Trump administration releases AmeriCorps funding

By Elyse Apel
The Center Square

The White House Office of Management and Budget will release over $184 million in paused funding for AmeriCorps service programs.

This comes after a coalition of 24 states joined together to sue for the continuation of the funding. While the majority of those states are Democrat-led, some Republican-led states like Kentucky also signed on to the legal challenge.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat, issued a statement regarding the Trump administration’s decision to not oppose the coalition’s lawsuit and release the funding.

“National service is critical to our future, it inspires young people to work on meaningful programs and make a difference,” Weiser said. “This is our latest win protecting important federal funding for Colorado, and I’ll continue to fight for Coloradans when this administration takes illegal actions and acts like it’s above the law.”

Funding uncertainty

AmeriCorps is a U.S. government-funded service organization created in 1993. According to americorps.gov, the agency enrolls more than 200,000 people each year, while also providing more than $4.8 billion in education awards.

The organization’s funding has been uncertain for months now.

In February, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing every federal agency to reduce its staff in a money-saving effort.

Since then, AmeriCorps placed nearly 90% of its workforce on administrative leave. It also canceled more than $400 million in grant funding nationwide, which has totaled nearly $1 billion annually in recent fiscal years.

In April, the coalition first issued a legal challenge against that decision. It argued the cuts were illegal as the funding was already appropriated by the U.S. Congress, which meant Congressional approval was needed to cancel it.

In June, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction ruling that the cuts, both monetary and of personnel, must be paused.

Shortly after that announcement, the coalition expanded its legal challenge due to the Trump administration still withholding the $184 million in AmeriCorps funding.

Instead of responding to the lawsuit’s motion for a preliminary injunction, the Office of Management and Budget announced it would release the funding. That funding will now be distributed nationwide “as quickly as possible,” or by Sept. 30.

AmeriCorps in Colorado

Colorado has been a critical player in the coalition of Democratic states fighting against the many cuts pushed by the Republicans. So far, Colorado has joined or filed 35 lawsuits against the Trump administration.

Currently Colorado has 25 operational grants and two planning grants receiving funding from AmeriCorps grants, according to the state. Some of those programs include early childcare facilities, literacy groups and homeless advocacy.

“AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers served at more than 700 locations across Colorado, including schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics, youth centers, veterans facilities and other nonprofit and faith-based organizations,” stated a report from AmeriCorps.

In Colorado, AmeriCorps had 6,600 members and volunteers working from February 2024 through February 2025. It also spent more than $44.5 million in federal funding on programs in the state during that period. Now, at least $8 million of that is in jeopardy, according to an interview with Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera.

Weiser’s office said in a press release that the proposed cuts “threatened … the well-being of those who depend on them.”

“This relief means that service programs across the country will be protected from the administration’s devastating attempted cuts,” it stated.