Serve Washington receives $16.3 million in AmeriCorps funding

Funding will support 1,462 AmeriCorps members

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Serve Washington, the governor-appointed state service commission, announced today that the state has received a total of $16.3 million in AmeriCorps State program funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency for volunteering and service programs.

“National service is an essential part of the solution to many of the challenges facing our state.” Gov. Jay Inslee said. “These AmeriCorps members will meet pressing local needs while developing civic and leadership skills that will last a lifetime. I congratulate these outstanding organizations and thank all those who serve Washington state through AmeriCorps.”

“AmeriCorps members make a powerful impact on the toughest challenges facing our state,” said Serve Washington Executive Director Debbie Schuffenhauer. “Building on Washington’s strong tradition of neighbor helping neighbor, communities across the state are stronger and more resilient because of dedicated AmeriCorps members. As they serve others, AmeriCorps members will also expand opportunity for themselves by gaining skills and experience to jump-start their careers.”

The federal investment includes seven competitive AmeriCorps grants to Washington nonprofits and to state and local governments totaling $13.5 million, which will support 1,248 AmeriCorps members. These members will tackle some of the toughest problems in Washington, including assisting with disaster response and recovery, helping in education settings, preserving the environment, and supporting veterans and military families. The federal investment is expected to generate an additional $18.5 million in local support to increase community impact and return on investment.

The federal investment also includes $2.8 million in formula funding that Serve Washington can use to make grant awards. These will support 214 AmeriCorps members.

In addition, CNCS will also provide up to $8.3 million in education scholarships to help AmeriCorps members pay for college or vocational training, or pay back student loans.

Competitive AmeriCorps grants in Washington are as described below. 

Competitive grants	Total Award	# of AmeriCorps members
College Access Now	$384,900	30
EarthCorps - EarthCorps Corps Program	$440,000	40
Educational Service District #101 - Spokane Service Team	$276,427	51
Washington Department of Ecology - Washington Conservation Corps	$1,823,920	285
Washington Department of Veterans Affairs - Vet Corps	$630,500	50
Washington Employment Security Department - Washington Reading Corps	$2,790,000	225
Washington Employment Security Department - Washington Service Corps	$7,149,870	567

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition to competitive grants, here are the grants made available through formula funding.

Formula grants	Total Award	# of AmeriCorps members
College Success Foundation - College and Career Coaches Program	$235,800	18
Communities In Schools of Washington - Washington State CIS AmeriCorps Project	$345,750	25
Community Youth Services - AmeriCorps Youth in Service	$276,600	20
City Year, Inc. - City Year Seattle	$341,600	28
Kitsap Community Resources - KCR AmeriCorps	$268,600	20
Life Works - Cowlitz AmeriCorps Network	$402,900	30
Northwest Leadership Foundation - Urban Leaders in Training	$157,296	12
Pasco School District #1 - Regional Service Corps	$276,600	20
Port Angeles School District - Port Angeles School District AmeriCorps	$217,808	16
United Way of King County - Ready and Resilient	$324,750	25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Organizations are now recruiting for AmeriCorps members to begin service this fall. AmeriCorps members typically receive a modest living stipend and a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, or scholarship, upon completion of service. The award can be used to pay for future education costs or to pay back student loans. Those interested in serving can learn more at americorps.gov/join.

Since the program’s inception in 1994, more than 1 million men and women have served in AmeriCorps, providing more than 1.4 billion hours of service. They have earned more than $3.3 billion in education scholarships to pay for college or pay back student loans, of which more than $1.0 billion has been used to repay student loan debt.

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Serve Washington advances national service, volunteerism and civic engagement to improve lives; expands opportunity to meet the local critical needs of residents of Washington; and strengthens community capacity while creating healthy and resilient communities. For more information, visit www.servewashington.wa.gov.

AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and the Volunteer Generation Fund, and leads volunteer initiatives for the nation. For more information, visit www.NationalService.gov.