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AmeriCorps Seniors
Jan.11, 2024
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Notes From the Director's Desk: January Edition
 AmeriCorps CEO Michael Smith celebrating MLK Day 2023. Unite, serve, and transform your community on this upcoming MLK Day of Service.
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As we step into the promising landscape of 2024, I am thrilled to express my excitement for the incredible opportunities that lie ahead for our AmeriCorps Seniors programs. The year ahead holds the promise of impactful service, unwavering dedication, and the pursuit of our mission to strengthen communities and address pressing national challenges. Your commitment to service has been the cornerstone of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors, and I am confident that, together, we will continue to make a profound difference in the lives of those we serve.
January brings a significant occasion that encourages all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities - the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service. This day serves as a poignant reminder of the transformative power of service and advocacy. By celebrating MLK Day through service, we not only honor Dr. King's legacy, but also reaffirm our shared dedication to building a more empathetic and equitable society. I am genuinely looking forward to the incredible impact we can achieve together in the coming year.
Embracing the spirit of collaboration and hard work, let us forge ahead with renewed vigor, inspired by the transformative impact we can achieve in the coming year. Here's to another year of dedicated service, resilience, and collective achievement. Happy 2024!
Atalaya Sergi,
Director AmeriCorps Seniors
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Join our Upcoming Recruitment Webinars
Join the below calls to learn more about recruitment tips and tricks you can utilize to recruit more AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers. Please reach out to join@americorps.gov with any questions.
Monthly Spotlight on Training Resources
This month, we are highlighting the National Service Criminal History Checks resource in our "Financial Management Curriculum" learning path on Litmos. The National Service Criminal History Check is a screening procedure established by law to protect the beneficiaries of national service. All grant recipients must complete and retain a certificate of completion of the AmeriCorps’ National Service Criminal History Check eCourse training every year to ensure that recipients conducting criminal history background checks comply with all requirements.
Once you log into Litmos, search the content library to locate the "Financial Management Curriculum" learning path.
Note: You will need to first log in to Litmos then click the link to the course.
For technical support, to request access, or if you need assistance accessing these pages using assistive technology email serviceresources@americorps.gov.
2024 Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Replacement and Expansion Funding Opportunities Webinars
AmeriCorps Seniors is presenting a series of webinars for the Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program replacement and expansion opportunities. Webinar topics will include an overview of AmeriCorps; examples of funded programs; and a review of the notices of funding opportunity, budgets, performance measurements, and submitting your application using the eGrants platform. AmeriCorps strongly encourages all potential applicants to attend these webinars.
Foster Grandparent Program
Senior Companion Program
Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Programs
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 To help highlight the incredible impact AmeriCorps programs create, the 30th anniversary celebrations will spotlight key areas of service each month. January's theme is Economic Opportunity. AmeriCorps programs build economic opportunity for AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers and the communities they serve. AmeriCorps programs serve as a pathway to employment, help develop vital work skills, build and rehabilitate affordable housing, provide financial literacy training, and more.
Join us in lifting up the amazing work you do in our communities and the nation. Find video, photos, social media, communications templates, and more in our 30th anniversary communications toolkit.
Remember to share an economic opportunity story with us to raise awareness about the positive impact your program has on your community. Share videos, photos, and posts on social media. Use the hashtag #AmeriCorps30 to be featured on our channel.
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Elder Justice Corner
Keeping Your Information Safe with Strong Passwords
Strong, secure passwords are crucial for protecting your online accounts and personal information. They act as a barrier against unauthorized access, reducing the risk of identity theft, financial fraud, and other cybercrimes. Weak or easily guessable passwords can be exploited by cybercriminals, leading to unauthorized access to your accounts, potential misuse of sensitive data, and even compromising your digital identity.
Here are a few key tips for having a strong password:
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Instead of using a word, use a phrase. This phrase should contain a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols to make it harder to break. Aim for something that’s at least 12 to 15 characters long.
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Use multifactor authentication, which is a secondary verification sent to your email or in a phone text. Multifactor authentication can prevent hackers from accessing your accounts because they lack the second factor to log in.
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Use a password manager. A password manager is a program that takes on the job of handling your passwords. They make it easier to have strong and unique phrases across many applications, while you only have to remember your master password.
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Pathfinder Update in January
AmeriCorps Seniors will be pulling station roster counties and project information from eGrants for the Pathfinder in January. Take time to review your station roster list and update any stations that are no longer active. Double check your location to ensure they fall into your approved geographic service area. If you have staff changes, update your contact information in the project information section of eGrants to reflect the best contact information for interested volunteers.
Continuation and Renewal Application Due Dates
Please Note: Fiscal year 2024 (Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, to Monday, Sept. 30, 2024) grant awards are contingent on annual congressional appropriations and availability of funds.
Quarter four grantees (Monday, July 1, start date):
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Applications due: Monday, March 11
Important Reminders:
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It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure their SAM registration and Unique Entity Identifier are active. Awards will not be made to organizations that have expired registrations.
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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.
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On-time application submissions are required. AmeriCorps Seniors does not guarantee on-time funding decisions or grant awards for organizations that submit late applications.
Need assistance? Contact the eGrants Help Desk.
Reporting Requirements
For reporting deadlines, review your grant's terms and conditions and section VII reporting requirements:
Reports will be made available in eGrants 90 days before the due date. If the option to enter report data is not available in eGrants, please reach out to your portfolio manager.
Current Reports Due:
AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Quarter Four Grants realigned to Quarter Three and Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and Senior Demonstration Program Quarter Four Grants:
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Federal Financial Report Semi-Annual Due: Tuesday, Jan. 30
Additional Resources
For instructions on the project progress report and federal financial report, visit your program's grantee resources section, select “submit a progress report” or “submit a Federal Financial Report” as the action, then click “apply” to show the resources.
Updated AmeriCorps Seniors Handbooks
Litmos Trainings for Reporting
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