2016 AmeriCorps State Formula Grant Request for Applications

Published: February 29, 2016

Grant Description

NOTE: If you participated in the earlier 2016 AmeriCorps competition, you are not eligible to apply for funding for the same program under this RFA. Please email funding@californiavolunteers.ca.gov if you have any questions about your eligibility.

CaliforniaVolunteers (CV) is seeking to fund new programs that engage individuals as AmeriCorps members to address unmet community needs through service and volunteer action.

Through the 2016 AmeriCorps State Formula Grant Request for Applications (RFA), CV will award AmeriCorps grants on a competitive basis to eligible organizations that engage members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions to strengthen communities. Grants will be awarded by mid-August in 2016 to support service activities during the 2016-17 program year. Successful applicants are expected to start member service activities by mid-October of 2016 and will have 12 months to support AmeriCorps members in completing a term of service.

Desired Priority Areas

CV is seeking to fund programs that can demonstrate community impact and address community problems through an evidence-based or evidence-informed approach and is particularly interested in reaching high-need communities that are currently not leveraging AmeriCorps resources. In addition, CV is interested in service models that address unmet needs for veterans and promote economic opportunities. In the 2016 AmeriCorps grant competition, CV will give priority consideration to programs that address the following:

• Unmet needs in the disaster services focus area, specifically activities relating to drought relief efforts such as:
  • Services to improve water efficiency
  • Services to mitigate drought-related economic hardships
  • Services to educate Californians on water conservation and the drought
• Unmet needs in the bottom five California neighborhood clusters with the lowest American Human Development Index for California:
  • Tulare County: Visalia, Tulare, and Porterville
  • Los Angeles County: Huntington Park, Florence-Graham and Walnut Park
  • Kern County: Bakersfield
  • Los Angeles County: Los Angeles City (Southeast/East Vermont)
  • Los Angeles County: South Central/Watts
• Unmet needs in counties that currently have no AmeriCorps state presence:
  • Lassen, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Plumas, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sutter, and Ventura
• Unmet needs for veterans, including wounded warriors and military families
• Unmet needs in the economic opportunity focus area

NOTE: Applications addressing other pressing community needs outside of the above priority areas are eligible for funding consideration.