INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE FY12 GRANT AGREEMENT

Transcription

1 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE FY12 GRANT AGREEMENT These instructions are provided to assist you in completing the Agreement and to cover many of the areas in which grantees have had the most difficulty in the past. If you are unsure of anything in the Agreement, it is best to call the Programs and Services Office for assistance rather than risk submitting an Agreement that contains errors, which can severely slow down processing. Reminders for FY12: A new egrant system, SAGE, is in development, however the contract component is not yet completed. The Council is issuing paper contracts in order to facilitate contract and first payment processing now; however, when the SAGE system is ready, grantees may be required to enter their grant agreement data in the system, which will link to the final report component also in development for later in the year. Please use notes pages with the budget forms for any itemization or budget explanations. If your organization receives more than $25,000 in federal funds, in any combination from the Council and/or other sources, there are additional requirements. See Attachment E, item #7. GRANT CATEGORIES: Abbreviations for the various grant categories covered in these instructions are as follows: General Operating Support GOS General Program Support GPS Local Arts Program LAP Arts Education Special Initiatives AESI Arts Project Support APS Projects Serving Artists PSA Arts in Communities AIC Building Arts Participation BAP Local Arts Staffing Initiative LASI Southern NJ Staffing Assistance Initiative SNJSAI AGREEMENT DEADLINES: The deadline to submit your Agreement will be 45 days from receipt of hardcopy of this notice (the date you signed for the envelope that contained the paper copy of the Grant Agreement) or 60 days for colleges, universities and units of government. Submission of the Agreement involves completing the required information and postmarking your submission by midnight on your deadline date. A complete Grant Agreement will include all sections competed as instructed including a printed and signed Grant Agreement Data sheet and signed Payment Voucher along with any documents that might be required as noted in Attachment C. Your Agreement is not considered fully received until all required and hardcopy signed documents reach the Council offices. Organizations are encouraged to submit early as Agreements are reviewed and processed in the order received. If your organization is unable to meet the filing deadline it is very important that a request for extension be filed in writing before the deadline. Please use the Document Filing

2 Extension Request form on the Council s website at noting both the reason an extension is needed and the requested new deadline date. Extensions will delay first payment and are strongly discouraged and may not be approved. Deadlines will not be extended past December 31, 2011 for Agreements available at this time. Please be aware that failure to file an Agreement by December 31, 2011 will initiate steps to withdraw the award. Grantees should be mindful of submitting their agreements on time and be sure to address any corrections or deficiencies that are communicated by Council staff right away as incomplete or incorrect agreements cannot be executed. All Agreements must be fully executed by March 31, 2012 or similar steps will be taken to withdraw the award. HOW TO COMPLETE THE AGREEMENT: Section I - Grant Agreement Data Sheet (GAD): This is the first page of the Agreement. It contains and identifies the following essential elements of the Agreement and contains the certification language and signatures needed to effectuate the Agreement and establish the grant loan order. This page must be mailed back with original signature. A copy of this countersigned page will be returned to the grantee. Grant number - Identifies the grant and should be used on all correspondence related to the grant to facilitate the processing of information. This is a temporary grant number and a permanent number will be assigned when the SAGE system is in place. Grantee name and address - The organization should make certain that when applying to the NJSCA and on the Agreement, the actual legal incorporated name of the organization is used; failure to do so may cause significant delays and problems later. Payments/Checks can be made only in the name of the grantee. Grants are non-transferable. Check to be sure the address on both the Agreement and Payment Voucher is correct. If not please submit with your Agreement a letter that states the old incorrect information and the new correct information, so that the Council s records and State Treasury systems can be updated. Grant period - Funds must be expended (or encumbered) within this period. Requests for extension of the grant period end date may be approved for compelling reasons. The grant period cannot begin before July 1 and Council funds from an FY12 grant cannot be spent prior to July 1, Source of Funds Indicates source (state, federal, or other). Amount of Financial Assistance - Total funds awarded. Signature- This affirms that the organization agrees to abide by all terms and conditions of the Agreement and requires an original signature by the Authorizing Official of the organization, normally the Executive Director/CEO. It must be signed in blue ink and mailed to the Council office. Sections II through XXIV: These sections are the Terms and Conditions of the Agreement and are available on the Council website Please read them carefully. Attachment A - Audit/Reporting/Processing and Insurance Requirements: These are grant provisions and conditions stipulated by the State of New Jersey/Department of State/NJSCA.

3 Read carefully and share with your auditor immediately. Your organization in signing the Agreement is agreeing to complete an audit or financial statement as outlined in the Agreement. It also has a blank section on insurance to be completed by the grantee. Attachment B - Program Revision and Budget Pages: (must be completed by all grantees). The budget pages are available on the Council website in an Excel format. Please use these budget pages which will perform all calculations minimizing the possibility of making an arithmetic error and slowing down processing of your Agreement and payment. On screen, please fill in the budget lines shaded in yellow the cells shaded in blue represent the calculation of the information entered in the yellow cells. Please complete all required financial information. Page 1, Program Revision - The award and the Agreement are based on the information contained in the original application and as updated in any interim reports. It is therefore assumed that a grantee will perform everything claimed in that application and report, unless through this Agreement modifications are made clear and then agreed to by the Council. Changes should be entered on this page. If there are no changes the box affirming this should be checked. Page 2, Income - Grantees should enter in the first column the amounts of any committed funds for this grant period to date - for GOS all operating budget income, for GPS and LAP the arts program budget, or for AESI, APS, PSA, BAP,AIC, Cosponsor, SNJ Staffing or LASI grants the project only budget. These are funds you already have in hand or are assured of receiving. The second column should include the funds remaining to be sought to reach your Total Target, which is the third column. Therefore Commitments plus Remainder to be Sought should equal the Total Target. The Total Target sum on Line H should be the same as Attachment B, page 3, Line F. Break out all other non-njsca/non-nj Cultural Trust Governmental support by sources and amounts at the bottom of this page. Page 3, Expenses - Complete the "Total Budget" column for the organization, program or project for the grant period first and then, from this budget, break out as a subset under "Expenditures from this NJSCA Grant" the amount to be expended from this NJSCA grant on each appropriate line item. If the organization is the recipient of a GOS or GPS grant, this budget should represent the entire operating (GOS) or program (GPS) budget or for County Arts Agencies (LAP) the entire arts program budget, and include all other NJSCA-funded expenses such as a APS in Folk Arts, AESI project, PSA project, AIC project, Southern NJ Staffing Initiative, Local Arts Staffing grants, or co-sponsored project grant. Project recipients (APS, PSA, AESI, BAP, AIC, co-sponsored) should report the budget of the project only. Local Arts Program recipients should show all arts activity (and not include heritage/history activity). Southern NJ Staffing Initiative and Local Arts Staffing Initiative recipients should show only the staff position identified in that Agreement. Use the line items provided; do not create your own. Note that Fringe is broken out from Salaries. Itemize "other" under Other Operating Expenses if over 5% of the total budget (Line E).

4 Explain any unusual costs, as well as any major deviations from the application budget presented earlier in the space provided. GOS grantees should present their entire operating budget, but not include any separate capital (e.g. construction/renovation) costs Next, check/complete the income and deficit/surplus information: On Line F your income should be the same as total income from page 2 On line G any deficit or surplus expected for the year will be calculated based on the figures you ve entered. On Line H, if your organization (regardless of the type of funding) is carrying an accumulated deficit or surplus, indicate the amount at the time of completing the Agreement. Actual cash surpluses being carried are to be shown - do not include amounts in designated cash reserves or endowments on this line. On Line I enter the amount of the grant which might be used to meet the difference in expense between completing the audit required in the Agreement compared to what the organization might otherwise spend on an audit were this Agreement requirement not made. Please carefully double-check entry of all figures and arithmetic. Incorrectly entered figures and arithmetic errors are common but easily avoided problems, and are cause for delays in processing Agreements and payments. Double checking all figures could save weeks and weeks of delay in your organization receiving its payment. Note the Match Requirements for this grant in Attachment A or as superseded by the requirements set forth in Attachment C. Match requirements are: 3:1 match for General Operating and General Program Support (for each dollar received from the Council, the grantee must show three additional dollars earned/raised and spent) 1:1 match for Arts Project Support, Arts Education Special Initiatives, Projects Serving Artists, Building Arts Participation, and Arts in Communities (for each dollar received from the Council, the grantee must show one dollar earned/raised and spent) Matches for other types of grants (Local Arts Program, Local Arts Staffing Initiative, Southern NJ Staffing Assistance Initiative, and Cosponsored grants), if required, are outlined in Attachment C of the Grant Agreement Council grants cannot be used to match other Council grants New Jersey Cultural Trust funds received cannot be used to match Council grants Funds from other sources can be used only once to match a Council grant (e.g. a dollar from the Dodge Foundation or ticket revenue can be used once to match only one Council grant) Match may derive from all contributed, earned or parent institution cash specifically allocated for the program or project. Indirect costs and in-kind contributions may not be used to make the match. For a GOS or GPS grant be sure Line D of Attachment B, page 2 Total Target column is at least three times the grant amount (3:1) and that you show expenditure of all those funds on Attachment B, page 3. For AESI, APS, PSA, BAP or AIC grants be sure Line D of Attachment

5 B, page 2 is at least equal to the grant amount (1:1) and that you show expenditure of all those funds on page 3. For an LAP grant be sure your expenditures for all arts program activity on Attachment B, page 3 except regranting are double the grant funds used for activity other than regranting. Southern NJ and Local Arts Staffing grants should be sure the staff position budget demonstrates the match noted in Attachment C. If your organization has received more than one NJSCA grant for FY12, you MUST complete the Multiple Grants Match Documentation Form which is available on the Council website at This form must be mailed with your completed grant agreement materials. For County Arts Agency Local Arts Program Recipients: The Log of 2012 Local Regrants must be completed and enclosed as part of this Attachment or, if not available at the time of returning the Agreement, received no later than December 31, Those County Arts Agencies that are part of county government: As we understand it, the County requires a grantee original of the Agreement be returned to you. To facilitate that requirement, please complete your Grant Agreement Data (GAD) sheet (first page of Agreement) with the exception of the signature. Copy this page, then have the signatory sign both copies and return two ink-signed GAD sheets to the Council. The State will sign off on both original GADs and forward one to you. Attachment C - Grant Specifications: This attachment specifies the grant amount and the purpose for the grant. It also sets forth any additional specifications, which must be met. These specifications are unique to each organization and usually stem from a Council concern originating in the panel comments or the review of reports, audits, and other information. It may also set certain conditions on how the grant must be used. The organization should review Attachment C carefully and prepare a response if required. If a document or materials are required, mail a copy with your completed Grant Agreement. Even if you believe that the document, information or situation was addressed formerly through another process in a different context, you must still fulfill the Agreement specification and send whatever is required with the Agreement. Direct any questions to the Programs and Services Office. Attachment D - Publicity Agreement: This attachment sets forth the requirements of crediting the NJSCA so that the public is made aware of the programs made possible in part by state arts funding and any NEA funding that may be included in an NJSCA grant. It also will help link your marketing efforts to the exciting Discover Jersey Arts statewide marketing campaign. These requirements are vitally important to assuring the public understands the role of State support delivered by a State Arts Council in making the programs they are enjoying possible. Please take note: The standard credit lines include acknowledgment that the NJSCA is a partner agency of the NEA. Grantees are also required to use the Discover Jersey Arts logo on all their promotional and marketing materials and the NJSCA logo whenever credit is given to funders, as well as link any website to the NJSCA and Discover Jersey Arts websites. There is also a requirement to submit with the final report for this grant at least two high-quality images that document how the grantee s activities are benefiting New Jersey, its residents and/or artists, along with approvals and releases that will allow the NJSCA to publish the images at its discretion. All the logos, ads and graphics you will need in complying with the Publicity

6 requirements can be downloaded directly from the NJSCA website. It is suggested that you share this information along with a copy of the Publicity Agreement with the appropriate marketing or public relations personnel in your organization. Attachment E - Compliance with Federal Laws: All relevant Federal laws with which a grantee must comply, dependent upon whether the grantee has received federal funds, are enumerated on this attachment. All grantees, regardless of the source of their NJSCA funding, are required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Do not change or add anything to the Agreement; provide only the information requested. RETURNING THE AGREEMENT Once the Agreement has been completed, and all required information provided, please sign the GAD and the Voucher. Sign the Voucher in section (F) in the upper right area labeled Payee Signature. Do not sign at the bottom where it says Receiving Agency. Please make a copy for your file and mail the original signed GAD Sheet, Voucher, complete Grant Agreement along with any documents that may be required in Attachment C and the Multiple Grants Match Documentation Form if you have more than one FY12 NJSCA grant. Materials should be addressed to: NJ State Council on the Arts, Grant Agreements FY12, P.O. Box 306, Trenton, NJ if using U.S. Postal Service. If hand delivering to our offices or using a carrier such as Federal Express or UPS, the street address is 225 West State Street, 4 th Floor, Trenton. Be sure to get a receipt if you hand-deliver your Agreement.