This funding record is inactive. Please see the program website or contact the program sponsor to determine if this program is currently accepting applications or will open again in the future.

AmeriCorps Senior Corps Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Program

Link

https://americorps.gov/funding-opportunity/fy-2021-rsvp-competition

Additional Links

Notice of Funding Opportunity (Grants.gov)

Deadline

Application Deadline: Sep 3, 2020

Sponsor

AmeriCorps

Purpose

Engages people age 55 and older in a diverse range of volunteer activities. Allows AmeriCorps Seniors Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) volunteers to choose how, where, and how often they want to serve, with commitments ranging from a few hours to a maximum of 40 hours per week. RSVP volunteers engage directly in community service activities related to AmeriCorps' key goal of capacity building, and 6 related areas of focus:

  • Disaster services
  • Economic opportunity
  • Education
  • Environmental stewardship
  • Healthy Futures
  • Veterans and military families

Applicants are required to address 1 or more of the focus areas above. In addition to the focus areas, AmeriCorps is particularly interested in supporting applications that propose to include 1 or more specific funding priorities:

  • Disaster Services: Focuses on helping communities recover from COVID-19 and enhancing community resiliency through disaster preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation.
  • Evidence-Based Program Implementation: Utilizes models employing activities and practices supported by a theory of change and tested by a rigorous program evaluation.
  • Access to Care for Opioid Abuse: Focuses on assignments to increase healthcare access and participation in health education activities designed to prevent or decrease prescription drug and opioid abuse.
  • Addressing Food Insecurity: Focuses on efforts to increase access to free healthy foods for community members
  • Aging in Place for Elder Justice: Focuses on activities that decrease the chance of clients and caregivers becoming victims of financial fraud, abuse, and/or neglect. Funds can also be used to provide assistance and support services to victims of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
  • Aging in Place for Independent Living: Addresses independent living for older adults and individuals with disabilities. Includes activities to reduce loneliness and social isolation and eases the burden on informal caregivers.
  • Economic Opportunity for Workforce Development: Focuses on assignments that support programs designed to increase the number of economically disadvantaged individuals receiving job training and other services to develop life skills.
  • Education for Intergenerational Programming: Focuses on assignments to address and increase older adult engagement with youth related to school readiness and success in school.
  • Veterans and Military Families: Focuses on positively impacting the quality of life for veterans and improving the strength of military families.

Applications are encouraged that actively engage in removing structural racial inequities and advance justice and equality in RSVP funding priority areas.

Examples of substance use prevention and recovery projects include:

  • Providing drug abuse prevention and education
  • Building the capacity of drug treatment and recovery organizations
  • Supporting safe disposal of prescription drugs

Amount of Funding

Award ceiling: $518,000 per year
Award floor: $50,000 per year
Estimated total program funding: $17,800,000

AmeriCorps proposes making 3-year grant awards. AmeriCorps generally makes an initial award for the first year of operation, based on a 1-year project period. Continuation awards for subsequent years are not guaranteed and depend upon availability of appropriations and satisfactory performance.

Applicants must provide matching funds for a portion of the project. Matching funds can be cash and/or in-kind contributions and must be from local, non-federal sources. The required match for year 1 is at least 10% of the total project budget. The required match for year 2 is at least 20% and at least 30% in year 3 and for following years, if the grant is renewed beyond 3 years.

Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants include Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and state government entities.

Applicants must serve the entire geographic service area associated with the funding opportunity.

Geographic Coverage

Nationwide

What This Program Funds

Capacity Building • Operating Costs and Staffing

Application Process

Applicants may apply for more than 1 opportunity, but they are required to submit separate applications for each.

Applicants must submit applications electronically through the eGrants web-based management system.

Application review criteria, requirements, and other information about the online application process are available on the program website.

Application instructions
Applicant frequently asked questions

Contact

For program or technical questions:
Contact your State Service Commission
800-942-2677

Rural Awards

Examples of past awards communities have received are described on the program website.

Rural communities who have received funding include:

  • Upper Shore Aging, Inc. in Chestertown, Maryland
  • Area II Agency on Aging in Roundup, Montana
  • Southeastern Community College in Whiteville, North Carolina
  • Inca Community Services, Inc. in Tishomingo, Oklahoma
  • Adamsville Lions Club, Inc. in Adamsville, Tennessee
  • Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council in Independence, Wisconsin
  • Council of the Southern Mountains in Welch, West Virginia

Topics This Program Addresses

Community Planning and Coalition Building • Economic Development • Elderly People • Health Education for Community and Patients • Opioids • Prevention • Recovery • Schools • Substance Use Disorder • Treatment • Veterans