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ANNOUNCEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING AVAILABILITY 

Federal Agency Name: Corporation for National and Community Service 

Funding Opportunity Title: justice AmeriCorps FY 2015

Announcement Type: Initial Announcement 

CFDA Number: 94.006 

Important Dates 

 Applications are due to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) by 

Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. State/Territory Commissions’ deadlines 

may be significantly before the CNCS deadlines, so prospective Single State applicants are 

encouraged to contact the Commission in the state or territory where they intend to apply as 

soon as possible

 Successful applicants will be notified by August 31, 2015. 

 Disclosure: Publication of this Notice of Federal Funding Availability (Notice) does not 

obligate CNCS to award any specific number of grants or to obligate any particular amount 

of funding. 

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 

This Notice will support funding for a program jointly sponsored by the Department of Justice’s 

Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) and the Corporation for National and 

Community Service (CNCS) to improve the efficient and effective adjudication of immigration 

court proceedings involving certain unaccompanied children. 

EOIR is a federal agency within the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Under delegated 

authority from the Attorney General, EOIR interprets and administers federal immigration laws 

by conducting immigration court proceedings, appellate reviews, and administrative hearings. 

EOIR is committed to providing fair, expeditious, and uniform application of the nation's 

immigration laws in all cases (including cases involving detained aliens, criminal aliens, and 

aliens seeking asylum as a form of relief from removal), while ensuring the standards of due 

process and fair treatment for all parties involved. 

The mission of CNCS is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic participation 

through service and volunteering. CNCS—through its AmeriCorps and Senior Corps 

programs—has helped to engage millions of citizens in meeting community and national 

challenges through service and volunteer action. 

1. Purpose of AmeriCorps Funding 

AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations proposing to engage AmeriCorps 

members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions to strengthen communities (e.g., 

based on a proposed program’s performance and evaluation data or research demonstrating the 

effectiveness of a similar intervention). 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 will receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award from the National Service Trust. 
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For two decades, CNCS has invested in community solutions across the nation - working hand in 

hand with local partners to improve lives, expand economic opportunity, and engage millions of 

Americans in solving problems in their communities. 

With its unique structure as a public-private partnership and its model of engaging citizens and 

requiring resources from outside parties, national service benefits the recipients of service, those 

who serve, local communities, and our nation. 

Through its programs, CNCS seeks to expand economic opportunity – helping Americans 

acquire the skills, education, and training they need for productive employment. By helping more 

Americans graduate, pursue higher education, and find work, national service can provide 

immediate and long term benefits by expanding individual opportunity, building family stability, 

and creating more sustainable, resilient communities. 

Through AmeriCorps and its other programs, CNCS brings vital leadership, resources, and 

coordination to some of the most pressing challenges facing America: educating students for 

jobs of the 21st century; assisting individuals, families, and neighborhoods on the road to 

economic recovery; addressing the needs of military families and a new generation of veterans; 

helping communities rebuild after natural disasters; increasing energy efficiency and improving 

at-risk ecosystems; and providing information to improve the health and welfare of individuals in 

disadvantaged communities. 

2. Purpose of justice AmeriCorps funding

The purpose of this program is to use the AmeriCorps service model to improve the efficient and 

effective adjudication of immigration court proceedings involving certain unaccompanied 

children. Grants awarded in response to this Notice will enable grantees to enroll lawyers and 

paralegals1

to serve as AmeriCorps members (“AmeriCorps members” or “members”) providing 

direct legal representation and other legal services to this vulnerable population. 

Specifically, the program is intended to provide direct representation to children under the age of 

16 who: (1) are not in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) or the 

Department of Homeland Security; (2) have received a Notice to Appear in removal proceedings 

before EOIR;, (3) have not had their cases consolidated with removal proceedings against a 

parent or legal guardian (Unaccompanied Children or Unaccompanied Child); and (4) for 

continuation of existing programs, have their initial Master Calendar hearing in immigration 

court scheduled on or after January 2, 2015, one month prior to any new program’s start date. 

EOIR may consider exceptions to the date listed in (4). Applicants are encouraged to visit the 

Program FAQ page: 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/documents/justice_AmeriCorps_FAQ_FINAL

_7914.pdf for program updates. The legal services shall be limited to representation of the 

Unaccompanied Child (and not to any other family members, legal guardians, or sponsors) in 

immigration or custody proceedings before EOIR Immigration Courts; appellate proceedings 

before the Board of Immigration Appeals; proceedings before United States Citizenship and 

Immigration Services (USCIS), including applications for asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile 

(SIJ) status, and/or T or U nonimmigrant status; and state court proceedings seeking orders 

 

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“Paralegals” include any individual who will provide legal support to lawyers participating in the program. Such 

individuals need not have completed any prior legal training or certification programs in order to be eligible to serve, 

though applicants are encouraged to consider such credentials when evaluating member candidates. 
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necessary to support applications for SIJ status (Immigration Proceedings). Immigration 

Proceedings shall not include any claims, litigation, or other proceedings before federal district 

courts, courts of appeals, or the Supreme Court.

Proposed programs must provide direct representation and other legal services to certain

Unaccompanied Children in Immigration Proceedings thereby increasing the effective and 

efficient adjudication of immigration court cases involving those children. Direct representation 

must be provided regardless of the child’s potential eligibility for relief, gender, nationality, or 

other factors (except for the eligibility requirements stated above.) In addition, programs should 

facilitate the identification of Unaccompanied Children who have been victims of human 

trafficking or abuse and decrease the risk that those children may be trafficked upon return to 

their country of nationality or last habitual residence; screen Unaccompanied Children for abuse, 

trafficking, and trauma; refer suspected cases of abuse, trafficking, and trauma to appropriate law 

enforcement authorities and/or appropriate support services; build pro bono capacity to support 

the populations of unaccompanied children in the immigration court location(s) in which 

AmeriCorps members will serve; and strengthen national service so that participants engaged in 

CNCS-supported programs consistently find satisfaction, meaning and opportunity. For further 

guidance regarding the scope of pro bono capacity building see: 

http://www.americorps.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp.

Immigration judges are able to conduct hearings more effectively when Unaccompanied 

Children are assisted by competent legal representatives. A legal representative is responsible for 

identifying any relief for which the child may be eligible and developing a record supporting any 

application for relief. Having a competent representative prepare and present the child’s 

testimony in the proceedings helps facilitate the child’s communication with the court. A legal 

representative can help an Unaccompanied Child to understand his or her rights in an 

Immigration Proceeding and the immigration consequences of his or her decisions. We expect 

that the availability of justice AmeriCorps members to answer questions and explain the 

adjudicative process to Unaccompanied Children will enhance their understanding of the 

proceedings and save the court valuable time during hearings. When Unaccompanied Children 

are provided counsel and effectively represented, we expect that courts will be able to reduce the 

number of continuances granted for the purpose of obtaining counsel and/or evidence.

Grantees and sub grantees are required to collect and enter data into a software system for 

purposes of program evaluation. Appendix B details the specific type of data that each grantee or 

sub-grantee is required to report. As a grantee or sub-grantee, and a recipient of federal funding, 

your justice AmeriCorps program is required to collect and report this data to the Vera Institute 

of Justice, a vendor with which EOIR has contracted for purposes of evaluating this program.

3. Strategic Partnership with the Department of Justice

CNCS and DOJ/EOIR are contributing funds and services that will support an AmeriCorps

program that will provide direct representation and other legal services to certain 

Unaccompanied Children in Immigration Proceedings. CNCS is also making the AmeriCorps 

VISTA program resources available to Grantees on an as needed basis and to the extent that the 

AmeriCorps VISTA members can enhance the capacity of Grantees to provide effective service 

to Unaccompanied Children. Under this Notice, Grantees will:
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a. Recruit lawyers and paralegals as AmeriCorps members who will provide direct 

representation and other legal services to certain Unaccompanied Children in Immigration 

Proceedings.

Successful applicants must have processes in place to identify, recruit, screen, and oversee the 

AmeriCorps members. These processes include background screening for members who will 

have contact with children and youth. Applicants must also have plans for monitoring and 

ensuring the safety of Unaccompanied Children who will have contact with AmeriCorps 

members. Applicants should have processes in place to assess AmeriCorps members’ 

performance and steps that will be taken if performance or conduct does not meet acceptable 

standards. Applicants should have a supervisory structure that will provide oversight to assess 

the AmeriCorps members’ performance and conduct. Successful applicants should have 

experience implementing programs that provide legal services, including recruiting, training, and 

supervising lawyers and paralegals. Experience practicing in immigration proceedings is highly 

preferred. 

b. Make members available to participate in a national training program to be conducted 

in or around November or December 2015. 

The national training program will address: 

 Immigration laws and regulations applicable to Unaccompanied Children; 

 Practice and Procedure for Immigration Proceedings; 

 Ethics for professionals working with children and youth; 

 Identification of signs of human trafficking and/or abuse; and 

 Trauma-informed and culturally-appropriate models of interacting with Unaccompanied 

Children. 

Attendance at the training is required. Programs are encouraged to recruit and place members 

prior to the training. In the event that a member cannot attend the training, the program must 

present a plan to provide training that is comparable to the national training. Applicants are 

encouraged to propose additional, supplemental training that will facilitate the successful 

delivery of legal services to Unaccompanied Children by AmeriCorps members. 

c. Provide direct representation to a specified population of Unaccompanied Children with 

contingency plans to address the potential growth of that population. 

By the end of the year, grantees will be responsible for showing that they provided legal services 

in Immigration Proceedings to Unaccompanied Children in each immigration court location in 

which the grantees are operating their programs.

d. Collect data to assess the impact of the services provided by AmeriCorps members and 

share best practices among grantees and/or project sites. 

In addition to reporting outcomes and progress toward approved Performance Measures, the 

grantee will collect and report two types of data: outcome data from cases, and performance 

indicators. Grantees will be required to report both kinds of data as described in Appendix B 

below. 

Successful applicants will have clear sources of data to address performance indicators and will 

seek and obtain appropriate access to such data (i.e., having well-defined agreements with data 

owners). Applicants must also have appropriate mechanisms in place to protect the 

confidentiality and security of project data; plans for collecting and sharing information (with 
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CNCS facilitation). Grantees will be required to collect and share this information in an 

electronic format with our evaluation contractor, Vera Institute of Justice. 

4. Program Objectives

The objectives for this funding are to: 

 Provide legal services to Unaccompanied Children in Immigration Proceedings; 

 Increase the effective and efficient adjudication of immigration court cases involving those 

children; 

 Facilitate identification of Unaccompanied Children who have been victims of abuse, 

trafficking, or trauma or who may be abused, trafficked, or traumatized upon return to their 

country of nationality or last habitual residence; 

 Refer suspected cases of abuse, trafficking, and trauma to appropriate law enforcement 

authorities and/or appropriate support services; 

 Build pro bono capacity to support and represent the population of unaccompanied children 

in the immigration court location(s) in which members will serve; and 

 Strengthen national service so that participants engaged in supported programs consistently 

find satisfaction, meaning, and opportunity to continue to serve this population at other times 

in their legal careers. 

5. Additional Program Model—Encore Programs

Congress set a goal that 10 percent of AmeriCorps funding should support encore service 

programs that engage a significant number of participants age 55 or older. CNCS and DOJ seek 

to meet that 10 percent target in this competition and encourage encore programs to apply. 

CNCS and DOJ believe that experienced lawyers and paralegals that enroll as members could 

provide valuable mentoring to younger members and enhance the quality of and member 

experience in the program. 

6. National Performance Measures

The National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended by the Serve America Act, 

emphasizes measuring the impact of service and focusing on a core set of issue areas. CNCS’s 

five-year Strategic Plan established an ambitious set of objectives that guided the development of 

16 agency-wide National Performance Measures. National Performance Measures allow CNCS 

to demonstrate aggregated impact of all national service programs, including AmeriCorps State 

and National. Applicants are required to use the specific performance measures outlined in this 

Notice to assess the outcomes of their funded project, Appendix D. For more information, please 

refer to the National Performance Measure Instructions, for this Notice.

7. National Evaluation

Grantees must participate in a national evaluation to be conducted the Vera Institute of Justice. 

As part of the evaluation, grantees will be asked to collect the data identified in Appendix B. 

8. Program Authority

The National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended, (42 U.S.C. § 12501 et seq.). 

The Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 4950 et seq.). 45 C.F.R. 

§§ 2520–2550
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B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 

1. Estimated Available Funds

According to FY15 appropriations, $2 million is available for justice AmeriCorps grants. CNCS 

reserves the right to prioritize providing funding to existing awards over making new awards. 

Awards will be provided to fund AmeriCorps member slots and other program operating costs 

necessary to successfully implement the components of the program described in the budget 

section of the application instructions. 

2. Award Period

The grant award covers a two-year project period. CNCS generally makes an initial award for the 

first year of operation. The application should be submitted with a one-year budget. Continuation 

funding for subsequent years is not guaranteed and may be dependent upon availability of 

appropriations and satisfactory performance. CNCS reserves the right to adjust the amount of an 

award or elect not to continue funding.

3. Project Period

The project start date may not occur prior to the date CNCS awards the grant. For program 

grants, 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. 

4. Type of Award 

AmeriCorps grants can be awarded on a fixed amount or cost reimbursement basis.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 

1. Eligible Applicants

The following entities are eligible to apply: public or private nonprofit organizations (including 

faith-based and other community organizations); institutions of higher education; government 

entities within states or territories (e.g., cities, counties); government-recognized veteran service 

organizations; labor organizations; partnerships and consortia; and Indian tribes. 

An Indian tribe is defined as an Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or 

community; including any Native village, Regional Corporation, or Village Corporation, as 

defined under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. §1602), that is recognized as 

eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States under federal law to 

Indians because of their status as Indians. Indian tribes also include tribal organizations 

controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by an entity described above. An entity that desires to apply 

for an award as a tribal organization on behalf of a federally-recognized tribe, or multiple 

specific federally-recognized tribes, must submit a sanctioning resolution adopted by the Tribal 

Council (or comparable tribal governing body) of each Indian tribe. The resolution must identify 

the entity by name as a tribal organization and indicate whether it is controlled, sanctioned, or 

chartered by an Indian tribe(s). It must authorize the entity to be the legal applicant and act on 

behalf of and include the Indian tribe(s) in a CNCS application for the purpose of conducting the 

activities and providing the services described in the application. 
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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 may not receive 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.

a. New Applicants

CNCS and DOJ encourage eligible organizations that have never received funding from CNCS

or DOJ to apply for the grants described in this Notice. New organizations should submit 

applications with the understanding that the general practice is to award no more than 50 

member slots for new recipients. New applicants are not eligible to receive Full-Time Fixed 

Amount grants. Fixed Amount grants (non EAP) are available for programs that enroll full-time 

members or less than full-time members that are serving in a full time capacity only. These 

grants provide a fixed amount of funding per Member Service Year (MSY) that is substantially 

lower than the amount required to operate the program. Organizations use their own or other 

resources to cover the remaining cost.

New applicants are eligible to apply for Cost Reimbursement and Education Award Program 

(EAP) grants. Existing sub recipients/operating sites of Fixed Amount recipients that can 

demonstrate a track record and capacity to manage a Fixed Amount grant are considered to have 

AmeriCorps experience and therefore can apply for Fixed Amount grants.

b. Continuation applicants

Organizations that have current justice AmeriCorps awards that do not end in FY15 must submit

a continuation application in order to be eligible to receive funding for the following year. Please 

see the Application Instructions. Requests by existing continuation applicants for increases in 

the level of funding or number of positions will be assessed using the criteria under this Notice.

2. Type of Applicants

a. Single State Applicants

Organizations that propose to operate in only one state or territory must apply through the 

Governor-appointed State or Territory Commissions. Each state and territory administers its own 

selection process and puts forward to CNCS the applicants it selects to compete for funding. 

Applicants operating in one state must contact their State Commissions to learn about their state 

or territory processes and deadlines which may be significantly before the CNCS deadlines and 

may have additional requirements. The list of State and Territory Commissions can be found 

here: http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/contact-us/state-service-commissions

b. Direct Applicants 

Single State Applicants directed by their State Commission to apply directly to CNCS should 

do so. Please note that, after reviewing applications, CNCS may discuss awarding the grant to 

the State Commission in order for the Commission to award a sub-grant to the applicant. 
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Alternatively, CNCS may award the grant directly to the successful applicant, but also may work 

cooperatively with the State Commission to oversee and monitor performance of the grant. 

Multi-state: Organizations that propose to operate AmeriCorps programs in more than one state 

or territory apply directly to CNCS. 

Federally-recognized Indian Tribes: As defined above on page 8; may apply directly to CNCS 

or through a state commission. 

Territories without Commissions: Applicants in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands apply directly to CNCS because these 

Territories have not established a State Commission. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Fixed Amount Grants and Education Award Program Grants

There is no specific match requirement for Fixed Amount and Education Award grants, but 

CNCS does not provide all the funds necessary to operate the program. Applicants must raise the 

additional revenue required to operate the program. 

Cost Reimbursement Grants

A first-time successful applicant is required to match federal funds at 24 percent for the first 

three-year funding period. Starting with year four, the match requirement gradually increases 

every year to 50 percent by year ten, according to the minimum overall share chart found in 45 

CFR §2521.60 and Pub. L. 113-235, Division G, Title IV, § 402 

https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/83/text

Section 121(e)(5) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended, requires 

programs that use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant to report the amount and 

source of these funds to CNCS on a Federal Financial Report. Recipients must track and be 

prepared to report on that match separately each year and at closeout. 

Alternative Match 

Under certain circumstances, applicants may qualify to meet alternative matching requirements 

that increase over the years to 35 percent instead of 50 percent as specified in the regulations at 

45 CFR §2521.60(b). To qualify, applicants must demonstrate that the proposed program is 

either located in a rural county or in a severely economically distressed community as defined in 

the Application Instructions. Applicants that plan to request an alternative match schedule must 

submit a request by May 20, 2015 directly to ACAlternateMatchScheduleRequests@cns.gov. 

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 

This Notice should be read together with the AmeriCorps Regulations, 45 C.F.R. §§ 2520–2550, 

the Application Instructions, and the Performance Measure Instructions. These documents are 

available online at: http://www.americorps.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp.
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1. Address to Request Application Package 

Applicants should refer to the CNCS website to obtain the necessary information to apply. 

Applicants can also send an email to americorpsgrants@cns.gov or call (202) 606-7508 for a 

printed copy of the application package. The TTY (Text Telephone) number is (800) 833-3722. 

2. Content and Form of Application Submission 

What are the steps that organizations need to take to apply? 

 Determine whether you should apply directly to CNCS or through a State Commission 

 Submit a request for an alternative match schedule, if applicable 

 Submit a Notice of Intent 

 Get a DUNS number 

 Establish an eGrants account 

 Coordinate with either State Commission or National Direct applicant 

 Write a high quality application responsive to the Notice 

 Provide required supplemental materials via email, if applicable 

 Submit the application via eGrants by the deadline 

Please note that state applicants that apply to a State Commission may have different deadlines 

(likely earlier than those listed in this Notice), may have additional narrative questions and/or 

supplemental materials to submit as determined by the State Commission, and may have 

different directions and/or systems in which to submit their applications. 

Coordination among State Commissions and Multi-State Applicants 

CNCS expects State Commissions and National Direct applicants to consult and coordinate 

activities at the local level, as specified in Section 131 of the NCSA [42 U.S.C. § 12583]. This 

consultation is designed to ensure the most effective use of national service resources and lead to 

enhanced coordination. The list of State and Territory Commissions can be found here: 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/contact-us/state-service-commissions. To ensure 

coordination: 

Multi-State applicants, except federally-recognized Indian Tribes, must: 

Before application submission: 

 Consult with the State/Territory Commission of each state and/or Territory in which the 

organization knows it will operate and describe this consultation in their applications. 

Contact the State/Territory Commissions for details about the consultation process. Provide 

information that connects the proposed activities to the current State/Territory Service plan 

and/or State logic model. 

After Award: 

 Provide the State/Territory Commission with contact information for Multi-State programs in 

the state and/or Territory and update these lists on an annual basis. 

 Participate in the State/Territory Commission’s annual needs assessment and training plan 

development activities, and in the development of its state/territory service plan, as well as 

appropriate training and other events. 

 Include the State/Territory Commission on the Multi-State’s mailing list and invite it to 

appropriate training and other events. 
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State/Territory Commissions must: 

Before application submission: 

 Consult in a timely manner with the Multi-State applicants, except Indian Tribes, that contact 

them prior to application submission. 

After Award: 

 Consider the schedules and needs of Multi-State applicants, including Indian Tribes, 

operating in their states when planning annual events and technical assistance activities. 

 Include Multi-State programs, including Indian Tribes, in their annual needs assessment and 

training plan development activities, and in the development of their state/territory service 

plan. 

 Add staff of multi-state programs in their state/territory to their mailing/email distribution list 

and invite them to appropriate training and other events. 

CNCS will solicit State/Territory Commission input on Multi-State applicants, except Indian 

Tribes, proposing to operate in their state/territory. Via eGrants, Commissions have the 

opportunity to select support, do not support, or neutral and provide comments. Participation by 

State/Territory Commissions in providing this input is strongly encouraged. 

How to Submit an Application in eGrants 

Applicants must submit applications electronically via eGrants, CNCS’s web-based system 

(https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp). CNCS recommends that applicants create an 

eGrants account and begin the application at least three weeks before the deadline. Applicants 

should draft the application as a word document, then copy and paste the document into the 

appropriate eGrants field no later than 10 days before the deadline. 

Contact the National Service Hotline at (800) 942-2677 or via 

(https://questions.nationalservice.gov/app/ask_eg) if a problem arises when creating an account 

or preparing or submitting the application. National Service Hotline hours are Monday through 

Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Be prepared to provide the application ID, 

organization’s name, and the Notice to which the organization is applying. If the issue cannot be 

resolved by the deadline, applicants must continue working with the National Service Hotline to 

submit via eGrants. 

If technical issues prevent an applicant from submitting an application on time, please contact 

the National Service Hotline prior to the deadline to explain the technical issue and receive a 

ticket number. If the issue cannot be resolved by the deadline, the applicant must continue 

working with the National Service Hotline to submit via eGrants.

An application is only complete if it includes all required documentation and is received by the 

application due date. Incomplete applications will not be considered. All additional required 

documents should include the applicant organization name and Application ID number at the top 

of the page and are due by the application deadline at AdditionalDocuments@cns.gov. Emails 

should include in the Subject line the applicant organization name and Application ID number. 

Additional documents may include (if applicable): evaluation reports and up to two evaluation 

briefs, reports, and/or peer reviewed articles if the applicant has a moderate or strong evidence 

base.
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If extenuating circumstances make the use of eGrants impossible, applicants may send a hard 

copy of the application and include a cover letter detailing the circumstances that make it 

impossible to submit via eGrants to the address provided in Section G. Federal Awarding 

Agency Contact(s), via overnight carrier. Applicants must use a non-U.S. Postal Service carrier 

to avoid security-related delays. All deadlines and requirements in this Notice also apply to 

paper applications. Paper applications must include a cover letter detailing the circumstances 

that make it impossible to submit via eGrants. CNCS does not accept applications submitted 

via fax or email.

Application Fields and Page Limits 

In eGrants, applicants will enter text in the following fields 

 Executive Summary 

 Program Design 

 Organizational Capability 

 Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy 

 Evaluation Plan 

Applications may not exceed 15 pages for the Narratives, including the Executive Summary and 

SF 424 Facesheet, as the pages print out from eGrants. The page limit on the Narratives does not 

include the narrative portion of the evaluation plan or the Logic Model, budget, performance 

measures, or the supplementary materials, if applicable. However, the Logic Model may not 

exceed three landscape-formatted pages as the pages print out from eGrants. CNCS strongly 

encourages applicants to print out the application from the “Review and Submit” page prior to 

submission to check that the application does not exceed the page limits for the Narrative and 

Logic Model portions of the application. 

Reviewers will not consider submitted material that is over the page limits in the printed report, 

even if eGrants allows an applicant to enter and submit text over the limit. Do not submit other 

items not requested in the Notice or Application Instructions. CNCS will not review or return 

them. 

Assessment Criteria 

Each applicant must clearly describe a project that will demonstrate the use of AmeriCorps 

members to serve as attorneys or paralegals to provide direct representation to children under the 

age of 16 who: (1) are not in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) or the 

Department of Homeland Security; (2) have received a Notice to Appear in removal proceedings 

before EOIR; (3) have not had their cases consolidated with removal proceedings against a 

parent or legal guardian (Unaccompanied Children or Unaccompanied Child); and (4) for 

continuation of existing programs, have their initial Master Calendar hearing in immigration 

court scheduled on or after January 2, 2015, one month prior to any new program’s start date. 

EOIR may consider exceptions to the date listed in (4). EOIR may consider exceptions to the 

date listed in (4). Applicants are encouraged to visit the Program FAQ page: 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/documents/justice_AmeriCorps_FAQ_FINAL

_7914.pdf for program updates. The quality of an application will be an important factor in 

determining whether an organization will receive funding. 
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Threshold Issues 

Applications should reflect that they meet the threshold requirements for the grant type for which 

they are applying. For example: If an applicant is applying for a Full-Time Fixed Amount grant, 

the application should reflect that only full-time or less than full-time positions serving in a fulltime capacity will be permitted. 

Executive Summary (Required - 0 percent) 

Please fill in the blanks of these sentences to complete the Executive Summary. 

The [Name of the organization] will have a total of AmeriCorps members ([Number of] 

lawyers and [Number of] paralegals) who will provide legal services to Unaccompanied 

Children, build pro bono capacity to support that population, and increase the 

effectiveness and efficiency of immigration courts in the location(s) in which members 

will serve. By the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will be 

responsible for providing legal services in Immigration Proceedings to the population of 

Unaccompanied Children in the immigration court in which the grantee proposes to 

operate the program. 

In addition, AmeriCorps members will leverage an additional number of volunteers who 

will support the provision of legal services to Unaccompanied Children in Immigration 

Proceedings. 

This program will focus on the CNCS partnership with DOJ to enhance legal services for 

Unaccompanied Children in Immigration Proceedings. 

Fixed Amount grant applicants should list their external resources because they are not required 

to provide a specific amount of match, but still must raise significant additional resources to 

operate the program. 

CNCS will post all Executive Summaries of awarded grant applications on 

www.nationalservice.gov in the interest of transparency and Open Government. 

Program Design (50 percent) 

Reviewers will consider the quality of the application’s response to the criteria below. Do not 

assume all sub-criteria are of equal value. 

1. Problem/Need (9 points) 

Indicate the immigration court location(s) you propose to serve. Describe the relevant 

community needs the AmeriCorps members will be addressing. Provide any information (above 

and beyond the proposed population numbers of Unaccompanied Children in the immigration 

court locations you propose to serve) about the extent/severity of the need in the community(ies) 

where your proposed AmeriCorps members will serve and cite specific relevant data such as the 

inadequacy of pro bono or low cost legal services – as well as additional support services for 

Unaccompanied Children – available in the area. 

Applicants are expected to provide legal services to their proposed population of Unaccompanied 

Children in the immigration court locations they propose to serve. Potential applicants are 
13

encouraged to learn more about the estimated size of the docket in these immigration court 

locations, and should contact CNCS via email at americorpsgrants@cns.gov or phone at 

202/606-7508 for additional information. 

2. Theory of Change and Logic Model (17 points) 

 The applicant clearly describes the proposed intervention (service activities) including the 

roles of AmeriCorps members and (if applicable) the roles of leveraged volunteers. 

 The applicant clearly describes how the intervention is likely to lead to the outcomes 

identified in the applicant’s theory of change.

 The applicant clearly describes how the AmeriCorps members increase the effectiveness and 

efficiency of the immigration court system through representation of Unaccompanied 

Children. 

The Logic Model shall depict: 

 Logical alignment of all elements. 

 A summary of the community problems outlined in the narrative. 

 The inputs or resources that are necessary to deliver the intervention, including: 

o Number of locations or sites in which members would be providing legal services to 

Unaccompanied Children. 

o Number of AmeriCorps members that will deliver the intervention (identifying the 

specific number of lawyers and paralegals you would propose to enroll); 

 The core activities that define the intervention or program model that members will 

implement or deliver, including: 

o The duration of the intervention (e.g., the total number of weeks, sessions or months of 

the intervention). 

o The dosage of the intervention (e.g., the number of hours per session or sessions per 

week.) 

o The core activities that define the intervention or program model that members will be 

implementing or delivering (e.g., representation in immigration proceedings; screening 

for abuse, trafficking, and trauma; and referral to appropriate authorities and/or support 

services to address any such cases).

o Available resources to support the intervention (e.g., the number of volunteer 

interpreters, pro bono lawyers and support services to be recruited from the community; 

legal clinics or law schools to be recruited to help support lawyers in immigration 

cases; immigration law training materials and resources). 

Programs may include short, medium, or long-term outcomes in the Logic Model. While 

performance measure outcomes should be consistent with the program’s theory of change, 

programs are not required to measure all outcomes that are included in the Logic Model. 

3. Evidence Base (8 points) 

Applicants will be awarded up to 8 points for providing evidence that their proposed intervention 

will lead to the community outcomes identified in the theory of change. Applicants shall provide 

a description of the studies and evaluations conducted that provide evidence that the proposed 

intervention is effective for the proposed population and community challenge, and should 

describe how this evidence places them in one of the five evidence levels listed below. 

Applicants must fully describe how they meet the requirement of that level, using results from 

studies and evaluations. Applicants are strongly encouraged to describe the evidence that 
14

supports the strongest evidence tier, and all relevant evidence presented must be included in this 

section. This section must include specific citations of studies and/or evaluation and research 

reports. Applicants classifying their evidence as Moderate or Strong must submit up to two 

studies, evaluation reports, briefs, or peer-reviewed articles cited in this section as separate 

attachments. Studies should be sent to AdditionalDocuments@cns.gov by the application

deadline and include in the subject line the application ID and “evaluation studies.”

For each report cited, include the date of the report, a description that shows its relevancy to the 

proposed program model, the methodology used in the study, and the strength of the findings 

(e.g. confidence level.)

Specifically, applicants should discuss the impact of legal services on the effectiveness and 

efficiencies of legal proceedings involving young children. In addition, applicants should discuss 

how evidence concerning cultural competence and trauma-informed care shall inform their 

project design. Culturally competent care recognizes cultural differences; emphasizes selfawareness of practitioners about their own cultural perspectives; seeks to understand the

dynamics of cultural differences; appreciates the child’s cultural perspective; and tailors practice 

to fit the cultural context of the child (see., e.g., Steve Walker, 2002, “Culturally Competent 

Protection of Children’s Mental Health,” available at 

https://www.ncjrs.gov/app/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=199084). 

Within the past decade science has greatly informed our understanding of stress, brain chemistry, 

and the impact of severe and / or chronic stress on children’s development. Numerous studies 

have documented the trauma that many unaccompanied children have been exposed to in their 

home countries and the incidence of trafficking, trauma, and abuse faced by them during 

migration. Experts agree that unaccompanied children arriving in the United States should be 

screened for trauma exposure and treated appropriately to avoid potential for trafficking or abuse 

and mitigate the effects of past trauma. Applicants should demonstrate their familiarity with this 

literature and how it might apply in this project. This section must include specific citations of 

studies and/or publicly available evaluation and research reports.

For current recipients that are required to submit an evaluation report: The evaluation report will 

be considered as part of the evidence base of the program. Recipients may opt to include that 

evaluation report as one of the two studies, or submit two separate studies in addition to the 

evaluation report. In the latter case, all three studies will be reviewed against this criterion.

Reviewers will assess one of the five tiered evidence levels as follows:

No evidence (0 points): The applicant has not provided evidence that they have collected any 

qualitative or quantitative data to date.

Pre-preliminary evidence (1 point): The applicant presents evidence that it has collected 

quantitative or qualitative data from program staff, program participants, or beneficiaries that 

have been used for program improvement, performance measurement reporting, and/or tracking. 

An example could be gathering feedback from program participants following their receipt of the 

intervention. 
15

Preliminary evidence (2 points): The applicant presents an initial evidence base that can support 

conclusions about the program’s contribution to observed outcomes. The evidence base consists 

of at least one non-experimental study conducted on the proposed program (or another similar 

program that uses a comparable intervention). A study that demonstrates improvement in 

program beneficiaries over time on one or more intended outcomes OR an implementation 

(process evaluation) study used to learn and improve program operations would constitute 

preliminary evidence. Examples of research that meet the standards include: 1) outcome studies 

that track program beneficiaries through a service pipeline and measure beneficiaries’ responses 

at the end of the program; and 2) pre- and post-test research that determines whether 

beneficiaries have improved on an intended outcome. 

Moderate evidence (4 points): The applicant presents a reasonably developed evidence base that 

can support causal conclusions for the specific program proposed by the applicant with moderate 

confidence. The evidence base consists of one or more quasi-experimental studies conducted on 

the proposed program (or another similar program that uses a comparable intervention) with 

positive findings on one or more intended outcomes OR two or more non-experimental studies 

conducted on the proposed program with positive findings on one or more intended outcomes 

OR one or more experimental studies of another relevant program that uses a similar 

intervention. Examples of research that meet the standards include: well-designed and wellimplemented quasi-experimental studies that compare outcomes between the group receiving the 

intervention and a matched comparison group (i.e. a similar population that does not receive the 

intervention). 

Strong evidence (8 points): The applicant presents an evidence base that can support causal 

conclusions for the specific program proposed by the applicant with the highest level of 

confidence. This consists of one or more well-designed and well-implemented experimental 

studies conducted on the proposed program with positive findings on one or more intended 

outcomes. 

The description of evidence in this section should include as much detailed information as 

possible. Applicants are advised to focus on presenting high-quality evidence from their 

strongest studies rather than only cursory descriptions of many studies. Reviewers will examine 

criteria that may include: a) how closely the program model evaluated in the studies matches the 

one proposed by the applicant; b) the methodological quality of the studies presented (e.g., 

statistical power, internal and/or external validity, sample size, etc.); c) the recency of the 

studies, with a preference towards studies that have been conducted within the last six years; and 

d) strength of the findings, with preference given to findings that show a large and persistent 

positive effect on participants demonstrated with confidence levels. 

4. Notice Priority (3 points) 

 The applicant clearly describes how its proposed program will improve the efficient and 

effective adjudication of immigration court proceedings involving certain unaccompanied 

children.

5. Member Training (4 points) 

 The applicant clearly describes how the justice AmeriCorps members will receive high 

quality training to provide effective service to the community. What are the anticipated 

training topics and the timeline for member training? How will the applicant ensure that 
16

members are prepared to provide legal services focused on immigration law? Applicants 

should describe any additional, supplemental training that will facilitate the successful 

delivery of legal services to certain Unaccompanied Children, both before and after the 

national training that will occur in or around November or December 2015. 

 The applicant clearly describes how members and volunteers will be aware of, and will 

adhere to, the rules including prohibited activities. The prohibited activities (45 CFR §§ 

2520.65) can be accessed here: 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/page/AmeriCorps_Regulations_9_11_13.p

df 

 Please articulate how the program will ensure members will not engage in activities 

prohibited by AmeriCorps rules and recognize and acknowledge they are AmeriCorps 

members. 

6. Member Supervision (3 points) 

 The applicant clearly describes how supervisors will be adequately trained/prepared to follow 

AmeriCorps and program regulations, priorities, and expectations. 

 The applicant clearly describes how supervisors will provide members with excellent 

guidance and support throughout their service; and oversee the work of AmeriCorps 

members as they appear in Immigration Proceedings. 

7. Member Experience (3 points) 

 The applicant clearly describes how AmeriCorps members will have access to meaningful 

service experiences and opportunities for reflection. 

 The applicant clearly describes how AmeriCorps members will have opportunities to 

establish connections with each other and the broader National Service network to build 

esprit de corps. 

 The applicant clearly describes how AmeriCorps members will gain skills and experience as 

a result of their training and service that can be valuable to future employers after their 

service term is completed.

 The applicant clearly describes how AmeriCorps members will develop an ethic of and skills 

for active and productive citizenship including continuing to engage in public and 

community service after their AmeriCorps term. 

8. Commitment to AmeriCorps Identification (3 points) 

 The applicant clearly describes how members will know they are AmeriCorps members. 

 The applicant clearly describes how the staff and community members where the members 

are serving will know they are AmeriCorps members. 

 The applicant clearly describes how AmeriCorps members will be provided with and will 

wear service gear that prominently displays the AmeriCorps logo daily. 

Organizational Capability (25 percent) 

Reviewers will consider the quality of the application’s response to the following criteria below. 

Do not assume all sub-criteria are of equal value. 

1. Organizational Background and Staffing (7 points/10 points for new applicants) 
17

 The applicant clearly describes how it has the experience, staffing, and management structure 

to plan and implement the proposed program. 

 The applicant clearly describes how it has adequate experience administering AmeriCorps 

grants or other federal grants. 

 The applicant clearly describes practicing in Immigration Proceedings generally and on 

behalf of Unaccompanied Children specifically (and/or plans to acquire necessary experience 

and expertise in these areas of law, such as by partnering with organizations that have 

extensive experience and expertise in these areas); and launching and/or scaling new 

initiatives. 

 The applicant clearly describes how it has sufficiently engaged community members and 

partner organizations in planning and implementing its intervention. 

2. Compliance and Accountability (11 points/15 points for new applicants) 

 The applicant clearly describes how, in implementation and management of its AmeriCorps 

program, it will prevent and detect compliance issues. 

 The applicant clearly describes how it will hold itself, subrecipients, and service site 

locations (if applicable) accountable if instances of risk or noncompliance are identified. 

 The applicant clearly describes how it will comply with AmeriCorps rules and regulations 

including those related to prohibited and unallowable activities at the recipient, subrecipient, 

and service site locations (if applicable). 

3. Past Performance for Current Recipients and Former Recipients Only (7 points for 

recompeting applicants): Any applicant that has received competitive or state formula 

funding for the same project in any of the past three years must address this criteria. 

 The applicant clearly describes how it has met performance measurement targets during the 

last three years of program operations, or, if not, has an adequate corrective action plan in 

place. 

 The applicant clearly describes how it achieved 100% member enrollment in the most recent 

full year of program operations, or if not, has an adequate corrective action plan in place. 

 The applicant clearly describes how it achieved 100% member retention in the most recent 

full year of program operations, or, if not, has an adequate corrective action plan in place. 

 The applicant clearly describes any compliance issues or areas of weakness/risk identified 

during the last three years of program operations (if applicable) and describes an effective 

corrective action plan that was implemented. 

Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (25 percent) 

Reviewers will consider the quality of the application’s response to the following criteria below. 

Do not assume all sub-criteria are of equal value. 

1. Cost-Effectiveness (18 points) 

 The budget is sufficient to carry out the program effectively. 

 The budget aligns with the applicant’s narrative.

 The program design is cost effective and the benefits justify the cost. 

 The applicant has raised or describes an adequate plan to raise non-CNCS resources to fully 

support the program. This applies to all Fixed Amount and Cost Reimbursement grants. 
18

Having a low cost per Member Service year (MSY) is a competitive advantage. New applicants 

that propose a low cost per MSY may receive higher priority for funding. Applicants requesting 

a higher cost per MSY than in previous years must justify their requests. If an applicant requests 

above the maximum cost per MSY (see Section 5.C.), it must justify its request. 

2. Budget Adequacy (7 points) 

 Budget is submitted without mathematical errors. 

 Budget is submitted with adequate information to assess how each line item is calculated. 

 Budget is in compliance with the budget instructions. 

Applicants must fill out the budget and ensure the following information is included:

 Identify the non-CNCS funding and resources necessary to support the project. 

 Indicate the amount of non-CNCS resource commitments, type of commitments (in-kind 

and/or cash) and the sources of these commitments. 

Evaluation Plan (Required for recompeting recipients - 0 percent) 

If the applicant is competing for the first time, please enter N/A in the Evaluation Plan field since 

it pertains only to recompeting recipients. If the applicant is recompeting for AmeriCorps funds 

for the first time (see definition of “recompeting” below) the program must submit its evaluation 

plan in the Evaluation Plan field in eGrants. 

Evaluation plans must include the following: 

 A description of the theory of change, or why the proposed intervention is expected to 

produce the proposed results. 

 Clear and measurable outcomes that are aligned with the theory of change and will be 

assessed during the evaluation.

 Concrete research questions (or hypotheses) that are clearly connected to the outcomes. 

 A proposed research design for the evaluation.

 Qualifications needed for the evaluator. 

 The estimated budget for evaluating the program. 

The evaluation requirements differ depending on the amount of the grant, as described in 45 CFR 

§2522.710: 

 If the applicant has an average annual CNCS program grant of $500,000 or more, it must 

arrange for an external evaluation of the program, and it must submit the evaluation with any 

subsequent application to CNCS for competitive funds as required in §2522.730 of this 

subpart. 

 If the applicant has an average annual CNCS program grant of less than $500,000 it must 

conduct an internal or an external evaluation of the program, and it must submit the 

evaluation with any subsequent application to CNCS for competitive funds as required in 

§2522.730 of this subpart. 

A program will be considered a recompeting application if it satisfies the CNCS definition of 

“same project” (see Glossary) and has been funded competitively for at least one complete threeyear cycle. If the project satisfies the definition of same project and the applicant has completed 

one three-year cycle, it will be required to submit an evaluation plan. If the project satisfied the 
19

definition of same project and the applicant has completed two or more three-year cycles, the 

applicant will be required to submit an evaluation report as well as an evaluation plan. If the 

project does not satisfy the definition of recompeting, it will not be required to submit an 

evaluation plan, summary, or completed evaluation. 

The Evaluation Plan field of eGrants does not count towards the page limit of the application; 

however, it does have a set character limit. Applicants should print out the report to ensure the 

narrative is not cut off. 

Recipients with an average annual CNCS program grant of $500,000 or more that are 

recompeting for funds are eligible to apply for approval of an alternative evaluation approach. 

Recipients requesting approval of an alternative evaluation approach should submit a request for 

approval of an alternative evaluation approach along with their evaluation plan in the Evaluation 

Summary or Plan field in eGrants. The request should clearly explain: (a) the evaluation 

constraints faced by the program, (b) why the proposed approach is the most rigorous option 

feasible, and (c) how the proposed alternative approach will help the recipient build their 

evidence base. Evaluation plans should include, at a minimum, the required elements listed in 

this Notice. The evaluation plan must be consistent with the information submitted in the 

competitive funding application and in the request for approval of an alternative evaluation 

approach. More information on alternative evaluation approaches can be found at: 

https://www.nationalserviceresources.gov/files/guidance_for_grantees_approval_of_alternative_

evaluation_approach.pdf. 

Amendment Justification (0 percent) 

Enter N/A. This field will be used if the applicant is awarded a grant and needs to amend it. 

Clarification Information (0 percent) 

Enter N/A. This field will be used to enter information that requires clarification in the postreview period. 

Continuation Changes (0 percent) 

Enter N/A. This field will be used to enter changes in the application narratives in continuation 

requests. 

3. Dun and Bradstreet University Numbering System (DUNS) Number and System for 

Award Management (SAM) 

Applications must include a DUNS number and an Employer Identification Number. The DUNS 

number does not replace an Employer Identification Number. DUNS numbers may be obtained 

at no cost by calling the DUNS number request line at (866) 705-5711 or by applying online: 

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.The website indicates a 48-hour e-mail turnaround time on 

requests for DUNS numbers; however, CNCS suggests registering at least 30 days in advance of 

the application due date. After obtaining a DUNS number, all applicants must be registered with 

the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/. 

SAM collects, validates, stores, and disseminates data in support of Federal agency contracts, 

grant awards, cooperative agreements, and other forms of federal assistance. All grant recipients 
20

are required to maintain a valid SAM registration, which must be renewed annually. Applicants 

that are not already registered with SAM are urged to begin the registration process immediately 

in order to avoid any delays in submitting applications. Applicants must have a DUNS number in 

order to register with SAM. To register online go to https://www.sam.gov/portal/pulbic/SAM/. 

4. Submission Dates and Times 

a. Application Submission Deadline 

Applications are due to CNCS Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to CNCS. 

CNCS will not consider applications received after the deadline, except as noted below. CNCS 

reserves the right to extend the submission deadline and any notice of such extended deadline 

will be posted. This deadline applies to new and continuation applicants. 

b. Late Applications 

CNCS may, at its discretion, consider an application received after the deadline, but only if the 

applicant submits a letter to LateApplications@cns.gov explaining the extenuating circumstance 

that caused the delay. Communication with CNCS staff, including the program officer of a 

current grantee/recipient, is not a substitution for the above protocol. The letter must be received 

no later than one business day after the application deadline. If the applicant experiences 

technical difficulties with eGrants that are unresolved, the correspondence must include the 

National Service Hotline ticket number. CNCS determines whether or not to accept a late 

application for review on a case-by-case basis. 

5. Funding Restrictions 

a. Types of Grants 

AmeriCorps grants can be awarded on a Cost Reimbursement or Fixed Amount basis. CNCS 

will not provide both types of grants for the same project in one fiscal year. See Glossary. 

General Summary 

Grant Types Cost Reimbursement Fixed Amount

Available Subtypes Traditional Professional Corps Full-Time/Less than FT

serving in a full time 

capacity

EAP Professional Corps

Maximum Cost per

MSY (see section

3)

$13,730 Up to $1,000* $13,430 $800 Up to $1,000*

Type of Slots in the 

National Service 

Trust

All All Full-Time or Less than

Full-Time serving in a 

Full Time capacity Only

All Full-Time Only

Budget Submission

Required

Yes No Yes, if requesting

operating funds

Availability of

Funds linked to

enrollment and/or

retention of

awarded MSY

No Yes

Special 

Requirements

N/A Must place qualified

professionals in communities

with an inadequate number of

N/A N/A Must place

qualified

professionals in
21

such professionals. Member 

salaries must be paid entirely 

by organization where 

member serves and not 

included in the budget.

communities with 

an inadequate 

number of such 

professionals. No 

CNCS funds may 

be used to pay 

member living 

allowance or 

salary.

Match 

Requirements

Yes Yes; Living allowance or 

salary paid to members may 

not be counted toward the 

No, but organizations must raise the additional revenue 

required to operate the program.

match requirement.

Financial Tracking 

Requirements

Yes No

Available to New Yes No Yes Yes

Applicants

*CNCS assumes that Professional Corps will be covering the operating expenses associated with the AmeriCorps 

program through non CNCS funds and thus will not be requesting operating funds as part of their applications. 

CNCS will consider operating funds of up to $1,000 per MSY if an applicant is able to demonstrate in its narrative 

and supporting budget materials significant organizational financial need and substantial challenges to raising non 

CNCS resources. 

b. Member Living Allowance 

The proposed budget must include a living allowance for full-time members that is between 

$12,530 (minimum) and $25,060 (maximum) per member except as noted below. A living 

allowance is not considered a salary or a wage. Programs are strongly encouraged to provide 

lawyers participating in the program the maximum living allowance of $25,060 and to provide 

paralegals a minimum living allowance of $15,000. In addition, programs are strongly 

encouraged to consider and propose additional means to provide financial support to all members 

living and working in locations with particularly high costs of living. Note that members are 

eligible for qualified student loan forbearance while they are serving. Upon the successful 

completion of a term of service, CNCS will pay the interest that accrued on these loans during 

that term of service. 

All lawyers participating in the program are expected to be full-time members (or may be parttime serving in a full-time capacity). Programs are not required to provide a living allowance for 

paralegals serving in less than full-time terms of service. If a program chooses to provide a living 

allowance to a less than full-time paralegal, it must comply with the maximum limits in Table 1 

Cost Reimbursement programs are not required to provide a living allowance for members 

serving in less than full-time terms of service. If a program chooses to provide a living allowance 

to a less than full-time member, it must comply with the limits in Table 1. For Cost 

Reimbursement grants, the amount must be included in the proposed budget as either CNCS or 

grantee/recipient share. (EXCEPTION: as noted in Section B.1.) 

While Fixed Amount grant applicants are not required to submit detailed budgets, they are still 

required to provide a living allowance that complies with the minimum and maximum 

requirements to members. Most Fixed Amount grant applicants are not required to indicate that 

amount in the application and should request those positions as “without living allowance” in the 

budget. 
22

Table 1: Minimum and Maximum Living Allowance 

Service Term

Minimum 

# of Hours

Statutory 

Minimum 

Living 

Allowance

Minimum Living 

Allowance for 

Paralegals

Maximum Total Living 

Allowance 

Full-time (Lawyers and 

Paralegals)

1700 $12,530 $15,000 $25,060

One-year Half-time 

(Paralegals only)

900 n/a $7,950 $13,265

Reduced Half-time 

(Paralegals only)

675 n/a $5,960 $9,950

Quarter-time (Paralegals 

only)

450 n/a $3,975 $6,635

EAP Recipients are not required to provide a living allowance, but if a living allowance is 

provided, it must comply with the maximum requirements set forth in the Living Allowance 

Table above. 

Professional Corps Recipients must provide members a living allowance or salary, which must 

meet the minimum, but may exceed the maximum living allowance set in the Living Allowance 

Table above. Professional Corps member salaries and benefits are paid entirely by the 

organizations with which the members serve, and are not included in the budget. 

c. Maximum Cost per Member Service Year (MSY) 

Maximum costs per MSY are set forth in Table 2 below. The CNCS cost per MSY is determined 

by dividing the CNCS share of budgeted grant costs by the number of MSYs requested. It does 

not include child care or the value of the education award a member may earn. The maximum 

cost per MSY is determined on an annual basis. 

Table 2: 2015 Maximum Cost per MSY Grant Program Maximum 

Individual Competitive State/Territory Program (Cost Reimbursement) $19,890

Multi-state (Cost Reimbursement) $19,890

Professional Corps Grant (Cost Reimbursement) Up to $1,000*

Professional Corps Fixed Amount Grant Up to $1,000*

Education Award Program Fixed Amount Grant $800 

Full-time Fixed Amount Grant $13,430 

*CNCS’s assumption is that Professional Corps programs will be covering the operating 

expenses associated with the AmeriCorps program through non CNCS funds and thus will not be 

requesting operating funds as part of their applications. CNCS will consider operating funds of 

up to $1,000 per MSY if an applicant is able to demonstrate in its narrative and supporting 

budget materials significant organizational financial need and substantial challenges to raising 

non CNCS resources. 
23

d. Amount of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for FY 2015 

AmeriCorps members serving in programs funded with FY 2015 dollars who successfully 

complete a term of service will receive an Education Award from the National Service Trust of 

$5,730 for a year of full-time service, with correspondingly smaller awards for less than full-time 

service. The amount of the Education Award is linked to the value of the Pell Grant. A member 

has up to seven years after his or her term of service to use the Education Award. 

Table 3: Term of Service and FY15 Education Award 

Term of Service Minimum # of Hours FY15 Education 

Award

Full Time 1700 $5,730.00

One-Year Half Time 900 $2,865.00

Reduced Half Time 675 $2,182.78

Quarter Time 450 $1,515.55

Minimum Time 300 $1,212.44

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 

1. Criteria 

The assessment of applications involves a wide range of factors and considerations. CNCS and 

EOIR staff will apply their experience and expertise in evaluating applications. In the end, the 

review and selection process will produce a diversified set of high-quality programs that 

represent the priorities and selection factors described in this Notice.

Specifically, the review and selection process will: 

Identify eligible applications that satisfy the following considerations: 

 High alignment with narrative assessment criteria 

 High alignment with priorities outlined in the Notice 

 Relative risk and opportunity 

Yield a diversified portfolio based on the following strategic considerations: 

 Meaningful representation of 

o Small and medium sized programs 

o Geographic diversity 

o Rural communities (see definition in Glossary) 

 Focus area representation 

 Programs that recruit and engage traditionally underrepresented populations as AmeriCorps 

members 

2. Review and Selection Process 

Compliance Review 

CNCS staff will review all applications submitted to CNCS to determine compliance with 

eligibility, deadline, and completeness requirements. In order to be compliant, an applicant must 

satisfy all the following requirements: 
24

 Submit an application and all required additional documents by the application submission 

deadline. 

 Submit an application that is complete, in that it contains all required elements and additional 

documents and follows the instructions provided in this Notice. 

Selection of Applications for Blended Review

Applications will advance to Blended Review based on the results of the Compliance Review. 

Blended Review 

Panels comprised of CNCS staff, EOIR staff, and External Reviewers will assess grant 

applications. The panels will assess the quality of each application against the criteria described 

in this Notice. 

Some applicants may receive requests to provide clarifying information and/or make changes to 

their application including changes to the budget. This information is used by CNCS and EOIR 

staff in making final recommendations. Applications may be recommended for funding even if 

they are not asked clarification questions. During clarification, CNCS may ask an applicant to 

submit a budget for a planning grant. A request for clarification does not guarantee a grant 

award. Failure to respond to requests for additional information in a timely fashion may result in 

the removal of applications from consideration. 

Reviewers will determine which applications to recommend for selection based on their 

assessment of the applicants in Blended Review and clarification in light of the Notice’s 

priorities and strategic considerations. 

Risk Assessment Evaluation

CNCS staff will evaluate the risks to the program posed by each applicant, including conducting 

due diligence to ensure an applicant's ability to manage federal funds. This evaluation is in 

addition to the evaluation of the applicant’s eligibility for funding or the quality of its application 

on the basis of the Selection Criteria. Results from this evaluation will inform funding decisions. 

If CNCS determines that an award will be made, special conditions that correspond to the degree 

of risk assessed may be applied to the award. 

In evaluating risks, CNCS may consider the following: 

 financial stability 

 quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards prescribed 

in applicable OMB Guidance 

 applicant’s record in managing previous CNCS awards, cooperative agreements, or 

procurement awards, including: 

o timeliness of compliance with applicable reporting requirements 

o accuracy of data reported 

o validity of performance measure data reported 

o conformance to the terms and conditions of previous federal awards 

o if applicable, the extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be expended 

prior to future awards 

o information available through OMB-designated repositories of government-wide 

eligibility qualification or financial integrity information, such as: 

o Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) 
25

o DUNS and SAM 

o “Do Not Pay”

 reports and findings from single audits performed under Subpart F – Audit Requirements, 

2 CFR Part 200 and findings and reports of any other available audits 

 IRS Tax Form 990 

 applicant organization’s annual report

 publicly available information, including information from the applicant organization's 

website 

 applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements 

imposed on award recipients 

Selection for Funding

With the goal of a diversified portfolio based on the Notice priorities and strategic considerations 

and after consultation with EOIR, the Chief Executive Officer of CNCS will select the final 

portfolio based on the results of the application review process. In selecting grantees (recipients), 

CNCS and EOIR will factor in strategic considerations to ensure a diverse portfolio of quality 

programs.

Feedback to Applicants 

Following grant awards, each applicant will receive summary feedback on their application. 

Feedback will be based on the review of the original application and will not reflect any 

information that may have been provided during clarification. 

CNCS is committed to transparency in grant making. The following information pertaining to 

this competition for new applications will be published on the CNCS website 

(http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/open-government-initiative/transparency/results-grantscompetition) within 90 business days after all grants are awarded: 

 a list of all compliant applications submitted. 

 Executive Summaries of all compliant applications submitted by the applicants as part of the 

application. 

 data extracted from the Standard Form 424 Face Sheet and Program Narrative submitted by 

applicants for successful applications. 

3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

CNCS will award grants following the grant selection announcement. We anticipate announcing 

the results of this competition depending on the availability of appropriations. CNCS expects that 

successful applicants will be notified no later than August 31, 2015. 

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 

1. Federal Award Notices 

Applicants will be notified via email as to funding decisions. This notification is not an 

authorization to begin grant activities. The Notice of Grant Award signed by the grant officer is 

the authorizing document for grant activities. 
26

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements 

a. Documents that Govern the Grant

The Notice of Grant Award incorporates the approved application as part of a binding 

commitment under the grant as well as the AmeriCorps Regulations and grant terms and 

conditions. 

b. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards

Grants under this program are subject to 2 CFR Chapter I, Chapter II, and XXII supersedes and 

streamlines OMB Circulars A–21, A–87, and A–122 (the former Cost Principles), the 

Administrative Requirements in Circulars A-102 and A-110, the Circulars A-50 and A-133 

(Audit) and Circular A-89 on the CFDA. 

3. National Service Criminal History Check Requirements

The National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) is a screening procedure established by 

law to protect the beneficiaries of national service. The law requires recipients to conduct and 

document NSCHCs on any person (including award-funded staff, national service participant, or 

volunteer) receiving a salary, living allowance, stipend or education award through a program 

receiving CNCS funds. An individual is ineligible to serve in a position that receives such CNCS 

funding if the individual is registered, or required to be registered, as a sex offender or has been 

convicted of murder. The cost of conducting NSCHCs is an allowable expense under the award. 

Recipients must perform the following checks –

All award-funded staff, national service participants, and volunteers must undergo NSCHCs that 

include: 

1. A nationwide name-based search of the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW); 

and

2. Either

 A name- or fingerprint-based search of the statewide criminal history registry in the 

person’s state of residence and in the state where the person will serve/work or

 A fingerprint-based FBI criminal history check. 

Special Rule for Persons Serving Vulnerable Populations. Award-funded staff, national 

service participants, and volunteers with recurring access to vulnerable populations (i.e., 

children age 17 or younger, individuals age 60 or older, or individuals with disabilities) must 

undergo NSCHCs that include: 

1. A nationwide name-based check of the NSOPW; and

2. Both

 A name- or fingerprint-based search of the statewide criminal history registry in the 

person’s state of residence and in the state where the person will serve/work; and

 A fingerprint-based FBI criminal history check. 

See 45 CFR § 2540.200–§ 2540.207 and http://www.nationalservice.gov/resources/criminalhistory-check for complete information and FAQs. 

Use of Material 
27

To ensure that materials generated with CNCS funding are available to the public and readily 

accessible to recipients and non-recipients, CNCS reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and 

irrevocable right to obtain, use, modify, reproduce, publish, or disseminate publications and 

materials produced under the award, including data, and to authorize others to do so. 2 CFR § 

200.315.

3. Reporting 

Cost reimbursement recipients are required to provide mid-year and end of year progress reports, 

semi-annual financial reports, and an internal or external evaluation report as required by the 

AmeriCorps regulations §§2522.500-2522.540 and §§2522.700-2522.740. 

Fixed Amount recipients are required to provide mid-year and end of year progress reports and 

an internal or external evaluation report as required by the AmeriCorps regulations 45 CFR 

§§2522.500-2522.540 and 45 CFR §§2522.700-2522.740. 

Recipients will be required to report on the Performance Indicators (pages 6 and 7) on a periodic 

basis as set forth in the Notice and/or grant provisions. 

All recipients, including Fixed Amount recipients, submit quarterly financial reports to the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services’ Payment Management System. 

If you receive an award directly from CNCS, you will be required to report at www.FSRS.gov 

on all subawards over $25,000 and may be required to report on executive compensation for your 

organization and for your subgrantees (subrecipients). You must have the necessary systems in 

place to collect and report this information. See 2 CFR Part 170 for more information and to 

determine how these requirements apply. 

While applications will not be evaluated on these criteria, recipients will be expected to have 

data collection and data management policies and practices that provide reasonable assurance 

that they are providing CNCS with high quality performance measure data. At a minimum, 

recipients should have policies and practices which address the following five aspects of data 

quality: 

 The data measures what it intends to measure. 

 The recipient collects data in a consistent manner. 

 The recipient takes steps to correct data errors. 

 The recipient ensures that the data reported is complete.

 The recipient actively reviews data prior to submission. 

Progress Report Data 

In addition to semi-annual reporting outcomes and progress toward the grant approved 

performance measures, additional data must be reported annually (as applicable). 

Re-Focusing of Funding 
28

CNCS reserves the right to re-focus funding in the event of disaster or other compelling need for 

service. Also, applicants judged by reviewers to need additional time to complete planning for 

implementing a justice AmeriCorps program may be awarded a planning grant.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT(S) 

This Notice is available at http://www.nationalservice.gov/build-your-capacity/grants/fundingopportunities. The TTY number is (800) 833-3722. For further information or for a printed copy 

of this Notice, call (202) 606-7508. For questions, please call (202) 606-7508 or send an email to 

americorpsgrants@cns.gov. The mailing address is: 

Corporation for National and Community Service 

ATT: Office of Grants Policy and Operations/justice AmeriCorps 

1201 New York Avenue N.W.

Washington, DC 20525

H. OTHER INFORMATION 

In addition to consulting the Application Instructions, Supplementary Materials, and AmeriCorps 

Regulations as directed in this Notice, applicants are encouraged also to consult the CNCS web 

site for a schedule of technical assistance conference calls and Frequently Asked Questions that 

are updated during the competition period. 
29

APPENDIX A: DEFINITIONS 

Asylum: lawful status that may be granted to an individual who is unable or unwilling to return 

to his or her country of nationality, or last habitual residence in the case of a person having no 

nationality, because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, 

religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. See 8 U.S.C. 

§§ 1101(a)(42), 1158.

Cost Reimbursement Grants: fund a portion of program operating costs and member living 

allowances with flexibility to use all of the funds for allowable costs regardless of whether or not 

the program recruits and retains all AmeriCorps members. 

Education Award Program (EAP) Fixed Amount Grants: Programs apply for a small fixed 

amount per MSY, can enroll less than full-time members, and use their own resources to cover 

all other costs. Programs can access funds under the grant based on enrolling the full 

complement of members supported under the grant. As with full-time fixed amount grants, there 

are no specific match or financial reporting requirements for EAP fixed amount grants. 

Fixed Amount Grant (Full-Time /Less Than Full-Time Serving in a Full-Time Capacity) 

(Non-EAP)Grants: Fixed amount grants are available for programs that enroll full-time 

members or less than full-time members who are serving in a full-time capacity only. These 

grants provide a fixed amount of funding per member Service Year (MSY) that is substantially 

lower than the amount required to operate the program. Organizations use their own or other 

resources to cover the remaining costs. Programs are not required to submit budgets or financial 

reports, there is no specific match requirement, and programs are not required to track and 

maintain documentation of match. However, CNCS provides only a portion of the cost of 

running the program and organizations must raise the additional resources needed. Programs can 

access all of the funds, provided they recruit and retain the members supported under the grant, 

based on the MSY level awarded. Applicants new to CNCS funding are NOT eligible to apply 

for these grants. 

Immigration Proceedings: Include immigration or custody proceedings before EOIR 

Immigration Courts; appellate proceedings before the Board of Immigration Appeals; 

proceedings before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), including 

applications for asylum, special immigrant juvenile (SIJ) status, and/or T or U nonimmigrant 

visa status; and state court proceedings seeking orders necessary to support applications for SIJ 

status, and shall not include any claims, litigation, or other proceedings before federal district 

courts or United States Courts of Appeals, or any claims, litigation, or other proceedings in any 

fora against the federal government. 

Member Service Year (MSY): the equivalent of a full-time AmeriCorps position (at least 1700 

service hours). 

Paralegals: include any individual who will provide legal support to lawyers participating in the 

program. Such individuals need not have completed any prior legal training or certification 

programs in order to be eligible to serve, though applicants are encouraged to consider such 

credentials when evaluating member candidates. 
30

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status: lawful status that USCIS may grant to a child who has 

obtained a state court order declaring that: the child is a dependent of the court or that the child 

should be legally placed with a state agency, private agency, or a private person; it is not in the 

best interests of the child to return to his or her home country or last country of habitual 

residence; and the child cannot be reunited with a parent because of abuse, abandonment, 

neglect, or any similar reason under state law. The child must be under the age of 21 at the time 

of his or her application for special immigrant juvenile status and unmarried at the time of 

application and adjudication. See 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(27)(J). 

Unaccompanied Children: children under the age of 16 who: (1) are not in the custody of the 

Office of Refugee Resettlement or the Department of Homeland Security; (2) have received a 

Notice to Appear in removal proceedings before EOIR; and (3) have not had their cases 

consolidated with removal proceedings against a parent or legal guardian.
31

APPENDIX B: DATA COLLECTION

As noted in Section V. 2b. above, all grantees will be required to collect and report the data 

identified below. Grantees will be required to report this data on a monthly basis to the Vera 

Institute of Justice. 

 The number of Unaccompanied Children accepted as clients, identified by name, gender, 

date of birth, and alien numbers. 

 The number of hours spent on each Unaccompanied Child client’s case.

 The number of Unaccompanied Children clients assigned to each AmeriCorps member. 

 Whether and how many Unaccompanied Children were referred to and successfully 

paired with counsel other than an AmeriCorps member (such as a non-AmeriCorps 

lawyer in the applicant’s organization or pro bono counsel outside the organization). 

 The number and nature of outreach efforts to build pro bono capacity to support and 

represent the population of unaccompanied children in the immigration court location(s) 

in which members serve. 

 The fora in which the AmeriCorps member represented each Unaccompanied Child 

(immigration court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, state court, USCIS). 

 Number of cases in which the Unaccompanied Child pleaded to the allegations in the 

Notice to Appear. 

 Number of charges contested and the outcome. 

 Whether the Unaccompanied Child requested immigration relief or relief from removal 

and the disposition of any such applications. 

 Number of other court/agency orders sought and the disposition of the orders (e.g., State 

court for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status /USCIS). 

 Type of motions filed and the disposition of those motions. 

 Disposition of any appeals filed. 

 Whether any expert testimony was proffered and/or allowed. 

 Whether an AmeriCorps member sought or obtained the appointment of a child advocate 

for an Unaccompanied Child. 

 Whether special accommodations (such as testimonial aids, closed hearings, or other 

means to facilitate the adjudication) were sought or utilized. 

 Results of interviews designed to capture an Unaccompanied Child’s understanding of 

Immigration Proceedings before and after receiving program services. 

 The number of Unaccompanied Children, if any, 1) screened (whether as part of the 

program or outside of it) and 2) identified as victims of trafficking or abuse. 

 The number of Unaccompanied Children referred to or provided with support services for 

victims of trafficking or other abuses. 
32

APPENDIX C: PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 

All grantees will be required to evaluate their performance in light of the Performance Indicators 

identified below. Applicants are encouraged to propose additional indicators to inform an 

assessment of the program’s impact, and to propose a plan for collecting and sharing information 

about promising practices with other grantees and, in the case of a grantee administering more 

than one project site, among project sites. 

Goal Outcome Performance Indicator

To be collected by Grantee To be collected by EOIR

Increase levels of 

representation for 

Unaccompanied 

Children

(1) Representation 

for 

Unaccompanied 

Children 

 Number (further 

broken down by 

gender and date 

of birth) of 

Unaccompanied 

Children 

represented 

through the 

grantee.

Increase (2) Increase in the  Number and 

effectiveness and appearance rate percent of 

efficiencies of the of program cases 

Immigration Unaccompanied resulting in in 

Court system Children absentia orders.

through scheduled for  Number and 

representation. Immigration 

Court hearings.

percent of 

change of 

venue motions 

filed.

 Number and 

percent of 

change of 

address 

motions filed. 

(3) Increase in the  Number of cases in  Number of 

Unaccompanied which the Motions filed.

Child’s ability to Unaccompanied Child  Number of 

effectively 

present his or her 

pleaded to the 

allegations in the Notice 

Appeals filed. 

legal case. to Appear.

 Number of charges 

contested and the 

outcome. 

 Whether the 

Unaccompanied Child 

requested immigration 

relief or relief from 

removal and the 
33

disposition of any such 

applications.

 Number of other 

court/agency orders 

sought and the 

disposition of those 

orders (e.g., State court 

for Special Immigrant 

Juvenile Status /USCIS).

 Type of motions filed and 

the disposition of those 

motions.

 Disposition of any 

appeals filed.

 Whether any expert 

testimony was proffered 

and/or allowed.

 Whether an AmeriCorps 

Member sought or 

obtained the 

appointment of a child 

advocate for an 

Unaccompanied Child.

 Whether special 

accommodations (such 

as testimonial aids, 

closed hearings, or other 

means to facilitate the 

adjudication) were 

sought or utilized.

(4) Increase in the 

Unaccompanied 

Child’s 

understanding of 

Immigration 

Proceedings.

 Results of interviews 

designed to capture 

Unaccompanied Child’s 

understanding of 

Immigration Proceedings 

before and after 

receiving program 

services. 

(5) Decrease in 

length of overall 

 Number of 

continuances 

court and the reasons

proceedings. behind the 

requests 

(including for 

lack of counsel 

prerepresentation 

by a program 

attorney). 

 Number of days 

from filing of 

initial NTA to 

Immigration 
34











Court 

disposition. 

Number of days 

between first 

court 

appearance and 

Immigration 

Court 

disposition. 

Number of days 

from filing NTA 

to entry of 

appearance by 

program 

attorney. 

Number of 

master calendar 

hearings.

Number of 

individual 

hearings. 

Number of 

bond hearings. 

Increase 

identification of 

Unaccompanied 

Children that 

have been a 

victim of human 

trafficking or 

abuse and 

decrease the risk 

that children may 

be trafficked 

upon return to 

their country of 

nationality or last 

habitual 

residence

(6) Increase in 

screenings of 

Unaccompanied 

Child clients to 

identify whether 

a child has been 

a victim of 

human trafficking 

or abuse and 

whether there is 

a risk that the 

child may 

trafficked upon 

return to his or 

her country of 

nationality or last 

habitual 

residence.





The number of 

screenings of 

Unaccompanied Child 

clients to identify 

whether a child has been 

a victim of human 

trafficking, abuse, or 

trauma and whether the 

child may trafficked, 

abused, or traumatized 

upon return to his or her 

country of nationality or 

last habitual residence.

The number of 

Unaccompanied Child 

clients referred for 

support services 

associated with 

trafficking, abuse, or 

trauma concerns. 

Build pro bono 

capacity to 

support and 

represent the 

population of 

Unaccompanied 

Children in the 

immigration court 

location(s) in 

(7) Increase in the 

amount of pro 

bono capacity to

represent

unaccompanied 

children in the 

immigration 

court location(s) 

in which 

 The number and nature 

of outreach efforts to 

build pro bono capacity 

to support and represent 

the population of 

unaccompanied children 

in the immigration court 

location(s) in which 

members serve. 
35

which members 

will serve

members will 

serve. 

 The number of 

unaccompanied children 

referred to and 

successfully paired with 

pro bono counsel. 

Strengthen 

national service 

so that 

participants 

engaged in CNCSsupported 

programs 

consistently find 

satisfaction, 

meaning and 

opportunity. 

(8) Percent of 

service 

participants 

engaged in CNCSsupported 

programs who 

report having an 

experience that 

expands 

educational, 

employment, or 

civic 

opportunities.









Number of AmeriCorps 

Members who report 

they will utilize their 

education award.

Number of service 

participants that report 

that they value the skills 

gained from national 

service.

Number of service 

participants reporting 

gains in leadership skills.

Number of service 

participants reporting 

increased self-efficacy.
36

APPENDIX D: NATIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Each applicant will have one required performance measure. Applicants may include additional 

measures, as appropriate. 

Required: 

Output Number of Unaccompanied Children receiving legal services in 

Immigration Proceedings

Definition 

of Key 

terms 

Legal services must be provided to children under the age of 16 who: (1) are 

not in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) or the 

Department of Homeland Security; (2) have received a Notice to Appear in 

removal proceedings before EOIR; and, (3) have not had their cases 

consolidated with removal proceedings against a parent or legal guardian 

(Unaccompanied Children or Unaccompanied Child). The legal 

representation shall be limited to immigration or custody proceedings before 

EOIR Immigration Courts; appellate proceedings before the Board of 

Immigration Appeals; proceedings before United States Citizenship and 

Immigration Services (USCIS), including applications for asylum, Special 

Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status, and /or T or U nonimmigrant status; and 

state court proceedings seeking orders necessary to support applications for 

SIJ status (Immigration Proceedings). Immigration Proceedings shall not 

include any claims, litigation, or other proceedings before federal district 

courts, courts of appeals, or the Supreme Court.
37

APPENDIX E: LOGIC MODEL WORKSHEET 

Legal Applicant name: _____________________ eGrants Application ID#: ____________

Project 

Resources

Core Project 

Components

Evidence of 

Project 

Implementation 

and Participation

INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS

Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term

What we invest 

(# and type of 

AmeriCorps 

members)

What we do Direct products 

from program 

activities

Changes in 

knowledge, 

skills, attitudes, 

opinions

Changes in 

behavior or 

action that result 

from 

participants' 

new knowledge

Meaningful 

changes, often 

in their 

condition or 

status in life

Evidence of Change

Outcomes
38

APPENDIX F: GUIDANCE FOR STATE COMMISSIONS

Each State Commission is responsible for developing an application process that includes the 

review and selection of AmeriCorps programs for submission to CNCS for funding. If a 

Commission chooses not to solicit applications for funding under this Notice, it should instruct 

interested single-state applicants to apply directly to CNCS 

Resources 

The AmeriCorps regulations 45 C.F.R. §§ 2520 – 2550, contain program specific information 

and requirements that you need to understand and incorporate into your application instructions. 

The Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity (Notice) for the AmeriCorps State and National 

funding contain specific information about how much funding will be available for AmeriCorps 

grants, applicant eligibility, how to apply, and special considerations and priorities for funding 

that are not included in the application instructions. 

The Application Instructions for the State and National competitions are linked from the Notice 

web pages. 

Requirements for Competitive Submission 

Your State Commission Prime Application Package(s) for State Commission 2014 justice 

AmeriCorps for Legal Services to Unaccompanied Children, State Commission justice 

AmeriCorps Unaccompanied Children Fixed Amount Grants, and/or State Commission justice 

AmeriCorps for Unaccompanied Children Education Awards Program grant funding must 

include: 

 Applicant information from the State Commission (prime application) 

 Assurances and Certifications signed by the appropriate authorizing official 

 The AmeriCorps State and National program applications you are recommending for funding 

 Commission ranking of applications as outlined in the AmeriCorps regulations 45 C.F.R. 

§ 2522.465 

 Recommendation summaries for each application submitted 

In addition, State Commissions are responsible for ensuring that each recommended application 

complies with all of the submission requirements set forth in the Notice and Application 

Instructions. This means that in addition to the prime and sub-applications, the commission will 

ensure that required Evaluations, and Labor Union Concurrences will also have been submitted 

to CNCS by the submission due date, if applicable. 

Do not submit supplementary materials such as videos, brochures, letters of support, or 

any other item not requested in the Application Instructions or the Notice. CNCS will not 

review or return them. 
39

State Competitive New or Re-Competing Selection Process 

This is to assist you in developing your commission specific application materials and 

developing your selection processes for State Commission 2015 justice AmeriCorps 

Unaccompanied Children, State Commission justice AmeriCorps Legal Services for 

Unaccompanied Children Fixed Amount Grants, and/or State Commission justice AmeriCorps 

Unaccompanied Children Education Awards Program funding. State Commissions must follow 

state law requirements regarding requests for proposals and the selection of programs within 

their state. Commission outreach and review processes should be consistent with board approved 

policies. Commissions should provide information on the following topics to program applicants: 

 Funding availability 

 State Commission 2015 justice AmeriCorps Unaccompanied Children, State Commission 

justice AmeriCorps Legal Services for Unaccompanied Children Fixed Amount Grants, 

and/or State Commission justice AmeriCorps Unaccompanied Children Education Awards 

Program 

 State maximum cost per MSY and budget guidelines 

 State priorities 

 Corporation priority areas 

 Selection criteria 

 Other information the commission or state may require 

The State Commission is responsible for: 

 Submission of applications to CNCS for funding consideration 

 Thoroughly reviewing the recommended applications to ensure they are complete, accurate, 

and in compliance with all program and budget requirements before submitting them to 

CNCS in eGrants 

 Preparing ranking and recommendations for new/re-competing programs to fund 

 Preparing recommendations for continuing programs to fund 

 Reviewing Federal Financial Reports to monitor and report on continuing and re-competing 

programs’ progress toward the matching requirements stipulated in the AmeriCorps rule 45 

CRF § 2521.35-2521.91 

 Reading, understanding, and signing all assurances, certifications, and restrictions, including 

the certification of each program’s progress toward the matching requirements 
40

Be sure to set a due date for applications that allows adequate time before CNCS’s due date to 

review program applications, analyze budgets, and work with the programs on revisions to 

budgets, proposed activities, and performance measures, as necessary. 

Commission Review Requirements 

Commissions are required to conduct a competitive review to assess grant applications. 

Commissions must certify in eGrants that the selection process complied with the NCSA, as 

amended, AmeriCorps regulations, and all state laws and conflict of interest rules. 

The AmeriCorps regulations, 45 C.F.R. § 2522.460 and § 2522.475, describe the extent to which 

commissions must use CNCS’s selection criteria and priorities when selecting programs and to 

what extent commissions may consider priorities other than those stated in the regulations or in 

the Notice. Include the criteria the commission will use to evaluate and select applications in 

your application materials. 

State Commission Ranking and Recommendation Summaries 

The AmeriCorps regulations, 45 C.F.R. § 2522.465, include requirements regarding ranking 

applicants for State Competitive funding. Submit the rankings in eGrants using the “Manage 

Subs” screen in the prime application to enter information on each of the new or re-competing 

sub-applications. Once the information for each sub-application has been entered, save and close. 

The main Manage Subs page will now include all subs listed under “For Competitive 

Submissions” with a “Rank: Select a Rank” drop down menu next to each. 

Provide rankings in order of funding priority in the sub-applications section of the Prime 

Application in eGrants. Each ranked program must have a different rank (i.e., no “ties”). If a 

state is responding to more than one Notice and thus will rank the programs in each Notice, 

please note applicant rank order in the Commission Rank Justification field of the commission 

competitive Prime Application. It is not currently possible to rank Fixed Amount applications in 

eGrants. If your state is also submitting Fixed Amount applications, please submit your rank 

order of the combined cost reimbursement and Fixed Amount applications to your CNCS 

program officer. 

Summarize the criteria and process used by the commission to arrive at the submitted rankings in 

the Commission Rank Justification field of the commission Competitive Prime Application. 

There is a character limit of 1,000 characters. In order to be able to avoid eGrants error that will 

not allow you to submit your application, please complete these tasks in the following order: 1) 

the drop-down menu for rank and save, 2) the rank justification, and 3) the recommendation 

summaries. 

For each application that is being submitted to CNCS, provide a “Recommendation Summary” 

including the information listed below: 

 Provide a summary of the program’s service activities. 

 Describe the program’s strengths and how it will complement the commission’s existing 

portfolio and address needs identified in the State Service Plan. 
41

 Discuss potential challenges to success and the commission’s strategy for meeting the 

challenges through training and technical assistance. 

 For continuing and re-competing programs, discuss any programmatic compliance issues, 

including enrollment, retention, performance and progress toward impact. If programmatic 

issues are identified, describe how the program will address them and what steps the 

commission will take to ensure success. 

 For continuing and re-competing programs, discuss each program’s record for submitting 

forms and reports in a timely manner (including 30-day enrollment, 30-day exits, fiscal 

reporting deadlines, and progress reporting deadlines). 

 For re-competing programs, provide either an assessment of each program’s evaluation 

efforts to date or a completed evaluation, as applicable. 

Matching Requirements 

The State Commission is responsible for meeting an aggregate overall match requirement based 

on the subgrantees’ individual match requirements. See 45 C.F.R. §§ 2521.50-2521.90 and 

additional guidance from CNCS for the matching requirements that apply to a given commission 

and its sub-grants. Section 121(e) of the National Community Service Act (NCSA) requires that 

grantees that use other federal funds as match for an AmeriCorps grant report the amount and 

source of these funds to the Corporation. If a grantee uses federal funds as match, they will be 

required to report the sources and amounts on the FFR.