Serve Colorado is now accepting applications for 2021-2022 AmeriCorps State planning and operational grant funding for community partnerships to engage AmeriCorps members to meet state and local needs. Planning grants provide funding for one year to design and develop new AmeriCorps programs that can address community challenges. Operational grants provide funding to organizations who are ready to implement a full AmeriCorps program, with members on the ground as early as August 2021.
Serve Colorado believes that AmeriCorps can be part of the solution for a wide range of community challenges and welcomes creative proposals addressing a broad range of community needs. Priorities for this round of funding include programs that address the following:
• COVID-19 response and recovery efforts including meeting immediate needs and workforce development;
• Education and youth development programming including efforts that seek to overcome learning loss due to COVID-19 disruptions;
• Health initiatives including behavioral and mental health programming and increasing access to health care;
• Advancing racial equity; and
• The creation of a Colorado Climate Corps to provide capacity and support for local and tribal governments to develop and execute climate action plans/projects; expand conservation corps to do hands-on projects including wildfire and flood mitigation; and, implement energy and environmental projects that advance climate resilience.
In addition to the above priorities, Serve Colorado is also particularly interested in programs that aim to support: development in rural and mountainous communities; Tribal governments and American Indian/Alaska Native communities; immigrant and migrant communities; veterans and military families. They are also prioritizing the challenges of youth aging out of the foster care system and the affordability of housing or child care.
“AmeriCorps was made for times like these. The COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges as well as increased existing needs in our communities. Hosting an AmeriCorps program can be an amazing opportunity to gain the people power needed to tackle some of those needs,” said Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera. “I look forward to hearing about the creative ideas proposed for new programs in this round of funding.”
Colorado’s AmeriCorps State programs provide funding for AmeriCorps members to support nonprofit and faith-based organizations, as well as state, tribal and local governments, in addressing critical needs in their communities. Nearly 1,000 AmeriCorps State members of all ages and backgrounds will serve this year to improve the lives of Coloradans. Members will provide: tutoring and mentoring; COVID-19 resource navigation and contact tracing; environmental stewardship; volunteer coordination; emergency food and housing services; and much more.
Concept papers for operational grants are due to Serve Colorado on March 14, 2021 at 11:59 pm MT. Planning grant applications are due to Serve Colorado on April 21, 2020 at 5:00 pm MT. There will be an information session on Thursday, February 11 at 11:00 am MT.
Access to the information session and its recording along with application instructions and additional resources are available at https://servecolorado.colorado.gov/.