Health and Human Services: HHS-2007-ACF-OCS-IC-0141

8/14/2019 Health and Human Services: HHS-2007-ACF-OCS-IC-0141

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Department of Health & Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

Program Office: Office of Community Services

Funding OpportunityTitle:

Compassion Capital Fund CommunitiesEmpowering Youth Program

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity

Number:

HHS-2007-ACF-OCS-IC-0141

CFDA Number: 93.009

Due Date for

Applications:

07/ 10/ 2007

Executive Summary:

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Services (OCS), announces that applications will beaccepted for new grants pursuant to the U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services (HHS) Compassion Capital Fund (CCF) authorizedunder Title XI, Section 1110 of the Social Security Act governing SocialServices Research and Demonstration activities and Public Law 110-5,Continuing Appropriations Resolution, FY 2007.

Pursuant to this announcement, under the Communities EmpoweringYouth (CEY) program, ACF will award funds to build the organizationalcapacity of experienced organizations, their collaborating faith-basedand/or community partners, and the resulting communitycollaborations to better meet the needs of America's disadvantagedyouth. The applicant will assist its collaborating faith-based and/orcommunity partners through training, technical assistance, andfinancial assistance. The applicant will provide training and technicalassistance in four CEY critical areas: 1) leadership development, 2)organizational development, 3) program development, and 4)community engagement. Ultimately, CEY monies are to be used bythe lead organization and its collaborating faith-based and/orcommunity partners to increase the overall effectiveness of theircommunity collaboration while increasing the organizationalsustainability and capacity of the individual collaboration members.Capacity building activities are designed to increase the collaboration'sand the individual organizations' sustainability and effectiveness and to

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enhance their ability to provide social services to better serve thosemost in need.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIP TION

Legislative Authority

Title XI, Section 1110 of the Social Security Act governing SocialServices Research and Demonstration activities and Public Law 110-5,Continuing Appropriations Resolution, FY 2007.

Funding Opportunity Description

Title XI, Section 1110 of the Social Security Act governing SocialServices Research and Demonstration activities and Public Law 110-5,Continuing Appropriations Resolution, FY 2007.

Funding Opportunity Description

KEY DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this program announcement, the following arefrequently used terms that may require further clarification:

Capacity Building -- The process of implementing activities critical tothe long-term viability of organizations by increasing the effectivenessof programmatic activities and organizational operations. The goal of capacity building is to increase organizational infrastructure andbolster sustainability and effectiveness, ultimately enabling theorganization to serve more people more effectively.

Capacity Building Service Providers -- Organizations or consultantswith which the lead organization contracts to assist in providingtraining and technical assistance to collaboration partners. Capacitybuilding service providers support the delivery of project activities and

are not considered beneficiaries or collaborating partners of the CEYproject.

Community Assessment -- Successful CEY applicants must complete acommunity assessment within 180 days from receipt of their CEYaward. The community assessment must detail the need in theircommunities in relation to at least one of the following: gang activity,youth violence, and child abuse and neglect. The community

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assessment process helps the lead and partners refine theirunderstanding of needs and assets within the community, engagestakeholder in setting priorities and goals, and create a more effectivecapacity strategy with a planned response.

Community Collaboration -- A collaboration is the process of participation, which involves organizations working together to achievea desired result. Through a collaboration, members can accomplish ashared vision and build an interdependent system to address issuesand opportunities. For the purposes of this CEY programannouncement, a community collaboration is comprised of theapplicant organization (lead organization) and no less than twoindependent collaborating faith-based and/or community partners.FBCOs within the CEY community collaborations, must have workingexperience in a minimum of one of the CEY social service areas of grant activity, youth violence, and child abuse and neglect. CEY

community collaborations are formalized with written agreements andwork assignments with clearly defined roles for the collaborative, thelead organization, and collaborating faith-based and/or communitypartners.

Critical Areas of Capacity Building -- For the purposes of the CEYprogram announcement, there are four critical areas of organizationalcapacity building: 1) leadership development, 2) organizationaldevelopment, 3) program development, 4) community engagement.

Distressed Community -- A neighborhood or well-defined geographic

community with an unemployment rate and/or poverty rate equal to orgreater than the State or national rate.

Lead Organization -- The organization taking the lead on the CEYcommunity collaboration. The lead organization will also be theapplicant organization and, as such, must represent the communitycollaboration as a whole and be responsible for programmatic andfinancial oversight of the grant award. Lead organizations will fall intoat least one of the following categories:

• Public and State-controlled institutions of higher education

• Indian/Native American Tribal governments (Federallyrecognized)

• Indian/Native American Tribal organizations (other thanFederally recognized)

• Non-profits with 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institutions of higher education)

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• Non-profits without 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institutionsof higher education)

• Private institutions of higher education

• For-profit organizations (other than small businesses)• Small businesses

• Others (See below)

The lead organization must have a track record of working to providealternatives to gang involvement, youth violence, and child abuse andneglect and generally to further foster positive youth development forchildren and youth in their service area.

Partners -- The partners of the CEY community collaboration must befaith-based and/or community organizations that have as a part of their mission to further positive youth development for children andyouth in their community. All faith-based and/or community

organizations identified as partners through the CEY program receivefree training and technical assistance from the lead organization aswell as financial assistance for capacity building during each year of the project. All organizations identified as partners are expected toremain partners for the full three-year project period. Organizationsthat receive funds from the lead organization to provide a service orcommodity to the lead organization or the members of the communitycollaboration (e.g., capacity building service providers) are consideredcontractors, not CEY partners.

Positive Youth Development -- Positive youth development includes,

but is not limited to: promoting a sense of safety; providingappropriate structure; creating supportive relationships; providingopportunities to belong; providing social norms, such as rules forbehavior; giving youth responsibilities and meaningful challenges;providing opportunities for skill building; and coordinating family,school, and community programming.

Social Service Priority Areas -- The programmatic service areas uponwhich the CEY program places focus. The recognized social servicepriority areas for the CEY program are: gang activity, youth violence,and child abuse and neglect.

Well-Defined Geographic Location -- Because the focus of the CEYprogram is on strengthening community collaborations, the servicearea of a CEY project is a neighborhood or other well-definedgeographic location. An applicant must describe this service area aspart of its application. CEY projects are limited to one geographicservice area. Applications should not propose projects with multiple

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locations or service areas or unusually large service areas (e.g. statewide projects).

A. BACKGROUND

The CEY program employs multiple strategies to build the capacity of

faith-based and community groups and collaborations that are workingto further foster positive youth development and provide alternativesto gang involvement, youth violence, and child abuse and neglect.Given the complexity of issues and the range of organizational skillsand strengths needed in the work to help America's youth, evenexperienced organizations may benefit from further strengtheningtheir organizational capacity to work in this area. Further, not onlymust individual organizations be strengthened, but substantialefficiencies and synergy can only be gained through the developmentand sustained work of community partnerships. Therefore, to

encourage and equip such partnerships, which are vital to improvingoutcomes for disadvantaged youth, the CEY program is designed towork through a lead organization in collaboration with faith-basedand/or community partners.

It is expected that CEY funding will be used to increase theorganizational capacity of the lead organization, its collaborating faith-based and/or community partners, and the community collaboration asa whole. It is expected that the partnering organizations will worktogether throughout the grant period to strengthen their collaborationin order to address the needs of youth and families in their

communities more effectively. Partnerships between the leadorganization and its collaborating faith-based and/or communitypartners are to remain intact for the full project period. However, if collaborations wish to add or substitute partners, they may do so aslong as the substitutions or new partners receive prior approval byACF. The aim of a CEY-funded partnership is to improve the overallcapacity of the organizations to develop and implement commonstrategies for working together to assess the needs of youth in theircommunity and to develop coordinated and strategic responses tothose needs. Approved organizations will demonstrate well-developed

working relationships and a history of collaborating with their faith-based and/or community partners prior to submission of an applicationfor CEY funding. The collaborating partners and their relationship tothe lead organization must be described in the application.

ACF anticipates that organizations receiving CEY funds will represent adiverse set of affiliations and collaborative faith-based and/orcommunity partnerships that reflect varied and multi-pronged

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experience in providing training and technical assistance to smallerfaith-based and/or community organizations in their communities.

The CEY program does not fund direct social service provision. CEYmonies must be used to build and improve organizational capability

and cannot be used to provide direct services to youth and families byany organization receiving CEY funds. However, CEY funds may not beused to support capacity building activities for local government,State, or Federal agencies.

CEY-funded activities must address issues critical to the long-termorganizational viability of the community collaboration and its non-profit members so that they are better prepared and positioned tomeet their organizational missions and the goals of the partnership.

ACF seeks to award CEY funds to experienced organizations that areworking through pre-existing collaborations with faith-based and/orcommunity partners to address the issues of gang activity, youthviolence, and child abuse and neglect in the proposed geographicservice area. The applicant organization and its partners must bephysically located and providing services in the same geographic areathat is the focus area under the grant.

OCS will give priority to applicants who document that they areoperating in a Weed and Seed community and partnering with a Weedand Seed partnership. (See Section V, Evaluation Criteria.) Applicantsproposing to work in communities with significant minority populations

must also demonstrate culturally appropriate partnerships.Financial Assistance to Members of the Community Collaboration

Successful applicants shall identify their approach to build their ownorganizational capacity, as well as that of their community partners inorder to increase the ability of the collaboration to meet the needs of disadvantaged youth in the community. CEY funds shall be used toprovide financial assistance to both the applicant (lead organization)and its collaborating faith-based and/or community partners. The leadorganization will issue a minimum of 25 percent of the Federal awardper year to its faith-based and/or community collaboration partners tosupport organizational capacity building. This financial assistance mustbe used to build the organizations' capacity, which will furtherstrengthen the community collaboration and improve services to youthin the community.

The applicant must serve as the lead organization for the communitycollaboration and will be responsible for programmatic and financial

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oversight of the grant award. Successful applicants shall detail theamount of funds proposed to be budgeted among their collaboratingfaith-based and/or community partners each year that will be used tosupport their organizational capacity building. CEY funds are to beexpended in each of the three 12-month budget periods. The amount

of financial assistance provided to the collaborating faith-based and/orcommunity partners should reflect the level of need as evident byassessments of the capacity of the partner organizations and be inamounts reasonable and manageable for the partner organizationsbased on the size of their prior and current operational budgets. Leadorganizations must report on the use of CEY funds used by their faith-based and/or community partners. In no case may a lead organizationallocate less than 25 percent per budget period of the annual Federalaward as financial assistance to its collaborating faith-based and/orcommunity partners. The provision of training and technicalassistance services and/or resources by the lead organization to thecollaborating partners does not constitute financial assistance.

Financial assistance to partner organizations should be providedthrough partnership agreements, not through open competition orapplication processes. Lead organizations must ensure that thepartners use CEY financial support consistent with requirements of their CEY grant for capacity building purposes only, not for directservice. CEY financial support may not be used to support religiouspractices such as religious instruction, worship, or proselytization.

For a collaborating partner to be eligible to receive financial assistancefrom the lead organization, the partner organization must meet theeligibility criteria for this program announcement. They must fall intoone of the following categories:




• Non-profits with 501(c)(3) Internal Revenue Service (IRS) status

(other than institutions of higher education)• Non-profits without 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institutions

of higher education)

• Private institutions of higher education• For-profit organizations (other than small businesses)

• Small businesses

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Training and Technical Assistance to Members of the CommunityCollaboration

Successful applicants shall identify their approach to build their ownorganizational capacity, as well as that of their community partners in

order to increase the ability of the collaboration to meet the needs of disadvantaged youth in the community. Each CEY lead organizationwill be responsible for providing capacity building training andtechnical assistance to its faith-based and/or community partners infour critical areas of capacity building: 1) leadership development, 2)organizational development, 3) program development, and 4)community engagement, depending on the needs of the partnerorganizations. For example, one partner may require leadershiptraining for its Chief Executive Officer, while another partner may needhelp with its community engagement strategy. Therefore, applicantsmust demonstrate the ability to address and provide training and

technical assistance in all four areas of capacity building and include areasonable and logical strategy for doing so.

Training and technical assistance activities must produce measurableresults for the organizations served. Examples of the kinds of allowable activities relating to each topic area are listed below. Thislist is intended to be illustrative, not exhaustive:

Critical Areas

Examples

1. Leadership Development

• Board Composition and Function• Staff Professional and Career Development

• Training and Development of Volunteers• Succession Planning

2. Organizational Development

• Board Governance• Systems: Management, Human Resources, Financial,

Information Technology, Planning

• Written Policies and Procedures• Fiscal Controls

• Comprehensive Communications Strategy• Non-Profit Incorporation

• Grant Writing Training

3. Program Development

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• Curriculum Development

• Program Monitoring• Evaluation of Program Outcomes

4. Community Engagement

• Community Asset Mapping• Community Needs Assessment• Community Outreach

An organization must demonstrate its experience and ability to identifyand utilize "high impact" strategies to assess and address theorganizational needs of its own agency, those of its faith-based and/orcommunity partners, and those of the community collaboration as awhole. The lead organization must then describe the approaches itproposes for doing so if funded.

For purposes of this program announcement, training refers to group-based adult education and skill-building activities (i.e., workshops) andtechnical assistance refers to consultation that is specificallycustomized or tailored to the needs of each individual faith-basedand/or community organization.

Technical assistance must be provided on a long-term, ongoing basis,rather than through single or short-term contacts. The training andtechnical assistance strategy must address a minimum of two of thecritical areas of capacity building for each partner organization served,though, it is expected that in aggregate, the partner organizations

served may represent the full range of all four critical areas. Aminimum of 25% percent of training and technical assistance providedby the lead organization must be in the form of direct andindividualized assistance to address at least two of the critical areas of capacity building as needed by the partner organizations (i.e., "one-on-one" assistance to the organization's leadership, key staff, and/orboard). The lead organization will deliver both training and technicalassistance. Training conferences and workshops may be part of anapplicant's plan, but they must not be its sole focus. Training andtechnical assistance activities funded under CEY are to be offered at no

cost to partnering faith-based and/or community organizations.

Community Assessments

Successful CEY applicants will be responsible for completing andproviding a community assessment within 180 days from receipt of theFinancial Assistance Award detailing the need in their community inrelation to gang activity, youth violence, and child abuse and neglect.

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Such applicants will describe how the proposed capacity buildingefforts will increase the ability of the lead organization, itscollaborating faith-based and/or community partners, and thecommunity collaboration as a whole to provide alternatives to ganginvolvement, youth violence, and child abuse and neglect in their

service area. The community assessment report should include anaction plan for the project's capacity building activity during thesecond and third years of the project. Continued funding will becontingent upon successful completion of the community assessment.

Successful assessments will include input from a broad spectrum of stakeholders beyond staff and volunteers of the youth-serving partnerslisted in the original proposal. Such stakeholders could include youthfrom the target population, representatives of local law enforcement(e.g. probation officers, district attorneys, police), schools, familycourt/ domestic relations court, child protective services, work force

investment agencies, the foster care system, and other faith-basedand community organizations that may assist targeted youth (e.g.,through substance abuse services, workforce readiness, counseling,after-school programs). Successful assessments use a systematicmethodology for assessing community services available (includingnumbers served and, if possible, outcomes of those services), gaps,bottlenecks, and barriers for services. A combination of broadinformation collection and comprehensive analysis will inform CEY-funded partners/coalitions as they work to improve programs andservices to reduce youth violence, gang activity, or child abuse and

neglect. The assessment should also analyze the individualorganizational needs of partners related to leadership developmentand other aspects of organizational development.

The program office will provide further guidance and training on thecommunity assessment after the awards are made.

Conditions for the Cooperative Agreement:

Lead organizations selected to receive a CEY award will be responsiblefor:

• Implementing activities as described in the project description of the approved application.

• Developing and implementing work plans that will ensure theservices and activities included in the approved applicationaddress the needs of the organization and its partner entities inan efficient, effective, and timely manner.

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• Submitting regular semi-annual financial status and progressreports that describe project activities.

• Working cooperatively and collaboratively with ACF officials,other Federal agency officials conducting related activities, the

other community collaborations approved under the CEYprogram, and other entities or organizations contracted by ACFto assist in carrying out the purposes of the CEY program.

• Ensuring that key staff attends and participates in anymandatory ACF-sponsored workshops and meetings, includingthe initial orientation meeting.

• Ensuring that CEY monies used by both the lead and partnerorganizations are not used to support religious practices such asreligious instruction, worship, or proselytization.

• Completing and providing a community assessment within 180days from receipt of the Financial Assistance Award detailing theneed in their community in relation to gang activity, youthviolence, and child abuse and neglect. Such applicants willdescribe how the proposed capacity building efforts will increasethe ability of the organization, its collaborating faith-basedand/or community partners, and the community collaboration asa whole to provide alternatives to gang involvement, youthviolence, and child abuse and neglect and generally to further

foster positive youth development for children and youth in theirservice area.

• Complying with requirements associated with a Federalevaluation of CEY. This may include, but is not limited to,providing administrative data, cooperating with survey datacollection, interviews, and site visits involving the lead andpartner organizations.

Proposed budgets should include the costs of travel-related expensesfor two key personnel from the lead organization with responsibility for

the CEY award to attend a mandatory two-day orientation andleadership workshop with Federal officials in Washington, DC.

CEY funds, whether spent by the lead organization or its partners, maynot fund direct social service provision. Rather, the CEY programfunds capacity building activities that produce measurable effects thatresult in more sustainable organizations and collaborations. Byaddressing issues that are critical to the long-term viability of non-

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profit organizations, faith-based and community organizations andtheir collaborations are better prepared and positioned to understandand meet the needs of their communities.

As a program of ACF, CEY is intended to support organizations that

promote the economic and social well-being of families, children,individuals, and communities. As such, organizations can use CEYfunds to pay for capacity building activities to enhance their ability toprovide services in the CEY social service areas. For example, CEYfunds may pay for trainings such as board development workshops.Additionally, CEY funds may purchase equipment or supplies such ascomputers or computer software that can improve program services.CEY funds may not pay for capacity building activities that supportmedical/health care related activities or items such as medicalequipment or supplies or medically oriented trainings, certifications, orlicensures.

CEY grants are intended to increase the organizational capacity of community and faith-based organizations ultimately to be able todeliver more effective or expanded social services in a secular mannerthrough, among other things, an enhanced ability to compete forFederal grants in the future. These grants cannot be used to providedirect client services.

Organizations and their faith-based and/or community partners shallnot use direct Federal grants or contracts under the CEY program tosupport inherently religious activities, such as religious instruction,

worship, or proselytization. Therefore, both lead organizations andtheir partners must take steps to separate, in time or location, theirinherently religious activities from the CEY-funded services. Some of the ways organizations may accomplish this include, but are notlimited to, promoting only the Federally funded program in materials,websites, or commercials purchased with any portion of the Federalfunds. Further, participation in such activity by individuals receivingservices must be voluntary.

A faith-based organization receiving HHS funds retains itsindependence from Federal, State, and local governments, and may

continue to carry out its mission, including the definition, practice, andexpression of its religious beliefs. For example, a faith-basedorganization may use space in its facilities to provide secular programsor services funded with Federal funds without removing religious art,icons, scriptures, or other religious symbols. Please note that CEYfunds cannot be used to provide direct programs or services. Inaddition, a faith-based organization that receives Federal funds retains

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its authority over its internal governance, and it may retain religiousterms in its organization's name, select its board members on areligious basis, and include religious references in its organization'smission statements and other governing documents in accordance withall CEY program requirements, statutes, and other applicable

requirements governing the conduct of HHS-funded activities.Regulations pertaining to the Equal Treatment for Faith-BasedOrganizations, which includes the prohibition against Federal fundingof inherently religious activities, can be found at either 45 CFR 87.1or the HHS website at http://www.os.dhhs.gov/fbci/waisgate21.pdf .

CEY grantee organizations and their partners cannot use CEY moniesto contract or otherwise obtain services or technical assistance fromother current CCF grantee organizations, unless approved by ACF. Inother words, a CEY grantee may not contract with another CCFgrantee (e.g., CCF Demonstration or Targeted Capacity Building

Program grantees) for the financial management of its CEY funds.

Lead CEY organizations and their collaborating faith-based and/orcommunity partners must be willing to work closely with ACF, and anyentities funded by ACF, to coordinate and/or assist the evaluation of the project activities, particularly the activities of the lead organizationproviding training and technical assistance to its collaborating faith-based and/or community partners (i.e., either the lead applicant or itspartners completing a survey).

Current CEY grantees are not eligible to apply for a 2007 CEY award.

If an organization that is currently serving as a partner organization toa current CEY project wishes to apply as a lead organization, theapplication must detail how the proposed project will have asignificantly different geographic service area, a significantly differentprogrammatic focus, result in no overlap of the currently fundedproject, and not undermine the success of the prior approved project.

CCF Demonstration and Targeted Capacity Building applicants and/orcurrent grantees are eligible to apply for the CEY program, but theproposed project must be entirely separate from their other CCFproject(s). Applicants must document in detail within their grant

application how their project(s) is (are) different from their proposedCCF CEY project and how they will keep the projects independent fromeach other. Applicants must show that any of their proposed CEYpartners that also receive CCF funds through either the Demonstrationor Targeted Capacity Building Programs will keep their different CCFprojects and activities entirely separate from each other.

Priority Area

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Description

II . AWARD INFORMATION

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement

Substantial Involvement w ith Cooperative Agreement:

A cooperative agreement is Federal assistance in which substantialFederal Involvement is anticipated. Responsibilities of Federal staff andthe successful applicants are negotiated prior to an award. Thegrantees funded under this announcement will work collaborativelywith the CEY program office on the development of products and priorto finalization and dissemination will submit products such as training

and technical assistance plans, financial assistance plans, andcommunity assessments to the CEY program office for review andapproval. Please see Section I. Funding Opportunity Description for adetailed description of the cooperative agreement.

Anticipated Total Priority AreaFunding:

$7,500,000

Anticipated Number of Aw ards: 30

Ceiling on Amount of I ndividual

Awards:

$250,000 per budget period

Floor on Amount of Individual

Awards:

None

Average Projected Award Amount: $250,000 per budget period

Length of Project Periods: 36-month project with three 12-monthbudget periods

Aw ards under this announcement are subject to the availability

of funds.

II I. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants:

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• Non-profits with 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institutions of higher education)

• Non-profits without 501(c)(3) IRS status (other than institutionsof higher education)

• Private institutions of higher education• For-profit organizations (other than small businesses)

• Small businesses• Others (See below)

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the statutoryeligibility requirements are eligible to apply under this announcement.

Foreign entities are not eligible under this announcement.

Please see Section IV for required documentation supporting eligibilityor funding restrictions if any are applicable.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: None

3. Other:

Disqualification Factors

Applications with requests that exceed the ceiling amount (forresearch projects) or the upper range value (for all otherprojects) will be deemed non-responsive and will not beconsidered for funding under this announcement. See SectionII., Award Information.

Any application that fails to satisfy the deadline requirementsreferenced in Section IV.3., Submission Dates and Times, will bedeemed non-responsive and will not be considered for fundingunder this announcement.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package:

Eduardo HernandezAdministration for Children and Families

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Office of Community Services Operations CenterCompassion Capital Fund Communities Empowering Youth Program1515 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 100Arlington, VA 22209Phone: 800-281-9519

Email: [email protected]

2. Content and Form of Application Submission:

GENERAL

The application must be double-spaced and single-sided on 8.5" x 11"plain white paper, with 1'' margins on all sides. The application mustuse Times New Roman 12-point font or Arial 12-point font. Theapplication should be submitted in the following order:

The Project Abstract must not exceed one page.

The Table of Contents must not exceed one page.

The Project Abstract must not exceed one page.

The Project Narrative must not exceed 25 pages. Pagessubmitted beyond the first 25 in the application's Project Narrativesection will be removed prior to panel review.

The Appendix must not exceed 50 pages. The Appendix includesthe sample assessment tool(s) the applicant will use to assistorganizations in identifying organizational needs in the four criticalareas of capacity building, support and commitment letters, and anyother additional supporting documentation.

All pages of the application must be sequentially numbered. TheBudget, Narrative Budget Justification, Standard Forms for Assurances,Certifications, and Disclosures are not included in the Project Narrativeand Appendix page limitations.

Applicants should not send pamphlets, brochures, or other printedmaterial along with their applications. These materials, if submitted,will not be included in the review process. In addition, applicants

should not submit any additional letters of endorsement beyond anythat may be required.

D-U-N-S Requirement

All applicants must have a D&B Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S) number. On June 27, 2003, the Office of Management andBudget (OMB) published in the Federal Register a new Federal policy

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mailto:[email protected]




for Applicants" found under the "Survey" heading at:http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html.

Forms, Assurances, and Certifications

The project description should include all the information requirements

described in the specific evaluation criteria outlined in this programannouncement under Section V. Application Review Information. Inaddition to the project description, the applicant needs to complete allof the Standard Forms required as part of the application process forawards under this announcement.

Applicants seeking financial assistance under this announcement mustfile the appropriate Standard Forms (SFs) as described in thissection. All applicants must submit an SF-424, Application for FederalAssistance. For non-construction programs, applicants must alsosubmit an SF-424A, Budget Information and an SF-424B,Assurances. For construction programs, applicants must also submitSF-424C, Budget Information and SF-424D, Assurances. For researchprograms that involve human subjects, the Protection of HumanSubjects Assurance Identification/IRB Certification/Declaration of Exemption form must be submitted. All forms may be reproduced foruse in submitting applications. Applicants must sign and return thestandard forms with their application.

Applicants must furnish, prior to award, an executed copy of theCertification Regarding Lobbying. Applicants must sign and return the

certification with their application. The Certification RegardingLobbying may be found at:http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html. (If any fundshave been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing orattempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, aMember of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or anemployee of a Member of Congress in connection with thiscommitment providing for the United States to insure or guarantee aloan, the applicant shall complete and submit Standard Form (SF)-LLL,"Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying," in accordance with itsinstructions.)

Applicants must also understand that they will be held accountable forthe smoking prohibition included within Public Law (P.L.) 103-227,Title XII Environmental Tobacco Smoke (also known as the ProChildren Act of 1994). A copy of the Federal Register notice thatimplements the smoking prohibition is included with this form. Bysigning and submitting the application, applicants are providing thenecessary certification and are not required to return it.

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Applicants must make the appropriate certification of their compliancewith all Federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination. By signing andsubmitting the application, applicants are providing the necessarycertification and are not required to return it. Complete the standardforms and the associated certifications and assurances based on the

instructions on the forms. The forms and certifications may be foundat: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html.

Private, non-profit organizations are encouraged to submit with theirapplications the survey titled "Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunityfor Applicants" found under the "Survey" heading at:http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html.

Please see Section V.1 for instructions on preparing the full projectdescription.

Please reference Section IV.3 for details about acknowledgement of received applications.

Electronic Submission

Applicants to ACF may submit their applications in either electronic orpaper format. To submit an application electronically, please use thehttp://www.Grants.gov site.

When using www.Grants.gov, applicants will be able to download acopy of the application package, complete it off-line, and then uploadand submit the application via the www.Grants.gov site. ACF will not

accept grant applications via facsimile or email.

Acceptable electronic formats for the application attachments(narratives, charts, etc.) must use the following standard technologies,i.e., Microsoft (Word and Excel), Word Perfect, Adobe PDF, Jpeg, andGif.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Before submitting an electronic application,applicants must complete the organization registration process as wellas obtain and register "electronic signature credentials" for theAuthorized Organization Representative (AOR). Since this process may

take more than five business days, it is important to start this processearly, well in advance of the application deadline. Be sure tocomplete all ww w.Grants.gov registration processes listed on

the Organization Registration Checklist, which can be found athttp://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/registration_checklist.html.

Please note the following if planning to submit an applicationelectronically via www.Grants.gov:

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• Electronic submission is voluntary, but strongly encouraged.

• Applicants may access the electronic application for this programat http://www.Grants.gov. There applicants can search for thedownloadable application package by utilizing thewww.Grants.gov FIND function.

• It is strongly recommended that applicants do not w aituntil the application deadline date to begin the application

process through w ww.Grants.gov. Applicants areencouraged to submit their applications well before the closingdate and time so that if difficulties are encountered there will stillbe sufficient time to submit a hard copy via express mail. It isto an applicant's advantage to submit 24 hours ahead of

the closing date and time in order to address anydifficulties that may be encountered.

• To use www.Grants.gov, you, the applicant must have a D-U-N-S number and register in the Central Contractor Registry(CCR). Applicants should allow a minimum of five days tocomplete the CCR registration. REMINDER: CCR registrationexpires each year and thus must be updated annually.

Applicants cannot upload an application towww.Grants.gov w ithout having a current CCR

registration AND electronic signature credentials for theAOR.

• The electronic application is submitted by the AOR. To submitelectronically, the AOR must obtain and register electronicsignature credentials approved by the organization's E-Business

Point of Contact who maintains the organization's CCRregistration.

• Applicants may submit all documents electronically, including allinformation typically included on the SF-424 and all necessaryassurances and certifications.

• Though applying electronically, the application must still complywith any page limitation requirements described in this programannouncement.

• After the application is submitted electronically, the applicant willreceive an automatic acknowledgement from www.Grants.gov

that contains a www.Grants.gov tracking number. ACF willretrieve the electronically submitted application fromwww.Grants.gov.

• ACF may request that the applicant provide original signatureson forms at a later date.

• Applicants will not receive additional point value for submitting agrant application in electronic format, nor will ACF penalize anapplicant if they submit an application in hard copy.

21





• If any difficulties are encountered in using www.Grants.gov,please contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at: 1-800-518-4726, or by email at [email protected] to report the problemand obtain assistance.

• Checklists and registration brochures are maintained to assist

applicants in the registration process and may be found at:http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.

• When submitting electronically via www.Grants.gov, applicantsmust comply with all due dates AND times referenced in SectionIV.3. Submission Dates and Times.

• For applicants that must demonstrate proof of non-profit statusbefore the award date, ACF strongly suggests that proof of non-profit status be attached to the electronic application. Proof of non-profit status and any other required documentation may bescanned and attached as an "Other Attachment." Acceptabletypes of proof of non-profit status are stated earlier in thissection.

• The Grants.gov website complies with Section 508 of theRehabilitation Act of 1973. Grants.gov webpages are designed towork with assistive technologies such as screen readers. If anapplicant uses assistive technology and is unable to access anymaterial on the site, email the www.Grants.gov contact center [email protected] for assistance.

Hard Copy Submission

Applicants that are submitting their application in paper format shouldsubmit one original and two copies of the complete application. Theoriginal and each of the two copies must include all required forms,certifications, assurances, and appendices, be signed by an authorizedrepresentative, and be unbound. The original copy of the applicationmust have original signature(s).

Non-Federal Reviewers

Since ACF will be using non-Federal reviewers in the review process,applicants have the option of omitting from the application copies (notthe original) specific salary rates or amounts for individuals specified inthe application budget as well as Social Security Numbers, if otherwiserequired for individuals. The copies may include summary salaryinformation.

If applicants are submitting their application electronically, ACF willomit the same specific salary rate information from copies made foruse during the review and selection process.

22


http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp



http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp




3. Submission Dates and Times:

Due Date for Applications: 07/ 10/ 2007

Explanation of Due Dates

The due date for receipt of applications is referencedabove. Applications received after 4:30 p.m., eastern time, on thedue date will be classified as late and will not be considered in thecurrent competition.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that applications are mailed orhand-delivered or submitted electronically well in advance of theapplication due date and time.

Mail

Applications that are submitted by mail must be received no later than4:30 p.m., eastern time, on the due date referenced above at theaddress listed in Section IV.6.

Hand Delivery

Applications hand carried by applicants, applicant couriers, otherrepresentatives of the applicant, or by overnight/express mail couriersmust be received on or before the due date referenced above, betweenthe hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., eastern time, at the addressreferenced in Section IV.6., between Monday and Friday (excludingFederal holidays).


Applications submitted electronically via Grants.gov must be submittedno later than 4:30 p.m., eastern time, on the due date referencedabove.

ACF cannot accommodate transmission of applications by facsimile oremail.

Late Applications

Applications that do not meet the requirements above are consideredlate applications. ACF shall notify each late applicant that itsapplication will not be considered in the current competition.

ANY APPLI CATION RECEIVED AFTER 4:30 P .M., EASTERN TIME,ON THE DUE DATE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR

COMPETITION.

23



Extension of Deadlines

ACF may extend application deadlines when circumstances such asacts of God (floods, hurricanes, etc.) occur; when there arewidespread disruptions of mail service; or in other rare cases. A

determination to extend or waive deadline requirements rests with theChief Grants Management Officer.

Receipt acknowledgement for application packages will not be providedto applicants who submit their package via mail, courier services, or byhand delivery. Applicants will receive an electronic acknowledgementfor applications that are submitted via http://www.Grants.gov.

Checklist

You may use the checklist below as a guide when preparing yourapplication package.

What to SubmitRequiredContent Required Form or Format

When toSubmit

SF-424 SeeSectionIV.2

Seehttp://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html

Byapplicationdue date.

SF-424A SeeSectionIV.2



Table of Contents See

Section V

Found in Section V By

applicationdue date.

Budget and BudgetJustification

SeeSectionsIV.2 and V

Found in Sections IV.2 and V Byapplicationdue date.

ProjectSummary/Abstract


Found in Sections IV.2 and V Byapplicationdue date.

Project

Narrative/Description

See

SectionsIV.2 and V

Found in Sections IV.2 and V By

applicationdue date.

SF-424B SeeSectionIV.2



Third-Party - - -

24

















Agreements

Proof of Non-ProfitStatus


Found in Sections IV.2 and V By date of award.

Letters of Commitment

SeeSectionV.1

Found in Section V.1 Byapplicationdue date.

CertificationRegarding Lobbying

SeeSectionIV.2


By date of award.

CertificationRegardingEnvironmentalTobacco Smoke

SeeSectionIV.2


By date of award.

Additional Forms

Private, non-profit organizations are encouraged to submit with theirapplications the survey titled "Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity

for Applicants" found under the "Survey" heading at:http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html.

What toSubmit

RequiredContent Required Form or Format

When toSubmit

Survey onEnsuringEqualOpportunityforApplicants

See form. Seehttp://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html


4. Intergovernmental Review of Federal P rograms:

State Single Point of Contact (SPOC)

This program is covered under Executive Order (Exec. Order) 12372,"Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs," and 45 CFR Part100, "Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and HumanServices Programs and Activities." Under the Exec. Order, States maydesign their own processes for reviewing and commenting on proposedFederal assistance under covered programs.

25















As of August 1, 2006, the following jurisdictions have elected toparticipate in the Exec. Order process: Arkansas, California, Delaware,District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine,Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire,New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah,

West Virginia, Wisconsin, American Samoa, Guam, Northern MarianaIslands, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. As these jurisdictionshave elected to participate in the Executive Order process, they haveestablished SPOCs. Applicants from participating jurisdictions shouldcontact their SPOC, as soon as possible, to alert them of prospectiveapplications and receive instructions. Applicants must submit allrequired materials, if any, to the SPOC and indicate the date of thissubmittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is required) on theStandard Form 424, item 16a.

Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), a SPOC has 60 days from the application

deadline to comment on proposed new or competing continuationawards. SPOCs are encouraged to eliminate the submission of routineendorsements as official recommendations. Additionally, SPOCs arerequested to clearly differentiate between mere advisory commentsand those official State process recommendations, which may triggerthe "accommodate or explain" rule.

Comments submitted directly to ACF should be addressed to the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Childrenand Families, Office of Grants Management, Division of DiscretionaryGrants, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC20447.

Although the remaining jurisdictions have chosen not to participate inthis process, entities that meet the eligibility requirements of theProgram Announcement are still eligible to apply for a grant even if aState, Territory, or Commonwealth, etc., does not have aSPOC. Therefore, applicants from these jurisdictions, or for projectsadministered by Federally-recognized Indian Tribes, need take noaction in regard to Exec. Order 12372.

The official list, including addresses, of the jurisdictions that have

elected to participate in Exec. Order 12372 can be found on thefollowing URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.

5. Funding Restrictions:

Fundraising is not an allowable cost under this program.

Grant awards will not allow reimbursement of pre-award costs.

26

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html



Construction and purchase of real property are not allowable activitiesor expenditures under this grant award.

The costs of organized fundraising or solicitation with Federal awardsare unallowable per OMB Circulars A-122, A-87, A-21. For example,

CEY monies may be used for grant writing training or donor trackingsoftware, but may not be used to fund solicitations for donations orfundraising events.

The cost of direct services or of augmentation or supplanting directservice delivery funds as part of the proposed activities is notconsidered capacity building and is therefore not an allowable cost.

6. Other Submission Requirements:

Please see Sections IV.2 and IV.3 for deadline information and otherapplication requirements.

Submit applications to one of the following addresses:

Submission by Mail

Eduardo HernandezAdministration for Children and FamiliesOffice of Community Services Operations CenterCompassion Capital Fund Communities Empowering Youth Program1515 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 100Arlington, VA 22209

Hand Delivery

Eduardo HernandezAdministration for Children and FamiliesOffice of Community Services Operations CenterCompassion Capital Fund Communities Empowering Youth Program1515 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 100Arlington, VA 22209


Please see Section IV.2 for guidelines and requirements whensubmitting applications electronically via http://www.Grants.gov.

V. APP LICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P .L. 104-13)

27





Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated toaverage 35 hours per response, including the time for reviewinginstructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed and reviewingthe collection information.

The project description is approved under OMB control number 0970-0139, which expires 4/30/2007.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not requiredto respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currentlyvalid OMB control number. (This information collection is currentlyunder OMB review for extension of the expiration date. According toOMB policy, the approval will not expire while the collection is under itsreview.).

1. Criteria:

Part I THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION OVERVIEW

PURPOSE

The project description provides the majority of information by whichan application is evaluated and ranked in competition with otherapplications for available assistance. The project description should beconcise and complete. It should address the activity for which Federalfunds are being requested. Supporting documents should be includedwhere they can present information clearly and succinctly. Inpreparing the project description, information that is responsive to

each of the requested evaluation criteria must be provided. Awardingoffices use this and other information in making their fundingrecommendations. It is important, therefore, that this information beincluded in the application in a manner that is clear and complete.

GENERAL EXPECTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

ACF is particularly interested in specific project descriptions that focuson outcomes and convey strategies for achieving intendedperformance. Project descriptions are evaluated on the basis of substance and measurable outcomes, not length. Extensive exhibits

are not required. Cross-referencing should be used rather thanrepetition. Supporting information concerning activities that will not bedirectly funded by the grant or information that does not directlypertain to an integral part of the grant-funded activity should beplaced in an appendix.

Pages should be numbered and a table of contents should be includedfor easy reference.

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among project objectives, activities, and anticipated results. Theresults and benefits proposed by the applicant must be reasonable andlikely, quantified, and clearly linked to and supported by the proposedorganizational capacity building approach. They must also be linkedback to at least one of the CEY social service priority areas.

APPROACH

Outline a plan of action that describes the scope and detail of how theproposed work will be accomplished. Account for all functions oractivities identified in the application. Cite factors that might accelerateor decelerate the work and state your reason for taking the proposedapproach rather than others. Describe any unusual features of theproject such as design or technological innovations, reductions in costor time, or extraordinary social and community involvement.

Provide quantitative monthly or quarterly projections of theaccomplishments to be achieved for each function or activity in suchterms as the number of people to be served and the number of activities accomplished.

When accomplishments cannot be quantified by activity or function,list them in chronological order to show the schedule of accomplishments and their target dates.

If any data is to be collected, maintained, and/or disseminated,clearance may be required from the OMB. This clearance pertains toany "collection of information that is conducted or sponsored by ACF."

Provide a list of organizations, cooperating entities, consultants, orother key individuals who will work on the project along with a shortdescription of the nature of their effort or contribution.

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION

Describe the precise location of the project and boundaries of the areato be served by the proposed project. Maps or other graphic aids maybe attached.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONThe following are requests for additional information that must beincluded in the application:

STAFF AND POSITION DATAProvide a biographical sketch and job description for each keyperson appointed. Job descriptions for each vacant key position

30



should be included as well. As new key staff is appointed,biographical sketches will also be required.ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILESProvide information on the applicant organization(s) andcooperating partners, such as: organizational charts; financial

statements; audit reports or statements from Certified PublicAccountants/Licensed Public Accountants; EmployerIdentification Number(s); contact persons and telephonenumbers; names of bond carriers; child care licenses and otherdocumentation of professional accreditation; information oncompliance with Federal/State/local government standards;documentation of experience in the program area; and, otherpertinent information.

If the applicant is a non-profit organization, it should submitproof of its non-profit status in its application. The non-profit

agency can accomplish this by providing any one of thefollowing: a) a reference to the applicant organization's listing inthe IRS's most recent list of tax-exempt organizations describedin the IRS Code; b) a copy of a currently valid IRS tax exemptioncertificate; c) a statement from a State taxing body, Stateattorney general, or other appropriate State official certifyingthat the applicant organization has a non-profit status and thatnone of the net earnings accrues to any private shareholders orindividuals; d) a certified copy of the organization's certificate of incorporation or similar document that clearly establishes non-

profit status; or e) any of the items immediately above for aState or national parent organization and a statement signed bythe parent organization that the applicant organization is a localnon-profit affiliate.

LETTERS OF SUPPORTProvide statements from community, public, and commercialleaders that support the project proposed for funding. Allsubmissions should be included in the application package or bythe application deadline.

BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATIONProvide a budget with line-item detail and detailed calculations foreach budget object class identified on the Budget Information Form(SF-424A or SF-424C). Detailed calculations must include estimationmethods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detailsufficient for the calculation to be duplicated. If matching is a

31



requirement, include a breakout by the funding sources identified inBlock 15 of the SF-424.

Provide a narrative budget justification that describes how thecategorical costs are derived. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness,

and allocation of the proposed costs.GENERALUse the following guidelines for preparing the budget and budget justification. Both Federal and non-Federal resources (whenrequired) shall be detailed and justified in the budget and budgetnarrative justification. "Federal resources" refers only to theACF grant funds for which you are applying. "Non-Federalresources" are all other non-ACF Federal and non-Federalresources. It is suggested that budget amounts andcomputations be presented in a columnar format: first column,

object class categories; second column, Federal budget; nextcolumn(s), non-Federal budget(s); and last column, totalbudget. The budget justification should be in a narrative form.

PERSONNELDescription: Costs of employee salaries and wages.

Justification: Identify the project director or principalinvestigator, if known at the time of application. For each staff person, provide: the title; time commitment to the project inmonths; time commitment to the project as a percentage or full-

time equivalent; annual salary; grant salary; wage rates;etc. Do not include the costs of consultants, personnel costs of delegate agencies, or of specific project(s) and/or businesses tobe financed by the applicant.

FRINGE BENEFITSDescription: Costs of employee fringe benefits unless treated aspart of an approved indirect cost rate.

Justification: Provide a breakdown of the amounts andpercentages that comprise fringe benefit costs such as healthinsurance, FICA, retirement insurance, taxes, etc.

TRAVELDescription: Costs of project-related travel by employees of theapplicant organization. (This item does not include costs of consultant travel).

Justification: For each trip show: the total number of traveler(s); travel destination; duration of trip; per diem;

32



mileage allowances, if privately owned vehicles will be used; andother transportation costs and subsistence allowances. Travelcosts for key staff to attend ACF-sponsored workshops should bedetailed in the budget.

EQUIPMENTDescription: "Equipment" means an article of nonexpendable,tangible personal property having a useful life of more than oneyear and an acquisition cost that equals or exceeds the lesserof: (a) the capitalization level established by the organizationfor the financial statement purposes, or (b) $5,000. (Note:Acquisition cost means the net invoice unit price of an item of equipment, including the cost of any modifications, attachments,accessories, or auxiliary apparatus necessary to make it usablefor the purpose for which it is acquired. Ancillary charges, suchas taxes, duty, protective in-transit insurance, freight, and

installation, shall be included in or excluded from acquisition costin accordance with the organization's regular written accountingpractices.)

Justification: For each type of equipment requested provide: adescription of the equipment; the cost per unit; the number of units; the total cost; and a plan for use on the project; as well asuse and/or disposal of the equipment after the project ends. Anapplicant organization that uses its own definition for equipmentshould provide a copy of its policy, or section of its policy, thatincludes the equipment definition.

SUPPLIESDescription: Costs of all tangible personal property other thanthat included under the Equipment category.

Justification: Specify general categories of supplies and theircosts. Show computations and provide other information thatsupports the amount requested.

CONTRACTUALDescription: Costs of all contracts for services and goods except

for those that belong under other categories such as equipment,supplies, construction, etc. Include third-party evaluationcontracts, if applicable, and contracts with secondary recipientorganizations, including delegate agencies and specific project(s)and/or businesses to be financed by the applicant.

Justification: Demonstrate that all procurement transactions willbe conducted in a manner to provide, to the maximum extent

33



practical, open and free competition. Recipients andsubrecipients, other than States that are required to use 45 CFRPart 92 procedures, must justify any anticipated procurementaction that is expected to be awarded without competition andexceeds the simplified acquisition threshold fixed at 41 USC

403(11), currently set at $100,000.

Recipients might be required to make available to ACF pre-awardreview and procurement documents, such as requests forproposals or invitations for bids, independent cost estimates,etc.

Note: Whenever the applicant intends to delegate part of theproject to another agency, the applicant must provide a detailedbudget and budget narrative for each delegate agency, byagency title, along with the required supporting information

referred to in these instructions.

OTHEREnter the total of all other costs. Such costs, where applicableand appropriate, may include but are not limited to: insurance;food; medical and dental costs (noncontractual); professionalservices costs; space and equipment rentals; printing andpublication; computer use; training costs, such as tuition andstipends; staff development costs; and administrative costs.

Justification: Provide computations, a narrative description and

a justification for each cost under this category.INDIRECT CHARGESDescription: Total amount of indirect costs. This categoryshould be used only when the applicant currently has an indirectcost rate approved by the Department of Health and HumanServices (HHS) or another cognizant Federal agency.

Justification: An applicant that will charge indirect costs to thegrant must enclose a copy of the current rate agreement. If theapplicant organization is in the process of initially developing orrenegotiating a rate, upon notification that an award will bemade, it should immediately develop a tentative indirect costrate proposal based on its most recently completed fiscal year, inaccordance with the cognizant agency's guidelines forestablishing indirect cost rates, and submit it to the cognizantagency. Applicants awaiting approval of their indirect costproposals may also request indirect costs. When an indirect costrate is requested, those costs included in the indirect cost pool

34



should not be charged as direct costs to the grant. Also, if theapplicant is requesting a rate that is less than what is allowedunder the program, the authorized representative of theapplicant organization must submit a signed acknowledgementthat the applicant is accepting a lower rate than allowed.

PROGRAM INCOMEDescription: The estimated amount of income, if any, expectedto be generated from this project.

Justification: Describe the nature, source and anticipated use of program income in the budget or refer to the pages in theapplication that contain this information.

TOTAL DIRECT CHARGES, TOTAL INDIRECT CHARGES, TOTALPROJECT COSTS

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

The corresponding score values indicate the relative importance thatACF places on each evaluation criterion; however, applicants need notdevelop their applications precisely according to the order presented.Application components may be organized such that a reviewer will beable to follow a seamless and logical flow of information (i.e., from abroad overview of the project to more detailed information about howit will be conducted).

In considering how applicants will carry out the responsibilities

addressed under this announcement, competing applications forfinancial assistance will be reviewed and evaluated against thefollowing criteria:

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT - 2 points

An application will be evaluated on the extent to which it includes aproject summary/abstract, not to exceed 350 words, that brieflydescribes the applicant organization, the project strategy, thecollaboration partners, the well-defined service area, the needs of theservice area, and the project activities.

OBJECTIVES AND NEED FOR ASSISTANCE - 20 points

An application will be evaluated on the extent to which the applicantdemonstrates that the organization and/or its faith-based and/orcommunity partners are established and have well-developedconnections to and working relationships in the geographic area theypropose to serve.

35



(a) Service Area and Needs of the Service Area (10 points) : Anapplication will be evaluated on the extent to which the applicant andits faith-based and/or community partners demonstrate a prior historyof involvement in and connectedness to a single well-definedgeographic service area (e.g., a neighborhood or other well-defined

community) to ensure that the impact of CEY activities provided islocal and can be sustained during and after the project period of thegrant. Applications should not propose projects with multiple locationsor service areas or unusually large service areas (e.g. state-wideprojects).

ACF seeks to award CEY funds to experienced organizations that areworking in collaboration with faith-based and/or community partners inwell-developed current collaborations to address the issues of gangactivity, youth violence, and child abuse and neglect in the proposedgeographic coverage area. The applicant organization and its partners

must be physically located and providing services in the samegeographic area that is the focus area under the grant.

Applications will be evaluated on the extent to which the applicantprovides documentation, based on recent, reliable data from publishedsources, demonstrating that the well-defined geographic service areaproposed is in a distressed community, a neighborhood, or geographiccommunity with an unemployment rate and/or poverty rate equal to orgreater than the State or national rate. An application will beevaluated on the extent to which the applicant describes the specificneeds within the well-defined geographic area that can be addressedby increasing the applicant's capacity, as well as that of the partneringorganizations and the collaboration as a whole.

(b) App licant's Capacity Building Needs (5 points): Anapplication will be evaluated on the extent to which the applicant ( i.e.,the lead organization) documents plans for its own capacity buildingneeds with regard to a minimum of two of the four critical areas of capacity building: 1) leadership development, 2) organizationaldevelopment, 3) program development, and 4) communityengagement.

(c) Needs of P artnering Faith-Based and/ or CommunityOrganizations (5 points): An application will be evaluated on theextent to which the applicant documents the identity and a descriptionof each of its proposed collaborating faith-based and/or communitypartners along with a description of each one's relationship with thelead organization. An application will also be evaluated on the extentto which the applicant documents the capacity building needs of its

36



collaborating partners with regard to a minimum of two of the fourcritical areas of capacity building: 1) leadership development, 2)organizational development, 3) program development, and 4)community engagement. An applicant is encouraged to providedocumentation of those needs from third-party sources, as available.

APPROACH - 28 points

(a) Capacity Building Strategy (8 points): An application will beevaluated on the extent to which it includes a plan to build thecapacity of the lead applicant organization, the collaborating faith-based and/or community partners, and the community collaboration asa whole in a minimum of two critical areas of capacity building each.Those critical areas of capacity building are: 1) leadershipdevelopment, 2) organizational development, 3) programdevelopment, and 4) community engagement.

Applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which the capacitybuilding approach or strategy is logical, reasonable, and clearly linkedto the desired results or benefits expected.

(b) Training/ Technical Assistance Strategy (10 points): Anapplication will be evaluated on the extent to which the applicantdemonstrates that it has a proven track record in providing trainingand technical assistance to faith-based and/or communityorganizations and an ability to provide training and technicalassistance (T/TA) in all of the four critical areas of capacity building: 1)

leadership development, 2) organizational development, 3) programdevelopment, and 4) community engagement.

Applications will be evaluated on the extent to which the capacitybuilding T/TA activities proposed to address the needs of theapplicant's collaborating faith-based and/or community partners arelogical, reasonable, comprehensive, and clearly linked to the desiredresults or benefits expected. Applicants must also propose a logicaland attainable schedule for accomplishing planned activities.

For purposes of this program announcement, training refers to group-based adult education and skill-building activities (e.g., workshops);and technical assistance refers to consultation that is specificallycustomized or tailored to the needs of each individual partnering faith-based and/or community organization.

Applications will be evaluated on the extent to which T/TA plansaddress the four critical areas of capacity building set out in thisannouncement for each faith-based and/or community organization

37



partner. The application will be evaluated on the extent to which theapplicant provides sufficient evidence and assurance that the technicalassistance provided by the lead organization will be in the form of direct and individualized technical assistance (i.e., "one-on-one"assistance to the organization's leadership, key staff and/or board).

Applicants must incorporate a description of how they will informcollaborating faith-based and/or community partners that theiractivities under the grant are governed by all applicable Federal lawsand regulations including those in 45 CFR Section 87.1, which includesthe restriction that Federal funds under the CEY program shall not beused to support inherently religious activities such as religiousinstruction, worship, or proselytization, among other provisions.

(c) Financial Assistance Strategy (10 points): An application willbe evaluated on the extent to which the applicant describes a strategy

for building the capacity of itself and its collaborating faith-basedand/or community partners through financial assistance. Anapplication will be evaluated on the extent to which it lists theorganizations that will be partners in the CEY communitycollaboration. While the exact dollar amount that will be designated asfinancial assistance to each organization need not be listed, anapplication will be evaluated on the extent to which the total amountof CEY funds designated for all the partners is shown. The totalfinancial assistance to all partners must equal a minimum of 25percent of the Federal award per year. The amount of financialassistance provided to the collaborating faith-based and/or communitypartners should reflect the level of need evidenced by assessments of the capacity of the partner organizations and be in amountsreasonable and manageable for the partner organizations based on thesize of their prior and current operational budgets. Lead organizationsmust report on the use of CEY funds used by their faith-based and/orcommunity partners.

CEY funds -- whether used by the applicant or by a partneringorganization -- must be used to build that organization's capacity andmay not be used for direct service. CEY partners must agree to some

level of oversight of how the funds they receive are spent.RESULTS OR BENEFITS EXPECTED - 10 points

An application will be evaluated on the extent to which the applicant:identifies the results or benefits expected to be derived from projectactivities; describes how the proposed project will affect thesustainability of the lead organization, its collaborating faith-basedand/or community partners, and the community collaboration as a

38



whole; and describes the process for determining the relationshipbetween project activities and anticipated outcomes, including anyoutput and outcome measures to be used to assess the proposedproject. For purposes of this announcement, an outcome is defined asany benefit or change in the capacity of the lead organization, its

collaborating faith-based and/or community partners, and/or thecollaboration as a whole as a result of project activities. In addition,the applicant must clearly describe the relationship(s) among projectobjectives, activities, and anticipated results. The results and benefitsproposed by the applicant must be reasonable and likely, quantified,and clearly linked to and supported by the proposed organizationalcapacity building approach. They must also be linked back to at leastone of the CEY social service priority areas.

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILES - 30 points

(a) P ast Experience (10 points): An application will be evaluatedon the extent to which the applicant and its collaborating faith-basedand/or community partners demonstrate a history of working togetherand a well-developed working relationship that existed prior to theannouncement of this funding opportunity. The application mustdemonstrate that the lead organization, its partners, and thecollaboration as a whole have experience and a proven track record of working within at least one of the CEY social service priority areas:gang activity, youth violence, and child abuse and neglect.

In addition, the lead organization must demonstrate that it has a

proven track record in providing T/TA to faith-based and/or communityorganizations, including concrete examples with specific dates of T/TAthat the applicant has provided relating to all four critical areas of capacity building: 1) leadership development, 2) organizationaldevelopment, 3) program development, and 4) communityengagement.

(b) Strength of Partnerships w ith Collaboration Members (10points): An application will be evaluated on the extent to which thelead applicant's relationships with its collaborating faith-based and/orcommunity partners for purposes of this CEY application are clearly

defined and documented (e.g., significant contributions to theproposed project by each partner; a formal agreement among parties;defined roles and responsibilities appropriate to their naturalstrengths; and shared decision-making responsibility). An applicationwill be evaluated on the extent to which it includes a signed letter of commitment from each of the listed collaborating faith-based and/orcommunity partners that make up the CEY community collaboration.

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Each letter should state that the collaborating partner is supportive of the application and is committed to being an active member of the CEYcommunity collaboration, including agreeing to oversight of how anyCEY funds it may receive through financial assistance from the leadorganization are being used.

(c) Organizational Capability and Staffing (10 points): Anapplication will be evaluated on the extent to which the applicantdemonstrates how it, as the lead organization, is well positioned tocarry out the project and how the proposed project fits into thestructure of the applicant's organization and any other activities of theorganization during the project period. The applicant should provideevidence of facilities, fiscal controls (e.g., certified accountant,accounting computer systems, audits), and other resources that areadequate to support the project and achieve project goals. Anapplication will be evaluated on the extent that the applicant

demonstrates that its financial management systems meet thestandards required by 45 CFR 74.21 (for more information, please visitthe Government Printing Office Access website at:http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_05/45cfr74_05.html.

An application will also be evaluated on the appropriateness of theexpertise and experience of key staff proposed to have primaryresponsibility for carrying out the project, including a detaileddescription of the kind of work they will perform. An application will beevaluated on the extent to which the evidence provided demonstratesthe staff's skill, knowledge, and experience in carrying out theirassigned activities, such as evidence that demonstrates not only staff'sgood technical skills, but also a clear record of working with faith-based and/or community organizations.

An application will also be evaluated on the demonstratedappropriateness of the skills and experience of consultants or staff from other organizations proposed to work on the project.

BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION - 10 points

(a) P roject Budget (8 points): An application will be evaluated on

the extent to which the budget provides a detailed justification for theamount requested and the budget items are clearly associated with,and necessary to, the conduct of the project as proposed. CEY moniesare to be budgeted for and used to improve the long-term efficiencyand capacity of the lead organization, its collaborating faith-basedand/or community partners, and the community collaboration as awhole.

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An applicant will be evaluated on the extent to which it details theamount of funds projected during the three-year project period to bebudgeted among its collaborating faith-based and/or communitypartners. Lead organizations must budget no less than 25 percent of CEY funds annually as financial assistance to their collaborating

partners.

Proposed budgets should include the costs of travel-related expensesfor two key personnel from the lead organization with responsibility forthe CEY award to attend a mandatory two-day orientation andleadership workshop with Federal officials in Washington, DC.

(b) Last Tw o Years' Operating Budgets (2 points): An applicationwill be evaluated on the extent to which it includes a demonstrationthat the amount of CEY funds being requested is proportional inrelation to the size of the applicant's operating budgets during the last

two years. The application should present, in general, the recentoperating budgets of the applicant (i.e., lead organization) in order todemonstrate that the amount of CEY funds requested is proportional tothose budgets. For example, it would be inappropriate for anorganization that operated with $90,000 in 2004 and $100,000 in2005 to request $300,000 in CEY funds for one year. Additionally, theapplicant should briefly describe why the amount requested is logical,given the organization's recent operating budgets. Detailedbreakdowns of the applicant's or its partners' organizational operatingbudgets are not required.

WEED AND SEED BONUS POINTS - 5 points

Communities Empowering Youth program applicants are encouraged tocollaborate with Weed and Seed grantees. In order to receive the fiveadditional bonus points, the application must contain a letter of commitment from the Weed and Seed Steering Committee thatoutlines the nature of the collaboration between the applicant and theCommittee. The letter must be signed by the Weed and Seed SteeringCommittee Co-Chair on agency letterhead with contact information.For more information on the Weed and Seed Strategy and locationsplease go to http://contacts.weedandseed.info/ to view the Weed and

Seed site directory, or you may contact the local U.S. Attorney's Officeat http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/offices/index.html to identify Weed andSeed sites in your community.

2. Review and Selection Process:

No grant award will be made under this announcement on the basis of an incomplete application.

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Each application will be screened to determine whether it was receivedby the closing date and time (Section IV.3.) and whether therequested amount exceeds the ceiling or upper range value, whicheveris appropriate (Section II.)

No grant award will be made under this announcement on the basis of an incomplete application.

Applications received by the due date will be reviewed and scoredcompetitively. Experts in the field, generally persons from outside theFederal Government, will use the evaluation criteria listed in Section Vof this announcement to review and score the applications. The resultsof this review will be a primary factor in making funding decisions. ACFmay also solicit comments from Regional Office staff and other Federalagencies. ACF may consider a variety of factors in addition to thereview criteria identified above, including geographic

diversity/coverage and types of applicant organizations, in order toensure that the interests of the Federal Government are met in makingthe final selections. Furthermore, ACF may limit the number of awardsmade to the same or affiliated organizations although they wouldserve different geographic areas.

As a program of ACF, CCF is intended to support organizations thatpromote the economic and social well-being of families, children,individuals, and communities. As such, CCF funds can pay for capacitybuilding activities that support social service programs and activities.For example, CCF funds may pay for trainings such as board

development workshops. Additionally, CCF funds may purchaseequipment or supplies such as computers or computer software thatcan improve program services. CCF funds may not pay for capacitybuilding activities that support medical/health care related activities oritems such as medical equipment or supplies or medically-orientedtrainings, certifications, or licensures.

As stated, CEY monies must be used for organizational capacitybuilding and not for direct services. Additionally, organizations thatreceive CEY funds may not engage in inherently religious activities,such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytization, as part of the

programs or services funded with CEY funds. If an organizationconducts such inherently religious activities, the activities must beoffered separately, in time or location, from the programs or servicesfunded with CEY assistance, and participation must be voluntary forbeneficiaries of the CEY-funded programs or services. Some of theways organizations may accomplish this include, but are not limited to,promoting only the Federally funded program in materials, websites,

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VI. AWARD ADMINI STRATION INFORMATION

1. Award Notices:

The successful applicants will be notified through the issuance of aFinancial Assistance Award document, which sets forth the amount of funds granted, the terms and conditions of the grant, the effectivedate of the grant, the budget period for which initial support will begiven, the non-Federal share to be provided (if applicable), and thetotal project period for which support is contemplated. The FinancialAssistance Award will be signed by the Grants Officer and transmittedvia postal mail.

Following the finalization of funding decisions, organizations whoseapplications will not be funded will be notified by letter, signed by the

Program Office head.2. Admin istrative and National Policy Requirements:

Grantees are subject to the requirements in 45 CFR Part 74 (non-governmental) or 45 CFR Part 92 (governmental).

Direct Federal grants, sub-award funds, or contracts under this ACFprogram shall not be used to support inherently religious activitiessuch as religious instruction, worship, or proselytization. Therefore,organizations must take steps to separate, in time or location, theirinherently religious activities from the services funded under this

program. Regulations pertaining to the Equal Treatment for Faith-Based Organizations, which includes the prohibition against Federalfunding of inherently religious activities, can be found at the HHS website at: http://www.hhs.gov/fbci/waisgate21.pdf .

A faith-based organization receiving HHS funds retains itsindependence from Federal, State, and local governments, and maycontinue to carry out its mission, including the definition, practice, andexpression of its religious beliefs. For example, a faith-basedorganization may use space in its facilities to provide secular programsor services funded with Federal funds without removing religious art,

icons, scriptures, or other religious symbols. In addition, a faith-basedorganization that receives Federal funds retains its authority over itsinternal governance, and it may retain religious terms in itsorganization's name, select its board members on a religious basis,and include religious references in its organization's missionstatements and other governing documents in accordance with all

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program requirements, statutes, and other applicable requirementsgoverning the conduct of HHS funded activities.

Faith-based and community organizations may reference the"Guidance to Faith-Based and Community Organizations on Partnering

with the Federal Government" at:http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/guidance/index.html.

HHS Grants Policy Statement

The HHS Grants Policy Statement (GPS) is the Department of Healthand Human Services new single policy guide for discretionary grantsand cooperative agreements. Unlike previous HHS policy documents,the GPS is intended to be shared with and used by grantees. Itbecame effective October 1, 2006 and is applicable to all OperatingDivisions (OPDIVS), such as the Administration for Children andFamilies (ACF), except the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The GPScovers basic grants processes, standard terms and conditions andpoints of contact as well as important OPDIV-specific requirements.Appendices include a glossary of terms and a list of standardabbreviations for ease of reference. The GPS may be accessed athttp://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html.

3. Reporting Requirements:

Grantees will be required to submit program progress and financialreports (SF-269 found at:http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html) throughout the

project period. Program progress and financial reports are due 30 daysafter the reporting period. Final programmatic and financial reports aredue 90 days after the close of the project period.

Final reports may be submitted in hard copy to the GrantsManagement Office Contact listed in Section VII of this announcement.

Program Progress Reports: Semi-AnnuallyFinancial Reports: Semi-Annually

VII . AGENCY CONTACTS

Program Office Contact:

Thom CampbellAdministration for Children & FamiliesOffice of Community Services

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370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.Aerospace Building, 5th Floor-WestWashington, DC 20447Phone: 800-281-9519Email: [email protected]

Grants Management Office Contact:

Barbara Ziegler-JohnsonAdministration for Children & FamiliesOffice of Grants Management370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.Aerospace Building, 6th Floor-EastWashington, DC 20447Phone: 800-281-9519Email: [email protected]

VII I. OTHER INFORMATION

Date: 05/21/2007 Josephine B. Robinson

Director

Office of Community Services





Health and Human Services: HHS-2007-ACF-OCS-IC-0141

Documents

Transcript of Health and Human Services: HHS-2007-ACF-OCS-IC-0141