2014 COMMISSION SUPPORT GRANTS

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

HOW TO APPLY FOR

State Service Commission Support Grants

OMB Approval Number TBD

Expiration Date TBD 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

These application instructions conform to the Corporation for 

National and Community Service’s (CNCS) online grant 

application system, eGrants. The eGrants system is designed to 

serve CNCS’s applicants and grantees. All CNCS funding

announcements are posted on our website 

www.NationalService.gov and at 

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

Public Burden Statement: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995 requires CNCS to inform all potential persons who are to 

respond to this collection of information that such persons are not 

required to respond unless it displays a currently valid OMB 

control number. (See 5 CFR 1320.5(b)(2)(i))
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

2 

Time Burden: The time required to complete this collection of 

information is estimated to average 37 hours per applicant, 

including the time to review instructions; search existing data 

resources; gather the data needed; and complete and review the 

information collection. 

Use of Information: The information collected constitutes an 

application to CNCS for grant funding. CNCS evaluates the 

application and makes funding decisions through the CNCS’s 

grant review and selection process. 

Effects of Non-Disclosure: Providing this information is 

voluntary; however, failure to provide the information would not 

allow CNCS to assess the applicant’s request for funding. 

Therefore it would not be possible to consider granting funds to 

the applicant. 

Privacy Act: The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C § 552a) requires that the 

following notice be provided to you: The information requested on the 

AmeriCorps Application Instructions is collected pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 12581 

- 12585 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended, and 42 

U.S.C. § 4953 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 as amended. 

Purposes and Uses - The information requested is collected for the purposes of 

reviewing grant applications and granting funding requests. Routine Uses -

Routine uses may include disclosure of the information to federal, state, or local 

agencies pursuant to lawfully authorized requests. In some programs, the 

information may also be provided to federal, state, and local law enforcement 

agencies to determine the existence of any prior criminal convictions. The 

information may also be provided to appropriate federal agencies and Department 

contractors that have a need to know the information for the purpose of assisting 

the Department’s efforts to respond to a suspected or confirmed breach of the 

security or confidentiality or information maintained in this system of records, 

and the information disclosed is relevant and unnecessary for the assistance. 

Executive Summaries of all compliant applications received and applications of 

successful applicants will be published on the CNCS website as part of ongoing 

efforts to increase transparency in grantmaking. The information will not 

otherwise be disclosed to entities outside of AmeriCorps and CNCS without prior 

written permission. Effects of Nondisclosure - The information requested is 

mandatory in order to receive benefits.

Public Comments: Comments on the burden or content of this 

instrument may be sent to the Corporation for National and 

Community Service, Attn: Mr. James Stone, 1201 New York 

Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20525. 
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

3 

STATE COMMISSION SUPPORT GRANT APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

IMPORTANT NOTICE............................................................................................................... 1

I. PURPOSE .............................................................................................................................. 5

II. DEADLINE............................................................................................................................ 5

III. USING EGRANTS................................................................................................................ 5

IV. COLLABORATION............................................................................................................. 6

V. COMMISSION SUPPORT FUNDS.................................................................................... 6

VI. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS...................................................................................... 8

VII.BUDGET INSTRUCTIONS............................................................................................... 12

APPENDIX I: GRANT PROVISIONS..................................................................................... 14

APPENDIX II: COMMISSION ALTERNATIVE MATCH SCHEDULE........................... 15

APPENDIX III: THEORY OF CHANGE LOGIC MODEL................................................. 19

APPENDIX IV: EGRANTS PERFORMANCE MEASURES INSTRUCTIONS................ 20

Changes in the 2014 Instructions:

1. Changed application deadline.

2. Notice. Time burden changed from 25 to 37 hours.

3. Section II. Change in deadline.

4. Section III. Change to include publishing executive summary on CNCS website.

5. Section IV. Removal of multi-state grantee expectations from instruction for state service 

commissions.

6. Section V. C. Changes to supplemental funding eligibility criteria.

7. Section V.E. Addition of a capacity, accomplishment performance section.

8. Section VI Changes to application instructions to include language related to CNCS 

review of applications (formerly Appendix I)

9. Section VI. Changes to application instructions components to include performance 

measures.

10. Section VI.C Addition of an executive summary and theory of change logic model.

11. Section VI.C Reorganization of compliance and performance and collaboration and 

sustainability sections.

12. Section VI C. Modifications to narrative section to include additional questions

13. Section VI.D. Addition of performance measures.

14. Section VI.E. Addition of required theory of change logic model

15. Appendix I: Moved Previous Appendix I content (Review of Applications) to Section VI.

16. Previous Appendix II (Grant Provisions) moved to Appendix I. 

17. Appendix II: Previous Appendix II (Grant Provisions) moved to Appendix I. 

18. Previous Appendix III (Commission Alternative Match Schedule) moved to Appendix II. 
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

4 

19. Appendix III Previous Appendix III (Commission Alternative Match Schedule) moved to 

Appendix II. 

20. Addition of instructions for theory of change logic model. 

21. Addition of instructions for commission support grant performance measures module.
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

5 

COMMISSION SUPPORT GRANT APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

I. PURPOSE

State Commission Support grants support the operation of State Commissions and Alternative 

Administrative Entities (AAEs) in implementing their duties as required by the National and 

Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA), as amended. (See 42 U.S.C. § 12638)

A State Commission is a bipartisan or nonpartisan State entity, approved by the Corporation for 

National and Community Service (CNCS), consisting of 15–25 members appointed by the chief 

executive officer of the State. The State Commission is responsible for developing a 

comprehensive national service plan, assembling applications for funding and national service 

positions, and administering CNCS grants in the State.

An AAE is a State or non-State entity approved by CNCS to perform the duties of a State 

Commission, including developing a State Service Plan, preparing applications to CNCS for 

funding and national service positions, and administering CNCS grants.

II. DEADLINE

The deadline to apply for Commission Support grants is Tuesday, July 1, 2014. We will 

consider an extension to the application deadline only for extenuating circumstances clearly 

beyond your control. Submit your request for an extension stating the rationale to 

CommissionFormula@cns.gov via email or letter submitted via courier service; the request must 

be received on or before the grant due date.

III. USING EGRANTS

To submit your application, access eGrants (https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp), 

CNCS’s integrated, secure, web-based system for applications. The Notice of Funding 

Availability (NOFA) is:

 Commission Support Grants FY 2014

If you are applying for your first request for funds in a given year, select the 

“Continuation/Renewal” option when setting up your application. If you are applying for a 

subsequent round of funding in a given year, select the “Amend” option and specify the type of 

amendment. Your previous year’s application and budget will be imported, and available for 

you to edit.

In addition:

 We suggest you first prepare and save your application as a word processing document, 

then copy and paste the document into eGrants. 

 Use only UPPERCASE letters for all section headings and other information you 

would like to highlight in your narrative. Bold face, bullets, underlines, or other 

types of formatting, charts, diagrams, and tables will not copy into eGrants. 

 If your narrative exceeds 32,000 characters (approximately 10 single-spaced pages), enter 

the remaining information in the “Program Narrative Continued” text box. Characters 

include all the letters, punctuation, and spaces in your document. Your word processing 

software can provide a character count. eGrants will not alert you if you exceed the 
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

6 

character limits until you review and submit. Check character limits in your word 

processing document before you copy and paste into eGrants.

 Please be advised that by submitting your application, you consent to the publication of 

the executive summary section on the CNCS website.

IV. COLLABORATION

CNCS expects all national service programs to collaborate at the local level. State Commissions 

are expected to communicate and coordinate with AmeriCorps multi-state parent organizations

and sites in your state, as well as Senior Corps sites. Multi-state parent organizations include 

recipients of any AmeriCorps program grant, including Indian Tribe grants. 

Likewise, AmeriCorps multi-state parent organizations and Senior Corps programs are expected 

to communicate and coordinate with Commissions in the states where they operate and to share 

resources as appropriate.

As a State Commission, you are expected to:

 Review information from multi-state AmeriCorps applicants submitting applications to 

operate in your state.

 Develop a process to solicit the needs of all national service programs in your annual needs 

assessment, training and disability inclusion plan development activities, and in the 

development of your State Service Plan.

 Add appropriate personnel from all national service programs in your state to your mailing 

list and invite them to appropriate training and other events.

V. COMMISSION SUPPORT GRANT FUNDS

A. Allowable Uses of Commission Support Grant Funds

The activities proposed must be consistent with the National and Community Service Act of 

1990, as amended, AmeriCorps Regulations 45 CFR § 2550.80, these Instructions, the 

Commission Support Grant Provisions, and with your State Service Plan. 

B. Available Resources

Each State Commission is eligible for an annual allocation of Commission Support Grant 

funding if and when funds are available. You will receive guidance on submission deadline, the 

amount of unexpended funds you may carryover into a new program year and the level of 

funding up to which you may request. A basic appropriated level allocation chart is prepared 

each fiscal year after CNCS’s appropriation is enacted. If the basic appropriated allocation chart 

is not available before the application is due, use the prior fiscal year allocation amount to 

complete your budget. DO NOT include any carryover or supplemental funding received

when preparing your budget if it is based on the prior year basic allocation. The basic 

allocation is restricted to the amount allocated to a commission in a given year and not the 

amount budgeted for activities in that year that included supplemental funds or prior year 

unexpended funds.
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

7 

When CNCS’s appropriation is enacted and you receive the basic appropriated funds allocation 

chart, if you are in a continuation year, you may include the unexpended funds you intend to 

carry over from the previous year in an amended budget up to the CNCS allowed limit.

C. Supplemental Commission Support Grant Funds

CNCS will allocate unrequested commission support grant funds to eligible commissions that 

request supplemental funds. No commission’s basic plus supplemental funding award may 

exceed $850,000. 

Supplemental funds are available to commissions that:

 Request their full allocations and any allowable unexpended funds;

 Demonstrate the capacity to use the additional funds before the start of the next grant year 

and meet the additional match requirement;

 Do not have unexpended funds from the immediate prior-year allocation higher than allowed 

by CNCS;

 Are not on the commission alternative match schedule; 

 Are free of outstanding compliance or audit issues; 

 Qualify for at least a $2,000 allocation of supplemental funds based on the supplemental 

Commission Support Grant allocation methodology; and

 Meet all other commission support funding requirements including submission deadlines.

CNCS will consider supplemental fund requests from states that received a decreased allocation 

from their immediate prior year allocation first and will make any remaining supplemental funds 

available to other states that apply and qualify for them. 

Instructions to request supplemental funds will be sent after the CNCS appropriation is enacted. 

DO NOT include supplemental funding requests in your initial Commission Support 

narrative or budget request. All supplemental awards will be incorporated in an amended

application once the supplemental allocation has been determined.

Commissions desiring to request supplemental funding must submit their requests via email to 

CommissionFormula@cns.gov once they have been notified of the basic appropriated allocation 

amount. Commissions will be notified of the deadline at the time they are notified of their basic

allocation.

D. Match Requirements 

As provided in the NCSA (42 U.S.C. § 12576), costs you incur in the context of your 

Commission Support grant require a 50 percent match. 

The NCSA allows CNCS to “permit a State that demonstrates hardship or a new State 

Commission to meet alternative matching requirements.” The law allows an alternative schedule 

in hardship cases as follows:

 First $100,000 of CNCS Funds – no match required

 $101,000 - $250,000 of CNCS Funds - $1 match for every $2 CNCS grants
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

8 

 Over $250,000 of CNCS Funds - $1 match for every $1 CNCS grants

See Appendix II for additional information, the indicators that CNCS considers in determining if 

a state is experiencing hardship, and instructions for submitting a request for the Alternative 

Match Schedule. Only submit a request after reading Appendix II and only if you think your 

Commission qualifies for a lesser matching schedule. CNCS requires at least 60 days to review a 

request. If approved, your grants officer will help with the process to submit your budget under 

the Alternative schedule.

Please note that the threshold for approving the Alternative Schedule is high. The burden is on 

the Commission to demonstrate unusual hardship that has led to a decrease in support and 

inability to meet the 50-50 matching requirement. CNCS will take decreased capacity into 

consideration in making funding decisions for other grant applications, including, but not limited 

to, State Competitive funds and Education Award grants.

E. Capacity, Accomplishment, and Performance Measurement

State Commission performance is a factor in considering the capacity of the commission to 

manage a competitive subgrant portfolio. 

CNCS will assess State Commission performance based on multiple factors, including: 

 Progress toward objectives outlined in the State Service Plan as articulated through the 

theory of change logic model

 Progress toward meeting targets of an aligned capacity building national performance

measure

 Monitoring and oversight execution

 Commission budget planning and execution

 Statewide member enrollment rates

 Statewide member retention rates

 Progress of programs towards meeting performance measures

VI. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Applications consist of the following components. Please make sure to complete each one.

CNCS staff will review completed applications to determine technical assistance needs for State 

Commissions. CNCS will also review your application for compliance with grant provisions and 

applicable federal laws and regulations. 

 Applicant Info 

 Application Info

 Narratives

 Performance Measures

 Documents

 Budget

 Funding/Demographics

 Review, Authorize, and Submit

 Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants (Optional) 
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

9 

In eGrants, before starting Section I, you will need to:

 Start a “Continuation/Renewal” Grant Application

 Select a Program Area (AmeriCorps)

 Select a NOFA: Commission Support Grants FY 2014

A. Applicant Info

In eGrants, complete the Applicant Info Section. This section is particularly important for CNCS 

data collection and evaluation. Please take the time to complete this section carefully. 

 In the Applicant Info/Applying Type Section, select Continuation/Renewal unless you are 

applying for the first time. If you are a new commission applying for the first time, select 

New.

 If you are a new program, enter your contact information into the fields that appear. 

B. Application Info

Information entered in the Applicant Info, Application Info, and Budget sections will populate 

the SF 424 Facesheet. 

In the Application Info Section enter:

 Areas affected by your program.

 Requested project period start and end dates. The project period is one year (January 1, 2014

– December 31, 2014)

 Subject to Review by State Executive Order 12372: This is pre-filled as “No, this is not 

applicable.” Please do not change the pre-filled statement in this section.

 If you are delinquent on any federal debt.

C. Narratives

Executive Summary: The Executive Summary will be displayed on the CNCS website. The 

information provided should capture the essence of commission operations and objectives for the 

state. Use the text below and fill in the blanks to guide the composition of your Executive 

Summary:

[Name of Commission], the [State] Commission, administers [number of AmeriCorps programs] 

that address the State’s needs in the areas of [focus areas of the AmeriCorps portfolio]. In 

addition, the Commission [brief list of other Commission activities].

Program Narrative: Your program narrative consists of your responses to the following

questions. In responding to each question, please include information on the 2013 outcomes and 

accomplishments as well as your plan for 2014.

Each Commission must complete a Theory of Change Logic Model (see Appendix III) that 

outlines the Commission’s theory of change. Commissions are required to submit a copy of 

their state service plan upon request by CNCS. 

AMERICORPS GRANT OUTREACH AND SELECTION
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

10 

 What are your strategies or approaches for outreach to eligible organizations that may be 

interested in operating an AmeriCorps program?

 What is your process for receiving, reviewing, and deciding what applications are submitted 

for the competitive and formula process? Is the competitive process separate from the 

formula process or is it inter-related?

 What process does the Commission engage in either directly with its applicants or

independently to ensure the competitive applications that are submitted to CNCS have a 

strong theory of change, allowable AmeriCorps member activities, and are responsive to the 

NOFO?

 What processes have you established to assess an organization’s capacity to manage Federal 

grant funds and raise the additional funds necessary to operate an AmeriCorps program? 

How do you assess potential grantees’ financial systems before you approve the applicant for 

funding? If risks are identified, how do you take those risks into consideration when making 

funding decisions? 

 What pre-award review process have you established to assess whether organizations will 

meet the needs expressed in their proposals and manage a high quality AmeriCorps program?

COMPLIANCE AND PERFORMANCE

 How do you plan to train and monitor subgrantees for full compliance with the applicable 

Regulations, Provisions, and OMB Circulars?

 What support will you provide to subgrantees to ensure a thorough understanding of 

performance measurement and the ability to demonstrate outcomes?

 Describe your performance and continuous improvement strategies for statewide member 

enrollment and retention rates.

 How do you develop and execute your Commission budget in order to fully and properly use 

all awarded funds? How do you ensure accurate and timely reporting of CNCS and match 

expenditures? 

 How will you ensure the commission meet the outcomes/results outlined on the theory of 

change logic model and your State Service Plan?

COLLABORATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

 What are your ongoing efforts or special initiatives that involve convening of and/or 

collaborating with the CNCS State Offices, multi-state AmeriCorps programs, AmeriCorps 

VISTA, AmeriCorps NCCC, Senior Corps, State Education Agencies, state networks of 

volunteer centers, and/or other volunteer service organizations within the state? 

 Describe how you leverage community and private sector resources in support of the goals 

identified in the State Service Plan. 

 How do you ensure the sustainability of your national service and volunteerism efforts? 

Please include information on financial resources, continuity of operations and staff 

succession planning, and bi-partisan political support.

Your narrative is not limited to responses to the points listed above, and may also include other 

elements that you and your service partners find useful. 
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

11 

D. Performance Measures

The role of State Commissions includes building the capacity of national service programs and 

other organizations in the state. In order to track performance in capacity building, Commissions 

must select from Capacity Building National Performance Measures to create at least one aligned 

performance measure. The National Performance Measures can be found at:

http://www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/upload/ACSN_2014_PM_Instructions.pdf

 

For more information about the CNCS Capacity Building Measures go to:

https://www.nationalserviceresources.org/npm/goal3. 

See Appendix IV for specific information on entering performance measures in eGrants.

E. Documents

All required documents must be submitted to CommissionFormula@cns.gov by the 

submission deadline.

Theory of Change Logic Model. Complete the chart with your major Commission activities and 

submit via email to CommissionFormula@cns.gov on or before the application deadline. 

Indirect Cost Rate. If you are a State Commission using a federally approved indirect cost rate, 

you must submit a copy of your current approved indirect cost rate agreement via email to 

CommissionFormula@cns.gov on or before the application deadline. 

Commission Board Composition. You are required to create a separate word processing or 

spreadsheet document which includes information about each Commissioner, based on the 

example below. Submit this document via email to CommissionFormula@cns.gov on or before 

the application deadline. CNCS will use this information to determine State Commission

compliance with the State Commission composition regulation (45 CFR § 2550.50). 

Commissions not compliant with board composition requirements will be asked to provide a 

corrective action plan. 

Information Example

Prefix, First, Middle, Last, Suffix Ms. Jane Commissioner 

Title (Commissioner, Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, etc.) Commissioner

Term Expiration Date and Voting Status (Voting, Non-Voting, 

Ex-Officio)

12/31/16 (Voting)

Organizational Affiliation 

(See examples below—do NOT enter the name of the 

organization where the Commissioner works but the type of 

organization).

Community-based Agency, State Education Agency, Local 

Government, Local Labor Organization, Business, Youth, 

National Service Program, Education/Training, Older Adults in 

Service, Higher Education, Local Education Agency, Human 

Community-based 

Agency
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

12 

Services Expert, Education Expert

Environmental Expert, Public Safety Expert, Indian Tribes, Out 

of School Program, DVSA Program, State Agency, Volunteer 

Sector

Street Address, City, State, ZIP and if the commissioner is a

State Government Employee

Community Foundation 

12 My Street Name

My Town, My State 

12345

Verify that all required documents have been submitted to CommissionFormula@cns.gov before 

the application deadline.

F. Funding/Demographics

There are two questions under the demographics tab to determine if commission board 

composition complies with 42 U.S.C. 12638 (d)1 membership balance, that not more than 50 

percent of the voting members of a State Commission, plus one additional member, may be from 

the same political party.

 Enter the number of voting commission board members for the first question. 

 Enter the number of commission board members that form the largest contingent from one 

political party for the second question. 

G. Review, Authorize, and Submit 

Read the Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications carefully. The person who authorizes the 

application must be the applicant’s Authorized Representative or his/her designee and must have 

an active eGrants account to sign these documents electronically. An Authorized Representative 

is a person in your organization authorized to accept and commit funds on behalf of the 

organization. 

Be sure to check your entire application to ensure that there are no errors before submitting it. 

The eGrants System will also generate a list of errors if there are sections that need to be 

corrected prior to submission when you verify the application. If someone other than the person 

preparing the application is acting in the role of the applicant’s Authorized Representative, that 

person must log into his/her eGrants account and proceed with Authorize and Submit. After

signing off on the Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications, his/her name will override any 

previous signatory that may appear and show on the application as the Authorized 

Representative. An appropriate delegation of authority document for the Authorized 

Representative should be retained on file by the commission.

Note: Anyone within your organization who will be entering information in the application at 

any point during application preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have 

his/her own active eGrants account. Individuals may establish an eGrants account by accessing 

this link: https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp and selecting ―Don’t have an eGrants 

account? Create an account.

VII. BUDGET INSTRUCTIONS
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

13 

Follow these instructions as you enter your budget information into eGrants. The system will use 

this information to generate a budget narrative and a summary budget. 

Note that in the My Account section of eGrants, if you have the Grantee Admin Role, you can 

assign the role of Admin Budget to individual staff members who will then have access to all 

budget information in eGrants. Staff members who are not assigned this role will not be able to 

access the budget information in eGrants for Commission Support applications or grants.

Complete the budget for funds you are requesting from CNCS and any Grantee Share required. 

For each line item provide a clearly stated explanation that shows how you calculated the cost, in 

an equation format where appropriate. For example, you should break down staff travel into 

distinct components and prepare equations showing the number of anticipated trips, the number 

of travelers, and estimated costs. Budget categories are:

 Project Personnel Expenses: Show each staff member working on the grant, total annual 

salary, and the percentage of time spent working on the grant. Provide a very brief 

justification of staff member roles. Staff salaries cannot exceed 100 percent across multiple 

grants. Fundraising and lobbying are not allowed if staff is budgeted at 100 percent on 

federal grants.

 Personnel Fringe Benefits: Under “Purpose/Description,” identify the types of fringe 

benefits to be covered and the costs of benefit(s) for each staff position. Allowable fringe 

benefits typically include FICA, Worker’s Compensation, Retirement, SUTA, Health and 

Life Insurance, IRA, and 401K. 

You may provide a calculation for total benefits as a percentage of the salaries to which they 

apply or list each benefit as a separate item. If a fringe amount is over 30 percent of total 

salary, please list each benefit separately. Holidays, leave, and other similar vacation benefits 

are not included in the fringe benefit rates, but are absorbed into the personnel expenses 

(salary) budget line item. 

 Travel: Describe the purpose for which staff will travel. Provide a calculation to include 

costs for airfare, transportation, lodging, per diem, and other travel-related expenses 

multiplied by the number of trips/staff. Where applicable, identify the current standard 

reimbursement rate(s) of the organization for mileage, daily per diem, and similar supporting 

information. For example: Two staff members will attend the ACSN Grantee Symposium 2 

staff x ($750 airfare + $50 ground transportation + (1 day) x $200 lodging +$75 per diem) = 

$2,150.Only domestic travel is allowable; other travel is allowable only if specifically 

identified and approved as a condition of a grant award.

Travel for subgrantee monitoring and CNCS-sponsored meetings should be budgeted or a 

justification why not should be provided.

 Equipment: Equipment is defined as tangible, non-expendable personal property having a 

useful life of more than one year AND an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit

(including accessories, attachments, and modifications). Any items that do not meet this 

definition should be entered in E. Supplies below. Purchases of equipment are limited to 10
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

14 

percent of the total CNCS funds requested. If applicable, show the unit cost and number of 

units you are requesting. Provide a brief justification for the purchase of the equipment under 

Item/Purpose.

 Supplies: Supplies include any equipment that costs less than $5,000 per unit. You must 

include any individual supply cost of more than $1,000 in a separate line item.

 Contractual and Consultant Services: Indicate the daily rate for consultants you are 

proposing to use and their contractual services. Indicate the daily rate, number of days, and 

total cost and justification in the narrative.

 Other Support Costs: Include costs that may not fit into the other categories, such as 

newsletters. You must fully explain any costs in this category. Please explain how you will 

meet criminal history check requirements if funds for criminal history checks are not 

budgeted. Provide the rate calculation for ASC dues and explain how the rate or amount was 

determined. Explain and justify any professional development costs. If food is included in the 

cost for an event please justify and itemize the cost separately. If mini-grants are included in 

the budget, identify the number of grants and the approximated amount of each grant. If you 

have VISTA members, clarify the use of Commission Support Grant funds to support them. 

If recognition events are part of the budget, clarify the purpose if food is provided. The type, 

number, and value of recognition items should be described and the type of intended 

beneficiary identified. 

 Indirect Costs: You may use your negotiated indirect cost rate for your Commission Support

Grant budget, if you have one.

 Source of Match: Enter match source information by clicking “Enter Source of Matching 

Funds” (Budget Section I: Support Expenses). Indicate whether your State Commission share 

is cash or in-kind and the sources that provide the match. The amount of match noted in the 

source of match section must equal the amount indicated in the budget.

APPENDIX I: GRANT PROVISIONS 

By accepting funds, you agree to comply with the Commission Support Grant Provisions that 

apply to these funds and all applicable federal statutes, regulations, and guidelines. You agree to 

administer the grant in accordance with your approved grant application and budget, supporting 

documents, and other representations made in support of the approved grant application. 

All applicable Provisions of the grant, including regulations and OMB circulars that are 

incorporated by reference shall apply to any grantee, subgrantee, or other organization carrying 

out activities under this award. 
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

15 

APPENDIX II: COMMISSION ALTERNATIVE MATCH SCHEDULE

Instructions for Requesting the

Commission Alternative Matching Schedule

Background. The National and Community Service Act (NCSA) allows CNCS to approve an 

alternate match schedule for Commissions that successfully demonstrate hardship in meeting the 

50 percent required grantee share in the current economic climate. The NCSA allows an 

alternative schedule in hardship cases as follows:

 First $100,000 of CNCS Funds - $0 match required

 $101,000 - $250,000 of CNCS Funds - $1 match for every $2 CNCS

 Over $250,000 of CNCS Funds - $1 match for every $1 CNCS

Example: The table below demonstrates how the alternative schedule applies to a $300,000 

state allocation from CNCS. Calculating the aggregate required match for the overall budget 

results in a commission share of 29.4 percent ($125,000 of a total budget of $425,000).

Amount CNCS Share

Commission 

Share Total Budget

0 - $100,000 (no grantee share) $100,000 $0 $100,000

$100,000 - $250,000 ($1 for $2) 150,000 75,000 $225,000

$251,000 - $300,000 ($1 for $1) 50,000 50,000 $100,000

Total Budget $300,000 $125,000 $425,000

The legislation did not identify specific indicators that Commissions must use to demonstrate 

hardship. In developing these guidelines, CNCS reviewed fiscal data available through a variety 

of sources and considered several different criteria as measures of hardship, including data 

available from the National Association of State Budget Officers, the National Council of State 

Legislators and Standard and Poor’s.

State budget data is difficult to compare because a budget shortfall may manifest itself more at 

the county and city level than the state level, making a state budget deficit appear less severe. In 

addition, a state’s budget situation does not necessarily affect the Commission’s situation. 

Therefore, CNCS has not identified specific budget or deficit information the Commission must 

provide to demonstrate hardship. The burden of proof is on the Commission to clearly 

demonstrate that it is experiencing a period of unusual hardship that is having a serious impact 

on the federal-state partnership expected under the national service laws.

If you think you can demonstrate hardship for your Commission to qualify for an alternative 

match schedule on your Commission Support grant, submit your request to the email address 

below. CNCS will make decisions within 60 days of receipt of request. Your program and grants 

officer will assess the requests and prepare recommendations for Office of Grants Management 

Director approval. If approved, your grants officer will instruct you to revise your budget to meet 

the new matching schedule. 
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

16 

State and Commission Hardship Indicators. Commissions seeking the alternative match 

schedule should provide all data available that illustrates hardship for the Commission, such as:

 Overview of state fiscal health and its effect on the Commission;

 Decreases in state and non-state support of the Commission over the previous two years of 

Commission operation; and

 The effect of such decreases on Commission operations and its capacity to meet its national 

service goals.

Other Considerations. A Commission’s ability to meet its statutory match requirements and 

support national service in the state will decrease with the loss of matching funds. CNCS may 

take the decreased capacity into consideration in making funding decisions for other grant 

applications, including but not limited to, State Competitive Funds, Education Award grants, and 

supplemental Commission Support Grant funding. 

Submit Applications to: StateAdminMatch@cns.gov

(CNCS will not consider requests submitted to any other email 

address.)

E-mail subject line is: [State Name] Commission Support Grant Alternative Match 

Request

Specific Instructions: You must make the strongest case possible that the Commission cannot 

continue to match at the required 50 percent grantee share of the total budget. The threshold 

remains high for approval. You must respond to each question below. Please include both the 

question and your response in your request:

1. Statement of Request: 

Submit your request by completing the chart below. A) Include the dollar amounts of the 

request (CNCS Share) and the matching funds the Commission can raise (Grantee Share). B) 

Indicate the time frame for which the alternative match schedule is requested (number of 

program years). An alternative match schedule is generally approved for one program year at 

a time. 

Amount CNCS Share

Commission 

Share Total Budget

0 - $100,000 (no grantee share) $ $0 $

$100,000 - $250,000 ($1 for $2) $ $ $

$251,000 - $300,000 ($1 for $1) $ $ $

Total Budget: $ $ $

Program Year(s) for the AMS is Sought:

2. State and Commission Hardship: 

a. Describe the state’s overall financial situation, including decreases in state revenues from 

taxes and other sources, increased budget needs, and the reasons for such decreases and 

increases.

b. Describe the affect that state hardship is having on the Commission.
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

17 

c. Complete the following chart indicating the dollar amounts of state and non-state support 

the Commission received for the previous fiscal year and the current fiscal year. 

Funding Type Funding Amount Funding Amount

(Previous FY)

Funding Amount

(Current FY)

Total State 

Support

$ $ $

% Change Between 

Years

 

% %

Total Non-State 

Support

$ $ $

% Change Between 

Years % %

d. Explain the reasons for the changes in levels of support from year to year.

3. Fundraising: 

a. Complete the following chart indicating the amounts of matching funds that were raised 

for the current grant year, that have been raised to date for the grant year of the request, 

and that are anticipated to be raised for the grant year(s) for which the alternative match 

schedule is requested. 

Source Amount Raised 

for the Current 

Grant Year

Amount Raised To 

Date For Grant Year 

of Request

Amount Anticipated 

To Be Raised for 

Grant Year of Request

State Source:

 1. $ $ $

 2. $ $ $

 3. $ $ $

Non-State 

Source:

 1. $ $ $

 2. $ $ $

 3. $ $ $

 4. $ $ $

Totals: $ $ $

b. Describe your efforts and plan to raise match funds and meet the statutory match 

requirement in the future. If an alternative match schedule is requested for more than one 

grant year, explain the reasons why the Commission cannot meet its matching 

requirements in those additional grant year(s), i.e. what are your reasons for believing 

state hardship will continue?

4. Impact: 
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

18 

a. If approved for an alternative match schedule, the Commission’s matching requirement 

and total overall budget will decrease. Describe how the Commission will continue to 

meet its responsibilities and the challenges it will face with a decreased overall budget if 

CNCS approves the request for the alternative match schedule.

b. If CNCS determines you have not made a sufficient argument for state hardship, what

level of matching funds will you be able to raise to meet the full 50-50 requirement?

5. Other: Provide any other justification and information for your request that is not presented 

in the responses to the above.
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

19 

APPENDIX III: THEORY OF CHANGE LOGIC MODEL

Complete this chart with information summarized from the Commission’s three-year national 

and community service plan (i.e. State Service Plan). Submit the chart as an email attachment to 

CommissionFormula@cns.gov on or before the Commission Support Grant due date. The 

subject line of the email and file name of the attachment should be “[State Abbreviation] [Year] 

Commission Logic Model”. Commissions are required to submit a copy of the State Service Plan 

to CNCS only upon request. 

NEED INTERVENTION RESULT

PROBLEM

Community 

needs 

identified in 

the State 

Service Plan

INPUTS

The human, 

financial, 

organizational, 

and community 

resources the 

Commission has 

available for 

conducting the 

activities related 

to the stated need.

ACTIVITIES

Commission 

strategies 

described in the 

State Service Plan

OUTPUTS

Products resulting

from Commission 

activities

OUTCOMES

Resulting change 

(knowledge, 

attitude, behavior, 

or condition) from 

Commission 

activities (Note: 

Outcomes are the 

goals identified in 

the State Service 

Plan) 

APPENDIX IV: EGRANTS INSTRUCTIONS FOR ENTERING PERFORMANCE 

MEASURES
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

20 

Commissions must select at least one set of aligned Capacity Building National Performance 

Measures. Commissions may also select additional applicant determined performance measures 

if appropriate. 

CNCS Performance Measures Home Page Tab

Welcome to the CNCS Performance Measures Module (PMM).

In this module, you will:

• Provide information about your program’s connection to the CNCS focus areas and 

objectives;

• Show how you plan to allocate resources to meet your program’s objectives; and

• Create one or more performance measures, setting targets and describing data collection 

plans.

To start the module, click the “Begin” button on the Home Page.

As you proceed through the module, the PMM Home Page will summarize your work. The 

Home Page contains links that will allow you to edit or delete previously completed performance 

measures. You may also navigate to other sections of the module using the tab feature at the top 

of each page or the “Next” button at the button at the page.

Once you start using the module, you may return to your eGrants application at any time. Click 

the “Save” button at the bottom of the screen to save your data before exiting the PMM. When 

you reenter the PMM, click the “Continue Working” button to return to the tab that you were on 

when you last closed the module.

After you have created at least one performance measure, the PMM Home Page will display a 

chart summarizing your measures. To edit a completed performance measure, click the “Edit” 

button. To delete a measure, click the “Delete” button. To create a new performance measure, 

click the “Add New Performance Measure” button.

CNCS Performance Measures Objective Tab

On the Objective tab, you will see an expandable list of the CNCS focus areas available to you 

(i.e. Capacity Building or Other). When you click on a focus area, a list of corresponding 

objectives appears for that focus area.

To select your objectives:

 Click on a focus area; 

 Select all objectives that are part of your program design;

 Click the “Refresh My Selections” button to view a list of selected objectives; and

 Repeat these actions for each applicable focus area. 
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

21 

Select “other” for your focus area and objective if your program activities do not fall within one 

of the CNCS-defined focus areas.

Select your program’s primary focus area from the drop-down list at the bottom of the screen. 

Your choices for a primary focus area will be limited based on your selected objectives.

If appropriate, select a secondary focus area from the drop-down list at the bottom of the screen. 

Your choices for a secondary focus area will be limited based on your selected objectives.

Click the “Delete All Selections” button if you would like to erase all previously selected 

objectives and restart selecting your objectives.

Click “Next” to proceed to the Resource Allocation tab, if applicable. You will not enter 

resources; click “next” to proceed to the Performance Measure tab. 

CNCS Performance Measure Tab

On the Performance Measure tab, you will develop performance measures for each grant activity 

that you intend to measure. Each performance measure will correspond to a previously selected 

objective. Service activities/interventions, outputs, and outcomes may be CNCS-defined or userdefined. 

Note: Please consult your application instructions for any performance measure 

requirements that are specific to your grant solicitation. Commissions must select a 

Capacity Building Performance Measure.

To create a new performance measure, first select an objective. The list of objectives is limited to 

those that you selected on the Objective tab.

Title: Enter a short, descriptive title for your performance measure.

Problem Statement: Enter a brief description of the problem your program will address in this 

performance measure.

Select the service activities/interventions that your program will deliver. Select only the service 

activities/interventions that will lead to the outcomes of this performance measure. You may add 

an applicant-determined service activity/intervention by selecting "Other".

Enter a brief description for each selected service activity/intervention. Your description should 

include information about the design and dosage (frequency, intensity, duration) of the service 

activity/intervention.

Uncheck the box next the service activity/intervention name and click “Save” to remove a 

previously selected service activity/intervention.
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

22 

Select output(s). The output list includes only the CNCS-defined outputs which correspond to 

your selected objective. If you do not wish to select a CNCS measure, or none are listed, you 

may create an applicant-determined output by clicking the “Add User Defined Output” button. 

For each output:

• Describe the specific instrument that you will use to measure the output. Include the title of 

the instrument and a brief description of what it measures. Your description must 

explain how the instrument will be administered and any details about its reliability 

and validity.

• Enter your output target and the unit of measure. For applicant-determined outputs, the unit 

of measure must describe what you intend to count (children, miles, etc., e.g. number 

of organizations, etc.). Do not enter percentages or hours as units of measure. Your 

target must be a whole number.

Select outcome(s), if applicable. The outcome list includes only the CNCS-defined outcomes

which correspond to your selected objective. If you do not wish to select a CNCS measure, or 

none are listed, you may create an applicant-determined outcome by clicking the “Add User 

Defined Outcome” button.

• Describe the specific instrument that you will use to measure the outcome. Include the title 

of the instrument and a brief description of what it measures. Your description must 

explain how the instrument will be administered and any details about its reliability 

and validity.

• Enter your outcome target and the unit of measure. For applicant-determined outcomes, the 

unit of measure must describe what you intend to count (e.g. number of organizations, 

etc.). Do not enter percent or hours as units of measure. Your target must be a whole 

number.

For Capacity Building performance measures, you may select optional end outcomes. Complete 

the corresponding drop-down box for any end outcome selected.

Click “Add PM to Table” button to validate your performance measure. If any data is missing or 

there are errors, eGrants will return a list of errors at the top of the screen. You must address 

these errors before eGrants will allow you to work on the next measure. Click the “Complete 

PM” button to re-validate the measure. Once the measure is successfully validated, a blank 

performance measure entry screen will appear. You may create additional performance measure 

sets, repeating the instructions above.

After you complete a performance measure, a summary of the measure will appear at the top of 

the screen. Click the “Edit” button at the end of a row, to re-open the measure for changes. Click 

the “Delete” button to remove a measure.

Click “Next” to proceed to the Summary tab.

Note: You may delete one or more outputs or outcomes from a performance measure 

without deleting the entire measure.
2014 Commission Support Grant Application Instructions

23 

• To delete a CNCS-defined output or outcome, change the method back to “—Select 

Method—“ and delete all text from the instrument description and target number 

fields. Click “Save” or “Complete PM” to remove the output/outcome from the 

measure.

• To delete a user-defined output or outcome, delete all text from the title field. Click “Save” 

or “Complete PM” to remove the output/outcome from the measure.

CNCS Performance Measures Summary Tab

The Summary tab provides an overview of all the information that you have entered in this 

module. When you click on a measure, it will expand to display more information about that 

measure. You may print either details for individual measures or a summary of all your 

performance measures.

Click “Print All Performance Measures” to print a summary of all performance measures.

Click “Print This Measure” to print information for a single performance measure.

Click “Edit Performance Measures” to return to the Performance Measure tab.

Click “Validate Performance Measures” to validate the information entered into this module. 

While you may exit the module and return to your application at any time, you will not be able to 

submit your application to CNCS until your performance measures have been validated.

Click “Back” to return to the Performance Measure tab