NOTE: This notice is for AmeriCorps New Hampshire Formula Grant Programs. These grants are awarded to organizations to operate an AmeriCorps program that will place AmeriCorps members in service in New Hampshire.
AmeriCorps in NH
AmeriCorps provides support to nonprofits, faith-based and community organizations, and public agencies committed to meeting critical needs in education, disaster services, economic opportunity, healthy futures, veterans and military families and environmental stewardship. AmeriCorps is a federal program overseen by Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).The mission of CNCS is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.
AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations (see Eligible Applicants section) proposing to engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions to strengthen communities. An AmeriCorps member is an individual who engages in community service through an approved national service position. Members may receive a living allowance and other benefits while serving. Upon successful completion of their service, members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award from the National Service Trust that members can use to pay for higher education expenses or apply to qualified student loans.
Volunteer NH is a nonprofit organization with a mission to promote the tradition of service in New Hampshire. Building on that strong volunteer spirit, we support and sponsor national service initiatives and provide training, recognition, and a central site for volunteers and volunteer programs to help them strengthen their communities. Volunteer NH administers AmeriCorps State Programs for New Hampshire and is the designated State Commission for CNCS.
Organizations that propose to operate in only one state must apply through the Governor-appointed State Commission (Volunteer NH). Volunteer NH administers its own selection process and submits the applications it selects to compete for funding directly to CNCS. Single-State applicants must contact Volunteer NH to learn about processes and deadlines which may be significantly earlier than the CNCS deadlines and may have additional requirements. A Single-State application from a State or Territory with a Commission that is submitted directly to CNCS by the applicant rather than the Commission will be considered noncompliant and will not be reviewed
Publication of this Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity (Notice) does not obligate Volunteer NH to award any specific number of grants or to obligate the entire amount of funding available.
Applicants to the State Formula Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) must comply with Volunteer NH’s Formula NOFO, CNCS 2018 NOFO, CNCS State and National Application Instructions, and Performance Measure Instructions in addition to following the Volunteer NH timeline. Volunteer NH supports service categories which will serve as CNCS funding priority areas for the grant process. The areas and goals associated with each are as follows:
CNCS Focus Areas
In order to carry out Congress’ intent and to maximize the impact of investment in national service, CNCS has the following focus areas:
- Disaster Services
- Economic Opportunity
- Education
- Environmental Stewardship
- Healthy Futures
- Veterans and Military Families
2018 Volunteer NH AmeriCorps Funding Priorities
In addition to the CNCS priority areas, special consideration may be given to programs that address the critical areas of need identified in the Volunteer NH Unified State Service Plan. These include:
- Education (Skill Development, Mentoring, and Afterschool Programing)
- Substance Misuse and Mental/Emotional Health
- Transportation (Veterans, Individuals with Disabilities, and Older Adults)
National Performance Measures
CNCS expects organizations to use National Performance Measures as part of their comprehensive performance measurement strategy that relies on both performance and evaluation data to learn from their work as well as make tactical and strategic adjustments to achieve their goals. For more information, please refer to the Performance Measure Instructions located on the CNCS website.
All applications must include at least one aligned performance measure (output and outcome) that corresponds to the proposed primary intervention. This may be a National Performance Measure or an applicant-determined measure. Additional performance measures, including output-only National Performance Measures, may also be included if desired; however, all performance measures must be consistent with the program’s Theory of Change and represent significant program activities. CNCS does not expect applicants to select performance measures to correspond to each and every potential member activity or community impact. CNCS values the quality of performance measures over the quantity of performance measures.
As described in the Application Instructions, applicants must include all of the information about their proposed performances measure in the Performance Measure section of the applications in eGrants (CNCS’s web-based grants management system). All information requested in the National Performance Measure Instructions must be included in the text of the performance measures themselves, and it must be evident in the performance measure text that all definitions and requirements outlined in the National Performance Measures Instructions are met. Providing performance measures information elsewhere in the narrative cannot be in lieu of providing full information in the Performance Measures section of the application in eGrants.
Program Authority
CNCS’s legal authority to award these grants is found in the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended, (NCSA) (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.)
Federal Award Information
Award Period
Unless otherwise specified, the Formula Grant covers a one year project period contingent on CNCS appropriated funds. Continuation funding is not guaranteed, factors considered in award continuation may include and are not limited to, satisfactory performance, demonstrated capacity to manage the grant, compliance with the grant requirements, match requirements and agency priorities.
Project/Award Period
The project is one year with a start date proposed by the applicant (but the start date should NOT be before August 31, 2018. Applicants may request an earlier start date). The project start date may not occur prior to the date the grant is awarded. AmeriCorps members may not enroll prior to the start date of the award. AmeriCorps members may not begin service prior to the beginning of the member enrollment period as designated in the grant award. A program may not certify any hours a member performs prior to the beginning of the member enrollment period.
Eligible Applicants
The following Non-Federal entities (as defined in 2 C.F.R. §200.69) who have DUNS numbers and are registered in System for Award Management (SAM) are eligible to apply:
Indian Tribes (2 C.F.R. §200.54)
Institutions of higher education (2 C. F.R. §200.55)
Local governments (2 C.F.R. §200.64)
Nonprofit organizations (2 C.F.R. §200.70)
States (2 C.F.R. §200.90)
Previously receiving funds from CNCS or another federal agency is not a prerequisite to apply to this Notice. Organizations that have been convicted of a federal crime are disqualified from receiving the assistance described in this Notice. Pursuant to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an organization described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(4), that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to apply.
New Applicants
New applicants are eligible to apply for Cost Reimbursement and Education Award Program (EAP) grants but are not eligible to apply for Full Time Fixed Amount grants. Existing sub grantees/operating sites of Fixed Amount and Cost Reimbursement grantees that can demonstrate a successful history and current capacity to manage a Fixed Amount grant are considered to have AmeriCorps experience and therefore can apply for Fixed Amount grants. See Mandatory Supplemental Guidance on the CNCS website for more information.
Operating Grants
VNH funds operating grants that support fully-developed plans to establish a New Hampshire AmeriCorps program or to support, expand, or replicate an existing program. Grant awards are reviewed annually and are subject to availability of federal appropriations.
IMPORTANT: All applications MUST include the following information:
- Program Size: Applicants must apply for a minimum of 10 members. AmeriCorps programs should be large enough to make a significant difference in communities. Volunteer NH reserves the right to set a maximum amount of members for a program as well.
- Statewide Member Training Conference: Programs need to include in the budget, under member training, $60 per member for attendance to the Annual Governor’s Conference on Volunteerism.
- Program Staff Training Conference: Programs are expected to budget $150 for sending appropriate staff to the one day National Service Program Staff Training Conference. The conference is held in Concord, NH the day before the Annual Governor’s Conference on Volunteerism.
- Budget-Indirect Costs: Volunteer NH will elect to retain a share of the 5% of federal funds allocated to indirect costs available to programs. Volunteer NH will retain 2% from subrecipients, computed from each month’s periodic expense report (PER). Please consult the 2018 Application Instructions for more information.
- Cost per MSY: No application may have a cost per MSY greater than $20,000.
Type of Applicants
Single-State Applicants
Organizations that propose to operate in only one state must apply through the Governor-appointed State or Territory Commissions (Volunteer NH).
Intent to Apply
Applicants are required to submit Intent to Apply to Volunteer NH for AmeriCorps funding. Include the following information in an email; the name of the applicant organization, address, contact person, e-mail address, and phone number. Applicants should state the type of grant for which they intend to apply and the focus area the anticipated application will address. Send to emily@volunteernh.org by Monday, May 18th. Failure to submit a Notice of Intent to Apply will render an applicant ineligible to apply.
Technical Assistance
Volunteer NH will host a technical assistance conference call and an AmeriCorps grant training meeting for NEW applicants and currently funded programs. The training is required for new applicants. Registration is required by email to emily@volunteernh.org for the technical assistance call on May 15 at 2:00pm.
Resources
To view the CNCS NOFO, Application Instructions, Mandatory Supplemental Guidance, Performance Measure Instructions and additional CNCS resources please go to: www.nationalservice.gov/build-your-capacity/grants/funding-opportunities/2018/americorps-state-and-national-grants-fy-2018
IMPORTANT: Volunteer NH Application Timeline
Tuesday, May 15 – T/TA Call for NEW applicants at 2pm.
Friday, May 18 – Intent to Apply due (email to emily@volunteernh.org)
Wednesday, May 30 – Applications due in eGrants by 5 pm
Wednesday, June 13 – Feedback delivered to applicants as denial or approval of the application for submission to Formula competition with or without clarifications
Friday, June 22– Applicants’ final application due in eGrants by 5 pm
For more information, please contact Volunteer NH Programs Officer Andrea Johnston at andrea@volunteernh.org.