AmeriCorps State Formula Grant Competition. Re-competing Operating Grants and New Planning Grants REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA #4362)

Transcription

1 State of Oregon Oregon Housing and Community Services Oregon Volunteers Commission for Voluntary Action and Service AmeriCorps State Formula Grant Competition Multiple Award Grant Opportunity Re-competing Operating Grants and New Planning Grants REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA #4362) RFA Issue Date: March 8, 2016, 2016 MANDATORY Recompete Training (See Section 2.2): March 11, 2016 MANDATORY Planning Grant Training (See Section 2.2): March 18, 2016 Notice of Intent to Apply Due Date: April 4, 2016, 5:00 PM PDT Continuation Application Due Date: March 31, :59PM PDT Recompete Application Due Date: April 25, 2016, 11:59 PM PDT Planning Grant Application Due Date: May 9, 2016, 11:59 PM PDT

2 Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION Background Purpose AmeriCorps Focus Areas OV AmeriCorps Funding Priorities Federal Award Information...7 A. Award Period...8 B. Project Period...7 C. Maximum Award APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS Eligible Applicant Qualifications...8 A. Continuation AmeriCorps State Formula Operating Grant Applicants...9 B. Re-competing AmeriCorps State Formula Operating Grant Applicants...9 C. New AmeriCorps State Formula Planning Grant Applicants Mandatory Training...9 A. New AmeriCorps State Formula Planning Grant Applicants...9 B. Continuation and Re-competing AmeriCorps State Formula Operating Grant Applicants...9 C. Continuation AmeriCorps State Formula Operating Grant Applicants Notice of Intent to Apply Application Deadline Application and Award Timeline Application Submission...11 A. Required Documents...11 B. Application Fields and Page Limits...12 C. egrants Assistance...12 D. Technical Issues RFA Questions and Responsibility Cost Sharing or Matching...13 A. Fixed Amount Grants and Education Award Program Grants...13 B. Cost Reimbursement Grants DUNS Number and System for Award Management (SAM) APPLICATION CONTENT Threshold Issues Application Fields...15 A. Narratives...15 B. Logic Model...15 C. Performance Measures...15 D. Budget...15 E. Funding and Demographics Funding Restrictions...16 A. Types of Grants...16 B. Member Living Allowance...17 C. Maximum Cost per Member Service Year (MSY)...17 D. Amount of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for FY APPLICATION REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA OV Application Review...18 A. Compliance Review...18

3 B. Committee Review...18 C. Committee Interview and Recommendations...19 D. Commission Vote...19 E. Submission to CNCS CNCS Application Review...19 A. Internal Review AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION Notice of Award Administrative and National Policy Requirements Reporting Re-Focusing of Funding GENERAL RFA TERMS GLOSSARY... 22

4 1.0 INTRODUCTION The State of Oregon acting by and through its Housing and Community Services Department ( Agency ) on behalf of the Oregon Volunteers Commission for Voluntary Action and Service is issuing a multiple award Request for Applications ( RFA ) for funding AmeriCorps programs designed to engage AmeriCorps members in service to meet critical community needs in Oregon. This RFA will solicit applications for operating grants to support successful continuation and recompeting AmeriCorps programs and planning grants to support the design of new AmeriCorps programs in targeted issue areas. 1.1 Background The mission of the Oregon Volunteers Commission for Voluntary Action and Service and assigns hereinafter referred to collectively as OV or Commission ( is to strengthen our communities by inspiring Oregonians to actively engage, volunteer, and serve. For over twenty years, the Commission has helped to engage citizens in meeting community challenges through service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 Americans each year in intensive service to meet community needs. Members serve with national nonprofit organizations like Habitat for Humanity, as well as with hundreds of smaller community organizations, both secular and faithbased. Other members serve with AmeriCorps*NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps), a team-based residential program for adults 18 to 24 years old, or build capacity to address poverty in low-income communities with AmeriCorps*VISTA. An AmeriCorps member is an individual who is enrolled in an approved national service position and engages in community service. Members receive a living allowance and other benefits while serving. Upon successful completion of their service, members receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award from the National Service Trust that can be used to pay for college or to pay back qualified student loans. The federal Corporation for National and Community Service and assigns hereinafter referred to collectively as CNCS administers AmeriCorps, which also oversees Senior Corps, the Social Innovation Fund and the Volunteer Generation Fund. The mission of CNCS is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic participation through service and volunteering. A portion of AmeriCorps grant funding goes to Governor-appointed state service commissions like OV, which in turn distribute and monitor grants to local nonprofits and agencies and provide training and technical assistance to support their success. The funding to state service commissions is based on the state population. In Oregon, local organizations and government entities such as the Forest Grove School District receive AmeriCorps funding through OV through a competitive process at the national or state level. They in turn manage and coordinate a local, regional or statewide AmeriCorps program. These are called AmeriCorps State programs. Programs that compete nationally and are awarded funding for an AmeriCorps State program that aligns with national CNCS priorities are called AmeriCorps State Competitive programs. Those that align with state priorities set by the OV commissioners and compete for funding at the Page 4 of 41

5 state level are called AmeriCorps State Formula programs. This RFA is for AmeriCorps State Formula applications that will compete at the state level. The Commission is composed of up to 25 voting members creating a commission of nonpartisan, diverse citizens reflecting Oregon s unique nature that are mandated to identify goals to develop and facilitate the initiation of public and private entity programs that will encourage and reward citizen participation and volunteerism. To this end, the Commission sets priorities and selects recipients of AmeriCorps*State grant awards in Oregon. The Commission has been part of Oregon Housing and Community Services since Portland State University has been a partner and has provided a physical home to the commission since its inception in Purpose The purpose of AmeriCorps funding is to maximize the power of service and volunteering to improve the lives of Oregonians and Oregon s communities. In the 2009 Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, Congress directed the focus of national service to areas where service can make a major impact, including disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures and veterans and military families. The Commission is carrying out this intent by soliciting applications for operating grants to support continuation and re-competing AmeriCorps programs that have demonstrated success in providing service in these focus areas as well as a planning grant to support the design of a multidisciplinary, statewide service corps. Given the established and successful existing state service corps model, the up-front program design will not be as burdensome for the new applicant. Oregon Volunteers asks those who plan on applying for this planning grant opportunity include at least 50 AmeriCorps members in their design in the first year of programming. Planning grant funding will support the time and effort for applicants to design a high quality program and develop an operating grant application for submission in the fall of 2016 to compete at the national level for an AmeriCorps State Competitive operating grant. Planning grant funding is awarded to enable applicants to engage in thoughtful planning, build community support, create partnerships and receive coaching to develop a quality competitive application. 1.3 Focus Areas In order to carry out Congress intent and to maximize the impact of investment in national service, CNCS and OV have the following focus areas: Capacity Building Volunteer Engagement Grants will provide support for capacity building activities provided by national service participants. As a general rule, CNCS considers capacity building activities to be indirect services that enable CNCS-supported organizations to provide more, better, and sustained direct services in CNCS six focus areas. Capacity building activities cannot be solely intended to support the administration or operations of the organization. Examples of capacity building activities include recruiting and/or managing community volunteers; implementing effective Page 5 of 41

6 volunteer management practices; completing community assessments that identify goals and recommendations; developing new systems and business processes (technology, performance management, training, etc.); or enhancing existing systems and business processes. Disaster Services Grant activities will provide support to increase the preparedness of individuals for disasters, improve individuals readiness to respond to disasters, help individuals recover from disasters, and/or help individuals mitigate disasters. Grantees also have the ability to respond to national disasters under CNCS cooperative agreements and FEMA mission assignments. Economic Opportunity Grants will provide support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to the improved economic well-being and security of economically disadvantaged people; help economically disadvantaged people, including youth identified in My Brother s Keeper (see Glossary), to have improved access to services that enhance financial literacy; transition into or remain in safe, healthy, affordable housing; and/or have improved employability leading to increased success in becoming employed. Education Grants will provide support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to improved educational outcomes for economically disadvantaged children; improved school readiness for economically disadvantaged young children; improved educational and behavioral outcomes of students in low-achieving elementary, middle, and high schools; and/or support economically disadvantaged students prepare for success in post-secondary educational institutions. Environmental Stewardship Grants will provide support for increased individual behavioral change leading to increased energy efficiency, renewable energy use, and ecosystem improvements particularly for economically disadvantaged households and communities. Grant activities will decrease energy and water consumption; improve at-risk ecosystems; increase behavioral changes that lead directly to decreased energy and water consumption or improved at-risk ecosystems; and/or increase green training opportunities that may lead to decreased energy and water consumption or improved at-risk ecosystems. Healthy Futures Grants will provide support for activities that will improve access to primary and preventive health care for communities served by CNCS-supported programs; increase seniors ability to remain in their own homes with the same or improved quality of life for as long as possible; and/or increase physical activity and improve nutrition in youth with the purpose of reducing childhood obesity. Veterans and Military Families Grants will positively impact the quality of life of veterans and improve military family strength; increase the number of veterans, military service members, and their families served by CNCS- Page 6 of 41

7 supported programs; and/or increase the number of veterans and military family members engaged in service through CNCS-supported programs. 1.4 Funding Priorities Oregon Volunteers continues to promote service priorities for Oregon s 10-Year Plan. In the current economic situation, the main emphases for the Commission are: 1) To continue funding for successful, compliant programs that are demonstrating significant impact in communities; and 2) To grow AmeriCorps in Oregon by providing access to AmeriCorps members for small organizations and rural communities through a multi-disciplinary, statewide service corps. A. Planning Grant Requirements For a statewide multi-focus intermediary, OV will seek an organization that can successfully meet the following criteria: Focus in at least three CNCS priority areas listed in section 1.3 that meet identified community needs; Deliver a statewide focus with a mix of rural and urban AmeriCorps members service sites; Demonstrate financial management capacity and capability to manage federal grants; Demonstrate ability to develop successful local partnerships across Oregon. This funding will support the time and effort of a dedicated staff member to lead the design of a high quality program and develop a full grant application for an AmeriCorps State Competitive operating grant for a statewide multi-focus intermediary program. The application will be submitted on or before December 2016 to compete at the national level. Planning grant applicants should compare the total costs of the potential future program they are proposing to begin in Fall 2017 against the CNCS maximum cost per MSY of $13,730 to ensure they have adequate resources to support a full program. Program costs are typically significantly higher than the maximum CNCS cost per MSY combined with the minimum required match of 24%. Planning grant applicants must demonstrate that the priority area(s) address(es) a critical need(s) in the target community(ies) and is a significant part of the program focus and intended outcomes. Planning grant applicants must propose an action plan to design a high quality program and community partnerships in three or more of these priority areas. 1.5 Federal Award Information OV expects a highly competitive 2016 AmeriCorps State Formula grant competition. The actual level of funding will be subject to the availability of annual appropriations. Operating grant awards have two components: operating funds and AmeriCorps member positions. Grant award amounts vary both in the level of operating funds and in the type and amount of AmeriCorps Member positions. Operating grants cannot exceed 20 AmeriCorps member positions. The Page 7 of 41

8 maximum award per member is $13,730. The planning grant awards include only planning funds up to $50,000. A. Award Period Unless otherwise specified, the grant generally covers a three-year award period. In approving a multi-year award period, OV makes an initial award for the first year of operation. The application is submitted with a one-year budget. Continuation funding is not guaranteed. Factors considered in awarding continuation grants include satisfactory performance, demonstrated capacity to manage the grant, compliance with grant requirements, agency priorities, and the availability of appropriated funds. OV reserves the right to adjust the amount of a grant or elect not to continue funding for subsequent years. B. Project Period The project start date is proposed by the applicant and the project period is generally one year. The project start date may not occur prior to the date OV awards the grant. AmeriCorps members may not enroll prior to the start date of the award. AmeriCorps members may not begin service prior to the beginning of the member enrollment period as designated in the grant award. A program may not certify any hours a member performs prior to the beginning of the member enrollment period. C. Maximum Award 1. Continuation and Re-competing Applicants The maximum award for continuation and re-competing applicants is based on the CNCS maximum cost per Member Service Year (MSY) of $13,730 for cost reimbursement grants and $13,430 for fixed amount grants. See section 3.3C for additional information on the CNCS maximum cost per MSY. Continuation and re-competing applicants requesting a higher cost per MSY than in the previous year must include a compelling rationale for this increased cost. This applies even if the increased cost per MSY is less than the maximum or due to the increased minimum living allowance for AmeriCorps members. 2. Planning Grant Applicants The planning grant award will not exceed $50,000 per award. 2.0 APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS 2.1 Eligible Applicant Qualifications Organizations that have been convicted of a Federal crime are automatically disqualified. Pursuant to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an organization described in Section 501 (c)(4) of the Internal Revenue code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. 501 (c)(4), that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to apply. Page 8 of 41

9 A. Continuation AmeriCorps State Formula Operating Grant Applicants Organizations that have current AmeriCorps awards that do not end in the program year must submit an application in order to be eligible to receive funding for the following year. Please see the Application Instructions for further information on application requirements. B. Re-competing AmeriCorps State Formula Operating Grant Applicants Current OV sub-grantees that are completing a 3-year funding cycle in the program year are considered to be in re-compete status. These applicants may apply for a new 3-year award. Recompeting applicants must attend a mandatory training on March 11, 2016 to be eligible to apply. C. New AmeriCorps State Formula Planning Grant Applicants Public or private nonprofit organizations registered to do business in Oregon, including faithbased and other community organizations; institutions of higher education; local governmental agencies (e.g., cities, counties); Indian Tribes; and partnerships or consortia are all eligible. Current or former recipients of an AmeriCorps planning or operating grant are not eligible to apply unless they are proposing a significantly different program design or target population to serve. All applicants interested in applying for a planning grant to establish a new multi-disciplinary statewide service corps must attend a mandatory training March 18, 2016 to be eligible to apply. D. Unfunded Competitive Grant Applicants Organizations proposing single-state programs that applied to Oregon Volunteers in the competitive funding cycle and were not awarded competitive funding should follow the guidance for re-competing applicants. 2.2 Mandatory Training A. New AmeriCorps State Formula Planning Grant Applicants All interested applicants for a new AmeriCorps State Formula planning grant must attend a mandatory training on March 18, 2016 at Portland State University to be eligible to apply. Applicants must attend training at their own expense. Additional information on the training can be found on the Oregon Volunteers website. B. Re-competing AmeriCorps State Formula Operating Grant Applicants Re-competing applicants must attend a mandatory training on March 11, 2016 outlining the application requirements. C. Continuation AmeriCorps State Formula Operating Grant Applicants. Oregon Volunteers will contact eligible applicants to schedule a time for the training schedule. Page 9 of 41

10 2.3 Notice of Intent to Apply New applicants shall send an Notice of Intent to Apply by 5:00 pm on April 4, 2016 to The Notice of Intent must be two paragraphs or less and include the following information: Name of the applicant organization; applicant address; person(s) to contact regarding the application; contact(s) address and phone number; funding priority area the proposed program will address; and target community and population the program proposes to serve. 2.4 Application Deadline DUE DATES: Continuation AmeriCorps Applications: March 31, 2016 at 11:59PM PDT Recompeting AmeriCorps Applications: April 25, 2016 at 11:59 PM PDT Planning Grant Aplications: May 9, :59PM PDT Additional guidance on the application requirements will be provided at the mandatory trainings. 2.5 Application and Award Timeline The application and award process will be conducted according to the following timeline: Timing Activities Ongoing and telephone technical assistance provided Web page for applicants updated as needed March March 8, 2016 OV AmeriCorps State Formula RFA Released March 11 Applicant Training (Recompeting Grants) March 18 Applicant Training (Planning Grants) Applicant Webinar (Continuation) March 31 Continuation Applications Due April April 4 Notice of Intent to Apply (Planning Grant) April 25 Formula applications due to OV (Re-compete) April 26 Peer and staff review of applications begins Page 10 of 41

11 Timing Activities May May 9 Planning Grant applications due to OV May 17 Peer and Staff review of applications ends May National Service Program Committee (NSPC) review of application summaries May 27 NSPC makes initial recommendations and determines feedback to applicants; writes interview questions June June 6 Formula Applicant interviews and NSPC final recommendations June 7-10 Commission Vote on OV formula awards June 7-13 Applicants make final revisions June 17 Application submitted to CNCS June 24 Anticipated application due to CNCS July CNCS Notice of Grant Award (within 30 days of submission) 2.6 Application Submission Applicants must submit their applications electronically via the CNCS web-based system, egrants. Because it is a unique system, it is recommended that applicants create an egrants account and begin the application creation process at least three weeks before the deadline. Applicants should draft the application as a word processing document and copy and paste the document into the appropriate egrants fields no later than 10 days before the deadline to allow ample time in case any issues arise. Please note the length of a document in word processing software may be different than what will print out in egrants. Page limits are based on the application as it is viewed or printed in egrants. A. Required Documents The following documents are due by the application deadline (Continuation: March 31, 2016 by 11:59PM PDT; Recompeting Applications: April 25, 2016 by 11:59 PM PDT; New Planning Grants: May 9, 2016 by 11:59 PM PST) and should be attached to an and sent to americorpsgrants@oregonvolunteers.org. Your subject should include your organization name and egrants Application ID number. Financial Management Capability Questionnaire (New Planning Grants) Most Recent Audit or Audited Financial Statements (New Planning Grants, Continuation, and Recompete Applications) Page 11 of 41

12 a) Financial Management Capability Questionnaire Applicants are required to complete this questionnaire to provide an overview of your organization s experience managing grants and to explain the financial systems your organization has in place. b) Audit or Audited Financial Statements Applicants are required to submit their organization s most recent audit or audited financial statement to enable us to verify financial viability and that your organization follows financial management procedures. An application is only complete if it includes all required documentation and is received by the application due date. Incomplete applications will not be considered. All additional required documents should include the applicant organization name and Application ID number and are due by the application deadline at americorpsgrants@oregonvolunteers.org. s should include in the Subject line, the applicant organization name and Application ID number. Additional documents may include (if applicable): letter(s) of support for the Governor/Mayor Initiative, evaluation reports, and letters from community partners. B. Application Fields and Page Limits In egrants, applicants will enter text in the following fields Executive Summary Program Design Organizational Capability Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation Plan Applications may not exceed 15 pages for the Narratives (18 pages for Multi-Focus Intermediaries), including the Executive Summary and SF 424 Facesheet, as seen when printed from egrants. OV strongly encourages applicants to print out the application from the Review and Submit page prior to submission to check that the application does not exceed the page limit. This limit does not include the narrative portion of the evaluation plan or the logic model, budget, performance measures, or the supplementary materials, if applicable. The logic model may not exceed 3 pages as it is viewed/printed from egrants. Reviewers will not consider submitted material that is over the page limit in the printed report, even if egrants allows an applicant to enter and submit text over the limit. C. egrants Assistance Contact the National Service Hotline at or if a problem arises while creating an account or while preparing or submitting an application in egrants. Page 12 of 41

13 National Service Hotline hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET. If you contact the Hotline, be prepared to provide the application ID. D. Technical Issues If technical issues prevent an applicant from submitting an application on time, please contact the National Service Hotline prior to the deadline to explain the technical issue and receive a ticket number. If the issue cannot be resolved by the deadline, the applicant must send the National Service Hotline ticket number or confirmation to americorpsgrants@oregonvolunteers.org. The applicant must also continue working with the National Service Hotline to submit their application via egrants. 2.7 RFA Questions and Responsibility All inquiries relating to the RFA process, administration, deadline or award, or to the substantive technical portions of the RFA, must be submitted via to americorpsgrants@oregonvolunteers.org. When appropriate, revisions, substitutions, or clarifications shall be issued as addenda to this RFA. Changes/modifications to the RFA requirements shall ONLY be recognized if in the form of written addenda issued by Agency. Agency shall provide copies of any addenda to all known RFA applicants as well as posted at the Oregon Volunteers website. Agency will not be held responsible for any error or omissions from downloading the RFA. The official solicitation document is the one held at the Agency. Those applications which are incomplete or which do not meet all requirements of the RFA will be deemed by Agency to be "non-responsive" and will be rejected. Applications considered complete, or "responsive," will be evaluated to determine if they comply with the administrative, contractual, and technical requirements of the RFA. If the application is unclear, the applicant may be asked to provide written clarification to assist the Agency in determining the issue of the application s responsiveness. 2.8 Cost Sharing or Matching A. Fixed Amount Grants and Education Award Program Grants There is no specific match requirement for Fixed Amount and Education Award Program grants, but OV does not provide all the funds necessary to operate the program. Organizations must raise the additional revenue required to operate the program. New planning grant applicants are not eligible to apply for fixed amount grants. B. Cost Reimbursement Grants A first-time successful applicant is required to match at 24 percent for the first three-year funding period. Starting with year four, the match requirement gradually increases every year to 50 percent by year ten, according to the minimum overall share chart found in 45 CFR and Pub. L , Division H, Title IV, and in Table 1 below. Page 13 of 41

14 Table 1: Match Requirements in the AmeriCorps Regulations Competition AmeriCorps State Formula Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Match Requirement Minimum grantee share is 24% of program costs for the first three years. Year Year Year Year Year Year Year Minimum Share 24% 24% 24% 26% 30% 34% 38% 42% 46% 50% Section 121(e)(5) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended, requires programs that use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant to report the amount and source of these funds to OV on a Federal Financial Report. Grantees must track and be prepared to report on that match separately each year and at grant closeout. 2.9 DUNS Number and System for Award Management (SAM) Applications must include a Dun and Bradstreet University Numbering System (DUNS) number and an Employer Identification Number. The DUNS number does not replace an Employer Identification Number. DUNS numbers may be obtained at no cost by calling the DUNS number request line at (866) or by applying online: website indicates a 48-hour turnaround time on requests for DUNS numbers; however, CNCS suggests registering at least 30 days in advance of the application due date. After obtaining a DUNS number, all applicants must be registered with the Systems for Award Management (SAM) at SAM collects, validates, stores, and disseminates data in support of Federal agency contracts, grant awards, cooperative agreements, and other forms of federal assistance. All grant recipients are required to maintain a valid SAM registration, which must be renewed annually. Applicants that are not already registered with SAM are urged to begin the registration process immediately in order to avoid any delays in submitting applications. Applicants must have a DUNS number in order to register with SAM. To register online go to APPLICATION CONTENT Each applicant must clearly describe a project that will deploy AmeriCorps members effectively to solve a significant community problem. CNCS urges applicants to submit high quality applications that carefully follow the guidance in this RFA and in the Application Instructions. The quality of an application will be an important factor in determining whether an organization will receive funding. Application Instructions will be provided at the mandatory trainings. 3.1 Threshold Issues Applications should reflect that they meet the threshold requirements for the grant type for which they are applying. For example: If an applicant is applying for a Fixed Amount grant, the application should reflect that only full-time or less than full-time positions serving in a full-time capacity will be permitted. An application for the Governor and Mayor Initiative must clearly articulate how they will obtain the support of Governor Brown (or her designated state agency) to serve as the applicant, one Mayor, and a minimum of two nonprofits. If the proposed service Page 14 of 41

15 activities require specialized member qualifications and/or training (for example, tutoring programs: 45 CFR ), the applicant must clearly describe how the program will meet these requirements. 3.2 Application Fields A. Narratives Applicants will be required to complete the following narrative fields in egrants. Specific guidance for the content of each of these narratives will be provided in the Application Instructions. Executive Summary Program Design Organizational Capability Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Evaluation Plan B. Logic Model Applicants are required to provide a detailed theory of change using a Logic Model. A theory of change is a description of how and why a set of activities are expected to lead to outcomes over a specified period of time. A logic model is a graphical representation of program activities and their intended outcomes as depicted in the theory of change. Additional information on developing your Logic Model will be provided at the mandatory trainings. C. Performance Measures Applicants will be required to create performance measures to assess and report on their progress toward achieving the program s outcomes. Specific guidance for how to create performance measures will be provided in the Application Instructions. D. Budget Applicants will be required to create a detailed budget narrative outlining their program expenses for which they are requesting funding and the required cash or in-kind match that will fund the required grantee share of program expenses. Applicants will also be required to provide the sources of match. Specific guidance for how to create a program budget will be provided in the Application Instructions. E. Funding and Demographics Applicants will be required to provide estimates of populations served and volunteers engaged as a part of their proposed AmeriCorps program. Specific guidance for how to complete the Funding and Demographics section for each grant type will be provided in the Application Instructions. Page 15 of 41

16 3.3 Funding Restrictions A. Types of Grants AmeriCorps grants can be awarded on a cost reimbursement or fixed amount basis. OV will not provide both types of grants for the same project in one fiscal year. See Glossary for additional information on these grant types. Grantees must be invited to apply as a fixed amount grant after successfully completing at least one three-year grant cycle. Table 2: Grant Type Summary Grant Types Cost Reimbursement Fixed Amount Available Subtypes Full-Time/Less than FT serving Traditional in a full time capacity Maximum Cost per MSY $13,730 $13,430 Type of Slots in the National Service Trust All Full-Time or Less than Full-Time serving in a full time capacity Only Budget Submission Required Yes No Availability of Funds linked to enrollment and retention of awarded MSY No Yes Special Requirements N/A N/A Match Requirements Yes Financial Tracking Requirements Available to New Applicants Yes Yes No, but organizations must raise the additional revenue required to operate the program. No No B. Member Living Allowance The proposed budget must include a living allowance for full-time members that is $12,530 per member. An AmeriCorps member is not considered an employee and the living allowance is not considered a salary or a wage. Cost reimbursement programs are not required to provide a living allowance for members serving in less than full-time terms of service. If a program chooses to provide a living allowance to a less than full-time member, it must comply with the maximum limits in Table 2 below. For Cost Reimbursement grants, the amount must be included in the proposed budget as either CNCS or grantee share. While Fixed Amount grant applicants are not required to submit detailed budgets, they are still required to provide a living allowance that complies with the minimum and maximum Page 16 of 41

17 requirements to members. Most Fixed Amount grant applicants are not required to indicate that amount in the application and should request those positions as without living allowance in the budget. Table 2: Minimum and Maximum Living Allowance Service Term Minimum Minimum MSY Maximum Total # of Living Calculation Living Allowance Hours Allowance Full-time 1700 $12, $12,530 One-year Half-time 900 n/a $6,265 Reduced Half-time 675 n/a $4,774 Quarter-time 450 n/a $3,320 Minimum-time 300 n/a $2,656 C. Maximum Cost per Member Service Year (MSY) Maximum Costs per MSY are set forth in Table 3 below. The CNCS cost per MSY is determined by dividing the CNCS share of budgeted grant costs by the number of MSYs requested. It does not include child care or the value of the education award a member may earn. The maximum amount an applicant may request from CNCS per MSY is determined on an annual basis. Table 3: 2015 Maximum Cost per MSY Grant Program Maximum Individual Competitive State/Territory Program (cost reimbursement) $13,730 Full-time Fixed Amount Grant $13,430 Individual State/Territory Formula Program $13,730 D. Amount of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for FY 2016 AmeriCorps members serving in programs funded with FY 2016 dollars who successfully complete a term of service will receive an Education Award from the National Service Trust of $5,775 for a year of full-time service, with correspondingly smaller awards for less than full-time service. The amount of the Education Award is linked to the value of the Pell Grant. A member has up to seven years after his or her term of service to use the Education Award. Table 4: Term of Service and FY16 Education Award Term of Service Minimum # of Hours FY15 Education Award Full Time 1700 $5, One-Year Half Time 900 $2, Reduced Half Time 675 $2, Quarter Time 450 $1, Minimum Time 300 $1, Page 17 of 41

18 4.0 APPLICATION REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA The assessment of applications involves a wide range of factors and considerations. OV will engage external reviewers to provide insight and input with respect to eligible applications. In addition, OV staff will apply their experience and expertise in evaluating applications. In the end, the review and selection process will produce a diversified set of high-quality programs that represent the priorities and selection factors described in this RFA. Specifically, the review and selection process will: A. Identify eligible applications that satisfy the following considerations: High alignment with narrative assessment criteria High alignment with priorities outlined in the Notice, including priority-specific requirements as detailed in the Glossary Relative risk and opportunity B. Yield a diversified portfolio based on the following strategic considerations: Meaningful representation of o Geographic diversity o Rural communities (see definition in Glossary) o Small and medium programs o Faith- and community-based organizations Focus area representation Organizations and/or program models that recruit and engage traditionally underrepresented populations as AmeriCorps members and expand opportunities to serve as AmeriCorps members 4.1 OV Application Review The OV application review marks the first phase of the application review process. A. Compliance Review OV staff will review all applications submitted to OV to determine compliance with eligibility, deadline, and completeness requirements. In order to be compliant and advance to Evaluation Committee Review, an applicant must satisfy all the following requirements: Submit a Notice of Intent to Apply by the deadline. Submit an application and all required additional documents by the application submission deadline. Submit an application that is complete, in that it contains all required elements and additional documents and follows the instructions provided in this RFA. B. Evaluation Committee Review Complete applications are reviewed and scored by a panel of Commissioners, staff and qualified external peer reviewers. Applications that score above 75% of the maximum score in the initial Page 18 of 41

19 review will continue in the review process and will work closely with OV staff to improve their applications prior to final application submission to CNCS. Final applications receiving an average score less than 75% of the maximum score will not continue in the OV 2015 AmeriCorps State Formula Grant application review process. The committee will provide feedback to applicants after the committee review process concludes. The application scoring will also include an assessment of the applicant s financial management capability. All scoring criteria will be provided in the Application Instructions. C. Committee Interview and Recommendations The OV National Service Program Committee will review the new applicants progress on improving their application and, if appropriate progress has been made, the Committee will invite the applicants to interview with a panel consisting of the National Service Program Committee and OV Commissioners. After the interview, the National Service Program Committee will make a final recommendation to the Commission for which applications will be submitted to CNCS for the next phase of review. D. Commission Vote Following all interviews, the Commissioners will consider the final recommendation of the National Service Program Committee and the information resulting from the interviews and vote on the Committee s recommendation for applications to be submitted to CNCS. E. Submission to CNCS OV staff will complete and submit the final Commission-approved applications to CNCS for further review. 4.2 CNCS Application Review The CNCS application review is the final phase of the application review process. A. Internal Review CNCS staff will assess the entire application portfolio submitted by OV. Some applicants may receive requests to provide clarifying information and/or make changes to their application including changes to the budget. CNCS staff uses this information in making final approvals. Applications may be approved for funding even if they are not asked clarification questions. A request for clarification does not guarantee a grant award. Failure to respond to requests for additional information in a timely fashion will result in the removal of applications from consideration. 5.0 AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 5.1 Notice of Award Applicants will be notified via as to funding decisions. This notification is not an authorization to begin grant activities. The Notice of Grant Award signed by the OV National Service Program Administrator is the authorizing document for grant activities. Page 19 of 41

20 5.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements Documents that Govern the Grant The Notice of Grant Award incorporates the approved application as part of a binding commitment under the grant as well as the AmeriCorps regulations and grant provisions. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards Grants under this program are subject to 2 CFR 200 and CNCS regulations issued to implement the part. This final guidance, published on Dec. 26, 2013, supersedes and streamlines requirements from OMB Circulars A-21, A-87, A-110, and A-122 (which have been placed in OMB guidances); Circulars A-89, A-102, and A-133; and the guidance in Circular A-50 on Single Audit Act follow-up. Use of Material To ensure that materials generated with CNCS funding are available to the public and readily accessible to grantees and non-grantees, CNCS reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to obtain, use, modify, reproduce, publish, or disseminate publications and materials produced under the award, including data, and to authorize others to do so. 45 CFR ; Reporting Cost reimbursement grantees are required to provide mid-year and end of year progress reports, semi-annual financial reports, and an internal or external evaluation report as required by the AmeriCorps regulations and Fixed Amount grantees are required to provide mid-year and end of year progress reports and an internal or external evaluation report. All grantees, including Fixed Amount grantees, submit quarterly financial reports to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Payment Management System. While applications will not be evaluated on these criteria, grantees will be expected to have data collection and data management policies and practices that provide reasonable assurance that they are providing CNCS with high quality performance measure data. At a minimum, grantees should have policies and practices that address the following five aspects of data quality: The data measures what it intends to measure; The grantee collects data in a consistent manner; The grantee takes steps to correct data errors; The grantee ensures that the data reported is complete; and The grantee actively reviews data prior to submission. Progress Report Data In addition to semi-annual reporting outcomes and progress toward the grant approved performance measures, additional data must be reported annually (as applicable). Page 20 of 41

21 5.4 Re-Focusing of Funding OV and CNCS reserve the right to re-focus funding in the event of disaster or other compelling need for service. 6.0 GENERAL RFA TERMS 6.1 Agency may require clarification to understand any of the applicant s scored criteria. Any necessary clarifications or modifications will be made before executing any award and may become part of the final Agreement. 6.2 Submission of an Application does not constitute an agreement between Agency and applicant, nor does it secure or imply that Applicant will be selected. 6.3 All costs associated with applicant s submission of an application are the sole responsibility of the applicant and shall not be borne by the state of Oregon. 6.4 Successful applicants may be required to maintain appropriate levels of Workers Compensation, General Liability, and Automobile Liability insurance. 6.5 By submitting an application, the applicant accepts all of the terms and conditions of this RFA, the sample Grant Agreement, and any terms and conditions imposed by the requirements of the funding source and the Agency. No funds will be released prior to all program conditions being met and funding agreements executed. 6.6 The Agency reserves the right, at its sole discretion: (1) to amend the RFA prior to the closing date; (2) to amend the deadline for submitting applications; (3) to determine whether an application does or does not substantially comply with the requirements of this RFA; (4) to waive any minor irregularity, informality, or nonconformance with this RFA; (5) to obtain from and/or provide to other public agencies, upon request, references, regarding the applicant s performance; (6) at any time prior to Agreement execution: (a) to reject any application that fails to substantially comply with all prescribed RFA procedures and requirements; and (b) to reject all applications received and cancel this RFA upon a finding by Agency that there is good cause and that such cancellation would be in the best interests of the State; (7) to make funding awards outside of this RFA process as it deems necessary; and (7) seek clarification on any or all applications. 6.7 This RFA and one copy of each original response received, together with copies of all documents pertaining to the award of an Agreement, shall be kept by Agency and made a part of a file or records, which shall be open to public inspection. If an application contains any information that is considered a trade secret under ORS (2), each sheet of such information must be marked with the following legend: This application constitutes a trade secret under ORS (2), and shall not be disclosed except in accordance with the Oregon Public Records Law, ORS Chapter 192. The Oregon Public Records Law exempts from disclosure only bona fide trade secrets, and the exemption from disclosure applies only unless the public interest requires disclosure in the Page 21 of 41

22 particular instance ORS (2). Therefore, non-disclosure of documents or any portion of a document submitted as part of a proposal may depend upon official or judicial determination made pursuant to the Public Records Law. If an application contains any information that may be considered exempt from disclosure under the various grounds specified in Oregon Public Records Law, ORS through , applicant must clearly designate any portion of its application as exempt, along with a citation to the authority relied upon. Application of the Oregon Public Records Law shall determine whether any information is actually exempt from disclosure. Identifying an application in whole as exempt from disclosure is not acceptable. Failure to identify a portion of the application as exempt from disclosure, and the authority used, shall be deemed a waiver of any future claim of non-disclosure of that information. 6.8 The successful applicant will be required to assume responsibility for all services outlined and finalized in the Agreement, whether the contractor, a representative or subcontractor produces them. The Agency considers the awardee responsible for any and all contractual matters, including performance of work and the stated deliverables. 7.0 GLOSSARY 21 st Century Service Corps (21 st CSC): The 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) is a bold national effort to put young Americans and veterans to work protecting, restoring, and enhancing America s great outdoors. The 21CSC, built on the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps, will complete high quality, cost effective projects on public and tribal lands and waters across the nation. The 21CSC goals: Put Americans to work: The 21CSC will provide service, training, education and employment opportunities for thousands of young Americans and veterans, including low income and disadvantaged youth. Preserve, protect, and promote America s greatest gifts: The 21CSC will protect, restore and enhance public and tribal lands and waters as well as natural, cultural, and historical resources and treasures. With high-quality, cost-effective project work, the 21CSC will also increase public access and use while spurring economic development and outdoor recreation. Build America s future: Through service to America, the 21CSC will help develop a generation of skilled workers, educated and active citizens, future leaders, and stewards of natural and cultural resources, communities and the nation. In order to qualify for this priority area, applicants must demonstrate that they are a 21CSC member organization. Applications for membership are reviewed quarterly. Instructions for applicants are available in the Federal Register Notice, here: /pdf/ pdf Capacity Building: Grants also will provide support for capacity building activities provided by national service participants. As a general rule, CNCS considers capacity building activities to be indirect services that enable CNCS-supported organizations to provide more, better, and sustained direct Page 22 of 41