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2016 Terms and Conditions for 

Commission Program Development 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.....................................................................................2

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

IV. Award Period .......................................................................................................................4

V. Program Income...................................................................................................................4

VI. National Service Criminal History Check Requirement......................................................4
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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 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 

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 using award funds, unless 

specified in the approved application and budget.

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

cumulative and/or aggregate budget line items that amount to 10 
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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

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

submission of periodic financial and progress reports during the project period 

and a final financial report and for setting submission deadlines for its respective 

subrecipients 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

January 31 Start of award through December 31

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

June 30, whichever is earlier

B. 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

January 31 Start of award through December 31

July 30 January 1 – June 30

A recipient must set submission deadlines for its respective subrecipients

that ensure the timely submission of recipient reports. 

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

Transactions Report on a quarterly basis to the Department of Health and 
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Human Services Payment Management System per the Electronic Funds 

Transfer Agreement.

C. 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 Financial Reports may only be granted by the 

Office of Grants Management, and extensions of deadlines for Progress 

Reports may only be granted by the AmeriCorps Program Office.

D. 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.

E. 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 

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 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 one-year project period. The project 

period and the budget period are noted on the award document.

V. PROGRAM INCOME

Income, including fees for service earned as a direct result of the award-funded 

program activities during the award period. The recipient must notify its Grants 

Officer if it earns program income in excess of the amounts needed to cover all 

expenditures under the award. The Grants Officer will determine the disposition of 

the excess program income.

VI. NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK REQUIREMENT

CNCS has determined that the National Service Criminal History Check 

Requirements as set forth in the 2016 General Grant and Cooperative Agreement 

Terms and Conditions, Section II General Terms and Conditions, section E, are 

not applicable to this Program Development Grant competition and that awardees 

need not fulfill that requirement to be in compliance with the responsibilities 

under this grant.