2027–28 AmeriCorps State Competitive Grants — OregonServes Commission, Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission, RFA #27-006. This is an applicant-facing competitive financial-assistance program for organizations implementing evidence-informed or evidence-based AmeriCorps service activities solely in Oregon. OregonServes reviews and recommends single-state applicant proposals; AmeriCorps makes the final award decisions. This operational grant is different from the separate OregonServes 2026–27 Planning Grant RFA #26-049, and applicants should not confuse their deadlines or funding terms.
Who may apply: Qualifying nonprofit organizations, accredited institutions of higher education, local governments including school districts, public-health departments, and Indian Tribes or eligible Tribal organizations. Applicants must maintain an active SAM.gov registration, Unique Entity Identifier, EIN and matching application identity. Federally recognized Tribes should confirm whether their proposal belongs in the separate federal Native Nations/direct-application pathway, rather than assuming Oregon’s commission pathway applies. New applicants to the Oregon state competition may apply for Cost Reimbursement grants; the state RFA imposes this limitation even though the national NOFO describes some additional federal award types.
Funding and individual award basis: The current state and federal notices do not state a single maximum dollar award per applicant. Budget depends on approved service positions, member service years (MSY), allowable costs and type of award. The federal FY2027 NOFO sets a $26,800 maximum federal cost per MSY for traditional Cost Reimbursement or Full-Cost Fixed Amount programs; this is NOT a $26,800 individual organization grant limit. Other federal award types have different MSY/enrollee ceilings. Successful applicants normally receive a three-year program period with an initial one-year budget and annual continuation dependent on appropriations/performance. Project start cannot be earlier than July 1, 2027.
Match: For first-time cost-reimbursement grantees, 24% applicant share in grant years 1–3, rising to 26% in years 4–6, 28% in years 7–9 and 30% in year 10 onward. Eligible non-AmeriCorps cash or in-kind contributions can satisfy the match, subject to approved reporting and waiver rules. Fixed Amount awards have no formal cash/in-kind match percentage, but organizations still need additional resources to cover full project costs. Applicants must select and budget the appropriate grant type; a cost-reimbursement award requires budget and financial reporting.
Program priorities and restrictions: Appropriate service can include youth mental health, substance-use recovery, education and early literacy, housing stability, public safety, rural communities, disaster preparedness, conservation, fire mitigation, sustainable forests, food systems, and workforce development. OSC requires a plan for at least 20 AmeriCorps members, evidence-informed or evidence-based practice, performance measures, and at least three independent partners, including a public entity and private entity. The program requires background screening including national sex-offender, state criminal-history and FBI fingerprint checks for covered personnel and members; OSC requires designated screening services. Do not incur pre-award costs assuming reimbursement; grants cannot pay for unallowable expenditures, unsupported personnel costs or activities prohibited by federal grant conditions.
Required stages and deadlines: An initial Notice of Intent to Apply is mandatory by November 9, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, submitted via the state RFA’s Microsoft Forms link. The full eGrants application and OSC-requested supporting materials must be submitted by November 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PST; required supplemental documents go to oregon.serves@hecc.oregon.gov. State clarification period December 1–21, and final federal eGrants revisions are due January 6, 2027. The general federal 2027 national application deadline is January 13, 2027 at 5 p.m. Eastern, but Oregon single-state applicants must meet Oregon’s earlier deadlines.
Critical official-source version warning: The Oregon RFA’s opening section links to a 2026 federal NOFO even though this is the 2027–28 state competition. Applicants should use the current FY2027 federal Notice of Funding Opportunity and FY2027 Mandatory Supplemental Information, rather than relying on the superseded 2026 linked document. The Oregon 21-page RFA #27-006 controls state selection, November 9 NOIA and November 30 state deadline. Always crosscheck HECC’s official live grant listing and the AmeriCorps 2027 application instructions for amendments. All three controlling PDFs checked October 25, 2026.