Opportunity Information: Apply for CNCS 05 08 17
The Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) FY17 grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number CNCS 05 08 17) was a discretionary federal grant program offered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CFDA 94.021). The central purpose of the program was to strengthen local and regional systems for engaging volunteers by investing in community-based organizations and the intermediary entities that connect volunteers to meaningful service roles. Rather than focusing on direct service alone, the VGF program emphasized building the infrastructure and know-how that allows communities to consistently recruit, place, manage, and retain volunteers in high-quality assignments.
At the heart of the opportunity was the idea of supporting "volunteer connector organizations," meaning organizations that serve as hubs or intermediaries for volunteer engagement. CNCS was looking for approaches that measurably expand volunteering in a community, improve an organization’s ability to recruit and keep volunteers (including skill-based volunteers), and promote more strategic use of volunteers to address real community problems. In practice, this could include developing better volunteer recruitment pipelines, improving volunteer screening and matching processes, strengthening training and supervision systems, and creating retention supports that keep volunteers engaged over time.
The grant description makes clear that CNCS wanted applicants to focus on capacity building: expanding the ability of these connector organizations to recruit, manage, support, and retain people in roles that are well-designed and impactful. The emphasis on "high quality volunteer assignments" signals that CNCS cared not only about increasing the number of volunteers, but also about improving the volunteer experience and the outcomes of service, such as better alignment between volunteer skills and community needs, clearer responsibilities, stronger oversight, and more consistent follow-through.
Another key feature of the VGF FY17 opportunity was flexibility in how funded activities could be carried out. Applicants that received an award could implement the supported activities directly, or they could operate a pass-through model by issuing subgrants to community-based entities. This structure was designed to help state and local networks scale volunteer generation work by channeling resources to organizations closest to the community, while still benefiting from the coordination, standards, and technical assistance a connector organization can provide. The source text also associates the opportunity with a "State Service Commission," which typically refers to the state-level entities that administer and coordinate national service resources and may serve as applicants or key partners in implementing volunteer infrastructure strategies.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity was posted with an original closing date of July 6, 2017, and CNCS anticipated making about 20 awards. The public listing did not specify an award ceiling in the provided data, but it did identify the instrument type as a grant and the opportunity category as discretionary. Eligibility in the provided fields is listed broadly as "Others," which usually indicates that multiple organization types could be considered depending on the full notice, often including nonprofits, local entities, intermediaries, or other qualified organizations that can demonstrate the capacity to build volunteer management systems and produce measurable improvements in volunteer engagement.
Overall, the VGF FY17 opportunity was designed to invest in the behind-the-scenes systems that make volunteerism effective: stronger recruitment and outreach, improved volunteer management and support, better retention strategies, and smarter deployment of volunteers, especially those bringing professional or specialized skills. The end goal was to help communities solve problems more effectively by building durable, scalable volunteer engagement capacity within and across local organizations.Apply for CNCS 05 08 17
- The Corporation for National and Community Service in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Volunteer Generation Fund FY17" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 94.021.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-05-08.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-07-06. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) FY17 (CNCS 05 08 17) - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) FY17 grant opportunity?
The Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) FY17 was a discretionary federal grant program offered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) 94.021. The opportunity was released under Funding Opportunity Number CNCS 05 08 17.
What is the main purpose of the VGF FY17 program?
The central purpose was to strengthen local and regional systems for engaging volunteers by investing in community-based organizations and intermediary entities that connect volunteers to meaningful service roles. The program emphasized building the infrastructure and know-how that helps communities consistently recruit, place, manage, support, and retain volunteers in high-quality assignments.
What does CNCS mean by a "volunteer connector organization"?
In this opportunity, a "volunteer connector organization" refers to an organization that functions as a hub or intermediary for volunteer engagement. These organizations help connect volunteers to service opportunities and help build systems that improve volunteer recruitment, matching, management, and retention across a community or region.
Was this grant focused on direct service or capacity building?
The VGF FY17 opportunity emphasized capacity building rather than direct service alone. It focused on strengthening the behind-the-scenes volunteer engagement systems that enable effective, sustained volunteerism.
What kinds of outcomes was CNCS looking for from funded projects?
CNCS was looking for approaches that measurably expand volunteering in a community, improve an organization’s ability to recruit and retain volunteers (including skill-based volunteers), and promote more strategic use of volunteers to address real community problems.
What types of activities could VGF FY17 funds support?
The opportunity description highlights activities that build volunteer engagement infrastructure, such as developing volunteer recruitment pipelines, improving volunteer screening and matching processes, strengthening volunteer training and supervision systems, and creating retention supports that keep volunteers engaged over time.
What does "high-quality volunteer assignments" mean in this opportunity?
The program’s emphasis on "high-quality volunteer assignments" indicates CNCS cared about both the number of volunteers and the quality of their service experience and outcomes. This includes better alignment between volunteer skills and community needs, clearer responsibilities, stronger oversight, and more consistent follow-through.
Did VGF FY17 encourage skill-based volunteering?
Yes. The opportunity specifically references improving the ability to recruit and keep volunteers, including skill-based volunteers, and to deploy volunteers more strategically to address community problems.
Could an awardee run the project directly, or was a subgrant model allowed?
The opportunity included flexibility in implementation. Awardees could carry out supported activities directly, or they could operate a pass-through model by issuing subgrants to community-based entities.
Why did the opportunity allow a pass-through (subgrant) approach?
The pass-through structure was designed to help state and local networks scale volunteer generation work by channeling resources to organizations closest to the community, while still benefiting from coordination, standards, and technical assistance provided by a connector organization.
How is a State Service Commission related to this opportunity?
The source information associates the opportunity with a "State Service Commission," which generally refers to state-level entities that administer and coordinate national service resources. In practice, these entities may serve as applicants or key partners in implementing volunteer infrastructure strategies.
What was the application deadline for this FY17 opportunity?
The opportunity listing shows an original closing date of July 6, 2017.
How many awards did CNCS expect to make?
CNCS anticipated making about 20 awards under this opportunity.
What type of funding instrument was used?
The instrument type identified in the listing was a grant.
Was this a discretionary or formula grant program?
The opportunity category was listed as discretionary.
Was an award ceiling specified in the provided information?
No. The provided data notes that the public listing did not specify an award ceiling.
Who was eligible to apply based on the provided listing fields?
Eligibility in the provided fields is listed broadly as "Others." This generally indicates multiple organization types could be considered depending on the full notice, often including nonprofits, local entities, intermediaries, or other qualified organizations capable of building volunteer management systems and demonstrating measurable improvements in volunteer engagement.
What is the long-term goal of the VGF FY17 program?
The long-term goal was to help communities solve problems more effectively by building durable, scalable volunteer engagement capacity within and across local organizations, including improved recruitment and outreach, stronger volunteer management and support, better retention strategies, and smarter deployment of volunteers.
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