AmeriCorps Volunteer Generation Fund 94.021

The Corporation for National and Community Service is funding volunteer engagement capacity-building grants under Assistance Listing 94.021 (AmeriCorps Volunteer Generation Fund), with the most recent award issued October 1, 2026. The program invests in volunteer management practices that strengthen nonprofit organizations and other entities' ability to recruit and retain volunteers to address critical community needs. Federal dollars obligated total $108.3 million across 159 recent grants, with recipients providing $91.4 million in non-federal match, indicating a program that requires or strongly encourages cost-share participation.

Award activity has accelerated recently: the portfolio shows 41 awards in 2023, 1 in 2022, 8 in 2021, and 13 in 2020, followed by 18 awards in 2026 through October. All grants in the portfolio are Project Grants. The Corporation for National and Community Service Office of Grants Management issued 111 of the 159 awards ($84.6 million federal), with the broader Corporation for National and Community Service awarding 48 grants ($23.6 million federal); the distinction likely reflects administrative segregation within the agency rather than distinct funding streams.

Recent awards fund concrete volunteer-centered interventions: recruiting and managing mentors for student academic support and learning-loss recovery, building nonprofit organizational capacity for volunteer management through training and technical assistance, deploying skill-based volunteers to support youth tutoring and mentorship, managing volunteers for food security and health initiatives, and supporting disaster response and recovery volunteering. Typical award magnitudes range from approximately $175,000 to $2.5 million in federal dollars, with three-year performance periods. Several recent awards show statutory match requirements of 20 to 50 percent. Representative recent grants include Project Grant 26VGCMI001 ($1 million with 50 percent match requirement), Project Grant 26VGBNJ001 ($1.04 million with 50 percent match), and Project Grant 26VGICA001 ($2.51 million awarded May 8, 2026).

The most recent open solicitation closed April 30, 2026 (FY 2026 VGF, AC-04-02-2026), indicating no current active opportunity. AmeriCorps publishes funding opportunities irregularly; prior solicitations in the portfolio appeared in 2023, 2022, and 2021. Applicant categories have historically included state governments, federally recognized tribal governments, city and county governments, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and other entity types.