation approach encouraged by Operation AmeriCorps?
The program emphasizes an integrated local strategy that combines people power (members and volunteers), capacity building, and direct service in coordinated roles, with a clear line of sight to measurable, community-level results within a tight timeline.
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