Question 1

What is The Grant Gateway?

Accepted Answer

The Grant Gateway is a purpose-built grants management platform designed specifically for state service commissions that administer AmeriCorps Formula grants. It provides a complete system for collecting, reviewing, scoring, and managing grant applications — replacing spreadsheets, email chains, and generic tools with a streamlined, auditable workflow.

Question 2

Who built The Grant Gateway?

Accepted Answer

The Grant Gateway is built by America Learns, a company that has partnered with the AmeriCorps community since 2003. With over two decades of experience serving state service commissions, AmeriCorps programs, and national service organizations.

Question 3

How much does The Grant Gateway cost?

Accepted Answer

The Grant Gateway starts at $4,500 per year for the Single plan (1 competition). The Pro plan is $7,500/year (up to 3 competitions). The Unlimited plan is $9,000/year. All plans include unlimited applicants, reviewers, and commission staff.

Question 4

Does The Grant Gateway support the Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Grant Gateway supports multiple concurrent competitions, so your commission can run Formula, Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF), and any other grant competitions simultaneously — each with its own timeline, application template, scoring rubric, and reviewer pool.

Question 5

How quickly can our commission get started?

Accepted Answer

Your commission can go live in as little as one day. The Grant Gateway is a cloud-hosted SaaS platform — there's no software to install, no servers to configure, and no lengthy implementation process.

Question 6

Is The Grant Gateway secure and compliant for government use?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. The Grant Gateway is hosted on FedRAMP-aligned infrastructure with encryption at rest and in transit, SOC 2 controls, WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, complete audit trails, and multi-tenant data isolation.

Question 7

How does The Grant Gateway compare to other grants management platforms?

Accepted Answer

Unlike general-purpose grants management software (such as Submittable, Fluxx, or Foundant), The Grant Gateway is purpose-built for AmeriCorps Formula grant competitions. This specialization means less configuration, faster setup, and a platform that fits your process out of the box.

Question 8

Can our state procurement office sole-source this?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Grant Gateway is a purpose-built, niche solution specifically for state service commissions managing AmeriCorps Formula grant applications. There is no comparable off-the-shelf product. A sole-source justification template is available upon request. America Learns is registered on SAM.gov with an active UEI.

Question 9

Why was The Grant Gateway created?

Accepted Answer

When AmeriCorps shifted to block grants, state service commissions suddenly needed their own systems to collect and review Formula grant applications — a process previously handled at the federal level. The Grant Gateway was built to solve that problem with a dedicated, compliant, and easy-to-use platform.

Question 10

What features does The Grant Gateway include?

Accepted Answer

The Grant Gateway includes a flexible form builder, structured reviewer scoring with customizable rubrics, conflict-of-interest management, real-time reviewer progress tracking, in-platform clarification requests and resubmissions, aggregated score ranking, exportable reports, and a branded applicant portal with custom welcome video support.

Question 11

How does reviewer management work?

Accepted Answer

Commissioners can invite internal or external reviewers and assign them to specific applications. Built-in conflict-of-interest disclosure and recusal tools ensure fair, unbiased reviews. Reviewers score independently using your custom rubric — they cannot see each other's scores.