Retired Senior Volunteer Program 

2015 GRANT TERMS AND CONDITONS

Effective January 1, 2015

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 subaward, 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 either grant recipient or subrecipient, as appropriate, throughout 

these Terms and Conditions. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

RETIRED SENIOR VOLUNTEER (RSVP) PROGRAM GRANT TERMS AND

CONDITIONS....................................................................................................................1

A. Recognition Events..................................................................................................1

B. Grant Period ............................................................................................................1

C. Federal Financial Reports (FFRs) – Jan - Jun and Jul – Dec ..................................2

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

E. Federal Financial Reporting/Disbursements ...........................................................2

F. Annual Progress Report ..........................................................................................3

G. Recognition of Federal Funding .............................................................................3

H. Program/Project Manager Authority .......................................................................3

I. Prohibition on Use of Program Grant Funds ..........................................................3

J. External Evaluation and Data Collection ................................................................5

K. Lobby Disclosure ....................................................................................................5

L. Reporting Requirements .........................................................................................5

M. Program Income ......................................................................................................6

N. Budget and Programmatic Changes ........................................................................7

O. Senior Branding ......................................................................................................7

Attachment

Grant Program Civil Rights and Non-Harassment Policy ............................................8

A. Recognition Events

Recipient will assure 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 the Corporation 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.
2

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 31

July 1 to December 31 January 31

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 31

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 4th quarter 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.
3

G. Recognition of Federal Funding

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/Project Manager has full authority to represent CNCS in 

connection with management of the technical and programmatic performance of the 

award. They are not authorized to change the terms and conditions, estimated costs, or 

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

the Grant Officer.

I. Prohibition on Use of Program Grant Funds 

As specified in 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), 45 C.F.R. §§ 2553.91 (a)(3), language in 

CNCS’s current appropriations legislation, as well as language in past appropriations 
4

legislation, provides that recipients are not permitted to use funds appropriated to 

CNCS used to pay the salary 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 which would 

otherwise be performed by an employee of the sponsor or which 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, their legal guardian, members 

of their family, or friends.

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

indirectly to finance labor or anti-labor organization or related activity.

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 
5

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

amended, 40 U.S.C. 276a.

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 

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 

with notification to the Corporation

J. EXTERNAL AND DATA COLLECTION

The grantee must cooperate with the Corporation 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

This section applies only to the recipient. The recipient is responsible for timely submission 

of periodic financial and progress reports during the project period and a final financial report 

and for setting submission deadlines for its respective subrecipients, if applicable, that ensure 

the timely submission of recipient reports.

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. 
6

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.

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 to 

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

reporting on the progress to date made by the recipient and subrecipients 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, 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. 
7

N. BUDGET AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES

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

before making the following changes:

a. Changes 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. Entering into subawards or contracts for activities funded by the award, but not 

identified or included in the approved application and grant budget.

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. Unless the CNCS share of the award is $50,000 or less, changes to cumulative and/or 

aggregate budget line items that amount to 10 per cent or more of the total budget 

must be approved in writing in advance by CNCS. The total budget includes both the 

CNCS and recipient shares. Recipients may transfer funds among approved direct 

cost categories when the cumulative amount of such transfers does not exceed 10 

percent of the total budget.

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. 
8

ATTACHMENTS

Grant Program Civil Rights and Non-Harassment Policy

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has zero tolerance for the

harassment of any individual or group of individuals for any reason. CNCS is committed to

treating all persons with dignity and respect. CNCS prohibits all forms of discrimination based

upon race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity 

or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, or military service. All programs 

administered by, or receiving Federal financial assistance from CNCS, must be free from all

forms of harassment. Whether in CNCS offices or campuses, in other service-related settings such

as training sessions or service sites, or at service-related social events, such harassment is

unacceptable. Any such harassment, if found, will result in immediate corrective action, up to and 

including removal or termination of any CNCS employee or volunteer. Recipients of Federal

financial assistance, be they individuals, organizations, programs and/or projects are also subject

to this zero tolerance policy. Where a violation is found, and subject to regulatory procedures, 

appropriate corrective action will be taken, up to and including termination of Federal financial

assistance from all Federal sources.

Slurs and other verbal or physical conduct relating to an individual’s gender, race, ethnicity,

religion, sexual orientation or any other basis constitute harassment when it has the purpose or effect

of interfering with service performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive service 

environment. Harassment includes, but is not limited to: explicit or implicit demands for sexual 

favors; pressure for dates; deliberate touching, leaning over, or cornering; offensive teasing, 

jokes, remarks, or questions; letters, phone calls, or distribution or display of offensive materials;

offensive looks or gestures; gender, racial, ethnic, or religious baiting; physical assaults or other 

threatening behavior; or demeaning, debasing or abusive comments or actions that intimidate.

CNCS does not tolerate harassment by anyone including persons of the same or different races,

sexes, religions, or ethnic origins; or from a CNCS employee or supervisor; a project, or site

employee or supervisor; a non-employee (e.g., client); a co-worker or service member.

I expect supervisors and managers of CNCS programs and projects, when made aware of alleged 

harassment by employees, service participants, or other individuals, to immediately take swift and 

appropriate action. CNCS will not tolerate retaliation against a person who raises harassment 

concerns in good faith. Any CNCS employee who violates this policy will be subject to

discipline, up to and including termination, and any grantee that permits harassment in violation

of this policy will be subject to a finding of non-compliance and administrative procedures that 

may result in termination of Federal financial assistance from CNCS and all other Federal

agencies.

Any person who believes that he or she has been discriminated against in violation of civil rights

laws, regulations, or this policy, or in retaliation for opposition to discrimination or participation 

in discrimination complaint proceedings (e.g., as a complainant or witness) in any CNCS program 

or project, may raise his or her concerns with our Office of Civil Rights and Inclusiveness

(OCRI). Discrimination claims not brought to the attention of OCRI within 45 days of their

occurrence may not be accepted in a formal complaint of discrimination. No one can be required to

use a program, project or sponsor dispute resolution procedure before contacting OCRI. If another 

procedure is used, it does not affect the 45-day time limit. OCRI may be reached at (202) 606-

7503 (voice), (202) 606-3472 (TTY), eo@cns.gov, or through www.nationalservice.gov.

5/1/2014

Date