mlk-notice.pdf

NOTICE OF FEDERAL FUNDING AVAILABILITY

Federal Agency Name: Corporation for National and Community Service

Funding Opportunity Title: 2015 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Grants

Announcement Type: Initial Announcement

CFDA Number: 94.007

Important Dates

A Notice of Intent to Apply is strongly encouraged and is due by May 15, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Applications are due Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Successful applicants will be notified in July, 2015.

Disclosure: Publication of this Notice of Federal Funding Availability (Notice) does not obligate the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to award any specific number of grants or to obligate any particular amount of funding.

FULL TEXT OF THE NOTICE

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Purpose of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Grants Funding

The mission of CNCS is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering. Through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, the Social Innovation

Fund, and the Volunteer Generation Fund, CNCS engages millions of citizens in meeting community and national challenges through service and volunteer action.

The purpose of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service grant funding is to mobilize more

Americans to observe the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday as a day of service in communities, to encourage those who serve on this holiday to make a long-term commitment to community service, and to bring people together to focus on service to others.

On the third Monday in January, Americans across the country celebrate this national holiday honoring the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. During his lifetime, Dr. King sought to forge the common ground on which people from all walks of life could join together as equals to address important community issues. Service, he realized, was the great equalizer. As he stated, “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”

In recognition of that spirit, Congress in 1994 passed the King Holiday and Service Act. Since then CNCS, in partnership with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social

Change, Inc., has taken the lead in helping to transform the King Holiday into a day of service to meet community needs. As they have since 1994, thousands of Americans will remember Dr.

King by serving in their communities, by making the holiday “A Day On, Not a Day Off.”

Service projects will meet a tangible need in the community, such as supporting increased access to college, alleviating hunger, and teaching about nutrition, and these projects may, at the same time, also meet a need of community spirit, such as building a sense of community or mutual responsibility. All initiatives should serve as a call to service that continues throughout the year.

These service projects will be built on Dr. King’s concepts of strengthening communities, empowering individuals, and bridging barriers. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov/MLKNOFA.

2. Funding Priorities The 2015 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Grants Notice prioritizes grant-making in programs addressing one or more of the six CNCS Focus Areas: Disaster Services, Economic

Opportunity, Education, Environmental Stewardship, Healthy Futures, and Veterans and Military

Families. See Appendix I for a brief description of each Focus Area and the goal of capacity building. Applicants who intend to join with partner organizations must select partner organizations that focus on the Focus Areas.

CNCS will give priority consideration to organizations that have disability inclusion plans to ensure people with disabilities are among those serving at their Martin Luther King Day of

Service event. Please note that priority consideration does not guarantee funding.

All grants awarded will support activities that:

demonstrate opportunities to engage new and diverse groups identify and invest in community solutions, especially solutions that address improving economic opportunities leverage public-private partnerships increase the impact of national service on community needs in communities served by

CNCS-supported programs ensure that grant-supported activities focus on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and provide opportunities to connect to service beyond the holiday reflect the life and teaching of Martin Luther King, Jr., and expand the impact of Martin

Luther King Service Day activities from one year to the next provide support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to improved educational outcomes for economically disadvantaged people.

3. National Performance Measures

The Serve America Act (SAA), Pub. L. No. 111-13, emphasizes measuring the impact of service and focusing on a core set of issue areas. CNCS’s five-year Strategic Plan establishes an ambitious set of objectives that guided the development of 16 agency-wide National

Performance Measures. CNCS expects applicants to use National Performance Measures as part of a comprehensive performance management strategy that relies on both performance and evaluation data to learn from its work, as well as make strategic adjustments to achieve its goals.

This Notice focuses on the following required Capacity Building set of Performance Measures in order to maximize the value added to grantees, partners, and participants:

G3-3.1. Number of community volunteers recruited by CNCS-supported organizations or

National Service Participants

G3-3.2: Number of community volunteers managed by CNCS-supported National

Service Participants

The following Capacity Building Performance Measure is optional:

http://www.nationalservice.gov/MLKNOFA

G3-3.3: Number of organizations implementing three or more effective volunteer management practices as a result of capacity building services provided by CNCS-supported organizations or National Service Participants.

Applicants are required to use these specific performance measures to assess the outcomes of the proposed project. For more information, please refer to the National Performance Measures

Instructions at https://www.nationalserviceresources.gov/npm/home .

4. Program Authority

Grants under this initiative are authorized by statute. Section 198(i) of the National and

Community Service Act, Pub. L. No. 101-610, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 12653(i)).

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Estimated Available Funds

Approximately $750,000 is available for new Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service grants.

2. Estimated Award Amount

Award amounts will vary as determined by the scope of the projects. CNCS will make annual awards in the range of $50,000 to $300,000. The minimum amount an applicant can apply for is

$50,000.

3. Project Period

The grant award covers a two-year project period. CNCS generally makes an initial award for the first year of operation. Continuation funding for the subsequent year is not guaranteed and may be dependent upon availability of appropriations and satisfactory performance. CNCS reserves the right to adjust the amount of an award or elect not to continue funding.

4. Type of Award

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service grants will be awarded on a cost reimbursement basis.

5. Indirect Cost

CNCS allows applicants to include administrative/indirect costs in CNCS grant budgets.

Applicants have the option of using an indirect cost rate that is approved by the cognizant federal agency.

If the applicant has never had an indirect cost rate agreement with a federal agency, the applicant may elect a de minimis rate of 10 percent (10%) of modified total direct costs. The request and approval for use of a de minimis rate in the budget will occur during award negotiation.

For additional information, please reference the Uniform Guidance located here: Cost Principles

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants are capable of carrying out multi-state, nationally focused (10 or more states), or comprehensive regional initiatives involving at least ten (10) projects in a region. Successful applicants must have submitted an application that meets one of the two criteria set forth in the https://www.nationalserviceresources.gov/npm/home http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=e29fc7df41be9519ba3a3813b5537c89&node=se2.1.200_1414&rgn=div8 preceding sentence. Regional initiatives are multiple states in a region. If necessary, applicants may engage with partners to accomplish these geographic initiatives. If engaging with other partners, applicant organizations must have the capability to manage and provide partner oversight, report on project accomplishments and performance measures, and remain accountable to CNCS for the achievement of the intended results set forth in their proposals.

The following organizations are eligible to apply: public or private nonprofit organizations

(including faith-based and other community organizations); institutions of higher education;

government entities within states or territories (e.g., cities, counties); local government as defined in 2 C.F.R. § 200.64; government-recognized veteran service organizations; labor organizations; partnerships and consortia; and Indian Tribes.

An Indian Tribe is defined as a federally recognized Indian Tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Native village, Regional Corporation, or Village

Corporation, as defined under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. §1602).

Indian Tribes also include tribal organizations controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by one of the entities described above. A nonprofit that desires to apply for a grant as a tribal organization on behalf of a federally-recognized tribe, or multiple specific federally-recognized tribes, must submit a sanctioning resolution adopted by the Tribal Council (or comparable tribal governing body) of each tribe. The resolution must identify the nonprofit by name as a tribal organization.

It must authorize the nonprofit organization to act on behalf of and include the tribe in a CNCS grant application for the purpose of conducting the activities and providing the services described in the application.

Previously receiving funds from CNCS or another federal agency is not a prerequisite to apply to this Notice.

Organizations that have been convicted of a federal crime may not receive assistance described in this Notice. Pursuant to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an organization described in

Section 501 (c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. 501 (c)(4) that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to apply.

Applicants that have congressionally recognized status as a Veteran Service Organization and applicants that support or engage veterans and military families are especially encouraged to apply.

2. Matching Requirements

Applicants are required to match their award at an amount equal to seventy percent (70%) of the total program budget. The grantee match can be cash and/or in-kind matching funds.

3. Engaging Partner Organizations

For the purpose of being an eligible applicant and either conducting activities in a minimum of ten states or a minimum of ten projects in a region of the country, applicants may engage partner organizations and include them in the application. Alliances with organizations that are not currently part of the applicant’s network are strongly encouraged. Applicants should clearly identify partners and describe their plan for partnership engagement in their application narrative.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package Applicants should refer to the CNCS website to obtain the necessary information to apply.

Applicants can also send an email to MLKgrants@cns.gov for a printed copy of the application package. The TTY number is (800) 833-3722.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

a. Application Content

Complete applications must have the following components:

Standard Form 424 (SF-424) Face Sheet: This is automatically generated when applicants complete the data elements in the eGrants system. Many of the fields will be filled automatically with information entered during the registration process.

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

Executive Summaries of all compliant applications are published on the CNCS website following grant awards.

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

Standard Form 424A Budget

Performance Measures:

o Applicants must identify specific targets for National Performance Measures G3-

3.1 and G3-3.2.

o Selection of G3-3.3 is optional.

Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications

b. Page Limits

Applications may not exceed 15 double-space pages for the Narrative, including the SF-424 Face

Sheet and Executive Summary, as the pages print out from eGrants. The page limit does not include the Budget section and Performance Measures.

Reviewers will not consider material past the page limit in the printed report, even if eGrants allows applicants to enter and submit text over the limit. CNCS strongly encourages applicants to print out the application from the “Review and Submit” page prior to its submission in order to check that it does not exceed the page limit.

3. Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award

Management (SAM) Applications must include a DUNS number and an Employer Identification. The DUNS number does not replace an Employer Identification Number. Applicants can obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the DUNS number request line at (866) 705-5711 or by applying online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. CNCS recommends registering at least 30 days before the application due date.

mailto:MLKgrants@cns.gov http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

After obtaining a DUNS number, all applicants must register with the System for Award

Management (SAM, www.sam.gov) and maintain an active SAM registration until the application process is complete and, if a grant is awarded, throughout the life of the award. SAM registration must be renewed annually. CNCS suggests finalizing a new registration or renewing an existing one at least two weeks before the application deadline to allow time to resolve any issues that may arise.

Applicants that do not comply with these requirements may become ineligible to receive an award. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees at:

https://www.sam.gov/sam/transcript/SAM_Quick_Guide_Grants_Registrations-v1.6.pdf.

4. Submission Dates and Times

a. Notice of Intent to Apply CNCS strongly encourages applicants to submit a Notice of Intent to Apply by March 27, 2015.

Please submit the intent to MLKgrants@cns.gov with the email subject line: Martin Luther King

Jr. Day of Service Grants Notice of Intent to Apply. The Notice of Intent to Apply must include the name of the applicant organization, address, contact person, email address, and phone number. All Notices of Intent to Apply will receive an email response acknowledging receipt.

b. Application Submission Deadline

Applications are due Tuesday, June 2, 2015 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. CNCS will not consider applications received after the deadline, except as noted below. CNCS reserves the right to extend the submission deadline and any notice of such extended deadline will be posted in

CNCS website.

c. Late Applications

CNCS may consider an application after the deadline, but only if the applicant submits a letter to

LateApplications@cns.gov explaining the extenuating technical circumstances that caused the delay. CNCS must receive the letter within a business day after the deadline. If technical issues prevent an applicant from submitting an application on time, the letter should include the eGrants ticket number provided by the National Service Hotline. Communication with CNCS staff, including an applicant’s program officer, is not a substitute for sending the letter. CNCS will determine whether or not to accept a late application on a case-by-case basis. Please be advised that CNCS will not consider an advance request to submit a late application.

5. Funding Restrictions Please see sections A.4. Program Authority and F.2. Administrative and National Policy

Requirements for the regulations and requirements outlining funding restrictions.

6. Other Submission Requirements

a. Electronic Application Submission in eGrants Applicants must submit applications electronically via eGrants, CNCS’s web-based system

(https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp). CNCS recommends that applicants create an eGrants account and begin the application at least three weeks before the deadline. Applicants http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/sam/transcript/SAM_Quick_Guide_Grants_Registrations-v1.6.pdf mailto:MLKgrants@cns.gov mailto:LateApplications@cns.gov https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp should draft the application as a word document, then copy and paste the document into the appropriate eGrants field no later than 10 days before the deadline.

The person who submits the application must be the applicant’s authorized representative. The authorized representative must be using eGrants under his or her own account in order 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.

Contact the National Service Hotline at (800) 942-2677 or via

(https://questions.nationalservice.gov/app/ask_eg) if a problem arises when creating an account or preparing or submitting the application. National Service Hotline hours are Monday through

Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Be prepared to provide the application ID, organization’s name, and the Notice to which the organization is applying. If the issue cannot be resolved by the deadline, applicants must continue working with the National Service Hotline to submit via eGrants.

If extenuating circumstances make it impossible for an applicant to submit in eGrants, applicants may send a paper copy of the application via overnight carrier to the following address:

Corporation for National and Community Service

ATT: Office of Grants Policy and Operations/ Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

Grants Application

1201 New York Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20525

Please use a non-U.S. Postal Service to avoid security-related delays. All deadlines and requirements in this Notice also apply to paper applications. Paper applications must include a cover letter detailing the circumstances that make it impossible to submit via eGrants. CNCS does not accept applications submitted via fax or email.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Criteria Applications should include a well-designed plan with clear and compelling justifications for receiving the requested funds. Reviewers will assess the applications against the selection criteria and rate them accordingly considering the weights assigned to each criterion:

Basic Selection Criteria: Categories and Respective Weights

Category Percentage Sub-Category Percentage

Program Design 60% Goals and Objectives 35% National Performance Measure

Outputs

15%

Description of Partner

Engagement Process

10%

Organizational

Capability

25% Ability to Provide Program

Oversight

15%

Ability to Provide Fiscal 10% https://questions.nationalservice.gov/app/ask_eg

Oversight

Cost-Effectiveness 15% Budget and Program Design 10% and Budget Proposed Source of Match 5% Adequacy

a. Program Design (60 percent)

In assessing Program Design, reviewers will consider the extent to which the applicant demonstrates the following:

Goals and Objectives (35 percent)

Reviewers will assess the extent to which the applicant:

clearly identifies the target community, state(s) or region that will be served (5 points) provides persuasive evidence (i.e. statistical information) as to the identified need within the geographic area(s) listed (5 points.)

connects the identified need(s) to one or more CNCS Strategic Focus Areas that include:

Education, Healthy Futures, Environmental Stewardship, Veterans and Military Families, Economic Opportunity and Disaster Services (5 points) utilizes existing community resources, such as other service or community organizations and community volunteers, to implement goals and objectives and bring added beneficial resources to the community (5 points) has a program design that supports and engages people with disabilities in activities reflecting the life and teachings of Dr. King (5 points) ensures that grant-supported activities focus on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend and provides opportunities to connect to service beyond the holiday (5 points) reflects the life and teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr., and expands the impact of

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service activities from one year to the next (5 points).

National Performance Measure Outputs (15 percent) describes how the proposed program design will lead to the National Performance

Measure Outputs identified in this Notice (5 points) identifies specific targets for National Performance Measure Outputs (5 points) describes how data will be collected to measure National Performance Measure Outputs

(5 points).

Description of Partner Engagement Process (10 percent) provides a clear and comprehensive plan for creating and implementing a partner engagement process (2 points) describes a plan that has a reasonable chance of success at identifying potential partners that meet the requirements described in this Notice (2 points) proposes a reasonable and feasible timeline for major activities under the grant (2 points) demonstrates opportunities to engage new and diverse groups (2 points) provides a sound plan for monitoring partners (2 points).

b. Organizational Capability (30 percent)

In assessing the organizational capability section, reviewers will assess the extent to which the applicant clearly describes and convincingly addresses how it will implement program and fiscal oversight. Their analysis will include the following:

Ability to Provide Program Oversight (15 percent)

Reviewers will assess to what extent the applicant:

describes a sound organizational structure including experience, staffing, and management structure to plan and implement the proposed program (3 points) identifies the key program positions within their organization relevant to the proposed grant program (2 points) describes the relevant background and experience of key staff members and their respective roles, or the applicant’s plans to recruit, select, train, and support additional staff, and their proposed roles (2 points) demonstrates experience or the capacity to successfully implement their proposed partner engagement plan (3 points) describes a plan to oversee and provide technical assistance and support for multiple programs at different locations (2 points) describes a plan and infrastructure to support data collection and ensure National

Performance Measure outputs are measured (3 points).

Ability to Provide Fiscal Oversight (10 percent)

Reviewers will assess to what extent the applicant:

describes the experience and infrastructure the applicant has in managing federal grants and grants from other entities (2 points) includes information about key personnel who possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience to provide fiscal oversight (2 points) describes robust financial management systems and how they will ensure compliance with federal regulations (2 points) identifies a plan and infrastructure to manage project resources, both financial and in-kind, to ensure accountability and efficient use of resources (2 points) provides the grant’s implications for the current organizational budget including the percentage of the budget this grant would represent (2points).

c. Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (15 percent)

In assessing Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy, reviewers will consider the extent to which the applicant demonstrates the following:

Budget and Program Design (10 percent)

Reviewers will assess:

if the proposed budget is adequate and reasonable to support the program design (5 points) the adequacy and reasonableness of required non-federal funds budgeted (5 points).

Proposed Source of Match (5 percent)

Reviewers will assess:

the extent to which the program demonstrates diverse, non-federal resources for program implementation and sustainability (3 points) the extent to which the applicant is proposing to provide more than the minimum required share of the costs of the program (2 points).

2. Review and Selection Process The assessment of applications involves a wide range of considerations. CNCS will engage Staff

Reviewers with relevant knowledge and expertise to assess and provide input on the eligible applications. In the end, the review and selection process will produce a diversified set of high-quality programs that represent the priorities and strategic considerations described in this

Notice.

a. Stages in the Review and Selection Process

Compliance and Eligibility Review

CNCS staff will review all applications to determine compliance with eligibility, deadline, and completeness. Applications determined non-compliant will not be considered. An application is compliant if:

The applicant is an eligible organization.

The applicant submitted an application by the submission deadline.

The applicant submitted an application that is complete; in that it contains all required elements and follows the instructions provided in this Notice.

CNCS will screen applications in accordance with the requirements in this Notice to determine if the applicant has met all eligibility and submission requirements. The screening may occur at various stages of the grant-making process. Applicants determined to be ineligible will not receive an award.

Staff Review

CNCS Staff Reviewers will assess the applications based on the Program Design, Organizational

Capability, and Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Selection Criteria. Staff Reviewers will also consider the comprehensiveness and feasibility of the application, as well as the priorities and strategic considerations detailed in this Notice. CNCS will recruit and select reviewers on the basis of demonstrated expertise in the Focus Areas, as well as experience in assessing grant applications and in volunteer engagement. All Staff Reviewers will be screened for conflicts of interest.

Post Review Quality Control

After Staff Review is complete, CNCS staff will review the results for fairness and consistency.

At this stage, some applications may be selected for a Post Review Quality Control assessment.

This additional level of review will be used to assess the applications for which there were significant panel anomalies.

Clarification Process

CNCS may ask some applicants to provide clarifying information. This information is used by

CNCS staff to make funding recommendations. A request for clarification does not guarantee a grant award. Applicants may be recommended for funding even if they are not asked for clarification. Failure to respond to a request for clarification in a timely fashion will result in removal of applications from consideration. CNCS staff may conduct a site visit inspection, as appropriate.

Risk Assessment Evaluation

CNCS staff will evaluate the risks to the program posed by each applicant, including conducting due diligence to ensure an applicant’s ability to manage federal funds. This evaluation is in addition to the evaluation of the applicant’s eligibility and the quality of its application, and results from this evaluation will inform funding decisions.

If CNCS determines that an award will be made, special conditions that correspond to the degree of risk assessed may be applied to the award.

In evaluating risks, CNCS may consider the following:

financial stability quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards prescribed in applicable OMB Guidance applicant’s record in managing previous CNCS 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 if applicable, the extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to future awards information available through OMB-designated repositories of government-wide eligibility qualification or financial integrity information, such as:

o Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) o DUNS and SAM o “Do Not Pay” reports and findings from single audits performed under OMB Circular A-133 or Subpart

F – Audit Requirements, 2 CFR Part 200 and findings and reports of any other available audits

IRS Tax Form 990 applicant organization’s annual report publicly available information, including information from the applicant organization's website applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on award recipients.

Selection for Funding

The review and selection process is designed to:

identify applications that demonstrate:

o high alignment with the selection criteria o high alignment with the funding priorities outlined in the Notice yield a diversified portfolio based on the following strategic considerations:

o geographic representation o Focus Area representation o equitable treatment of:

rural and urban communities small and large programs o relative risk and opportunity

In order to obtain a diversified portfolio, the Chief Executive Officer will select the final awardees based on the staff recommendations, priorities, and strategic considerations.

CNCS reserves the right to change the review and selection process in case of extenuating circumstances.

3. Feedback to Applicants

Following grant awards, compliant applicants will receive summary comments from the Staff

Review. This feedback will be based on the review of the original application and will not reflect information that may have been provided in response to clarification.

4. Transparency in Grant-making

CNCS is committed to transparency in grant-making. The following information will be published on the CNCS website (http://nationalservice.gov/about/open-government-initiative/transparency/results-grants-competition) within 90 business days after all grants are awarded:

a list of all compliant applications submitted

Executive Summaries of all compliant applications submitted by the applicants data extracted from the SF-424 Face Sheet and the submitted program narratives for successful applications

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

CNCS will make awards following the grant selection announcement. CNCS anticipates announcing the results of this competition by mid-June, 2015. Applicants will be notified via email as to funding decisions. This notification is not an authorization to begin grant activities.

The Notice of Grant Award signed by the grant officer is the authorizing document for grant activities. Unsuccessful applicants will also receive a notification that their application was not approved for funding.

An awardee may not expend federal grant funds until the start of the Project Period identified on the Notice of Grant Award.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements http://nationalservice.gov/about/open-government-initiative/transparency/results-grants-competition http://nationalservice.gov/about/open-government-initiative/transparency/results-grants-competition

The Notice of Grant Award incorporates the approved application as part of the binding commitments under the grant award, as well as the requirements of other applicable sections of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended. Awards will also be subject to the law(s) under which the award is made (e.g., SAA), as well as specific terms and conditions established for discretionary grants defined in the Terms and Conditions or Special Conditions attached to the award. If necessary, applicants will have an opportunity to negotiate conditions before they accept an award.

Grants under this program are subject to 2 CFR Chapter I, and Chapter II, Parts 200, 215, 220, 225, and 230 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Administrative Requirements) available at https://federalregister.gov/a/2013-30465. This final guidance supersedes and streamlines requirements from OMB Circulars A–21, A–87, A–110, and A–122 (which have been placed in

OMB guidance); circulars A–89, A–102, and A–133; and the guidance in Circular A–50 on

Single Audit Act follow-up.

National Service Criminal History Check Requirements

The National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) is a screening procedure established by law to protect the beneficiaries of national service. CNCS regulations require grantees to secure criminal background checks on any person (including grantee staff) receiving a salary, living allowance, stipend or education award through a program receiving CNCS funds. See 45 C.F.R.

§ 2540. 200–§ 2540.207 The cost of conducting the checks is an allowable expense under the grant.

All NSCHCs must include two components:

A nationwide name-based check of the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW).

The NSOPW is a centralized system that identifies people who are registered as sex offenders in states, territories, or with many federally recognized Tribes

Either a name- or fingerprint-based search of the statewide criminal history registry in the candidate’s state of residence and in the state where the person will serve or work; OR a fingerprint-based FBI check.

For people with recurring access to vulnerable populations, programs must conduct an NSCHC with three components:

A nationwide name-based check of the NSOPW

A name- or fingerprint-based search of the statewide criminal history registry in the candidate’s state of residence and in the state where the person will serve or work; AND

A fingerprint-based FBI check.

See http://www.nationalservice.gov/resources/criminal-history-check for complete information.

3. Use of Material To ensure that materials generated with CNCS funding are available to the public and readily accessible to grantees and non-grantees, CNCS 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 (45 CFR §§ https://federalregister.gov/a/2013-30465 http://www.nationalservice.gov/resources/criminal-history-check

2543.36; 2541.30).

4. Reporting

Grantees are required to submit a variety of reports which are due at specific times during the life cycle of a grant award. All reports must be accurate, complete, and submitted on time.

Grantees are required to provide annual progress reports and semi-annual financial and narrative progress reports through eGrants, CNCS’s web-based grants management system. All grantees must provide quarterly expense reports through the Payment Management System (PMS) at the

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In addition, at the end of the grant period, grantees must submit final financial and progress reports that are cumulative over the entire award period and consistent with the close-out requirements of CNCS’s Office of Grants Management. The final reports are due 90 days after the end of the agreement.

The annual narrative progress report must be submitted using CNCS’s web-based grants management system, eGrants, no later than 30 days after the close of the annual grant period.

The report will include:

a description of significant grant activities that occurred during the reporting period a list of partners and a brief description of each partner’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day service project activities an analysis of the grantee’s process for engaging partner organizations a description of data collection and how data was used to measure achievement of

National Performance Measures

Once the grant is awarded, grantees will be expected to have data collection and data management policies, processes, and practices that provide reasonable assurance that they are giving CNCS high quality performance measure data. At a minimum, grantees should have policies, processes, and practices that address the following five aspects of data quality for themselves and for partners (if applicable):

the data measures what it intends to measure the data reported is complete the grantee collects data in a consistent manner the grantee takes steps to correct data errors the grantee actively reviews data for accuracy prior to submission.

Failure to submit accurate, complete, and timely required reports may affect the grantee’s ability to secure future CNCS funding.

For further guidance and training resources see – Resources: Data Collection and Instruments:

https://www.nationalserviceresources.gov/npm/home#.U9qVL_ldW3o

2. Federal Financial Reports

Federal Financial Reports (FFRs) must be submitted semi-annually. The reports are cumulative and must be submitted on CNCS’s web-based grants management system, eGrants, no later than https://www.nationalserviceresources.gov/npm/home#.U9qVL_ldW3o

30 days after the close of each reporting period.

G. AGENCY CONTACTS

For more information or a printed copy of related material(s), send an email to

MLKgrants@cns.gov. The TTY number is (800) 833-3722.

For technical questions and problems with the eGrants system, call the National Service Hotline at (800) 942-2677. National Service Hotline hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to

7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You can also use this link: https://questions.nationalservice.gov/app/ask for questions. Be prepared to provide the application ID, organization’s name, and the name of the Notice to which you are applying.

H. OTHER INFORMATION

1. Technical Assistance

CNCS will host technical assistance calls to answer questions regarding the funding opportunity and eGrants. CNCS strongly encourages all applicants to participate in these sessions. Call-in information for any and all technical assistance calls can be found on the CNCS’s website:

http://www.nationalservice.gov/build-your-capacity/grants/funding-opportunities.

2. Re-Focusing of Funding

CNCS reserves the right to re-focus program dollars in the event of disaster or other compelling needs for service.

mailto:MLKgrants@cns.gov https://questions.nationalservice.gov/app/ask http://www.nationalservice.gov/build-your-capacity/grants/funding-opportunities

APPENDIX I

CNCS FOCUS AREAS

In order to carry out Congress’s intent and to maximize the impact of investment in national service, CNCS is targeting Martin Luther King Service Day grant funds to the following focus areas: Disaster Services, Economic Opportunity, Education, Environmental Stewardship, Healthy

Futures, and Veterans and Military Families, and to the key goal of capacity building.

Disaster Services

Grants will help individuals and communities prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of disasters and increase community resiliency.

Economic Opportunity

Grants will provide support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to the improved economic well-being and security of economically disadvantaged individuals.

Education

Grants will provide support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to improved educational outcomes for economically disadvantaged people, especially children.

CNCS is particularly interested in program designs that support youth engagement and service learning as strategies to achieve high educational outcomes.

Environmental Stewardship

Grants will provide services – including efforts to change citizen behavior – that increase energy and water efficiency and renewable energy use or that improve at-risk ecosystems, especially in economically disadvantaged households and communities.

Healthy Futures

Grants will provide support for health needs within communities, including access to care, aging in place, and addressing childhood obesity.

Veterans and Military Families

Grants will improve the quality of life of veterans and improve military family strength.

Capacity Building

In addition to the Focus Areas described above, grants also will provide support for capacity building activities provided by national service participants. Capacity building activities are indirect services that enable CNCS-supported organizations to provide more, better, and sustained direct services. Capacity building activities cannot be solely intended to support the administration or operations of the organization.