Opportunity Information: Apply for CNCS 03 07 20
The FY 2020 Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) Announcement is a discretionary federal grant opportunity offered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), listed under CFDA 94.021. The program is designed to build stronger local and regional systems for volunteering by helping organizations improve how they recruit, manage, support, and retain volunteers. Rather than focusing on volunteer service as a one-off activity, this funding emphasizes strengthening the underlying infrastructure that makes high-quality volunteer engagement possible and sustainable over time.
At its core, the VGF program funds efforts that expand volunteering and improve the effectiveness of volunteer connector organizations. These are organizations that play a central role in matching community needs with people who are willing and able to serve, especially in roles that require specific professional or technical skills. CNCS is specifically interested in approaches that both increase the number of volunteers and improve the quality of volunteer assignments, with an emphasis on skill-based volunteer engagement and better retention. The goal is not only to bring more people into service, but to ensure volunteers are placed in well-designed roles, receive the support they need, and are used strategically to help address real community problems.
Grant funds can be used to develop and/or support community-based entities that carry out volunteer generation work. Funded applicants have flexibility in how they deliver the program: they may conduct the supported activities directly, or they may distribute the funds through subgrants to community-based organizations. This structure allows an applicant to function either as an operator running volunteer recruitment and management activities itself, or as a pass-through entity that strengthens multiple local partners by funding and supporting their volunteer systems. In either model, the emphasis remains on building capacity at the community level so organizations can more consistently recruit, train, coordinate, and retain volunteers in meaningful, high-impact assignments.
Administratively, the opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number CNCS 03 07 20 and falls under the “Other” funding activity category as described in the official notice. The announcement was created on March 6, 2020, with an original application deadline of May 6, 2020. CNCS anticipated making approximately 25 awards. The public listing shows an award ceiling of $0, which typically indicates that the ceiling amount was not specified in the summary fields and applicants would need to consult the full notice for exact funding ranges, budget limitations, and any matching or cost-share requirements. Eligibility is labeled broadly as “Others,” meaning the detailed eligibility rules are provided in the official eligibility section of the notice rather than summarized in the listing.
Overall, this grant opportunity is geared toward organizations that can demonstrate a clear plan for improving volunteer engagement systems: recruiting more people, placing them in high-quality roles, providing strong management and support, and retaining them over time. CNCS is looking for effective, practical strategies that help communities use volunteers in a more targeted and results-driven way, either through direct program delivery or by funding and strengthening partner organizations through subgrants.Apply for CNCS 03 07 20
- The Corporation for National and Community Service in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2020 Volunteer Generation Fund Announcement" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 94.021.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 06, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 06, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 25 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) FY 2020 - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FY 2020 Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grant opportunity?
The FY 2020 Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity offered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). It is listed under CFDA 94.021 and is focused on strengthening systems for volunteering at the local and regional level.
What is the main purpose of the VGF program?
The program is designed to build stronger local and regional systems for volunteering by helping organizations improve how they recruit, manage, support, and retain volunteers. The emphasis is on strengthening long-term volunteer engagement infrastructure rather than treating volunteering as a one-time activity.
What outcomes is CNCS trying to achieve with VGF funding?
CNCS is interested in approaches that (1) increase the number of volunteers and (2) improve the quality and effectiveness of volunteer assignments. The goal is to place volunteers in well-designed roles, provide appropriate support and management, and improve volunteer retention over time.
What kinds of organizations does VGF aim to support?
VGF emphasizes improving the effectiveness of "volunteer connector organizations," meaning organizations that play a central role in matching community needs with individuals willing and able to serve, including in roles that require professional or technical skills.
What does the term "volunteer connector organization" mean in this announcement?
Based on the announcement description, volunteer connector organizations are entities that connect people who want to volunteer with community needs and service opportunities, especially opportunities that benefit from specific skill sets (for example, professional or technical skills).
Does this grant focus more on direct volunteer service or on volunteer infrastructure?
The emphasis is on volunteer infrastructure: building and improving the systems that allow organizations to recruit, train, coordinate, support, and retain volunteers in high-quality, high-impact assignments over time.
What types of activities can VGF grant funds be used for?
Grant funds can be used to develop and/or support community-based entities that carry out volunteer generation work, including efforts to improve volunteer recruitment, management, support, and retention systems. The announcement highlights expanding volunteering and improving assignment quality, with particular interest in skill-based volunteer engagement and retention.
Is the program specifically interested in skill-based volunteering?
Yes. CNCS highlights an emphasis on skill-based volunteer engagement and placing volunteers into roles that require specific professional or technical skills, alongside improving the overall quality of volunteer assignments and retention.
Can applicants deliver the program directly, or do they have to make subgrants?
Applicants have flexibility. They may conduct the supported activities directly, or they may distribute funds through subgrants to community-based organizations. Either approach is intended to build capacity at the community level for sustained volunteer engagement.
What is meant by an "operator" model versus a "pass-through" model?
The announcement indicates two broad approaches: (1) an operator model where the applicant runs volunteer recruitment and management activities directly, and (2) a pass-through model where the applicant subgrants funding to community-based organizations to strengthen multiple partners' volunteer engagement systems.
What is the role of community-based entities in this program?
Community-based entities are the organizations carrying out volunteer generation work on the ground. VGF funding can be used to develop and support these entities so they can recruit, train, coordinate, and retain volunteers more effectively in meaningful roles.
How many awards did CNCS anticipate making?
CNCS anticipated making approximately 25 awards under this funding opportunity.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is CNCS 03 07 20.
What is the CFDA number associated with this grant?
The CFDA number listed for this program is 94.021.
When was the announcement created?
The announcement was created on March 6, 2020.
What was the application deadline for the original announcement?
The original application deadline listed was May 6, 2020.
What funding activity category is listed for this opportunity?
The funding activity category is listed as "Other" in the public notice summary.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The public listing shows an award ceiling of $0. This typically indicates that the ceiling amount was not specified in the summary fields, and that applicants would need to consult the full official notice for details such as funding ranges, budget limits, and any match or cost-share requirements.
Is eligibility clearly defined in the summary listing?
Eligibility is labeled broadly as "Others" in the listing, which suggests the detailed eligibility rules are provided in the official eligibility section of the notice rather than summarized in the public listing fields.
Does the announcement mention match or cost-share requirements?
The summary information provided does not specify match or cost-share requirements. It notes that applicants would typically need to consult the full notice for exact funding ranges, budget limitations, and any matching or cost-share requirements.
What makes an application align well with the goals described in the announcement?
Based on the description, a strong alignment would include a clear plan to improve volunteer engagement systems by recruiting more volunteers, placing them into high-quality roles, providing strong volunteer management and support, and improving retention over time. Approaches that are practical, effective, and focused on targeted, results-driven volunteer use are emphasized.
Is this opportunity geared toward one-time events or sustained volunteer engagement?
It is geared toward sustained volunteer engagement. The announcement explicitly emphasizes strengthening the underlying infrastructure that makes high-quality volunteer engagement possible and sustainable over time.
Does VGF focus on addressing real community problems?
Yes. The description notes that volunteers should be used strategically to help address real community problems, with volunteer roles designed to be meaningful and high-impact.
Is the goal only to increase the number of volunteers?
No. While increasing the number of volunteers is a goal, the program also stresses improving the quality of volunteer assignments, strengthening management and support systems, and improving retention so volunteer engagement is more effective and sustainable.
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