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ANNOUNCEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING Availability

Federal Agency Name: Corporation for National and Community Service 

Funding Opportunity Title: AmeriCorps Indian Tribes Grants FY 2014

Announcement Type: Amended Announcement 3.18.2014

CFDA Number: 94.006

Application Deadline: Applications are due Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern 

Time. CNCS expects that successful applicants will be notified no later than June 20, 2014.

OVERVIEW

The mission of the Corporation for National and Community Service (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. 

This AmeriCorps State and National (AmeriCorps) Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity

(Notice) will focus grant making for fiscal year 2014 in six focus areas: Disaster Services,

Economic Opportunity, Education, Environmental Stewardship, Healthy Futures, and Veterans 

and Military Families.

Only federally-recognized Indian tribes and tribal organizations are eligible to apply to this 

Notice. 

In order to maximize the impact of the public investment in national service, CNCS will provide 

grants to programs that demonstrate that they will engage AmeriCorps members in an evidencebased approach to providing a service intervention that will result in intended solutions to 

community problems (e.g., based on proposed program’s performance and evaluation data or 

research demonstrating the effectiveness of a similar intervention). Applicants will be awarded 

points for providing evidence that their proposed intervention will lead to the outcomes 

identified in the theory of change (logic model). Applicants shall provide evidence that the 

proposed intervention is effective for the proposed population and community challenge. 

CNCS believes that all Americans should have opportunities to participate in national service, 

including those that have been traditionally underrepresented in national service, such as rural 

residents, people with disabilities, veterans and military families, Native Americans, and 

“Opportunity Youth-- the one in six young people (ages 16-24) who are disconnected from 

school or work.” CNCS recognizes that service can create powerful pathways to education and 

employment for these populations, transforming their communities and creating broad economic 

benefit for the country. 

CNCS is committed to ensuring programs that recruit and retain underrepresented individuals are 

a substantial cohort of the national service network. Recruiting traditionally underrepresented 

populations into service is a strategic characteristic.
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CNCS requires that programs co-brand as AmeriCorps programs and that their participants 

consistently identify, and are recognized, as AmeriCorps members providing value to the 

community. Applicants will be asked to provide their implementation plans to ensure that this 

occurs. This is mandatory in the event that an applicant is awarded grant funds.

CNCS is committed to transparency in grantmaking. This Notice in Section V. Application and 

Submission Information includes a description of the review and selection process. In addition, 

the following information pertaining to this competition for new and recompete applications will 

be published on the CNCS website (http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/open-governmentinitiative/transparency/results-grants-competition), within 90 business days after all grants are 

awarded:

 A list of all compliant applications submitted

 Executive summaries of all compliant applications as submitted by the applicants 

 Standard Form 424 Face Sheet (SF424) and Program Narrative submitted by successful

applicants 

Publication of this Notice does not obligate CNCS to award any specific number of grants or to 

obligate the entire amount of funding available.

FULL TEXT OF ANNOUNCEMENT

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Purpose of AmeriCorps Funding

AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations proposing to engage AmeriCorps 

members in evidence-based interventions to strengthen communities. 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 receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award from the 

National Service Trust. 

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 matching resources from outside parties, national service can benefit the recipients of 

service, those who serve, local communities, and our nation.

Through all 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.
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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.

B. Focus Areas

In order to carry out Congress’ intent and to maximize the impact of investment in national 

service, CNCS is targeting AmeriCorps funds to the following focus areas:

Disaster Services

Grant activities will increase the preparedness of individuals, improve individuals’ readiness to 

respond, help individuals recover from disasters, and help individuals mitigate disasters. 

Grantees also have the ability to respond to national disasters under CNCS cooperative 

agreements and FEMA mission assignments. 

Economic Opportunity

Grants will provide support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to 

the improved economic well-being and security of economically disadvantaged people. Grant 

activities will help economically disadvantaged people to have improved access to services 

aimed at contributing to their enhanced financial literacy; transition into or remain in safe, 

healthy, affordable housing; and have improved employability leading to increased success in 

becoming employed. 

Education 

Grants will provide support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to 

improved educational outcomes for economically disadvantaged individuals, especially children. 

CNCS is particularly interested in program designs that support youth engagement and servicelearning as strategies to achieve improved academic outcomes. Grant activities will improve

school readiness for economically disadvantaged young children; educational and behavioral 

outcomes of students in low-achieving elementary, middle, and high schools; and the preparation 

for, and prospects of success, in post-secondary educational institutions for economically 

disadvantaged students. 

Environmental Stewardship

Grants will provide support for direct services that contribute to increased energy and water 

efficiency, renewable energy use, or improving at-risk ecosystems. In addition, grants will 

support increased individual behavioral change leading to increased efficiency, renewable energy 

use, and ecosystem improvements particularly for economically disadvantaged households and 

communities. Grant activities will decrease energy and water consumption; improve at-risk 

ecosystems; increase behavioral changes that lead directly to decreased energy and water 

consumption or improved at-risk ecosystems; and increase green training opportunities that may 

lead to decreased energy and water consumption or improved at-risk ecosystems.
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In addition, the Administration is exploring ways to provide service, training, education, and 

employment opportunities for young Americans through protecting, restoring and enhancing 

public and tribal lands. CNCS is exploring potential programs along the lines of a “21st century 

Civilian Service Corps” that can facilitate conservation service work on public lands and 

encourage a new generation of natural resource managers and environmental scientists, 

particularly in low income and disadvantaged communities. 

Healthy Futures

Grants will provide support for health needs within communities including access to care, aging 

in place, and childhood obesity. Grant activities will improve access to primary and preventive 

health care for communities served by CNCS-supported programs; increase seniors’ ability to 

remain in their own homes with the same or improved quality of life for as long as possible; and 

increase physical activity and improve nutrition in youth with the purpose of reducing childhood 

obesity.

Veterans and Military Families

Grants will positively impact the quality of life of veterans and improve military family strength. 

Grant activities will increase the number of veterans and military service members and their 

families served by CNCS-supported programs and increase the number of veterans and military 

family members engaged in service through CNCS-supported programs. To the greatest extent 

possible, proposed activities should be aligned with the Veteran and Military Family National 

Performance Measures. 

C. Additional Program Models

Capacity Building

Grants also will provide support for capacity building activities provided by national service 

participants. As a general rule, CNCS considers capacity building activities to be indirect 

services that enable CNCS-supported organizations to provide more, better, and sustained direct 

services in CNCS’ six focus areas. Capacity building activities cannot be solely intended to 

support the administration or operations of the organization. Examples of capacity building 

activities include recruiting and/or managing community volunteers; implementing effective 

volunteer management practices; completing community assessments that identify goals and 

recommendations; developing new systems and business processes (technology, performance 

management, training, etc.); or enhancing existing systems and business processes.

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 seeks to meet 

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

Professional Corps 

Professional Corps programs recruit and place qualified members in positions as teachers, health 

care providers, police officers, engineers, or other professionals in communities with an 

inadequate number of such professionals. Applicants are eligible to apply for funding for a 

portion of the program costs. Professional Corps members’ salaries are paid entirely by the 

organizations with which the members serve, and are not included in the budget. In order to be 
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considered for funding, applicants must demonstrate that there are an inadequate number of 

professionals in the community(ies) where the corps seeks to place members. These grants can 

either be fixed amount or cost reimbursement grants.

D. National Performance Measures

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (SAA) emphasizes measuring the impact of service 

and focusing on a core set of issue areas. CNCS’ five-year Strategic Plan establishes an 

ambitious set of objectives that support the mission and goals to implement the SAA. These 

strategic goals guided the development of 16 agency-wide Priority Performance Measures. 

National Performance Measures allow CNCS to demonstrate aggregated impact of all its national 

service programs, including AmeriCorps State and National. There are two categories of 

National Performance Measures: Priority Measures and Complementary Program Measures. For 

more information, please refer to the National Performance Measure Instructions

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

E. 2014 AmeriCorps Funding Priorities 

In the FY 2014 AmeriCorps competition, CNCS seeks to prioritize the investment of national 

service resources in economic opportunity, education, veterans and military families, and disaster 

services. CNCS will continue to focus on national service programs that improve academic 

outcomes for children, youth, and young adults. This focus reflects the extensive experience and 

past success of national service programs in education. In addition, CNCS seeks to increase its 

investment in programs that serve veterans and military families or engage veterans and military 

families in service. 

CNCS will also focus investment in programs that increase community resiliency through 

disaster preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation. CNCS will focus investment in 

programs that increase economic opportunities for communities and AmeriCorps members.

Finally, CNCS will focus on summer programming for K-12 students, especially those programs 

that address the academic “summer slide.” Proposed activities will engage youth and young 

adults as summer members to help support summer reading, math, science, and environmental 

learning activities for youth in rural and urban areas most likely at risk of summer learning loss.

CNCS will seek to build a diversified portfolio across the focus areas, and other considerations 

are outlined in Section V. B. Goals of the Review and Selection Process. Applicants proposing 

programs that receive priority consideration are not guaranteed funding. Furthermore, programs 

must demonstrate significant program focus, design, and outcomes to receive priority 

consideration.

CNCS will give priority consideration to applicants in the following Tiers, in descending order 

of preference. In order to figure out an applicant’s tier please follow these four steps: 

1) Determine the theory of change

2) Select the relevant performance measures. Programs that fit Priority Measures should use 

those measures. (See Appendix B)

3) Allocate AmeriCorps members to those performance measures

4) Convert AmeriCorps members to MSYs
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Tier 1: Applicants that select:

 Priority Measures in Veterans and Military Families, or

 Priority Measures in Disaster Services, or

 The following Complementary Program Measures in Economic Opportunity, including 

Opportunity Youth measures: O1, O2, O3, O9, O10, O12, O14, O15, O17(Programs that 

select O12, O14, O15, O17 must also select an additional Priority or Complementary 

Program Measure from Tier 1, 2, or 3 that measures community impact.)

and

Have 30% or more of their MSYs in those performance measures. 

Tier 2: Applicants that select:

 Priority Measures in Veterans and Military Families, or 

 Priority Measures in Disaster Services, or

 Complementary Program Measures in Economic Opportunity (O1, O2, O3, O9, O10, 012, 

O14, O15, O17)

Programs that select O12, O14, O15, and O17 must also select an additional Priority or 

Complementary Program Measure from Tier 1, 2, or 3 which measures community impact.

and

Have less than 30% or more of their MSYs in those performance measures. 

OR

Applicants that select Priority Measures in:

 Economic Opportunity, or 

 Education, or

 Environmental Stewardship, or

 Healthy Futures, or

 Capacity Building.

and

Have 30% or more of their MSYs in those performance measures.

NOTE: CNCS’ expectation is that if an applicant selects Tier 1 or Tier 2 and is not at the 30% 

MSY threshold, the applicant will explain in the narrative why it was not possible to meet the 

30% threshold. Based on reviewers’ assessment, an applicant may or may not remain in Tier 1 or 

2. 

Tier 3: Applicants that select Priority Measures in:

 Economic Opportunity, or 

 Education, or

 Environmental Stewardship, or

 Healthy Futures, or

 Capacity Building.

and

Have less than 30% of their MSYs in those performance measures
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OR

Applicants that select Complementary Program Measures. These measures can be found in 

Appendix B. 

Tier 4: Applicants in the Focus Areas with self-nominated measures.

Tier 5: Applicants outside the Focus Areas with self-nominated measures.

Continuation requests for expansion will receive priority consideration and preference in the 

same manner as described above.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Funding Available

CNCS sets aside one percent of grant funds to support programs operated by Indian Tribes and 

selected by CNCS on a competitive basis. Tribes apply directly to CNCS to access this pool of funds. 

CNCS expects a highly competitive AmeriCorps Indian Tribes FY 2014 grant competition. 

CNCS anticipates awarding new, recompeting, and continuation AmeriCorps grants. The actual 

level of funding available for this AmeriCorps competition is approximately $3,200,000.

B. Award Amount

Awards will be for funds and AmeriCorps member slots. CNCS will review applications and 

determine the appropriate award amount, if any. Award amounts vary. At its discretion, CNCS 

may offer a planning grant, of up to $75,000, to a new applicant in lieu of an operational grant. A 

planning grant provides one year of funding to support the planning for an AmeriCorps program. 

At the end of the planning process, an applicant is expected to be in a better position to compete 

for an operational AmeriCorps grant.

C. Award Period

Unless otherwise specified, the grant generally covers a three-year project period. In approving a 

multi-year project period, CNCS generally makes an initial award for the first year of operation.

In most cases, the application is submitted with a one-year budget. Continuation funding is not 

guaranteed. Factors considered in awarding continuation grants include satisfactory performance, 

demonstrated capacity to manage the grant, compliance with grant requirements, agency 

priorities, and the availability of appropriated funds. CNCS reserves the right to adjust the 

amount of a grant or elect not to continue funding for subsequent years.

Planning grants are awarded for a one-year period of time. 

D. 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 Definitions in the 

Appendix A.

Fixed-amount grants are only available to recompeting programs. Second and third-year 

continuation applicants with cost reimbursement grants must submit a new application if they are 
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interested in applying for a fixed amount grant. New applicants are not eligible to apply for fixed 

amount grants.

Full-time fixed amount applicants in the Education focus area will be required to select either a 

Priority Education Measure or Complementary Program Measure. Applicants proposing nonEducation programs may select from Tiers 1-5. All performance measures will be negotiated 

prior to grant selection and award. Approved applicants must agree to participate in any relevant 

evaluations conducted by CNCS. 

General Summary

Grant Types Cost Reimbursement Fixed Amount

Available*

Subtypes

Traditional Professional 

Corps

Planning 

Grant

Full-Time/Less than FT 

serving in a full time 

capacity

EAP Professional 

Corps

Maximum 

Cost per MSY 

(see section 3)

$13,300 $2,000 $0 $13,000 $800 $2,000

Type of Slots 

in the National 

Service Trust

All All None Full-Time or Less than 

Full-Time serving in a 

full time capacity Only

All Full-Time Only

Budget 

Submission 

Required

Yes No

Availability of 

Funds linked 

to enrollment 

and retention 

of awarded 

MSY

No Yes

Special 

Requirements

Must place 

qualified 

professionals in 

communities with 

an inadequate 

number of such 

professionals. 

Member salaries 

must be paid 

entirely by 

organization 

where member 

serves and not 

included in the 

budget.

No members 

are included 

with a 

planning 

grant. A 

planning grant 

is for one year 

and for the 

planning of an 

AmeriCorps 

program. 

Applicant’s 

goal is to 

submit a 

competitive 

program 

application in 

the following 

year’s grant 

competition.

If in Education Focus 

Area, must select 

Priority Education 

measure or 

Complementary Program 

measure. Non-Education 

programs may select 

PMs from any Tier.

Must place qualified 

professionals in 

communities with an 

inadequate number 

of such 

professionals. No 

CNCS funds may be 

used to pay member 

living allowance or 

salary.
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*Availability of planning grants is at the discretion of the AmeriCorps program office upon approval of the CNCS 

Chief Executive Officer. Applicants must apply for a program grant. Planning grants may be offered based on the 

funding priorities outlined in this Notice. An offer of a planning grant will be determined by reviewer assessment of 

a new applicant’s readiness for implementation based on the responses to the selection criteria.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

Only federally-recognized Indian Tribes and tribal organizations are eligible to apply to this 

competition. “Indian Tribe” is defined as a federally recognized 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 the 

United States Government determines is eligible for special programs and services provided under 

federal law to Indians because of their status as Indians. Indian Tribes also include tribal 

organizations controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by one of the entities described above. 

A nonprofit that desires to apply for a grant as a “tribal organization” on behalf of a federallyrecognized tribe, or multiple specific federally-recognized tribes, must submit a sanctioning 

resolution adopted by the Tribal Council (or comparable tribal governing body) of each tribe. The 

resolution must identify the nonprofit by name as a “tribal organization” and it must authorize the 

nonprofit organization to act on behalf of and include the tribe in a CNCS grant application for the 

purpose of conducting the activities and providing the services described in the application. 

Receiving funding previously from CNCS or another Federal agency is not a prerequisite to 

applying under this Notice.

Grant Types Cost Reimbursement Fixed Amount

Available* 

Subtypes

Traditional Professional 

Corps

Planning 

Grant

Full-Time/Less than FT 

serving in a full time 

capacity

EAP Professional 

Corps

Match 

Requirements

Yes Yes; Living 

allowance or 

salary paid to 

members 

may not be 

counted 

toward the 

match 

requirement.

Yes No, but organizations must raise the additional revenue 

required to operate the program.

Financial 

Tracking 

Requirements

Yes No

Available to 

New 

Applicants

Yes No

Match 

Requirement 

– Level

First-time Applicant required to match at 24% each 

year for the first three-year funding period; subsequent 

match requirements determined according to 45 CFR 

2521.60; NCSA 121(e)(5) (42 USC) requires that other 

federal funds used to match a grant awarded under this 

Notice must report the amount and source of these 

funds to CNCS on the FFR

There is no specific match requirement for fixed 

amount grants but CNCS does not provide all the funds 

necessary to operate the program. Organizations must 

raise the additional revenue required to operate the 

program. 
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Entities that have been convicted of a Federal crime are disqualified from receiving the 

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.

New Applicants

CNCS encourages Indian Tribes and tribal organizations that have never received funding from 

CNCS or AmeriCorps 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 grantees. New applicants are not eligible to receive fixed amount grants.

Applications are submitted directly to CNCS. Applications from entities that do not meet the 

eligibility criteria will not be reviewed.

B. Match Requirements

Fixed amount Grants

There is no specific match requirement for fixed amount grants but CNCS does not provide all 

the funds necessary to operate the program. Organizations must raise the additional revenue

required to operate the program. 

Cost Reimbursement Grants (non-fixed amount)

A first-time successful applicant is required to match 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. 

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 the Federal Financial Report (FFR). Grantees must track and 

be prepared to report on that match separately each year. 

The living allowance or salary provided to AmeriCorps members in Professional Corps programs 

does not count toward the matching requirement.

Alternative Match

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

that increase over the years to 35% instead of 50% 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 to ACAlternateMatchScheduleRequests@cns.gov.

Match Waiver Requests

In accordance with Executive Order 13175, “Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal 

Governments,” CNCS may expedite approving waivers of matching requirements. For full 

information on applying for a Tribal match waiver, send a request for instructions to 

TribalMatchWaiver@cns.gov.
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C. Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 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. All applicants must be registered

with the Systems for Award Management (SAM). 

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, we suggest registering at 

least 30 days in advance of the application due date. After obtaining a DUNS number register 

with SAM at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/. 

All grant recipients 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/public/SAM /.

D. Other Requirements

1. Member Living Allowance

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

$12,100 (minimum) and $24,200 (maximum) per member except as noted below. A living 

allowance is not considered a salary or a wage. 

Programs are not required to provide a living allowance for members serving in less than fulltime terms of service. If a program chooses to provide a living allowance to a less than full-time 

member, it must comply with the maximum limits in Table 1. Minimum and Maximum Living 

Allowance. For cost-reimbursement grants, the amount must be included in the proposed budget

as either CNCS or grantee share.

While full-time 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 (EXCEPTION: as noted in section D.2. below.) Fixed-amount grant 

applicants are not required to indicate that amount in the application and request those positions 

as “without living allowance” in the budget. 

Table 1: Minimum and Maximum Living Allowance

Service Term Minimum # 

of Hours

Minimum Living

Allowance

Maximum Total Living 

Allowance 

Full-time 1700 $12,100 $24,200

One-year Half-time 900 n/a $12,800

Reduced Half-time 675 n/a $9,600

Quarter-time 450 n/a $6,400

Minimum-time 300 n/a $4,260
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2. Exceptions to the Living Allowance Requirements (for programs existing prior to September 

21, 1993)

If a program existed prior to September 21, 1993, a living allowance is not required. If an 

applicant chooses to offer a living allowance, it is exempt from the minimum requirement of 

$12,100, but not the maximum requirement of $24,200.

EAP Fixed amount Grantees 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 Table 1. 

Minimum and Maximum Living Allowance. 

Professional Corps Grantees members must receive a living allowance or salary, which must 

meet the minimum, but may exceed the maximum living allowance set in the Minimum and 

Maximum Living Allowance Table above. Professional Corps member salaries are paid entirely 

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

3. Maximum Cost per Member Service Year (MSY) 

The maximum cost per MSY for AmeriCorps Indian Tribes program grants is $13,300. CNCS

considers comparative costs per MSY in making funding decisions. New applicants that submit 

with a low cost per MSY and recompeting applicants that submit with a lower cost per MSY 

than previously funded may receive higher priority for funding. 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 amount an applicant may request from CNCS per MSY is determined on an 

annual basis. 

CNCS will consider higher cost per MSY for Indian Tribes programs that include a justification for 

the higher cost in their application. This explanation should detail the lack of local resources that 

make a higher cost per MSY necessary. Please include this request as part of the response to the Cost 

Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy section of the Selection Criteria. CNCS will not award a grant 

with a cost per MSY that exceeds $19,500.

Continuation and recompeting grantees requesting a higher cost per MSY than in the previous 

year must include a compelling rationale for this increased cost. This applies even if the 

increased cost per MSY is less than the maximum of $13,300. 

4. Member Enrollment Requirements for Existing Grantees

We expect grantees to enroll all the members included in their grant award. Enrollment rates 

have a direct bearing on the number of slots and the size of awards approved in the continuation 

and recompete processes. Continuation and recompeting grantees that have not achieved full 

enrollment in the previous year must provide an explanation and a corrective action plan in their

application. Successful applicants that do not fully enroll are likely to receive a decrease in 

funding in subsequent years.

5. Member Retention Requirements for Existing Grantees

We expect grantees to pursue the highest retention rate possible. Retention rates will have a 

direct bearing on the number of slots and the size of awards approved in the continuation and recompete processes. Successful applicants that do not retain their members are likely to receive a 
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decrease in funding in subsequent years. We recognize retention rates may vary among equally 

effective programs depending on the program model. Continuation or recompeting grantees that 

have not achieved full retention in the most recently completed program year must provide an 

explanation and a corrective action plan in their application.

6. Amount of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for FY 2014

AmeriCorps members serving in programs funded with FY 2014 dollars who successfully 

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

the amount of $5,645 for a year of full-time service, with correspondingly smaller awards for 

less-than-full-time service. The amount of the Education Award is determined on the basis of the 

Pell Grant award. 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 FY14 Education Award

Term of Service Minimum # of Hours FY14 Education Award

Full-Time 1700 $5,645

One-Year Half Time 900 $2,822

Reduced Half Time 675 $2,150

Quarter Time 450 $1,493

Minimum Time 300 $1,195

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. How to Apply

Applicants responding to this Notice apply directly to CNCS. 

This Notice should be read together with the AmeriCorps Regulations, 45 CFR §§ 2520–2550, 

the Application Instructions, the Performance Measures (Appendix B), and the Performance 

Measure Instructions. The Notice, Application Instructions, and Performance Measure 

Instructions can be found at http://www.americorps.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp. The 

full regulations are available online at www.ecfr.gov. The TTY number is 800-833-3722. For a 

printed copy of related material, call 202-606-7508 or email americorpsgrants@cns.gov.

Applicants submitting under this Notice should select from the following NOFAs in eGrants:

AmeriCorps Indian Tribes FY 2014 (New and Continuation)

AmeriCorps Indian Tribes Fixed-Amount FY 2014 (New and Continuation)

1. Submission Dates and Times

The deadline for applications is Wednesday April 30, 2014 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. CNCS 

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

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

will be posted in eGrants. This deadline applies to continuation grantees, as well as new and 

recompeting applicants. 
14

2. 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 your program officer is not a 

substitution for sending a letter to LateApplications@cns.gov. The explanation 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 eGrants help desk ticket number. CNCS determines whether or not to accept a late 

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

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

copy of the application to the address provided in Section VII. Agency Contacts, via overnight 

carrier. Applicants must use a non-U.S. Postal Service carrier because of security-related delays 

in receiving mail from the U.S. Postal Service. All deadlines and requirements in this Notice

apply to hard copy applications. Hard copy applications must include a cover letter detailing the 

circumstances that make it impossible to submit via e-Grants. CNCS does not accept applications 

submitted via fax or e-mail.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

1. Submitting in eGrants

Applicants must submit their applications electronically via the CNCS web-based system, 

eGrants. We recommend that applicants create an eGrants account and begin the eGrants 

application creation process at least three weeks before the deadline. Applicants should draft the 

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

appropriate eGrants fields 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 if a problem arises while creating an account or 

while preparing or submitting an application in eGrants. National Service Hotline hours are 

Monday through Thursday 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 your organization is applying.

If technical issues will 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 deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered. All additional required 

documents that are not possible to attach in eGrants are due by the application deadline. See 

below for a list of required documentation. Each document should be attached as a PDF, named 

as follows: ApplicationID_DocumentType, and sent together in one email to

AdditionalDocuments@cns.gov .Your email subject line should include your organization name 

and Application ID number. 
15

Required Additional Documents:

 Logic Model Worksheet (See section V.A.2.b. on page 17 and Appendix C.)

 Organizational Chart for the tribal department submitting the application or for the 

applicant organization (See section V.A.3.a.)

2. 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. CNCS strongly encourages applicants to 

print out the application from the “Review and Submit” page prior to submitting it to check that 

the application does not exceed the page limit. This limit does not include the budget,

performance measures, evaluation plan or required supplementary materials (e.g., organizational 

chart, logic model worksheet). Please note the length of a document in your word processing 

software likely will be different than what will appear in eGrants.

Reviewers will not consider submitted material that is over the page limit, even if eGrants allows 

an applicant to enter and submit text over the limit. Do not submit non-required supplemental

materials such as videos, DVDs, brochures, or any other item not requested in the Notice or 

Application Instructions. CNCS will not review or return them. 

C. Funding Restrictions

Grants under this program, except for full-time fixed-amount and EAP grants, are subject to the 

applicable Cost Principles under OMB Circulars 2 CFR Part 220(formerly A-21), 2 CFR Part 

230 (formerly A-122), or 2 CFR Part 225 (formerly A-87) and the Uniform Administrative 

Requirements for grants under A-102 (45 CFR Part 2541) or A-110 (45 CFR 2543 or 2 CFR Part 

215).

D. Growing Private Sector Partnerships

CNCS is exploring new ways to engage private sector funders to provide additional support for 

national service programs. Applicants wishing to make information from their application 

available to potential private sector funders can opt in during the application process. Such 

applicants may be asked to provide information in different formats at a future date.

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Assessment Criteria

Each applicant must clearly describe a project that will deploy AmeriCorps members effectively 

to solve a significant community problem. We urge your organization to submit a high quality 

application carefully following the guidance in the Notice and in the Application Instructions. 
16

The quality of your application will be an important factor in determining whether your tribe or 

organization will receive funding. Your application will be assessed as follows:

Threshold issues

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

they are applying. A few examples follow. If an applicant wants a grant for a Professional Corps, 

its application should demonstrate that the community, in which it will place professionals, has 

an inadequate number of said professionals. If an applicant wants a fixed amount grant, its

application should reflect that only full-time or less than full-time positions serving in a full time 

capacity will be permitted.

1. 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 [Number of] AmeriCorps members who will [what the 

members will be doing] in [the locations the AmeriCorps members will be]. At the end of the 1st

program year, the AmeriCorps members will be responsible for [anticipated outcome of project]. 

In addition, the AmeriCorps members will leverage an additional [number of leveraged 

volunteers, if applicable] that will be engaged in [what the leveraged volunteers will be doing.] 

This program will focus on the CNCS focus area of [Focus Area(s)]. The CNCS investment of 

$[amount of request] will be matched with $[amount of projected match], $[amount of local, 

state, and federal funds] in public funding and $[amount of non-governmental funds] in private 

funding. 

Fixed-amount grant applicants should list their leveraged resources as they are not required to 

match. 

CNCS will post all Executive Summaries of awarded grant applications on 

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

2. Rationale and Approach/Program Design (50 percent)

In assessing how you will meet the criteria, reviewers will consider the quality of your response 

to the following:

a. Problem/Need (9 points)

Describe the community needs the AmeriCorps members will be addressing. Provide 

information 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 unemployment rate as 

well as the poverty rate. 

b. AmeriCorps Members as Highly Effective Means to Solve Community Problems

Evidence Base and Measurable Community Impact (25 points)

These criteria are addressed by submitting both the Logic Model chart via email and the 

narrative related to evidence basis. Please complete and submit by the application deadline the 

Logic Model Worksheet (See Appendix C). This chart should be completed with a landscape 
17

orientation with a font size no smaller than 10 point. The chart should not exceed two single 

sided pages when printed. Applicants with multiple interventions should complete one Logic 

Model chart which incorporates each intervention while remaining within the two page single 

sided page limit. This chart should be e-mailed to americorpsgrants@cns.gov as an attachment to 

the application. Printing the chart to ensure proper formatting and that is no more than two pages 

single sided is highly recommended. 

Theory of Change and Logic Model (17 points)

Applicants will be awarded up to 17 points for providing a detailed theory of change (logic 

model) using the Logic Model Worksheet (see Appendix C). A theory of change is a description 

of how and why as set of activities are expected to lead to early, intermediate, and long-term 

outcomes over a specified period (Anderson, 200). A Logic model is a graphical representation of 

program activities and their intended outcomes as depicted in the theory of change. 

Points will be awarded based on quality and completeness of the logic model. The logic model 

shall depict:

 Number of locations or sites in which members are providing services

 Number of AmeriCorps members that will be delivering the intervention or program 

model

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

implementing or delivering

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

the intervention)

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

week)

 The target population for the intervention (e.g., disconnected youth, third graders at a 

certain reading proficiency level)

 The indicators and data collection tools that will be used to measure and track program 

outcomes

In addition to completing the Logic Model worksheet, describe how the intervention is designed 

to address the problem described in the previous section.

Applicants that selected Tier 1 or Tier 2: Unless otherwise stated CNCS’ expectation is that at 

least 30 percent of your MSYs are in the identified performance measures. If that is not the case, 

please explain in the narrative why it was not possible to meet the 30% threshold. Based on 

reviewers’ assessment, an applicant may or may not remain in Tier 1 or 2.

Evidence Base (8 points) 

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

will lead to the outcomes identified in the theory of change. In this section, 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. This 

section must include specific citations of studies and/or publicly available evaluation and 

research reports. 
18

The evidence presented by applicants will be scored and placed into one of the four tiered 

evidence levels described below:

 Pre-preliminary evidence (applicants awarded 1 point) means 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 service year. 

 Preliminary evidence (applicants awarded 2 points) means 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 1 non-experimental study 

conducted on the proposed program (or another similar program that uses a comparable 

intervention). A study that demonstrates improvement in program participants 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 participants through a service pipeline and measure participants’ responses at 

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

participants have improved on an intended outcome. 

 Moderate evidence (applicants awarded 4 points) means 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 1 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 outcome OR 2 or more non-experimental studies conducted on the 

proposed program with positive findings on one or more intended outcome OR 1 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 (applicants awarded 8 points) means 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 1 or more well-designed 

and well-implemented experimental studies conducted on the proposed program with 

positive findings on one or more intended outcome. 

For all studies presented by applicants to meet the four tiered evidence levels above, reviewers 

will examine: 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; d) strength of the 
19

findings, with more weight given to findings that show a large and persistent positive effect on 

participants.

c. Member Training (8 points)

What are the anticipated training topics and the timeline for member training? How and when 

will the applicant ensure that members and generated volunteers are aware of and are adhering to 

the rules regarding prohibited activities? 

d. Member Supervision (8 points)

Describe the plan for supervising members that ensures they will receive adequate support and 

guidance. 

e. Commitment to AmeriCorps Identification (Required - 0 points)

How will the program participants know they are AmeriCorps members? How will the 

communities in which they serve know they are AmeriCorps members? How will the applicant’s

program ensure that its participants will wear the AmeriCorps logo daily? How will the applicant

ensure participants are prepared to speak about their AmeriCorps experience to members of the 

community?

3. Organizational Capability (25 percent)

In assessing how the applicant will meet the criteria, reviewers will consider the quality of your 

response to the following:

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

Describe how the tribe or tribal organization has the experience, staffing, and management 

structure to plan and implement the proposed program. Describe the applicant organization’s 

prior experience administering AmeriCorps grants or other federal funds. Please email an 

organizational chart to americorpsgrants@cns.gov.

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

How will the applicant ensure compliance with AmeriCorps rules and regulations including 

those related to prohibited activities at the Grantee, subgrantee, and service site locations (if 

applicable)? How will the applicant prevent and detect compliance issues? How will the 

applicant hold itself, subgrantees, and service site locations (if applicable) accountable if 

instances of risk or noncompliance are identified? 

c. Past Performance For Current Grantees and Former Grantees Only (7 points for 

recompeting applicants and formula Grantees)

Describe the applicant’s performance against performance measure targets during its last three 

years of program operations. How successful has the applicant been in solving the identified 

problem? If the applicant did not meet performance targets, provide an explanation and describe 

the plan for improvement. 

Describe any compliance issues and areas of weakness/risk identified during the last full year of 

program operation at your organization, your subgrantees (if applicable), and service site
20

locations (if applicable). If the applicant, its subgrantees, and/or service site locations had 

compliance or areas of weakness/risk identified, provide an explanation and describe the 

corrective action taken and your plan for improvement.

Enrollment: If the program enrolled less than 100% of the slots received during its last full year 

of program operation, provide an explanation, and describe the plan for improvement. 

Enrollment rate is calculated as slots filled, plus refill slots filled, divided by slots awarded.

Retention: If the applicant was not able to retain all of its members during the last full year of 

program operation, provide an explanation, and describe the plan for improvement. While CNCS

recognizes retention rates may vary among effective programs depending on the program model, 

the expectation is that Grantees to pursue the highest retention rate possible. Retention rate is 

calculated as the number of members exited with award (full or partial award) divided by the 

number of members enrolled.

d. Continuous Improvement (0 points)

Describe the plans for soliciting timely and regular feedback from internal and external 

stakeholders to inform continuous improvement efforts. Describe the plans for using data to 

inform continuous improvement.

4. Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (25 percent)

In assessing how the applicant will meet the criteria, reviewers will consider the quality of your 

response to the following:

a. Cost Effectiveness (13 points)

Cost Per MSY

Cost effectiveness will be evaluated by analyzing cost per MSY in relation to your program 

design. Having a low cost per member is a competitive advantage. New applicants that submit 

with a low cost per MSY and recompeting applicants that submit with a lower cost per MSY 

than previously funded may receive higher priority for funding. If the applicant requests above 

the maximum, it must justify your request. Please note that such requests are rarely approved.

All recompeting and continuation Grantees requesting a higher cost per MSY than in the 

previous year must include a compelling rationale for this increased cost including why this 

increase could not be covered by grantee share. This applies even if the increased cost per 

MSY is less than the maximum or if the increase is due to increased costs associated with 

the grant.

Discuss how the program is a cost effective approach for addressing the community need(s) 

identified in the application. Consider the total costs and benefits of the program and, to the 

extent possible, document the costs and benefits. Compare the cost effectiveness of the program 

with the costs and benefits of alternative models or approaches (if available), and demonstrate 

how your program model is most cost effective. Applicants with a program design that achieves 

equal results at a lower cost will be advantaged over programs that achieve similar results at a 

higher cost.
21

For Fixed Amount Applicants

Discuss how the applicant will raise the additional resources it will need to manage and operate 

an AmeriCorps program beyond the fixed amount. Identify the total amount the applicant has

budgeted to operate the program. Indicate the amount of non-CNCS resources (in-kind and cash) 

secured to date and the plans for securing the remaining resources.

b. Budget Adequacy (12 points)

Applicants must fill out the budget and ensure the following information in the budget narrative 

(requested information in the budget screens):

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

 Indicate the amount of non-CNCS resource commitments (in-kind, and cash) and the 

sources of these commitments

Keep in mind that full-time AmeriCorps program costs include expenditures for the AmeriCorps 

living allowance, healthcare, and criminal history checks. Education Award Programs are not 

required to pay living allowances or cover health care for members, but must conduct criminal 

history checks. 

When considering the above information, reviewers will assess the quality of the application 

based on the following factors:

 The extent to which the budget is clear

 The extent to which the budget includes sufficient resources to carry out the program 

effectively

 The extent to which the program will obtain financial and in-kind resources to support 

program implementation

 Whether an applicant adequately budgeted for its required share of costs

5. Evaluation Summary or Plan (Required for recompeting grantees - 0 percent)

If the applicant is competing for the first time, please enter N/A in the Evaluation Summary or 

Plan field since it pertains only to recompeting Grantees. If the applicant is recompeting for 

AmeriCorps funds for the first time, the program must submit your evaluation plan in the 

Evaluation Summary or Plan field in eGrants. If the applicant is recompeting for a subsequent 

time, the program must submit your evaluation report to americorpsgrants@cns.gov by the 

application deadline. Additionally, an evaluation plan for the next three-year period must be 

included with the application narrative as described below. 

Evaluation plans must include the following:

 A description of the intervention or program to be implemented by members. The 

description must include a theory of change and a clear statement of the outcomes 

anticipated.

 A description of the program evaluation design including research questions, research 

methodology and the outcomes that will be measured.

 A description of the data collection procedures including the types and sources of data, 

the population or sample, and a data analysis plan. The organization’s data management 

system should be addressed if it will be used to collect data for the evaluation.

 A description of how the evaluation results, both interim and final, will be used.
22

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

CFR § 2522.710:

 If you are a AmeriCorps grantee (other than an Education Award Program grantee), and your 

average annual CNCS program grant is $500,000 or more, you must arrange for an external 

evaluation of your program, and you must submit the evaluation with any subsequent 

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

 If you are an AmeriCorps grantee whose average annual CNCS program grant is less than 

$500,000, or an Education Award Program grantee, you must conduct an internal or an 

external evaluation of your program, and you must submit the evaluation with any 

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

subpart.

A formula program will be considered a recompeting application, if it satisfies the CNCS

definition of “same project,” below, and has been funded in formula for at least one three-year 

cycle. If the project satisfies the definition of same project, and the applicant has completed one 

three-year cycle, you will be required to submit an evaluation plan. If the project does not satisfy 

the definition, it will be considered new and will not be required to submit an evaluation plan, 

summary, or completed evaluation.

Two projects will be considered the same if they:

 Address the same issue areas

 Address the same priorities

 Address the same objectives

 Serve the same target communities and population

 Utilize the same sites

 Use the same program staff and members

Programs need to get approval from their CNCS program officers to be considered a new 

project. 

6. Amendment Justification (0 percent)

Enter N/A. This field will be used if you are awarded a grant and need to amend it. 

7. Clarification Information (0 percent)

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

8. Continuation Changes (0 percent)

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

requests. Grantees submitting continuation requests should review the appropriate sections of the 

application instructions.

B. Goals of the Review and Selection Process

The assessment of applications involves a wide range of factors and considerations. As in the 

past, CNCS staff will apply their experience and expertise in evaluating applications. In the end, 
23

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:

1. Identify eligible applications that satisfy the following considerations:

 High alignment with criteria 

 Priorities, in the order of Tier preference outlined in Section I.E., above

 Relative risk and opportunity

2. Consider:

 Recruitment and deployment of community volunteers to leverage impact

 The strength of the need and evidence base for the program

3. Yield a diversified portfolio based on the following strategic considerations:

 Geographic representation

 Focus area representation

 Program models that build capacity for individuals, nonprofits and communities to solve 

problems

 Program models that recruit and engage traditionally underrepresented populations as 

AmeriCorps members and expand opportunities to serve as AmeriCorps members,

particularly for new Americans, low-income individuals, “Opportunity Youth-- the one in 

six young people (ages 16-24) who are disconnected from school or work.”, rural residents, 

older Americans, veterans, communities of color, Native Americans, and people with 

disabilities

 Applicants that embrace innovative approaches to solving problems, including servicelearning

Applicants must check the relevant boxes in the Performance Measure tab in eGrants in order to 

be considered for CNCS’ assessment of the above strategic considerations. Applicants should 

only check the boxes if the strategic consideration is an intentional part of their program design 

and they have implementation strategies.

C. Stages in the review and selection process

1. Compliance Review

CNCS staff will review all applications to determine compliance with eligibility, deadline, 

and completeness requirements. In order to be compliant an applicant must satisfy all the 

following requirements:

 Submit an application and all required documents by the application submission deadline: 

Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. (see Section IV.A.1 Submission Dates and 

Times)

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

additional documents via e-mail and follows the instructions provided in this Notice

2. Internal Review
24

CNCS staff will assess Program Design, particularly focusing on the theory of change and 

evidence-basis for the proposed solution(s) to the identified community problem(s), 

appropriateness of AmeriCorps service as a solution, and potential quality of the member 

experience; Organizational Capability; and Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy. 

Following staff assessment, some applicants may receive requests to provide clarifying 

information and/or make changes to their application including the budget. This information is 

used by CNCS staff in making final recommendations. Applications may be recommended for 

funding even if they are not asked clarification questions. A request for clarification does not 

guarantee a grant award. Failure to respond to requests for additional information in a timely 

fashion will result in the removal of applications from consideration.

3. 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 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;

 History of performance as reflected in the applicant’s record in managing previous CNCS 

awards, cooperative agreements, or procurement awards, including: 

o Timeliness of compliance with applicable reporting requirements, and 

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

expended prior to future awards;

 Information available through any OMB-designated repositories of government wide 

eligibility qualification or financial integrity information, such as—

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

o Duns and Bradstreet, or 

o “Do Not Pay”;

 Reports and findings from single audits performed under OMB Circular A-133 and 

findings of any other available audits; 

 IRS Tax Form 990;

 An applicant organization's annual report;

 Publicly available information including information from an applicant's website; and

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

requirements.

4. Program Staff Recommendations

CNCS staff will determine which applications to recommend for selection based on their 

assessment in Internal Review, results from Applicant Clarification and the Risk Assessment 

Evaluation in light of CNCS’ Tier priorities and strategic considerations.
25

CNCS reserves the right to change the review and selection process depending on the 

number of application received or extenuating circumstances.

5. Selection for Funding

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

considerations, the Chief Executive Officer will select the final portfolio based on staff 

recommendations.

6. Feedback to Applicants

Following grant awards, each applicant will receive the results of internal review pertaining to 

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. 

D. Continuation Expansion Requests

Requests for continuation expansions will be assessed using the same criteria as the new and 

recompete applications and whether the applicant has lowered its cost per MSY.

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Award Notice

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

the results of this competition around June 20, 2014.

An awardee may not expend federal grant funds until the start of the Project Period identified in 

the Notice of Grant Award. 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.

B. 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 provisions. 

C. Use of Material

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

accessible to grantees and non-grantees, 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. 45 CFR § 

2543.36; 2541.30

D. Reporting Requirements 

Cost reimbursement grantees 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. 
26

Planning grantees are required to provide end of year progress reports and semi-annual financial 

reports.

Fixed-amount Grantees are required to provide mid-year and end of year progress reports and an 

internal or external evaluation report. All grantees provide quarterly expense reports through the 

Payment Management System at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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. 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, grantees 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, grantees 

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

 The data measures what it intends to measure

 The grantee collects data in a consistent manner

 The grantee takes steps to correct data errors 

 The grantee ensures that the data reported is complete

The grantee actively reviews data prior to submission 

Progress Report Data

In addition to semiannual reporting outcomes and progress toward the grant approved 

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

 Number of volunteers leveraged

 Number of individuals that applied to be AmeriCorps members

E. Re-Focusing of Funding 

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

service. 

VII. AGENCY CONTACT

This Notice and the Application Instructions are available at 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/build-your-capacity/grants/funding-opportunities. The TTY 

number is 202–606-3472. For further information or for a printed copy of this Notice, call (202) 

606-7508. For questions regarding multi-state or Indian Tribes applications submitted directly to 

CNCS, please call (202) 606-7508 or send an e-mail to americorpsgrants@cns.gov . The mailing 

address is:

Corporation for National and Community Service

ATT: Office of Grants Policy and Operations/ASN Application

1201 New York Avenue N.W.

Washington, DC 20525
27

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION TO KNOW BEFORE APPLYING

In addition to consulting the Notice and AmeriCorps regulations as directed in these instructions, 

Applicants may also consult the CNCS web site for a schedule of technical assistance conference 

calls, Frequently Asked Questions, and other resources.
28

APPENDIX A. DEFINITIONS

New applicants are those that have never had AmeriCorps State and/or National funding before. 

Current and former formula Grantees are not new. 

Recompete applicants are those that have received AmeriCorps State and/or National funding 

before and are in Year 3 of their grant cycle and are applying for continued funding for the 

program for another three years. 

Continuation applicants are those that are in their first or second year of a funding cycle. 

Previous applicants are those that have been funded through state formula grants and/or were 

unsuccessful recompete applicants in previous years. 

Planning Grants provide one year of funding to an applicant to support the planning for an 

AmeriCorps program. During this year, a planning grantee will work to create or refine their 

program design. At the end of the planning process, an applicant is expected to be in a better 

position to compete for an operational AmeriCorps grant. During the review phase of this 

competition, CNCS may determine that a first time AmeriCorps grant applicant is not yet ready 

to implement an AmeriCorps program and may seek clarification from the applicant on the 

feasibility of utilizing planning grant.

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. Cost reimbursement grants include a 

formal matching requirement. 

Full-time Fixed Amount / Less than FT serving in a full time capacity Grants (Non-EAP)

These fixed amount grants are available for programs that enroll full-time members or less than 

full-time members that are serving in a full time capacity only, including Professional Corps. 

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. 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 still raise the additional resources needed to run the 

program. Programs can access all of the funds, provided they recruit and retain the members 

supported under the grant based on the MSY level awarded. 

Fixed-amount grants are only available to recompeting programs. Second and third-year 

continuation applicants with cost reimbursement grants must submit a new application if they are 

interested in applying for a fixed amount grant. New applicants are NOT eligible to apply for 

fixed amount grants.
29

Full-time fixed amount applicants in the Education Focus Area are required to select either a 

Priority Education Measure or Complementary Program Measure. Applicants proposing nonEducation programs may select from Tiers 1-5. 

Education Award Fixed Amount Grants (EAP) 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. 

Fixed-amount grants are only available to recompeting programs. Second and third-year 

continuation applicants with cost reimbursement grants must submit a new application if they are 

interested in applying for a fixed amount grant. New applicants are NOT eligible to apply for 

these grants.

One Member Service Year (MSY) is equivalent to a full-time AmeriCorps position (at least 

1700 service hours.)

Match resources are required for all AmeriCorps grants. The funding provided by CNCS is not 

enough to fully implement an AmeriCorps program. Match for AmeriCorps grants can be cash or 

in-kind and can come from private or public funds (including other federal funds). Depending on 

the type of grant, specific match reporting requirements may or may not apply. 
30

APPENDIX B. NATIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES 

Priority Measures 

Capacity Building

G3-3.1: Number of community volunteers recruited by CNCS-supported organizations or National Service 

Participants

G3-3.2: Number of community volunteers managed by CNCS-supported organizations or National Service 

Participants

G3-3.3: Number of organizations implementing three or more effective volunteer management practices as a 

result of capacity building services provided by CNCS-supported organizations or National Service Participants

G3-3.3: Number of organizations implementing three or more effective volunteer management practices as a 

result of capacity building services provided by CNCS-supported organizations or National Service Participants

Education

ED21: Number of children that completed participation in CNCS-supported early childhood education programs

ED23: Number of children demonstrating gains in school readiness in terms of social and/or emotional 

development

ED24: Number of children demonstrating gains in school readiness in terms of literacy skills

ED25: Number of children demonstrating gains in school readiness in terms of numeracy (math) skills

ED2: Number of students that completed participation in CNCS-supported K-12 education programs

ED4A: Number of disadvantaged youth/mentor matches that were sustained by the CNCS-supported program 

for at least the required time period

ED5: Number of students with improved academic performance in literacy and/or math

ED27: Number of students in grades K-12 that participated in the mentoring or tutoring or other education 

program, including CNCS-supported service learning, who demonstrated improved academic engagement

ED6: Number of students that improved their school attendance over the course of the CNCS-supported 

program’s involvement with the student

Economic Opportunity1

O5: Number of economically disadvantaged individuals, including homeless individuals, receiving housing 

services

O11: Number of economically disadvantaged individuals, including homeless individuals, transitioned into safe, 

healthy, affordable housing

Environmental Stewardship2

EN4: Number of acres of national parks, state parks, city parks, county parks, or other public and tribal lands that 

are improved

EN5: Number of miles of trails or waterways (owned/maintained by national, state, county, city or tribal 

governments) that are improved and/or created

Disaster Services

D1: Number of individuals that received CNCS-supported services in disaster preparedness

D2: Number of individuals that received CNCS-supported services in disaster response

D3: Number of individuals that received CNCS-supported services in disaster recovery

D4: Number of individuals that received CNCS-supported services in disaster mitigation

1The following Economic Opportunity measures may also be used to report on your program’s performance in providing 

services in the Disaster Services focus area,

2 The following Environmental Stewardship measures may also be used to report on your program’s performance in providing 

services in the Disaster Services focus area,
31

Healthy Futures3

H8: Number of homebound OR older adults and individuals with disabilities receiving food, transportation, or 

other services that allow them to live independently

H9: Number of homebound OR older adults and individuals with disabilities who reported having increased 

social ties/perceived social support

H10 (formerly O6): Number of individuals receiving emergency food from food banks, food pantries, or other 

nonprofit organizations

H11 (formerly O7): Number of individuals receiving support, services, education and/or referrals to alleviate 

long-term hunger

H12: Number of individuals that reported increased food security of themselves and their children (household 

food security) as a result of CNCS-supported services

Veterans and Military Families

V1: Number of veterans that received CNCS-supported assistance

V8: Number of veterans' family members that received CNCS-supported assistance

V7: Number of family members of active duty military service members that received CNCS-supported assistance

V9: Number of active duty military service members that received CNCS-supported assistance

V2: Number of veterans engaged in service opportunities as a National Service Participant or volunteer.

V10: Number of military family members engaged in service opportunities as a National Service Participant or 

volunteer.

3 The following Healthy Futures measures may also be used to report on your program’s performance in providing services in the 

Disaster Services focus area,
32

Complementary Program Measures

Education

ED1: Number of students who start in a CNCS-supported education program

ED3A: Number of disadvantaged youth/mentor matches that are commenced by CNCS-supported programs

ED7: Number of students with no or decreased disciplinary referrals and suspensions over the course of the 

CNCS-supported programs' involvement 

ED8: Number of youth with decreased substance abuse, arrest, or gang involvement 

ED9: Number of students graduating from high school on time with a diploma 

ED10: Number of students entering post-secondary institutions 

ED11: Number of students earning a post-secondary degree 

ED12: Number of CNCS-Supported National Service Participants who begin serving as teachers through a 

Teacher Corps program 

ED13: Number of CNCS-Supported National Service Participants who completed serving as teachers through a 

Teacher Corps program 

ED14: Number of individuals teaching in high need schools 

ED15: Number of students in CNCS-supported teacher classrooms with improved academic performance

ED17: Number of teachers remaining in the education field, but not teaching in a school (school support staff, 

school administration, district administration policy, education nonprofits, etc.) after their term of service

ED18: Number of teachers who have had a positive impact on student learning as determined by observationbased assessments of teacher performance 

ED19: Number of individuals receiving certification to teach in schools after their term of service 

ED20: Number of children who start in a CNCS-supported early childhood education program

ED22: Number of children accessing high quality early childhood education programs

ED26: Number of students acquiring a GED 

Economic Opportunity

O4: Number of housing units developed, repaired, or otherwise made available for low-income individuals, 

families or people with disabilities

O13: Number of economically disadvantaged National Service Participants who have not obtained their high 

school diploma or equivalent prior to the start of their term of service

O16: Number of National Service Participants that obtain a GED/diploma while serving in CNCS-supported 

programs or within one year after finishing serving in CNCS-supported programs

O1: Number of economically disadvantaged individuals receiving financial literacy services

O9: Number of economically disadvantaged individuals with improved financial knowledge

O2: Number of economically disadvantaged individuals receiving job training and other skill development 

services

O3: Number of economically disadvantaged individuals receiving job placement services

O10: Number of economically disadvantaged individuals placed in jobs

O12: Number of economically disadvantaged National Service Participants who are unemployed prior to their 

term of service

O15: Number of economically disadvantaged National Service Participants that secure employment during their 

term of service or within one year after finishing a CNCS-supported program

O14: Number of economically disadvantaged National Service Participants who have their high school diploma 

or equivalent but have not completed a college degree prior to their term of service

O17: Number of National Service Participants that complete a college course within one year after finishing a 

CNCS-supported program 
33

Environmental Stewardship

EN1: Number of housing units of low-income households and structures weatherized or retrofitted to 

significantly improve energy efficiency 

EN2: Number of low-income households home and public building energy audits conducted 

EN3: Number of individuals receiving education or training in energy-efficient and environmentally-conscious 

practices, including but not limited to sustainable energy and other natural resources, and sustainable 

agriculture 

EN6: Number of tons of materials collected and recycled 

Healthy Futures

H1: Number of individuals who are uninsured, economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, or living in 

rural areas utilizing preventive and primary health care services and programs

H2: Number of clients to whom information on health insurance, health care access and health benefits 

programs is delivered

H3: Number of clients enrolled in health insurance, health services, and health benefits programs 

H4: Number of clients participating in health education programs

H5: Number of children and youth engaged in in-school or afterschool physical education activities with the 

purpose of reducing childhood obesity

H6: Number of children and youth receiving nutrition education with the purpose of reducing childhood obesity

H7: Number of clients receiving language translation services at clinics and in emergency rooms

Veterans and Military Families

V3: Number of veterans assisted in pursuing educational opportunities 

V4: Number of veterans assisted in receiving professional certification, licensure, or credentials 

V6: Number of housing units developed, repaired, or otherwise made available for veterans 

Capacity Building

G3-3.4 Number of organizations that received capacity building services from CNCS-supported organizations or 

national service participants

G3-3.5: Number of staff and community volunteers that received training (of one or more types) as a result of 

capacity building services provided by CNCS-supported organizations or national service participants

G3-3.6: Number of organizations that completed a community assessment identifying goals and 

recommendations with the assistance of CNCS-supported organizations or national service participants

G3-3.7: Hours of service contributed by community volunteers who were recruited by CNCS-supported 

organizations or national service participants

G3-3.8: Hours of service contributed by community volunteers who were managed by CNCS-supported 

organizations or national service participants

G3-3.9: Number of organizations reporting that capacity building activities provided by CNCS-supported 

organizations or national service participants have helped to make the organization more efficient

G3-3.10: Number of organizations reporting that capacity building activities provided by CNCS-supported 

organizations or national service participants have helped to make the organization more effective

G3-3.11: Number of new systems and business processes (technology, performance management, training, etc.) 

or enhancements to existing systems and business processes put in place as a result of capacity building services 

provided by CNCS-supported organizations or national service participants

G3-3.12: Number of organizations that monitored their progress towards the goals identified in their community 

assessment with the assistance of CNCS-supported organizations or national service participants

G3-3.13: Number of additional activities completed and/or program outputs produced by the program as a 

result of capacity building services provided by CNCS-supported organizations or national service participants in 

a) Disaster Services, b) Economic Opportunity, c) Education, d) Environmental Stewardship, e) Healthy Futures 

and/or f) Veterans and Military Families
34

Capacity Building, cont.

G3-3.14: Number of organizations that have experienced an increase in requests for their programs and services 

as a result of capacity building services provided by CNCS-supported organizations or national service 

participants

G3-3.15: Number of additional types of services offered by organizations as a result of capacity building services 

provided by CNCS-supported organizations or national service participants in a) Disaster Services, b) Economic 

Opportunity, c) Education, d) Environmental Stewardship, e) Healthy Futures and/or f) Veterans and Military 

Families

G3-3.16: Dollar value of cash resources leveraged by CNCS-supported organizations or national service 

participants

G3-3.17: Dollar value of in-kind resources leveraged by CNCS-supported organizations or national service 

participants

G3-3.18: Number of new beneficiaries that received services as a result of capacity building efforts in: Disaster 

Services, Economic Opportunity, Education, Environmental Stewardship, Healthy Futures, and/or Veterans and 

Military Families

G3-3.19: Number of new beneficiaries from one or more targeted or underserved populations (counts by target 

population, e.g., racial or ethnic group) that received services as a result of capacity building efforts in: Disaster 

Services, Economic Opportunity, Education, Environmental Stewardship, Healthy Futures, and/or Veterans and 

Military Families
35

APPENDIX C. Logic Model Worksheet

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