Doge Cuts Major Funding to AmeriCorps, Threatening Agency's Mission

Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service has instructed AmeriCorps to cancel nearly $400 million in grants, which represents approximately 41% of the organization's overall grant funds, as reported by three individuals privy to this information under the condition of confidentiality due to their lack of authorization for public disclosure.

This represents another setback for the organization, known for sending numerous young individuals to engage in community service initiatives throughout the U.S. The move to cut millions of dollars in funding impacts 1,031 groups and leaves 32,465 AmeriCorps members and senior volunteers without support, according to insiders.

The organization’s projected yearly operational budget for 2025 stands at roughly $1 billion. Both AmeriCorps and the White House have yet to provide comments when contacted.

Termination letters for the grants began being sent out on Friday. According to notifications examined by The Washington Post, recipients were informed that their award "no longer aligns with agency objectives."

The notification states, "You must immediately stop all award activities." It adds, "This decision is a final agency action and cannot be appealed administratively."

For instance, in Kansas, all financial support for AmeriCorps State and National initiatives has been cut off, as stated in a communication addressed to the Kansas State Department of Education. This particular division of AmeriCorps offers monetary assistance to both regional and nationwide entities engaged in providing essential community services like afterschool educational mentoring.

Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana voiced his dissatisfaction with the reductions.

“I support improving efficiency and eliminating waste, but I would have to object to cutting AmeriCorps grants like those that support Louisiana’s veterans and organizations that provide crucial support after hurricanes and natural disasters,” he wrote on X .

The previous week, the White House assigned approximately 650 full-time employees from the agency to mostly work on this project. on paid administrative leave "Effective immediately," layoff notifications started being distributed on Thursday, according to employees, with an effective date set for June 24.

AmeriCorps was established in 1993 through an initiative led by President Bill Clinton, incorporating various programs under its wing. volunteers serving America (VISTA), an antipoverty initiative launched in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

AmeriCorps has three primary divisions: VISTA; State and National ; and the National Civilian Community Corp , known as NCCC, is a residential program that places Americans aged 18 and older in community service initiatives focused on areas like disaster response readiness and environmental preservation.

The fourth branch, AmeriCorps Seniors, is open to people 55 and older. Each year, nearly 200,000 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers mentor students, participate in volunteer activities, and offer assistance and friendship to seniors who have difficulty with daily living tasks.

The changes to AmeriCorps began after DOGE visited the agency’s headquarters two weeks ago. On April 8, AmeriCorps unveiled plans to cut its workforce by “up to 50 percent or more.”

One week later, on April 15, AmeriCorps stood down many National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) volunteers, putting them on furlough until April 30. Soon afterward, the White House initiated the dismissal of the majority of AmeriCorps' full-time workforce.