FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb 13, 2015

 

Funds available through the AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The nation's leading federal agency for service has a new opportunity for tribal groups that would provide funding for AmeriCorps members and Senior Corps volunteers on the ground to help them tackle the unique challenges facing Native American communities.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has released three funding opportunity notices for AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, which includes the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs. These grant competitions are designed to target resources on a core set of challenges: disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and military families.

The two Senior Corps opportunities include more specific goals. Foster Grandparent Programs are designed to improve educational outcomes for children with special or exceptional needs, while Senior Companion Programs are focused specifically on independent living or aging in place efforts.

“We are committed to working with tribal nations on a government-to-government basis and to identify ways that tribes can use national service to address their own unique challenges,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “Through these competitions, tribal leaders have the opportunity to build on programs that are working in their communities. Senior Corps volunteers and AmeriCorps members can be important partners in preserving cultural heritage, supporting independent living, ensuring young people achieve their potential, or helping veterans adjust to life after the military.”

In the first-ever Senior Corps grant competitions specifically for tribal communities, $3.2 million is available for applicants to the Foster Grandparent Program and $500,000 for applicants to the Senior Companion Program. CNCS anticipates it will award $3 million in new, recompeting, and continuation AmeriCorps grants for fiscal year 2015.

These national service investments are part of the Administration’s larger commitment to create lasting change in Indian Country by strengthening tribal communities through education and economic development. The agency has a long history of engaging tribal communities, and in 2014 CNCS announced a record number of AmeriCorps members serving in Native American communities.

Through partnerships with Tribes, national service resources have successfully been used to tackle a range of critical challenges, including tutoring and mentoring Native American youth, teaching nutrition and physical activity, preserving language and cultural heritage, protecting the environment, connecting veterans and their families to workforce resources, preparing for disasters, and tackling substance abuse issues.

Applications for AmeriCorps funding are due on Wednesday, April 29, 2015. Successful applicants will be notified in July 2015. Applications for Senior Corps funding are due on Thursday, May 14, 2015. Successful applicants will be notified in August 2015.

Potential applicants are encouraged to utilize the tribal-specific technical assistance made available by CNCS, including FAQ, webinars and a schedule of the agency's upcoming assistance calls. More information on technical assistance, as well as contact information for questions community, can be found at nationalservice.gov/tribalgrants.

AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.