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Dear AmeriCorps VISTA sponsors,
We are pleased to share that the annual living allowance rate review has been completed, and that there will be an increase in member pay again. The review and start of the adjustment was delayed this year. Our focus was to make the increase in member pay more cost effective for our program in order to retain more members in service. This was the central tension we faced with the decision. I believe that it's important to explain our decision and what it might mean for us moving forward.
More than 70 percent of the AmeriCorps VISTA annual appropriated budget from Congress is directed toward the member living allowance. Over the last four years, VISTA has increased the living allowance more than 86 percent (from a minimum annual rate of $13,293 in FY 2020 to a minimum annual rate of $24,962 in FY 2024). We previously funded these annual increases with American Rescue Plan funding, which ended last fiscal year.
This year, we made the decision to increase the living allowance to ensure our members live with the dignity and security of a life sustaining allowance, even without supplemental funding. In an environment of flat funding and increased costs, the trade off here is one we don’t like - but one we can’t avoid. Raising member living allowances, without increased appropriated funds, means we may have even fewer members in the coming year.
I say “even fewer” because our program is currently dramatically undersized due to the end of American Rescue Plan funds. Historically, our program size has been about 8,000 members annually (including full-year members and summer associates). This year, in 2024, we will have about 3,200 full-year members and our Summer Associate program remains unfunded. We know that many of you are not able to fill the positions you requested, or you are not able to start members you recruited, and, in some cases, you aren’t able to allow members to reenroll for service and continue their commitments to your great work. A smaller VISTA program means we are meeting the needs of fewer people and communities living in poverty. It means we are having an impact on fewer lives. It means we are missing opportunities to deliver on our mission.
At the same time, we all know that, for many, the living allowance is simply not livable. It has left members vulnerable to housing and food security issues and has been a barrier to entry for those who don’t have access to a network of financial support outside of our program. I am honored to join AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith in this decision, which will help to ensure that we continue to maintain our commitment to be inclusive and to care for our members and their well-being. As my mom reminds me, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” It is important that we put people first and continue to support our members by “filling their cups” as they give to service.
Many of you attended the recent calls we hosted following the announcement of the President’s FY 2025 budget. I want to remind you that the President’s budget request, which includes funding for the AmeriCorps VISTA program to support increased living allowances, begins to rebuild the size of our program, and restores the Summer Associate program. We will continue to keep you up to date as the FY 2025 appropriations process moves forward. In the meantime, please remember to share your stories of program impact and make sure that the VISTA program and the vital work of our members are felt, seen, and heard by our community and national leaders.
Thank you all for your support of our members and the work you do to ensure a successful and safe service experience. There is no better advocate and recruiter for national service than an alum who felt supported and valued and had the opportunity to create lasting change through service. The AmeriCorps VISTA program has more than 260 thousand alumni and that is thanks to you and the sponsors who came before you, who each cared for them and helped them to succeed.
Thank you for your service and continued partnership.
In service,
Maggie Garvey
Acting Director, AmeriCorps VISTA
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