Thousands of U.S. nonprofits provide vital services such as running food banks and youth programs, supporting public health programs, and helping unemployed people find new jobs. While this work helps maintain local communities, getting the money and staff they need is an ongoing struggle for many of these groups.

This is where AmeriCorps often appear. Independent National Services and Volunteer Services promotes the work of approximately 200,000 people each year, allowing them to provide coaching, disaster relief and many other important services through partnerships with thousands of nonprofits that provide coaching, disaster relief and many other important services.

But the fate of Americorps is uncertain now. In April 2025, the Trump administration canceled more than 1,000 grants, abruptly ending the allowance to support more than 32,000 Americorps volunteers. On June 5, the judge ordered the resumption of the grants in Washington, D.C. and 24 states to respond to the lawsuits they filed. The judge also ordered all volunteers deployed in these places to be restored “if they want and can return.”

The Trump administration also put most AmeriCorps executives on furloughs and said it hopes to eliminate independent agencies, as well as its $1.2 billion annual budget. AmeriCorps did not appear in the detailed budget requirements for 2026 released on May 30.

I am a professor of sociology and public affairs and he has studied nonprofits and volunteering for decades. My research shows that demolishing AmeriCorps can harm organizations that rely on National Service members and cause losses to communities they benefit from their work.

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What did Americorps do

The roots of AmeriCorps are traced back to the mid-1960s when volunteers who served the United States, known as Vista, were formed as domestic peers of the Peace Corps. When Congress passed the National and Community Service Trust Act in 1993, several early service programs were integrated. AmeriCorps officially launched in 1994 - Vista became one of its plans.

Since then, AmeriCorps members have built housing and infrastructure, provided disaster relief, and coached in low-income schools, provided health care, and helped older people of dignity with dignity in urban and rural communities across the country.

AmeriCorps includes a variety of programs, each program designed to meet specific public needs. Some AmeriCorps volunteers provide direct services such as coaching, food delivery and disaster response efforts. Others focus on building the long-term capabilities of local nonprofits through volunteer recruitment, fundraising strategies, and community outreach.

AmeriCorps volunteers, which the agency calls “members”, are placed in thousands of nonprofits, schools and local institutions. Many of them are recent college graduates or early career professionals. Some programs specifically require services for those over 55 years old. Those “senior” volunteers help other seniors through foster grandparent programs, volunteers from organizations, or through senior peer programs.

Many AmeriCorps volunteers offer modest allowances for the work, about $500 a week. AmeriCorps senior volunteers receive smaller payments in the hourly allowance to offset the cost of volunteering.

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Help nonprofits gain traction

AmeriCorps has long sponsored studies that evaluate their impact.

One such study found that every dollar investing in national services would bring $11.80 in benefits to society, such as higher incomes, mental and physical health, and economic growth. In addition, by reducing spending on public aid, health and criminal justice, each federal dollar spent on national services can save $17.30 in other government programs.

As part of the AmeriCorps Research Grant Program, I received funding for research citizen participation and Americorps programming.

In one of the studies, I conducted a study with two former colleagues at the University of Texas at Austin in 2021 and we found that Vista volunteers can help nonprofits get volunteers. Two years later, a volunteer who supported the organization was 71% higher than that of organizations that did not participate in the Vista program.

We also found that the longer nonprofits have staff supported by Vista program, the more overall library of their overall volunteers.

Compared to nonprofits without Vista service members, it is triple the number of donations that are many donations, just like nonprofits with Vista volunteers. However, the total value of donations received by nonprofits does not always rise. That is, we found that Vista builds people’s power, but not necessarily fundraising revenue.

Discovery like this suggests that AmeriCorps not only helps people it serves or those who volunteer to participate in the program. It also strengthens nonprofits and increases engagement in local communities, thus strengthening the civic structure that connects the communities together.

When members of Congress and the White House decide whether to retain AmeriCorps, I hope they consider evidence of the positive impact of this valuable program.