DOGE is costing Californians money

As the Department of Government Efficiency announces the dismantling of AmeriCorps programs in the name of fiscal responsibility, national and state data tell a very different story: These cuts are not saving money — they’re wasting it.

As a public-private partnership, AmeriCorps is a unique example of federal government efficiency and tax dollar stewardship. For every $1 invested in national service, $17 is returned to communities in benefits to service members, the government and society, according to a Voices for National Service study.

“DOGE-math is not mathing,” said GO-Serve Director Josh Fryday. “Cutting AmeriCorps doesn’t make government more efficient — it does the exact opposite. These programs are among the most cost-effective tools we have to lift up communities, strengthen local economies and reduce the burden on other government systems. Slashing them isn’t smart policy — it’s counterproductive.”

AmeriCorps programs focus on community challenges, reduce dependence on other government programs and decrease welfare, public health and criminal justice expenditures.

For example, in the Los Angeles area alone, with more than $10.4 million in federal funds slashed, communities could lose more than $176 million in community benefits and savings. Federal cuts of $6.6 million in the Central Valley could actually mean losing over $112 million.

In 2024, at least 6,334 California service members served at more than 1,800 locations, including schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics, youth centers, veterans’ facilities and other nonprofit and faith-based organizations. When the devastating fires struck Los Angeles earlier this year, AmeriCorps members were on the ground, distributing supplies and supporting families.

“Investing in AmeriCorps is not charity — it’s a smart investment with real returns,” said Richie Goldman, California Volunteers Commissioner and Co-Founder of Men’s Wearhouse. “Every dollar cut now will cost us many more in the long run, not just in dollars, but in lost opportunity and diminished resilience. Investment in service pays off — I guarantee it.”

California, along with other states, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration over DOGE efforts to dismantle AmeriCorps.

For more information on the return on investment in national service, go to the AmeriCorps and Senior Corps Quantifying the Impact report.

While the federal government cuts AmeriCorps programs, the state continues to recruit for the California Service Corps. Combined, it is a force larger than the Peace Corps and is mobilized at a time when California is addressing post-pandemic academic recovery, rebuilding from the LA fires and planning for the future of the state’s workforce.