AmeriCorps Formula Fixed Grant Program

The Illinois Department of Human Services, through the Office of Community and Positive Youth Development and the Bureau of Volunteerism and Community Service, is administering the AmeriCorps Formula Fixed (Illinois) funding opportunity, number 27-444-80-2809-01. The program is supported with federal pass-through funding associated with Assistance Listing 94.006. IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National support eligible organizations that engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions designed to strengthen communities, improve lives, and foster civic engagement through national service and volunteerism. The opportunity is open to new applicants serving any community located in Illinois and is described as a legacy, established program that remains open to new applicants. The general purpose of the funding is to support eligible organizations that identify an unmet community need that can be addressed by AmeriCorps members. Funded projects are expected to produce outcomes in areas such as education, economic opportunity, healthy futures, and support for veterans. IDHS - Serve Illinois identifies additional priorities that include serving communities with concentrated poverty, rural communities, and tribal communities; expanding youth mental health and substance use recovery services; improving quality of life for veterans and military families; supporting public safety and crime prevention; expanding outdoor recreation and public land stewardship; developing workforce pathways; strengthening families; improving the AmeriCorps member experience; serving formerly incarcerated and at-risk youth; and using evidence to scale, replicate, or adapt effective interventions. Priority consideration does not guarantee funding. Programs must recruit, train, supervise, and manage AmeriCorps members in approved service positions and implement the approved program plan, performance measures, and evaluation activities. The Department expects to award approximately $500,000 in total federal pass-through funding through approximately three awards. Individual awards are anticipated to range from $100,000 to $150,000, and the average award in previous years was $135,000. Cost sharing or matching is not required. Indirect costs may not be applied to the grant award, although grantees must complete an indirect cost rate election through the applicable Illinois system. The NOFO states that pre-award costs are subject to IDHS Budget Committee discretion, review, and prior approval, and it later states that applicants funded under the Notice are approved for pre-award costs for one month prior to the start of their program. Grant costs are governed by applicable federal and State requirements, including 2 CFR Part 200. Specific costs requiring prior written approval include certain entertainment costs, capital expenditures, improvements to land, buildings, or equipment, food or personal-use goods and services outside authorized circumstances, and deposits for items, services, or space. Eligible applicants include Indian Tribes and qualifying tribal organizations, institutions of higher education, local governments including school districts, nonprofit organizations, and States and U.S. Territories, subject to the geographic limitation that this Illinois opportunity is for programs serving communities in Illinois. Applicants must meet State registration and prequalification requirements by the application deadline. They must also satisfy applicable SAM.gov and Unique Entity Identifier requirements, remain in good standing where required with the Illinois Secretary of State, and not appear on applicable stop-payment, SAM.gov exclusion, or Medicaid sanctions lists. All applicants must propose an evidence-based or evidence-informed program design, and applications rated as having insufficient evidence are removed from funding consideration. Organizations that have violated applicable federal criminal statutes, have prohibited unpaid federal tax liabilities, propose prohibited activities, or are lobbying organizations described under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4) are subject to the restrictions stated in the NOFO. Applications must include all required materials because the Department states that it will not contact applicants for missing required items and substantially incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. Required materials include the Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance, Program Narrative, Executive Summary using the required template language, Program Design and Description of Need, Evidence Base materials, budget and budget narrative information, Uniform Grant Budget Template, Grantee Conflict of Interest Disclosure, performance measures, and a Logic Model. Depending on the applicant's history and status, additional materials may include evidence documents, labor union concurrence, the Operational and Financial Management Survey, an Evaluation Plan, an Evaluation Report, and tribal organization eligibility documentation. The narrative sections are subject to an 11-page double-spaced limit, while the Logic Model may not exceed eight double-spaced pages. The complete application package and required emailed documents must be sent electronically to DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov, and the budget must be entered and electronically signed in the CSA system when instructed by IDHS - Serve Illinois. The application email subject line must include the applicant organization name and 444-80-2809-01. 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, including Organizational Background and Staffing and Member Supervision. Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy accounts for 25 points, including Member Recruitment, Member Retention, and Data Collection. Merit review is conducted by a team of three or more internal and/or external reviewers, followed by quality assurance and post-review procedures. Numerical scores and review panel recommendations are important but are not the sole basis for awards. IDHS retains final authority and may consider factors such as geographic distribution, demonstrated need, service capacity, cost effectiveness, local community presence, prior State grantee performance, funding priorities, rural representation, innovative strategies, and other strategic considerations. The Department may also negotiate award amounts, targets, and deliverables with successful applicants. The application was posted May 13, 2026, and the Department offered a web-based technical assistance session on May 20, 2026 at 1:00 PM CST. No letter of intent, pre-application, white paper, or other preliminary submission is required. The full application deadline was June 12, 2026 at 4:00 PM CST, with eligibility review expected between June 12 and June 15, 2026. Questions about the NOFO could be submitted to Rachael Tuxhorn at DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov, using FY27 Formula Fixed NOFO in the subject line, and questions received up to three business days before the end of the posting period were to be posted on the Department's website. Technical submission difficulties could be directed to Cory Blissett at 217-652-4645 or Cory.Blissett@illinois.gov. The anticipated award announcement date is August 15, 2026. Subject to appropriation, the grant period begins no sooner than September 1, 2026 and continues through August 31, 2027. Successful applicants may be eligible for two subsequent one-year renewals at the Department's discretion, subject to sufficient appropriations, satisfactory performance, timely reporting, and continued good standing. The source does not expressly state that the funding opportunity itself recurs on a fixed annual or other regular solicitation schedule.

Submit every required document because IDHS states it will not contact applicants for missing items; complete Illinois registration and prequalification before the deadline; devote substantial attention to Program Design/Description of Need because it carries 50 of 100 points; clearly connect the intervention, Logic Model, performance measures, and evidence base; show that any claimed funding priority is a significant part of program focus and intended outcomes; demonstrate sufficient organizational controls and member supervision; explain recruitment, retention, and data-collection costs in the budget; follow the required Executive Summary template without deviation; confirm page limits, file sizes, file naming, email subject requirements, and correct submission address before submitting.