Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 AmeriCorps State and National Competitive Grants | AC 01 31 26

Opportunity Information: Apply for AC 01 31 26

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 AmeriCorps State and National Competitive Grants opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number AC 01 31 26) is a discretionary grant program run by AmeriCorps that funds organizations to deploy AmeriCorps members in community-based service roles. The core purpose is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and increase civic engagement by supporting structured national service and volunteerism. In practical terms, AmeriCorps is looking to invest in programs where members serve through local organizations and deliver interventions that are evidence-based or evidence-informed, meaning the proposed service activities should be grounded in credible research, prior program results, or well-supported models rather than being purely experimental or untested.

This competition supports a wide range of community priorities, which is reflected in the listed funding activity categories: community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment/labor and training, environment, food and nutrition, health, housing, and other related public needs. Applicants typically use these funds to build or expand service programs that place AmeriCorps members into roles that directly address local challenges, such as tutoring and student support, workforce readiness assistance, food distribution and nutrition education, housing-related services, public health outreach, environmental stewardship projects, and disaster preparedness or recovery support. The emphasis is on service that produces measurable community benefits while also developing participants through meaningful national service.

A central feature of the program is the role of the AmeriCorps member. Members are individuals who commit to a term of service with a funded organization and carry out community service activities aligned with the program design. Members may receive a living allowance and other benefits during their service term, which helps make participation feasible for a broader range of people. After successfully completing their service, members earn the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, which can be used for qualified higher education expenses or applied toward eligible student loans. This creates a dual outcome: communities receive capacity and direct service, while members gain experience, skills, and an education benefit tied to completing the service commitment.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of public and nonprofit entities. Eligible applicants listed in the opportunity include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, other Native American tribal organizations, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (that are not institutions of higher education), nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (that are not institutions of higher education), private institutions of higher education, and other eligible entities as allowed by the program. The opportunity also references State Service Commissions and/or states and US territories, indicating that these entities play a formal role in the State and National structure, often acting as applicants, pass-through administrators, or key partners depending on the specific program model and jurisdiction.

Key administrative details include the assistance listing number (CFDA/Assistance Listing) 94.006 and the fact that the award mechanism is a grant. The opportunity was created on January 30, 2026, and the original closing date is March 31, 2026. The public listing does not provide an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, so applicants would typically need to consult the full notice and application instructions from AmeriCorps to understand funding limits, cost-sharing or match expectations, program design requirements, performance measure expectations, and any priority areas for this competition cycle.

Overall, this FY 2026 competitive grant opportunity is designed for organizations that can responsibly manage a national service program and demonstrate that AmeriCorps members will be used in well-structured, well-supported service activities that address pressing community needs. The strongest proposals are generally those that clearly define the community problem, show how members will deliver a proven or well-supported intervention, describe how impact will be measured, and explain how the program will support members during service while ensuring successful completion and community results.

• The AmeriCorps in the community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment, labor and training, environment, food and nutrition, health, housing, other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 AmeriCorps State and National Competitive Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 94.006.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2026-01-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-03-31. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for AC 01 31 26

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