2016 RSVP Limited Geographical Area Competition

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – October 27, 2015

This document supplements the 2016 RSVP Limited Geographical Area Competition Senior 

Corps Notice of Funding Opportunity and Application Instructions. These FAQs will be updated 

periodically. New or updated questions will be clearly indicated within each section. 

Sections

1. AWARD INFORMATION............................................................................................................................ 1

2. ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS ....................................................................................................................... 2

3. SELECTION CRITERIA AND REVIEW .......................................................................................................... 3

4. EGRANTS ................................................................................................................................................... 4

5. BUDGET..................................................................................................................................................... 7

6. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS ........................................................................................................................10

7. VOLUNTEERS AND VOLUNTEER STATIONS ............................................................................................13

8. APPENDIX A............................................................................................................................................15

9. PERFORMANCE MEASURE ......................................................................................................................16

10. OTHER ..................................................................................................................................................16

1. AWARD INFORMATION

1.1. Is a separate application needed for each service area listed in Appendix A?

Yes.

1.2. Can an organization that wins this competition sub contract to another organization to run 

RSVP?

No.

1.3. What are the responsibilities of a sponsor with respect to project management 

responsibilities? For example, can an RSVP grantee contract out any of these responsibilities?

No. Please see the RSVP program regulation requirement below:

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RSVP regulation 45CFR§2553.22:

What are the responsibilities of a sponsor?

A sponsor is responsible for fulfilling all project management requirements necessary to 

accomplish the purposes of the RSVP program as specified in the Act. A sponsor shall not 

delegate or contract these responsibilities to another entity. A sponsor shall comply with all 

regulations contained in this part, policies, and grant provisions prescribed by the Corporation.

2. ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS

2.1. We previously relinquished an RSVP grant. May we apply for a new grant in this 

competition?

Yes.

2.2. Can two organizations jointly apply for one grant?

No. One organization must be identified as the sponsor organization. The second organization 

could become a volunteer station, but would not be considered the grantee.

2.3. We are a new non-profit and do not yet have an EIN, IRS non-profit status document, or a 

990. Can we still apply?

No. The applicant organization must be an established non-profit at the time the application is 

submitted. If the organization is already a non-profit, but not a 501(c)3, non-profit designation 

issued by the Secretary of State (or similar organization in your state) would be sufficient 

documentation for documentation requirement #14 in the Grant Application Instructions.

2.4. If the geographic area I wish to serve is not listed in Appendix A, are we eligible to apply?

No. 

2.5. We intend to separate from our fiscal agent and file for an independent federal tax exempt 

status later this calendar year, but after the grant application is due. Should we apply under the 

DUNS Number and EIN of our fiscal agent, or just apply under our own EIN and DUNS which 

other than through our fiscal agent agreement is not yet a 501(c)(3)?

An EIN, non-profit status verification, and 990 are required for non-profit applicants in order to 

be eligible to apply for this competition. Therefore, the new organization being formed would 

not be eligible because they are not yet a non-profit. Once a grant is awarded in the RSVP 

Competition, it must stay with the legal applicant and cannot be redirected through a transfer.

2.6. My organization would like to apply for an opportunity listed in Appendix A, but we are 

located outside of the geographic service area. Can we still apply?

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Yes. However, if awarded, the project must serve the geographic service area exactly as it is 

described in Appendix A. Additional counties or cities cannot be added.

Added October 27, 2015

2.7. The RSVP Limited Geographical Competition NOFA details funding available to stand up an 

RSVP project in 23 available geographic service areas. Who is eligible to apply for the funding 

available through this NOFA?

In accordance with Federal law (the Serve America Act of 2009), the grant opportunities in this 

NOFA are limited to specific geographic areas in order to maintain a portfolio similar to the 

current geographic areas. Any eligible organization can apply as long as it can operate in the 

specific geographic area for which it is applying. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited 

to, any currently funded RSVP program sponsors.

Added October 27, 2015

2.8. The RSVP Limited Geographical Service Area NOFA allows an incumbent – regardless of 

whether or not the incumbent’s prior performance on an RSVP project was favorable – to apply 

for this competition. Can you explain why?

In accordance with Federal law, the NOFA describes an open competition. Therefore, all 

eligible applicants may apply, regardless of whether an applicant was a previous RSVP grantee 

or not, and regardless of whether an applicant’s prior performance as grantee was favorable or 

not. Even so, all applicants, regardless of historical status and performance history, face a 

highly rigorous application process that includes a requirement that the applicant make a 

sufficient showing that it will be able to meet or exceed National Performance Measures, 

and/or provide evidence-based programming. Thus, an applicant’s participation in the process 

in no way guarantees that it will be awarded an RSVP grant.

3. SELECTION CRITERIA AND REVIEW

3.1. How should applicants address the selection criteria described in the Notice for cost 

effectiveness/budget adequacy?

Selection criteria Q15-Q16 should be addressed through the limited text that can be entered in 

the eGrants budget section and should align with the other narrative responses.

3.2. How is the DUNS number used during the review?

The DUNS number is one of the items considered during the financial review. A DUNS number 

establishes an organization’s credit score and so should be established as soon as possible prior 

to submitting an application. 

3.3. Selection Criteria Q13 asks about staff positions. Is a full time RSVP Director required for 

this competition or can there be a part time RSVP Director?

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According to RSVP Federal Regulation 45 CFR Part 2553.23 (c): A sponsor may negotiate the 

employment of a part-time project director with the Corporation when it can be demonstrated 

that such an arrangement will not adversely affect the size, scope and quality of project 

operations.

3.4. Can more details be shared about advantages that might be gained in answering specific 

selection criteria in a certain way?

No. 

3.5. My organization is the incumbent for the RSVP project in my area. Should I address the 

selection criterion using narrative information about my organization’s past experience in RSVP 

or using my old application narratives?

It depends. While you may use your past experience in RSVP to address certain selection 

criteria, submitting your old application narratives with no changes to address the current 

selection criteria and current grant application instructions will not likely sufficiently address 

the current requirements. 

4. EGRANTS

4.1. When starting my application in eGrants, do I select ‘new’ or ‘renewal’?

ALL APPLICANTS should select ‘new.’ This includes incumbent RSVPs.

If you selected ‘new’ the application type on the left side of the screen will say ‘new.’ Your 

application will not include any information from previous grant applications.

If you selected ‘renewal’ the application type on the left side of the screen will say ‘new 

grant/previous grantee.’ Information from previously awarded grants will already be populated 

in the application.

If you selected ‘renewal,’ please delete the application and begin again with a ‘new’ application.

4.2. How do I enter my authorized representative name in my application?

The authorized representative for your organization must login to eGrants with their own user 

account, click on the assurances and conditions, and submit the grant application. This will 

allow their name to show up as the authorized representative for the grant application.

4.3. I cannot complete the validate function for the performance measures. When I go to 

validate, it says that you have to have a performance measure for all objectives. What am I 

doing wrong?

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It is likely that you have checked an objective on the first Performance Measure screen and 

have not entered a work plan for that objective. Contact the National Service Hotline if further 

assistance is needed.

4.4. What should be entered in the “Other” narrative section?

The “Other” narrative section will only apply to those applicants that are proposing to 

implement evidence-based programs. Applicants providing an evidence-based program 

narrative must not exceed 3 pages. 

If you are not proposing to implement evidence-based programs, please Enter ‘N/A.’

4.5. We are a new applicant organization and would be hiring someone new for the project 

director position if the grant was awarded. Who should we enter as the project director in 

eGrants if that person is not yet hired?

You may enter another person who is currently at your organization, such as the person who 

would be the project director’s supervisor. The project director name can be updated later in 

eGrants if the grant is awarded.

4.6. Our organization headquarters is located separately from where the RSVP project office 

would be located. Which address should be listed as the project location address in eGrants?

When creating the organization, enter the organization headquarters address (see page 8 of the 

Grant Application Instructions). When entering the project location (see page 13 of the Grant 

Application Instructions), enter the project location address.

4.7. Are footnotes or endnotes allowed in the application narrative?

No. eGrants does not support the use of footnotes or endnotes.

4.8. Is there a specific font or font size that should be used for the narrative?

eGrants will format all font entered to a specific size. Font size cannot be altered in eGrants.

4.9. We deleted some of our performance measures in eGrants. Now when trying to validate 

the work plans, we receive the following: "Error: At least one performance measure must be 

created for all selected Objectives." Please advise how we can proceed.

This error message means that some of the objectives are checked on the objectives tab but do 

not have a corresponding performance measure created. Go to the objectives tab and uncheck 

the objectives that you will not be using. If you continue to encounter this error, contact the 

National Service Hotline for eGrants technical assistance: (800) 942-2677.

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4.10. In order to estimate the length of my narratives, I am trying to set up my Microsoft Word 

document to correspond exactly with the spacing and font size that eGrants uses for the 

printable version of an application. What spacing and font does the eGrants system use? 

The eGrants system uses Georgia font, 11 point. The line spacing is 1.8, multiple. The header is 

0.81” from the top, the footer is 0.24” from the bottom, the left indentation is 0.08”, the right 

indentation is 0.12”.

4.11. When I view the printable version of my application in eGrants, part of the service activity 

description is cut off by a page break and is not included on the following page. Will reviewers 

be able to see the full description?

Yes. We will ensure that during the review there is a process for reviewers to view the entire 

description.

4.12. I have been emailing my required documents to 2016RSVPattachments@cns.gov, but the 

documents section of my application in eGrants still shows ‘not sent’ next to each document. 

Why is this?

You must manually update the document section of eGrants to indicate whether you have sent 

each document. It does not update automatically based on documents emailed.

4.13. Our authorized representative will be changing soon. Who should be listed as the 

authorized representative in eGrants?

The authorized representative should be the person authorized to make financial decisions on 

behalf of your organization. The authorized representative and project director will be 

contacted during the clarification part of the review and will be notified about competition 

results. In order to ensure that CNCS is able to contact the appropriate person at your 

organization, please ensure that the authorized representative who originally submitted the 

grant application can forward any emails from CNCS to the correct new authorized 

representative or that an “out of office” message is displayed so the new authorized 

representative can be contacted by CNCS.

4.14. When I view the pdf of my application narratives, I see upside down question marks 

instead of the apostrophes and other special characters that I entered. How can I fix this?

eGrants does not support the use of special characters. There is not a solution for this issue 

other than to type your narratives without special characters. Reviewers will be aware of this 

issue.

4.15. In eGrants there is a space to enter a State Application Identifier. Can the application be 

submitted with the State Application Identifier blank?

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Yes, eGrants will allow you to submit the application with the State Application Identifier field 

blank.

5. BUDGET

5.1. There are two sections to enter the Source of Matching Funds, one in Budget Section I and 

another in Budget Section II. Do I have to complete both?

It depends on which sections contain your non-federal funds. If you include non-federal funds 

(grantee share) in the budget for both Budget Section I and Budget Section II, then you would 

complete the Source of Matching Funds in both Budget Section I and Budget Section II. If you 

only have non-federal funds in one of the budget sections, then you would only complete the 

Source of Matching Funds for the particular section where you budget your grantee share.

5.2. In the indirect cost budget section, if we enter our indirect costs in the grantee share 

column rather than the CNCS share column, do we still have to submit our indirect cost rate 

agreement?

Yes. Your indirect cost rate agreement must be submitted regardless of whether the indirect 

costs are in the CNCS share or the grantee share.

5.3. How do I know what volunteer insurance to include in the budget?

For information about required volunteer insurance and other reimbursable expenses, please 

review the cost reimbursement section of the Federal Regulations, § 2553.43. A link to the 

Federal Regulations is found on page 4 of the Notice. Volunteer insurance could be obtained 

through an organization such as CIMA: http://www.cimaworld.com/nonprofits/protectingvolunteers/ or another volunteer insurance provider.

5.4. Is there a formula for determining the non-federal share we should budget?

Yes. The RSVP non-federal share requirement — 10% in Year 1, 20% in Year 2, and 30% in Year 

3 and subsequent years — is calculated as a percentage of the total project budget. For 

example, if your total budget is $100,000, the required non-federal share for Year One would 

be $10,000 and the federal share would be $90,000. The amount listed in the Grant 

Opportunity Summaries is the federal share.

5.5. Will cash or in-kind contributions be accepted as part of the required non-federal share?

Yes. The RSVP Program Regulations in 45 CFR 2553.72(2), state that: “a grantee is responsible 

for identifying non-Corporation funds which may include in-kind contributions.”

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5.6. Should 5% of the RSVP project director’s salary and benefits be included in the Excess 

column of the budget to account for time spent fund raising?

If the RSVP project director engages in fundraising activities, time spent on these activities 

cannot be paid for through CNCS funds or through non-federal funds that are part of the 

required non-federal share. If time is spent on fundraising, the Excess column should reflect 

the amount of time that is spent on fundraising.

5.7. Please clarify how the “Excess Amount” category is to be used in calculating the budget.

The Excess column of the budget can be used to reflect the amount of non-federal cash and inkind contributions generated by a sponsor in excess of the required percentage. If time is spent 

on fundraising, the Excess column should reflect the amount of time spent on fundraising.

5.8. We do not yet have an approved negotiated indirect cost rate agreement but we hope to 

have one in the next few months. How should we handle this?

At the time the application is submitted, if an indirect cost rate agreement is not yet approved, 

the costs would have to be budgeted as direct costs. If the application is awarded and the 

indirect cost rate agreement is approved, an amendment could be done at a later time to adjust 

the budget for the new indirect cost rate agreement.

5.9. If current RSVP project staff spend time preparing the grant application for RSVP 

Competition (including listening to T/TA sessions, writing the application, etc.), is this time to be 

counted as fundraising in our current project budget?

Yes. If time is spent working on a new or renewal grant application, it is considered fundraising. 

When time is spent on continuation applications for RSVP, this is not considered fundraising as 

it is a requirement of an awarded grant. For clarification, please contact your CNCS State 

Office.

5.10. Can federal funds from other sources be used towards the non-federal match?

No. The exception to this is if the funds are specifically designated from the federal agency to 

be used as match on a federal grant. Or, if the funds pass through another entity, as is the case 

with Community Service Block Grant Funds. All RSVP grants must operate in accordance with 

the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audits Requirements for Federal 

Awards, which can be found on page 15 of the RSVP Notice.

5.11. What is the length of time for the fiscal year or budget year for RSVP?

Typically, RSVP has a 12 month fiscal year.

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5.12. Should the source of Excess Funds be included in the budget section titled “Source of 

Funds”?

No. The Source of Funds section is for the grantee share or non-federal share of the budget.

5.13. Are dues paid for membership in the Senior Corps and other professional associations 

allowable as a grant cost? If so, how much do these dues typically cost?

Yes, under the OMB Circulars, membership dues in professional associations are an allowable 

cost. Senior Corps grantees can include membership dues for Senior Corps and other 

professional associations in their grant budgets. They can be budgeted as CNCS share and 

required grantee share, and as excess. Travel related with these associations can also be 

budgeted. 

For typical cost of these dues, contact the professional association that you intend to join.

5.14. Can the purchase of a computer and RSVP volunteer tracking software be included in the 

budget and paid for by CNCS funds?

Yes.

5.15. There are two budget reports in eGrants (budget and budget narrative), and each shows a 

different percentage for my total grantee share column. Which percentage do I check to 

ensure I am meeting the non-federal share requirement for my application?

The required non-federal share should be checked using the one page Budget report rather 

than the Budget Narrative report. The funding percentage at the bottom of the report under 

“grantee share” gives the non-federal share percentage. 

Added October 27, 2015

5.16. This NOFO funds RSVP volunteers at a rate of $1000/per volunteer while the average cost 

of an RSVP volunteer is approximately $200/per volunteer. Can you please describe the 

rationale for this decision? 

As required by the Serve America Act of 2009, Congress has mandated that RSVP program 

dollars be linked to program outcomes through the use of National Performance Measures. In 

increasing the rate to $1000 per volunteer engaged in performance measures that lead to 

outcomes or in specific evidence based program models, this NOFO provides additional 

flexibility for RSVP projects to develop service activities that can be relied upon to meet or 

exceed the new National Performance Measures. The increased funding also provides greater 

flexibility for RSVP projects to engage in evidence-based programming that is highly impactful. 

Such evidence-based programming includes intensive training for all volunteers, and costs 

significantly more to manage and operate. Overall, the increase in the per dollar volunteer 

costs allows CNCS’s RSVP program to demonstrate great community impact through 

9
performance measures and alignment with programs that already have proof of evidence. 

Ultimately, this process allows RSVP projects to demonstrate greater impact which, we hope, 

would limit the potential for future budget cuts. 

6. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

6.1. If our audit is not done for this year, can we submit last year’s audit?

Yes. The instructions say to submit your most recent audit. If this year’s audit is not finished, 

then the previous year’s audit is the most recent audit.

6.2. When sending the attachments to 2016RSVPAttachments@cns.gov, should I send each one 

separately or combine all the documents into one document?

When sending the required documents for your application, please ensure that each document 

is submitted as a separate attachment. If necessary, you can submit more than one email but all 

required documents for your application should be submitted as separate documents attached 

to the email. Please do not scan all documents into one PDF and send as one attachment. 

Name each attachment to correspond with the “Description of Attachment” found on pages 41-

42 of the Grant Application Instructions.

6.3. Where can I find a form for the Negotiated Indirect Cost Agreement?

Forms are not provided for the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement as part of this 

competition. If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement already in 

place, then you should have a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement from your cognizant 

federal agency. In that case, you would send a copy of that document as part of your 

application.

6.4. What is a statement of audit status and who is responsible for submitting an audit to the 

Audit Clearinghouse?

The statement of audit status is simply a short written statement from your organization that 

includes all of the information requested in item 11 of the document table on page 42 of the 

Grant Application Instructions. If your organization is subject to an A-133 audit, your 

organization is responsible for submitting it the Audit Clearinghouse.

6.5. Should information entered in the Aggregate Dollar Amount of Funding Form be for all 

funding for the entire organization, or only for the RSVP project?

The information should be for all funding for the organization.

6.6. Where can I find a list of station types for the station roster?

10
The station roster is not a required document for this competition. If your application is 

selected for funding, the station roster will be submitted at a later time. Your application 

should be submitted in eGrants without the station roster section completed.

6.7. The Financial Management Survey doesn’t allow the yes/no boxes to be marked with an ‘x.’ 

How do I mark these boxes?

You can place an ‘X’ beside the checkbox that you are answering. You may also print out the 

survey, mark the boxes by hand and then scan the survey and email it 

to 2016RSVPAttachments@cns.gov.

6.8. What exactly is the Recipient Contact Form that is listed in the document chart on pages 42

of the Grant Application Instructions?

The Recipient Contact Form is used to set up an account in the Payment Management System, 

which is the system used to provide grant funds from CNCS to grantee organizations. The 

Recipient Contact Form is not required to be submitted at this time.

6.9. In reviewing the required attachments for the 2016 RSVP Limited Geographical Area 

Competition, I notice there were some that were requested as part of the Financial 

Management Survey that were also listed in the Required Supplemental Documents chart. Do 

we need to submit two copies of these documents?

No. One copy of each document is sufficient.

6.10. If one organization is applying for two opportunities, can the same Financial Management 

Survey be submitted for both applications?

Yes.

6.11. Our organization is a department within city government. Does the Financial Management 

Survey need to be completed as though it is for the entire city government or only for our 

department?

The Financial Management Survey should be completed for the entire city government.

6.12. Is there a certain format that required documents need to be in when e-mailed? 

Documents can be submitted in either Microsoft Word format, Microsoft Excel format, or via 

pdf.

6.13. Where do I obtain a Federal Financial Report User Form, SF-1199A, and Recipient Contact 

Form?

11
These forms are not to be submitted at this time. They are the forms that need to be 

completed in order to set up an account with the Payment Management System, which is the 

online system used by CNCS to deposit grant funds. When CNCS requests these forms from an 

applicant organization, copies of the blank forms will be emailed directly to the Authorized 

Representative and Project Director listed for the application in eGrants. This request would not 

likely occur until November or December. Only those organizations that do not currently have 

an account in the Payment Management System will receive a request for the forms.

6.14. Our organization is applying for multiple service areas. Some required documents will be 

identical for all service areas for which we are submitting applications, so we just plan to send 

one copy of each document. How do we ensure that the email submission of these documents 

is received and appropriately connected to each application we are submitting?

Please include all applicable application IDs in both the subject line and the body of the 

message when emailing required document to 2016RSVPAttachments@cns.gov.

6.15. Some of the documents we are sending are very large. Can they still be received by the 

2016RSVPattachments@cns.gov inbox? What if the documents are too large for me to email?

The attachments inbox is set up to accommodate extremely large emails. If you are having 

challenges sending to the inbox, you may need to contact your technical support personnel at 

your organization to learn more about scanning and attaching smaller versions of documents. 

Do not mail documents.

6.16. Where can I learn more about submitting an audit to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse?

You can visit the Federal Audit Clearinghouse 

website: https://harvester.census.gov/facweb/Default.aspx You can also learn more by reading

the A-133 Circular --AUDITS OF STATES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND NON-PROFIT 

ORGANIZATIONS published by OMB and found here:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/a133/a133_revised_2007.pdf

Information about Report Submissions can be found in Section .320 of the Circular.

6.17. On the Financial Management Survey, the last bullet under Section A, there is a request 

for a “List of federal grants, contracts, and sub-contracts using federal funds awarded to the 

organization in the last two years including the contract numbers, amounts and awarding 

agencies.” We will be providing the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards in our audited 

financial statements for the last fiscal year. In order to satisfy the two year requirement, does 

this mean we should submit the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards for the 2 previous 

years?

The documents submitted should cover the last two years, going back to approximately 

September, 2012. You should submit information that extends back two years.

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7. VOLUNTEERS AND VOLUNTEER STATIONS

7.1. Is the number of volunteers listed in Appendix A the number of volunteers per year or the 

total over three years?

The number of volunteers in Appendix A is the total minimum number of volunteers that 

should be reflected in outcome-based assignments in the National Performance Measures. The 

required number of unduplicated volunteers in outcomes will be phased in over three years. 

For example, if Appendix A lists 40 volunteers for year 1 and 50 volunteers for year 2 and 3, it is 

expected that by the time you report on your project at the end of the third year, there would 

be at least 50 volunteers currently serving with your RSVP. You application may propose to 

have more than 40 volunteers for year 1 or 50 volunteers for year 2 and 3, but could not 

propose less. 

7.2. We are applying for an available grant opportunity and proposing a new program with new 

volunteer stations. Could the volunteers already engaged in the current RSVP program enroll in 

our new RSVP program or must we recruit volunteers that are new to RSVP?

New grantees should manage the current program distribution attributed to the grant being 

applied for, in order to minimize disruptions to the current volunteer stations where possible. 

If you are partnering with new volunteer stations your proposal should consider assessment of 

current volunteers’ alignment with the proposed volunteer stations, and a plan for recruitment 

of new volunteers as appropriate. Should you propose not to partner with some current 

volunteer stations associated with the grant opportunity for which you are applying, your 

proposal should demonstrate a coordinated alignment of existing volunteers with the 

remaining volunteer stations.

7.3. What types of organizations can be volunteer stations?

A volunteer station can be a public agency, secular or faith-based non-profit organization, or 

proprietary health care organization that accepts the responsibility for assignment and 

supervision of RSVP volunteers. Each volunteer station must be licensed or otherwise certified, 

when required, by the appropriate state or local government. Informal groups do not qualify as 

volunteer stations.

7.4. What constitutes a volunteer “serving intensively on short term assignments?” For 

example, are there a minimum number of short term assignments required to justify counting a 

volunteer experience? Is there a benchmark for the number of hours per day or total 

assignment hours that is considered reasonable?

There is no minimum number of hours or assignments. This will vary based on each particular 

volunteer assignment developed by the RSVP.

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7.5. Do I have to maintain the same programming and service activities as the current RSVP 

project?

The application asks applicants to describe their plans and infrastructure to responsibly 

graduate volunteer stations to meet changing community needs and do so in a way that 

minimizes disruption to current volunteers where possible. All applications should describe 

how they plan to minimize the disruption of volunteers if they propose graduating volunteer 

stations that are included in an incumbent grant. 

7.6. Is more than one volunteer station required?

There is no required number of volunteer stations. However, most RSVPs have many more 

than one station.

7.7. My organization is interested in starting new service activities in independent living. The 

service activities would take place in the homes of clients. We have not done this type of 

activity in the past. Can our organization be the volunteer station?

Yes, if your organization decides to start a new activity, you may use RSVP as volunteers in the 

activity. However, your organization may first want to consider if the activity fits with your 

organization’s mission and how you would provide RSVP volunteer oversight in accordance with 

the RSVP federal regulations regarding the responsibility of volunteer stations, which are 

outlined in CFR 45 §2553.62. http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/textidx?SID=b85e59ebf62526e584950250495a9120&node=45:4.1.9.11.35.6&rgn=div6 

This should also include obtaining letters of agreement for in home placements.

7.8. Can further comment be provided for volunteer station models where there is only a single 

volunteer station or just a small number of volunteer stations? Specifically, is it possible for an 

application that has a single volunteer station or just a small number of volunteer stations to 

receive an RSVP grant award?

Volunteer station models in which there is either a single volunteer station or a small number 

of volunteer stations are not typical RSVP models. However, depending on such factors as the 

number of volunteers required for the opportunity, and whether the applicant satisfactorily 

addresses all selection criteria questions that pertain to volunteer station management and 

oversight, it is possible that such an applicant would be granted an RSVP grant award. 

Applicant responses to selection criteria questions will be reviewed according to the process 

outlined in the Notice of Funding. Some of the selection criteria do address volunteer station 

management and oversight, but there is no specific selection criterion that addresses volunteer 

station numbers. 

7.9. Can a volunteer station be included in more than one work plan if there is more than one 

service activity occurring at the station?

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Yes. Each work plan is developed based on the service activities selected for an output or 

output/outcome pair, not based on one particular volunteer station. One volunteer station 

may have many service activities occurring there and so may appear in more than one work 

plan.

8. APPENDIX A

8.1. The geographic service areas as described in Appendix A vary. Some include counties, 

some include cities, and some include both cities and counties. Are we required to have a 

volunteer station in each city or county listed?

Yes. You should plan to have volunteer stations in the geographic service area as it is listed 

with the service opportunity, including all cities or counties listed.

8.2. If I apply and am awarded two adjacent opportunities, can they be combined into one 

grant?

Yes. This could be implemented during the first year of the three-year project period.

8.3. How do I know the opportunity number for the geographic service area?

All opportunity numbers are listed in Appendix A, which is found on the Notice website.

Updated October 27, 2015

8.4. How were the grant opportunities included in the RSVP Limited Geographical Service Area 

NOFA selected?

The grant opportunities covered by the RSVP Limited Geographical Service Area NOFA were 

previously competed in the 2015 RSVP Competition without a successful applicant. In 

accordance with Federal law, when an RSVP incumbent submits an application and there is not 

a successful applicant, CNCS must grant the incumbent an “at-cost” extension of up to one year 

and provide the incumbent an opportunity to re-apply for a three-year grant. 

The RSVP Limited Geographical Area NOFA provides the process to apply for a three-year grant. 

Each successful applicant will need to successfully complete a highly rigorous application 

process that includes being able to make a sufficient showing that the applicant is able to meet 

or exceed new National Performance Measures, and/or provide evidence-based programming..

8.5. How are the funding amounts, volunteer numbers, and geographic service areas for 

Appendix A determined?

The funding amounts over $40,000 are based on the previous RSVP project in that particular 

geographic service area. The previous RSVP projects that were less than $40,000 were brought 

up based on the FY 2016 spending plan. 

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The minimum number of volunteers in outcome-based assignments is based on the $1,250 in 

annual base federal funding for year 1. For years 2 and 3, the minimum number of volunteers in 

outcome-based assignments will have increased based on the $1,000 in annual base federal 

funding. 

The geographic service areas are based on the previous RSVP project and the statutory 

requirements set forth in Section 201(e)(2) of Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973. 

8.6. If my application is selected for funding, can I later add other service areas to my project 

that are not currently served by another RSVP?

No. At this time there is not a process for approving additional service areas or expanding into 

new geographic areas that are not served by RSVP. Only those service areas listed in Appendix 

A are currently available. 

Added October 14, 2015

8.7. I noticed that 2 geographic service areas were added to Appendix A. Why is that?

The service areas were added because they received an at cost extension in FY 2015. 

9. PERFORMANCE MEASURE

RSVP Performance Measure questions received during the 2016 RSVP Limited Geographical 

Area Competition will be added below as they are received. Questions will not be answered 

that ask for guidance on which Performance Measure to select for a specific activity. Please 

review Appendix B to assist you in determining which Performance Measures to select for a 

specific service activity.

10. OTHER

10.1. Are the two webinars entitled “eGrants” the same or will they cover different areas of the 

process?

They are the same.

10.2. If my organization is awarded a grant and we are not the incumbent organization, what 

information will we receive about the previous RSVP that was serving the geographic area?

Depending on the information that was submitted from the previous grantee, you may receive 

lists of previous volunteer stations, volunteers, and advisory council members.

10.3. How do I know if my Notice of Intent to Apply was received?

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You should have received an automatic reply if your Letter of Intent to Apply was successfully 

submitted. A Letter of Intent to Apply is highly encouraged but is not required.

10.4. In the Executive Summary, should the service activities and sample outcomes listed be 

only from the Primary Focus Area?

The majority of service activities and outcomes listed should be from the Primary Focus Area, 

but other significant service activities and outcomes could be included from other Focus Areas.

10.5. Where can I learn more about what information the CNCS State Office can share 

regarding CNCS grant competitions?

For information about CNCS communications during grant competitions, review the policy, 

“Communication During the Grant Application Review Process” found 

at: http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/open-government-initiative/policies-and-procedures

10.6. Is there a contact person that I can send questions to about this competition?

All questions for this competition must be sent to 2016RSVP@cns.gov. Although there is not a 

contact person for one on one technical assistance, questions submitted to this inbox will 

receive responses through this FAQ document.

10.7. We are planning to become part of a larger nonprofit organization in April 2016. We will 

finish out our current RSVP grant, and the larger nonprofit will send the Notice of Intent and 

prepare the 2016 RSVP application. In the Notice of Intent, should it make note of our program 

coming under its sponsorship? 

It is not necessary for the organization to reference the name of your RSVP project in its Notice 

of Intent. The application submitted by the other organization will be viewed as a nonincumbent organization for purposes of this competition.

10.8. If an organization submits an application for this competition, is it obligated to remain in 

the competition until its completion, or can it withdraw its application at any time during the 

competition?

The organization can withdraw the application. If the organization does need to withdraw, 

please send an email as soon as possible to 2016RSVP@cns.gov at any time after grant 

application submission.

10.9. I am interested in proposing evidence-base programming in my application? Do I need to 

mention this in the Notice of Intent to Apply?

Yes, applicants that we proposing to apply for additional funding for evidence-based programs 

should send an email to 2016RSVPIntent@cns.gov.

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Added October 27, 2015

10.10. Why is the RSVP Limited Geographical Location NOFA open to those who have not, or 

are not currently, operating RSVP programs?

Beginning four years ago, in 2012, and in accordance with Federal law, Congress has been 

requiring there to be competition in the annual RSVP grant award process. With the advent of 

this competition, Senior Corps opened up RSVP applications to all public, private, faith-based, 

veteran-service and not-for profit organizations. Opening up the competition has allowed for 

new organizations who, for historical reasons, were not previously eligible to apply for these 

grants, to do so. Opening up competition has also supported our Congressional mandate that 

we link federal appropriations to the best qualified applicants, regardless of their historical 

statuses.

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