Vol. 6 April 2025

Grant Costs - What You Should Know
Grant fraud and prevention is one of AmeriCorps’ top management challenges. In order to help reduce fraud, waste, and abuse, grantees must ensure that costs charged to AmeriCorps awards are allowable. Costs are allowable only if they are allocable, reasonable, necessary, and in compliance with the terms and conditions of the grant and Federal regulations, and are adequately documented.
Read on learn more about how you can protect your program.
Additional Resources
These additional resources may help you to avoid unallowable costs in your grant.
- Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (P.L. 116-117)
- Appendix C of OMB Circular A-123: Requirements for Payment Integrity Improvement
- OMB Circular A-136: Financial Reporting Requirements
Vol. 5 January 2025

What are Prohibited or Unallowable Activities?
Prohibited and unallowable activities are certain activities that AmeriCorps staff, members, and volunteers may not engage in while charging time to AmeriCorps programs, accumulating service or training hours, or otherwise performing activities supported by AmeriCorps or its programs.
Read on learn more about how you can protect your program.
Additional Resources
These additional resources may help you to avoid prohibited and unallowable activities.
- Federal Regulations
- 45 CFR 2520.56: What activities are prohibited in AmeriCorps subtitle C programs?
- 31 USC 3729-3733: False Claims Act
- 45 CFR 2520.56: What activities are prohibited in AmeriCorps subtitle C programs?
- LITMOS: AmeriCorps Prohibited Activities (by ASN)
- LITMOS: AmeriCorps Seniors Prohibited Activities
Vol. 4 September 2024

Why are Terms and Conditions Important?
Terms and conditions tell grantees, andTerms and conditions tell grantees, and
Terms and conditions tell grantees, and subgrantees, what they can and can't do with Federal funds and set forth key requirements that grantees and subgrantees must follow in operating their AmeriCorps programs. Failure to follow terms and conditions can result in unallowable costs, audit findings, investigations, civil litigation, and/or criminal prosecution.
Vol. 3 May 2024

What is Match?
Match funding serves a crucial role in addressing both national and local challenges. It is a vital means through which communities actively participate in the essential work undertaken by these projects, reinforcing the collaborative spirit essential for meaningful progress.
Read on to protect your program against match related cost disallowance.
Additional Resources
These additional resources may help you to avoid match related fraud.
Code of Federal Regulations
- 2 CFR 200.306: Cost sharing or matching
- 2 CFR 200.403: Factors affecting allowability of costs
- 2 CFR 200 Appendix XI: OMB Compliance Supplement
- LITMOS: Fraud Awareness Training for AmeriCorps Grantees
- LITMOS: Funds Management Training for AmeriCorps Grantees
- LITMOS: Key Concepts of Cash and In-Kind Match
LITMOS: Key Concepts of Financial Grants Management
Vol. 2 March 2024

What is Timekeeping Fraud
Timekeeping fraud occurs when agency employees, contractors, grantee staff, or AmeriCorps members and volunteers are dishonest about their time. This includes 1) Intentionally charging time to an AmeriCorps grant that is knowingly false or incorrect, 2) Showing a reckless disregard for timekeeping laws, rules, and regulations, (e.g., turning a
blind eye), or 3) Staff modifying volunteer(s) time records without any basis or authorization.
Did You Know?
Did you know that 30% of all OIG investigation cases opened since 2019 have been related to allegations of false or problematic timekeeping, many resulting from preventable situations?
Read on to find out how you can protect your program and your community.
Additional Resources
These additional resources may help you to avoid timekeeping fraud.
AmeriCorps Uniform Monitoring Package:
- UMP 01.09
- UMP 11.01.06
- UMP 11.02.04
AmeriCorps State and National Member Timesheet Outline
LITMOS: AmeriCorps Seniors Grantee Essentials TTA Call: October 2022 “Project Policies”
AmeriCorps Seniors Sample Timesheet
LITMOS: Timekeeping Training for AmeriCorps Grantees Volunteer Activity Reporting
Vol. 1 November 2023

Combatting Fraud as a Strategic Priority
AmeriCorps’ March 2022 Strategic Plan identified “strengthen agency and program integrity by protecting AmeriCorps resources from fraud and mismanagement” as a sub-objective to Strategic Goal 4: Effectively Steward Federal Resources. To communicate the importance of combatting fraud as a strategic priority, programs using AmeriCorps funds should message how fraud negatively impacts communities served and takes resources away from those in need; reinforce through training that fraud includes falsifying timesheets and other records; and provide recipients with steps to take if they suspect fraud, including contacting the Office of Inspector General.
Additional Resources
International Fraud Awareness Week November 12-18, 2023
Occupational Fraud 22: A Report to the Nations, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)