21.3 million in federal grants to support AmeriCorps statewide

Gov. Jay Inslee announced that Serve Washington, the state’s commission on national and community service, has been awarded $21.3 million in federal AmeriCorps funding that will help place 1,490 AmeriCorps members statewide.

This will include funding for organizations that work locally. 

The funding includes over $2 million for the Washington Conservation Corps through the Department of Ecology, Sea-Mar Community Health Center, and Girl Scouts of Washington, who all work within Grays Harbor.

The Girl Scouts and the Valley View Health Center are noted as serving parts of Pacific County and included in the allocation.

A number of statewide groups are also included.

AmeriCorps is the national community service program where AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve directly with nonprofit organizations. 

AmeriCorps members serve in program focus areas related to economic opportunity, healthy futures, environmental stewardship, disaster services, education and the needs of veterans and military families.

“AmeriCorps members are a force multiplier when it comes to helping communities thrive,” Inslee said. “Their resourcefulness, creativity and unwavering dedication to service has helped community organizations meet critical needs of the most vulnerable Washingtonians. I’m proud we have these AmeriCorps members to help our communities thrive though results-driven service and make Washington state an even greater place to live.”

In addition to federal allocations, AmeriCorps programs in Washington leverage an additional $28.2 million in local matching funds. AmeriCorps is based on public-private partnerships. That means AmeriCorps grantees need to raise significant outside resources, which includes support at the local level, to operate their programs.

AmeriCorps programs continue to be an important partner to address critical needs and systemic inequities in Washington that have been heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Serve Washington Executive Director Amber Martin-Jahn said many AmeriCorps programs pivoted their focus the last two years to address issues around food and housing insecurity, student learning loss and mental health among young people.

“AmeriCorps members stepped in to serve their communities in many ways and faced these critical needs head on,” Martin-Jahn said. “As powerful as that is, I am reminded daily of the double bottom line AmeriCorps offers through its investment, development and support of the AmeriCorps members themselves. We are honored our AmeriCorps programs will continue to partner with philanthropies, nonprofits and state agencies to meet these challenges.”

Over the next year, 1,490 AmeriCorps members will earn up to a combined $9 million in education awards. Members will receive approximately $6,495 each through an AmeriCorps Segal Education Award after they complete 1,700 hours of service to pay for college or pay off student loans.

Serve Washington AmeriCorps grants and member positions will be distributed as follows:

College Possible $648,000 30
EarthCorps $508,000 40
NEW Educational Service District #101 – Spokane Service Team $459,671 60
United Way of King County $1,296,000 60
Washington Department of Ecology – Washington Conservation Corps $2,105,224 285
Washington Department of Veterans Affairs – Vet Corps $681,600 50
Washington State Employment Security Department – Public Health AmeriCorps $225,137 8
Washington Employment Security Department –Washington Reading Corps $1,778,750 125
Washington Employment Security Department –Washington Service Corps $6,369,300 450
Formula grants (operational) Total federal award Number of AmeriCorps members
Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council – AmeriCorps $540,000 25
College Success Foundation – College and Career Coaches Program $410,400 19
Common Threads Farm $657,356 71
iFoster – TAY AmeriCorps WA $373,137 30
Pasco School District #1 – Serve Tri-Cities $555,801 30
Port Angeles School District AmeriCorps $313,170 16
Tacoma Boat Builders–Safe Streets Imagine Justice Campaign $514,000 20
Sea-Mar Community Health Center $428,400 17
United Way of Benton &Franklin Counties $315,435 20
Planning Grants Total federal award County(ies) served
Girl Scouts of Western Washington $75,000 Clallam, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Benton, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Whatcom
Lewis County Community Health Services (Valley View Health Center) $66,223 Lewis, Pacific, Thurston
Salvation Army $75,000 statewide

 

Two multistate programs headquartered in Washington state also received AmeriCorps federal grants: Mount Adams Institute VetsWork Environment and Western Washington University-Washington Campus Compact.

 

Organizations are now recruiting for AmeriCorps members to begin service this fall. AmeriCorps members typically receive a modest living stipend and an education award after they complete their service.

Those interested in serving can learn more on the Serve Washington website.

 

 

About the funding:

Serve Washington is the state commission that administers AmeriCorps state funds in Washington, the majority of which is awarded through a national competition. At the federal level, funds from the highly competitive award process comes from AmeriCorps, the federal agency also known as the Corporation for National and Community Service, responsible for AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs.

Occurring in the fall of each year, competitive grants for AmeriCorps program proposals are put into a pool of applicants for a national grant review process. Formula grants occur in the spring of each year. Program proposals are put into a pool of applicants at the state commission level for a decision on funding made by the state’s service commissioners.

Twenty-one organizations across the state will run 23 AmeriCorps programs, which will place AmeriCorps members at hundreds of service locations statewide.

Three more organizations have also been awarded planning grants. Planning grants help provide training and technical assistance to organizations that are developing new AmeriCorps programs.