Frequently Asked Questions

PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

NOTE: If you are having any difficulty drawing hard and fast lines between what does and does not count towards a member's AmeriCorps term of service or the Bonner Program in general, please contact us BEFORE a student or member engages in a questionable activity.

Can an AmeriCorps member engage in political or religious activities in his or her official capacity as an AmeriCorps member?

There are certain activities including lobbying, political, religious or advocacy activities that AmeriCorps Members and staff may NOT perform in the course of their duties while charging time to the AmeriCorps program, or at the request of program staff. Furthermore, members and staff may not engage in any conduct in a manner that would associate the National Service Program or the Corporation with the prohibited activities. Programs must become familiar with the specific prohibitions in the Corporation's formal regulations (45 C.F.R. B2520.30) and the grant provisions. The list of prohibited activities includes:

• Participating in efforts to influence legislation, including lobbying for your program.
• Organizing a letter-writing campaign to Congress.
• Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office.
• Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials.
• Printing politically charged articles in a Corporation-funded newsletter or list serve.
• Taking part in political demonstrations or rallies.
• Engaging in any efforts to influence legislation, including state or local ballot initiatives.
• Voter registration drives.
• Organizing or participating in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes.
• Assisting or deterring union organizing.
• Impairing existing contracts or collective bargaining agreements
• Religious activities, including engaging in religious instruction; conducting worship services; providing instruction as part of a Program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship; constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship; maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship; or engaging in any form of religious proselytization.
• Activities that pose a significant safety risk to participants.
• Assignments that displace employees.
• Placement of members into internships with for-profit business as part of the education and training component of the program.
• Providing assistance to a business organized for profit.
• Raising funds for an A*Corps stipend.
• Raising funds for an organization's operating expenses or endowment.
• Writing grant applications for AmeriCorps funding or for any other funding provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
• Writing grant applications for funding provided by any other federal agencies.
• Administrative work, unless it benefits the member's approved direct service activities.

However, AmeriCorps members, like private citizens, may participate in lobbying, political, or advocacy activities on their own time, at their own expense, and at their own initiative. Members may not wear AmeriCorps service gear in such instances.

Why can't a member address a foreign service need?

The AmeriCorps Program was created to address the domestic non-military service needs of our country. The Peace Corps was created to address non-military service needs overseas. AmeriCorps had to limit its scope to the domestic needs of our country as well as U.S. territories.   Although in the overall Bonner Program we encourage travel and service abroad, those hours CANNOT be counted towards the member's AmeriCorps term.

The Federal government strictly enforces these rules. In the case of the AmeriCorps Program, hours submitted for prohibited activities will be disqualified. Moreover, the sponsoring agency (in this instance, the Bonner Foundation and your college) risk their eligibility to remain in the AmeriCorps Program. If the prohibited activities are found during an audit, the sponsoring agency is likely to be required to repay any Federal program grants or educational awards that were associated with those prohibited activities.