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Abbreviation
AmeriCorps
Agencies
AmeriCorps
Federal Agency
Yes
What to Report to the OIG Hotline

If you know about waste, fraud, abuse, misconduct, mismanagement, or whistleblower reprisal relating to a AmeriCorps employee, program, operation, grant or contract, you may report it to the AmeriCorps OIG Hotline. AmeriCorps OIG has jurisdiction over disclosures involving AmeriCorps employees, programs, operations, grants, and contracts, including these AmeriCorps programs:

  • AmeriCorps State and National
  • AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America)
  • AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps)
  • FEMA Corps
  • Senior Corps (Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and RSVP)

CNCS-OIG also has jurisdiction to investigate allegations of whistleblower retaliation involving:

  • Employees of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps grantees, subgrantees, contractors and subcontractors.

Examples of matters to be reported to AmeriCorps OIG:

  • Any suspected criminal activity or violations of law, such as:
    • Any other misconduct in connection with operations, programs, activities, contracts, subcontracts, grants or subgrants;
    • Mismanagement, abuse of authority or other misconduct by any AmeriCorps personnel.
What Not to Report to the OIG Hotline

The following matters are NOT generally investigated by AmeriCorps OIG:

  • 911 emergencies
  • EEO Complaints (For such matters, please refer to the AmeriCorps Equal Employment Opportunity Office)

Former AmeriCorps Grantee Finance Director Embezzled Non-CNCS Funds

2017
2016-029
Investigation
AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General
AmeriCorps

The United States District Attorney’s Office, District of Rhode Island (USAO), Providence, RI, found that Mr. Charles Denno, former Finance Director, The Providence Plan (ProvPlan), Providence, RI, an AmeriCorps grantee, embezzled over $500,000, in agency funds, during a check writing and forgery...

Prohibited Activities – AmeriCorps Members Directed to Transport Individual for Abortion Services

2017
2016-021
Investigation
AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General
AmeriCorps

CNCS management alerted CNCS-OIG of an allegation concerning Prohibited Abortion Activity directed by an AmeriCorps grantee employee with the International Institute of Metropolitan St. Louis (IISTL), St Louis, MO.

Grantee Debarred for Misuse of VISTA Members and Required to Repay $527,000 in Disallowed Costs

2017
2014-015
Investigation
AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General
AmeriCorps

Corporation management reported VISTA Project Sponsor Georgia Center for Nonprofits (GCN), Atlanta, GA, improperly utilized its VISTA members when it directed members to perform staff functions and changed clients for their services.

Improper Oversight Results in Fraudulent Timesheets / Members Serving from Home without Accountability of Service Performed

2017
2016-014
Investigation
AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General
AmeriCorps

A hotline complainant reported that members serving with the St. Bernard Project (SBP), Wall Township, NJ, were unsupervised, falsely reporting service hours, and working in unsafe working conditions.

Duplicate and Improper Enrollments Leads to Changes by National Direct Grantee

2017
2017-005
Investigation
AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General
AmeriCorps

CNCS management reported that it discovered anomalies with the National Service Participants (NSP) accounts in the National Service Trust (NST) database in which AmeriCorps members had been enrolled in Teach for America (TFA) Idaho and Chicago AmeriCorps programs between Grant Years (GY) 2013 - 2017...

Fraudulent Claims Result in Reimbursement and “High Risk” Oversight

2017
2016-010
Investigation
AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General
AmeriCorps

A hotline complainant reported that Senior Resources of Guilford (SRG), Greensboro, NC, officials fraudulently claimed that the Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) Project Director worked a percentage of her time on the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), for which the grantee sought reimbursement...

AmeriCorps Members Declined to Engage in Political Activities for Grantee

2017
2016-028
Investigation
AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General
AmeriCorps

CNCS-OIG completed its investigation into Hotline allegations that AmeriCorps members assigned to the Martha O'Bryan Center (MOBC), Nashville, TN, a subgrantee of the Volunteer Tennessee (Commission), Nashville, TN, may have engaged in prohibited activities.

Fraudulent Certification of Education Awards Leads to Debarment and Disallowed Costs

2017
2016-011
Investigation
AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General
AmeriCorps

This investigation was initiated based on a Hotline allegation that Ms. Meghan Olinger, former AmeriCorps Program Coordinator, Synergy, Education, and Empowerment of West Monroe (SEE), West Monroe, LA, falsely certified education awards for members who had not completed their service hours over the...

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