Governor’s proposed budget expands Washington AmeriCorps programs

Budget proposal includes new Climate Corps, equity fund assistance for BIPOC-led organizations hosting AmeriCorps programs

OLYMPIA-- Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposed 2023-2025 budget will support two new AmeriCorps service opportunities as well as existing AmeriCorps programs administered by Serve Washington, the state’s commission for national and community service.

Under the proposed budget, Serve Washington would receive investments to create a Climate Service Corps. This would create service opportunities for young adults and veterans to prepare communities and ecosystems for climate impacts. It would also support a program where Serve Washington would work with law enforcement, corrections employees, and other organizations to develop an AmeriCorps program. This new program would focus on building a service-to-career pipeline for participants who want to work in law enforcement fields.

Other highlights include a new equity fund to help small, community-led BIPOC organizations host AmeriCorps programs, and one-time emergency assistance funds for AmeriCorps members. These funds would go to members who experience significant unforeseen circumstances during their terms of service and who don’t have many personal resources to access.

AmeriCorps is a national community service program where AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve directly with nonprofit organizations to tackle the nation’s most pressing challenges. Over the course of their service, AmeriCorps members serve in program focus areas related to economic opportunity, healthy futures, environmental stewardship, disaster services, education and the needs of veterans and military families

Below is a summary of Serve Washington initiatives that would receive support under the governor’s proposed budget:

Total proposed: $10.7 million GFS; $10.9 million other

AmeriCorps emergency assistance

Serve Washington will provide one-time emergency assistance funds – up to $500 – for AmeriCorps members who experience significant, unforeseen circumstances that have accompanying financial costs and who don’t have personal resources to tap into. This finding will help them finish their AmeriCorps service term. (General Fund - Private/Local, General Fund - State, General Fund - Local)

AmeriCorps equity fund (BIPOC)

Serve Washington would receive funding to support small, community-based organizations led by BIPOC people as well as rural organizations, to access AmeriCorps resources.

The funds will help historically marginalized and under-resourced organizations host AmeriCorps members through one of Washington’s AmeriCorps intermediary programs. They will also provide technical assistance to those organizations to help them navigate federal national service resources and build administrative systems to help them become more competitive in applying for AmeriCorps and federal funding. (General Fund - State, General Fund - Private/Local, General Fund - Local)

AmeriCorps career pathway

The AmeriCorps career pathway funding will allow Serve Washington to expand a pilot program that supports efforts to provide AmeriCorps members with a transition pathway from service to a career. (General Fund - State)

AmeriCorps Climate Service Corps

Serve Washington will establish the Washington Climate Service Corps to promote climate action programs for among young adults and veterans. This new corps will provide them with education, workforce development and career pathways to climate resiliency, decarbonization, and protecting natural resources. (General Fund - Federal, Climate Commitment Account - State)

AmeriCorps equity enhancements

Serve Washington will work with the Employment Security Department’s Washington Service Corps to increase living stipends to all AmeriCorps members in the state who have incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level.

These equity enhancements align with the Governor’s Subcabinet on Intergenerational Poverty and the Governor’s Poverty Reduction work group, which used lived experiences to create recommendations on how Washington can reduce poverty in our communities. (General Fund - State)

AmeriCorps community engagement with law enforcement

This funding will establish new AmeriCorps partnerships with law enforcement agency programs patterned after Olympia Ambassadors or Seattle’s Beyond the Badge. Federal funding will match state AmeriCorps funds. (General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State)

Serve Washington support

The proposed budget will also allow Serve Washington to continue meeting statutory oversight requirements, increase community emergency response teams (CERT) CERT programming, and oversee federal and philanthropic grants. (General Fund - State)

Summaries of the governor’s budget proposals for Serve Washington can be found on  OFM’s website.

About Serve Washington

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. 

Serve Washington is a division of the Office of Financial Management. Serve Washington administers AmeriCorps national service programs in the state of Washington. AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve directly with nonprofit organizations to address issues related economic opportunity, healthy futures, environmental stewardship, disaster services, education and the needs of veterans and military families. For more information, visit servewashington.wa.gov.

About AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for volunteering and national service, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency invests more than $800 million in grants for local nonprofit, community, tribal and state organizations; places more than 250,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.