This spring and summer, I’ve been presenting at other organizations’ national conferences to promote AmeriCorps Seniors, most recently at the national Points of Light Conference in Chicago, Ill. It was a delight to see so many of you in attendance. Your presence helps to highlight AmeriCorps Seniors, and it demonstrates your quest for learning and hearing from those inside and outside of our network. I believe these engagements help prompt innovative ideas and show others how you and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers make a difference in communities across the country. 

These national convenings also provide an opportunity for me to visit your local projects and meet some of your volunteers. In Chicago, Michael D. Smith, AmeriCorps CEO, and I visited AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers and project directors in the Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and RSVP programs as well as two AmeriCorps Seniors workforce development grantees. This level of engagement is invaluable, it provides me with in-depth knowledge of your successes and your challenges. As the summer and fall unfold, and as travel funds and schedules permit, I plan to visit more of you. 

As we celebrated the Fourth of July, it made me think about how your projects and volunteers support the ability of individuals and families in our communities to fully live out their independence and participate in all that our country has to offer. Their service truly deserves fireworks. 

It’s almost time for the fiscal year 2024 (Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023 – Monday, Sept. 30, 2024) grant season. We are excited to share a tentative application timeline to help you prepare and submit your application.  

Please Note: These dates are tentative and subject to change. Fiscal year 2024 grant awards are contingent on annual congressional appropriations and availability of funds. 

Quarter three grantees (Monday, April 1, 2024, start date): 

• Notice of funding opportunity scheduled to open: Friday, Aug. 25; and  

• Applications due: Thursday, Oct. 26. 

Quarter four grantees (Monday, July 1, 2024, start date): 

• Notice of funding opportunity scheduled to open: Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024; and  
• Applications due: Saturday, March 9, 2024.  

 Important Remainders: 

• It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure their SAM registration and Unique Entity Identifiers are active. Awards will not be made to organizations that have expired registrations. 
• To apply in eGrants, it is required that two individuals from each organization have active eGrants accounts. The authorized representative and project director must be different individuals with different eGrants accounts. Applications will be returned if the same person is listed in both fields. 
• On-time application submissions are required. AmeriCorps Seniors does not guarantee on-time funding decisions or grant awards for organizations that submit late applications. 

AmeriCorps Seniors is conducting a study to: 

• understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, grantees, beneficiaries, and program operations; 
• capture and promote sustainable evidence-based solutions that drive changes; and 
• identify substantial and unprecedented community needs. 

AmeriCorps contracted with JBS International, an independent contractor, to conduct the study. With the support and collaboration of the AmeriCorps Seniors programs we expect to compile critical implementation decisions to inform a future learning agenda.

Interested in learning more about research and evaluation at AmeriCorps? Subscribe to the AmeriCorps Research and Evaluation Digest. 

The National Partnership for Student Success is a public-private partnership between AmeriCorps, the US Department of Education, the Johns Hopkins University Everyone Graduates Center, and leading national education and youth-serving organizations designed to answer the President’s call to action for an additional 250,000 caring adults to support students across the nation. 

Be a part of this important work. 

• Share information with the National Partnership for Student Success Support Hub for your progress to be counted toward this nationwide goal. 
• Request technical assistance for your school, district, or nonprofit organization to find partners in your region and guidance on implementing, expanding, or improving programs. 

• provide you an explanation or claim form about money being sent to you if you’re getting a refund or payment (check, prepaid debit card, or PayPal) from an Federal Trade Commission case. 

To see a list of Federal Trade Commission cases that resulted in refunds, the name of the company sending payments, and a phone number to call with questions, go to the Federal Trade Commission website.