AmeriCorps VISTA Grants
Stored: AmeriCorps VISTA Grants
| Type | Program |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Organization | AmeriCorps |
| Top Organization | Corporation for National and Community Service |
| Creation Legislation | Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 |
| Website | Website |
| Purpose | The AmeriCorps VISTA Grants fund volunteer service to alleviate poverty and build community capacity. They aim to address education, economic opportunity, and health disparities in underserved areas. |
| Program Start | 1965 |
| Initial Funding | $1.9 million |
| Duration | Ongoing |
| Historic | No |
AmeriCorps VISTA Grants is a Corporation for National and Community Service initiative administered by AmeriCorps that provides funding to over 1,000 nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and tribal entities across all 50 states, territories, and tribal lands, supporting more than 40 grant awards annually and engaging over 7,000 volunteers as of 2025. Established in 1965 as Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, and integrated into AmeriCorps in 1993 (Web ID 19), these grants have disbursed over $2 billion by 2025, with $50 million budgeted for FY 2025 (Web ID 11), enhancing resilience post-Hurricane Helene through poverty-focused recovery projects in regions like Appalachia (Post ID 0).
Goals
- Alleviate poverty through volunteer service in underserved communities.[1]
- Build capacity in education, economic opportunity, and health programs.
- Strengthen community resilience and volunteer infrastructure nationwide.
Organization
The AmeriCorps VISTA Grants were sponsored by AmeriCorps, an independent federal agency under the Corporation for National and Community Service, headquartered at 250 E Street SW, Washington, D.C. Funding comes from Congressional appropriations, supporting over 1,000 grantees—nonprofits, schools, and local governments—across all U.S. jurisdictions, managed by AmeriCorps’s VISTA program office, under CEO Michael D. Smith.
The leader at the agency level was the AmeriCorps CEO, currently Michael D. Smith (as of March 04, 2025), directing grant policies and operations.
History
The AmeriCorps VISTA Grants were established in 1965 under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, originally enacted as part of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson (Web ID 14), with VISTA formalized in 1973 and merged into AmeriCorps in 1993 via the National and Community Service Trust Act (Web ID 19). Starting with $1.9 million in FY 1965 (Web ID 10), the program expanded to 7,000 members annually by 2025 (Web ID 12), faced proposed cuts deferred to 2026 (Web ID 11), and supports resilience post-Hurricane Helene with community recovery efforts (Post ID 0).
Funding
Initial funding in 1965 was $1.9 million from Congressional appropriations. Funding continues, with FY 2025 budgeted at $50 million within CNCS’s $829 million (Web ID 11), and over $2 billion total by 2025, supporting over 40 awards annually with federal cost-of-living allowances for members (Web ID 0), with no end date as appropriations sustain efforts like 2025’s $5 million for Helene recovery (Post ID 5 estimate).
Implementation
The program was implemented through competitive grants and cooperative agreements, funding full-time volunteer service across all U.S. jurisdictions. It operates continuously with no end date, supporting over 7,000 volunteers, with 2025 efforts post-Hurricane Helene enhancing resilience via capacity-building projects in poverty-stricken areas affected by the storm.
Related
External links
- https://www.americorps.gov/partner/how-it-works/americorps-vista
- https://www.americorps.gov/about - AmeriCorps Overview
- https://www.doi.gov/ - Department of the Interior Overview
- wikipedia:AmeriCorps VISTA
Social Media
References
- ↑ "AmeriCorps VISTA Overview," AmeriCorps, accessed March 04, 2025.