I hope you all are enjoying your summer so far! It’s hard to believe we are only two weeks away from coming together for the AmeriCorps Seniors National Convening in Baltimore, Md. I look forward to connecting with familiar faces and greeting new ones. This event will be a wonderful opportunity to come together to reflect, empower, transform, and celebrate the impact AmeriCorps Seniors projects have in communities around the country. Please make sure you’re registered for the convening; we are almost at capacity, and we will not be accepting onsite registration - spread the word. I can’t wait to see you there!

As you may know, AmeriCorps Seniors and the Office of Research and Evaluation, in collaboration with JBS International, are conducting a study on the impact of COVID-19 on volunteering and national service programs. With approval from the Office of Management and Budget, they are now beginning data collection. This study aims to understand how AmeriCorps Seniors programs adapted during the pandemic and the lessons learned, focusing on the following four areas:

1. Experience of AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, including how safe volunteer practices affected the volunteers’ self-report of health and psychosocial health.
2. Examine change in programming practices among grantees, particularly at the station level.
3. Assess the evidence on whether programming funded through the Senior Demonstration Program can be replicated and scaled nationally.
4. Understand volunteer incentives and how they remove barriers to service for older adults, including the volunteer stipend and the impact it has on volunteer’s lives and ability to serve.

Grantee involvement is crucial as survey data will help inform AmeriCorps Seniors on what is working or what could be improved. The survey results will be reported in aggregate form. For more information on the study and survey process, please visit the AmeriCorps Seniors COVID Effects Study Fast Facts. Thank you very much for your participation.

If you have any fun summer stories or thoughts on how your volunteer work is making a difference in your community, please share them with us. I’ll see everyone in Baltimore Tuesday, July 30, through Thursday, Aug. 1!

Grantee Essentials Training and Technical Assistance Calls 

Join the below call to learn more about the tips and tricks you can use to recruit more AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers. Please reach out to join@americorps.gov with any questions.    

• From Community Served to Serving
  Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2-3 p.m. ET

Monthly Spotlight on Training Resources 

This month, we are highlighting Timekeeping Training for AmeriCorps Grantees course in Litmos. Failure to properly track time and effort is one of the most common audit findings when it comes to federal grants, and AmeriCorps is no exception. In this training, grantees will identify important elements of the Uniform Guidance as they pertain to personal expenses (2 CFR 200.430) and fringe benefits (2 CFR 200.431). Grantees will identify required components of timekeeping documentation for personnel compensation and common mistakes that result in incorrect or unsupported salary allocations.

This training was designed to address common preliminary findings from the fiscal year 2021 IPERIA Process, now called Payment Integrity Information Act.

Note: If you are using the direct link, you must 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.

To commemorate the 30th Anniversary of AmeriCorps, each month we will highlight the incredible impact AmeriCorps programs create through key areas of service. The theme for July is Disaster Services. From forest fires and floods to hurricanes and tornadoes, AmeriCorps members have provided critical support to millions of Americans affected by natural and manmade disasters since 1994. More than 146,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers supported disaster recovery efforts for the past 30 years.

Find videos, photos, social media, communications templates, and more in our 30th anniversary communications toolkit.  Remember to share your Disaster Services stories 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. 

Elder Justice Corner 

From our colleagues at the Federal Trade Commission. 

Government Imposter Scams

Scammers impersonating government officials are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to steal your money or personal information. Here’s how to recognize their new, layered approach:

• Faked Caller ID: Scammers manipulate caller ID to make it appear as though a government agency is contacting you, aiming to gain your trust.
• Fake Credentials: They may provide a fake employee ID or badge number or use the name of a real government employee.
• Phony Letters: Scammers send official-looking letters, complete with seals, and invent government agency names that sound legitimate but are not.

Government officials will not contact you to ask for your personal information or ask you to make a payment with gift card, wire transfer, payment app, or cryptocurrency. If you feel like you are a target of an attempted imposter scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

For more information, visit the Federal Trade Commission.

Reporting Requirements 

For reporting deadlines, review your grant's program-specific terms and conditions (see the section titled “Reporting Requirements”): 

• Foster Grandparent 
• RSVP 
• Senior Companion 
• Senior Demonstration 

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 Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and Senior Demonstration Program Quarter Three Grants Realigned to Quarter Four (those with a 15-month budget):

• Project Progress Report Annual Due: Tuesday, July 30
• Federal Financial Report Semi-Annual Due: Tuesday, July 30 (Note: this Federal Financial Report covers the period of April 1, through June 30, 2024)
• Federal Financial Report Final (for 21SF, 21SC, or 21SD grant numbers) 
  Due: Monday, Oct. 28 (Note: this Federal Financial Report covers the period of April 1, through June 30, 2024)

AmeriCorps Seniors American Rescue Plan Phase Two (April) Grants: 

• Federal Financial Report Final Due: Monday, July 29

AmeriCorps Seniors American Rescue Plan Phase Two (July) and Phase Three Grants: 

• Project Progress Report Annual Due: Tuesday, July 30
• Federal Financial Report Final Due: Monday, Oct. 28

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.    

• Foster Grandparent Program grantee page 
• RSVP grantee page  
• Senior Companion Program grantee page  
• Senior Demonstration Program grantee page  

AmeriCorps Seniors Operations Handbooks 

• Foster Grandparent Program Operations Handbook  
• RSVP Operations Handbook     
• Senior Companion Program Operations Handbook     
• Senior Demonstration Program Operations Handbook  

Litmos Trainings for Reporting 

• AmeriCorps National Performance Measures Core Curriculum  
• Federal Financial Report Core Training For Grantees