Each year Volunteer Iowa grants and administers around $8 million of AmeriCorps State funding in Iowa through a competitive grant process. Programs may be awarded funding at the national level (through competitive funding) or state level (through formula funding).
Overview
- Volunteer Iowa posts its Requests for Applications for AmeriCorps State on this webpage.
- The Iowa application materials will be based on the AmeriCorps State and National notices of funding opportunity and application instructions, but organizations that wish to operate an AmeriCorps State program solely within Iowa must follow the Volunteer Iowa application process.
Contact Volunteer Iowa at [email protected] with questions about the AmeriCorps State application process.
2027-2028 Iowa AmeriCorps State Funding Opportunity
The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service (Volunteer Iowa) has released a Request for Applications for Iowa AmeriCorps State programs to operate in 2027-2028.
2027-2028 Program Year Funding Announcement
Key dates and deadlines for the application and grantmaking process depend on the type of applicant and funding requested:
- Pre-application deadline
- Returning grantees: October 5, 2026
- New applicants: February 5, 2027
- Final application deadline
- Competitive continuation: November 13, 2026 (eGrants & IowaGrants)
- Competitive New/Recompete: December 1, 2026 (eGrants & IowaGrants)
- Formula only: March 29, 2027 (IowaGrants)
- Award Notification
- Competitive: mid-April 2027
- Formula: June 2027
2027-2028 Volunteer Iowa Request for Applications (RFA)
- Request for Applications (RFA) (400.51 KB) .pdf
- The public link to all of the supporting documentation (RFA appendices and attachments) can be found on the first page of the RFA.
- If you have issues accessing the RFA and supporting documents, please contact [email protected].
2027-2028 Training & Technical Assistance
Volunteer Iowa will be offering office hours for applicants to meet with staff to discuss written clarifications. Applicants will be invited to the office hours after staff have reviewed pre-applications.
Organizations interested in being updated regarding Volunteer Iowa’s AmeriCorps State grant competition should complete this form. Email updates will come from [email protected]. Email updates may include when the Request for Applications (RFA) is released, deadline reminders, updates to process/materials, special competition RFAs, etc.
National Direct Consultation
Volunteer Iowa participates in the AmeriCorps National Direct Consultation process coordinated by America’s Service Commissions (ASC). Any AmeriCorps National Direct program proposing to operate in Iowa is asked to complete the form found on ASC’s consultation page.