Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Opportunity

The Fiscal Year 2026 AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Competition offers funding for programs that engage volunteers aged 55 and older in a wide range of service activities tailored to address critical local needs. Administered by AmeriCorps, officially known as the Corporation for National and Community Service, the RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) is one of the largest senior volunteer initiatives in the United States, originally launched in 1971. Through RSVP, older adults contribute meaningfully to their communities while enhancing their own well-being through continued civic engagement. Volunteers choose their service frequency and commitment level, with flexible schedules ranging from a few hours a week to up to 40 hours. The FY 2026 RSVP funding competition is open to eligible applicants across all U.S. states and territories, including nonprofits, local governments, tribal entities, institutions of higher education, and state agencies. Grantees will receive support to deploy unduplicated volunteers who will address local community needs in alignment with AmeriCorps’ core focus areas—Disaster Services, Economic Opportunity, Education, Environmental Stewardship, Healthy Futures, and Veterans and Military Families. Applicants must designate one of these as their primary focus area. Additional priorities encouraged—but not required—include support for older adults and caregivers, workforce re-entry for seniors, family support services, fraud prevention for seniors, homelessness reduction, and behavioral health initiatives. Award amounts vary depending on the number of proposed unduplicated volunteers. Applicants may request a base federal share of up to $75,000, plus an additional $350 per unduplicated volunteer, however there is no request maximum. *This $350 is not a stipend for volunteers but administrative support for managing the project. All grantees are required to match at least 10% of the total allowable costs annually through cash or in-kind contributions. The period of performance for awarded grants begins on April 1, 2026, and runs through March 31, 2029, with funding decisions and award notices expected in June 2026. The application process requires submission through AmeriCorps’ eGrants platform by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, March 26, 2026. The submission must include the standard SF-424 form, narratives, work plans, a detailed budget, and completion of an Operational and Financial Management Survey (OFMS). For organizations applying as Tribal entities, appropriate governance documentation must also be submitted. No paper, faxed, or emailed applications will be accepted unless pre-approved due to technical challenges. Applications are evaluated based on a combination of program design (30%), work plans and performance measures (30%), organizational capability (20%), and budget adequacy (15%). Each work plan must include a clearly defined community need, description of service activities, appropriate outcome/output pairings, and volunteer assignments. AmeriCorps also encourages the inclusion of training, volunteer insurance, recognition efforts, and compliance costs in the proposed budgets. Technical assistance webinars and Q&A sessions are offered throughout the application period. Applicants are strongly encouraged to participate in these to improve proposal quality and alignment with program goals. A formal Q&A process also allows applicants to clarify requirements and ensure compliance. Questions can be directed to [email protected]. Additional materials, including budget calculators and performance measure instructions, are available on the AmeriCorps website, along with pre-recorded training resources.

Align work plans with performance measures and funding priorities; Use exact budget formulas ($75,000 + $350 per volunteer); Participate in technical assistance webinars.