12-0210-sif-nofa.pdf

Notice of Federal Funds Availability

OVERVIEW OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Federal Agency Name: Corporation for National and Community Service Program Name: Social Innovation Fund Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2012 Social Innovation Fund Cooperative Agreements Announcement Type: Notice of Federal Funds Availability Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): 94:019

Dates: Applications are due March 27, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Successful applicants will be notified by mid-August, 2012.

This Notice of Funds Availability (Notice) announces the opportunity to apply for Fiscal Year 2012 awards from the Social Innovation Fund. The Social Innovation Fund is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve.

In 2009, Congress passed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, the most sweeping expansion of national service in a generation. This landmark law not only expands service opportunities, it focuses national service on key outcomes; builds the capacity of individuals, nonprofits, and communities to succeed; and encourages innovative approaches to solving problems, including through the establishment of the Social Innovation Fund.

The Social Innovation Fund is itself an innovative program that awards grants to and works with existing grantmaking institutions, referred to in this Notice as “intermediaries,” to direct resources to promising community-based nonprofit organizations to validate and grow outcomes-focused approaches to challenges facing local communities in three priority issue areas:

• Youth Development;

• Economic Opportunity; and

• Healthy Futures.

As one of the Obama Administration’s “tiered-evidence initiatives,” the Social Innovation Fund embodies a commitment to use rigorous evidence both to select recipients of federal funding and to validate the impact of their program models. The program also represents a key part of the Administration’s efforts to advance social innovation as a strategy to address critical social challenges and is driven by three core principles: (1) many of the most compelling solutions to persistent social problems in low-income communities are being developed in those communities and not in Washington, DC; (2) significant impact can be generated for society by proactively identifying the best community-based solutions, strengthening their evidence base, and supporting the growth of their impact; and (3) the federal government can help drive social innovation by stimulating, focusing and enhancing public-private partnerships and cross-sector collaborations to grow the impact of the best community solutions.

As it relates to the Social Innovation Fund, “social innovation” is understood to be the development and eventual scaling of promising and potentially transformative community-based approaches that solve critical problems. An approach is “transformative” if it not only produces strong impact (as defined in this Notice), but also if it (1) has the potential to affect how the same challenge is addressed in other communities, (2) addresses more than one critical community challenge concurrently, or (3) produces significant cost savings through gains in efficiency.

Although the practice of social innovation involves the invention and testing of new ideas, the Social Innovation Fund is not intended to fulfill this role for two reasons: first, the nonprofit marketplace already offers sources of funding for that stage of development, and second the Social Innovation Fund believes that its funds are most appropriately and responsibly used for programs with a higher demonstrated probability of success. Consequently, the Social Innovation Fund focuses primarily on “promising” approaches. These approaches may be relatively new or have limited current market penetration, but they will have a body of operational experience and at least preliminary evidence of effectiveness, as defined in this Notice.

Over the past two years, the Social Innovation Fund has competitively selected 16 intermediaries to implement programs in low-income communities around the country. To learn more about our existing grantees and to read their full applications to CNCS, please visit:

http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/programs/innovation_transparency.asp.

In accordance with the Obama Administration’s emphasis on open government, CNCS has moved toward greater openness and transparency in grantmaking. This Notice includes a description of the application review and selection process in Section V. In addition, the following items pertaining to this competition for new applications will be published on the CNCS website at http://nationalservice.gov/about/open/grants.asp within a period not to exceed 90 business days after all grant awards have been issued:

• A blank external review template;

• A list of all compliant applications submitted;

• Executive summaries of all compliant applications;

• The official cover sheet and program narratives for successful applications;

• A list of all external reviewers; and

• Summaries of external reviewer comments on successful applications.

In addition, all grantees of the Social Innovation Fund will be required to release, at a minimum, the following information about their subgrant competitions:

• A description of their subgrantee selection process;

• A list of external reviewers for their subgrantee selection process;

• A list of awarded subgrantees;

• Summaries of external reviewer comments on successful subgrant applications; and

• The full applications of awarded subgrantees.

Publication of this Notice does not obligate CNCS to award any specific number of cooperative agreements or to obligate the entire amount of funding available.

http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/programs/innovation_transparency.asp http://nationalservice.gov/about/open/grants.asp

FULL TEXT OF NOTICE

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. What is the purpose of Social Innovation Fund funding?

The purpose of the Social Innovation Fund is to grow the impact of innovative community-based solutions that have compelling evidence of improving the lives of people in low-income communities throughout the United States. It does this through a grant program that mobilizes public and private resources to address opportunities in priority areas of need: youth development, economic opportunity and healthy futures.

The Social Innovation Fund directs resources toward increasing the evidence base, capacity and scale of the organizations it funds in order to improve the lives of people served by those organizations. The Social Innovation Fund also generates broader impact by leveraging the grant program in various ways to improve how other federal government departments and agencies deploy funds to address social challenges and enhances the ability of the nonprofit sector to support the growth of innovative, high-impact organizations.

The operating model of the Social Innovation Fund has been explicitly designed to advance these objectives and is distinguished by four key elements: (1) reliance on intermediaries with strong skills and track records of success to do the critical work of selecting, validating, and growing high-impact nonprofit organizations; (2) requiring each federal dollar granted by the Social Innovation Fund be matched 1:1 by the intermediaries with money from private and other non-federal sources and that subgrants by these intermediaries be matched 1:1 by subgrantees; (3) requirements that all grantees engage each of their subgrantees in formal evaluations of program performance and impact; and (4) requiring each grantee to commit to knowledge sharing and other initiatives that advance social innovation more generally in the nonprofit sector.

B. Who should apply for a 2012 Social Innovation Fund grant?

The Social Innovation Fund is seeking existing grantmaking “intermediaries” who propose to address significant social challenges with well-designed, compelling programs built on innovative community solutions with evidence of effectiveness. These programs must focus on one or more of the following issue areas:

• Youth Development – Preparing America’s youth for success in school, active citizenship, productive work, and healthy and safe lives;

• Economic Opportunity – Increasing economic opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals; and/or

• Healthy Futures – Promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing the risk factors that can lead to illness.

Further, these intermediaries must have strong track records of successfully engaging in the key processes that constitute the essential work of the Social Innovation Fund:

• Selecting “promising” nonprofits (“subgrantees”) with a high potential for generating strong impact;

• Supporting these organizations in increasing capacity, scale and impact;

• Substantively evaluating the results of the subgrantees.

In this context, “promising” refers to organizations that are at a specific stage in the development of their community solution. At a minimum, they must have at least preliminary evidence of effectiveness for the program model they will implement, as defined in this Notice, and sufficient organizational robustness to justify limited scaling and further validation of the program’s effectiveness. However, these organizations will likely not yet have reached a stage of development at which their program and operating models can be considered “proven,” and therefore may not be ready for large-scale growth and expansion.

Applying intermediaries may propose subgrant funding strategies that are of two distinct types.

In both cases, the intermediary will have defined a specific social problem it intends to address through its own Social Innovation Fund. Under one strategy, the intermediary will be seeking and investing in subgrantee organizations that have themselves developed and/or implemented innovative solutions to the specified problem. Under the other strategy, the intermediary will have identified the innovative solution and will be seeking subgrantees that are able to effectively implement that solution.

In making its final award determinations under this Notice, CNCS will endeavor to include a diverse set of applicants, in terms of identified priority issues and geography, including those applicants that serve “significantly philanthropically underserved” geographic areas or geographic areas that are not being currently served by the Social Innovation Fund. To see a map of current Social Innovation Fund programs, see our website:

http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/programs/innovation_grantees.asp.

C. What are the 2012 Social Innovation Fund funding priorities?

In the 2012 Competition, CNCS expects to fund applicants that successfully meet the requirements described in this Notice. Within that context, CNCS seeks to target its 2012 grantmaking towards intermediaries who propose programs that are likely to generate significant, measurable improvements in the economic well-being of individuals and families served by subgrantees.

Applicants proposing programs that receive priority consideration are not guaranteed funding and all funded applicants will first need to demonstrate that they have effectively met program requirements, especially those related to use of evidence and evaluation capacity.

Please note, given that innovation funds currently exist in the Departments of Education and Labor to invest specifically in evidence-based programs in education and job training, CNCS does not intend to make Social Innovation Fund awards to programs in these areas unless they clearly propose a solution to an unmet need as identified in consultation with both Departments.

To learn more about the Department of Labor and Department of Education innovation funds, please visit their websites: Department of Labor Workforce Innovation Fund:

http://www.doleta.gov/workforce_innovation/.

http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/programs/innovation_grantees.asp http://www.doleta.gov/workforce_innovation/

Department of Education Investing in Innovation Fund:

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovation/index.html

D. How does the Social Innovation Fund work?

In FY 2012, CNCS will award a limited number of Social Innovation Fund grants to grantmaking institutions, referred to in this Notice as “intermediaries.” These intermediaries will match their award and then competitively select and invest in portfolios of nonprofit organizations (subgrantees) with at least preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of a particular program model working in low-income communities. At least 80 percent of awarded federal funds must be invested in subgrantee programs.

Subgrantees selected by the intermediaries also will match their awards and will work to achieve measurable outcomes in their issue and geographic area, evaluate their impact, and grow their reach to serve more individuals. Throughout this process, subgrantees will be supported and monitored by the intermediaries, which will remain accountable to CNCS for achieving the intended results set forth in their proposals.

E. What is the match requirement for this competition?

Social Innovation Fund intermediaries are required to match the entire amount of federal funds expended on a dollar-for-dollar basis. The match must be in cash, not met through in-kind resources. For FY 2012, Social Innovation Fund applicants must demonstrate the ability to meet 50 percent of their cash match requirement at the time of the application. Subgrantees also will be required to match the full amount of the grant they expend from the intermediary on a dollar-for-dollar basis, in cash.

F. What is the requirement for serving “low-income communities” and how does CNCS define these communities?

As specified in section 198K of the National Community Service Act (NCSA), Social Innovation Fund intermediary grantees must make subgrants and otherwise support programs that serve “low-income” communities. For purposes of this Notice, “low-income community” means either:

• A population of individuals or households being served by a subgrantee on the basis of having a household income that is 20 percent or less of the applicable federal poverty guideline, or

• Either a population of individuals or households, or a specific local geographic area, with specific measurable indicators that correlate to low-income status, such as, but not exclusive to, K-12 students qualifying for free- or reduced-lunch, long-term unemployment, risk of homelessness, low school achievement, persistent hunger, or serious mental illness. An application that proposes to rely on measurable indicators should fully describe the basis for relying upon those indicators (including citations to appropriate studies). The application also must describe and cite the source of data supporting the conclusion that the targeted community meets the indicators.

G. How does the CNCS define which communities are “significantly philanthropically underserved?”

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovation/index.html

For purposes of this Notice, CNCS considers applicants to be serving significantly philanthropically underserved communities if they support subgrantees that carry out activities in low-income communities that are also in a rural geographic area. A “rural geographic area,” for the purposes of the Notice, is one with a 2003 Rural-Urban Continuum Code of 4 or higher (as issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service). The full list of Rural-Urban Continuum Codes is listed here:

http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/rurality/ruralurbcon/.

H. What is the subgranting process and what are the requirements?

By statute, intermediaries must select subgrantees on an open, competitive basis. This means that intermediaries must run an open competition that is available to eligible nonprofit organizations beyond their own existing grant portfolio or network. To do so, intermediaries should provide sufficient public notice of the availability of Social Innovation Fund subgrants to eligible nonprofit community organizations.

Intermediaries may propose their own unique processes for selecting subgrantees, but their selection process must ensure that the following information is available to all potential applicants:

• The desired characteristics and eligibility requirements of organizations the intermediary is seeking as subgrantees;

• How to obtain and submit an application;

• The selection criteria that will be considered in reviewing applications, including the relative percentages, weights, or other means used to distinguish among the criteria;

and

• Requirements for program growth and evaluation of subgrantees that are selected.

Subgrants are to be made in annual amounts of $100,000 or more, per year, for a period between three and five years. For the FY 2012 Social Innovation Fund competition, Social Innovation Fund intermediaries should award larger subgrants to programs that show higher levels of evidence, as defined below. Applicants should note that their subgrantees will be required to provide dollar-for-dollar matching funds, in cash, for each year that they receive a Social Innovation Fund subgrant.

Successful intermediary applicants will need to demonstrate plans for achieving the program goals and requirements through successful subgrant programs. Experience with previous Social Innovation Fund grantees has shown that this can be challenging for subgrantees at the lowest level of funding. Therefore, if an applicant is proposing subgrants at the minimum level, the applicant will need to explain how they plan to ensure program capacity for meeting requirements with fewer subgrant resources.

In order to maximize the impact of the Social Innovation Fund and ensure a diverse array of innovative grantees across the federal government, intermediary applicants should direct funds toward innovations that will not receive grants for the same activities from other federal innovation funds (e.g., “Investing in Innovation” at the Department of Education). Final Social Innovation Fund award decisions may take into consideration the outcomes of other federal competitions.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/rurality/ruralurbcon/

I. What are the requirements for growing the impact of program models through the Social Innovation Fund?

As noted above, the purpose of the Social Innovation Fund is to grow the impact of innovative community-based solutions that have compelling evidence of improving the lives of people in low-income communities throughout the United States. Further, the Social Innovation Fund is explicitly focused on “promising” organizations that have sufficient evidence of the effectiveness of their program model (detailed in Subsection J below) and organizational capacity to justify at least limited growth as the organization progresses toward the “proven” stage.

Subgrantees may grow the impact of their program model in several ways, including through expansion of existing program sites or replication of the program to new sites in different communities. However, all strategies should involve expanding the selected solutions so that more people in low-income communities derive substantial, measurable benefit.

All intermediaries who receive funding will be required to propose and implement detailed plans for growing their impact during the period of their grant. These plans will include at a minimum the following information:

• How growth is connected to the subgrantee’s plan to improve its level of evidence;

• The estimated number of additional people expected to be benefitted by the program each year due to growth;

• The strategies subgrantees will utilize to generate growth in the number of people impacted, e.g., through expansions in current locations, replication of the program model to additional locations or other methods that do not require physical expansion (e.g., expanded use of technology, adoption of wide-scale policy mandates, etc.);

• The services, including training and technical assistance, the intermediary will provide to subgrantees to facilitate the planned growth; and

• How the intermediary will track and assess actual growth of impact as measured compared to the estimates included in their plan.

While all subgrantees will be expected to demonstrate growth during their time in the Social Innovation Fund, CNCS expects that there will be a direct, positive relationship between the levels of growth that intermediaries propose for given subgrantees and the level of evidence the subgrantees possess at the time of their selection for funding. For example, a program that has strong evidence of impact would be expected to have a more ambitious growth plan than a program with preliminary evidence; we would not expect to see a plan for broad replication from a subgrantee with preliminary evidence. Likewise, it follows that programs with higher levels of evidence that have higher growth targets would receive larger funding awards. This should be reflected in applicants’ proposals.

J. What are the evidence and evaluation requirements in the Social Innovation Fund and how are different levels of evidence defined?

Selection Requirements. CNCS will select Social Innovation Fund intermediaries that have a track record of using evidence to select and invest in their grantees. In this Notice, below, CNCS defines three tiers of evidence: preliminary, moderate, and strong. CNCS will select Social

Innovation Fund intermediaries that propose to both fund program models with at least preliminary evidence of effectiveness and also to support further evaluation of those models in order to improve the level of evidence and develop greater understanding of what makes the program successful.

Evaluation Requirements. The program models funded by Social Innovation Fund intermediaries must produce rigorous evaluative evidence that not only assesses effectiveness, but also builds the existing evidence base for other programs addressing these issues.

Accordingly, it is the clear expectation of CNCS that each program model will achieve moderate or strong evidence of impact (as defined below) by the end of its three to five year subgrant period. (Please note, because of the rigor of such evaluation designs, program models with only early stages of preliminary evidence may not be appropriate candidates for subgrants through the Social Innovation Fund. Please refer to the definition of promising models earlier in this publication for more information.) As such, intermediaries and subgrantees are required to commit significant time and resources to ensure formal evaluations of each program model that receives Social Innovation Fund funding. As noted in section VI.H, successful development of the plans, including achieving CNCS approval, is a consideration for continued grant funding.

Once selected, Social Innovation Fund intermediaries should expect to participate in and manage several activities to ensure the successful evaluation of models within their portfolios. These activities include, but are not limited to:

• Develop an overall evaluation strategy for their portfolios that reflects the key outcomes and levels of evidence their subgrantees are expected to achieve, as well as describe their contracted research partners, timetable, budget, and methodology for coordinating all stakeholders and required evaluation activities;

• Develop individual subgrantee evaluation plans for each funded intervention that documents the evaluations’ technical design and demonstrates how each plan will measure and increase the program model’s evidence base. These plans must be approved by CNCS before implementation;

• Provide any necessary capacity building and technical assistance to their subgrantees to ensure they are able to build not only their capacity to accomplish all Social Innovation Fund-related evaluation requirements, but also to continue to measure their program model’s impact into the future;

• Implement individual subgrantee evaluation plans and report progress and results to CNCS; and,

• Collaborate with CNCS to review and strengthen their strategies and plans and ensure appropriate implementation and reporting of each plan.

Use of Contracted Research Partners: CNCS expects that most intermediaries will choose to contract with a research partner and/or require their subgrantees to contract with a research partner to help with some or all of the following activities: (1) determining the technical design of their evaluations plans, (2) implementing their CNCS-approved evaluation plans and report on the evidence collected, and (3) conducting technical assistance for subgrantees to build not only their capacity to accomplish all Social Innovation Fund-related evaluation requirements but also to continue to measure their program model’s impact into the future. CNCS strongly suggests applicants consider hiring a research partner, particularly if they do not have the capacity or skills within their own staff to meet evaluation requirements for the program.

Funding for Evaluation Activities: CNCS recognizes that rigorous evaluations are expensive and that nonprofits often are unfamiliar with these processes and costs because many funders do not make evaluations a priority. Given the central role that evaluation plays in the success of the Social Innovation Fund, please be advised that intermediaries and their subgrantees are expected to allocate appropriate resources to cover the many activities related to the evaluation of each program model’s effectiveness. Your application should specifically indicate your estimated costs related to evaluation as described in the narrative instruction section below.

CNCS Role: CNCS is committed to supporting intermediaries in their efforts to increase the evidence of program effectiveness within their Social Innovation Fund portfolios. The agency will work closely with intermediaries to meet this goal by providing them with technical assistance on the design, implementation, and monitoring of their subgrantee evaluation plans.

All subgrantee evaluation plans proposed by intermediaries will require the approval of CNCS before implementation. CNCS sees this process of ongoing evaluation and knowledge building as a key aspect of the Social Innovation Fund that can improve grantee and subgrantee programs and also benefit other organizations throughout the nonprofit sector.

Definitions of Evidence: CNCS will use the following definitions of preliminary, moderate, and strong evidence (these definitions are consistent with those used in the Investing in Innovation Fund at the US Department of Education):

• Preliminary evidence means evidence that is based on a reasonable hypothesis supported by research findings. Thus, research that has yielded promising results for either the program model or a similar program model will meet CNCS’ criteria.

Examples of research that meet the standards include: 1) outcome studies that track participants through a program and measure participants’ responses at the end of the program; and 2) pre- and post-test research that determines whether participants have improved on an intended outcome.

• Moderate evidence means evidence from previous studies on the program, the designs of which can support causal conclusions (i.e., studies with high internal validity) but have limited generalizability (i.e., moderate external validity). This also can include studies for which the reverse is true—studies that only support moderate causal conclusions but have broad general applicability. The following would constitute moderate evidence: (1) At least one well-designed and well-implemented experimental or quasi-experimental study supporting the effectiveness of the practice strategy, or program, with small sample sizes or other conditions of implementation or analysis that limit generalizability; (2) at least one well-designed and well-implemented experimental or quasi-experimental study that does not demonstrate equivalence between the intervention and comparison groups at program entry but that has no other major flaws related to internal validity; or (3) correlational research with strong statistical controls for selection bias and for discerning the influence of internal factors.

• Strong evidence means evidence from previous studies on the program, the designs of which can support causal conclusions (i.e., studies with high internal validity), and that, in total, include enough of the range of participants and settings to support scaling up to the state, regional, or national level (i.e., studies with high external validity). The following are examples of strong evidence: (1) More than one well-designed and well-implemented experimental study or well-designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study that supports the effectiveness of the practice, strategy, or program; or (2) one large, well-designed and well-implemented randomized controlled, multisite trial that supports the effectiveness of the practice, strategy, or program.

Of Note: CNCS sees the relationship between evidence and program growth as an iterative process. While subgrantees must have at least preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of their proposed program model in order to receive funding, CNCS recognizes that all programs move through stages in developing a greater body of evidence. Depending on the circumstances and the existing data about an intervention, different types of evaluation design or data collection could be appropriate. As a result, in order for each program model to reach moderate or strong evidence of impact by the end of the three to five year subgrant period, CNCS expects that some models may require a series of successive evaluations to build their evidence base during their grant. The agency will work with intermediaries to determine appropriate short-and-long term evaluation plans to meet this goal.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Funding Available

For FY 2012, CNCS anticipates awarding approximately $10 to $15 million to up to six new Social Innovation Fund intermediary organizations. Based on recent experience and expressions of interest, CNCS anticipates that this Social Innovation Fund grant competition will be highly competitive.

B. What is the award amount?

For the FY 2012 Social Innovation Fund award competition, CNCS expects to make annual awards in the range of $1 million to $5 million per year. CNCS expects to make larger grants to those intermediary organizations with a track record of supporting subgrantees with strong evidence of effectiveness (as described in section I.J in this Notice) and the capacity to support growth of program impact. As occurred in FY 2011, CNCS may make awards that provide multiple years of operational funding.

C. What is the award period?

The Social Innovation Fund award period is up to five years. Applicants’ project and evaluation plans should represent the full five year period. Selected grantees will receive an award for the first year of program expenses. During program years two through five, grantees will participate in an annual continuation funding review process during which time they will be eligible for additional annual funds. These additional funds are contingent on the availability of appropriations, compliance with grant conditions, and satisfactory performance, including having secured sufficient matching funds and making appropriate progress in advancing the evaluations and growth of subgrantees. Please see section VI.H for more information.

D. Funding Instrument

The funding mechanism for Social Innovation Fund awards is a cooperative agreement that provides for substantial involvement by CNCS with the grantee organizations (intermediaries) as they carry out approved activities. The assigned CNCS program officer will confer with the grantee on a regular and frequent basis to develop and/or review service delivery and project status, including work plans, budgets, periodic reports, evaluations, etc. In particular CNCS anticipates having substantial involvement in:

• Developing and approving subgrantee selection plans;

• Developing and approving subgrantee evaluation plans;

• Documenting subgrantee growth plans; and

• Documenting and sharing lessons learned through a CNCS-sponsored learning community.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Organizations

To be eligible for a Social Innovation Fund award, applicants must be either an existing grantmaking institution or an eligible partnership. A grantmaking institution is an organization in existence at the time of the application that invests in nonprofit community organizations or programs through grants as an essential rather than a collateral means of fulfilling its mission and vision. The emphasis on grantmaking activities as a part of an organization’s mission should be evident in the applicants’ mission statements and promotional materials, and should be clearly reflected as a significant percentage of their annual operating budget.

In keeping with this view, grantmaking institutions will generally have the following as part of their core operating functions:

• Conducting open or otherwise competitive programs to award grants to or make investments in a diverse portfolio of nonprofit community organizations;

• Negotiating specific grant requirements with nonprofit community organizations; and

• Overseeing and monitoring the performance of grantees.

An eligible partnership is a formal relationship between an existing grantmaking institution (as defined above) and either an additional grantmaking institution, a State Commission on National and Community Service, or a chief executive officer of a unit of general local government where the partner organizations will share responsibilities under the award. In a cooperative agreement with a partnership, CNCS would expect to be dealing with each partner organization with some degree of independence concerning their collective responsibilities. For example, a partnership could include one organization that handles all aspects of a Social Innovation Fund program related to evaluation, while another organization handles all aspects related to finances and grant administration.

Other collaborations, which may be similar to consultant or contractor arrangements, in which an organization obtains access to needed competencies but remains fully responsible for performance of the cooperative agreement, will not be treated as partnerships for purposes of determining eligibility.

Existing Social Innovation Fund grantees may apply under this Notice, but their application must seek funding for a program that is distinct from the program currently being funded. An application to expand a program currently supported by the Social Innovation Fund into different geographical areas will not be considered an application for a distinct program.

Organizations that have been convicted of a federal crime are disqualified from receiving assistance described in this Notice. Pursuant to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an organization described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to apply.

This competition is open to all entities that meet compliance and eligibility criteria. Receipt of previous funding from CNCS or other federal agencies is not a prerequisite to applying under this Notice.

B. Matching Requirement for Competition Eligibility

Social Innovation Fund intermediary grantees will match the federal funds expended, dollar-for-dollar in cash. For FY 2012, Social Innovation Fund applicants must demonstrate the ability to meet 50 percent of their cash match requirement at the time of the application. Subgrantees will be required to provide the same match—dollar-for-dollar in cash—for every dollar they expend as well.

C. Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and Central Contractor Registration (CCR)

Applications must include a DUNS number and all applicants must be registered with the CCR.

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) 705-5711 or by applying online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. The website indicates a 24-hour e-mail turnaround time on requests for DUNS numbers; however, we suggest registering at least 30 days in advance of the application due date. Expedited DUNS numbers may be obtained by following instructions found here: http://smallbusiness.dnb.com/establish-your-business/12334338-1.html.

CCR is the primary registrant database for the U.S. Federal Government. CCR collects, validates, stores, and disseminates data in support of federal agency contracts, grant awards, cooperative agreements, and other forms of federal assistance. All grantees are required to maintain a valid registration, which must be renewed annually.

We urge applicants that are not already registered with the CCR to begin the registration process immediately in order to avoid any delays in submitting applications. Applicants must have a http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform http://smallbusiness.dnb.com/establish-your-business/12334338-1.html http://smallbusiness.dnb.com/establish-your-business/12334338-1.html

DUNS number in order to register with the CCR. It typically takes 3 to 5 days to finalize CCR registration. To register online go to www.bpn.gov/CCR.

D. Other Compliance and Eligibility Requirements

In order to be compliant for review, an applicant must address items one and two below. In order to be eligible for an award, applicants must address items three through five.

1. Meet specific compliance requirements including:

• Submitting a budget that reflects a federal share of between $1 million and $5 million;

• Submitting a budget that reflects a plan to distribute at least 80 percent of awarded federal funds to subgrantees (note: for further information on this requirement, please see the Budget Instruction in section VII.C.2);

• Submitting an application in a timely manner as provided in this Notice; and

• Submitting an application that is complete, in that it contains all required elements and follows the instructions provided in this Notice.

2. Demonstrate either cash-on-hand or commitments (or a combination thereof) toward meeting 50 percent of the required first year matching funds, based on the amount of grant funds requested.

At the time of submission, applicants must demonstrate through a letter or other form of documentation that they have either cash-on-hand or commitments (or a combination thereof) toward meeting 50 percent of their first year matching funds, based on the amount of federal grant funds applied for. For example, a request of $1 million needs to be accompanied by documentation of $500,000 in cash on-hand or commitments at the time of application. Instructions for how to provide documentation of matching funds are provided in section IV.G.

3. Be an existing grantmaking institution or an eligible partnership, as defined in section III.A above.

4. Declare its status as either a geographically-based or issue-based Social Innovation Fund that will focus on improving measurable outcomes.

CNCS asks applicants to use a thematic approach in describing their proposed investments in community organizations. As established in section 198K of the NCSA, there are two basic operational models of Social Innovation Fund intermediaries. The first is a Social Innovation Fund that will operate in a single geographic location, and address one or more priority issues within that location. This model is referred to as a “geographically-based Social Innovation Fund.” The second model is a Social Innovation Fund that will address a single priority issue area in multiple geographic locations. This model is referred to as an “issue-based Social Innovation Fund.” CNCS will assess whether the application properly proposes goals and objectives as either a geographically-based or an issue-based Social Innovation Fund.

a. Geographically-Based Social Innovation Fund http://www.bpn.gov/CCR

To apply as a geographically-based Social Innovation Fund, the applicant must propose to focus on serving low-income communities within a specific local geographic area, and propose to focus on improving measurable outcomes related to one or more of the following priority issue areas:

• Youth Development;

• Economic Opportunity; and/or

• Healthy Futures.

b. Issue-Based Social Innovation Fund

To apply as an issue-based Social Innovation Fund, the applicant must propose to focus on addressing one of the following priority issue areas within multiple proposed target low-income communities in multiple geographic locations:

• Youth Development;

• Economic Opportunity; and/or

• Healthy Futures.

5. Have an evidence-based decision making strategy.

Applicants must include information in their application that describes the ways they use evidence and evaluation to:

• Select and invest in subgrantees;

• Measure the effectiveness of subgrantees;

• Support, monitor, and assess the success of subgrantees’ growth;

• Achieve measurable outcomes.

Applicants also must have a well-articulated proposal to:

• Select and grow subgrantee programs that have been shown to have at least preliminary evidence of effectiveness; and

• Implement and/or oversee evaluations of all subgrantee program models to grow the evidence base for their funded interventions.

Plans may include collaborating with research organizations to carry out rigorous evaluation of subgrantees.

E. Application of Eligibility Criteria

CNCS will first conduct a compliance review of applications to determine whether they meet the compliance criteria listed above in sections D.1 and D.2. Executive summaries will then be screened to confirm whether the applicant meets eligibility criteria listed in sections D.3. and D.4. The compliance and initial eligibility reviews will not involve reading the entire application. However, portions of the application may be reviewed in order to clarify statements in the executive summary. Any application that does not meet each of these four initial criteria will be considered nonresponsive to this Notice and will not be further reviewed.

The remaining applications will be reviewed as described in this Notice. The review will include an evaluation of the final eligibility criteria above as part of the overall review process. In addition, and as necessary, CNCS will further evaluate an applicant during clarifying discussions and possible site visits with applicants. CNCS also anticipates conducting due diligence reviews to assess or confirm information or assurances provided by applicants. As part of these application reviews, further discussions and any due diligence reviews, CNCS may conclude that an application does not meet one or more of the eligibility criteria listed above, in which case the application will be considered ineligible and will not be further considered.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Address to Request Application Package

The Notice may be found on CNCS’s Web site at:

http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp.

You may also request a copy of the application by dialing the TTY number: 800-833-3722.

B. Application Content

Applications for the Social Innovation Fund will include the following components:

A. Standard Form 424 (SF-424) Facesheet

1. Applicant Information

2. Application Information B. Narratives (OMB Control# 3045-0129)

1. Executive Summary

2. Program Design

3. Organizational Capacity

4. Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy

C. Standard Form 424A Budget

1. Budget Worksheet

2. Budget Requirements

3. Matching Funds D. Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications E. Optional Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity (Optional; OMB Control# 1894-0010)

C. Instructions for Submitting an Application in eGrants

CNCS requires that all applicants submit their applications electronically via CNCS’s web-based application system, eGrants (www.nationalservice.gov/egrants/). We recommend that applicants create an eGrants account and begin the application at least three weeks before the deadline.

Applicants should draft the application as a word processing document, then copy and paste the document into eGrants no later than 10 days before the deadline.

1. How is an application created in eGrants?

If you need help establishing a new organization account in eGrants, or a new user account for an existing organization account, contact the National Service Hotline at 800- 942-2677.

http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp http://www.nationalservice.gov/egrants/

After you create your eGrants account, begin by selecting “New” under the Creating an Application heading on your Home Page. Select “Other” as the Program Area and click “Go.” You will then be asked to select a NOFA. Choose: Social Innovation Fund 2012.

Once you create an application, you will be allowed to edit as needed until you are ready to submit.

Do not use the “New” button again as this will start a brand new application. Once you have initiated an application, it will be listed in the View My Grants/Applications section of the homepage under the status: Grantee Edit of Application or Report. If you exit and then return to eGrants and wish to continue entering or editing your application, please open your saved version by selecting “View My Grants/Applications” in the status Grantee Edit of Application or Report.

To view a Power Point presentation containing instructions for how to complete your application in eGrants, please see the resources posted to our website at http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/programs/innovation.asp.

2. What are the page limits?

You may not exceed 55 double spaced pages when completing the Narrative section, including the Standard Form 424 Facesheet. In eGrants, the narrative section is comprised of the:

• Executive Summary;

• Program Design;

• Organizational Capacity; and

• Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy.

Reviewers will not consider material submitted over the page limit. Because eGrants will allow you to enter and submit text over the limit, it is important that you print your final application to confirm the total number of pages. From the Review and Submit page, print out your application prior to final submission to ensure it is not over the 55 page limit. This limit does not include the budget information included in Standard Form 424A.

Do not submit supplementary material such as videos, brochures, letters of support, or any items not requested in this Notice. CNCS will not review or return them.

3. How do I request assistance with an application?

Contact the National Service Hotline at 800-942-2677 or at its website, https://questions.nationalservice.gov/app/ask if a problem arises while creating an account, or while preparing or submitting an application. Be prepared to provide the application ID and your organization’s name. National Service Hotline hours are 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

If technical issues will prevent an applicant from submitting an application on time, please contact the National Service Hotline prior to the deadline to explain the technical http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/programs/innovation.asp https://questions.nationalservice.gov/app/ask issue and receive a ticket number. If the issue cannot be resolved by the deadline, the applicant must continue working with the National Service Hotline to submit via eGrants.

If you have questions about the program requirements or narrative instruction, please email innovation@cns.gov or call 202-606-3223. Please be sure also to reference the Frequently Asked Question document on the NOFA website:

http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp.

D. Application Deadline

Applications are due no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 27, 2012. Applications must arrive at CNCS by the deadline in order to be considered. CNCS reserves the right to extend the submission deadline. Notice of any such extended deadline will be posted in eGrants and on the NOFA website.

Late Applications CNCS may consider an application submitted after the deadline, but only if the applicant submits a letter explaining the extenuating circumstance that caused the delay. The letter must be sent to LateApplications@cns.gov within the 24-hour period following the deadline. Late applications are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

If extenuating circumstances make the use of eGrants impossible, applicants may send a hard copy of the application to the address below in Section VII of this Notice, via overnight carrier.

Please use a non-U.S. Postal Service to avoid security-related delays in receiving mail from the U.S. Postal Service. All deadlines and requirements in this Notice apply to hard copy applications. Hard copy applications must include a cover letter detailing the circumstances that make it impossible to submit via e-Grants. Applications submitted by fax or emails will not be accepted.

E. Intergovernmental Review

Applicants under this program are not subject to Executive Order 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

F. Funding Restrictions

Grants under this program are subject to the applicable Cost Principles under OMB Circulars A- 21 (2 CFR Part 220), A-122 (2 CFR Part 230), or A-87 (2 CFR Part 225), and the Uniform Administrative Requirements for grants under A-102 (45 CFR Part 2541) or A-110 (45 CFR Part 2543 or 2 CFR Part 315. See www.whitehouse.gov/OMB/circulars for further information on the Circular(s) that apply to your organization. Also, awards will be subject to the law(s) under which the award is made (e.g., NCSA), as well as specific terms and conditions established in the cooperative agreement or defined in the Terms and Conditions of the award.