ServeOhio describes AmeriCorps grants, youth service and federal leverage in budget testimony

William Hall, executive director of the Ohio Commission on Service and Volunteerism (ServeOhio), told the House Education Committee that ServeOhio administers AmeriCorps grants, supports volunteer engagement across the state and leverages federal funds to deliver education and youth‑service programming.

Hall said ServeOhio administers more than $25 million in grant funds in the current biennium to support nearly 2,000 AmeriCorps members at 500 service sites across Ohio. He said AmeriCorps programming in the current biennium invests about $15 million in education‑focused service that will serve more than 25,000 students in PreK–12 settings. A full‑time AmeriCorps member serves roughly 1,700 hours over 10–12 months, receives a modest living allowance and earns an education award usable for postsecondary education or qualified student loans.

Hall described the commission’s broader volunteer programming, including a youth service tracking platform and professional development for volunteer coordinators. He said ServeOhio connects volunteers via a portal (Get Connected) and supports national days of service and a youth service toolkit used in schools. Hall told the committee ServeOhio is primarily federally funded (about 94.9% federal funding in the line items cited) and that state support helps secure federal administrative match; he said ServeOhio returns roughly $25 in federal funding for every $1 of state investment.

Representative Miller and others asked about funding composition and special grant lines; Hall explained that some line‑item fluctuations reflect one‑time grants such as a “deepening youth service” grant and that the commission pursues competitive national grants and philanthropic opportunities.

Hall said ServeOhio is supportive of the state budget as introduced and that the requested increases would meet the federal administrative match and maintain current operations.