Mini-Grant Application Kit - 11.17.23Revision.pdf

ELECTION

ASSISTANCE

COMMISSION

HELP AMERICA VOTE

COLLEGE PROGRAM

S E R V I C E D A Y M I N I - G R A N T

A P P L I C A N T T O O L K I T OMB Control #:3265-0025

Expiration Date: 11/30/2026

IMPORTANT NOTICES

Federal Agency Name: U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Funding Opportunity Title: Help America Vote College Program Assistance Listing Numbers (formerly CFDA): 90.400

THIS KIT IS FOR APPLICANTS REQUESTING ACTIVITIES ONLY FOR HELP AMERICA VOTE COLLEGE

PROGRAM SERVICE DAY MINI-GRANTS. IF YOU PLAN TO REQUEST FUNDING FOR POLL WORKER

PROJECT ACTIVITIES, YOU MUST COMPLETE A FULL APPLICATION THROUGH GRANTS.GOV. THE

INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS APPLICATION KIT IS NOT APPLICABLE FOR APPLICANTS

REQUESTING ANY POLL WORKER ACTIVITIES. IF YOU USE THE INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS APPLICATION KIT TO COMPLETE AN APPLICATION REQUESTING POLL WORKER ACTIVITIES, YOUR

APPLICATION WILL BE CONSIDERED INELIGIBLE AND IT WILL BE REJECTED.

Public Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 5 hours per submission, including reviewing instructions, gathering, and maintaining the data needed, and completing the application and reporting forms. Comments on the burden or content of this instrument may be sent to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) at:

HAVCP@eac.gov. Election Assistance Commission informs people who may respond to this collection of information that they are not required to respond to the collection of information unless the OMB control number and expiration date displayed on page one (1) are current and valid. (See 5 CFR 1320.5(b)(2)(i))

Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act: Grant recipients will be required to report at www.FSRS.gov on all subawards over $30,000 and may be required to report on executive compensation for recipients and subrecipients. Recipients must have the necessary systems in place to collect and report this information. See 2 CFR Part 170 for more information and to determine how these requirements apply.

Unique Identifier: Applicants who do not hold a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) at the time of application must hold an active UEI by the time of grant award. The UEI is generated as part of the System for Award Management (SAM) registration process. Applicants complete the SAM registration and account approval process prior to the issuance of federal funding. Registration on SAM.gov is FREE. Obtaining a UEI number assignment is also FREE. The legal applicant’s name and physical address must align with the SAM registration. Applications will be accepted from organizations without an active UEI; however, the organization must have obtained a valid UEI and active SAM registration by the time of award or they will be disqualified from consideration for an award. All grant recipients must maintain an active registration throughout the performance period.

Privacy Act Statement: The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C 552a) requires that we notify you that the information requested under this Notice of Funding is collected pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 12592 and 12615 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended, and 42 U.S.C. 4953 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 as amended.

www.FSRS.gov mailto:HAVCP@eac.gov https://GRANTS.GOV

Purposes and Uses: The information requested is collected to review grant applications and grant funding requests. Routine uses may include disclosure of the information to federal, state, or local agencies pursuant to lawfully authorized requests. The information may also be provided to appropriate federal agencies and contractors that have a need to know the information for the purpose of assisting the government to respond to a suspected or confirmed breach of the security or confidentiality or information maintained in this system of records, and the information disclosed is relevant and necessary for the assistance.

Effects of Nondisclosure: The information requested is voluntary; however, to be a recipient of this grant program, disclosure of personal or sensitive information is required to receive federal benefits.

Use of Material: To ensure that materials generated with HAVA funding are available to the public and readily accessible to recipients and non-recipients, the EAC reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to obtain, use, modify, reproduce, publish, or disseminate publications and materials produced under the award, including data, and to authorize others to do so (2 CFR §200.315).

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 Part200.

Requests for Monitoring or Payment Integrity Information: The EAC will request documentation from recipients 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.

EAC Terms and Conditions: All awards made under this Notice will be subject to the EAC's General Terms and Conditions and the Program-Specific Terms and Conditions for the program (when applicable). These Terms and Conditions contain detailed, mandatory compliance and reporting requirements. See APPENDIX E for full Terms and Conditions.

DO NOT WAIT! Register in SAM.gov as soon as possible. Finalizing these registrations could take a month or more. You do not want late registration to prevent your organization from being eligible to accept an award offer.

Submission Instructions: The electronic submission of your application must be made by an official representative of your institution who is authorized to request funding on behalf of the applicant organization. Email your completed Application Form to HAVCP@eac.gov with the subject “HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Program Application – [ORGANIZATION NAME]” by the deadline at 11:59 PM Eastern on December 18, 2023. Applications received after the deadline date and time are considered late applications and, absent extreme circumstances to be determined by the EAC, will not be reviewed. EAC will notify each late applicant that the application will not be considered in the current competition.

FUNDING OVERVIEW

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) announces the availability of $1 million dollars in discretionary grant funding to support the Help America Vote College Program (HAVCP). The HAVCP grant competition includes funding for two separate grant programs: The HAVCP Poll Worker Grant Program and the HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Program. Applicant organizations may apply for only one of the two programs and may not submit more than one application.

The purpose of the HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Program is to elevate civic participation on college campuses through a day of service and inspire college students to volunteer their time and talents to ensure safe, secure, accessible, and transparent elections.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has developed this Applicant Toolkit to support applicants’ understanding of the EAC discretionary grant funding application process and provide guidance and resources. For this competition, EAC seeks proposals from accredited colleges (including community colleges), universities, nonprofit organizations and state and local election offices which will assist the Commission in the continued development and implementation of the Help America Vote College Program.

Interested applicants should submit an e-mail to HAVCP@eac.gov stating your organization’s intent to apply. This notice of intent is not required but helps us better plan the review of applications.

This assistance will be funded by the Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law No:

117-328) and authorized under the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), Public Law 107-252, Title V, Help America Vote College Program.

FEDERAL AGENCY:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY:

Help America Vote College Program (HAVCP)

ELIGIBILITY:

Public & Private Institutions of Higher Education (Including

Community Colleges), state and local election offices, and Non-Profit Organizations.

NOTICE OF INTENT:

Email to HAVCP@eac.gov

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

December 18, 11:59 pm EST

Table of Contents

I . OVERVIEW OF EAC FUNDING

II. DISCRETIONARY GRANT PROCESS

III. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

A. Help America Vote College Program

B. Eligible Applicants

C. Priority Consideration

D. Other Requirements/Limitations

E. Cost Sharing or Matching

F. Application Deadline

G. Technical Assistance

H. Questions

I. Application Evaluation Criteria

J. Review and Selection Process

K. Reporting

IV. HAVCP SERVICE DAY MINI-GRANT PROGRAM

L. Award Type & Amount

M. Period of Performance

N. Allowable Activities

O. Funding Type

P. Performance Measurement

V. APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Q. Application Checklist

R. Submission Dates and Times

S. Experiencing Unforeseen Technical Issues Preventing Submission of an Application

T. Late Applications

U. Extension of Deadlines

EAC OVERVIEW

The mission of the United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is to help election officials improve the administration of elections and help Americans participate in the voting process.

The EAC was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) as an independent, bipartisan commission charged with developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration. The EAC also accredits testing laboratories, certifies voting systems, and audits HAVA funds.

Other responsibilities include maintaining the national mail voter registration form developed in accordance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

HAVA established the Standards Board and the Board of Advisors to advise the EAC. The law also established the Technical Guidelines Development Committee to help the EAC develop voluntary voting system guidelines. In 2021, the EAC established a fourth advisory committee, the Local Leadership Council.

The four EAC commissioners are appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The EAC must submit an annual report to Congress and testify periodically about HAVA progress and related issues. The commission also holds public meetings and hearings to inform the public about its progress and activities.

I . OVERVIEW OF

EAC FUNDING

The Election Assistance Commission Office of Grants Management (EAC/OGM) is responsible for awarding, distributing, and monitoring grant funds authorized by Congress under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

The EAC awards two types of HAVA grants:

1. HAVA Formula Grants

The HAVA formula funds are awarded to states and U.S. territories for improving the administration of elections for federal office.

States do not compete for formula funding but must submit applications and meet specified requirements. Grant award amounts are calculated by a formula based on proportionate voting age population. HAVA formula grants are subject to HAVA and 2 CFR 200 with the HAVA requirements taking precedence.

2. HAVA Discretionary Grants

HAVA discretionary grants are awarded to eligible recipients on a competitive basis. Grant applications are solicited on Grants.gov and applicants are reviewed and scored based on selection criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

This toolkit focuses on discretionary grant programs, providing an overview of the competitive grant funding and application process.

Application Submission

The fully completed HAVCP Service Day Mini- Grant Application Form must be submitted by email to HAVCP@eac.gov with the header “HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Program Application – [ORGANIZATION NAME]” before the application submission deadline. The electronic submission of your application must be made by an official representative of your institution who is authorized to request funding on behalf of the applicant organization.

Stewardship of Federal Funds

Strong candidates for federal grant funding can demonstrate they have the capacity to effectively manage awarded funds.

• Engage with subject matter experts to provide any technical or nuanced inputs and information (i.e., financial, poll worker training) to the application.

• Attend any grants and financial management training provided for new potential applicants.

• Connect with State and local resources as needed to assist with financial planning, permitting, and other approvals.

• Identify and reach out to a program’s point of contact with specific questions as they come up.

https://Grants.gov sider monitoring Congressional authorization and a ppropria lions processes to anticipate future EAC funding opportunities

LEGISLATION

EAC develops a discretionary funding program, per sta tutory requirements

Check Grants.Gov and EAC.gov for release of NOFO

PRE-AWARD

EAC releases a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Select an EAC grant program that supports that projec based on program eligibility criteria and requirements ou tlined in the NOFO Compile an application based on program requirements

Receive decision notifica tion of project selected for fu nding for the fisca I year

Respond to requests for follow-up information from EAC program points o f contact, as needed, during application review process

EAC finalizes award decisions

EAC reviews all submitted applications and evaluates proposed projects based on stated criteria in the NOFO

AWARD

If selected, negotiate and sign a grant or project agreement with EAC

Implement the awarded project and report progress to EAC throughout the project life-cycle

POST-AWARD

EAC monitors project execution throughout the project life-cycle

EAC closes the program application window

Submit an application during indicated application window

Complete all closeout requirements and submit final fina ncial and technica l reports

EAC provides technical assistance and customer support to applicants, as needed

II. DISCRETIONARY GRANT PROCESS

The discretionary grant funding process begins with Congressional legislation and concludes with the closeout of the awarded project. The grant lifecycle is broken down into four phases: (0) Legislation, (1) Pre-Award, (2) Award, and (3) Post-Award. At a high-level, the phases include:

0. Legislation: Program authorization and funding appropriation by Congress

1. Pre-Award: Funding opportunity announcement, applicant solicitation, and application submission

2. Award: Application evaluation, award decisions, and grant recipient notifications

3. Post-Award: Project execution, monitoring, and closeout

III. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

A. Help America Vote College Program

The Help America Vote College Program

(HAVCP) was established in 2004, and through fiscal year 2009, distributed over

$2.3 million to colleges and non-profits to recruit, train and support students serving as poll workers on Election Day.

In 2023, the EAC introduced the HAVCP

Service Day Mini-Grant Program. The information in this application kit is specific to the Service Day Mini-Grant Program. The

Mini-Grant program is designed to stimulate community action on college campuses and increase the visibility of the EAC’s National

Poll Worker Recruitment Day and Help

America Vote Day.

The overall purpose of the Help America Vote

College Program is to:

1) Encourage students enrolled at institutions of higher education (including community colleges) to assist State and local governments in the administration of elections by serving as nonpartisan poll workers or assistants;

2) Encourage college students to become cognizant of the elections process and civic education, and to assist in the administration of elections in their community; and

3) Encourage state and local governments to use the services of the students participating in the program.

College Student means any individual enrolled either on a part-time or full-time basis in any undergraduate, graduate, or professional college accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of

Education in the United States.

B. Eligible Applicants

EAC encourages applicants to forge robust partnerships to implement the grant and to sustain activities beyond the grant period of performance. The recommended partners for the HAVCP are institutions of higher education as defined in Section 101(a) of the

Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.

1001); Nonprofit Organizations, community and technical colleges and systems, Historically Black Colleges and Universities

(HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs); state and local election offices; and other Minority

Serving Institutions Program (MSIs) as designated by the Higher Education Act’s

Title III and V funding.

C. Priority Consideration

All selection criteria and application quality being equal, EAC will give priority consideration to projects from institutions and organizations that engage historically underrepresented groups, as defined by the federal government (See Appendix C), as poll workers. For the HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Program, the EAC will provide further priority consideration to applicants who have historically not been recipients of

EAC funding. The EAC is interested in using the Mini-Grant opportunity to engage new organizations in supporting and improving the administration of elections. The HAVCP

Service Day Mini-Grant Program will also provide priority consideration for organizations serving populations in an area of persistent poverty and/or historically disadvantaged community and for organizations located in a rural area. The EAC is interested in using the Mini-Grant opportunity to engage organizations serving locations where barriers to participation in the election process are frequently higher.

D. Other Requirements/Limitations

Applicants may not use any part of an award from the EAC to fund religious instruction, worship or proselytizing, voter registration, get out the vote (GOTV) drives, or other political activities that could be construed as lobbying. Project funds must be used for tasks and activities carried out without partisan bias and without promoting any political point of view regarding any election issue or candidates.

Applications that propose voter registration or GOTV efforts will be considered non-responsive and will not be eligible for funding under this announcement.

Any organization described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26

U.S.C. 501(c)(4) that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to apply.

The applicant nor its principals cannot be presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal department or agency. Federal regulations prohibit supplanting of funds, such as replacing routine and/or existing State or local expenditures with the use of Federal grant funds and/or using Federal grant funds for cost of activities that constitute general expenses required to carry out the overall responsibilities of state or local government.

E. Cost Sharing or Matching

At the time of award, applicants must demonstrate cash and/or in-kind contributions on-hand and/or commitments, or a combination thereof, to meet the required 10 percent match, based on the amount of Federal grant funds requested. Match must be met by the project end period.

EAC encourages applicants to leverage additional resources beyond the required match to supplement grant activities. Both matching and leveraged resources can come from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to the private sector (e.g., businesses or industry associations); the philanthropic community (e.g., foundations); and the non-profit sector (e.g., community organizations or education and training institutions). Non-

Federal, public-sector funds (e.g., from States or local governments) may be used for matching funds, if necessary. Federal funds from other Federal agencies are not a permissible source of match, unless specifically authorized by the award pursuant to 2

CFR 200.306. Applicants may consult with EAC on sources of match to determine permissibility.

Grantees may recover indirect costs under this grant up to 10 percent of the total

Federal share of the grant. If an applicant has an approved federal indirect cost rate, the remainder of the indirect costs can be used as a matching contribution.

F. Application Deadline

The deadline for receipt of applications is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, December 18, 2023. Please submit an e-mail stating your intent to apply to

HAVCP@eac.gov. This Notice of Intent is not required but helps EAC better plan the review of applications.

The fully completed HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Application Form must be submitted by with the header “HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Program Application –

[ORGANIZATION NAME]” before the application submission deadline. The electronic submission of your application must be made by an official representative of your institution who is authorized to request funding on behalf of the applicant organization.

Applications received after the deadline date and time are considered late applications and, absent extreme circumstances to be determined by the EAC, will not be reviewed.

EAC will notify each late applicant that the application will not be considered in the current competition.

G. Technical Assistance

This funding opportunity is part of a competitive grant process. EAC will only answer direct questions pertaining to the technical aspects of inputting information into the application form and submitting applications by email. All other questions should be asked during one of the live sessions listed below or through the Q&A process.

H. Questions

Submit questions to HAVCP@eac.gov.

Answers will be posted within 5 business days to the Q&A document. Please review the

Q&A document before submitting your question to confirm that it has not already been answered. Deadline for receipt of written questions: 5 PM on December 13, 2023.

2023 Training Calls:

Calls will be recorded and posted on the EAC website.

To Register: Email HAVCP@eac.gov

Funding Overview | Tuesday, November 21 | 2:00 PM Eastern

How to Apply for the Poll Worker Program | Tuesday, November 28 | 2:00 PM Eastern

How to Apply for the Mini-Grant Program | Tuesday, November 28 | 3:00 PM Eastern

Technical Assistance Office Hours | Thursday, December 14 | 2:00 PM Eastern

I. Application Evaluation Criteria

The EAC has instituted procedures that provide for an objective review of applications and to assist applicants in understanding the standards against which applications will be judged. The evaluation criteria are based on the information required in the application.

See APPENDIX C.

Reviewers will award points based on the evaluation criteria described below:

Organizational Characteristics (20 Points)

Program Design/Strategy (5 Points)

Budget/Cost Effectiveness (5 Points) See APPENDIX C

Organizational Characteristics (20 Points)

The EAC will consider the characteristics of an organization based on:

• The organization’s history of receiving funding directly for the EAC;

• The proposed benefit to areas of persistent poverty and/or a historically disadvantaged community; and,

• The proposed benefit to geographically rural communities.

Budget/Cost Effectiveness (5 Points)

The EAC will consider the budget based on:

• Cost-effectiveness of the proposed activities in relation to the scope of the project;

• Clarity and completeness of the budget and budget narrative; and,

• Cost sharing identified by the applicant.

J. Review and Selection Process

Program Design/Strategy (5 Points)

The EAC will consider the quality of the proposed design based on:

• A sound and relevant program that meets the unique needs of the communities served;

• A clear description of how the proposed activities will encourage college students to assist state and local governments in the administration of elections by serving as nonpartisan poll workers or assistants and encourage jurisdictions to utilize these efforts; and,

• The number of targeted college students, including how this number was calculated.

The review and selection process are intended to produce a diversified set of high-quality programs that represent the priorities described in this Notice. The determinations made by the EAC may be different from what the applicant self-determined upon submission of its application. The stages of the review and selection process follow:

Initial Application Compliance and Eligibility Review

The EAC 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, and

• requested Federal funds in the range provided by the Notice.

Reviewing for eligibility is intended to ensure that only applications 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.

Application Review

The EAC will assess the applications based on the Organizational Characteristics, Program

Design/Strategy, and Budget selection criteria using the scoring rubric on APPENDIX C.

The EAC will also consider the priorities and strategic considerations detailed in this

Notice. All staff reviewing applications will be screened for conflicts of interest.

Applicant Clarification

The EAC may ask applicants for clarifying information during the Clarification Stage of the review process. An Operational and Financial Management Survey will also be requested at this time. The EAC staff will use this information to make funding recommendations. A request for clarification does not guarantee an award. Applicants may also be recommended for funding even if they are not asked for clarifying information. 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 consideration.

Pre-Award Risk Assessment

The EAC staff will assess the risks posed by applicants to determine an applicant’s ability to manage federal funds. This assessment is in addition to the Compliance and Eligibility

Review and the Application Review. Results from this assessment will inform funding decisions. If the EAC 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 the EAC 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, the EAC may consider the following criteria:

Due Diligence:

• Federal debt delinquency

• Suspension and debarment

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

o Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System

(FAPIIS)

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

Operational and Financial Management:

• Financial stability

Past Performance:

• An applicant’s record in managing previous HAVA 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 Extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to future awards https://Oversight.gov

Other Programmatic Risks:

• Publicly available information, including from the applicant organization website

The EAC 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 used to assess applications.

K. Reporting

Recipients are required to provide one final federal financial report (FFR) and one final progress report (PR) submitted by email to HAVCP@eac.gov. Final reports are cumulative over the entire award period and consistent with close-out requirements.

The final reports are due 120 days after the performance period ends. All reports must be accurate, complete, and submitted on time.

The federal financial report required will be the modified version of the Standard Form

425 (SF-425) used by the EAC for other federal awards. The progress report required will consist of a short narrative, listing of the actual number of college students served, and images demonstrating the Service Day activities undertaken with federal and non-federal matching funds.

Once the grant is awarded, recipients will be expected to have in place data collection and data management policies, processes, and practices that provide assurance that they are reporting high quality performance measure data. Failure to submit accurate, complete, and timely required reports may affect the recipient’s ability to secure future

EAC funding.

Financial (FFR) & Progress Report (PR) Dates Final

Reporting Period End Date 1 Year After Date of Award

Report Submission Due Date 120 Days After Project Period End

FUNDING INSTRUMENT:

Discretionary Mini-Grant

ANTICIPATED FUNDING:

$50,000-$150,000

ANTICIPATED NUMBER OF

AWARDS:

5-15

MAXIMUM AWARD

AMOUNT:

$10,000

MINIMUM AWARD

AMOUNT:

$3,000

GRANT PERIOD:

12 months

IV. HAVCP SERVICE

DAY MINI-GRANT

PROGRAM

L. Award Type & Amount

The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) announces the availability 5-15 Help America Vote

College Program Service Day mini-grants to help elevate civic participation on college campuses and inspire college students to volunteer their time and talents to help others participate in the democratic process as poll workers. The mini-grants will support poll worker recruitment efforts on National

Poll Worker Recruitment Day and Help America

Vote Day.

National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, August 1, 2024, is a national awareness day established by the

EAC to encourage people to help America vote by serving as poll workers.

By encouraging more people to become poll workers in their communities, National Poll Worker

Recruitment Day aims to address the critical shortage of poll workers, strengthen our democracy, inspire greater civic engagement and volunteerism, and help ensure free and fair elections.

Help America Vote Day, January 30, 2024, a second day of action created by the EAC aims to address the nationwide shortage of poll workers.

http://www.helpamericavote.gov/

Poll workers are critical to the success of an election and provide a positive voting experience by ensuring voters receive the assistance they need at the polls. National Poll Worker Recruitment Day and

Help America Vote Day can be used to kick off recruitment efforts or supplement ongoing recruiting for poll workers in their community.

Applicants may request funding for activities related to both eligible service days outlined in the

Application Kit or only one specific service day. Please note: The U.S. Election Assistance Commission does not anticipate award funding to be available prior to Help America Vote Day on January 30, 2024.

To address this issue, pre-award costs for Help America Vote Day 2024 may be included as eligible activities, if the costs were incurred after the publication of this funding opportunity package on

Grants.gov. If the applicant subsequently receives an award, they may then request to be reimbursed for in actual costs incurred hosting Help America Vote Day 2024 activities that would otherwise be allowable under this funding announcement. If the applicant does not receive an award, these costs will not be reimbursed by the federal government. The applicant must understand this risk and be able to cover this cost if an award is not made.

Grants will be funded by Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law No: 117-328) and authorized under the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), Public Law 107-252, Title V, Help America

Vote College Program.

The EAC reserves the right to increase or decrease the total number of grants awarded or reject all applications and make no awards under this announcement. Such changes may be necessary as a response to the quality of applications received by the EAC or the amount of funds available.

If additional funding becomes available after the original selections are made, the EAC reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement consistent with Agency policy and guidance. Any additional selections for awards will be made no later than nine months after the original selection decisions. Awards may be fully or incrementally funded, as appropriate, based on funding availability, satisfactory performance, and other applicable considerations.

M. Period of Performance

The period of performance is one year with an anticipated start date of February 1, 2024. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities. Pre-award costs for activities necessary to hosting Help America Vote Day 2024 events occurring after the publication of the

HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Program funding opportunity package on Grants.gov and prior to the award period start date are also allowable. Requests for no-cost extensions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

N. Allowable Activities

Help America Vote College Program Service Day Mini-Grants will support projects that recruit, train, and encourage college students to assist state and local governments in the administration of elections by serving as poll workers or assistants. Project funds must be used for tasks and activities carried out without partisan bias and without promoting any political point of view regarding election issues or candidates.

Service Day projects may also be used to support educational events intended to encourage volunteerism or link student populations with their state or local elections offices. Projects should be collaborative in nature, involve a spectrum of community participants, and benefit the larger community. Grant awards will be in the range of $3,000 to $10,000. Depending on the amount requested, an estimated 5-15 grants will be awarded.

Consistent with the approved project budget, funds may be used for supplies/materials and volunteer support. Funds requested should be commensurate with the scope and required resources for the proposed project. Applicants can apply for activities to be performed on National Poll Worker

Recruitment Day (August 1, 2024) and/or Help America Vote Day (January 30, 2024).

O. Funding Type

Funding will be provided in the form of a discretionary grant. EAC will authorize the Treasury

Department to disburse funding identified in the agreement through the Payment Management

System (PMS) to the applicant as an advance to be drawdown as expenses arise. Per 2 CFR §200, the timing and amount of advance payments must be as close as is administratively feasible to the actual disbursements by the non-Federal entity for direct program or project costs and the proportionate share of any allowable indirect costs. The non-Federal entity must make timely payment to contractors in accordance with the contract provisions. Grantees will be able to request payments as often as practical for their program. Cash and in-kind match expenditures require the same documentation as federal funds under 2 CFR §200. Grantees must request a drawdown of funds for incurred costs using the electronic Payment Management System (PMS). Prior to initial drawdown of funds, all Grantees must have secured online access to Payment Management System.

P. Performance Measurement

HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Program awardees will be required to report on the total number of college student participants served through the funded Service Day activities. The number of students served could include college student participants interacting with staff/volunteers tabling, attending a presentation or roundtable, or engaging through digital (i.e., social media, website), print (i.e., college newspaper), and/or audio platforms (i.e., radio show, podcast).

V. APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Q. Application Checklist

Applicants should use the checklist below as a guide when preparing your application package to ensure that the application has met all the screening criteria. Note that this checklist is only an aid for applicants and should not be included in the application package. We urge you to use this checklist to ensure that your application contains all required items. If your application does not meet all the screening criteria, it will not move forward through the merit review process.

Application Requirement Complete?

The deadline submission requirements are met

Eligibility requirements are met

The components of the application are saved in pdf or docx format and are not corrupt. (We will attempt to open the document, but will not take any additional measures in the event of problems with opening) Funding request is within allowable range:

HAVCP Service Day: 3,000 to $10,000 SAM Registration* *EAC will accept applications from organizations without active SAM registration for Mini-Grant Program only

HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Application Form

R. Submission Dates and Times

The deadline for receipt of applications is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, December 18. Please submit an e-mail stating your intent to apply to HAVCP@eac.gov. This Notice of Intent is not required but helps the EAC better plan the review of applications.

The fully completed HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Application Form must be submitted by email to

HAVCP@eac.gov with the header “HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Program Application –

[ORGANIZATION NAME]” before the application submission deadline. The electronic submission of your application must be made by an official representative of your institution who is authorized to request funding on behalf of the applicant organization. Applications received after the deadline date and time are considered late applications and, absent extreme circumstances to be determined by the EAC, will not be reviewed. The EAC will notify each late applicant that the application will not be considered in the current competition.

Applicants who do not hold a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) at the time of application must hold an active

UEI by the time of grant award. Applications will be accepted from organizations without an active UEI;

however, the organization must have obtained a valid UEI and active SAM registration by the time of award or they will be disqualified from consideration for an award. All grant recipients must maintain an active registration throughout the performance period.

S. Experiencing Unforeseen Technical Issues Preventing Submission of an Application

The EAC will only consider a request to submit an application after the deadline when the applicant can document that a technical issue with a government system prevented application submission prior to the application deadline. If an applicant misses a deadline due to unforeseen technical issues with a government system, the applicant may request a waiver to submit an application after the deadline to

HAVCP@eac.gov. However, the waiver request will not be considered unless it includes a timestamp or other data point indicating the issue occurred prior to the application submission deadline.

T. Late Applications

Applications received after the deadline date and time are considered late applications and, absent extreme circumstances to be determined by the EAC, will not be reviewed. EAC will notify each late applicant that the application will not be considered in the current competition.

U. Extension of Deadlines

EAC may extend application deadlines when circumstances such as acts of nature (floods, hurricanes, etc.) occur, or when there are widespread disruptions of online service. Determinations to extend or waive deadline requirements rest with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. If extended, the new deadline will be posted at www.eac.gov and at www.grants.gov.

http://www.grants.gov/ www.eac.gov mailto:HAVCP@eac.gov mailto:HAVCP@eac.gov