DENVER, Tuesday, August 29, 2023 — Serve Colorado, located within the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and which administers Colorado’s AmeriCorps State program, is now accepting applications from nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and state and local agencies who are interested in placing AmeriCorps members in Colorado. AmeriCorps grants help expand services and reach underserved communities through the power of community service. Concept papers for new AmeriCorps programs are due to Serve Colorado on September 22, 2023 at 5:00 PM MT. There will be a Request for Applications (RFA) Orientation Webinar on August 30, 2023 from 10:00 AM MT - 11:00 AM MT. Participants are asked to pre-register online. View the application instructions and additional resources at this link.
“AmeriCorps is a life-changing experience for individuals who are committed to personal growth and community impact. Through Serve Colorado’s programs, community-minded teams embark on a journey of service gaining invaluable skills, credentials, and memorable experiences. By choosing service, members not only contribute to our communities but also invest in their own professional trajectories, becoming leaders who drive positive change in both their own lives and the lives of those they serve,” said Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera.
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. The fall competition will have the following priority areas, but all interested organizations are encouraged to apply.
Workforce Pathways: Programs that create workforce pathways for AmeriCorps members, including deliberate quality credentialing, training, certifications, and hiring preferences or support.
Health Care: Programs that increase access to health care, including behavioral and mental health care, especially in underserved communities.
Green Infrastructure: Programs to help efforts such as promoting and/or increasing energy and water efficiency, weatherization, solar installation, and green jobs development.
Education: Programs that seek to overcome learning loss due to a disruption of education and instability caused by COVID-19, especially programs that focus on wellness and whole child approaches.
Advancing Racial Equity: Programs striving to reduce systemic racism and barriers to opportunity and create communities where everyone has the opportunity to fulfill their potential.
Economic Mobility: Programs that increase Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit enrollment and/or support financial literacy training, tax filing, unified benefit enrollment, education assistance, increasing affordable housing options, increasing awareness and implementation of paid family leave, and other strategies consistent with the shared priorities of the State of Colorado and AmeriCorps.
In addition to the above priorities, Serve Colorado is seeking out partners leading service in rural and mountainous areas, low-income communities, and serving historically underrepresented and underserved individuals. This includes but is not limited to communities of color, immigrants and refugees, people with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, and religious minorities.
Serve Colorado is also accepting planning grant applications via a separate RFA process designed to provide funding to help organizations develop new AmeriCorps programs to address community challenges.. Additional information on the planning grant RFA is available on the Serve Colorado website.
Serve Colorado empowers community-based organizations to meet locally identified needs and statewide challenges through service and volunteerism. Guided by the Governor's Commission for Community Service, Serve Colorado administers the AmeriCorps program in Colorado and promotes community service throughout the state to build a culture of citizenship, service, and individual responsibility. To learn more about Serve Colorado’s programs and serving with AmeriCorps, visit servecolorado.colorado.gov.