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AmeriCorps Seniors
Aug. 14, 2024
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Notes From the Director's Desk:
August Edition
 The 2024 AmeriCorps Seniors National Convening was hosted Monday, July 29, through Thursday, Aug. 1, in Baltimore, Md.
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Dear colleagues,
Thank you to those who were able to attend the AmeriCorps Seniors 2024 Convening in Baltimore, Md., in person and via live stream. It was inspiring to see so many people gathered at this event for the common purpose of uplifting the importance of older adults in national service. I hope you learned a lot, shared your knowledge and experiences freely, and expanded your AmeriCorps Seniors network!
I’m so glad that we got to hear from the Mayor of Baltimore, the Maryland Secretary, and our White House Special Advisor. Hearing how older adults fit into their work and plans was so important, as well as them learning more about our work. It was wonderful to hear from Julie Stocks, AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer in the RSVP program, about her vision for the future of national service from a volunteer perspective and to discuss with your colleagues the data from the Surgeon Generals’ report on the benefits of social connections. Congratulations again to the AmeriCorps Seniors 2024 award winners, and I hope you all were excited to see the addition of the Legacy of Leadership award. Thank you to the Senior Companion program celebration team, that was a wonderful tribute, and I’m still hearing how it made an impact on individuals. Happy 50th anniversary Senior Companion program!
I also want to extend my gratitude to those who led sessions at the convening, you helped make the event successful and worthwhile for all who attended. It was such a pleasure for the AmeriCorps Seniors team to collaborate with the AmeriCorps' Office of Research and Evaluation team, AmeriCorps staff, and leadership. We have heard how much everyone enjoyed spending time with you and continuing to learn about our programs and your impact.
As a reminder, the recorded sessions and presentation materials can be viewed on the convening website. If you have any feedback on this year’s convening, please share with us, so we can continue to improve the experience. We look forward to coming together again at the next convening in 2025, somewhere in the greater Maryland-DC-Virginia area.
In service,
Atalaya Sergi, Director
AmeriCorps Seniors
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Training Corner
Grantee Essentials Training and Technical Assistance Calls
Each month, we dive into specific technical assistance topics to help you build your skills while managing your AmeriCorps Seniors grant.
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Reflections from the AmeriCorps Seniors Convening, Q&A with the Office of Grants Administration, and FY 2025 RSVP Continuations Tuesday, Aug. 20, 1 p.m. ET
Pre-submit a question for Office of Grant Administration.
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Effective Progress Report Supplement Submission and Data Quality Tuesday, Sept. 17, 1 p.m. ET
Register for the Grantee Essentials TTA Calls
Missed our last Grantee Essentials TTA call? Check out the Grantee Essentials TTA learning path in Litmos. This learning path includes webinar recordings, presentations, and other materials.
Join our Upcoming Recruitment Webinars
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.
Monthly Spotlight on Training Resources
This month, we are highlighting resources from the AmeriCorps Seniors 2024 Convening - 30 Years of AmeriCorps: Reflect, Empower, Transform, Celebrate. We were thrilled to welcome 1,300 participants to our three-day gathering of AmeriCorps Seniors grantees and AmeriCorps Research and Evaluation partners in Baltimore, Md. Together, we explored 60 informative sessions, engaged in three inspiring plenaries, and celebrated our collective achievement. Content includes plenary and select session recordings, presentations, and other materials.
Please take a moment to complete the event evaluation to help us continue to improve these gatherings.
Download Event Materials:
Cultural Learning Community
AmeriCorps' Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility has launched the Cultural Learning Community – a monthly course to foster a more inclusive and equitable community for all our valued partners. These courses will provide an invaluable opportunity to deepen understanding, enhance skills, and increase partner engagement.
View the training schedule and register for upcoming events.
National Partnership for Student Success Coffee Chats
Join the National Partnership for Student Success for Coffee Chats. Every other month, the National Partnership for Student Success convenes program directors and practitioners of programs that engage older adults in serving youth across the country. These 30-minute chats feature a 5–10-minute presentation regarding training, a new resource, or other topic of interest and are followed by 1:1 networking conversation in breakout rooms. These breakout room conversions are meant to connect directors and practitioners of programs to network, learn from each other, and share resources, opportunities, challenges, and solutions. Please join us for an upcoming Coffee Chat and connect!
The National Partnership for Student Success Hub is also excited to release a new District Engagement Best Practices for Nonprofits toolkit. This resource can help you communicate how your nonprofit organization is a major asset to districts, plus offer best practices for sustaining partnerships over time. This resource explores several helpful topics, including: "Relationship Management: Strategies & Best Practices", "Engaging Older Adults: Showcase Quality Programs with District Partners", "Sample Communication Templates & Considerations", and "Additional Resource to Learn More".
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 Celebrate AmeriCorps 30th Anniversary
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 August is Education. Last year, AmeriCorps invested more than $536 million to support educational programming for youth and adults across the country, with more than 55,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serving in the education focus area.
Find videos, photos, social media, communications templates, and more in our 30th anniversary communications toolkit. Remember to share your Education 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.
9/11 Day of Service
The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance will be observed next month. More than 20 years after the 9/11 tragedy, the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance honors and commemorates the anniversary of this solemn moment in our history. On this day, pay tribute to those we lost or were injured and the many who rose in service on that fateful day by rekindling the spirit of compassion and service that unified our nation.
By volunteering, we can keep the memory of those lost on 9/11 alive and rekindle the spirit of service that lifted our communities after that tragic day. Turn your determination, compassion, and creativity into practical solutions for your communities through service this 9/11 Day. On 9/11 Day and every day, volunteers help communities thrive and meet urgent needs, answering America's call in times of tragedy and triumph.
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Elder Justice Corner
Spotting Text Message Scams
Scammers will say anything to get your attention. Scammers have been known to send “friendly” text messages to unaware targets hoping to fool them into thinking the text is coming from someone they know. If you receive an unexpected text message from an unknown number inviting you for coffee or another seemingly normal request, it's likely a scam. Here are some tips to keep in mind when receiving unusual text messages:
- Don’t respond to unexpected text messages from unknown phone numbers. Responding could confirm that your phone number is active, leading to more unwanted messages or scams. Instead, avoid replying, forward the message to 7726 (SPAM) to help block similar messages.
- Don’t click on links in unexpected text messages. They might steal your information or install malware on your device. Scammers want you to react quickly to unexpected text messages, but it’s best to stop and check it out. If in doubt, it's safest to delete the message.
For more information, visit the Federal Trade Commission.
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Program Updates and Requirements
Pathfinder Next Update October 2024
AmeriCorps Seniors will pull station roster counties and project information from eGrants for the Pathfinder in September for the next update, which will be released in October. Take time to review your station roster list and update any stations that are no longer active. Double check station locations 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.
For technical assistance, refer to "Appendix A. 22: Review and Update Project Information" in your program handbook located on the Foster Grandparent, RSVP, Senior Companion, and Senior Demonstration Program grantee pages. The October 2023 Grantee Essentials call also walks through how information can be updated in eGrants.
Fiscal Year 2025 AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Competition Now Open
AmeriCorps Seniors has released the Fiscal Year 2025 AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity. Since 1971, RSVP has engaged older Americans in volunteer service that meets national and community needs and delivers lasting, meaningful results to those communities. With this funding opportunity, AmeriCorps intends to fund successful applicants that increase the impact of volunteers ages 55 and older who provide volunteer service in response to local community needs.
The Notice of Funding Opportunity and supporting documents can be found on the Funding Opportunity page.
The AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP competition runs over a three-year period, with FY 2025 being the first year of new awards. Incumbent grantees with a 22SR grant number must submit an application in response to the FY 2025 Competition Notice and be selected to maintain funding. Incumbent grantees approved by AmeriCorps Seniors to be a temporary sponsor for a fully relinquished geographic service area must submit an application to the FY 2025 Competition Notice and be selected to continue services. If incumbent grantees with a 22SR grant number or temporary sponsors fail to apply or be selected for funding, their current grants will end on Monday, March 31, 2025.
Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 5 p.m. ET. Successful applicants will be notified by January 2025.
Continuation Application Due Dates
Please Note: Fiscal Year 2025 (Tuesday, Oct. 1 to Tuesday, Sept. 30) grant awards are contingent on annual congressional appropriations and availability of funds.
RSVP Grantees with 23SR or 24SR grant numbers* (April 1 start date)
- Applications due: Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 5 p.m. ET
Refer to the FY 2025 RSVP Continuation Notice of Funding Opportunity on the RSVP Grantees page for more information.
*Please refer to Appendix A for the list of grants eligible for continuation.
Important Reminders:
- 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.
- 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.
Need assistance? Contact the eGrants Help Desk.
AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Grant External Reviewers Needed!
AmeriCorps is working to expand our pool of qualified external reviewers to support future grant reviews, including our upcoming AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP grant review.
AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP grantees and organizations that intend to apply for RSVP grants are not eligible to be reviewers for the RSVP competition. However, if you know of anyone outside of your organization that may be interested in applying to be an external reviewer, please share this information with them.
Our External Reviewer website provides interested individuals with information about what to expect, the time commitment, minimum qualifications, and how to apply to be considered for the AmeriCorps grant review opportunities.
Thank you for your continued support of AmeriCorps!
Reporting Requirements
For reporting deadlines, review your grant's program-specific terms and conditions (see the section titled “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 Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and Senior Demonstration Program Quarter Three Grants Realigned to Quarter Four (those with a 15-month budget):
- 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 Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and Senior Demonstration Program Quarter Four Grants:
- Federal Financial Report Final (for 21SF, 21SC, or 21SD grant numbers) Due: Monday, Oct. 28
AmeriCorps Seniors American Rescue Plan Phase Two (July) and Phase Three Grants:
- 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.
AmeriCorps Seniors Operations Handbooks
Litmos Trainings for Reporting
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