2025 AmeriCorps California Opportunity Corps Pilot Funding Opportunity

Purpose

Homelessness in California is a crisis, with over 180,000 people affected in 2023—28% of the U.S. total. Major cities like LA and San Diego have seen sharp increases in unsheltered populations. California Volunteers seeks partners to launch the California Opportunity Corps, placing AmeriCorps members to support unhoused communities through case management, outreach, and service navigation. Two grants are available: planning and implementation.

Description

Funding will support two grants (one planning grant and one two-year operating grant) to up to two organizations that will partner with California Volunteers to implement the California Opportunity Corps program. Applicants may propose an intermediary model or a direct service model; this is a unique role, as the selected organization(s) will partner closely with California Volunteers to implement a statewide or regional program model. As such, the desired organization should be capable of playing a strategic administrative role in delivering a cohesive program infrastructure (e.g., recruitment and onboarding, payroll, partner and member training, etc.); coordinating contracts, activities, and outcomes from partners; building and coordinating programming consistent with existing design; and helping to capture and convey the collective impact of this program. Additionally, the applicant organization should have relevant experience and/or existing partnerships with local service providers and Continuums of Care organizations in the communities in which they propose to operate. California Volunteers expects that Opportunity Corps would be implemented in coordination with existing local efforts.