NOFO_001 Program_Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program FINAL.pdf

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

FY 2017 Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program Citizenship Instruction

NOTE: If you are going to apply for this funding opportunity and have not obtained a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and/or are not currently registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), please take immediate action to obtain a DUNS Number, if applicable, and then register immediately in SAM. It may take four weeks or more after you submit your SAM registration before your registration is active in SAM as well as an additional 24 hours for Grants.gov to recognize your information. The process for obtaining a DUNS number and registering in SAM is available from Grants.gov at:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. Detailed information regarding DUNS and SAM processes are provided in Section D of this NOFO under subsection; Content and Form of Application Submission.

A. Program Description

Issued By U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Office of Citizenship

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number

97.010

CFDA Title

Citizenship Education and Training

Notice of Funding Opportunity Title

FY 2017 Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program: Citizenship Instruction

NOFO Number

DHS-17-CIS-010-001

Authorizing Authority for Program Section 404 the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Pub. L. 115-31), Division F, Title IV

Appropriation Authority for Program Section 404 the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Pub. L. 115-31), Division F, Title IV http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html

Program Type

New

Program Overview, Objectives, and Priorities

The Office of Citizenship (OoC), within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is charged with promoting instruction and training on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

USCIS recognizes that naturalization is an important milestone in the civic assimilation of immigrants. Naturalization requirements, such as knowledge of English and of U.S. history and civics, encourage civic learning and build a strong foundation upon which immigrants can fully assimilate into society. Through preparing for naturalization, immigrants will gain the tools to become successful citizens—and assimilate into our society and meet their responsibilities as United States citizens.

USCIS acknowledges the valuable role that local service provider community-based organizations play in immigrant communities. Due to the strong relationships these agencies often have with immigrants in the local area, these organizations can assist USCIS in its effort to reach lawful permanent resident populations.

The goal of the Citizenship Instruction grant is to provide support to community-based organizations in their efforts to establish new citizenship instruction programs or expand the quality and reach of existing citizenship instruction programs and to provide opportunities for lawful permanent residents to gain the knowledge and training necessary to promote their assimilation into the fabric of American society. Through this funding, USCIS will fund community-based organizations striving to professionalize and increase services to lawful permanent residents in the area of citizenship instruction. Verifiable experience in the provision of English as a Second Language (ESL) programming is required to qualify for this funding opportunity. Applicants are required to use existing expertise in ESL instruction to provide citizenship instruction.

Applicants are required to include a copy of the citizenship curriculum and to provide the name of the corresponding textbook intended for use to guide the citizenship instruction throughout the program’s period of performance. OoC reserves the right to suggest changes to curriculum and educational materials after reviewing the applicant’s program during the negotiation period or the first quarter of the funding period. Grant recipients will be required to enroll at least 125 citizenship instruction students and provide a minimum of 40 hours of instruction to each student during the period of performance.

If appropriate and in keeping with the applicant’s overall mission, DHS will consider applications that include the cost of U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)'s Office of Legal Access Programs (OLAP) training for staff with the ultimate objective of obtaining DOJ accreditation.

Request for Proposals

In fiscal year (FY) 2017, a total of approximately $10,000,000 in federal funding is available for the USCIS Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program. It is anticipated that approximately $1,000,000 will be used to fund citizenship instruction through the program described in this funding opportunity. In addition, another $9,000,000 will fund programs that provide both citizenship instruction and naturalization application services through funding opportunity DHS-17-CIS-010- 002.

The proposed citizenship instruction program must prepare lawful permanent residents for the naturalization test and interview and must include:

• Instruction in U.S. history and government for test preparation and the promotion of civic assimilation;

• Activities that promote civic and linguistic assimilation;

• English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction in reading, writing, and speaking;

• Instruction on the naturalization process and eligibility interview;

• The use of a nationally normed standardized test of English proficiency to place and assess progress of all students enrolled under this program. At least 80% of post tested students must demonstrate education gains as evidenced by increased standardized test scores;

• The use of a standardized civics test to be provided by USCIS to measure the acquisition of information leading to test preparedness and immigrant assimilation;

• The use of a current adult citizenship textbook that aligns with the skill level of the students in the class;

• The provision of at least 40 hours of citizenship instruction over an 8-15 week class cycle with managed enrollment to at least 125 students at the National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) low beginning to high intermediate level; and

• The use of citizenship teachers who have at least one year of experience teaching ESL to adults and who:

1) Hold a degree in TESOL; and/or

2) Hold TESOL certification from a state licensing agency; and/or

3) Have substantial experience in TESOL instruction in a classroom setting for a program that utilizes a structured curriculum.

Grant-funded classes must integrate instruction in U.S. history and government; ESL instruction in reading, writing, and speaking; as well as instruction on the naturalization process and eligibility interview. For more detailed information on the content and competencies that applicants must address in grant-funded classes, please review the Guide to the Adult Citizenship Education Content Standards and Foundation Skills found here:

http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizens hip%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Publications/M-1121.pdf.

Grant-funded programs must also incorporate civic assimilation learning activities into instruction. The intent of this requirement is to encourage students to extend knowledge acquisition beyond traditional classroom instruction through opportunities to experience and navigate American civic life firsthand and through in-depth learning activities. Applicants are encouraged to draw upon their local resources, venues, and landmarks when conceptualizing and designing these civic assimilation learning activities. The Office of Citizenship will provide training and technical assistance as needed to assist grantees to design and implement activities within the scope of the following categories: (1) Site-based civic assimilation activities – local trips outside the classroom to sites and landmarks of historical and/or cultural significance, libraries, other local public entities, and organizations that promote public safety, etc.; (2) Class-based civic assimilation activities – activities that may involve guest speakers such as local civic leaders and public servants to provide the opportunity for student interaction and exchange, or the use of multi-media and/or materials-based methods that promote an enhanced understanding of key moments in U.S. history and/or the form and function of local, state, and federal government; (3) Civic participation – activities that encourage students to take participatory learning beyond the classroom by attending a public meeting; volunteering; or participating in local civic institutions; and (4) Other assimilation activities – activities that promote in-depth understanding of the student’s role as a future citizen of the United States, including: the rights and responsibilities of citizenship; our shared American history;

government functions, structure and laws; geography; traditions, symbols; and holidays. These can be external or in-class.

B. Federal Award Information

Award Amounts, Important Dates, and Extensions

Available Funding for the NOFO: Approximately $1,000,000

Projected Number of Awards: Approximately 10

Period of Performance: 24 months (comprising two one-year budget periods) http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Publications/M-1121.pdf http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Publications/M-1121.pdf

Applicants may request a no-cost extension in order to complete all project activities. The request must be submitted 60 days prior to the expiration of the performance period.

Requests for extensions are subject to approval by DHS. See Section H. Additional Information – Extension.

Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): 10/01/2017

Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): 9/30/2019

Funding Instrument: Grant

C. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

The following entities are eligible to apply to this announcement:

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS status, other than institutions of higher education, that are local in scope and service delivery area.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for this program, applicants must meet the below requirements.

1. Applicants must be nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS status; and

2. At the time of application, applicants must currently offer and have at least one year experience providing ESL instruction in a classroom setting that follows a curriculum.

Eligible organizations include, but are not limited to: private, non-profit organizations such as civic, community, and faith-based organizations; adult education organizations; and volunteer and literacy organizations.

Not Eligible

Former awardees and sub-awardees under the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program and the Citizenship Grant Program are not eligible to receive funding with this opportunity. Applicants and sub-applicants to the FY 2017 Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program: Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services (funding opportunity DHS-17-CIS-010-

002) are not eligible to apply to this program.

If DHS determines at any point during the review process that an application does not meet these eligibility requirements, the application will be removed from further consideration.

Non-Responsive Applications

Your application will be deemed non-responsive if:

1. Form SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance is missing.

2. Form SF-424A – Budget is missing.

3. Form SF-424B – Assurances - Non-Construction Programs is missing.

4. The applicant’s Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) is not registered with the System for Award Management (SAM).

5. The application does not include either a Budget Narrative or a Budget Table.

6. The Project Abstract is missing.

7. The Project Narrative is missing.

Maintenance of Effort (MOE)

There is no MOE requirement for this program. Requests for funds under this announcement shall not be used to take the place of activities described in the application that are currently supported with other funding. Also, grant funds shall not be used to support activities that are a normal part of the organization’s operations.

Cost Share or Match

There is no cost share requirement for this program. However, projects that supplement government funding are encouraged and may receive favorable consideration. Applicants should clearly identify which budget items are to be supported by federal grant funding and which are to be supported by in-kind contributions and/or other funding sources, along with an estimate of the value of these non-federal funding sources.

D. Application and Submission Information

Key Dates and Times

Date Posted to Grants.Gov: 07/25/2017

Application Submission Deadline: 08/06/2017 at 11:59:59 p.m. EDT

Anticipated Funding Selection Date: 09/21/2017

Anticipated Award Date: 09/28/2017

NOTE: The application must be received in Grants.gov by the date and time listed above.

If an application is received after the deadline, it will not be considered. Applicants will receive a confirmation from Grants.gov once the application is successfully submitted.

All applications are time stamped by the Grants.gov system when submitted and recipients are notified accordingly. The federal office will download all applications that are received by the deadline date and time as indicated on the NOFO.

Other Key Dates

Address to Request Application Package

Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov. To access these materials, go to http://www.grants.gov , select “Applicants” then “Apply for Grants,” In order to obtain the application package, select “Download a Grant Application Package.” Enter the CFDA and/or the funding opportunity number located on the cover of this NOFO, select “Download Package,” and then follow the prompts to download the application package.

Applications will be processed through the Grants.gov portal. If you experience difficulties accessing information or have any questions, please call Grants.gov customer support at 1-800-518-4726.

The Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) and/or Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) number available for this Announcement is: 1-800-518-4726 (Grants.gov Help Desk).

To request a hardcopy of the full NOFO, please email or fax a request to:

Jacqueline Greely Grants Officer Jacqueline.Greely@hq.dhs.gov Fax: 202-447-5600

Content and Form of Application Submission

Applicants must submit all required forms and required documents listed in this section.

See the Grants.gov Applicant User Guide for instructions on how to attach forms and documents. Applicant should ensure that the final submitted application package includes

Event Suggested Deadline For Completion

Obtaining DUNS Number Four weeks before actual submission deadline

Obtaining a valid EIN Four weeks before actual submission deadline

Updating SAM registration Four weeks before actual submission deadline

Starting application in Grants.gov One week before actual submission deadline http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:Jacqueline.Greely@hq.dhs.gov http://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm all required forms and documents. Applicants should avoid the use of special characters in attachment file names.1

REQUIRED FORMS

Complete the required forms in accordance with the application instructions on Grants.gov. If submitting any information that is deemed proprietary, privileged or confidential commercial or financial, please denote the beginning and ending of such information with asterisks (***).

1. Form SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance

This form must be completed within the application package on Grants.gov. You must download and install Adobe Reader in order to view this form. Applicants are only required to complete fields which are highlighted.

2. Form SF-424A – Budget

This form must be completed within the application package on Grants.gov. You must download and install Adobe Reader in order to view this form. Applicants are only required to complete fields which are highlighted. Provide budget amounts by object class (personnel, fringe benefits, travel, etc.). Include second year budget amounts in Section E. Funds may be requested as long as the item and amount are necessary to perform the proposed work and are not precluded by the cost principles or program funding restrictions.

3. Certifications/Assurances

These forms must be completed within the application package on Grants.gov. You must download and install Adobe Reader in order to view these forms. Applicants must submit:

a. Form SF-424B – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs; and

b. Certification Regarding Lobbying. If paragraph two of the certification applies, then complete and submit the SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying which is provided as an optional form in the application package.

By signing and submitting an application under this announcement, the applicant is providing: Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements;

Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters – Primary Covered Transactions; and Certification that the applicant is not delinquent on any federal debt.

1 http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs/grant-application-faqs.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs/grant-application-faqs.html

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

4. Project Abstract (3 single-spaced page maximum)

Provide the information below in a separate document, suitable for public dissemination. The project abstract must not include any proprietary/confidential information. Attach the Project Abstract to the application package.2

General Information

1. Organization legal name

2. Organization legal address (Number and street, city, state, zip code)

3. Head of the organization (Name, title, address, phone number, email address)

4. Authorized official, the person at the organization authorized to sign and receive award (Name, title, address, phone number, email address)

5. Grant project manager, the person who will manage operations of the grant project and will serve as USCIS’ primary point of contact (Name, title, address, phone number, email address)

6. Type of organization (e.g., community/faith-based organization, public school, adult education program, public library, etc.)

7. Project description (200 words or less) Provide a brief summary of the following:

• The organization’s experience providing ESL instruction (and citizenship instruction, if applicable) to immigrants and number of years providing services;

• A description of the immigrant community, including most common countries of origin that the organization will serve; and

• Proposed grant project activities and outcomes.

8. Annual Organizational Budget

9. Total federal funding requested (Up to $100,000)

10. Total federal funding allocated for citizenship instructor salaries

11. Total federal funding allocated for administrative costs

12. Applicant’s total in-kind contribution (if applicable)

14. Congressional district (based on the legal address of the applicant)

2 See the Grants.gov Applicant User Guide for instructions on how to attach forms and documents. The “Attachment” Section begins on page 83 of the Applicant User Guide http://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm

15. Number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) Indicate the number of intended grant- funded FTEs.

16. Are all program sites in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act?

17. List any grants received by the applicant in the past three years focused on adult education or services to immigrants.

Name of Grant Grantor Period of Performance

Total Award Amount

Proposed Citizenship Class Structure

18. Class cycle table: Provide the information below for each class type following the example.

Class Title and Instructor

Proficiency Level

Hours per class

Textbook, list author, edition and any supplementary resources used

Times per week

Weeks per class cycle

Total hours per class cycle

Times offered over two year period of performance

Location of class e.g., Citizenship Morning (Instructor - Pat Jones)

High beginning

3 Citizenship Textbook A, Jones, 2017 and USCIS lesson plans from USCIS website

2 10 60 8 ABC

Family Center

NOTE:

Applicants must offer at least 40 hours of citizenship instruction over an 8-15 week class cycle for students at the NRS low beginning to high intermediate level.

19. Number of total citizenship instruction hours to be offered over the two-year period

20. Approximate number of students enrolled per class

21. Other education services offered (tutoring, study groups, etc.)

22. Is the textbook free to students? If not, how much will you charge?

23. Nationally normed standardized assessment test(s) of English language proficiency for student placement and assessment of progress

5. Project Narrative (10 double-spaced pages maximum)

Provide a response for each item in the chart below following the order listed. The items and attachments listed in each section are required, and any item or attachment that is omitted will result in points deducted.

Format Requirements

• You must follow the order specified below:

o Include the title “Project Narrative” at the top of the first page.

o Ensure that the application can be printed on 8 ½” x 11” single-sided paper.

o Use double-spacing.

o Font size must be at least 12 point, preferably Times New Roman font.

o Margins must be at least one (1) inch at the top, bottom, left and right of the paper.

o Project narrative pages must be numbered “1” of “XX.”

o Pages should be numbered consecutively and are limited to a total of 10 pages.

o Do not include any marks from the “Track Changes” tool in your word processing program.

o Attach the completed Project Narrative to the application package.

Project Narrative Items Citizenship Instruction Program Experience and Community Need Describe:

• Your organization’s experience providing ESL (and citizenship instruction, if applicable) in a structured classroom setting using a curriculum. Indicate dates, total years of experience, qualifications and experience of current staff, the number of lawful permanent residents served in the past year and any previous years, and, if available, the naturalization test pass rate for program participants.

• Describe the particular lawful permanent resident population(s) that you serve with ESL (and citizenship instruction, if applicable). Indicate the National Reporting Standards (NRS) levels of the classes taught.Describe the need for citizenship instruction among the lawful permanent resident population that you serve, including whether there are wait lists for ESL (and citizenship instruction, if applicable) at your organization. Indicate whether there are other citizenship and ESL instruction service providers in your area.

Program Expansion and Enhancement

• Describe your organization’s administrative infrastructure and programmatic capacity (including staff who will manage the start-up process) to establish a new program or expand an existing program within a short time period. Examples of previous grant funded programs that you quickly and successfully established are also welcome.

• Describe how your organization will leverage existing capacity and grant funds to implement the proposed citizenship instruction program. Be sure to include a description of the use of existing resources, the acquisition of additional staff and volunteers, and the proposed timeline for doing so.

Program Administration Describe:

• The outreach plan to raise awareness of citizenship services and recruit students.

• Intake procedures including how the organization will verify and document that only lawful permanent residents will receive services funded through this funding opportunity, and what the orientation process is for new students.

• Plans for student retention, including whether there are any known barriers to student attendance (e.g., transportation, childcare, student tuition, etc.) and solutions to promote student retention.

• How the organization will manage enrollment, including whether students are permitted to enroll in current classes after the start of a class cycle (and if so, for how long into the cycle) and how the organization will accommodate students who desire classes after the registration period has closed.

Curriculum

Describe the proposed curriculum3 for the program and how it will be implemented in the classroom. You may reference the information provided in the Class Table in the Project Abstract. Provide the following information:

• Curriculum objectives.

• A description of the proposed comprehensive citizenship education services to be provided to students and how the proposed class structure will meet the needs of the lawful permanent resident community. If you propose to offer a multi-level class, describe how the different levels will be managed in the classroom including how volunteers will be used. Discuss classroom activities that you will employ to promote civic and linguistic assimilation.

• The use of materials for citizenship instruction, including the name, year, and edition of the textbook(s) that will be provided to students for each class level. Include other materials to be used, such as the planned use of any USCIS educational resources and any educational software, equipment, or innovative learning tools.

• A description of the proposed assessment process, including the specific nationally normed standardized test or test(s) that will be used for the program to assess English language proficiency4, how assessments will be used, and the staff responsible for administering the test. Discuss your organization’s experience administering standardized test(s). Please also discuss non-standardized assessments (e.g. quizzes, unit tests, etc.) that will be used to monitor student learning during the course for each class level.

• Describe how you will coordinate services between the broader ESL program and the grant-funded citizenship classes. Be sure to include information on the coordination of assessment data, referrals, curriculum, and other relevant information.

3 For guidance on developing a citizenship curriculum, please review the Guide to the Adult Citizenship Education Content Standards and Foundation Skills.

4 The standardized tests that the Department of Education has determined to be suitable to assess English language proficiency as listed in Federal Register Notice Tests Determined To Be Suitable for Use in the National Reporting System for Adult Education. See 80 FR 48304 (August 12, 2015).

http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Publications/M-1121.pdf http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Publications/M-1121.pdf https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/08/12/2015-19847/tests-determined-to-be-suitable-for-use-in-the-national-reporting-system-for-adult-education https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/08/12/2015-19847/tests-determined-to-be-suitable-for-use-in-the-national-reporting-system-for-adult-education

Personnel

• Describe the proposed staffing for the proposed citizenship instruction program. Provide a list of key personnel for the program. Key personnel include the grant project manager and teacher.

• For each person, provide the following information, preferably in a table format:

Name, or indicate if the position is vacant. If the position is vacant, provide a separate position description and target start date;

Title and brief position description;

Whether the position is paid or volunteer;

FTE charged to the grant; and Relevant experience, qualifications and training. Note that this grant must include at least one paid teacher position. The applicant must demonstrate that the teacher has at least one year of experience teaching ESL to adults in a classroom setting for a program that has a structured curriculum, and

1) Holds a degree in TESOL, and/or

2) Holds a TESOL certification from a state licensing agency; and/or

3) Has substantial experience in TESOL instruction in a classroom setting for a program that has a structured curriculum.

See below for a sample staff table.

Sample Staff Table

Name Title and Position Description

Paid or Volunteer

FTE

charged to grant

Relevant experience, qualifications and training Mary Brown

Education Program Coordinator – manages adult education programs

Paid 0.5 FTE TESOL degree, 5 years of experience as a program manager, 10 years of experience teaching ESL

• If applicable, explain how volunteers will be used for the citizenship instruction program. Describe their roles and responsibilities, the training they will receive, and the reporting structure. Volunteers must be managed by a paid lead teacher or coordinator.

6. Project Narrative Attachments

NOTE: The attachments will not count toward the page limit for the Project Narrative.

These items should be attached to the application package.

a. For your existing ESL program, provide a scope and sequence that outlines the order in which the content is delivered, how long each topic/lesson/unit is covered for those classes that are targeted at the same NRS level(s) as your proposed citizenship instruction program.

b. For the proposed citizenship instruction program, provide a scope and sequence that outlines the order in which the content will be delivered, how long each topic/lesson/unit will be covered for the targeted NRS level(s). Provide the name of the corresponding proposed textbook(s) to be used.

c. Attach résumés for current key staff for ESL (and citizenship instruction, if applicable). Résumés must include all relevant job experience, education, and licensure or accreditation with corresponding dates.

d. Attach résumés and/or position descriptions (if the position is vacant) for the proposed citizenship instructor and any program management personnel, including any volunteer teachers that will lead classroom instruction under the grant.

e. A current organizational chart.

7. Program Goals

Provide the following goals for grant-funded services in a table format. Include the total number over the two-year period, as well as a breakdown by quarter. There are eight quarters over the two year performance period, and each quarter is three months long.

Program Goal Chart

Goal Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q7 Q8 Total

1. Number of newly-enrolled (non-duplicated) lawful permanent residents to enroll in citizenship instruction classes (Minimum 125 total, 50 in the first year, and 75 the second year)

2. Number of enrolled students who post-test (Minimum 80%)

3. Number of post-tested students demonstrating measurable educational gains (Minimum 80%)

8. Budget Table and Narrative

When proposing costs for this grant program, please be aware it is envisioned the majority of grant funds will be dedicated to paying the salary of a qualified instructor or instructors.

If any student fees are proposed that will result in program income, show in the budget how this income will be used.

Budget Table

Provide your budget request in a table format. Include all budget categories, as listed in the budget narrative section. Under each category, list the line items requested. See a sample table below. Note: This sample table shows the Personnel category only.

Applicants must provide information on all budget categories.

The Budget Table may be provided either in the same document as the budget narrative, or attached to the application package.

Budget Narrative (5 page maximum)

Attach your budget narrative to the application package. Please limit the information provided in this section to budget relevant information only.

Include costs for the first and second performance years. Separate the first from the second performance year costs. Show a total of all requested federal grant funds.

This total should match the total listed on the project abstract. Budget categories (b–i) below should add up to this total. This total should not include any in-kind costs. The in-kind contribution total should be listed separately.

Provide budget information in the order listed below. Budget detail is required for:

a. In-Kind Costs: The dollar value of non-cash donations to the project. These donations may be in the form of space, supplies, salaries, etc. The costs should be calculated at the verifiable fair-market value.

b. Personnel: Costs of employee salaries and wages. For each staff person, provide the name (if known), title, and time commitment to the project as a percentage of a full-time equivalent (FTE), annual salary, and grant funded salary.

c. Fringe Benefits: Costs of employee fringe benefits unless treated as part of an approved indirect cost rate. Provide the method used to calculate the proposed rate amount. If a fringe benefit has been negotiated with, or approved by, a cognizant federal agency, attach a copy of the negotiated fringe benefit agreement. If no rate agreement exists, provide a breakdown of the amounts and percentages that comprise fringe benefit costs such as health insurance, FICA, retirement insurance, taxes, etc. Identify the base for allocating these fringe benefit expenses.

(Attach the agreement to the application package.)

d. Travel: Costs of project-related travel by employees of the applicant organization.

For each proposed trip, provide the purpose, number of travelers, travel origin with destination, number of days. Include a breakdown of costs for airfare, lodging, meals, car rental, and incidentals. The basis for the airfare, lodging, meals, car rental, and incidentals must be provided, such as past trips, current quotations, Federal Travel Regulations, etc. Foreign travel is not permitted. The applicant must include costs for two staff members to attend a mandatory two-day teacher training workshop in Washington, D.C. the first year of the grant and the cost for a teacher or coordinator to attend a USCIS teacher training on activities and methods that promote linguistic and civic assimilation during the second year of the grant.

e. Equipment: Any article of nonexpendable, tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of (a) the capitalization level established by the organization for financial statement purposes, or (b) $5,000. For each type of equipment requested, provide a description of the equipment, the cost per unit, the number of units, the total cost, and a plan for use on the project as well as use or disposal of the equipment after the project ends. An applicant organization that uses its own definition for equipment should provide a copy of its policy or section of its policy which includes the equipment definition.

NOTE 1: Acquisition cost means the net invoice unit price of an item of equipment, including the cost of any modifications, attachments, accessories, calibration and maintenance services, or auxiliary apparatus necessary to make it usable for the purpose for which it is acquired. Ancillary charges, such as taxes, duty, protective in-transit insurance, freight, and installation shall be included in or excluded from acquisition cost in accordance with the organization's regular written accounting practices.

NOTE 2: Prior to the purchase of equipment in the amount of $5,000 or more per unit cost, the Recipient must obtain written approval from DHS. The Recipient shall maintain an annual inventory, which will include a brief description of the item, serial number and amount of purchase for equipment purchased with grant funds, or received under a grant, and having a $5,000 or more per unit cost. The inventory must also identify the sub-award under which the equipment was purchased. Maintenance and insurance will be the responsibility of the Recipient.

Title of equipment will remain with the Recipient until closeout when disposition will be provided in writing by DHS within 120 days of submission of final reports.

f. Supplies: Costs of all tangible personal property other than that included in the equipment category. Specify general categories of supplies and their costs. Show computations and provide other information which supports the amount requested.

g. Contractual: Costs of all contracts for services and goods except for those that belong under other categories such as equipment, supplies, construction, etc.

Demonstrate that all procurement transactions will be conducted in a manner to provide, to the maximum extent practical, open and free competition. Identify proposed sub-contractor work and the cost of each sub-contractor. Provide a detailed budget for each sub-contractor that is expected to perform work estimated to be $25,000 or more, or 50% of the total work effort, whichever is less.

• Identify each planned subcontractor and its total proposed budget. Each subcontractor's budget and supporting detail should be included as part of the applicant's budget narrative.

• Provide the following information for each planned subcontract: a brief description of the work to be subcontracted; the number of quotes solicited and received, if applicable; the cost or price analysis performed by the applicant;

names and addresses of the subcontractors tentatively selected and the basis for their selection; e.g., unique capabilities (for sole source subcontracts), low bidder, delivery schedule, technical competence; type of contract and estimated cost and fee or profit; and, affiliation with the applicant, if any.

• Recipient may be required to make pre-award review and procurement documents available to DHS, including request for proposals or invitations for bids, independent cost estimates, etc. This may include procurements expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold fixed at 41 USC 403(11) (currently set at $100,000) and expected to be awarded without competition or only one bid or offer is received in response to a solicitation.

• All required flow down provisions in the award must be included in any subcontract.

NOTE: Applicants may propose a sub-contract for specific tasks, such as hiring additional citizenship instructors on a contractual basis. However, the applicant must demonstrate its ability to successfully manage all aspects of the grant-funded project, including financial management.

h. Other Direct Costs: Any other items proposed as direct costs. Provide an itemized list with costs, and state the basis for each proposed item.

i. Indirect Costs: Attach a copy of the latest indirect cost rate agreement negotiated with a cognizant federal agency. If the applicant is in the process of initially developing or renegotiating a rate, upon notification that an award will be made, it should immediately develop a tentative indirect cost rate proposal based on its most recently completed fiscal year, in accordance with the cognizant agency's guidelines for establishing indirect cost rates, and submit it to the cognizant agency. Applicants awaiting approval of their indirect cost proposals may also request indirect costs. When an indirect cost rate is requested, those costs included in the indirect cost pool should not also be charged as direct costs to the award. If the applicant is requesting a rate which is less than what is allowed under the program, the authorized representative of the applicant organization must submit a signed acknowledgement that the applicant is accepting a lower rate than allowed.

Any non-federal entity that has never received a negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those non-federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200 States and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect Cost Proposals, paragraph D.1.b) may elect to charge a deminimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. As described in §200.403 Factors Affecting Allowability of Costs, expenses must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. If chosen, this methodology once elected must be used consistently for all federal awards until such time as a non-federal entity chooses to negotiate for a rate, which the non-federal entity may apply to do at any time. For more information, see 2 CFR Part 200.414.

9. Documentation of Non-profit Status

The applicant must provide documentation of non-profit status. Any of the following constitutes acceptable proof of non-profit status:

• A reference to the applicant organization’s listing in the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt organizations described in section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code.

• A copy of a currently valid IRS tax exemption certificate.

• A statement from a State taxing body, State attorney general, or other appropriate

State official certifying that the applicant organization has a non-profit status and that none of the net earnings accrue to any private shareholders or individuals.

• A certified copy of the organization’s certificate of incorporation or similar document that clearly establishes non-profit status.

• Any of the items in the subparagraphs immediately above for a State or national parent organization and a statement signed by the parent organization that the applicant organization is a local non-profit affiliate.

Note: Attach documentation of non-profit status to the application package.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/pdf/CFR-2014-title2-vol1-part200-appVII.pdf http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=fbb70fe83009e152ac327498f6ec18c4&node=se2.1.200_1403&rgn=div8 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=b02738d16e4b0c1b82dc67a83ede6370&node=se2.1.200_1414&rgn=div8

Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

DHS is participating in the Grants.gov Initiative that provides the Grant Community a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities;

therefore, applicants with electronic access are to submit their applications electronically through http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html. Before you can apply for a DHS grant at grants.gov, you must have a DUNS number and must be registered in (SAM), and be approved as an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR).

Applicants are encouraged to register early. The registration process can take four weeks or more to be completed. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact your ability to meet required submission deadlines.

DUNS number. Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number can be found at the following website: http://www.grants.gov//web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html. The DUNS number must be included in the data entry field labeled "Organizational DUNS" on the Standard Forms (SF)-424 forms submitted as part of this application.

System for Award Management. In addition to having a DUNS number, applicants applying electronically through Grants.gov must register with SAM.

Step-by-step instructions for registering with SAM can be found here:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html Failure to register with SAM will result in your application being rejected by Grants.gov during the submission process.

Authorized Organizational Representative. The next step in the registration process is creating a username and password with Grants.gov to become an AOR.

AORs will need to know the DUNS number of the organization for which they will be submitting applications to complete this process. Applicants must register the individual who is able to make legally binding commitments for the applicant organization as the AOR; this step is often missed and it is crucial for valid submissions. To read more detailed instructions for creating a profile on Grants.gov visit: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-3-username-password.html. AOR Authorization. After creating a profile on Grants.gov, the E-Biz Point of Contact (POC), who is a representative from your organization listed as the contact for SAM, will receive an email to grant the AOR permission to submit applications on behalf of their organization.

The E-Biz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and approve an individual as the AOR, thereby giving him or her permission to submit applications. After you have been approved as an AOR you will be able to submit your application online. To learn more about AOR Authorization, visit:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-3-username-password.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-3-username-password.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-4-aor-authorization.html. To track AOR status, visit:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-5-track-aor-status.html.

Electronic Signature. Applications submitted through Grants.gov constitute a submission as electronically signed applications. When you submit the application through Grants.gov, the name of your AOR on file will be inserted into the signature line of the application.

If you experience difficulties accessing information or have any questions please call the Grants.gov customer support hotline at (800) 518-4726 or email grants.gov at support@grants.gov.

The Federal awarding agency may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the Federal awarding agency is ready to make a Federal award, the Federal awarding agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

Intergovernmental Review

An intergovernmental review may be required. Applicants must contact their State’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to comply with the State’s process under Executive Order 12372 (see http://www.fws.gov/policy/library/rgeo12372.pdf.

Name and addresses of the SPOCs are maintained at the Office of Management and Budget’s home page at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc to ensure currency.

Funding Restrictions

Eligible Funding Purposes

DHS grant funds may only be used for the purposes set forth in the agreement, and must be consistent with the statutory authority for the award. Grant funds may be used for the following purposes:

a. To provide services to lawful permanent residents only, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

b. Resources to support citizenship instruction, including staff salaries, textbooks/materials, nationally normed standardized assessment tests, software, etc.

c. Professional development and training for staff and/or volunteers related to the provision of citizenship instruction and/or naturalization application http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-4-aor-authorization.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-4-aor-authorization.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-5-track-aor-status.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-5-track-aor-status.html mailto:support@grants.gov http://www.fws.gov/policy/library/rgeo12372.pdf http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc services (this can include training costs related to DOJ recognition and accreditation for partner organizations).

d. Facility rental costs not to exceed more than 20% of the total approved budget.

e. Transportation costs for students attending grant-funded classes.

Transportation funds provided to students must match the students’ individual transportation costs. Applicant must have a system to track how transportation funds are used.

f. Reimbursement of transportation costs for volunteers participating in grant-funded activities. Volunteers may not receive a general transportation stipend.

Transportation funds provided to volunteers must match the volunteers’ individual transportation costs. Applicants must have a system to track how transportation funds are used.

g. Childcare costs to assist eligible participants to attend grant-funded classes.

h. Travel costs for two staff members to attend a mandatory two-day grant recipient training in the Washington, D.C. area during the first year of the grant, and costs for one teacher or coordinator to attend a USCIS teacher training (or another professional development training with approval from USCIS) during the second year of the grant.

i. Equipment purchases directly related to the provision of services.

j. Costs associated with the use of computers for citizenship instruction (e.g., computer equipment, internet access, etc.)

Ineligible Funding Purposes

Grant funds may not be used for the following purposes:

a. Cost-sharing or matching funds for other federal grants, lobbying, or intervention in federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, federal funds may not be used to sue the federal government or any other government entity.

b. USCIS application fees.

c. Costs of organized fundraising, including financial campaigns, endowment drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred solely to raise capital or obtain contributions.

d. Profit/Fee is not allowable except when subcontracting for routine goods and services with commercial organizations.