1

2016 Terms and Conditions for Volunteer Generation Fund Grants

Effective June 1, 2016

These Corporation for National & Community Service (CNCS) Grant Program 

Specific Terms and Conditions and the General Terms and Conditions, are binding 

on the recipient. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

I. Definitions............................................................................................................................2

II. Budget and Programmatic Changes.....................................................................................3

III. Reporting Requirements ......................................................................................................3

IV. Award Period and Incremental Funding..............................................................................4

V. Program Income...................................................................................................................5

VI. National Service Criminal History Check Training.............................................................5
2

I. DEFINITIONS

A. Recipient, for the purposes of this agreement, means the direct recipient 

of this award. The recipient is legally accountable to CNCS for the use of 

award funds, or member positions, and is bound by the provisions of the 

award. The recipient is responsible for ensuring that subrecipients or other 

organizations carrying out activities under this award comply with all 

applicable Federal requirements, including the CNCS General Terms and 

Conditions, these specific terms and conditions, regulations applicable to 

the program, and the NCSA.

B. Subrecipient refers to an organization receiving AmeriCorps award funds 

or member positions from a recipient of CNCS funds. See 2 CFR § 

200.93. 

C. Program refers to the activities supported under the award.

D. NCSA means the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as 

amended. See 45 U.S.C. §§ 12501-12657.

II. BUDGET AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES

A. Programmatic Changes. The recipient must first obtain the prior written 

approval of the AmeriCorps Program Office before making any of the 

following changes:

1. Changes in the scope, objectives or goals of the program, whether 

or not they involve budgetary changes.

2. Entering into subawards or contracts for activities funded by the 

award, but not identified or included in the approved application 

and/or award.

B. Budgetary Changes. The recipient must obtain the prior written approval 

of CNCS’s Office of Grants Management before deviating from the 

approved budget in any of the following ways:

1. Specific Costs Requiring Prior Approval before Incurrence under

the uniform administrative requirement, cost principles, and audit 

requirements for Federal awards at 2 CFR Parts 200 and 2205. 

Certain cost items in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 2205 require approval of 

the awarding agency for the cost to be allowable. Examples of 

these costs are overtime pay, rearrangement and alteration costs, 

and pre-award costs.

2. Purchases of Equipment over $5,000, unless specified in the 

approved application and budget.
3

3. Unless the CNCS share of the award is $100,000 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.

C. Approvals of Programmatic and Budget Changes. CNCS’s Grants 

Officers are the only officials who have the authority to alter or change the 

terms and conditions or requirements of the award. Grants Officers will 

execute written amendments, and recipients should not assume approvals 

have been granted unless documentation from the Grants Office has been 

received. Programmatic changes also require final approval of CNCS’s 

Office of Grants Management after written recommendation for approval 

is received from the Program Office.

III. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

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 that ensure the timely 

submission of recipient reports. 

A. Progress Reports. The recipient shall complete and submit progress 

reports in eGrants to report on progress toward achievement of its 

approved performance targets. 

Due Date Reporting Period Covered

April 30 Start of award through March 31

October 31 Start of award year through end of award year or 

September 30, whichever is sooner

B. Federal 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 according to the following schedule: 

Due Date Reporting Period Covered

April 30 Start of award through March 31

October 31 April 1 – September 30

A recipient must set submission deadlines for its respective subrecipients

that ensure the timely submission of recipient reports. 
4

The recipient must submit the Federal Financial Report (FFR) - Cash 

Transactions Report on a quarterly basis to the Department of Health and 

Human Services Payment Management System per the Electronic Funds 

Transfer Agreement.

C. Reporting Other Federal Funds. The recipient shall report the amount 

and sources of federal funds, other than those provided by CNCS, claimed 

as matching funds. This includes other federal funds expended by 

subrecipients and operating sites and claimed as match. This information 

shall be reported annually on the financial report due October 31st or at the 

time the final financial report is submitted if the final report is due prior to 

October 31st. 

D. Requests for Extensions. Each recipient must submit required reports 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 

recipient, and 2) CNCS receives a written request explaining the need for 

an extension before the due date of the report.

Extensions of deadlines for Federal Financial Reports submitted in 

eGrants may only be approved by the Office of Grants Management, and 

extensions of deadlines for Progress Reports may only be approved by the 

AmeriCorps Program Office.

E. Final Financial Reports. A recipient must submit, in lieu of the last 

semi-annual financial report, a final financial report. This final report is 

due no later than 90 days after the end of the project period.

F. Final Progress Reports. A recipient must submit, in addition to the last 

semi-annual project report, a final project report. This final progress 

report is due no later than 90 days after the end of the project period.

IV. AWARD PERIOD AND INCREMENTAL FUNDING

For the purpose of the award, the project period is the complete length of time the 

recipient is proposed to be funded to complete approved activities under the 

award. A project period may contain one or more budget periods. A budget 

period is a specific interval of time for which Federal funds are being provided to 

fund a recipient’s approved activities and budget.

Unless otherwise specified, the award 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. Additional funding is contingent upon satisfactory 

performance, a recipient’s demonstrated capacity to manage an award and comply 

with award requirements, and the availability of Congressional appropriations. 
5

CNCS reserves the right to adjust the amount of an award, or elect not to continue 

funding for subsequent years. The project period and the budget period are noted 

on the award document.

V. PROGRAM INCOME

A. General. Income, including fees for service earned as a direct result of 

the award-funded program activities during the award period, must be 

retained by the recipient and used to finance the award’s non-CNCS share.

B. Excess Program Income. Program income earned in excess of the 

amount needed to finance the recipient share must follow the appropriate 

requirements of 2 CFR Part 200 and be deducted from total claimed costs. 

Recipients that earn excess income must specify the amount of the excess 

on the financial report.

C. Fees for Service. When using assistance under this award, the recipient 

may not enter into a contract for or accept fees for service performed by 

members when:

1. The service benefits a for-profit entity,

2. The service falls within the other prohibited activities set forth in 

these award provisions, or

3. The service violates the provisions of 42 U.S.C. § 12637 –

Nonduplication and Nondisplacement.

VI. NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK TRAINING

All recipients and subrecipients must complete CNCS NSCHC training every 

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

requirements and can be found at: http://cncstraining.articulateonline.com/4240214797. Each recipient must identify at minimum one relevant 

staff person to fulfill this requirement on behalf of the program. The program 

must retain the certificate of completion and assign staff to retake the course 

annually prior to the expiration of the certificate. Programs should save 

certificates of completion from each year as part of grant record. For 2016, 

recipients and subrecipients should complete this requirement and be certified by 

December 31, 2016.