Title 45—Public Welfare--Volume 1
PART 2521—ELIGIBLE AMERICORPS SUBTITLE C PROGRAM APPLICANTS AND TYPES OF GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR AWARD
§ 2521.5   What definitions apply to this part?
AmeriCorps means the Corporation for National and Community Service, established pursuant to section 191 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 12651, which operates as AmeriCorps.
You. For this part, you refers to the grantee, unless otherwise noted.
§ 2521.10   Who may apply to receive an AmeriCorps subtitle C grant?
(a) States (including Territories), subdivisions of States, Indian tribes, public or private nonprofit organizations (including religious organizations and labor organizations), and institutions of higher education are eligible to apply for AmeriCorps subtitle C grants. However, the fifty States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico must first receive AmeriCorps authorization for the use of a State Commission or alternative administrative or transitional entity pursuant to part 2550 of this chapter in order to be eligible.
(b) AmeriCorps may also enter into contracts or cooperative agreements for AmeriCorps assistance with Federal agencies that are Executive Branch agencies or departments. Bureaus, divisions, and local and regional offices of such departments and agencies may only receive assistance pursuant to a contract or agreement with the central department or agency. The requirements relating to Federal agencies are described in part 2523 of this chapter.
§ 2521.20   What types of AmeriCorps subtitle C program grants are available for award?
AmeriCorps may make the following types of grants to eligible applicants. The requirements of this section will also apply to any State or other applicant receiving assistance under this part that proposes to conduct a grant program using the assistance to support other national or community service programs.
(a) Planning grants —(1) Purpose. The purpose of a planning grant is to assist an applicant in completing the planning necessary to implement a sound concept that has already been developed.
(2) Eligibility. (i) States may apply directly to AmeriCorps for planning grants.
(ii) Subdivisions of States, Indian Tribes, public or private nonprofit organizations (including religious organizations and labor organizations), and institutions of higher education may apply either to a State or directly to AmeriCorps for planning grants.
(3) Duration. A planning grant will be negotiated for a term not to exceed one year.
(b) Operational grants —(1) Purpose. The purpose of an operational grant is to fund an organization that is ready to establish, operate, or expand an AmeriCorps program. An operational grant may include AmeriCorps educational awards. An operational grant may also include a short planning period of up to six months, if necessary, to implement a program.
(2) Eligibility. (i) States may apply directly to AmeriCorps for operational grants.
(ii) Subdivisions of States, Indian Tribes, public or private nonprofit organizations (including religious organizations and labor organizations), and institutions of higher education may apply either to a State or directly to AmeriCorps for operational grants. AmeriCorps may limit the categories of applicants eligible to apply directly to AmeriCorps for assistance under this section consistent with its National priorities.
(3) Duration. An operational grant will be negotiated for a term not to exceed three years. Within a three-year term, renewal funding will be contingent upon periodic assessment of program quality, progress to date, and availability of Congressional appropriations.
(c) Replication Grants. AmeriCorps may provide assistance for the replication of an existing national service program to another geographical location.
(d) Training, technical assistance and other special grants —(1) Purpose. The purpose of these grants is to ensure broad access to AmeriCorps programs for all Americans, including those with disabilities; support disaster relief efforts; assist efforts to secure private support for programs through challenge grants; and ensure program quality by supporting technical assistance and training programs.
(2) Eligibility. Eligibility varies and is detailed under 45 CFR part 2524, “Technical Assistance and Other Special Grants.”
(3) Duration. Grants will be negotiated for a renewable term of up to three years.
§ 2521.30   How will AmeriCorps subtitle C program grants be awarded?
In any fiscal year, AmeriCorps will award AmeriCorps subtitle C program grants as follows:
(a) Grants to State Applicants. (1) For the purposes of this section, the term “State” means the fifty States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.
(2) One-third of the funds available under this part and a corresponding allotment of AmeriCorps educational awards, as specified by AmeriCorps, will be distributed according to a population-based formula to the 50 States, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia if they have applications approved by AmeriCorps.
(3) At least one-third of funds available under this part and an appropriate number of AmeriCorps awards, as determined by AmeriCorps, will be awarded to States on a competitive basis. In order to receive these funds, a State must receive funds under paragraphs (a)(2) or (b)(1) of this section in the same fiscal year.
(4) In making subgrants with funds awarded by formula or competition under paragraphs (a)(2) or (3) of this section, a State must ensure that a minimum of 50 percent of funds going to States will be used for programs that operate in the areas of need or on Federal or other public lands, and that place a priority on recruiting participants who are residents in high need areas, or on Federal or other public lands. AmeriCorps may waive this requirement for an individual State if at least 50 percent of the total amount of assistance to all States will be used for such programs.
(b) Grants to Applicants other than States. (1) One percent of available funds will be distributed to the U.S. Territories 1 that have applications approved by AmeriCorps according to a population-based formula. 2
1 The United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
2 The amount allotted as a grant to each such territory or possession is equal to the ratio of each such Territory's population to the population of all such territories multiplied by the amount of the one percent set-aside.
(2) One percent of available funds will be reserved for distribution to Indian tribes on a competitive basis.
(3) AmeriCorps will use any funds available under this part remaining after the award of the grants described in paragraphs (a) and (b)(1) and (2) of this section to make direct competitive grants to subdivisions of States, Indian tribes, public or private nonprofit organizations (including religious organizations and labor organizations), institutions of higher education, and Federal agencies. No more than one-third of the these remaining funds may be awarded to Federal agencies.
(c) Allocation of AmeriCorps educational awards only. AmeriCorps will determine on an annual basis the appropriate number of educational awards to make available for eligible applicants who have not applied for program assistance.
(d) Effect of States' or Territories' failure to apply. If a State or U.S. Territory does not apply for or fails to give adequate notice of its intent to apply for a formula-based grant as announced by AmeriCorps and published in applications and the Notice of Funds Availability, AmeriCorps will use the amount of that State's allotment to make grants to eligible entities to carry out AmeriCorps programs in that State or Territory. Any funds remaining from that State's allotment after making such grants will be reallocated to the States, Territories, and Indian tribes with approved AmeriCorps applications at AmeriCorps' discretion.
(e) Effect of rejection of State application. If a State's application for a formula-based grant is ultimately rejected by AmeriCorps pursuant to § 2522.320 of this chapter, the State's allotment will be available for redistribution by AmeriCorps to the States, Territories, and Indian Tribes with approved AmeriCorps applications as AmeriCorps deems appropriate.
(f) AmeriCorps will make grants for training, technical assistance and other special programs described in part 2524 of this chapter at AmeriCorps' discretion.
§ 2521.35   Who must comply with matching requirements?
(a) The matching requirements described in §§ 2521.40 through 2521.95 apply to you if you are a subgrantee of a State commission or a direct program grantee of AmeriCorps. These requirements do not apply to Education Award Programs.
(b) If you are a State commission, you must ensure that your grantees meet the match requirements established in this part, and you are also responsible for meeting an aggregate overall match based on your grantees' individual match requirements.
§ 2521.40   What are the matching requirements?
If you are subject to matching requirements under § 2521.35, you must adhere to the following:
(a) Basic match: At a minimum, you must meet the basic match requirements as articulated in § 2521.45.
(b) Regulatory match: In addition to the basic requirements under paragraph (a) of this section, you must provide an overall level of matching funds according to the schedule in § 2521.60(a), or § 2521.60(b) if applicable.
(c) Budgeted match: To the extent that the match in your approved budget exceeds your required match levels under paragraph (a) or (b) of this section, any failure to provide the amount above your regulatory match but below your budgeted match will be considered as a measure of past performance in subsequent grant competitions.
§ 2521.45   What are the limitations on the Federal Government's share of program costs?
The limitations on the Federal Government's share are different—in type and amount—for member support costs and program operating costs.
(a) Member support: The Federal share, including AmeriCorps and other Federal funds, of member support costs, which include the living allowance required under § 2522.240(b)(1) of this chapter, FICA, unemployment insurance (if required under State law), and worker's compensation (if required under State law), is limited as follows:
(1) If you are a professional corps described in § 2522.240(b)(2)(i) of this chapter, you may not use AmeriCorps funds for the living allowance.
(2) Your share of member support costs must be non-Federal cash.
(3) AmeriCorps's share of health care costs may not exceed 85 percent.
(b) Program operating costs. The AmeriCorps share of program operating costs may not exceed 67 percent. These costs include expenditures (other than member support costs described in paragraph (a) of this section) such as staff, operating expenses, internal evaluation, and administration costs.
(1) You may provide your share of program operating costs with cash, including other Federal funds (as long as the other Federal agency permits its funds to be used as match), or third-party in-kind contributions.
(2) Contributions, including third party in-kind must:
(i) Be verifiable from your records;
(ii) Not be included as contributions for any other Federally assisted program;
(iii) Be necessary and reasonable for the proper and efficient accomplishment of your program's objectives; and
(iv) Be allowable under applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cost principles.
(3) You may not include the value of direct community service performed by volunteers, but you may include the value of services contributed by volunteers to your organizations for organizational functions such as accounting, audit, and training of staff and AmeriCorps programs.”
§ 2521.50   If I am an Indian Tribe, to what extent may I use tribal funds towards my share of costs?
If you are an Indian Tribe that receives tribal funds through Public Law 93-638 (the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act), those funds are considered non-Federal and you may use them towards your share of costs, including member support costs.
§ 2521.60   To what extent must my share of program costs increase over time?
Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, if your program continues to receive funding after an initial three-year grant period, you must continue to meet the minimum requirements in § 2521.45 of this part. In addition, your required share of program costs, including member support and operating costs, will incrementally increase each grant period to a 30 percent overall share by the fourth grant period and beyond (tenth year and any year thereafter that you receive a grant), without a break in funding of five years or more.
(a) Minimum Organization Share: (1) Subject to the requirements of § 2521.45 of this part, and except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, your overall share of program costs will increase as of the fourth consecutive year that you receive a grant, according to the following timetable:
Table 1 to Paragraph ( a )—Timetable for Minimum Organization Share
(2) A State commission may meet its match based on the aggregate of its grantees' individual match requirements.
(b) Alternative match requirements: If your program is unable to meet the match requirements set forth in paragraph (a) of this section and it is located in a rural or severely economically distressed community, you may apply to AmeriCorps for a waiver that would decrease the level of your required match.
(c) Determining Program Location. (1) AmeriCorps will determine whether your program is located in a rural county by considering the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Beale Codes.
(2) AmeriCorps will determine whether your program is located in a severely economically distressed county by considering unemployment rates, per capita income, and poverty rates.
(3) Unless AmeriCorps approves otherwise, as provided in paragraph (c)(4) of this section, AmeriCorps will determine the location of your program based on the legal applicant's address.
(4) If you believe that the legal applicant's address is not the appropriate way to consider the location of your program, you may request the waiver described in paragraph (b) of this section and provide the relevant facts about your program location to support your request.
(d) Schedule for current program grants: If you have completed at least one three-year grant cycle on the date this regulation takes effect, you will be required to provide your share of costs beginning at the year three level, according to the table in paragraph (a) of this section, in the first program year in your grant following the regulation's effective date, and increasing each year thereafter as reflected in the table.
(e) Flexibility in how you provide your share: As long as you meet the basic match requirements in § 2521.45, you may use cash or in-kind contributions to reach the overall share level. For example, if your organization finds it easier to raise member support match, you may choose to meet the required overall match by raising only more member support match, and leave operational match at the basic level, as long as you provide the required overall match.
(f) Reporting excess resources. (1) AmeriCorps encourages you to obtain support over-and-above the matching fund requirements. Reporting these resources may make your application more likely to be selected for funding, based on the selection criteria in §§ 2522.430 and 2522.435 of these regulations.
(2) You must comply with § 2543.23 of this title and applicable OMB circulars in documenting cash and in-kind contributions and excess resources.
§ 2521.70   To what extent may AmeriCorps waive the matching requirements in §§ 2521.45 and 2521.60 of this part?
(a) AmeriCorps may waive, in whole or in part, the requirements of §§ 2521.45 and 2521.60 if AmeriCorps determines that a waiver would be equitable because of a lack of available financial resources at the local level.
(b) If you are requesting a waiver, you must demonstrate:
(1) Initial difficulties in the development of local funding sources during the first three years of operations; or
(2) An economic downturn, the occurrence of a natural disaster, or similar events in the service area that severely restrict or reduce sources of local funding support; or
(3) The unexpected discontinuation of local support from one or more sources that a project has relied on for a period of years; or
(4) Organizational revenue of less than $500,000.
(c) You must provide with your waiver request:
(1) A description of the efforts you have made to raise matching resources; and
(2) A request for the specific amount of match you are asking AmeriCorps to waive; and
(3) A budget and budget narrative that reflect the requested level in matching resources.
§ 2521.80   What matching level applies if my program was funded in the past but has not recently received an AmeriCorps grant?
(a) If you have not been a direct recipient of an AmeriCorps operational grant from AmeriCorps or a State commission for five years or more, as determined by the end date of your most recent grant period, you may begin matching at the year one level, as reflected in the timetable in § 2521.60(a) of this part, upon receiving your new grant award.
(b) If you have not been a direct recipient of an AmeriCorps operational grant from AmeriCorps or a State commission for fewer than five years, you must begin matching at the same level you were matching at the end of your most recent grant period.
§ 2521.90   If I am a new or replacement legal applicant for an existing program, what will my matching requirements be?
If your organization is a new or replacement legal applicant for an existing program, you must provide matching resources at the level the previous legal applicant had reached at the time you took over the program.
§ 2521.95   To what extent may I use grant funds for administrative costs?
(a) Not more than five percent of the grant funds provided under this part for any fiscal year may be used to pay for administrative costs, as defined in § 2510.20 of this chapter.
(b) The distribution of administrative costs between the grant and any subgrant will be subject to the approval of AmeriCorps.
(c) In applying the limitation on administrative costs AmeriCorps will approve one of the following methods in the award document:
(1) Limit the amount or rate of indirect costs that may be paid with AmeriCorps funds under a grant or subgrant to five percent of total AmeriCorps funds expended, provided that—
(i) Organizations that have an established indirect cost rate for Federal awards will be limited to this method; and
(ii) Unreimbursed indirect costs may be applied to meeting operational matching requirements under AmeriCorps' award;
(2) Specify that a fixed rate of five percent or less (not subject to supporting cost documentation) of total AmeriCorps funds expended may be used to pay for administrative costs, provided that the fixed rate is in conjunction with an overall 15 percent administrative cost factor to be used for organizations that do not have established indirect cost rates; or
(3) Utilize such other method that AmeriCorps determines in writing is consistent with OMB guidance and other applicable requirements, helps minimize the burden on grantees or subgrantees, and is beneficial to grantees or subgrantees and the Federal Government.