Mastering AmeriCorps Proposals: The Process, Tips and Tools

The AmeriCorps Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is officially here.

It is an exciting time. And a daunting one. We know the feeling: you open that document, see pages and pages of requirements, and your heart sinks just a little. Whether you are applying for the first time or trying to reapply to keep your program going strong, the stakes feel incredibly high.

But here is the truth: The NOFO isn’t just a hurdle; it’s your roadmap to impact.

You’re doing the hard work on the ground every day. You’re changing lives and strengthening communities. You deserve to keep that momentum going, and you don’t have to navigate the technicalities of federal grant writing alone.

Together, we’ll explore:

Demystifying the Process: Peeking behind the curtain to better understand what reviewers want and how grants are scored and approved.
The Grant Strategy: Specific tips for existing programs on how to tell your story of impact to optimize your chances of receiving a grant award.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls: The technical “red flags” that often lead to rejected applications

Join us for one of our next Impact Sessions:

Session 1: Friday, March 6, at 2:00 PM ET

Session 2: Friday, March 13, at 2:00 PM ET

About the Facilitator: Cole McMahon

Cole McMahon has devoted his career to making national service more effective. The McMahon Consulting Group runs innovation labs to solve local and regional crises. We help commissions move beyond monitoring, and we help programs do more, tell a better story, and raise more money. MCG provides technical reviews of grant applications prior to submission and develops proposals for new programs. Last year, MCG helped clients secure more than $10M in AmeriCorps National funds. Cole has placed AmeriCorps members in 50 states, quadrupled the budgets of two programs, and raised more than $50 million for national service programs. We have a great team, and we get it—we’ve walked in your shoes.

Cole brings a mix of strategic instinct, technical knowledge, and real-world pattern recognition that is incredibly hard to find. He understands not just what the guidance says but also what actually makes a proposal stronger, what raises red flags, and where programs unintentionally lose ground.

In a moment like this, that kind of insight can make all the difference.

That’s why we’re opening this workshop up to the entire field at zero cost.

At America Learns, we’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to serve as real infrastructure for the AmeriCorps community — not just through software, but by creating practical support that helps programs move forward with more clarity and less stress.

*Reserve your spot now; the sessions will not be recorded, so we highly encourage attendance.

Got questions? Reach out at support@americalearns.net

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