Gov. Jay Inslee announced today that Serve Washington, the state’s commission on national and community service, has been awarded $21.3 million in federal AmeriCorps funding that will help place 1,490 AmeriCorps members statewide.
AmeriCorps is the 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.
“AmeriCorps members are a force multiplier when it comes to helping communities thrive,” Inslee said. “Their resourcefulness, creativity and unwavering dedication to service has helped community organizations meet critical needs of the most vulnerable Washingtonians. I’m proud we have these AmeriCorps members to help our communities thrive though results-driven service and make Washington state an even greater place to live.”
In addition to federal allocations, AmeriCorps programs in Washington leverage an additional $28.2 million in local matching funds. AmeriCorps is based on public-private partnerships. That means AmeriCorps grantees need to raise significant outside resources, which includes support at the local level, to operate their programs.
AmeriCorps programs continue to be an important partner to address critical needs and systemic inequities in Washington that have been heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Serve Washington Executive Director Amber Martin-Jahn said many AmeriCorps programs pivoted their focus the last two years to address issues around food and housing insecurity, student learning loss and mental health among young people.
“AmeriCorps members stepped in to serve their communities in many ways and faced these critical needs head on,” Martin-Jahn said. “As powerful as that is, I am reminded daily of the double bottom line AmeriCorps offers through its investment, development and support of the AmeriCorps members themselves. We are honored our AmeriCorps programs will continue to partner with philanthropies, nonprofits and state agencies to meet these challenges.”
Over the next year, 1,490 AmeriCorps members will earn up to a combined $9 million in education awards. Members will receive approximately $6,495 each through an AmeriCorps Segal Education Award after they complete 1,700 hours of service to pay for college or pay off student loans.
About the funding:
Serve Washington is the state commission that administers AmeriCorps state funds in Washington, the majority of which is awarded through a national competition. At the federal level, funds from the highly competitive award process comes from AmeriCorps, the federal agency also known as the Corporation for National and Community Service, responsible for AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs.
Occurring in the fall of each year, competitive grants for AmeriCorps program proposals are put into a pool of applicants for a national grant review process. Formula grants occur in the spring of each year. Program proposals are put into a pool of applicants at the state commission level for a decision on funding made by the state’s service commissioners.
Twenty-one organizations across the state will run 23 AmeriCorps programs, which will place AmeriCorps members at hundreds of service locations statewide.
Three more organizations have also been awarded planning grants. Planning grants help provide training and technical assistance to organizations that are developing new AmeriCorps programs.
Serve Washington AmeriCorps grants and member positions will be distributed as follows:
| Competitive grants (operational) | Total federal award | Number of AmeriCorps members | County(ies) serving |
| City Year, Inc. – City Year Seattle | $2,017,440 | 94 | King |
| College Possible | $648,000 | 30 | King |
| EarthCorps | $508,000 | 40 | Island, King, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish |
| NEW Educational Service District #101 – Spokane Service Team | $459,671 | 60 | Spokane |
| United Way of King County | $1,296,000 | 60 | King |
| Washington Department of Ecology – Washington Conservation Corps | $2,105,224 | 285 | Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Grant, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, King, Kitsap |
| Washington Department of Veterans Affairs – Vet Corps | $681,600 | 50 | Statewide |
| Washington State Employment Security Department – Public Health AmeriCorps | $225,137 | 8 | King |
| Washington Employment Security Department –Washington Reading Corps | $1,778,750 | 125 | Statewide |
| Washington Employment Security Department –Washington Service Corps | $6,369,300 | 450 | Statewide |
Formula grants (operational)
Total federal award
Number of AmeriCorps members
County(ies) serving
| Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council – AmeriCorps | $540,000 | 25 | Chelan |
| College Success Foundation – College and Career Coaches Program | $410,400 | 19 | King, Pierce, Yakima |
| Common Threads Farm | $657,356 | 71 | Island, King, Whatcom |
| iFoster – TAY AmeriCorps WA | $373,137 | 30 | King, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Yakima |
| Pasco School District #1 – Serve Tri-Cities | $555,801 | 30 | Benton, Franklin |
| Port Angeles School District AmeriCorps | $313,170 | 16 | Clallam |
| Tacoma Boat Builders–Safe Streets Imagine Justice Campaign | $514,000 | 20 | Pierce |
| Sea-Mar Community Health Center | $428,400 | 17 | Clark, Grays Harbor, King, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Whatcom |
| United Way of Benton &Franklin Counties | $315,435 | 20 | Benton, Franklin |
| Planning Grants | Total federal award | County(ies) served |
| Girl Scouts of Western Washington | $75,000 | Clallam, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Benton, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Whatcom |
| Lewis County Community Health Services (Valley View Health Center) | $66,223 | Lewis, Pacific, Thurston |
| Salvation Army | $75,000 | statewide |
Two multistate programs headquartered in Washington state also received AmeriCorps federal grants: Mount Adams Institute VetsWork Environment and Western Washington University-Washington Campus Compact.
Organizations are now recruiting for AmeriCorps members to begin service this fall. AmeriCorps members typically receive a modest living stipend and an education award after they complete their service. Those interested in serving can learn more on the Serve Washington 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. 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.
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