Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
Mission and Vision
Established in 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service through its core programs -- Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and the Social Innovation Fund -- and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve.
As the nation's largest grant-maker for service and volunteering, CNCS plays a critical role in strengthening America's nonprofit sector and addressing our nation's challenges through service. CNCS harnesses America's most powerful resource – the energy and talents of our citizens – to solve problems. From grade school through retirement, CNCS empowers Americans and fosters a lifetime of service.
The mission of CNCS is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.
Grant Program Highlights
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps programs provide opportunities for Americans to make an intensive commitment to service. The AmeriCorps network of local, state, and national service programs engages more than 80,000 Americans in projects around the nation each year.
Senior Corps
Senior Corps offers a network of programs that tap the rich experience, skills, and talents of older citizens to meet community challenges.
Social Innovation Fund
The Social Innovation Fund (SIF) is a powerful approach to transforming lives and communities that positions the federal government to be a catalyst for impact—mobilizing public and private resources to find and grow community-based nonprofits with evidence of strong results. An initiative enacted under the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, the SIF is a new way of doing business for the federal government that stands to yield greater impact on urgent national challenges. The SIF targets millions in public-private funds to expand effective solutions across three issue areas: economic opportunity, healthy futures, and youth development and school support.
Volunteer Generation Fund
The Volunteer Generation Fund is a program authorized by the Serve America Act to support volunteer organizations and state service commissions in boosting the impact of volunteers in addressing critical community needs. The fund will focus investments on volunteer management practices that increase both volunteer recruitment and retention.
