Notice of Funding Availability Fact Sheet SOCIAL INNOVATION FUND - CLASSIC 

FY 2016 SIF Classic Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) Fact Sheet 

What Is The Social Innovation Fund (SIF)? 

The Social Innovation Fund (SIF), a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), combines 

public and private resources to grow the impact of innovative, community-based solutions that have compelling evidence 

of improving the lives of people in low-income communities throughout the United States. The SIF invests in three issue 

areas: economic opportunity, healthy futures, and youth development. The SIF makes grants to experienced grantmaking 

institutions that are well-positioned within communities to identify the most promising programs and guide them 

towards greater impact and stronger evidence of success. In addition to funding, Social Innovation Fund recipients 

receive significant technical assistance to support implementation and evaluation of their innovative programs. 

Who Can Apply? 

This competition is open to existing grantmaking institutions (organizations that provide grants to nonprofits as an 

essential means of fulfilling their mission) or eligible partnerships (between a grantmaker and a State Commission on 

National and Community Service, or a chief executive officer of a unit of general local government with the partner 

organizations sharing responsibilities under the award). Current SIF Classic recipients may apply for new interventions; 

however, previous funding from CNCS or another federal agency is not a requisite to apply. 

What Are We Looking For? 

The SIF seeks recipients who will run open competitions to select, fund, support, and evaluate community-based 

nonprofit organizations to grow promising, innovative approaches to overcoming challenges facing local communities in 

our three issue areas: 

 Youth development - Preparing children and youth for success in school, active citizenship, productive work, and

healthy and safe lives, including crime reduction initiatives focused on juvenile delinquency and victimization

prevention and response,

 Economic opportunity - Increasing economic opportunities and financial stability for economically disadvantaged

individuals and families, and

 Healthy futures - Improving health outcomes, promoting healthy lifestyles, and decreasing health disparities that

disproportionately affect low-income communities.

Within these issue areas, there is a special emphasis this year on three funding priorities: Juvenile Justice - Strategies to 

improve outcomes for youth involved in, or at risk for involvement with, the juvenile justice system. Technology - 

Strategies to utilize technology to increase the impact of the proposed evidence-based social programs. Early Childhood 

Education - Strategies to expand access to high quality early learning education for children through age five that prepares 

them for lifelong success. 

What Are The Funding Amounts? 

The SIF will award up to $39 million in grants for its Classic Program during the 2016 fiscal year. Each selected recipient 
Notice of Funding Availability Fact Sheet SOCIAL INNOVATION FUND - CLASSIC 

will be awarded between $1 million and $10 million annually and will be required to match every federal dollar of the 

grant award in cash. A majority of awarded federal funds must be invested in subrecipient programs. 

Why Should You Apply For A Social Innovation Fund Grant?

We all know that progress on our social challenges has been too slow and limited resources have been spent on 

approaches that do not work. We need innovation that will help achieve faster, longer lasting progress, as opposed to 

marginal or incremental progress on our social problems. We must help effective organizations grow their impact and 

transform more lives by investing in cost-effective, evidence-based approaches that lead to better results for the public 

good. The SIF is designed to help funders who share these beliefs by significantly increasing resources and attention to 

this important work, and supporting evaluation and expansion efforts through government funding and a robust 

network of peers. SIF recipients are a part of the leading edge of high-performing, impact-oriented grantmakers that are 

serious about disrupting the status quo and accelerating solutions that work. 

How Do You Apply? 

STEP 1 – GET FAMILIAR: 

Read the 2016 NOFA to learn about the SIF and what is required in the application. It can be found on the SIF NOFA 

webpage, along with information on technical assistance webinars and other helpful resources, and links to success 

applications from prior competitions. http://go.usa.gov/c7YUd 

STEP 2 – NOTICE OF INTENT: 

Let us know that you intend to apply by submitting your information here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VJ32PZS. 

STEP 3 – PREPARE AND APPLY: 

Prepare and submit your application electronically via eGrants, CNCS’ web-based application system: 

https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp. Give yourself plenty of time. 

When Do You Need To Apply? 

The Notice of Intent deadline is April 15, 2016 and the Application deadline is May 10, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. 

Where Do You Go For More Information And Assistance? 

For further information or for a printed copy of the application materials, call (202) 606-3223 or email 

SIFApplication@cns.gov. The TTY number is (800) 833-3722. 

CNCS will host technical assistance webinars and calls. The schedule of calls and call-in information can be found at 

http://go.usa.gov/c7YUd 

Where Can I Find Sample Messaging to Share With My Network? 

The Social Innovation Fund has developed an Outreach Toolkit for organizations to use that includes sample newsletter 

text, sample tweets, links to useful websites, and the applicant technical assistance webinar schedule. You can use the kit 

to promote the SIF competition via your organization’s newsletter or eblast, encourage qualified members of your 

network to apply, tweet about the competition, consider posting the funding opportunity on your organization’s website 

during the duration of the competition, and/or encourage your network to participate in the SIF NOFA Webinars. The 

toolkit can be found on the SIF NOFA webpage at http://go.usa.gov/c7YUd .