Making SNAP Easy for Seniors. Grants to Enrollment Partners in Georgia and South Carolina. Request For Applications (RFA)

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1 Making SNAP Easy for Seniors Grants to Enrollment Partners in Georgia and South Carolina Request For Applications (RFA) Application Deadline: April 30, 2018 AARP Foundation is requesting applications from organizations in the states of Georgia and South Carolina to help increase the number of seniors who enroll in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) via the Elderly Simplified Application Process (ESAP). Selected enrollment partners in Georgia and South Carolina will work closely with AARP Foundation and a community of state enrollment partners from other states around the country, participating in regular webinars and conference calls where organizations can share challenges and lessons learned and technical assistance will be provided by AARP Foundation. These partners will also come together for a national convening. Application Deadline: Applications are due April 30, 2018 by 11:59 Eastern time and must be completed online. A link to the online portal is provided on AARP Foundation s Grants webpage. AARP Foundation Overview AARP Foundation focuses on supporting and advancing effective solutions to help vulnerable older adults transform their lives today and secure the essentials for their future. AARP Foundation is working side by side with other organizations to reach more people, work more efficiently and make resources go further. AARP Foundation seeks to support organizations whose evidence-based interventions can make a direct impact on the low-income 50+ and that align with the Foundation s strategic priorities. 1

2 Program Overview A cornerstone of AARP Foundation s food security interventions is the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) because it provides additional dollars for low-income families to buy nutritious food. Past SNAP enrollment efforts have only yielded modest results, due to the onerous application process required by states. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently created a new opportunity for states to significantly streamline the application and enrollment process for older adults, 60+ with no earned income. The U.S. Department of Agriculture created a new opportunity for states to significantly streamline the application and enrollment process for older adults, 60+ with no earned income. The Elderly Simplified Application Process (ESAP) is a collection of policies and practices (i.e., 1-page application, no in-person interview, limited verifications; and the benefits of medical expense deductions and 3-year certification) resulting in low-income seniors receiving as much as $147 per month to buy groceries. Nine (9) states currently offer ESAP (AL, CA, GA, FL, MD, MS, PA, SC, WA) with Alabama successfully adding 42,000 new seniors. AARP Foundation plans to use state-agency data (instead of general outreach) to find and facilitate SNAP enrollment within the nine states, plus help expand ESAP to additional states. State enrollments partners have been identified in the ESAP states, except for Georgia and South Carolina, hence this open call for enrollment partners. Selected enrollment partners will work closely with AARP Foundation, participating on regular webinars and conference calls where states enrollment partners can share challenges and lessons learned; technical assistance will also be provided by AARP Foundation. Eligibility Information Applicants must be located in and serving the states of Georgia and/or South Carolina. The following are not eligible for funding: Grants for individuals; Capital campaigns; Debt retirement or operating deficits; Endowments or reserve funds; Political organizations or campaigns; Lobbying legislators or influencing elections; Sponsorship of fundraising events; Marketing endeavors and personal research; and Indirect expenses unrelated to the project being funded. 2

3 Grant Award Information Potential Award Range: $30,000-$60,000, based on capacity and enrollment goals Indirect Cost Rate: AARP Foundation will fund an indirect cost rate no greater than 15% of the total direct costs or the grant program. Grant Period: 6/1/18 5/31/19 Request Name: Making SNAP Easy for Seniors: ESAP State Enrollment Grants Reporting Requirements: AARP Foundation requires semi-annual programmatic and financial reports. Reports are due on July 31 and January 31 during the grant period. In addition, as a part of this project AARP Foundation requires quarterly reporting of the following metrics: # low-income, older adults reached via outreach efforts (i.e. in-person conversations, calls, mailings) # of SNAP Applications completed and submitted by/for low-income, older adults # of low-income, older adult Enrollees who were approved to receive SNAP benefits # of declined SNAP applicants, with codes for decline reason # of assists with follow-up (i.e. collecting missing paperwork and re-submitting applications for applicants denied because of missing verifications) # of participants who recertify for SNAP benefits, with codes for approval/denial Application Process All applicants interested in applying for an ESAP State Enrollment Grant are required to submit an application online by April 30, 2018 by 11:59pm Eastern time. Applicants may access the Application through AARP Foundation s online portal. A link to the online portal is provided on AARP Foundation s Grants webpage. The following documents must be uploaded and attached to the Attachments section of the application: Detailed project budget (Please use AARP Foundation s budget template, located on the Attachments tab within the online system) Most recent audited financial statements Financial statements for your current fiscal year (include actuals to date through the most recent reportable month and projections through end of the fiscal year). Logic model for your proposed project (for guidance on creating a logic model, click here, and consider using our optional logic model template, here) Applicants may be contacted for clarifications to their Applications. Further details about the clarification process will be provided as appropriate. Applicants will be notified regarding the status of their application by May 18,

4 Please send any questions to Application Information The Application allows for the applicant to provide details on the proposed project, what the applicant hopes to achieve with the project and how the applicant expects to achieve those results. Please be specific and concise. Proposed Project Goal/Objectives (25000 characters) The overall goal of this project is to enroll more low-income seniors in SNAP and AARP Foundation seeks partners to set ambitious but realistic goals for SNAP enrollment. Enrollment goals will be met via the following activities: outreach, enrollment assistance, recertification assistance, and partner coordination. Partners will participate in regular webinars and conference calls and attend a national convening. Please use this section to state your organization s proposed objectives to achieve the project goal. Your objectives should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timebound). For example, By X date 10% of low-income 50+ in county Y will be enrolled in SNAP as measured by Z. What Distinguishes your Project? (5000 characters) What other organizations have projects addressing similar needs? Describe what distinguishes your project from other organizations projects. Increase in the Number of People your Project will Serve (2500 characters) Describe the activities that will be conducted to increase the number of low-income 50+ people served by your project. Key Project Milestones (5000 characters) State your key project milestones and associated dates to achieve those milestones. Geography (2500 characters) What are the specific areas (neighborhoods, cities, counties) the proposed program will serve? Population Demographics (2500 characters) What are the population demographics (gender, race, ethnicity, income and age) the proposed program will serve? How many total people does your project currently serve? How many of those people currently served are low-income and age 50+? If you were to receive the grant, what changes might you expect to see in the number of people (total) and number of LI 50+ served by the project? Experience of Individuals Involved in the Leadership and Execution of Project (5000 characters) 4

5 Please provide details on how the experiences of the organizations and individuals associated with the program are relevant for the execution of the proposed program. Please include: o # staff dedicated to SNAP outreach o # staff dedicated to low-income older adults (50+) o # staff dedicated to enrollment assistance o Staff in-state travel capacity (ability to travel across the state(s) served to meet the demands of the project) o Experience with recertifications Other Funding or Revenue Sources (2500 characters) What other funding or revenue sources, if any, will fund this program? Critical Partnerships or Collaborations (2500 characters) Are there critical partnerships or collaborations with other organizations for the program? Please describe your organization s relationship with caseworkers and leadership of your state and local SNAP agencies. Captured Metrics (2500 characters) As a part of this project AARP Foundation requires quarterly reporting of the following metrics: o # low-income, older adults reached via outreach efforts (i.e. in-person conversations, calls, mailings) o # of SNAP Applications completed and submitted by/for low-income, older adults o # of low-income, older adult Enrollees who were approved to receive SNAP benefits o # of declined SNAP applicants, with codes for decline reason o # of assists with follow-up (i.e. collecting missing paperwork and re-submitting applications for applicants denied because of missing verifications) o # of participants who recertify for SNAP benefits, with codes for approval/denial Please describe your data collection methodology and methods for these metrics. Describe if any data sharing agreements are in place. Risks Associated with the Projects (2500 characters) What are the risks associated with the program that could diminish its ability to achieve its objectives? How will the risks be mitigated? What do you see as the major challenges in implementing the proposed program? Monitoring Plan of Project (2500 characters) You are required to submit a logic model for your proposed project. Please state the indicators that will be tracked and monitored to ensure that the project is on track to achieve the outcomes as identified in the logic model. You may also share your past experience with monitoring and evaluation efforts. Budget Line Narrative (8000 characters) 5

6 Please explain line items for the program budget. Please include travel and expenses associated with attending the required national convening. Timeline March 1, 2018: RFA release April 30, 2018: Applications due no later than 11:59pm Eastern time May 18, 2018: Applicants are notified regarding the status of their application 6