AmeriCorps Competitive Grant

The New Jersey Commission on National and Community Service, operating under the New Jersey Department of State, has released the 26.27 Competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for AmeriCorps grants for the 2026–2027 program year. These grants are supported by federal funding from AmeriCorps State and National and aim to deploy AmeriCorps members to address critical community needs through evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions. Applicants may propose projects aligned with one or more of AmeriCorps' key focus areas: Disaster Services, Economic Opportunity, Education, Environmental Stewardship, Healthy Futures, and Veterans and Military Families. The program is open to public or private nonprofit organizations, tribal entities, institutions of higher education, LEAs (including charter schools), local and state government agencies, and labor organizations. Entities must operate in New Jersey and meet all eligibility criteria, including registration in the SAM system and a valid Unique Entity Identifier. Faith-based organizations are explicitly encouraged to apply. Priority consideration will be given to applications that serve communities experiencing concentrated poverty, provide youth mental health and substance use services, support veterans and military families, focus on public safety or law enforcement partnerships, enhance outdoor recreation and environmental efforts, offer workforce development opportunities, strengthen families, or use programs supported by evidence from the AmeriCorps Evidence Exchange. However, priority status does not guarantee funding. There are two primary types of AmeriCorps grants available under this opportunity: Cost-Reimbursement Grants (including traditional full-cost and professional corps, with a maximum cost per Member Service Year of $25,000) and Fixed Amount Grants (including Education Award Program and Full-Time slots). Professional Corps are not eligible for cost-reimbursement awards and must fund member salaries and benefits entirely from non-AmeriCorps sources. Fixed Amount Grants have no matching requirement, while Cost-Reimbursement Grants do, beginning at 24% for years 1–3. A match waiver process is available, particularly for Tribal Nations or qualifying entities. All applicants are required to submit a Notice of Intent to Apply by February 18, 2026. A mandatory Technical Assistance Session will be held via Zoom on February 11, 2026. Applications must be submitted through the eGrants system by 5:00 PM ET on March 2, 2026. Applications will then undergo staff and independent review, followed by a competitive Reader Arena and a formal vote by the NJ Commission Board. Final selections will be submitted to AmeriCorps State and National by March 31, 2026. Applicants selected by the national competition will be notified by mid-June 2026, with awards issued by mid-August 2026. The program period runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027, with potential for multi-year funding across a three-year grant cycle. Applicants must submit various components including evidence documents, labor union concurrence (if applicable), the Operational and Financial Management Survey, and evaluation plans for organizations with over three years of competitive funding. The evaluation criteria place strong emphasis on program design, evidence base, community need, member experience, supervision plans, and performance measures. Additional programmatic requirements include providing living allowances to all members (with minimum stipends set per slot type), offering health insurance to full-time members, ensuring participation in national service days, and fulfilling reporting and training obligations set by the NJ Commission and AmeriCorps. The NJ Commission highlights the importance of strong member support, technical compliance, and programmatic alignment with state and national priorities. All applicants must demonstrate financial capacity, programmatic readiness, and the ability to deliver impactful service interventions in New Jersey communities.

Attend technical assistance, use evidence-based models, align strongly with state priorities. Must achieve minimum score of 75 to be considered.