Giving Compass' Take:
- Norah Rami discusses how AmeriCorps funding cuts have harmed rural communities, which often rely more heavily on federal funding for public service and job opportunities.
- How can donors support the development of alternative educator pipelines and pipelines to other forms of quality employment for youth in rural communities?
- Learn more about key issues in education and how you can help.
- Search our Guide to Good for nonprofits focused on education in your area.
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When a federal judge earlier this month ordered the Trump administration to restore AmeriCorps funding, there was no relief for the hundreds of service groups that tutor children and staff summer programs in Republican-led states that sat out the lawsuit.
Even in the 24 Democrat-led states that challenged the AmeriCorps funding cuts and won a temporary victory, the logistics of reinstating funding remain unclear. Some states are hesitant to turn on the tap when a higher court could still uphold the cuts. And with approximately 85% of AmeriCorps staff on paid leave, the department has limited ability to actually restore the grants and provide guidance to states. The uncertainty is complicating school partnerships and recruitment efforts for the next school year.
State commissions that oversee AmeriCorps now are navigating “a really uneven field,” said Kaira Esgate, CEO of the American Service Commission, a national organization overseeing state service commissions, governor-led public agencies that distribute AmeriCorps grants.
Rural communities who tend to rely on the agency to fund both public service and job opportunities have been particularly hard hit.
AmeriCorps supports educational programs, conservation efforts, and community service across the United States. It funds national programs such as CityYear and Teach for America as well as smaller grassroots organizations. For many communities, AmeriCorps programming also provides a pipeline for recruiting future educators.
More than 28% of organizations receiving direct funding from AmeriCorps are in states that did not have their funding reinstated, according to a Chalkbeat analysis regarding AmeriCorps funding cuts.
This partial restoration of AmeriCorps funding is one example of a broader pattern that’s emerged, as Democrat-led states challenge the Trump administration in court, while Republican-led states don’t. For example, federal courts have restored pandemic relief money and National Institutes of Health grants only to states that sued, leading to unequal access to services and funding across the United States.
Read the full article about AmeriCorps funding cuts by Norah Rami at The 74.