Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism & Community Service, Volunteer Florida is pleased to announce the availability of 2010-2011 grant funding for AmeriCorps State programs. Proposal Grant Applications will be available on the Volunteer Florida website at www.volunteerflorida.org beginning September 11, 2009. Proposals are due in the federal eGrants system by November 13, 2009.

AmeriCorps State programs engage AmeriCorps members in direct service and capacity-building activities to address unmet community needs. Local programs design service activities for a team of members who have each committed to one year of service. AmeriCorps programs support local community efforts by addressing education, environmental, homeland security, public safety or other human needs. Sample activities include tutoring and mentoring youth, assisting crime victims, building homes, and restoring parks. AmeriCorps members also mobilize community volunteers and strengthen the capacity of the organizations where they serve.

Volunteer Florida, The Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service was established in 1994 by the Florida Legislature to administer grants under the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993. The Commission grants funds to Florida AmeriCorps and National Service programs; encourages volunteerism for everyone from youths to seniors to people with disabilities; promotes volunteerism in emergency management and preparedness; and helps to strengthen and expand Volunteer Centers in Florida.

AmeriCorps is a program funded by the U.S. Congress under the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 94.006. The national public/private partnership supporting AmeriCorps is the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). For more information about the CNCS and national AmeriCorps programs, visit www.americorps.org.

If you have any questions regarding AmeriCorps Programs or the funding process, please contact amieko@volunteerflorida.org.