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Retired Senior Volunteer Program 

2017 GRANT TERMS AND CONDITONS

Effective December 1, 2016

These Corporation for National & Community Service (CNCS) Grant Terms and Conditions are 

binding on the recipient. By accepting funds under this award, the recipient agrees to comply 

with, and include in all awards and these program-specific Grant Terms and Conditions, the 

CNCS general grant terms and conditions, all applicable federal statutes, regulations and 

guidelines, and any amendments thereto. The grantee agrees to operate the funded program in 

accordance with the approved grant application and budget, supporting documents, and other 

representations made in support of the approved grant application. The term recipient is used to 

connote the grant recipient, as appropriate, throughout these Terms and Conditions. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

RETIRED SENIOR VOLUNTEER (RSVP) PROGRAM GRANT 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

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A. Recognition Events 1

B. Grant Period 1

C. Federal Financial Reports (FFRs) – Jan - Jun and Jul – Dec 1

D. Federal Financial Reports (FFRs) – Apr - Sep and Oct – Mar 2

E. Federal Financial Reporting/Disbursements 2

F. Annual Progress Report 2

G. Recognition of Federal Funding 2

H. Program/Project Manager Authority 3

I. Prohibition on Use of Program Grant Funds 3

J. External Evaluation and Data Collection 3

K. Lobby Disclosure 5

L. Reporting Requirements 5

M. Program Income 6

N. Budget and Programmatic Changes 7

O. Senior Corp Branding 7

P. National Service Criminal History Check Training 8

A. Recognition Events

Recipient will ensure that at Recognition events, CNCS is acknowledged as the Federal 

agency responsible for the primary Federal funding of the project.

B. Grant Period

Unless otherwise specified, the award covers a three year project period. In approving a 

multiyear project period, CNCS makes an initial award for the first budget period. 

Additional funding for subsequent budget periods is contingent upon satisfactory 

progress and the availability of funds. The project period and the budget are noted on the 

award document.
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C. Federal Financial Reports (FFRs) – Expenditures/Jan - Jun and Jul - Dec

Recipients with budget periods starting in January or July paid through HHS/PMS must 

submit the Standard Form 425, Federal Financial Report (FFR), semi-annually, from the 

start date of the award, to report the status of all funds. FFRs must report expenses on a 

cumulative basis over the performance period of the award and be submitted according to 

the following schedule:

Period Covering: Report Due:

January 1 to June 30 July 30

July 1 to December 31 January 30

Programs completing the final year of their grant must submit a final FFR that is 

cumulative over the entire grant period. This FFR is due 90 days after the close of the 

grant.

D. Federal Financial Reports (FFRs) – Expenditures/Apr - Sep and Oct - Mar. 

Recipients with budget periods starting in April or October paid through HHS/PMS must 

submit the Standard Form 425, Federal Financial Report (FFR), semi-annually, from the 

start date of the award, to report the status of all funds. FFRs must report expenses on a 

cumulative basis over the performance period of the grant and be submitted according to 

the following schedule:

Period Covering: Report Due:

April 1 - September 30 October 30

October 1 - March 30 April 30

Programs completing the final year of their grant must submit a final FFR that is 

cumulative over the entire grant period. This FFR is due 90 days after the close of the 

grant.

E. Federal Financial Reporting/Disbursements

Recipients paid through HHS/PMS will report quarterly disbursements to HHS through 

SMARTLINK II. Recipients will report disbursements using the web based version of the 

Standard Form 425, Federal Financial Report, no later than 30 calendar days following 

the end of each quarter.

F. Annual Progress Report

Recipients must prepare a full Progress report at the end of the budget period. The report 

must be submitted in eGrants no later than 30 days after the end of the designated 

reporting period. Recipients must prepare and submit the Progress Report Volunteer 

Service Year production data elements at the end of the 2nd and 4th quarters of the 

budget period. These reports must be submitted in eGrants no later than 30 days after the 

end of the designated reporting period.

G. Recognition of Federal Funding
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When issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations, annual 

reports and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part 

with CNCS money, the grantee receiving federal funds, including but not limited to state 

and local governments, shall clearly state (1) the percentage of the total cost of the 

program which will be financed with CNCS money, and (2) the dollar amount of CNCS

funds for the project or program.

H. Program/Project Manager Authority

The Program/Project Manager for this award is listed on the face page of the Notice of 

Grant Award. The Program Officer has full authority to represent CNCS in connection 

with management of the technical and programmatic performance of the award. This 

individual is not authorized to change the terms and conditions, estimated costs, or period 

of performance, or to give approvals, written or verbal, which is specifically reserved for 

the Grants Officer.

I. Prohibition on Use of Program Grant Funds 

As specified in 42 U.S.C. § 5043(c) and 45 C.F.R. §§ 2553.91, while charging time to a 

Retired Senior Volunteer Program, accumulating service, or training hours, or otherwise 

performing activities supported by the Retired Senior Volunteer Program or CNCS, staff 

and volunteers may not engage in the following activities:

1. Political activities.

a. No part of any award shall be used to finance, directly or indirectly, any activity to 

influence the outcome of any election to public office, or any voter registration activity.

No project shall be conducted in a manner involving the use of funds, the provision of 

services, or the employment or assignment of personnel in a matter supporting or 

resulting in the identification of such project with:

i. Any partisan or nonpartisan political activity associated with a candidate, or 

contending faction or group, in an election; or

ii Any activity to provide voters or prospective voters with transportation to the 

polls or similar assistance in connection with any such election; or

iii Any voter registration activity, except that voter registration applications and 

nonpartisan voter registration information may be made available to the public 

at the premises of the sponsor. But in making registration applications and 

nonpartisan voter registration information available, employees of the sponsor 

shall not express preferences or seek to influence decisions concerning any 

candidate, political party, election issue, or voting decision.

b. Notwithstanding 42 U.S.C. § 5043(c) and 45 C.F.R. §§ 2553.91 (a)(3), language in 

CNCS’s current appropriations legislation, as well as language in past appropriations 

legislation, prohibits recipients from using CNCS funds appropriated to pay the salary 
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or expenses of any grant or contract recipient, or agent acting for such recipient, 

related to any activity designed to influence the enactment of legislation, 

appropriations, regulation, administrative action, or Executive order proposed or 

pending before the Congress or any State government, State legislature or local 

legislature or legislative body, other than for normal and recognized executivelegislative relationships or participation by an agency or officer of a State, local or 

tribal government in policymaking and administrative processes within the executive 

branch of that government.

2. Non-displacement of employed workers. A Retired Senior Volunteer Program

Volunteer shall not perform any service or duty or engage in any activity that would 

otherwise be performed by an employee of the sponsor, or that would supplant the hiring 

of, or result in the displacement of, employees, or impair existing contracts for services.

3. Compensation for service. A Retired Senior Volunteer Program agency or 

organization to which RSVP volunteers are assigned, or which operates or 

supervises any RSVP program shall not request or receive any compensation from 

RSVP volunteers or from beneficiaries for services of RSVP volunteers.

i The regulations do not prohibit a sponsor from soliciting and accepting 

voluntary contributions from the community at large to meet its local support 

obligations under the grant or from entering into agreements with parties other 

than beneficiaries to support additional volunteers beyond those supported by 

CNCS award;

ii A volunteer station may contribute to the financial support of the Retired Senior 

Volunteer Program. However, this support shall not be a required precondition 

for a potential station to obtain Retired Senior Volunteer Program services.

iii If a volunteer station agrees to provide funds to support additional Retired 

Senior Volunteer Program volunteers or pay for other volunteer support costs, 

the agreement shall be stated in a written Memorandum of Understanding. The 

sponsor shall withdraw services if the station's inability to provide monetary or 

in-kind support to the project under the Memorandum of Understanding 

diminishes or jeopardizes the project's financial capabilities to fulfill its 

obligations;

iv Under no circumstances shall a Retired Senior Volunteer Program volunteer

receive a fee for service from service recipients (i.e., program beneficiaries), 

their legal guardians, members of their families, or friends.

4. Labor and anti-labor activity. The sponsor shall not use grant funds directly or 

indirectly to finance labor or anti-labor organizations or related activities.

5. Fair labor standards. A sponsor that employs laborers and mechanics for 

construction, alteration, or repair of facilities shall pay wages at prevailing rates as 

determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with the Davis-Bacon Act, as 

amended, 40 U.S.C. 276a.
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6. Religious activities. A Retired Senior Volunteer Program volunteer or a member 

of the project staff funded by CNCS shall not give religious instruction, conduct 

worship services, or engage in any form of proselytization as part of his or her 

service or duties.

i A sponsor or volunteer station may retain its independence and may continue 

to carry out its mission, including the definition, development, practice, and 

expression of its religious beliefs, provided that it does not use CNCS funds to 

support any inherently religious activities, such as worship, religious 

instruction, or proselytization, as part of the programs or services funded. If an 

organization conducts such activities, the activities must be offered separately, 

in time or location, from the programs or services funded under this part.

7. Nepotism. Persons selected for project staff positions shall not be related by 

blood or marriage to other project staff, sponsor staff or officers, or members 

of the sponsor Board of Directors, unless there is written concurrence from the 

community group established by the sponsor under Subpart B of this part and 

upon prior notification and approval by CNCS.

J. EXTERNAL AND DATA COLLECTION

The grantee must cooperate with CNCS and its evaluators in all monitoring and evaluation 

efforts. As part of this effort, the grantee must collect and submit certain project data, as 

defined in the Project Profile and Volunteer Activity (PPVA), and must provide data as 

requested or needed to support external evaluations.

K. LOBBY DISCLOSURE

For grant awards exceeding $100,000, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 1352, the Grantee is required to 

file a disclosure report, Standard Form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, at the end of 

any quarter, when the Grantee has paid or agreed to pay any lobbying entity for influencing 

or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an 

officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection 

with a covered Federal action. The report must be submitted to the Corporation State 

Program Director.

L. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The recipient is responsible for timely submission of periodic financial and progress reports 

during the project period and a final financial report at the end of the period. 

1. Financial Reports. The recipient shall complete and submit financial reports in eGrants 

to report the status of all funds. The recipient must submit timely cumulative financial 

reports in accordance with CNCS guidelines and sections E and F, above. 

2. Final Financial Report. A recipient must submit, in lieu of the last semi-annual 

financial report, a final financial report. These reports are due no later than 90 days after 

the end of the project period.
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3. Reporting at the Dept. of Health and Human Services/Payment Management 

System. (HHS/PMS) All recipients must submit the Federal Financial Report (FFR) 

Cash Transactions Report on a quarterly basis to the HHS/PMS per the Electronic Funds 

Transfer Agreement.

4. Progress Reports. The recipient shall complete and submit timely progress reports, 

including a summary of accomplishments during the reporting period. This includes 

reporting on the progress to date made by the recipient for that reporting period. The 

report is submitted through the appropriate electronic system. Individual program 

guidance determines the due date for the reports. 

5. Requests for Extensions. Each grantee must submit a financial report by the given 

dates. Extensions of reporting deadlines will be granted only when 1) the report cannot 

be furnished in a timely manner for reasons, in the determination of CNCS, which are 

legitimately beyond the control of the grantee, and 2) CNCS receives a written request 

explaining the need for an extension before the due date of the report. 

Extensions of deadlines for financial reports may only be granted by the Field Financial 

Management Center (FFMC), and extensions of deadlines for progress reports may only 

be granted by the Program Office.

6. Other. The recipient shall meet as necessary with the CNCS Program Office or with 

other staff or consultants designated by the CNCS Program Official to exchange views, 

ideas, and information concerning the project. The recipient shall submit such special 

reports as may be reasonably requested by CNCS.

M. PROGRAM INCOME

1. General. Income, including fees for service earned as a direct result of the grant-funded 

program activities during the award period, must be retained by the grantee and used to 

finance the grant’s non-CNCS share.

2. Excess Program Income. Program income earned in excess of the amount needed to 

finance the grantee share must follow the appropriate requirements of 2 CFR § 

200.307(e)(1) and be deducted from total claimed costs, or with prior written approval 

from CNCS, the requirements of 2 CFR § 200.307(e)(2) through a budget amendment be 

used to enhance the program (additive process). Recipients that earn excess income must 

specify the amount of the excess in the comment box on the financial report.

3. Fees for service. When using assistance under this grant, the grantee may not enter into a 

contract for or accept fees for service performed by participants when:

i. The service benefits a for-profit entity; 

ii. The service falls within the other prohibited activities set forth in statute, 

regulation, or these award terms and conditions. 

N. BUDGET AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES

1. Programmatic Changes. The grantee must obtain the prior written approval of CNCS 

before making changes:
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a. in the scope, objectives or goals of the project, transfer of the project effort, or project 

timeline whether or not they involve budgetary changes;

b. in key personnel specified in the application or the federal award;

c. involving the disengagement from the project for more than three months, or a 25 

percent reduction in time devoted to the project by the approved Project Director.

2. Budgetary Changes. The grantee must obtain the prior written approval of CNCS’s Field 

Financial Management Center (FFMC) before deviating from the approved budget in any 

of the following ways:

a. specific costs requiring prior approval before incurrence under 2 CFR § 200.407. 

examples of costs requiring prior written approval before they are allowed include 

rearrangement and alteration costs, and pre-award costs;

b. purchases of equipment over $5,000 using grant funds, unless specified in the 

approved application and budget;

c. the Federal awarding agency may, at its option, restrict the transfer of funds among 

direct cost categories or programs, functions and activities for Federal awards in 

which the Federal share of the project of such transfers exceeds or is expected to 

exceed 10 percent of the total budget as last approved by the Federal awarding 

agency. The Federal awarding agency cannot permit a transfer that would cause any 

Federal appropriation to be used for purposes other than those consistent with the 

appropriation;

d. changes in the amount of approved cost-sharing or matching provided by the nonfederal entity;

e. The inclusion, unless waived by the federal awarding agency, of costs that require 

prior approval in accordance with subpart E cost principles in 2 CFR.

3. Approvals of Programmatic and Budget Changes. CNCS’s Grants officers are the only 

officials who have the authority to alter or change the provisions or requirements of the 

grant. Programmatic changes also require final approval of CNCS’s Field Financial 

Management Center (FFMC) after written recommendation for approval is received from 

the Program Office. The Grants Officers will execute written amendments, and 

Recipients should not assume approvals have been granted unless documentation from the 

Grants Office has been received.

O. SENIOR CORPS BRANDING

“RSVP” must be included in all references to the project. Accordingly, “RSVP” must be 

included in the title of the project as listed on the grant application, and in all project 

promotions for the duration of the project period, including, but not limited to,

recruitment, recognition, and publicity. 
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P. NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK TRAINING

All grant recipients must complete CNCS’ National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) 

training every year. The CNCS designated e-course provides a thorough overview of the 

requirements and can be found at: http://cncstraining.articulate-online.com/4240214797 unless 

otherwise notified by CNCS. Each grant recipient must identify at minimum one staff person 

who has some responsibility for NSCHC compliance to fulfill this requirement on behalf of the 

grant recipient . The grant recipient must retain the certificate of completion and assign staff to 

retake the course annually prior to the expiration of the certificate. Grant recipients must save 

certificates of completion from each year as grant records.