Host a member of the OHA AmeriCorps VISTA team

Apply to Host an OHA AmeriCorps VISTA at your Organization

Do you want to increase your ability to end poverty in your community? Could you use help tracking donors, recruiting volunteers, or developing other systems and processes that build your capacity to meet the needs of the low-income community? Or perhaps you have a dream project that addresses a community need but not the resources to get it off the ground.

Nonprofit organizations, as well as, local, state, tribal or federal agencies can become an AmeriCorps VISTA host site. Applications for the Oregon Health Authority AmeriCorps VISTA Partnership Project are handled by the Public Health Division in partnership with the AmeriCorps Regional Offices.

Host sites identify significant program level work that will help build local capacity to alleviate poverty and improve public health. Sites host AmeriCorps VISTA national service members each for one year, often for three successive years. OHA AmeriCorps members serve for 365 days. Host sites provide funding, direct the project, supervise and mentor the member, and provide necessary administrative support to complete the goals and objectives of the project.

AmeriCorps VISTA members spend one year in full-time service to address the needs of low-income communities and improve public health. All projects focus on building permanent public health infrastructure in communities to help them more effectively bring individuals and communities out of poverty. Projects must only focus on economically disadvantaged communities.

Organizations interested in becoming a host site should review the AmeriCorps VISTA Handbook for more in-depth information.

Interested in learning more?

Application guidance

Successful applicants will host energetic national service members who will build capacity to improve health and alleviate poverty. Please consider applying and help spread the word. Please contact oha.vista@dhsoha.state.or.us if you are interested in hosting an OHA AmeriCorps VISTA member or need technical assistance with the application materials.

Broad program goals:
The Oregon Health Authority AmeriCorps VISTA Partnership Project aims to alleviate, prevent and reduce poverty by engaging new public health professionals in a year of full-time service in public health and partner organizations in order to improve the public’s health.

Key project requirements:
The project must address:

Healthy Futures or public health focus
Poverty - projects must work to break the cycle of poverty by addressing critical community needs for which there is limited funding
Building long-term organizational and/or community capacity for the entire term of service

The AmeriCorps VISTA member must have:

Administrative support (computer, email, work phone, etc.)
Dedicated supervisor, project leads, mentors with time to invest in the member and their project
Clear VISTA assignment description (VAD)

Applications that address the AmeriCorps Healthy Futures priority areas listed below will have priority consideration:

Access to Health Care: Connecting economically disadvantaged individuals to primary and preventative health care through public health system improvement (quality improvement, accreditation); health equity; building healthy communities; COVID response and recovery; population-specific interventions; or special public health projects. See below in Application Resources for more information.

Host Site Application Due date: May 11, 2026 (To host an August 2026-2027 member)

Please reach out to caroline.d.tydings@oha.oregon.gov if you are interested in applying for an AmeriCorps VISTA member and to learn more about the application process.

Cost (subject to change):

Cost share: $15,000 per member for 1 year. Choose this type to greatly increase your approval by OHA and the national VISTA program. Larger organizations with significant funding are expected to provide this level of support.

Subsidized: $4,000 per member for 1year. These highly competitive positions are more heavily subsidized. These positions are intended for organizations and communities with very limited resources.

New host sites: Please discuss your AmeriCorps VISTA project idea with our team as soon as possible so we can best align our goals before drafting a detailed application.

Host Site Information Sessions: Interested in hosting an AmeriCorps VISTA at your organization? Join one of our Host Site Information Sessions to learn about the program, host site requirements, application process, and more.