Grantee Guidelines ELIMINATING HEALTH DISPARITIES INITIATIVE 2016-2019 Priority health area grant funds must be used for such activities as: supporting partnerships and engaging the community in your activities implementing activities that are evidence-based or promising practices evaluating your activities Financial Requirements 1. Funds are reimbursable. Grantees will be paid for actual documented expenses that have been incurred or paid on a reimbursement basis only. 2. Grantees are responsible for submitting invoices according to the schedule in the grant agreement. Invoices that have an electronic signature (including a typed name) will be accepted and paid. It is the responsibility of the grantee to ensure that the signature is valid and the signee is authorized to sign on behalf of the organization. 3. Grantees are responsible for keeping documentation to support all expenditures, including but not limited to: payroll records; receipts for expenses; contracts with subcontractors, consultants, and mini-grants; travel logs; invoices from subcontractors, bank statements and/or copies of cancelled checks. 4. Grantees may use no more than 10 percent of direct costs for indirect expenses, unless grantees have a higher federally-negotiated indirect rate. Indirect may be invoiced monthly at or below the rate approved in a grantee s budget, and must be proportional to direct costs on the invoice. MDH cannot pay indirect when no direct costs have been incurred. 5. Grantees must use at least 10 percent of their total EHDI program budget for evaluation. 6. Grantees may use no more than 10 percent of their EHDI funds budget for planning. Using grant funds for planning purposes is not required. Grantee Responsibilities 1. Perform the grantee duties indicated in approved work plan, and comply with all contract requirements. 2. Contact the grant manager with any changes to the following: Staffing Program activities Budget (Changes of 10 percent or more to a budget line-item require prior approval, however all changes are required to be reported.)
3. Participate in all calls and trainings organized or provided by the MDH Center for Health Equity or technical assistance, planning, evaluation, and other essential programmatic issues during the grant year. Grant funds can be used to cover the costs of attending the required meetings. 4. Allow MDH or other designees to use any materials or products produced by activities supported with grant funds free of charge. 5. Acknowledge the MDH Center for Health Equity in all promotional and educational information related to grant activities (see requirements on MDH s website at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/che/ehdi/support.html). 6. Complete and submit all progress reports, final reports, and other documents required by the MDH Center for Health Equity thoroughly and on time. In addition, as a part of the EHDI grant program, grantees will be required to: 1. Ensure that community representatives fully participate in decision-making and the development, implementation and evaluation of EHDI program activities. 2. Collaborate with the MDH Center for Health Equity staff as well as with other grantees who are addressing the same, similar or other related priority health area(s). 3. Maintain cooperative relationships with community and partner organizations, including community health boards and tribal governments as appropriate. 4. Participate in activities upon request to inform and educate others about experiences and lessons learned from program activities, and to work with appropriate partners to make the results of these activities available to the public health community and policy makers. 5. Establish relationships with other public and private groups to maintain funding for program activities when EHDI funds end. MDH Center for Health Equity Responsibilities 1. The MDH Center for Health Equity will work one-on-one with grantees to effectively implement work plan and provide technical assistance and training to support grant activities. CHE has the authority to withhold and/or recover EHDI funds if it is determined that grant deliverables are not completed satisfactorily or were not in accordance of the grant terms. 2. The MDH Center for Health Equity will verify expenditure documentation at least once during the grant period. Be prepared to provide supporting documents for your expenditures upon request. 3. The MDH Center for Health Equity will maintain frequent contact with grantees and will make at least one on-site visit to monitor EHDI grant activities during the grant period. 4. The MDH Center for Health Equity will assess grantees fiscal responsibility before grantees are offered any kind of renewal or extension of grant agreement. 2
5. The MDH Center for Health Equity will provide two training opportunities each year for technical assistance, planning, evaluation and other essential programmatic activities. 6. The MDH Center for Health Equity reserves the right to negotiate changes to proposed budgets and/or activities. 7. The MDH Center for Health Equity owns all the products created with EHDI funds. Allowable and Unallowable Use of Funds All expenditures must align with a grantee s approved budget. The uses listed below are allowable only when they are consistent with a grantee s most recent approved budget. Allowable uses of EHDI grant funds include: 1. Expenses incurred after the grantee receives a fully-executed grant agreement from the State. 2. Approved prevention or screening services, such as those included in the menus of activities in Appendices C-J of the 2015 EHDI RFP. 3. Purchase of computers that will be directly used for your proposed activities. 4. Purchase of screening supplies such as blood pressure cuffs and glucose monitors (general funds only). 5. Purchase of office supplies that are not included in the Organization/Agency indirect cost pool. 6. Costs associated with attending the MDH Community Health Conference (e.g. mileage, meals, lodging, and registration). 7. Teen pregnancy prevention and infant mortality grantees: programs or initiatives that target males. 8. Unintentional injury and violence grantees: individual counseling or crisis intervention services to prevent domestic violence and suicide. 9. Teen pregnancy prevention grantees: programs or initiatives that target youth who are parents. 10. Educational opportunities for participants related to your program, including transportation and fees. Allowable uses that require approval from MDH before costs are incurred: 1. All subcontracts. If the following information about each subcontract is included in your approved budget and/or work plan, that constitutes prior approval and no additional notification is needed unless the information below changes. Grantees do not need to send copies of subcontracts or memorandums of understanding to MDH. 3
Description of services to be contracted for Anticipated contractor/consultant s name Length of time the services will be provided Total amount to be paid to contractor 2. Significant changes in activities which may require an amendment to the grant agreement to include a revised grantee work plan and budget. 3. Changes of more than 10 percent to any budget line-item. 4. All out-of-state travel. 5. Stipends for program participants, including youth. 6. Educational materials. Grant funds may be used for educational materials such as brochures, posters, training materials, and videos, if these items directly contribute to an approved activity. 7. Promotional materials. EHDI funds may be used for promotional items such as buttons, stickers, magnets, post cards or other items that are intended to generate visibility or interest in your approved activities and increase public awareness, if these items directly contribute to an approved activity. 8. Incentives. EHDI funds may be used for incentives that are intended to reinforce positive behavior change, if these items directly contribute to an approved activity. Incentives may not exceed $50 per person per year. No cash incentives are allowed, but gift cards are acceptable. Documents are required for financial reconciliation and/or an audit. 9. Media expenses. EHDI funds may be used for media expenses such as the placement of public service announcements, earned media, or newsletters, if these items directly contribute to an approved activity. 10. Sponsorship. Grant funds may be used to sponsor a conference or other event if it is directly related to an approved activity. Unallowable use of EHDI funds include: 1. Expenses incurred prior to a fully-executed grant agreement with the State. Grant activities can only begin after a fully-executed grant agreement is in place. This also applies to all subcontracted activities. 2. On-going medical care or treatment of disease(s) or disability. 3. Capital improvements or alterations. 4. Cash assistance paid directly to individuals to meet their personal or family need. 5. Any individual piece of equipment that costs more than $5,000. 6. Any cost not directly related to the grant. 7. Purchase of vehicle(s) for program use. 8. Expenses related to a staff person s vehicle or Organization/Agency vehicle license tabs, maintenance, etc. (IRS mileage rate includes depreciation, maintenance and repairs, tires, 4
gasoline, oil, insurance, and license and registration fees) 9. Expenses related to a staff person s driver license. 10. Court costs for unrelated expenses. TANF Funds: TANF funds can only be used for teen pregnancy prevention activities. Other limits on the use of TANF funds include the following. 1. TANF funds cannot be used to provide individual services to teens and must be used to support group activities. 2. TANF funds cannot be used for medical services. 3. TANF funds cannot be used to provide program participants reimbursement for child care or transportation or to provide cash payments to participants. 4. TANF funds may not be used for celebration events. Minnesota Department of Health Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative Center for Health Equity PO Box 64975, Saint Paul, MN 55164-0975 651-201-5813 ommh@state.mn.us www.health.state.mn.us Revised January 2018 5