National Service
What is National Service?
National service programs engage more than four million Americans to improve individual communities, whole states and ultimately, the nation. These programs are funded through the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and administered by state service commissions, including Volunteer Florida. In Florida, nonprofit organizations, educational foundations and government agencies are eligible to apply for AmeriCorps or Volunteer Generation Fund funding through Volunteer Florida's competitive grant process.
For more information about AmeriCorps VISTA or Senior Corps, call (407) 648-6117 or email fl@cns.gov.
For more information about AmeriCorps NCCC, call (601) 630-4043 or email Rsmith@cns.gov.
For more information about AmeriCorps National Direct, including the Florida National Direct Consultation process, click here.
What is AmeriCorps?
Volunteer Florida administers AmeriCorps programs throughout the state. AmeriCorps is a national service program that provides opportunities for individuals to serve their communities in many different capacities. In exchange for a living stipend, educational award and valuable on-the-job experience, members work in nonprofit organizations, educational foundations and government agencies for one year, helping mentor at-risk students, train job-seekers and conserve public land, among other things.
How Does AmeriCorps Work?
AmeriCorps funding is made available by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and administered by Volunteer Florida. AmeriCorps members are selected and managed by their host organization, and spend a year addressing issues critical to the organization’s mission. Full-time AmeriCorps members serve 35-40 hours per week.
How do AmeriCorps Members #GetThingsDone?
- Tutoring and Mentoring
- Job Placement and Training
- Independent Living Support
- Environmental Restoration and Conversation
- Disaster Preparedness and Response
Current AmeriCorps Programs
For a brief description of our current AmeriCorps programs, click here.
Available Grants
For a list of available grants, click here.
Current and previous AmeriCorps members can log in to the My AmeriCorps Portal for member information, including accessing your education award.
What is Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF)?
Volunteer Florida administers the federal Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) in Florida. VGF increases the capacity of nonprofit organizations to recruit, manage and retain skills-based volunteers to serve in nonprofit organizations.
Skills-based volunteerism expands the impact of these organizations by leveraging the skills of professionals, such as IT consultants, accountants and lawyers. They promote disaster preparedness and opioid abuse awareness, while also helping job-seekers find employment and teaching financial literacy and work readiness skills to Floridians.
Current VGF Programs
For a list of our current VGF grantees, click here.
Available Grants
For a list of available grants, click here.
Guiding Documents - Use these quick links to access information at the national level
Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs)
Program Director Resources
Volunteer Florida requires subgrantees to submit reports and program updates throughout the year. If Volunteer Florida requires a form as a report through Blackbaud or requests changes throughout the grant year, please refer to this section. Volunteer Florida has also included sample documents or templates where applicable.
In this section you will find information on how to keep accurate member files as well as member resources including benefits and common questions. Volunteer Florida has included sample documents where applicable.
Overall Program Management, including site-management, establishing policies and procedures, and program evaluation are essential to a successful program. Volunteer Florida has included sample documents where applicable.
This section includes resources to help guide programs through eGrants and Blackbaud, Volunteer Florida’s grantmaking platforms. For eGrants Enrollment resources please see CNCS resources here.
Under the National and Community Service Act of 1990, AmeriCorps grantees must conduct National Service Criminal History checks on all covered employees and AmeriCorps members who receive a salary, national service education award, living allowance or stipend under CNCS grants, even if the activities don’t involve service with vulnerable populations. An individual is ineligible to serve in a position that receives such CNCS funding if the individual is registered, or required to be registered, as a sex offender or has been convicted of murder.
Programs may have specific policies that are above and beyond CNCS policies. See below for current resources. CNCS resources are also found here and here.
This section includes resources on budget revisions, timesheets, travel reimbursement, in-kind contributions, and much more.
View webinars on demand on the Volunteer Florida GoToStage video platform. Here you'll find bi-monthly program director meetings, technical trainings and other Volunteer Florida hosted webinars.
AmeriCorps Program Director Trainings Archive
Click Here to visit the AmeriCorps Program Director Trainings Archive
Peer Reviewers
Volunteer Florida is seeking qualified individuals to participate as volunteer peer reviewers for AmeriCorps State Program proposals. Individuals with experience in grants management, knowledge of programs targeting critical community needs including education, the environment, public safety, economic opportunity and other human needs, and experience in applying principles of community service are encouraged to contact Cat Keen, National Service Programs Director at Cat@volunteerflorida.org.
Would you like to learn more?
1) Download the Peer Reviewer Fact Sheet
2) Listen to the 2019-20 AmeriCorps Formula RFP Peer Reviewer TA Call
3) Watch the following video explaining the Volunteer Florida External Peer Review Portal
