The mission of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering. Through the AmeriCorps State and National (ASN) program, CNCS has engaged millions of citizens in meeting community and national challenges through service and volunteer action. The ASN program provides funding to nonprofit, state, and local governmental organizations to engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions to strengthen communities. Each year, the applicants receive program information, program-issued notices, submission requirements, and selection criteria. External reviewers assess the merits of each application.
Community Science conducted systematic reviews of over 200 ASN grant applications. The reviews increase the likelihood that CNCS funds applicants that can achieve their goals and reduce the chance of funding strategies that do not work. The review process, guided by standardized rubrics and forms, included an assessment of the quality of evidence that existing grantees are required to include in their applications for continuation funding. High-quality evaluation data inform program improvements that lead to more successful outcomes and help CNCS to track and monitor the success of their funding strategies, resulting in greater accountability for both grantees and the agency. 00578