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FY 2020 Commission Support Grant Terms and Conditions 

 

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. Changes from the 2019 Terms and Conditions for the Commission Support 

Grants 

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II. Purpose of Commission Support Grants 2 

III. Prohibitions on the Use of Funds 2 

IV. Budget and Programmatic Changes 3 

V. Reporting Requirements 4 

VI. Award Period and Incremental Funding 5 

VII. Program Income 5 

VIII. National Service Criminal History Check Training 6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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I. CHANGES FROM THE 2019 TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COMMISSION 

SUPPORT GRANTS 

 

- Sections IV.B. and C. and Section V.E. – Added references for the Portfolio 

Manager, applicable to states that have transitioned to the regions, as opposed to a 

Grants Officer and Program Officer for states that have not yet transitioned. 

- Section IV.C. – Changed Office of Grants Management (OGM) to Office of Grant 

Administration (OGA).

- Section V. A – Included the quarterly PMS FFR requirement. 

II. PURPOSE OF COMMISSION SUPPORT GRANTS 

 

The activities must be consistent with the AmeriCorps Regulations 45 CFR 2550.80, the 

application instructions, the Program Specific and General Terms and Conditions, and 

with the recipient’s State Service Plan. The duties of state commissions are described in 

45 CFR 2550.80. Composition requirements and other requirements, restrictions and 

guidelines are described in 45 CFR 2550.50. 

 

III. PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF FUNDS 

 

While charging time to the Commission Support award, the recipient and/or anyone 

acting under the supervision or authority of the recipient, may not engage in the 

following activities: 

 

A. Attempting to influence legislation. 

 

B. Organizing or engaging in protest, petitions, boycotts, or strikes. 

 

C. Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing. 

 

D. Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements. 

 

E. Conducting a voter registration drive or using CNCS funds to conduct a voter 

registration drive. 

 

F. Engaging in partisan political activities or other activities designed to influence 

the outcome of an election to any public office. 

 

G. Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include 

advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, 

proposed legislation, or elected officials. 

 
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H. Engaging in religious instruction; conducting worship services providing 

instructions as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or 

worship; constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or 

worship; maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious 

instruction or worship; or engaging in any form of religious proselytization. 

 

I. Providing a direct benefit to: 

1. A for-profit entity; 

2. A labor union; 

3. A partisan political organization; 

4. An organization engaged in the religious activities described in the 

preceding sub-clause (h), unless award funds are not used to support the 

religious activities; or 

5. A nonprofit entity that fails to comply with the restrictions contained in 

section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 except that 

nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent participants from 

engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative. 

6. Providing abortion services or referrals for receipt of such services. 

7. Award funds may not be used for international travel or projects where the 

primary beneficiaries of an activity are outside the United States. 

8. Other activities as the CNCS determines will be prohibited, upon notice to 

the recipient. 

 

J. Individuals may exercise their rights as private citizens and may participate in the 

above activities on their own initiative, on non-CNCS time, and using non-CNCS 

funds. 

 

IV. BUDGET AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES 

 

A. Programmatic Changes. The recipient must obtain the prior written approval of 

CNCS before making 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 contracting out any activities funded by the 

award and not specifically identified in the approved application and/or 

award. 

 

B. Changes in the Budget. The recipient must obtain the prior written approval of a 

CNCS Grants Officer/ Portfolio Manager before deviating from the approved 

budget in any of the following ways: 

 
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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. Please ensure you consult the 

regulations prior to incurring costs to ensure allowability. 

2. Purchases of equipment over $5,000 using award funds, unless specified 

in the approved application and budget. 

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

Portfolio Managers are the only officials who have the authority to alter or change 

the terms and conditions or requirements of the award. Grants Officers/ Portfolio 

Managers will execute written amendments, and recipients should not assume 

approvals have been granted unless documentation from OGA has been received. 

Programmatic changes also require final approval of CNCS’s OGA after written 

recommendation for approval is received from the Program Officer/ Portfolio 

Manager. 

 

V. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 

 

Reporting requirements in these terms and conditions apply only to the recipient. The 

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

during the project period and final financial report. 

 

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

eGrants (Financial Status Reports on menu tree) to report the status of all funds. 

Recipients must submit timely cumulative financial reports in accordance with 

CNCS guidelines according to the following schedule: 

 

 Due Date Reporting Period Covered 

 July 31 Start of award through June 30 

 January 31 July 1 – December 31 

 

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. 

B. Progress Reports. The recipient shall submit progress reports in eGrants 

according to the following schedule: 
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 Due Date Reporting Period Covered 

 March 31 Start of award year through December 31 

C. Final Financial Reports. Recipients completing the final year of their award 

must submit, in lieu of the last financial report, a final financial report. This final 

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

 

D. Final Progress Reports. Recipients completing the final year of their award 

must submit, in lieu of the last annual progress report, a final progress report. The 

final progress report is due no later than 90-days after the end of the project 

period. 

E. Request for Extensions. Each recipient must submit financial and progress 

report by the given dates. Extensions of reporting deadlines will be granted only 

when 1) the report cannot be furnished in a timely manner for reasons legitimately 

beyond the control of the recipient, and 2) CNCS receives a request explaining the 

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

 

Extensions of deadlines for financial reports may only be granted by a Grants 

Officer/ Portfolio Manager, and extension of deadlines for Progress Reports may 

only be granted by a Program Officer/ Portfolio Manager. 

 

VI. AWARD PERIOD AND INCREMENTAL FUNDING 

 

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

recipient is proposed to be funded to complete the 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 provided to finance 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. The project period and the budget period 

are noted on the award document. 

 

VII. 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 Commission Support grant’s non-CNCS share. 

 
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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 Parts 200 and 2205, in particular, 2 CFR 200.307 – Program Income and 

be deducted from total claimed costs, or with approval from CNCS through a 

budget amendment be used to enhance the program (additive process). Recipients 

that have unexpended program income must report it on line o of the Federal 

Financial Report (FFR). 

 

VIII. NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK TRAINING 

 

 All grant recipients and subrecipients must complete CNCS’ National Service Criminal 

History Check (NSCHC) training every year. The CNCS designated e-course provides a 

thorough overview of the requirements and can be found at: 

https://www.nationalservice.gov/reqCHCtraining, unless otherwise notified by CNCS. 

Each grant recipient and subrecipient must identify at minimum one staff person who has 

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

grant recipient or subrecipient. The grant recipient and subrecipient must retain the 

certificate of completion and assign staff to retake the course annually prior to the 

expiration of the certificate. Grant recipients and subrecipients should save certificates of 

completion from each year as grant records.