The Office of Community Services (OCS) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announces a Special State Technical Assistance discretionary funding program to support interventions in cases where an eligible entity is in a crisis situation.
Under the Community Services Block Grant, section 674(b)(2)(B) and 678A, funds may be used by the Secretary to assist States in carrying out corrective action activities and monitoring to correct programmatic deficiencies of eligible entities. States are required to determine whether eligible entities meet the performance goals, administrative standards, financial management obligations and other requirements of the State. The CSBG legislation mandates that States provide training and technical assistance (T&TA) prior to any termination procedures. It also
The CSBG Act requires States to conduct regular, on-site reviews of eligible entities. When a State determines that an eligible entity has a deficiency that must be corrected, the CSBG legislation mandates that the State offer an eligible entity training and technical assistance (T&TA), if appropriate, to help correct such a deficiency. A State may support this T&TA with the CSBG funds remaining after it has made grants to eligible entities. However, OCS recognizes that, in some instances, the problem to be addressed may be of such a complex or pervasive nature that it cannot be adequately addressed with the resources available to the State CSBG Administrator.
The following definitions apply:
Under the Act, CAAs are eligible entities, however not all eligible entities are CAAs. Throughout this announcement, the reference is to organizations defined in section 673(1)(A) of the CSBG Act whenever CAAs are mentioned.
The purpose of this program priority area is to improve the capacity of States in carrying out corrective action activities and monitoring to correct programmatic deficiencies of eligible entities. The grant will support interventions in cases where an eligible entity is in a crisis situation. It will preclude the need for termination hearings and proceedings by stabilizing eligible entities in crises and correcting programmatic deficiencies, if possible.
Section 319 of Public Law 101–121, signed into law on October 23, 1989, imposes prohibitions and requirements for disclosure and certification related to lobbying on recipients of Federal contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and loans. It provides exemptions for Indian tribes and tribal organizations. Current and prospective recipients (and their sub-tier contractors and/or grantees) are prohibited from using Federal funds, other than profits from a Federal contract, for lobbying Congress or any Federal agency in connection with the award of a contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or loan. In addition, for each award action in excess of $100,000 (or $150,000 for loans) the law requires recipients and their sub-tier contractors and/or sub-grantees (1) to certify that they have neither used nor will use any appropriated funds for payment to lobbyists, (2) to disclose the name, address, payment details, and purpose of any agreements with lobbyists whom recipients or their sub-tier contractors or sub-grantee will pay with profits or non-appropriated funds on or after December 22, 1989, and (3) to file quarterly updates about the use of lobbyists if material changes occur in their use. The law establishes civil penalties for noncompliance. Required Certification and Disclosure forms to be submitted with your application are attached.
Public Law 103–227, Part C. Environmental Tobacco Smoke, also known as the Pro-Children Act of 1994 (Act), requires that smoking not be permitted in any portion of any indoor
By signing and submitting this application the applicant/grantee certifies that it will comply with the requirement of the Act. The applicant/grantee further agrees that it will require the language of this certification be included in any sub-awards, which contain provisions for children's services and that all sub-grantees shall certify accordingly.
Community Services Block Grant eligible entities. Statewide or local organizations or associations including faith-based organizations, for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations having 501 (C) 3 status, and non-profit organizations that do not have 501 (C) 3 status.
As prescribed by the Community Services Block Grant Act (Pub. L. 105–285, section 678(c)(2), eligible applicants are eligible entities (
Applicants must demonstrate proof of non-profit status and this proof must be included in their applications (
(a) A reference to the applicant organization's listing in the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt organizations described in the IRS code.
(b) A copy of a currently valid IRS tax exemption certificate.
(c) 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.
(d) A certified copy of the organization's certificate of incorporation or similar document that clearly establishes non-profit status.
(e) 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.
Applicants are cautioned that the ceiling for individual awards is $50,000. An application that exceeds the upper value of the dollar range specified will be considered “non-responsive” and will be returned to the applicant without further review.
None.
On June 27, 2003, the Office of Management and Budget published in the
Please ensure that your organization has a DUNS number. You may acquire a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line on 1–866–705–5711 or you may request a number on-line at
Applications are cautioned that the ceiling for individual awards is $50,000. Applications exceeding the $50,000 threshold will be returned without review.
Office of Community Services Operations Center, ATTN: Marianna RayNor-Hill, 1815 Fort Meyer Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22209; telephone: (800) 281–9519; e-mail:
An original and two copies of the complete application are required. The original and 2 copies must include all required forms, certifications, assurances, and appendices, be signed by an authorized representative, have original signatures, and be submitted unbound. Applicants have the option of omitting from the application copies (not the original) specific salary rates or amounts for individuals specified in the application budget.
Applicants must demonstrate proof of non-profit status and this proof must be included in their applications. Please include any one of the following:
(a) A reference to the applicant organization's listing in the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt organizations described in the IRS code.
(b) A copy of a currently valid IRS tax exemption certificate.
(c) 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.
(d) A certified copy of the organization's certificate of incorporation or similar document that clearly establishes non-profit status.
(e) 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.
You may submit your application to us in either electronic or paper format. To submit an application electronically, please use the
Please note the following if you plan to submit your application electronically via Grant.gov:
• Electronic submission is voluntary.
• When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, as well as the hours of operation. We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
• To use Grants.gov, you, as the applicant, must have a DUNS Number to register in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). You should allow a minimum of five days to complete the CCR registration.
• You will not receive additional point value because you submit a grant application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you submit an application in paper format.
• You may submit all documents electronically, including all information typically included on the SF 424 and all necessary assurance and certifications.
• Your application must comply with any page limitation requirements described in this program announcement.
• After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. The Administration for Children and Families will retrieve your application from Grant.gov.
• We may request that you provide original signatures on forms at a later date.
• You may access the electronic application for this program on
Each application must include the following components:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
Each application should include one signed original application and two additional copies of the same application.
Submit application materials on white 8
Please do not include organizational brochures or other promotional materials, slides, films, clips, etc.
The font size may be no smaller than 12 pitch and the margins must be at least one inch on all sides.
Number all application pages sequentially throughout the package, beginning with the abstract of the proposed project as page number one.
Please present application materials either in loose-leaf notebooks or in folders with pages two-hole punched at the top center and fastened separately with a slide paper fastener.
The application package including sections for the Table of Contents, Project Abstract, Project and Budget Narratives, and Business Plan must not exceed 65 pages. The page limitation does not include the following attachments and appendices: Standard Forms for Assurances, Certifications, Disclosures and appendices. The page limitation also does not apply to any supplemental documents as required in this announcement.
Applicants requesting financial assistance for a non-construction project must sign and return Standard Form 424B, Assurances: Non-Construction Programs with their applications.
Applicants must provide a Certification Regarding Lobbying. Prior to receiving an award in excess of $100,000, applicants shall furnish an executed copy of the lobbying certification. Applicants must sign and return the certification with their applications.
Applicants must make the appropriate certification of their compliance with all Federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination. By signing and submitting the applications, applicants are providing the certification and need not mail back a certification form.
Applicants must make the appropriate certification of their compliance with the requirements of the Pro-Children Act of 1994 as outlined in Certification Regarding Environmental Tobacco Smoke. By signing and submitting the applications, applicants are providing the certification and need not mail back a certification form.
(b) The application must include a project narrative that meets requirements set forth in this announcement.
(c) The application must contain documentation of the applicant's tax-exempt status as indicated in the “Funding Opportunity Description” section of this announcement.
Private, non-profit organizations are encouraged to submit with their applications the survey located under “Grant Related Documents and Forms” titled “Survey for Private, Non-Profit Grant Applicants.” The forms are located on the Web at
It is in the applicant's best interest to ensure that the project description is easy to read, logically developed in
Applicants must include letters of support or agreement, if appropriate or applicable, in reference to the project description. Letters of support are not counted as part of the 30-page project description limit or the 10-page supplemental documentation limit. All applications must comply with the following requirements except as noted:
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 10 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed and reviewing the collection information.
The closing time and date for receipt of applications is any time before 4:30 p.m. (eastern time zone) between April 7, 2004 and July 30, 2004. Mailed or hand carried applications received after 4:30 p.m. on the closing date will be classified as late.
Applications hand carried by applicants, applicant couriers, other representatives of the applicant, or by overnight/express mail couriers shall be considered as meeting an announced deadline if they are received on or before the deadline date, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., e.s.t., at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services Operations Center, 1815 Fort Meyer Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22209; Attention: Barbara Ziegler Johnson.
This program is covered under Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs” and 45 CFR part 100, “Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services Programs and Activities.” Under the Order, States may design their own processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance under covered programs.
The following States and Territories have elected to participate under the Executive Order process and have established a Single Point of Contact (SPOC): Arkansas, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands.
Applicants for projects to be administered by federally-recognized Indian tribes are also exempt from the requirements of E.O. 12372. Otherwise, applicants should contact their SPOCs as soon as possible to alert them of the prospective applications and receive any necessary instructions. Applicants must submit any required material to the SPOCs as soon as possible so that OCS can obtain and review SPOC comments as a part of the award process. It is imperative that the applicant submit all required materials, if any, to the SPOC and indicate the date of this submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is required) on the Standard Form 424A, item 16a.
Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), a SPOC has 60 days from the application deadline date to comment on proposed new or competing continuation awards.
SPOCs are encouraged to eliminate the submission of routine endorsements as official recommendations. Additionally, SPOCs are requested to clearly differentiate between mere advisory comments and those official State process recommendations which may trigger the “accommodate or explain” rule.
When comments are submitted directly to ACF, they should be addressed to: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Division of Discretionary Grants, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447.
A list of the Single Points of Contact for each State and Territory is included with the application materials for this announcement.
OCS will not fund any project where the role of the applicant is primarily to serve as a conduit for funds to organizations other than the applicant. The applicant must have a substantive role in the implementation of the project for which funding is requested. This prohibition does not bar the making of sub-grants or sub-contracting for specific services or activities needed to conduct the project.
Each application may include only one proposed project.
Applicants are cautioned that the ceiling for individual awards is $50,000. Applications exceeding the $50,000 threshold will be returned without review.
The following are instructions and guidelines on how to prepare the “project summary/abstract” and “Full Project Description” sections of the application. The generic UPD requirement is followed by the evaluation criterion specific to the Community Services Block Grant legislation.
The project description provides a major means by which an application is evaluated and ranked to compete with other applications for available assistance. The project description should be concise and complete and should address the activity for which Federal funds are being requested. Supporting documents should be included where they can present information clearly and succinctly. In preparing your project description, all information requested through each specific evaluation criteria should be provided. Awarding offices use this and other information in making their funding recommendations. It is important, therefore, that this information be included in the application.
Applicants required to submit a full project description shall prepare the project description statement in accordance with the following instructions and the specified evaluation criteria. The instructions give a broad overview of what your project description should include while the evaluation criteria expands and clarifies more program-specific information that is needed.
Provide a summary of the project description (a page or less) with reference to the funding request.
Clearly identify the physical, economic, social, financial, institutional, and/or other problem(s) requiring a solution. The need for assistance must be demonstrated and the principal and subordinate objectives of the project must be clearly stated; supporting documentation, such as letters of support and testimonials from concerned interests other than the applicant, may be included. Any relevant data based on planning studies should be included or referred to in the
Identify the results and benefits to be derived. Explain how the project will reach the targeted population and how it will benefit participants or the community.
Outline a plan of action which describes the scope and detail of how the proposed work will be accomplished. Account for all functions or activities identified in the application. Cite factors which might accelerate or decelerate the work and state your reason for taking the proposed approach rather than others. Describe any unusual features of the project such as design or technological innovations, reductions in cost or time, or extraordinary social and community involvement.
Provide quantitative monthly or quarterly projections of the accomplishments to be achieved for each function or activity in, for example, such terms as the “number of people served.” 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 U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This clearance pertains to any “collection of information that is conducted or sponsored by ACF.”
List organizations, cooperating entities, consultants, or other key individuals who will work on the project along with a short description of the nature of their effort or contribution.
Provide a narrative addressing how the results of the project and the conduct of the project will be evaluated. In addressing the evaluation of results, state how you will determine the extent to which the project has achieved its stated objectives and the extent to which the accomplishment of objectives can be attributed to the project. Discuss the criteria to be used to evaluate results, and explain the methodology that will be used to determine if the needs identified and discussed are being met and if the project results and benefits are being achieved. With respect to the conduct of the project, define the procedures to be employed to determine whether the project is being conducted in a manner consistent with the work plan presented and discuss the impact of the project's various activities on the project's effectiveness.
Provide information on the applicant organization(s) and cooperating partners such as organizational charts, financial statements, audit reports, documentation of professional accreditation, information on compliance with Federal/State/local government standards, documentation of experience in the program area, and other pertinent information.
A non-profit agency can accomplish this by providing a copy of the applicant'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, or by providing a copy of the currently valid IRS tax exemption certificate, or by providing a copy of the articles of incorporation bearing the seal of the State in which the corporation or association is domiciled.
Provide line item detail and detailed calculations for each budget object class identified on the Budget Information form. Detailed calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to be duplicated. The detailed budget must also include a breakout by the funding sources identified in Block 15 of the SF–424.
Provide a narrative budget justification that describes how the categorical costs are derived. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness, and allocability of the proposed costs.
Factors: The work program is results-oriented and appropriately related to the legislative mandate. The extent to which the applicant addresses: Specific outcomes to be achieved; performance targets which the project is committed to achieving; critical milestones, which must be achieved if results are to be gained; and organizational support; the level of support including priority this project has for the agency.
Factors: The applicant documents that the project addresses vital needs related to the purposes stated and discussed under this announcement.
The applicant provides statistics and other data and information in support of its contention.
Factors: The applicant fully describes, for example in a resume, the experience and skills of the proposed sources of technical assistance showing specific qualifications and professional experiences relevant to the successful implementation of the proposed project.
Factor: The extent to which the applicant adequately describes how the project will assure long-term program and management improvements that will aid in removal from the “at risk category”.
Factors: The extent to which the applicant describes how it will involve the local Board of Directors of eligible entities as well as other partners in the community in its activities.
Where appropriate, the extent to which the applicant describes how it will interface with other related organizations.
Factors: a. The extent to which the resources requested are reasonable and adequate to accomplish the project. (0–3 points)
b. The extent to which total costs are reasonable and consistent with anticipated results. (0–2 points)
Each application submitted to OCS will be screened to determine whether it was received by the closing date and time.
Applications, which meet the initial screening requirements, will be reviewed solely on responsiveness to program guidelines and evaluation criteria published in this announcement. States will not be competing with each other for funding under this program.
Following approval of the applications selected for funding, notice of project approval and authority to
Grantees are subject to the audit requirements in 45 CFR parts 74 (non-governmental) and 92 (governmental) and OMB Circular A–133.
The project description is approved under OMB control number 0970–0139 which expires 3/31/2004. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 10 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed and reviewing the collection information.
All grantees are required to submit quarterly program reports. Grantees are also required to submit semi-annual expenditure reports using the required financial standard form (SF–269) which is located on the Internet at:
Program Office Contact: Marianna RayNor-Hill, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services Operations Center, 1815 Fort Meyer Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22209. e-mail:
Grants Management Office Contact: Daphne Weeden, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services Operations Center, 1815 Fort Meyer Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22209. e-mail:
Additional information about this program and its purpose can be located on the following Web site: