AmeriCorps Days of Service FY 2023 NOFO.pdf

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Federal Agency Name: AmeriCorps Funding Opportunity Title: Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Days of Service Announcement Type: Initial Announcement Assistance Listing Number: 94.014 Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service

94.012 September 11th Day of Service and

Remembrance

Summary Statement AmeriCorps announces two competitive grant funding opportunities in support of its Days of Service programs. National Days of Service include Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service and September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance. AmeriCorps expects to make available up to $3.5 million for programs that feature major volunteer activities occurring on September 11th or MLK Day or within approximately one week of the calendar date and meet a community need in honor and recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr., or the events of September 11, 2001. It is expected that the award amounts be in the range of $100,000 to $500,000 per organization.

Disclosure: Publication of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (Notice) does not obligate AmeriCorps to award any specific number of grants to commit any particular amount of funding.

Important Dates

• Applications are due not later than Tuesday, May 16, 2023, by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time

• Successful applicants will be notified by July 2023

• Successful applicants will be issued awards by September 2023

Table of Contents

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

• A.1. Purpose of Days of Service Funding

• A.2. Funding Priorities

• A.3. Performance Goals or Expected Outcomes

• A.4. Program Authority

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

• B.1. Estimated Available Funds

• B.2. Estimated Award Amount

• B.3. Period of Performance

• B.4. Type of Award

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

• C.1. Eligible Applicants

• C.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

• C.3. Other Eligibility Requirements

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

• D.1. Address to Request an Application Package

• D.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

D.2.a. Application Content D.2.b. Page Limits

• D.3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

• D.4. Submission Dates and Times

D.4.a. Application Submission Deadline D.4.b. Additional Documents Deadline D.4.c. Late Applications

• D.5. Intergovernmental Review

• D.6. Funding Restrictions

D.6.a. Award Funding Requirements D.6.b. Indirect Costs D.6.c. Pre-Award Costs

• D.7. Other Submission Requirements

D.7.a. Electronic Application Submission in eGrants D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

• E.1. Selection Criteria E.1.a. Executive Summary (Required- 0 percent):

E.1. b. Program Design (50 percent):

E.1.c. Organizational Capability (35 percent):

E.1.d. Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (15 percent):

• E.2. Review and Selection Process

E.2.a. Initial Application Compliance and Eligibility Review

E.2.b. Application Review E.2.c. Applicant Clarification E.2.d. Pre-Award Risk Assessment E.2.e. Consideration of Integrity and Performance System Information E.2.f. Selection for Funding

• E.3. Feedback to Applicants

• E.4. Transparency in Grant-making

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

• F.1. Federal Award Notices

• F.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

F.2.a. Uniform Guidance F.2.b. Requests for Monitoring or Payment Integrity Information F.2.c. AmeriCorps Terms and Conditions F.2.d. National Service Criminal History Check Requirements F.2.e. Official Guidance

• F.3. Use of Material

• F.4. Reporting

• F.5. Continuation Funding Information and Requirements

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

H. OTHER INFORMATION

• H.1. Technical Assistance

• H.2. Re-Focusing of Funding

I. IMPORTANT NOTICES

APPENDIX I

• AmeriCorps Focus Areas

APPENDIX II

• APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

FULL TEXT OF THE NOTICE

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A.1. Purpose of Days of Service Funding AmeriCorps improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. AmeriCorps brings people together to tackle some of the country’s most pressing challenges through national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities and those serving. AmeriCorps helps make service a cornerstone of our national culture.

Days of Service grants include funding for both September 11th Day of Service and Remembrance (September 11th) and Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service (MLK Day).

Applicant organizations may apply for either September 11th, MLK Day, or both. Applicants must submit a separate application for each Day of Service. Applicants may not submit more than one application for each Day of Service.

In 1994 and 2009 respectively, Congress designated AmeriCorps as the federal agency responsible for implementing the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service (annually on the 3rd Monday in January) on the federal holiday bearing his name and the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance. Projects developed for these days of service should occur on or near these days of service and offer ongoing opportunities to serve or volunteer throughout the year.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service projects should honor Dr. King’s life example with projects that increase economic, environmental, educational, or other forms of equity and that meet an important immediate community need or helps to addresses systemic issues.

September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance projects should honor and pay tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 their families, and those who rose in service in response to that tragedy as well as meet an important immediate community need or help to addresses systemic issues.

AmeriCorps also expects each project plan to include offering ongoing opportunities to volunteer and to share information about how to serve with AmeriCorps and its national service programs.

AmeriCorps encourages collaboration with other entities especially those experienced in engaging underserved communities.

A.2. Funding Priorities https://www.americorps.gov/newsroom/events/mlk-day/ https://americorps.gov/911-day https://americorps.gov/911-day

AmeriCorps released its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan that defines the agency’s goals and objectives to advance the agency’s mission to improve lives and strengthen communities.

AmeriCorps will execute the following goals to better position the agency to respond to national and local needs and help the communities it serves prosper:

• partner with communities to alleviate poverty and advance racial equity;

• enhance the experience for AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers;

• unite Americans by bringing them together in service;

• effectively steward federal resources; and

• make AmeriCorps one of the best and most equitable places to work in the federal government.

AmeriCorps will invest in existing and new partnerships with non-profit, faith-based, and tribal organizations, and state service commissions, to get things done for America. The agency will prioritize investment in the most critical issues of our time — public health, climate and the environment, and education and economic opportunity — within AmeriCorps’ Focus Areas (Appendix 1) and will increase its efforts to ensure our AmeriCorps members, AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, and community-based volunteers reflect the communities where they serve. We will target our investments toward communities where the need is greatest, particularly those with populations that face racial inequality and poverty. These steps will enable more Americans than ever to strengthen the communities that need it most across the nation through their service.

AmeriCorps requests applications that feature major activities occurring on September 11th and/or MLK Day or within approximately one week of the actual Day and engage a significant number of volunteers. In order to carry out Congress’s intent and to maximize the impact of investment in national service, this Day of Service Notice prioritizes grant funding in distinct focus areas for September 11th and MLK Day.

AmeriCorps’ priorities for this funding opportunity are:

• MLK Day of Service, projects to honor Dr. King’s life example and that increase economic, environmental, educational, or other forms of equity and that meet an important immediate community need or advance racial justice and equity solutions

• September 11th Day of Service and Remembrance projects that honor and pay tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001, their families, and those who rose in service in response to that tragedy as well as meet an important immediate community need or advance racial justice and equity solutions.

• Projects supporting Environmental Stewardship, including supporting communities to become more resilient through measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve land and water, increase renewable energy use and improve at-risk ecosystems, especially in underserved households and communities.

• Projects engaging volunteers from historically underrepresented groups—including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, and people of color; LGBTQI+; veterans and military families; persons in rural areas; and persons with disabilities—in order to remove barriers to their full and equal participation.

• Projects supporting underserved individuals and communities.

https://americorps.gov/about/agency-overview/strategic-plan

• Projects engaging in activities to counter the corrosive effects of hate-fueled violence on our democracy and public safety in line with the United We Stand Summit.

To receive priority consideration, applicants must show that the priority area is a significant part of the program focus and its intended outcomes and must include a high-quality program design. Proposing programs that receive priority consideration does not guarantee funding.

A.3. Performance Goals or Expected Outcomes

• Martin Luther King Day of Service Activities shall be performed on or near January 15,

• September 11 Day of Service and Remembrance shall be performed on or near

September 11, 2024

All recipients are required to provide data on the following indicators in annual Progress Reports:

• Number of volunteers recruited, trained, and committed to one or more future service activities; and

• Number of organizations engaged and committed to one or more future service activities that honor and reflect MLK Day and/or September 11th.

AmeriCorps will require grantees to report not less than one month in advance and one week after, of the Day of Service activities, on locations and projects being supported with federal funding, number of volunteers and number of volunteer hours, and to register their projects in a projects registry tool that is discoverable in AmeriCorps’ search tool.

Additionally, recipients must report values for all indicators that are relevant to the activities described in the approved grant application in annual progress reports. AmeriCorps expects the reported values to be reasonably ambitious and to correspond to the activities proposed by the recipient in the application.

AmeriCorps also expects each project to include ongoing opportunities to serve and to share information about how to serve with AmeriCorps.

A.4. Program Authority Awards under this Notice are authorized by the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended, (42 U.S.C. §12501 et seq.) and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended (42 U.S.C. §4950 et seq.).

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/09/15/fact-sheet-the-united-we-stand-summit-taking-action-to-prevent-and-address-hate-motivated-violence-and-foster-unity/ https://americorps.gov/about/agency-overview/statutes-regulations https://americorps.gov/sites/default/files/document/%40%20National%20and%20Community%20Service%20Act%20of%201990%20%28as%20amended%20through%20PL%20111-13%29.pdf https://americorps.gov/about/agency-overview/statutes-regulations https://www.americorps.gov/sites/default/files/document/%40%20Domestic%20Volunteer%20Service%20Act%20of%201973%20%28as%20amended%20through%20PL%20111-13%29.pdf

B.1. Estimated Available Funds

AmeriCorps anticipates approximately $3,500,000 for FY 2023 Days of Service awards.

B.2. Estimated Award Amount Award amounts will vary as determined by the scope of the projects. AmeriCorps will make awards in the range of $100,000 to $500,000.

B.3. Period of Performance Successful applicants will be issued awards by September 2023.

AmeriCorps anticipates making three-year grant awards. AmeriCorps generally makes an initial award for the first year of the period of performance, based on a one-year budget.

Applicants must submit a one-year budget. Continuation awards for subsequent years are not guaranteed; they depend upon availability of appropriations and satisfactory performance.

B.4. Type of Award

Days of Service grants will be awarded on a cost reimbursement basis following a review process outlined in section E.2 Review and Selection Process. This Notice allows recipients to act as pass-through entities, subgranting organizations, partnership coordinators, or as the sole entity implementing Days of Service activities.

Pass-through entities must select subrecipients on a competitive basis through a subgrant.

Acting as a pass-through entity (subawarding) is not required. Pass-through applicants should clearly describe their plan for subawarding in their application narrative.

Subawards are to be made in annual amounts of $1,000 or more per year. AmeriCorps encourages Days of Service grant recipients that intend to award larger subawards, to do so to subrecipients that show higher levels of impact and effectiveness. Subrecipients must adhere to all AmeriCorps requirements of prime recipients in addition to any others imposed on the awards from prime recipients.

Recipients should provide sufficient, generally 60 days and not fewer than 30 days, public notice of the availability of Days of Service subawards to organizations within their network and out of their network community. Pass- through entities and subgranting organizations will ensure that the following information is available to all potential applicants:

• the types of organizations that are eligible for funding;

• how to obtain and submit an application to the subawarding organization

(subapplicants should apply to the Days of Service recipient and not to AmeriCorps);

• the criteria (including appropriate subcriteria) that will be considered in reviewing applications;

• any relative percentages, weights, or other means that will be used to distinguish applications;

• reporting requirements of subrecipients.

Applicants may also apply to this Notice with a partner organization(s) and a partnership plan. Partners must be named in the application in the Organizational Capability narrative section at the time the application is submitted to AmeriCorps, and the partnership plan should clearly identify how the partnership is structured to carry out the project and grant requirements.

Award recipients will be assigned to an AmeriCorps Portfolio Manager, who will be responsible for assessing recipient performance, providing training and technical assistance, and serving as the agency’s primary point of contact.

A FY 2023 Days of Service grant will be awarded if an application is successful.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

C.1. Eligible Applicants The following non-Federal entities (all of which are defined in 2 CFR 200.1 or 42 U.S.C.

12511(21)) are eligible to apply:

• Indian Tribes

• institutions of higher education

• local governments

• nonprofit organizations

• state service commissions

• states and US Territories

In addition to Indian Tribes as defined in 2 CFR 200.1, tribal organizations that are controlled, authorized, or chartered by Federally recognized Indian Tribes are also eligible to apply. If an entity applies for an award as a tribal organization that is controlled or chartered by one or more Indian Tribes, and the organization does not meet any of the other applicant eligibility types, the organization must provide copies or links to documentation which demonstrates that the organization is controlled or chartered by a federally recognized Indian Tribe. If an entity applies as an organization authorized by a federally recognized tribe, or multiple specific federally recognized tribes, it must submit a resolution or other authorization, adopted by the Tribal Council (or comparable tribal governing body) of each Indian Tribe.

The authorization(s) must identify the entity applying for an AmeriCorps award by name as a tribal organization that is authorized by the Indian Tribe(s) for the purpose of applying for AmeriCorps funding (or federal grant funds generally).

Applicants must have a valid SAM registration and Unique Entity Identifier to receive an award. See Section D.3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) for more information.

New Applicants https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-A/subject-group-ECFR2a6a0087862fd2c/section-200.1 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title42/chapter129&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title42/chapter129&edition=prelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-A/subject-group-ECFR2a6a0087862fd2c/section-200.1

AmeriCorps strongly encourages organizations that have not received prior funding from AmeriCorps to apply.

C.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

For MLK Day projects only, federal grant funds requested may not exceed 30 percent of the total program budget. Applicants are required to match funds equal to 70 percent of the total program budget.

For example, if an MLK Day applicant requests $100,000 in federal grant funds, then the applicant is required to provide $233,334 in matching funds for a total program budget of $333,334.

The applicant’s match can be cash and/or in-kind contributions matching funds. Applicants must indicate whether the match is proposed or secured. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to meet the 70 percent match requirement at the time of application submission. See section D.6. Funding Restrictions for more information.

For September 11th, there is no requirement that the grant applicant provide matching funds.

C.3. Other Eligibility Requirements

Applications that propose to engage in activities that are prohibited under AmeriCorps’ statutes, regulations, or the terms and conditions of its awards are not eligible to receive AmeriCorps funding.

Note that under appropriations provisions annually enacted by Congress, if AmeriCorps is aware that any corporation has any unpaid federal tax liability

• that has been assessed;

• for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed; and

• that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability;

that corporation is not eligible for an award under this Notice. However, this exclusion will not apply to a corporation that a federal agency has considered for suspension or debarment and determined that suspension or debarment is not necessary to protect the interests of the federal government.

Pursuant to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an organization described in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. §501 (c)(4) that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to apply for AmeriCorps funding.

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/eotopici03.pdf https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/eotopici03.pdf

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

This Notice should be read together with the following regulations, for September 11th, Section 198(k) of the National and Community Service Act, (42 U.S.C. § 12653(k)). For MLK Day, Section 198(i) of the National and Community Service Act, (42 U.S.C. § 12653(i)).

Application Instructions. These documents are available online at [embed URL in descriptive text].

D.1. Address to Request an Application Package All information associated with this funding opportunity is available through the AmeriCorps Funding Opportunities webpages. Applicants should refer to AmeriCorps Funding Opportunities for more information and instructions on how to fully respond to this Notice.

Applicants can also send an email to DaysofService@cns.gov for a printed copy of the Notice and Application Instructions

D.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

D.2.a. Application Content Complete applications must include the following elements:

• Standard Form 424 (SF-424) Face Sheet: This is automatically generated when applicants complete the data elements in the eGrants system.

• Narrative Sections:

o Executive Summary: This is a brief description of the proposed program.

o Program Design o Organizational Capability o Cost-Effectiveness & Budget Adequacy

• Performance Measures

• Standard Form 424A Budget

D.2.b. Page Limits Applications may not exceed 8 double-spaced pages as according to the pages printed out from eGrants. The application sections that count toward the page limit are the:

• SF-424 Face Sheet;

• Executive Summary; and

• Program Design and Organizational Capability narratives.

The application page limit does not include the Budget, Performance Measures, or any required additional documents.

Text entered into Cost Effectiveness & Budget Adequacy, clarification, amendment, or continuation sections of the narrative will not be read or reviewed. These sections may be used after the review process concludes.

Please note that the length of the application as a word processing document may differ from the length of the document printed out from eGrants. The character limits in eGrants do not https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title%3A42%20section%3A12653%20edition%3Aprelim) https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title%3A42%20section%3A12653%20edition%3Aprelim) https://americorps.gov/funding-opportunity/fy-2023-days-service-grants http://www.americorps.gov/partner/funding-opportunities http://www.americorps.gov/partner/funding-opportunities mailto:DaysofService@cns.gov align with page limits set in the Notice. AmeriCorps strongly encourages applicants to print out the application from the “Review and Submit” tab in eGrants prior to submission in order to confirm that the application does not exceed the page limit.

AmeriCorps will not consider the results of any alternative printing methods when determining if an application complies with the page limit. Reviewers will also not consider material that is over the page limit, even if eGrants allows applicants to enter and submit additional text.

D.3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

All applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) and maintain an active SAM registration until the application process is complete. If an applicant is awarded a grant it must maintain an active SAM registration throughout the life of the award. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees.

SAM registration must be renewed annually. AmeriCorps suggests that applicants finalize a new registration or renew an existing one at least three weeks before the application deadline, to allow time to resolve any issues that may arise. Applicants must use their SAM-registered legal name and physical address on all grant applications to AmeriCorps.

The legal applicant’s name and physical address in eGrants must match exactly the applicant’s SAM-registered information.

Applications must include a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), which is generated as part of the SAM registration process. AmeriCorps will not make awards to entities that do not have a valid SAM registration and UEI.

Applications must include an Employer Identification Number. The UEI and Employer Identification Number must be entered by the organization’s Grantee Administrator as an organization attribute, and this will apply the information to all applications for the organization.

If an applicant has not fully complied with these requirements by the time AmeriCorps is ready to make a federal award, AmeriCorps may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

D.4. Submission Dates and Times

D.4.a. Application Submission Deadline

Applications are due not later than Tuesday, May 16, 2023, by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0029897

AmeriCorps will not consider applications submitted after the deadline, except as noted in Section D.4.c. Late Applications. AmeriCorps reserves the right to extend the submission deadline. AmeriCorps will post a notification in the event of an extended deadline on AmeriCorps’ website.

D.4.b. Additional Documents Deadline Additional documents are due by the application submission deadline. See Sections D.4.a.

Application Submission Deadline and D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents for more information.

D.4.c. Late Applications All applications received after the submission deadline published in this Notice, of Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 5:00 pm Eastern Time, are presumed to be non-compliant. To overcome this presumption, the applicant must:

• submit a written explanation or justification of the extenuating circumstance(s) that caused the delay, including:

o the timing and specific cause(s) of the delay o the ticket number if a request for assistance was submitted to the AmeriCorps

Hotline o any information provided to the applicant by the AmeriCorps Hotline o any other documentation or evidence that supports the justification

• ensure that AmeriCorps receives the written explanation or justification and any other evidence that substantiates the claimed extenuating circumstance(s), via email to LateApplications@cns.gov no later than 24 hours after the application deadline as stated in the Notice

Communication with AmeriCorps staff, including an applicant’s portfolio manager, is not a substitute for a written explanation or justification of the extenuating circumstance that caused the delay as outlined above. Applicants are required to continue working in eGrants, AmeriCorps' web-based application system, and with the AmeriCorps Hotline to submit the application. AmeriCorps will determine whether or not to accept a late application on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants that do not meet the application submission deadline and do not submit a written explanation or justification or any other evidence to overcome the presumption of non-compliance within the published timeframe will be deemed noncompliant. If AmeriCorps sustains a noncompliant determination, the application will not be reviewed or selected for award.

AmeriCorps will not consider an advance request to submit a late application. Please carefully review and follow the guidance in this section and submit your application as soon as possible.

mailto:LateApplications@cns.gov https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp

D.5. Intergovernmental Review This Notice is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

D.6. Funding Restrictions

D.6.a. Award Funding Requirements MLK Day awards under this Notice are subject to cost share or matching requirements. For MLK Day, the amount of funding AmeriCorps provides will be limited to 30 percent of the total allowable costs for the funded activity, as determined under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E- Cost Principles.

There are no cost share or matching requirements for September 11th awards.

There are also limitations on the use of Federal Funds to recover indirect costs. As provided in 2 CFR 200.306(c), unrecovered indirect costs may be included as part of an applicant’s cost sharing or matching requirements.

Applicants who will be pass-through entities must include in their subawards terms and conditions that will ensure that the pass-through entity’s award under this Notice will comply with the cost share and matching requirements. See 2 CFR 200.331(a)(2)-(4) and 2 CFR 200.74.

D.6.b. Indirect Costs Application budgets may include indirect costs. Based on qualifying factors, applicants may either use a Federally approved indirect cost rate or a 10 percent de minimis rate of modified total direct costs, or may claim certain costs directly, as outlined in 2 CFR 200.413. States, local governments, and Indian Tribes may use previously-approved indirect cost allocation plans. All methods must be applied consistently across all federal awards. Applicants that have a federal negotiated indirect cost rate must enter that information in the Organization section in eGrants.

The instructions for how to enter the organization’s indirect cost rate are located here: eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructions. Applicants should not submit documentation addressing the indirect cost rate agreement via email.

Please note: To request a federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, when AmeriCorps is the applicable cognizant agency for an organization’s indirect costs, the applicant must submit a request to IndirectCostRate@cns.gov. The applicant may also obtain instructions and additional information by contacting the email address above.

D.6.c. Pre-Award Costs Pre-award costs, where authorized, are allowed after receiving written approval from AmeriCorps.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=74a79d9a3a38ee2ca26d377daeacebb7&mc=true&node=sp2.1.200.e&rgn=div6 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=74a79d9a3a38ee2ca26d377daeacebb7&mc=true&node=sp2.1.200.e&rgn=div6 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=74a79d9a3a38ee2ca26d377daeacebb7&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1306&rgn=div8 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=74a79d9a3a38ee2ca26d377daeacebb7&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1331&rgn=div8 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=74a79d9a3a38ee2ca26d377daeacebb7&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_174&rgn=div8 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=74a79d9a3a38ee2ca26d377daeacebb7&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_174&rgn=div8 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=74a79d9a3a38ee2ca26d377daeacebb7&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1413&rgn=div8 https://www.americorps.gov/grantees-sponsors/manage-your-grant mailto:IndirectCostRate@cns.gov

D.7. Other Submission Requirements

D.7.a. Electronic Application Submission in eGrants Applicants must submit applications electronically via eGrants, AmeriCorps' web-based application system. AmeriCorps recommends 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 document, then copy and paste the text into the appropriate eGrants field no later than 10 days before the deadline.

The applicant’s authorized representative must be the person who submits the application.

The authorized representative must use their own eGrants account to sign and submit the application. A copy of the governing body’s authorization for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicant’s office.

Applicants should contact the AmeriCorps Hotline at (800) 942-2677 if they have a problem when they create an account, prepare, or submit the application. AmeriCorps Hotline hours are also posted.

Be prepared to provide the application ID, organization’s name, and the name of the Notice to which the organization is applying. If the issue cannot be resolved by the deadline, applicants must continue working with the AmeriCorps Hotline to submit via eGrants.

If circumstances make it impossible for an applicant to submit in eGrants, applicants may send a paper copy of the application via overnight carrier below. Applicants must include a written explanation and any other documentation or evidence that support their inability to submit their application electronically.

AmeriCorps ATTN: Office of Grant Administration (OGA)/Days of Service Application 250 E Street, SW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20525

Please use a non-U.S. Postal Service carrier to avoid security-related delays. All deadlines and requirements in this Notice also apply to paper applications. AmeriCorps does not accept applications submitted via fax or email.

D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents Applicants are required to submit the following additional documents by the application submission deadline:

1. Tribal organization eligibility documentation (See Section C.1 Eligible Applicants)

2. All applicants regardless of funding level are required to submit an Operational and

Financial Management Survey (OFMS). Please submit the OFMS using the link to the online form, where you will be required to submit your response electronically. Forms submitted as a Word document, PDF, or any other document format may not be accepted.

https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp https://questions.americorps.gov/app/ask https://forms.office.com/g/kyH8TnGx6Q https://forms.office.com/g/kyH8TnGx6Q https://forms.office.com/g/kyH8TnGx6Q https://forms.office.com/g/kyH8TnGx6Q

Failure to submit the required additional documents, following the email instructions in this section, by the deadline may have a negative effect on the determination of the application’s eligibility to advance for review.

Do not submit any items that are not requested in this Notice. AmeriCorps will not review or return them.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

E.1. Selection Criteria Applications should include a well-designed plan with clear and compelling justifications for receiving the requested funds. Reviewers will assess the quality of applications by using the selection criteria described below and will rate them accordingly. They will also consider the weights assigned to each criterion.

Categories/Subcategories Percentage

Executive Summary 0 Program Design 50

• Goals and Objectives 25

• Planned Projects 25

Organizational Capability 35 Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy 15

E.1.a. Executive Summary (Required- 0 percent):

Please fill in the blanks of these sentences to complete the executive summary. Do not deviate from the template below. If you are applying for both MLK Day and September 11th funding, you must submit a separate application for each Day of Service.

The [Name of the organization] proposes to have [Number of] volunteers who will [what the volunteers will be doing] in [the locations the Day of Service activities will take place] on [Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service or September 11th Day of Service and Remembrance].

On the [MLK Day or September 11th] Day of Service, [# of] volunteers will be responsible for [anticipated goals of project]. For MLK Day, the AmeriCorps investment of $[amount of request] will be matched with $[amount of projected match], $[amount of local, state, and federal funds] in public funding and $[amount of non-governmental funds] in private funding.

E.1. b. Program Design (50 percent):

Reviewers will consider the quality of the application’s response to the criteria below. Do not assume all sub-criteria are of equal value.

Goals and Objectives (25 Percent) Reviewers will assess the extent to which:

• The project has a focus that aligns with the purpose and priorities of this Notice

• The project plans are clear and are likely to be successful

• The project includes multiple service locations across multiple cities, states, or regions o Include list of locations in affected areas section of the face-sheet

Planned Projects (25 Percent) Reviewers will assess the extent to which:

• The planned project(s) is important and meets a compelling need either immediate or systemic.

• The planned projects include connecting volunteers to ongoing opportunities to serve.

• The organization describes how they will ensure their project engages a diverse and inclusive group of volunteers.

• The organization describes how they will ensure their project serves members of their community through an equity lens.

o Include demographic, income, and additional relevant information about communities you’ll be serving related to racial equity.

• The demographics of the community served are described and plans to recruit volunteers from geographic or demographic communities in which the program operates are identified. Such communities could include potentially underrepresented populations and communities, including:

a. Persons from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities;

b. Persons from LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and/or questioning, asexual/aromantic/agender) communities;

c. Persons with varying degrees of English language proficiency;

d. Persons with disabilities;

e. Veterans and military family members; and

f. Persons who live in rural areas.

E.1.c. Organizational Capability (35 percent):

Reviewers will assess the extent to which the organization has:

• an effective mechanism in place to report, without delay, any suspected criminal activity, waste, fraud, and/or abuse to both the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General and AmeriCorps and a plan for training staff and participants on these reporting protocols.

• sufficient policies, procedures, and controls in place to prevent, detect, and mitigate the risk of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, this can include an assessment of appropriate segregation of duties, internal oversight activities, measures to prevent timekeeping fraud, etc.

• a monitoring and oversight plan to prevent and detect non-compliance and enforce compliance with AmeriCorps rules and regulations including those related to prohibited activities and criminal history checks at the grantee, subgrantee (if applicable), and service site locations.

E.1.d. Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (15 percent):

The following selection criteria will be assessed based on information included in the budget section of the application. Do not enter narrative text in the Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy narrative field.

Reviewers will assess the extent to which:

• The budget demonstrates that costs are reasonable, allocable, allowable, and necessary and conform to the Uniform Guidance

• Match has been secured or the quality of the plan to raise match (MLK Day only)

• The budget is clear and in alignment with the program narrative.

• The budget includes adequate resources to carry out the program effectively.

E.2. Review and Selection Process AmeriCorps will engage Staff Reviewers with relevant knowledge and expertise to assess and provide input on the eligible applications. The review and selection process is intended to produce a diversified set of high-quality programs that represent the priorities and strategic considerations described in this Notice. The determinations made by AmeriCorps reviewers may be different from what the applicant self-determined upon submission of its application.

The stages of the review and selection process follow:

E.2.a. Initial Application Compliance and Eligibility Review AmeriCorps will conduct an initial Compliance and Eligibility Review to determine if an application meets the eligibility requirements published in this Notice and advances to the next stage of the review process.

An application is compliant if the applicant:

• is an eligible organization

• submitted an application by the submission deadline

• submitted an application that complies with the following program-specific requirements:

o requested a minimum amount of funding (CNCS Share) of $100,000 and a maximum of $500,000 for a one-year budget

Reviewing for eligibility is intended to ensure that only those applications that are eligible for award are further reviewed. However, determinations of eligibility can take place at any point during the application review and selection process. Applicants that are determined to be ineligible will not receive an award.

E.2.b. Application Review Internal Review AmeriCorps Staff Reviewers will assess the applications based on the Program Design, Organizational Capability, and Cost-Effectiveness, and Budget Adequacy Selection Criteria (E.1). Staff Reviewers will also consider the priorities and strategic considerations detailed in this Notice. AmeriCorps will recruit and select Staff Reviewers on the basis of demonstrated expertise in Days of Service programming and/or the Focus Areas, as well as experience assessing applications. All Staff Reviewers will be screened for conflicts of interest.

Post-Review Quality Control After the initial review process is complete, AmeriCorps staff will review the initial results for fairness and consistency. Some applications may be selected for a Post-Review Quality Control assessment. This additional level of review will be used to ensure fairness and provide assurances that an application was not disadvantaged in the original review.

E.2.c. Applicant Clarification AmeriCorps may ask an applicant for clarifying information after notification of competition results. An applicant’s failure to respond to a request for clarification adequately and in a timely manner may result in the removal of its application from the award process.

E.2.d. Pre-Award Risk Assessment AmeriCorps staff will assess the risks to the program posed by each applicant to determine an applicant’s ability to manage Federal Funds. This evaluation is in addition to those about the applicant’s eligibility and the quality of its application on the basis of the Selection Criteria (E.1). Results from this assessment will inform funding decisions. If AmeriCorps determines that an award will be made to an applicant with assessed risks, special conditions that correspond to the degree of assessed risk may be applied to the award. Additionally, if AmeriCorps concludes that the reasons for applicants having poor risk assessment are not likely to be mitigated, those applications may not be selected for funding.

In assessing risks, AmeriCorps may consider the following criteria:

1. Due Diligence, including:

• Federal debt delinquency

• suspension and debarment

• information available through Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-designated repositories of government-wide eligibility qualification or financial integrity information, such as:

o U.S. Treasury Bureau of Fiscal Services o System for Award Management (SAM) o “Do Not Pay”

• reports and findings from single audits performed under Uniform Administrative Guidance and findings of any other available audits or investigations

• IRS Tax Form 990

• Oversight.gov

• Public Litigation Records

2. Operational and Financial Management, including:

• financial stability

• Operational and Financial Management Survey (OFMS)

3. Past Performance, including:

• an applicant’s record in managing previous AmeriCorps awards, cooperative agreements, or procurement awards, including:

o timeliness of compliance with applicable reporting requirements o accuracy of data reported o validity of performance measure data reported o conformance to the terms and conditions of previous Federal awards o applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on award recipients o timely closeout of other awards o meeting matching requirements o the extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to future awards o National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) compliance. See section

F.2.d. National Criminal History Check Requirements and the NSCHC webpage for more information

4. Other Programmatic Risks, including:

• publicly available information, including from the applicant organization's website

• amount of funding requested by the organization

Applicants will find information to help them understand pre-award due diligence checks in the AmeriCorps Due Diligence Review Process and Compliance training available on the Manage Your Grant website, This content will help applicants obtain due diligence compliance and remain compliant throughout the grant life.

E.2.e. Consideration of Integrity and Performance System Information Prior to making any award that exceeds the $250,000, AmeriCorps is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (See 41 U.S.C. §2313). Additionally, AmeriCorps may expand upon these requirements and use its discretion to review and consider information about any applicant receiving an award, including those under $250,000.

Any applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM.gov and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.gov.

AmeriCorps may consider comments by any applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under federal awards when completing its review of risk posed by the applicant under the Risk Assessment Evaluation section of this Notice.

E.2.f. Selection for Funding The review and selection process are designed to:

• identify how well eligible applications are aligned with the application selection https://americorps.gov/grantees-sponsors/history-check https://americorps.gov/grantees-sponsors/manage-your-grant https://americorps.gov/grantees-sponsors/manage-your-grant http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:41%20section:2313%20edition:prelim)%20OR%20(granuleid:USC-prelim-title41-section2313)&f=treesort&edition=prelim&num=0&jumpTo=true criteria (E.1)

• build a diversified portfolio based on the following strategic considerations:

o AmeriCorps Funding Priorities (See Section A.2. Funding Priorities) o meaningful representation of geographic diversity rural communities small and medium programs single and multi-state programs faith-based organizations focus areas innovative community strategies for identified funding priorities o CEO discretion to advance strategic goals

In selecting applicants to receive awards under this Notice, the Chief Executive Officer will endeavor to include a diverse portfolio of applications based on staff recommendations, alignment with selection criteria, and strategic considerations.

AmeriCorps reserves the right to award applications in an amount other than at the requested level of funding and will document the rationale for doing so.

AmeriCorps reserves the right to adjust or make changes to the review process, if unforeseen challenges or urgent circumstances make it impossible, impracticable, or inefficient to conduct the review process as planned. Any such adjustments or changes will not affect the selection criteria (E.1.) that will be used to assess applications.

E.3. Feedback to Applicants Each compliant applicant will receive feedback from the Staff Review of its application. This feedback will be based on the review of the original application and will not reflect information provided during clarification.

E.4. Transparency in Grant-making AmeriCorps is committed to transparency in grant-making. A list of all approved applications for new and re-competing applications will be published on AmeriCorps Funded Grants within 90 business days after all grants are awarded.

Submitted program narratives or executive summaries for successful applications will be available upon request via email to AmeriCorpsOGA@cns.gov.

Further information about funded grants and subgrants is also available in USASpending.gov.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

http://www.americorps.gov/partner/funding-opportunities/funded-grants mailto:AmeriCorpsOGA@cns.gov https://www.usaspending.gov/

F.1. Federal Award Notices AmeriCorps will make awards following the selection announcement. AmeriCorps anticipates announcing the results of this funding opportunity by July 2023. All applicants, successful or not, will be notified of funding decisions via email.

Notification of an award is not an authorization to begin activities. The Notice of Grant Award signed by the Office of Grant Administration Grant Award Specialist is the authorizing document. An awardee may not expend Federal Funds until the start of the Period of Performance identified on the Notice of Grant Award.

F.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

F.2.a. Uniform Guidance All awards made under this Notice will be subject to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance), in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 2205.

F.2.b. Requests for Monitoring or Payment Integrity Information AmeriCorps will request documentation from award recipients in order to monitor the grantee and award to ensure compliance with legal requirements, including the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019. Failure to make timely responses to these requests may result in award funds being placed on manual hold, reimbursement only status, or other remedies may be applied as appropriate.

F.2.c. AmeriCorps Terms and Conditions All awards made under this Notice will be subject to the FY 2023 AmeriCorps General Terms and Conditions, and the FY 2023 Program-Specific Terms and Conditions for the particular program (when applicable). These Terms and Conditions contain detailed, mandatory compliance and reporting requirements. Current versions of the AmeriCorps General and Program-Specific Terms and Conditions for each of its programs is available at the Manage your grant website.

F.2.d. National Service Criminal History Check Requirements

The National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) is a specific screening procedure established by law to protect the beneficiaries of national service. We encourage grantees to minimize barriers to service without putting their program beneficiaries at genuine risk. The law requires grantees to conduct and document NSCHCs on persons (including award-funded staff, national service participant, or volunteer) receiving a salary, living allowance, stipend, or education award through a program receiving AmeriCorps funds.