Intermediaries and Grant Management

One way to increase the ability of afterschool programs to utilize AmeriCorps is through the use of intermediaries that serve as the primary grantee for multiple afterschool programs that may not have the capacity to manage an AmeriCorps grant on their own. Intermediaries can include your statewide afterschool network, libraries, museums, school districts, United Ways, or other local groups interested in serving as the state, regional, or community host for multiple AmeriCorps members serving in afterschool sites. Intermediaries focus on assigning AmeriCorps members to afterschool sites and can be a great way to help create programs in both rural and/or urban under-resourced communities.

One effective strategy to minimize the grant requirement for matching funds includes working with multiple programs to write one grant and have AmeriCorps members disbursed to several afterschool programs. This strategy allows for afterschool programs and organizations to collaborate and share a grant where each can provide a smaller financial match to host the AmeriCorps members collectively.

An intermediary organization can help you manage and start the grant process. Contact your state service commission for ideas and resources to identify potential intermediaries for your community or program.

RESOURCES:

• America’s Service Commissions Afterschool Toolkit: https://bit.ly/asc-afterschool-guide

• AmeriCorps Funding Opportunities & Resources: • https://americorps.gov/partner • https://americorps.gov/partner/funding-opportunities • https://americorps.gov/partner/faqs

• Service Years as a Strategy to Expand Access to Afterschool Programs Toolkit: https://resources.serviceyear.org/media/?mediaId=A616B224-CE37-40AC-A9660F814046A216