FOR IMMEDATE RELEASE
Contact: Ranit Schmelzer, ranit@schmelzerstrategies.com
WASHINGTON, DC (August 4, 2025) – On Friday, August 1, a bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to Russell Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), urging the agency to faithfully implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 and release congressionally-appropriated funds for AmeriCorps.
In June, nearly 200 AmeriCorps State and National and AmeriCorps Seniors grantees were notified by the AmeriCorps agency that their FY25 grants are “funded pending release of FY25 appropriated dollars”, impacting over 19,000 AmeriCorps members, Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions – and the communities in which they serve. Nearly $10 million in FY25 Commission Investment Fund grants should have been awarded to state service commissions as of June 20 with a July 1 grant start. In total, OMB is withholding approximately $200 million in FY25 funding that was appropriated by Congress.
“The impact to communities across the country from OMB’s decision to withhold funding is immediate,” said AnnMaura Connolly, President of Voices for National Service. “It is affecting the ability of AmeriCorps members to help kids in classrooms, their ability to respond to natural disasters as wildfire and hurricane season gets underway in earnest, the ability for AmeriCorps Seniors to take elderly individuals to their doctor appointments, and so much more. It is already having dire consequences for hundreds of nonprofit and state service commission staff and thousands of AmeriCorps members and volunteers funded by these grants.”
“The national service community is extremely grateful to Senators Cassidy, Coons, Collins, Murkowski, Reed, Schumer, Tillis, and Whitehouse for their leadership in standing with AmeriCorps and calling on OMB to release these critically needed funds.”
An excerpt from the Senators’ letter reads: “National service has long enjoyed bipartisan support from governors, mayors, and members of Congress because it delivers measurable value to communities, helps strengthen local workforces, and offers young Americans a meaningful pathway into public service. We have seen firsthand the critical impact AmeriCorps programs have across the states we represent. We urge the administration to release all remaining funding for AmeriCorps as appropriated by Congress under the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 so that this important work can continue.”
The letter was led by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Chris Coons (D-DE) and cosigned by Senators Collins (R-ME), Tillis (R-NC), Murkowski (R-AK), Schumer (D-NY), Reed (D-RI) and Whitehouse (D-RI). Read the full letter here.
###
Voices for National Service empowers citizens to solve pressing community problems with unique local solutions by elevating AmeriCorps. Founded in 2003, Voices for National Service has built strong bipartisan support for national service programs, which generate $17 in benefits to the United States for every tax dollar invested. AmeriCorps annually enables 200,000 Americans to serve their country and community in public-private partnerships with local nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations.