Message From AmeriCorps Seniors
Dear colleagues,
Spring is here and it is a beautiful season in our nation’s capital. Recently, thousands of tourists came to the capitol to celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival. It was a clear indication that spring has come.
The other day, I typed “The need for older Americans to volunteer” into a search engine. Under "examples of volunteer opportunities", AmeriCorps Seniors was at the top of the list. When I scrolled through the links, I found a link to our web page that highlights the fact that, through AmeriCorps Seniors, more than 143,000 volunteers are matched with service opportunities offered through local partners in communities across the country and U.S. territories. I do not believe if I would have typed the same question into a search engine ten years ago that AmeriCorps Seniors would have been highlighted. This is progress and reflects our combined efforts to raise our profile and share the impact that older Americans have on their communities through service. This path also led me to ponder data we all know, that one in every five Americans is projected to be 60 or older by 2030 (Demographic Turning Points for the United Sates: Population Projections for 2020 to 2060), and the possibilities that are ahead.
This led me to think about two upcoming celebrations. First, National Volunteer Week (established in 1974), is an opportunity to recognize the impact of volunteer service and the power of volunteers to tackle society’s greatest challenges, to build stronger communities, and be a force that transforms the world, which is scheduled for April 20-26. Second, Older Americans Month (established in 1963), celebrated in May as a time to recognize the contributions of older Americans and highlight aging trends, led by the Administration for Community Living. The theme for this year is "Flip the Script on Aging".
My challenge to each of you is to consider how you can focus on transforming the way your local community perceives and values the impact of older Americans. Do the leaders in your organization hear from you regularly about how AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers are addressing local issues? What stories have you submitted to local media outlets highlighting how AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers are improving community outcomes? How are you educating elected officials in all parts of government on the impact of AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers? Finally, think about what we want to come up in a search engine ten years from now when someone types in "What is the impact when older American’s Flip the Script on Aging and Volunteer?"
Please share with us how you are raising the awareness in your local communities on the impact of older Americans who serve through AmeriCorps Seniors programs.
Let me end with my sincere thanks to each of you for the support you pour into older Americans in your community. Thank you for the planning and preparations you are undertaking now to honor AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers during National Volunteer Week and Older Americans month.
With my sincerest thanks,
Robin Corindo, Acting Director
AmeriCorps Seniors
Nominate an Outstanding AmeriCorps Seniors Program Director
Do you know a stellar program director who deserves to be recognized for their exceptional service, leadership, or impact in the community? Nominations are now open for the AmeriCorps Seniors 2025 Awards! Help us recognize those who go above and beyond. Submit your nomination by Friday, May 30.
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Training Corner
Upcoming Trainings
Join the following upcoming trainings to gain valuable insight into managing your AmeriCorps Seniors grant. These sessions will provide essential tools and strategies to support successful program management and implementation.
AmeriCorps Seniors Grantee Essentials TTA:
Centralized Recruitment Unit:
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Recruitment Policies, Procedures, and Supporting Agency Resources: Wednesday, April 16, 2 p.m. ET
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Social Media Best Practices/ Branding Guides Resources: Wednesday, May 21, 2 p.m. ET
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Engaging with Accepted Members Prior to Service: Wednesday, June 18,
2 p.m. ET
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Data for Recruitment: Wednesday, July 16, 2 p.m. ET
National Service Criminal History Check:
Missed a training or want to explore the full schedule? Check out the FY 2025 AmeriCorps Seniors Events Schedule. The schedule provides a complete list of trainings, registration links, recordings, presentations, and other materials.
Monthly Spotlight on Training Resources
This month, we are highlighting Project Progress Report from the March 2025 Grantee Essentials Training and Technical Assistance call.
This recording provides a basic overview of reporting deadlines, the purpose of the Project Progress Report, a walkthrough of how to complete the report, and additional resources to help you plan for and complete the report. This call also spotlights how the Texas Health and Human Services Foster Grandparent Program uses data and narratives to tell their story.
The presentation materials are posted to Litmos under “Additional References”. Note: If you are using the direct link, you must first log in to Litmos, then click the link to the course.
For technical support, to request access, or if you need assistance accessing these pages using assistive technology, email: serviceresources@americorps.gov.
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Program Updates and Requirements
AmeriCorps Seniors Final Rule
Rule went into effect Tuesday, Oct. 1.
AmeriCorps has implemented a final rule to modernize AmeriCorps Seniors. These new changes make it easier for older adults to volunteer and help their communities. The final regulations include:
- Modernized Income Calculation
- Stipend Continuation During Administrative Leave
- Supplementing Stipends
- Consistency in Match Requirements
Please see the AmeriCorps Seniors Final Rule fact sheet for additional information on these changes. Note: AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Operations Handbook has been updated to reflect the consistency in match requirements.
Operational Handbook Update
The AmeriCorps Seniors operational handbooks were updated on Tuesday, April 15.
Reporting Requirements
For reporting deadlines, review your grant's program-specific terms and conditions (see the section titled “Reporting Requirements”):
Reports will be made available in eGrants 90 days before the due date. If the option to enter report data is not available in eGrants, please reach out to your portfolio manager.
Current Reports Due: AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Quarter Three Grants (23SR and 24SR grantees):
- Federal Financial Report: Due Wednesday, April 30.
- Project Progress Report Annual: Due Wednesday, April 30.
Current Reports Due: AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Quarter Three Grants (22SR grantees and temporary sponsors that had to enter Competition):
- Project Progress Report Annual: Due Friday, June 6
- Federal Financial Report Final: Due Thursday, Sept. 4
For instructions on the project progress report and federal financial report, visit your program's grantee resources section, select “submit a progress report” or “submit a Federal Financial Report” as the action, then click “apply” to show the resources.
AmeriCorps Seniors Operations Handbooks
Litmos Trainings for Reporting
2025 Income Guidelines
The 2025 AmeriCorps Seniors Income Guidelines for the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs are posted to grantee pages.
Data in Action
Every year, AmeriCorps produces a comprehensive report about national service investments across the United States. The 2025 National Service Reports calculate the financial investment by AmeriCorps in each state and territory across the nation. These profiles paint a complete picture of the number of national service projects in each state, as well as how many AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers are serving from February 2024 to February 2025.
Use this link to explore the National Service Reports. Select your state from the drop-down menu to learn about AmeriCorps’ investment in your state.
Access the National Service Toolkit to find graphics, sample social media, press templates, and more to help you amplify your messaging!
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Elder Justice Corner
From our colleagues at the Federal Trade Commission.
What to Know About Jury Duty Scams
Being summoned for jury duty comes with serious consequences for non-compliance, such as fines, court dates, or jail time. Scammers exploit this by contacting you via phone or email, claiming you missed jury duty and must pay to avoid arrest. This is a scam. Here’s how to spot it.
You receive an unexpected “urgent” call or email from someone posing as a U.S. Marshal or police officer, alleging you missed jury duty and face arrest unless you pay immediately. You never received a summons, and courts don’t operate this way. These are scammers after your money or identity through details like your Social Security number or birthdate.
Signs of a scam:
- Courts never demand payment over the phone; no legitimate government agency does.
- Scammers push for payment via gift cards, apps, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers like Western Union or MoneyGram.
- Courts don’t request sensitive info like Social Security numbers or birthdates over the phone; scammers do.
- If you get such a call or email, don’t reply, pay, or share personal info. To verify, visit the court’s official website or call them using a trusted number.
For more information, visit the Federal Trade Commission.
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Grantee and Sponsor Guidance on Compliance Website
A new page is available on the AmeriCorps website entitled Grantee and Sponsor Guidance on Compliance. This page is a resource for grantees and sponsors on executive order compliance. Grantees and sponsors must ensure all sub applicants, volunteer stations, operating sites, and host sites are compliant with executive orders through their memorandum of understanding and subsite monitoring.
National Service Criminal History Checks
Effective Tuesday, April 1, AmeriCorps reduced the maximum amount of time for which costs are generally disallowed for National Service Criminal History Check noncompliance from six months to three months.
In addition, grant recipients may request AmeriCorps staff review their criminal history check policies to provide recommendations based on AmeriCorps regulations.
For additional details on these updates, please review the Wednesday, March 26 notice.
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