AmeriCorps Competitive Traditional Grant Program

The Illinois Department of Human Services, through the Office of Community and Positive Youth Development and its Bureau of Volunteerism and Community Service, also identified as IDHS - Serve Illinois, is administering the AmeriCorps Competitive Traditional (Illinois) funding opportunity using federal pass-through funds associated with Assistance Listing 94.006. The program supports eligible organizations that engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions intended to strengthen Illinois communities. AmeriCorps State and National programs are designed to improve lives, strengthen communities, foster civic engagement, and address unmet community needs through national service and volunteering. Funded projects are expected to produce outcomes in areas including education, economic opportunity, healthy futures, and support for veterans. The Department expects to award approximately $3,000,000 through approximately eight awards ranging from $75,000 to $800,000. The average award under this program in previous years was approximately $428,000. Successful applicants may be eligible for two subsequent one-year renewals at the Department's discretion, subject to sufficient appropriations, satisfactory performance, timely reporting, continued prequalification, and the absence of outstanding corrective actions or other compliance issues. The anticipated initial grant period begins no sooner than September 1, 2026 and continues through August 21, 2027. Programs are to be designed to operate for no more than 12 months. Pre-award costs may be approved for one month before the program start date, subject to applicable requirements and approval. Sub-recipient agreements and budgets must be pre-approved by the Department, and the primary grantee remains responsible for sub-recipient performance and monitoring. Applicants are required to provide a financial or in-kind match. A first-time successful applicant must provide a 24 percent grantee share during funding years one through three. The required share increases to 26 percent in years four through six, 28 percent in years seven through nine, and 30 percent beginning in year ten. Match may consist of non-AmeriCorps cash or in-kind contributions, and applicants must identify whether proposed match funding is secured or proposed. Match waivers may be available under AmeriCorps procedures, with Tribal Nations specifically encouraged to request waivers. Indirect costs are permitted subject to applicable federal and Illinois requirements. Applicants may use an approved negotiated rate, the applicable AmeriCorps fixed percentage method, a 15 percent de minimis rate of modified total direct costs, or qualifying direct-cost treatment. No more than five percent of award funds may be used to recover indirect costs on AmeriCorps State and National grants. Costs must comply with 2 CFR Part 200 and program requirements. Certain entertainment, capital expenditures, food or personal-use costs, deposits, and other specified costs are unallowable without prior written approval. Eligible applicants are non-federal organizations including Indian Tribes and qualifying Tribal organizations, institutions of higher education, local governments including school districts, nonprofit organizations, and states and U.S. territories. Applicants must be registered with the State of Illinois, prequalified through the applicable Grantee Portal requirements, registered in SAM.gov, and possess an active Unique Entity Identifier. They must also satisfy Illinois good-standing and exclusion checks. All proposed program designs must be evidence-based or evidence-informed. New and recompeting Program Year 2026 applicants generally must propose at least 20 AmeriCorps members, although this minimum does not apply to Year 2 or Year 3 continuation applicants, Indian Tribe applicants, or qualifying Tribal organizations. Additional restrictions apply to organizations with disqualifying federal criminal violations, unpaid federal tax liabilities, prohibited activities, or certain lobbying activities. Program beneficiaries have no separate IDHS - Serve Illinois or AmeriCorps eligibility requirements, while AmeriCorps members must satisfy the age, education, citizenship or lawful permanent residence, and National Service Criminal History Check requirements stated in the notice. Applicants must submit the complete AmeriCorps application electronically through eGrants and separately email the required Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance, Grantee Conflict of Interest Disclosure, and Uniform Grant Budget Template to DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov. The emailed subject line must include the applicant organization name and 444-80-2808-01. Applicants must also enter a detailed budget in the IDHS CSA Tracking System when instructed by IDHS - Serve Illinois, and the budget must be electronically signed by the applicant's chief executive officer and/or chief financial officer. The application narrative includes the required Executive Summary template, Program Design and Description of Need, Community and Logic Model, Evidence Base, Notice Priority, Member Experience, Organizational Capability and Capacity, Member Supervision, and Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy components. Conditional additional materials include evidence documents, labor union concurrence if applicable, the Operational and Financial Management Survey, evaluation plans and reports for certain recompeting applicants, and Tribal organization eligibility documentation. The narrative is generally limited to 11 double-spaced pages when printed from eGrants, while the Logic Model may not exceed eight pages. Applications are evaluated on a 100-point scale. Program Design and Description of Need accounts for 50 points, including Community and Logic Model, Evidence Tier, Evidence Quality, Notice Priority, and Member Experience. Organizational Capability and Capacity accounts for 25 points, and Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy accounts for 25 points. Review teams consist of at least three internal and/or external reviewers, followed by quality assurance and post-review procedures. Scores are important but are not the sole basis for funding; IDHS may also consider funding priorities, geographic distribution, demonstrated need, service capacity, cost effectiveness, local community presence, and past performance. Final funding authority remains with the Department, and AmeriCorps State and National also conducts a review. Applicants should emphasize alignment with identified priorities, a credible evidence base, strong member experience, organizational capacity, recruitment and retention, and high-quality data collection. The application opened February 20, 2026 and was due March 23, 2026 at 4:00 PM CST. No letter of intent, pre-application, or white paper was required or encouraged. A technical assistance session was scheduled for February 26, 2026 at 1:00 PM CST, but attendance was not required. Eligibility review was scheduled for March 23 through March 27, 2026. The anticipated award announcement date was August 15, 2026, with an anticipated program start date of September 1, 2026. Questions about the opportunity may be directed to Rachael Tuxhorn at DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov, with "FY27 Competitive Traditional NOFO" in the subject line. Technical submission problems may be directed to Cory Blissett at 217-652-4645 or Cory.Blissett@illinois.gov. The source does not state that this competitive funding opportunity recurs on a fixed annual, biennial, or other recurring schedule.

Ensure State of Illinois registration and prequalification are complete by the deadline; maintain active SAM.gov registration and UEI; submit both the eGrants application and separately required emailed documents by 4:00 PM CST on March 23, 2026; follow the required Executive Summary template without deviation; ensure new and recompeting applications generally propose at least 20 AmeriCorps members unless exempt; directly address scored Community and Logic Model, Evidence, Member Experience, Organizational Capacity, recruitment, retention, and data collection criteria; demonstrate that any claimed priority area is a significant program focus with intended outcomes; stay within the 11-page narrative and eight-page Logic Model limits; verify receipt and notify the Department within 48 hours if confirmation is not received.