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NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Federal Agency Name: Corporation for National and Community Service

Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2021 AmeriCorps State and National Grants

Announcement Type: Initial Announcement

Assistance Listing Number: 94.006

Disclosure: Publication of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (Notice) does not obligate the 

Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to award any specific number of 

grants or to commit any particular amount of funding. The 2021 President’s Budget proposed the 

elimination of CNCS. The actual level, timing, and process of grant funding will be subject to 

the availability of annual appropriations.

Important Dates

• Applications are due Wednesday, January 6, 2021 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to CNCS. 

Single-state applicant deadlines to Commissions may be significantly before the CNCS 

deadlines, so prospective state applicants should contact the Commission in the state or 

territory where they intend to apply as early as possible. The list of Commissions can be 

found on CNCS’s website.

• Successful applicants will be notified by mid-May 2021.

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A.1. Purpose of AmeriCorps Funding

The mission of CNCS is to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement

through service and volunteering. Through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Volunteer 

Generation Fund, CNCS has helped to engage millions of citizens in meeting community and 

national challenges through service and volunteer action.

AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations (See Section C.1 Eligible Applicants) 

proposing to engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed 

interventions/practices 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 earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award from the National Service Trust 

that members can use to pay for higher education expenses or apply to qualified student loans.

A.2. Funding Priorities 

CNCS seeks to prioritize the investment of national service resources in the following areas:

• Efforts to help local communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants may 

propose programming in any CNCS focus area to aid communities as they recover from 

the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Programs that actively engage in removing structural racial inequities, advancing racial 

equality, and increasing opportunity in order to achieve sustainable change in 

 communities.
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• Economic Opportunity – a program model that increases economic opportunities for 

communities by preparing people for the workforce. 

• Education – see sixth bullet. 

• Healthy Futures – a program model that reduces and/or prevents prescription drug and 

opioid abuse. 

• Evidence-based interventions on the CNCS Evidence Exchange 

(https://www.nationalservice.gov/impact-our-nation/evidence-exchange) that are assessed 

as having Moderate or Strong evidence.

• Veterans and Military Families – a program model that positively impacts the quality of 

life of veterans and improves military family strength.

• Rural intermediaries - organizations that demonstrate measurable impact and primarily 

serve rural communities with limited resources and organizational infrastructure.

• Faith-based organizations.

• Programs that reduce child poverty.

• Environmental stewardship. 

• Economic Mobility Corps – a joint initiative with the Community Development Financial 

Institutions Fund to place national service members at Certified Community 

Development Financial Institutions to enhance their capacity to provide financial literacy, 

financial planning, budgeting, saving, and other financial counseling activities in 

distressed and underserved areas (See Attachment A)

To receive priority consideration, applicants must show that the priority area is a significant part 

of the program focus and intended outcomes; and must include a high-quality program design. 

Proposing programs that receive priority consideration does not guarantee funding. 

A.3. Performance Goals or Expected Outcomes

National Performance Measures 

All applications must include at least one aligned performance measure (output and outcome) 

that corresponds to the proposed primary intervention. This may be a National Performance 

Measure or an applicant-determined measure. Additional performance measures, including 

output-only National Performance Measures, may also be included if desired; however, all 

performance measures must be consistent with the program’s Theory of Change and represent 

significant program activities. CNCS does not expect applicants to select performance measures 

to correspond to each and every potential member activity or community impact. CNCS values 

the quality of performance measures over the quantity of performance measures.

CNCS expects applicants to use National Performance Measures as part of their comprehensive 

performance management strategy if the National Performance Measures are part of the 

applicant’s Theory of Change. Applicants should use both performance and evaluation data to 

learn from their work as well as make tactical and strategic adjustments to achieve their goals. 

For more information, please refer to the National Performance Measure Instructions.

A.4. Program Authority

Awards under this Notice are authorized by the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as 

amended, (42 U.S.C. § 12501 et seq.) 
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B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

B.1. Estimated Available Funds

CNCS expects a highly competitive AmeriCorps grant competition. CNCS reserves the right to 

prioritize providing funding to existing awards over making new awards. The actual level of 

funding will be subject to the availability of annual appropriations.

B.2. Estimated Award Amount

Award amounts will vary, as determined by the scope of the projects. 

B.3. Period of Performance

CNCS anticipates making three-year grants. CNCS generally makes an initial award for the first 

year of the period of performance, based on a one-year budget. Continuation awards for 

subsequent years are not guaranteed; they depend upon availability of appropriations and 

satisfactory performance. 

The project start date may not occur prior to the date CNCS awards the grant. 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.4. Type of Award 

AmeriCorps Operating Grants: CNCS may award a Cost Reimbursement or a Fixed Amount 

grant to any successful applicant, but the availability of a Full-Cost Fixed Amount grant is 

limited to certain applicants. Professional Corps are not eligible to apply for Cost 

Reimbursement grants. See the C.1.Eligible Applicants section and the Mandatory Supplemental 

Information for more information. CNCS will not provide both types of grants for the same 

project in one fiscal year.
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Grant Types Cost 

Reimbursement

Fixed Amount

Available 

Subtypes

Traditional Full-Cost Education Award 

Program (EAP)

Professional Corps 

See Sec. D.6.a.2 for 

further requirements

No Cost Slots

Maximum Cost 

per MSY

$16,300 $16,300 $800 or $1,000* $1,000 $0

Type of Slots in 

the National 

Service Trust

Full-Time, Three 

Quarter-Time, 

Half-time, 

Reduced HalfTime, QuarterTime, MinimumTime, 

AbbreviatedTime

FullTime, Three 

Quarter-Time, 

Half-Time, 

Reduced HalfTime, QuarterTime, 

Minimum-Time, 

AbbreviatedTime

Full-Time, Three 

Quarter-Time, 

Half-Time, 

Reduced HalfTime, QuarterTime, MinimumTime, 

AbbreviatedTime

Full-Time only Full-Time, 

Three QuarterTime, HalfTime, Reduced 

Half-Time, 

Quarter-Time, 

MinimumTime, 

AbbreviatedTime

Budget 

Submission 

Required

Yes No Yes, if requesting 

operating funds

No

Availability of 

Funds linked to 

enrollment and 

retention of 

awarded MSYs

No Yes No

Special 

Requirements

N/A N/A Must place qualified 

professionals in 

communities with an 

inadequate number of 

such professionals. 

Member salaries and 

benefits must be paid 

entirely by 

organization where 

member serves and 

not included in 

budget.

N/A

Financial 

Reporting 

Requirements

Yes No

Available to new 

Applicants

Yes No Yes

*Per 42 U.S.C. § 12581a, the Corporation may provide the operational support under this section 

for a program in an amount that is not more than $800 per individual enrolled in an approved 

national service position, or not more than $1,000 per such individual if at least 50 percent of the 

persons enrolled in the program are disadvantaged youth.
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C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

C.1. Eligible Applicants

The following non-federal entities (all of which are defined in 2 CFR 200.1) are eligible to 

apply: 

• Indian Tribes 

• Institutions of higher education 

• Local governments 

• Nonprofit organizations 

• States 

Entities must have a valid SAM registration and [DUNS and/or Unique Entity Identifier] to 

receive an award. See Section D.3. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management 

(SAM) for more information.

New Applicants

CNCS encourages organizations that have not received prior funding from CNCS to apply. The 

general practice is to award no more than 50 member positions (slots) to organizations receiving 

an AmeriCorps grant for the first time. 

New applicants are eligible to apply for Cost Reimbursement and Education Award Program 

(EAP) grant but are not eligible to apply for Full-Cost Fixed Amount grants. 

Types of Applicants

State and Territory Service Commissions (for Single-State Applicants)

Organizations that propose to operate in only one state must apply through the Governorappointed State or Territory Commissions. Each commission administers its own selection 

process and submits the applications it selects to compete for funding directly to CNCS. SingleState applicants must contact their Commissions to learn about their state or territory processes 

and deadlines. State deadlines may be significantly earlier than the CNCS deadlines and may 

have additional requirements. The list of Commissions can be found on the CNCS website. A 

Single-State application from a State or Territory with a Commission that is submitted directly to 

CNCS by the applicant rather than the Commission will be considered noncompliant and will not 

be reviewed. See the Mandatory Supplemental Information for descriptions of National Direct 

and Single-State applicants.

National Direct Applicants1

Multi-State: Organizations that propose to operate AmeriCorps programs in more than one State 

or Territory apply directly to CNCS. 

States and Territories without Commissions: Applicants in South Dakota, American Samoa, the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands apply directly to 

CNCS because this State and these Territories do not have an established Commission. 

1 Although National Direct applicants do not have to apply to Commissions, there are substantial requirements to 

coordinate with the Commissions for states in which national service programs will operate. See the Coordination 

among State Commission & National Direct Applicants section for information on these important requirements. 
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Federally recognized Indian Tribes: Applicants that are Indian Tribes apply directly to CNCS. 

In addition to Indian Tribes as defined in 2 CFR 200.1, Tribal organizations that are controlled, 

sanctioned, or chartered by federally recognized Indian Tribes are also eligible to apply. If an 

entity applies for an award as a tribal organization that is controlled or chartered by one or more 

Indian Tribes, the organization must provide copies of, or links to, documentation which 

demonstrates that the organization is controlled or chartered by a federally recognized Indian 

tribe. If an entity applies as an organization sanctioned by a federally recognized Tribe, or 

multiple specific federally recognized Tribes, it must submit a sanctioning resolution, adopted by 

the Tribal Council (or comparable tribal governing body) of each Indian Tribe. The resolution(s) 

must identify the entity applying for a CNCS award by name as a Tribal organization that is 

sanctioned by the Indian Tribe(s) for the purpose of applying for CNCS funding (or federal grant 

funds generally). 

In addition to being eligible to apply under this Notice, federally recognized Indian Tribes will 

also be eligible to apply for operating or planning grants under a separate Notice of Federal 

Funding Opportunity for Indian Tribes to be released later in the fall with an application deadline 

in the spring. CNCS may request applicants apply under the Tribal competition, rather than 

under this Notice. 

Threshold Issues

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

for which they are applying. 

• Professional Corps applicants and/or applicants determined to be a Professional Corps by 

CNCS must demonstrate that the community in which it will place AmeriCorps members 

serving as professionals has an inadequate number of said professionals. 

• If the proposed service activities require specialized member qualifications and/or training 

(for example, tutoring programs: 45 CFR 2522.910-.940), the applicant must describe how 

the program will meet these requirements. 

• All applicants must propose program designs that are either evidence-based or evidenceinformed. Applicants assessed as lower than the Preliminary evidence tier (i.e., PrePreliminary) must provide adequate responses to the Evidence Quality review criteria in 

order to be considered for funding.

C.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Fixed Amount Grants 

There is no match requirement for Fixed Amount grants. CNCS does not provide all the funds 

necessary to operate the program, therefore organizations should raise the additional revenue 

required to operate the program. 

Cost Reimbursement Grants 

Applicants are required to match funds based on the chart below. The applicant’s match can be

non-CNCS cash and/or in-kind contributions. Applicants must indicate whether the match is 

proposed or secured. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to meet the match requirement at 

the time of application submission. See Section D.6. Funding Restrictions for more information.
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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 

and below.

AmeriCorps 

Funding Year

1, 2, 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+

Grantee Share 

Requirements

24% 26% 30% 34% 38% 42% 46% 50%

Section 121(e)(5) of NCSA (42 U.S.C. §12571(e)) 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 a 

Federal Financial Report. Grantees must track and be prepared to report on that match separately 

each year and at closeout. 

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

(see Mandatory Supplemental Information) 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 percent instead of 50 percent 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 who plan to request an alternative match schedule must 

submit a request at the time the application is submitted. Programs applying through State 

Service Commissions must submit requests for alternative match to the Commission, who will 

submit it to CNCS on their behalf. Commissions and National directs will submit requests to

directly to ACAlternateMatchRequests@cns.gov.

C.3. Other Eligibility Requirements

Under Section 132A(b) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended, 

organizations that have been convicted of a federal crime may not receive assistance described in 

this Notice. 

Applications that propose to engage in activities that are prohibited under CNCS’s statutes, 

regulations, or the terms and conditions of its awards are not eligible to receive CNCS funding.

Note that under appropriations provisions annually enacted by Congress, if CNCS is aware that 

any corporation has any unpaid federal tax liability—

• that has been assessed

• for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed 

• that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority 

responsible for collecting the tax liability—

that corporation is not eligible for an award under this Notice. However, this exclusion will not 

apply to a corporation which a federal agency has considered for suspension or debarment and 
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has made a determination that suspension or debarment is not necessary to protect the interests of 

the federal government.

Pursuant to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an organization described in the Internal 

Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. 501 (c)(4) that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to 

apply for CNCS funding.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

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

Mandatory Supplemental Information, Application Instructions, and Performance Measure 

Instructions which are incorporated by reference. These documents can be found on 

https://www.nationalservice.gov/grants-funding/funding-resources/cncs-funding-opportunitiesresources. The full Regulations are available online at www.ecfr.gov. 

D.1. Address to Request an Application Package

All information associated with this funding opportunity is available through the CNCS Funding 

Opportunities webpages. Applicants should refer to CNCS Funding Opportunities for more 

information and instructions on how to fully respond to this Notice. Applicants can also send an 

email to americorpsgrants@cns.gov or call (202) 606-7508 for a printed copy of the application 

materials. CNCS also offers live text chat at www.NationalService.gov/contact-us. 

D.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

D.2.a. Application Content

In CNCS’s web-based management system, applicants will enter the following components of a 

complete application: 

• Standard Form 424 (SF-424) Face Sheet: This is automatically generated when applicants 

complete the data elements in the system

• Narratives:

• Executive Summary

• Program Design 

• Organizational Capability 

• Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy 

• Evaluation Plan (if applicable)

• Logic Model

• Standard Form 424A Budget

• Performance Measures

• Authorization, Assurances, and Certification

(https://egrants.cns.gov/cnsmisc/ECERTS.HTM, 

andhttps://egrants.cns.gov/cnsmisc/EASSUR.HTM)

D.2.b. Page Limits

There are page limits for the Narratives and Logic Model.
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Narratives

Applications must not exceed 10 double-spaced pages for the Narratives or 12 pages for Rural 

Intermediaries and Multi-State applications with more than five operating sites as the pages print 

out from eGrants. CNCS will use the number of locations in the “multi-state operating sites” 

field in CNCS’s web-based management system to determine whether a multi-state application 

has more than five operating sites. The “multi-state operating sites” field can be found by 

clicking on the “operating sites” link in the system. Multi-state applicants that list five or fewer 

operating sites cannot exceed 10 pages for the Narrative. 

The application sections that count towards the page limit are the:

• SF-424 Face Sheet 

• Executive Summary 

• Program Design, Organizational Capability, and Cost-Effectiveness & Budget Adequacy 

narratives.

The application page limit does not include the Budget, Performance Measures, or any required 

additional documents.

Logic Model

The Logic Model may not exceed three pages when printed with the application from the 

“Review” tab in CNCS’s web-based management system. 

Please note that the length of the application as a word processing document may differ from the 

length of the document printed out from eGrants. The character limits in eGrants do not align 

with page limits set in the Notice. CNCS strongly encourages applicants to print out the 

application from the “Review and Submit” tab in eGrants prior to submission in order to 

confirm that the application does not exceed the page limit.

CNCS will not consider the results of any alternative printing methods when determining if an 

application complies with the page limit. Reviewers will also not consider material that is over 

the page limit, even if eGrants allows applicants to enter and submit additional text.

D.3. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) 

All applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) at 

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ and maintain an active SAM registration until the application 

process is complete. If an applicant is awarded a grant, it must maintain an active SAM 

registration throughout the life of the award. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees at:

https://sam.gov/SAM/transcript/Quick_Guide_for_Grants_Registrations.pdf.

SAM registration must be renewed annually. A Commission is responsible for ensuring its state 

applicants have compliant registrations. CNCS suggests that applicants finalize a new 

registration or renew an existing one at least three weeks before the application deadline, to 

allow time to resolve any issues that may arise. Applicants must use their SAM-registered 

legal name and address on all grant applications to CNCS.
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CNCS will not make awards to entities that do not have a valid SAM registration and DUNS or 

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). If an applicant has not fully complied with these requirements by 

the time CNCS is ready to make a Federal award, CNCS may determine that the applicant is not 

qualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to 

another applicant.

The Federal government is implementing Unique Entity Identifiers (UEI) as part of the SAM 

registration process to eventually replace DUNS numbers. CNCS may ask applicants to add the 

UEI to their application as part of the clarification or pre-award process. CNCS is adding a field 

to capture the UEI in eGrants. If you already have a UEI and the UEI field is available in 

eGrants, you can enter it at the time you submit your application. 

Applicants can obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the DUNS number request line at 

(866) 705-5711 or by applying online at the DUNS Request Service. CNCS recommends 

registering at least 30 days before the application due date, if applicants do not yet have their 

UEI.

D.4. Submission Dates and Times

D.4.a. Application Submission Deadline

Applications are due Wednesday, January 6, 2021 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. 

Commissions’ deadlines may be significantly before the CNCS deadlines, so prospective SingleState applicants should contact their respective Commission as soon as possible. 

CNCS will not consider applications submitted after the deadline, except as noted in Section 

D.4.c. Late Applications. CNCS reserves the right to extend the submission deadline. CNCS will 

post a notification in the event of an extended deadline on CNCS’s website. 

D.4.b. Additional Documents Deadline

Additional documents are due by the application submission deadline. See Sections D.4.a. 

Application Submission Deadline and D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents for more 

information.

D.4.c. Late Applications

All applications received after the submission deadline published in this Notice are presumed to 

be non-compliant. To overcome this presumption, the applicant must:

• submit a written explanation or justification of the extenuating circumstance(s) that 

caused the delay, including: 

▪ the timing and specific cause(s) of the delay

▪ the ticket number if a request for assistance was submitted to the National Service 

Hotline

▪ any information provided to the applicant by the National Service Hotline

▪ any other documentation or evidence that supports the justification

• ensure that CNCS receives the written explanation or justification and any other evidence 

that substantiates the claimed extenuating circumstance(s), via email to 
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LateApplications@cns.gov no later than 24 hours after the application deadline stated in 

the Notice.

Communication with CNCS staff, including an applicant’s portfolio manager, is not a substitute 

for a written explanation or justification of the extenuating circumstance that caused the delay as 

outlined above. Applicants are required to continue working in eGrants, CNCS’s web-based 

application system and with the National Service Hotline to submit the application. CNCS will 

determine whether or not to accept a late application on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants that do not meet the application submission deadline, and do not submit a written 

explanation or justification or any other evidence to overcome the presumption of noncompliance within the published timeframe, will be deemed noncompliant. If CNCS sustains a 

noncompliant determination the application will not be reviewed or selected for award.

Please note: CNCS will not consider an advance request to submit a late application. Please 

carefully review and follow the guidance in this section and submit your application as soon as 

possible.

D.5. Intergovernmental Review

This Notice is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs.” 

D.6. Funding Restrictions 

D.6.a. Award Funding Requirements

1. Member Living Allowance

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 full-time 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 the table below. For Cost Reimbursement grants, the amount must be 

included in the proposed budget as either CNCS or grantee share. Exceptions are noted below. 

While Fixed Amount grant applicants are not required to submit detailed budgets, they are still 

required to provide a living allowance to members that complies with the minimum and 

maximum requirements. Exceptions are noted below. Fixed Amount grant applicants are not 

required to indicate that amount in the application and should request those positions as “without 

living allowance” in the budget. 

Table: Minimum and Maximum Living Allowance

Service Term Minimum 

# of 

Hours

Minimum 

Living 

Allowance

Maximum Total 

Living Allowance 

Full-time 1,700 $15,100 $30,200

Three Quarter-time 1,200 n/a $21,318

Half-time 900 n/a $15,988

Reduced Half-time 675 n/a $11,991

Quarter-time 450 n/a $7,994
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Minimum-time 300 n/a $5,329

Abbreviated-time 100 n/a $1,776

Exceptions to the Living Allowance Requirements 

a. Programs existing prior to September 21, 1993 are not required to offer a living allowance. If 

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

not the maximum requirement.

b. EAP 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 the Living Allowance 

Table above.

c. Professional Corps Grantees must provide members a living allowance or salary, which must 

meet the minimum, but may exceed the maximum living allowance set in the Living Allowance 

Table above. Professional Corps member salaries and benefits including childcare are paid 

entirely by the organizations with which the members serve; and are not included in the budget 

request to CNCS (federal or matching share).

2. Maximum Cost per Member Service Year (MSY) 

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 childcare 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. 

New and recompeting Commission subgrantees/applicants will be held to the maximum cost per 

MSY for their grant type. 

Table: Maximum Cost per MSY

Grant Program Maximum

Individual Competitive State/Territory Program (cost 

reimbursement)

$16,300*

Multi-state (cost reimbursement) $16,300*

Professional Corps Fixed Amount Applicants/Grantees $1,000**

Education Award Program Fixed Amount Grant $800 or 

$1,000***

Full-cost Fixed Amount Grant $16,300

State/Territory Commission Formula Prime $18,000

Individual State/Territory Formula Program $20,000

State/Territory Commission Average (of all its subgrants) $16,300

*Cost reimbursement programs operating in rural communities (as defined in the Mandatory 

Supplemental Information) and cost reimbursement programs that recruit opportunity youth as 

AmeriCorps members may request up to $16,800 cost per MSY for the AmeriCorps members 

who will be serving in rural areas or who are opportunity youth. 
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**CNCS requires Professional Corps programs to cover the operating expenses associated with 

the AmeriCorps program through non CNCS resources. CNCS will only consider operating 

funds of up to $1,000 per MSY if an applicant is able to demonstrate significant organizational 

financial need.

*** Per 42 U.S.C. 12581a, the Corporation may provide the operational support under this 

section for a program in an amount that is not more than $800 per individual enrolled in an 

approved national service position, or not more than $1,000 per such individual if at least 50 

percent of the persons enrolled in the program are disadvantaged youth.

For purposes of fundamental fairness, CNCS may review an application which meets the 

statutory characteristics of a professional corps as a professional corps, regardless of whether the 

organization applied as a professional corps program. CNCS reserves the right to determine 

whether an applicant (whether or not the applicant has applied as a Professional Corps) has 

sufficiently demonstrated that they cannot effectively operate an AmeriCorps program without 

receiving CNCS operating funds. There may be specific circumstances where CNCS determines 

that a legal applicant has not demonstrated the need for operational grant funds due to other 

funding resources. Where CNCS’s due diligence review of an application shows that the 

applicant has a historically high level of support from non-CNCS sources, and as a result has 

levels of unrestricted funding that is in excess of the requested level of CNCS funding, CNCS 

may choose to not provide operational grant funding.

3. Segal AmeriCorps Education Award

AmeriCorps members who successfully complete a term of service will be eligible for an 

Education Award from the National Service Trust. The amount of the Education Award is linked 

to the value of the Pell Grant. A member has up to seven years after his or her term of service to 

use the Education Award. CNCS will provide the updated Education Award amounts at the time 

of grant award. 

4. Cost Sharing or Matching

a. Please see Section C. Eligibility Information 3. Cost Sharing or Matching earlier in the NOFO. 

D.6.b. Indirect Costs

Application budgets may include indirect costs. Based on qualifying factors, applicants may 

either use a federally-approved indirect cost rate, a 10 percent de minimis rate of modified total 

direct costs, or may claim certain costs directly, as outlined in 2 CFR 200.413. States, local 

governments, and Indian Tribes may use previously-approved indirect cost allocation plans. All 

methods must be applied consistently across all federal awards. Applicants that have a federal 

negotiated indirect cost rate or that will be using the 10 percent de minimis rate must enter that 

information in the Organization section in eGrants. However, under section 121(d) of the NCSA 

and CNCS’s regulations at 45 CFR 2521.95 and 2540.110, no more than five percent of award 

funds may be used to recover indirect costs on AmeriCorps grants. 

The instructions for how to enter the organization’s indirect cost rate are located 

here: eGrants Indirect Cost Rate User Instructions. Applicants should not submit documentation 

addressing the indirect cost rate agreement via email.
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Please note: To request a Federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, when CNCS is the 

applicable cognizant agency for an organization’s indirect costs, the applicant must submit a 

request to IndirectCostRate@cns.gov. The applicant may also obtain instructions and additional 

information by contacting the email address above.

D.6.c. Pre-Award Costs

Pre-award costs, where authorized, are allowed after receiving written approval from the Office 

of Grants Administration. 

D.7. Other Submission Requirements

D.7.a. Electronic Application Submission in eGrants

Applicants must submit applications electronically via eGrants, CNCS’s web-based application 

system. CNCS recommends that applicants create an eGrants account and begin the application 

at least three weeks before the deadline. Applicants should draft the application as a Word 

document, then copy and paste the text into the appropriate eGrants field no later than 10 days 

before the deadline.

The applicant’s authorized representative must be the person who submits the application. The 

authorized representative must use his or her own eGrants account to sign and submit the 

application. A copy of the governing body’s authorization for this official representative to sign 

must be on file in the applicant’s office.

Applicants should contact the National Service Hotline at (800) 942-2677 or via eGrants 

Questions if they have a problem when they create an account, prepare, or submit the 

application. National Service Hotline hours are posted at https://questions.nationalservice.gov/

Be prepared to provide the application ID, organization’s name, and the competition to which the 

organization is applying. If the issue cannot be resolved by the deadline, applicants must 

continue working with the National Service Hotline to submit via eGrants.

If circumstances make it impossible for an applicant to submit in eGrants, applicants may send a 

paper copy of the application via overnight carrier below. Applicants must include a written 

explanation and any other documentation or evidence that support their inability to submit their 

application electronically. 

Corporation for National and Community Service 

ATTN: Office of Grants Administration (OGA)/FY21 AmeriCorps State & National Grants

250 E Street, SW, Suite 300

Washington, DC 20525

Please use a non-U.S. Postal Service carrier to avoid security-related delays. All deadlines and 

requirements in this Notice also apply to paper applications. CNCS does not accept 

applications submitted via fax or email.
15

D.7.b. Submission of Additional Documents 

Applicants are required to submit the following additional documents by the application 

submission deadline:

All applicants

• Evaluation briefs, reports, studies. Please refer to the Evidence Base section and Mandatory 

Supplemental Information for detailed instructions by evidence tier. If multiple evaluation 

briefs/reports/studies are submitted by the applicant, the most recent (as measured by the date 

of completion or publication) will be reviewed first, and any documents submitted beyond

the allowable number will not be reviewed.

• Labor union concurrence (if applicable)

Recompeting applications

• Evaluation report, if required. Please submit in Word. The evaluation report should include 

a title page with the CNCS grant ID for the project that was evaluated, the name of the 

project, and the date of completion of the report. If any of this required information is 

missing, the applicant may not receive credit for meeting their evaluation requirements.

Please see the Evidence Tiers definitions in the Mandatory Supplemental Information and 

Section E. Evaluation Plan for further information. 

Rural Intermediaries (New and recompeting)

• Letters of support from the consortium members 

Entities applying on behalf of a Federally Recognized Tribe (New and recompeting)

• Tribal organization eligibility documentation. (See Section C.1. Eligible Applicants section.)

New and Recompeting applications

• All new and recompeting applicants regardless of funding level are required to submit an 

Operational and Financial Management Survey (OFMS) located at: 

https://www.nationalservice.gov/resources/financial-management/financial-and-grantsmanagement - select Applicant Operational and Financial Management Survey under the 

Pre-Award/Application Certification Forms Section. Please submit the OFMS as a Word 

document. Forms submitted as a PDF or any other document format may not be accepted.

Failure to submit the required additional documents by the deadline will have a negative effect 

on the assessment of your application and/or on the determination of the application’s eligibility 

to advance for review.

Additional documents must be emailed to AdditionalDocuments@cns.gov with the following 

subject line: “Legal Applicant Name” – “Application ID Number.” Emails should include:

• the legal applicant name and its point of contact information

• the application ID number

• a list of documents that are attached to the email

• individually attached files that are clearly labeled, and that include the legal applicant 

name and application ID number within the heading of each document. To ensure that all 

required additional documents are received, please provide each document as an 
16

individual file. Please do not send all documents as one scanned file.

• If the size of an applicant’s files requires multiple emails, please also include an ordering 

system in the subject line, such as “(1 of 3).”

Do not submit any items that are not requested in this Notice and Guidance. CNCS will not 

review or return them.

D.7.c. Coordination among State Commissions and National Direct Applicants 

CNCS expects Commissions and National Direct applicants to consult and coordinate activities 

at the local level, as specified in Section 131 of the NCSA (42 U.S.C. § 12583). This 

consultation is designed to ensure the most effective use of national service resources and lead to 

enhanced coordination. The list of Commissions can be found here: 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/contact-us/state-service-commissions. 

To ensure coordination:

National Direct applicants, except federally-recognized Indian Tribes, must:

Before application submission:

• Consult with the Commission of each state and/or territory in which the organization plans to 

operate and describe this consultation in their applications. Contact the Commissions for 

details about the consultation process. Provide information that connects the proposed 

activities to the current State/Territory Service plan and/or State logic model.

After Award:

• Provide the Commission with contact information for National Direct programs in the state 

and/or territory and update the information on an annual basis.

• Participate in the Commissions’ annual needs assessment and training plan development 

activities, and in the development of its state/territory service plan, as well as appropriate 

training and other events.

• Include the Commission on the National Direct’s mailing/email distribution lists and invite it 

to appropriate training and other events.

State/Territory Commissions must:

Before application submission:

• Consult in a timely manner with the National Direct applicants, except Indian Tribes, that 

contact them prior to application submission.

After Award:

• Consider the schedules and needs of National Direct applicants, including Indian Tribes, 

operating in their states when planning annual events and technical assistance activities. 

• Include National Direct programs, including Indian Tribes, in their annual needs assessment 

and training plan development activities, and in the development of their state/territory 

service plan.

• Add staff of multi-state programs in their state/territory to their mailing/email distribution 

lists and invite them to appropriate training and other events.
17

CNCS will solicit Commission input on National Direct applicants, except Indian Tribes, 

proposing to operate in their state/territory. Via the CNCS’s web-based management system, 

Commissions have the opportunity to select “support,” “do not support,” or “neutral,” and 

provide comments. Participation by Commissions in providing this input is strongly encouraged. 

CNCS reviews and considers Commission input on multi-state applicants proposing to operate in 

their state.

CNCS will assess an applicant’s strategic considerations. Applicants must check the relevant 

boxes in the Program Information tab in CNCS’s web-based management system in order to be 

considered for CNCS’s assessment of the strategic considerations (see Selection for Funding

section.) Applicants should only check the boxes if the strategic consideration is a significant and 

intentional part of their program design and if implementation strategies are described in the 

application.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

E.1. Review Criteria

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

a significant community problem. CNCS urges applicants to submit high quality applications 

that carefully follow the guidance in this Notice and in the Application Instructions. The quality 

of an application will be an important factor in determining whether an organization will receive 

funding. 

Categories/Subcategories Percentage

Executive Summary 0

Program Design 50

Theory of Change and Logic Model 24

Evidence Tier 12

Evidence Quality 8

Notice Priority 0

Member Experience 6

Organizational Capability 25

Organizational Background and Staffing 9

Compliance and Accountability 8

Culture That Values Learning 4

Member Supervision 4

Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy 25

E.1.A. Executive Summary (Required - 0 percent)

Please fill in the blanks of these sentences to complete the Executive Summary. Do not deviate 

from the template below.

The [Name of the organization] proposes to have [Number of] AmeriCorps members who 

will [service activities the members will be doing] in [the locations the AmeriCorps members 

will serve]. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will be 

responsible for [anticipated outcome of project]. In addition, the AmeriCorps members will 

leverage [number of leveraged volunteers, if applicable] who will be engaged in [what the 

leveraged volunteers will be doing.] 
18

This program will focus on the CNCS focus area(s) 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 nongovernmental funds] in private funding. 

*If the program is not operating in a CNCS focus area, omit this sentence. 

Fixed-Amount grant applicants (EAP, Full-Cost Fixed, No Cost Slots) should list their Other 

Revenue (see Mandatory Supplemental Information) because they are not required to provide a 

specific amount of match, but still raise significant additional resources to operate the program. 

E.1.B. Program Design (50 percent)

Reviewers will consider the quality of the application’s response to the criteria below. Do not 

assume all sub-criteria are of equal value. 

1. Theory of Change and Logic Model (24 points)

The Theory of Change shall address: 

• The proposed intervention is responsive to the identified community problem. 

• The applicant’s proposed intervention is clearly articulated including the design, dosage, 

target population, and roles of AmeriCorps members and (if applicable) leveraged 

volunteers.

• The applicant’s intervention is likely to lead to the outcomes identified in the applicant’s 

Theory of Change. 

• The expected outcomes articulated in the application narrative and logic model represent 

meaningful progress in addressing the community problem identified by the applicant. 

• The rationale for utilizing AmeriCorps members to deliver the intervention(s) is reasonable.

• The service role of AmeriCorps members will produce significant contributions to existing 

efforts to address the stated problem. 

The Logic Model shall depict:

• A summary of the community problem.

• The inputs or resources that are necessary to deliver the intervention, including but not 

limited to:

• Locations or sites in which members will provide services

• Number of AmeriCorps members who will deliver the intervention

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

implement or deliver, including:

• 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)
19

• The measurable outputs that result from delivering the intervention (i.e. number of 

beneficiaries served, types and number of activities conducted). If applicable, identify which 

National Performance Measures will be used as output indicators

• Outcomes that demonstrate changes in knowledge/skill, attitude, behavior, or condition that 

occur as a result of the intervention. If applicable, identify which National Performance 

Measures will be used as outcome indicators.

Note: The logic model is a visual representation of the applicant’s Theory of Change. Programs 

should include short, medium or long-term outcomes in the logic model. Applicants are not 

required to measure all components of their Theory of Change. The applicant’s performance 

measures should be consistent with the program’s Theory of Change and should represent 

significant program activities. 

In the application narrative, applicants should discuss their rationale for setting output and 

outcome targets for their performance measures. 

Rationales and justifications should be informed by the organization’s performance data (e.g., 

program data observed over time that suggests targets are reasonable), relevant research (e.g. 

targets documented by organizations running similar programs with similar populations), or prior 

program evaluation findings.

Applicants with multiple interventions should complete one Logic Model chart which 

incorporates each intervention. Logic model content that exceeds three pages will not be 

reviewed.

2. Evidence Base (20 points)

The assessment of an applicant’s evidence base has two parts. First, the applicant will be 

assigned to an evidence tier (see the Mandatory Supplemental Information.) Second, the quality 

of the applicant’s evidence and the degree to which it supports the proposed program design will 

be assessed and scored.

Evidence Tier (12 points):

An evidence tier will be assessed for each applicant for the purpose of understanding the relative 

strength of each applicant’s evidence base and the likelihood that the proposed intervention will 

lead to outcomes identified in the logic model. 

In 2020, the evidence tiers of successful AmeriCorps State and National applicants that were 

competing were as follows: Strong 26%, Moderate 18%, Preliminary 24%, and Pre-Preliminary 

32%. As these figures indicate, CNCS values and funds programs at all points along the 

evidence continuum and expects programs to progress along the evidence continuum over time. 

Thus, do not be deterred from applying for funding due to your current evidence level. 

Applicants who have outcome or impact evaluation reports of the same intervention described in 

the application (see Mandatory Supplemental Intervention for a definition of “same 

intervention”) may submit up to 2 of those reports, plus (if applicable) the evaluation report from 

their last three-year grant cycle, to qualify for the Preliminary, Moderate, or Strong evidence tier. 
20

In order to qualify for consideration, the intervention evaluated in the submitted report(s) must 

match the intervention proposed by the applicant in the following areas, all of which must be 

clearly described in the Program Design and Logic Model sections of the application:

• Characteristics of the beneficiary population 

• Characteristics of the population delivering the intervention 

• Dosage (frequency, duration) and design of the intervention, including all key 

components and activities

• The context in which the intervention is delivered 

• Outcomes of the intervention

Submitted reports that do not sufficiently match the intervention proposed by the applicant in all 

of these areas will not be considered applicable and will not be reviewed or receive any points. 

Submission of additional documents that are not consistent with the guidance and requirements 

described in the Notice (e.g., advocacy pieces, policy briefs, other narratives that are not research 

studies or program evaluations) will not be reviewed.

In the Evidence Tier section of the application narrative, applicants must (1) summarize the 

study design and key findings of any outcome or impact evaluation report(s) submitted and (2) 

describe any other evidence that supports their program, including past performance measure 

data and/or other research studies that inform their program design. Applicants who submit 

evaluation reports for consideration must also describe in the Evidence Base section of the 

application narrative how the intervention described in the submitted reports is the same as the 

intervention described in the application (see Mandatory Supplemental Information). 

Applicants should provide citations for the studies they describe, if applicable; however, 

reviewers will not review any documents external to the application other than evaluation 

report(s) submitted in accordance with the Notice instructions.

Applicants must meet all requirements of an evidence tier in order to be considered for that tier. 

If the evaluation reports submitted by the applicant do not meet the definitions in the Mandatory 

Supplemental Information, the applicant may be considered for a lower evidence tier. 

Evidence Quality (8 points)

After the applicant’s evidence tier has been assessed, the quality of the applicant’s evidence and 

the extent to which it supports the proposed program design will be assessed and scored. 

For applicants who are assessed as being in the Preliminary, Moderate, or Strong evidence tiers, 

reviewers will score the submitted evaluation reports using the following standards:

• The submitted reports are of satisfactory methodological quality and rigor for the type of 

evaluation conducted (e.g., adequate sample size and statistical power, internal and/or 

external validity, appropriate use of control or comparison groups, etc.); 

• The submitted reports describe evaluations that were conducted relatively recently, 

preferably within the last six years;

• The submitted reports show a meaningful and significant positive effect on program 

beneficiaries in at least one key outcome of interest.
21

For applicants who are assessed as being in the Pre-Preliminary evidence tier, reviewers will 

score the narrative provided in the Evidence Base section of the application using the following 

standards:

• The applicant uses relevant evidence, including past performance measure data and/or 

cited research studies, to inform their proposed program design;

• The described evidence is relatively recent, preferably from the last six years;

• The evidence described by the applicant indicates a meaningful positive effect on 

program beneficiaries in at least one key outcome of interest.

Applicants assessed in the Pre-Preliminary evidence tier who do not provide adequate 

responses to the Evidence Quality standards will not meet the threshold requirements for this 

Notice and will not be considered for funding.

All applicants, including new grantees, are required to provide additional information in the 

Evaluation Summary or Plan field of the application (See Section E. Evaluation Plan); however, 

information provided in the Evaluation Summary or Plan field will not be scored and will not be 

reviewed until after funding decisions have been made.

3. Notice Priority (0 points)

• The applicant proposed program fits within one or more of the AmeriCorps funding priorities 

as outlined in the Funding Priorities section and more fully described in the Mandatory 

Supplemental Information and the proposed program meets all of the requirements detailed 

in the Funding Priorities section and in the Mandatory Supplemental Information.

4. Member Experience (6 points)

• AmeriCorps members will gain skills as a result of their training and service that can be 

utilized and will be valued by future employers after their service term is completed.

• The program will recruit AmeriCorps members from the geographic or demographic 

communities in which the programs operate. 

• The applicant will foster an inclusive service culture where different backgrounds, talents, 

and capabilities are welcomed and leveraged for learning and effective service delivery.

E.1.C. Organizational Capability (25 percent)

Reviewers will consider the quality of the application’s response to the following criteria below. 

Do not assume all sub-criteria are of equal value.
22

1. Organizational Background and Staffing (9 points)

• The organization details the roles, responsibilities, and structure of the staff that will be 

implementing the AmeriCorps program as well as providing oversight and monitoring for the 

program. 

2. Compliance and Accountability (8 points)

• The organization has a monitoring and oversight plan to prevent and detect non-compliance 

and enforce compliance with AmeriCorps rules and regulations including those related to 

prohibited and unallowable activities and criminal history checks at the grantee, subgrantee 

(if applicable), and service site locations.

• The CNCS-required evaluation report meets CNCS requirements (if applicable).

• The CNCS-required evaluation report is of satisfactory quality (if applicable).

3. Culture that Values Learning (4 points)

• The applicant's board, management, and staff collect and use information, including 

performance data, for learning and decision making.

4. Member Supervision (4 points)

• AmeriCorps members will receive sufficient guidance and support from their supervisor to 

provide effective service.

• AmeriCorps supervisors will be adequately trained/prepared to follow AmeriCorps and 

program regulations, priorities, and expectations.

E.1.D. Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (25 percent)

Reviewers will assess the quality of the application’s budget to the following criteria below. Do 

not assume all sub-criteria are of equal value.

These criteria will be assessed based on the budget submitted. No narrative should be 

entered in the narrative box except for “See budget”

1. Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (25 points)

• Budget is submitted without mathematical errors and proposed costs are allowable, 

reasonable, and allocable to the award.

• Budget is submitted with adequate information to assess how each line item is calculated.

• Budget is in compliance with the budget instructions.

• Match is submitted with adequate information to support the amount written in the budget.

• The budgeted match is equal to or more than the required match for the given program year.

• The cost per MSY is equal to or less than the maximum cost per MSY. 

Proposed budgets that contain MSY costs that exceed the maximum cost per MSY and/or less 

than required match will be considered unresponsive to the application criteria.

Applicants must complete the budget and ensure the following information is in the budget 

screens:

• Current indirect rate cost rate information if used to claim indirect/administrative costs.
23

• Identify the non-CNCS funding and resources necessary to support the project, including 

Fixed Amount applicants.

• Indicate the amount of non-CNCS resource commitments, type of commitments (in-kind 

and/or cash), the sources of these commitments, and if the commitments are proposed or 

secured.

E.1.E. Evaluation Plan (Required for recompeting grantees - 0 percent)

If the applicant is competing for the first time, please provide a data collection plan in the 

“Evaluation Summary or Plan” field that includes the following:

• A description of the applicant’s data collection system and how it is sufficient to collect high 

quality performance measurement data during the first three years of the grant. If the 

applicant does not yet have a data collection system, describe the plan and timeline for 

developing a high-quality system.

• A description of how the applicant will use performance data (including CNCS performance 

measures and other process and outcome measures if applicable) to improve its program in 

the first three years of funding.

First-time applicants should be aware that CNCS may require submission of data collection 

instruments if a grant is approved for funding. For more information about how to develop a 

high-quality data collection plan, visit the CNCS Knowledge Network:

https://www.nationalservice.gov/resources/americorps/building-effective-data-collection-planspresented-october-12-2017.

If the applicant is recompeting for AmeriCorps funds for the first time (see definition of 

“recompeting” below) the program must submit its evaluation plan in the “Evaluation Summary 

or Plan” section of the Narratives field in CNCS’s web-based management system. If the 

applicant is recompeting for a subsequent time, the program must submit its evaluation report as 

an attachment (see the Submission of Additional Documents section for more information), and 

must also submit an evaluation plan for the next three-year period in the “Evaluation Summary 

or Plan” field in the system. Evaluations plans submitted outside of the system will not be 

reviewed. 

Evaluation plans must include as much information as possible for each of the following (see 

Frequently Asked Questions: Evaluation, available at 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/resources/evaluation/cncs-evaluation-policies):

• A short description of the Theory of Change - why the proposed intervention is expected to 

produce the proposed results

• Outcome(s) of interest - clear and measurable outcomes that are aligned with the Theory of 

Change and will be assessed during the evaluation

• Research questions to be addressed by the study - concrete research questions (or 

hypotheses) that are clearly connected to the outcomes

• Proposed research design for the evaluation including a rationale for the design selected, an 

assessment of its strengths and limitations, and a description of the main components; 

• Description of the data sources, sampling methods, measurement tools, and data collection 

procedures that will be used in the evaluation 
24

• Analysis plan that clearly describes the methodology/ies that will be used to analyze the 

collected data

• A timeline for the evaluation that describes how the evaluation will cover at least one year of 

CNCS-funded activity and will be completed within the three-year timeframe of the grant

• Qualifications needed for the evaluator

• The proposed budget

Information provided in the Evaluation Summary or Plan field will not be scored and will not be 

reviewed until after funding decisions have been made.

For more information about how to write a high-quality evaluation plan, visit the CNCS 

Knowledge Network’s Evaluation Resources: 

http://www.nationalservice.gov/resources/evaluation/planning-evaluation.

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

2522.700-710:

• If the applicant is a State/Territory subgrantee and/or National Direct Grantee (other than an 

Education Award Program grantee), and its average annual CNCS program grant is $500,000 

or more, it must arrange for an external impact evaluation of the program (see Mandatory 

Supplemental Information), and it must submit the evaluation with any subsequent 

application to CNCS for competitive funds as required in 45 CFR 2522.730.

• If the applicant is a State/Territory subgrantee and/or National Direct Grantee whose average 

annual CNCS program grant is less than $500,000, or an Education Award Program Grantee, 

it must conduct an internal or an external evaluation of the program, and it must submit the 

evaluation with any subsequent application to CNCS for competitive funds as required in 45 

CFR 2522.730.

For purposes of compliance with evaluation plan and report requirements, an application will be 

considered a recompeting application if it has previously been funded competitively for at least 

three years for the same project (see Mandatory Supplemental Information for the CNCS 

definition of “same project”).

• If the applicant has received competitive funding for the same project for at least three 

years, it will be required to submit an evaluation plan. 

• If the applicant has received at least six years of competitive funding for the same project, 

the applicant will be required to submit an evaluation report as well as an evaluation plan 

for the upcoming 3-year grant. If the applicant does not satisfy the definition of 

recompeting, it will not be required to submit an evaluation plan or completed evaluation 

report.

The “Evaluation Summary or Plan” field of the Narrative does not count toward the page limit of 

the application; however, it does have a set character limit of 20,000 characters. 

State/Territory subgrantees and/or National Direct Grantees that are recompeting for funds may 

be eligible to apply for approval of an alternative evaluation approach (AEA). Grantees 

requesting approval of an alternative evaluation approach should submit this request along with 

their evaluation plan in the Evaluation Summary or Plan field in the system. CNCS guidance on 
25

alternative evaluation approaches can be found on the CNCS website: 

https://www.nationalservice.gov/documents/2019/ASN-alternative-evaluation-approachguidance.

If the request for the alternative evaluation approach plus the Evaluation Plan itself will exceed 

the character limit of the Evaluation Summary or Plan field in the system, the applicant should 

do the following:

• Enter the Evaluation Plan in the Evaluation Summary or Plan field in the system.

• Include a note in the Evaluation Summary or Plan field stating that the applicant is requesting 

an alternative evaluation approach.

• Include the alternative evaluation approach at the END of the application narrative with the 

heading “REQUEST FOR ALTERNATIVE EVALUATION APPROACH.” This section of 

the application narrative will not count against the page limit.

E.1.F. Amendment Justification (0 percent)

Enter N/A. This field will be used if the applicant is awarded a grant and needs to amend it. 

E.1.G. Clarification Information (0 percent)

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

E.1.H. Continuation Changes (0 percent)

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

requests. 

E.2. Review and Selection Process

CNCS will engage External and Staff Reviewers with relevant knowledge and expertise to assess 

and provide input on the eligible applications. The review and selection process is intended to 

produce a diversified set of high-quality programs that represent the priorities and strategic 

considerations described in this Notice. The determinations made by CNCS reviewers may be 

different than what the applicant self-determined upon submission of its application.

The stages of the review and selection process follow:

E.2.a. Initial Application Compliance and Eligibility Review

CNCS will conduct an initial Eligibility Review to determine if an application meets the 

eligibility requirements published in this Notice and advances to the next stage of the review 

process. 

An application is compliant if the applicant: 

• is an eligible organization

• is eligible to submit directly to CNCS

• submitted an application by the submission deadline

Reviewing for eligibility is intended to ensure that only those applications that are eligible for 

award are further reviewed. However, determinations of eligibility can take place at any point 
26

during the application review and selection process. Applicants that are determined to be 

ineligible will not receive an award.

E.2.b. Application Review 

External Review 

External Reviewers will review and assess the evidence criteria in the Notice. CNCS will recruit 

and select reviewers on the basis of demonstrated expertise. All External Reviewers will be 

screened for conflicts of interest.

Internal Review

CNCS staff will evaluate the applications using the application review criteria and assess the 

priorities and strategic considerations detailed in the Notice. Reviewers will be screened for 

conflicts of interest. 

Post-Review Quality Control

After the initial review process is complete, CNCS staff will review the results for fairness and 

consistency. Some applications may be selected for a Quality Control assessment. This 

additional level of review may be used to assess applications for which there are significant 

reviewer anomalies. In addition, the Commission input on National Direct applications will be 

reviewed and assessed. 

E.2.c. Applicant Clarification

CNCS may ask an applicant for clarifying information. CNCS staff will use this information to

make funding recommendations. A request for clarification does not guarantee an award.

Applicants may be recommended for funding even if they are not asked for clarifying 

information. An applicant’s failure to respond to a request for clarification adequately and in a 

timely manner may result in the removal of its application from consideration. 

E.2.d. Pre-Award Risk Assessment

CNCS staff will evaluate the risks to the program posed by each applicant to assess an 

applicant’s ability to manage federal funds. This evaluation is in addition to assessment of the 

applicant’s eligibility and 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 to an applicant with assessed risks, special conditions that correspond to the degree 

of assessed risk may be applied to the award. Additionally, if CNCS concludes that the reasons 

for applicants having a poor risk assessment are not likely to be mitigated, those applications 

may not be selected for funding. 

In evaluating risks, CNCS may consider some of the following criteria: 

Due Diligence:

• federal debt delinquency

• suspension and debarment

• information available through OMB-designated repositories of government-wide 

eligibility qualification or financial integrity information, such as:

o Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)

o U.S. Treasury Bureau of Fiscal Services
27

o System for Award Management (SAM)

o “Do Not Pay” 

• reports and findings from single audits performed under Uniform Administrative 

Guidance and findings of any other available audits or investigations

• IRS Tax Form 990

Operational and Financial Management:

• financial stability

• Operational and Financial Management Survey

Past Performance: 

• applicant’s record in managing previous CNCS awards, cooperative agreements, or 

procurement awards, including: 

• timeliness of compliance with applicable reporting requirements

• accuracy of data reported

• conformance to the terms and conditions of previous federal awards

• applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements 

imposed on award recipients

• meeting matching requirements

• the extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to future 

awards

• Grant progress reports – attainment of Performance Measures

• Enrollment and retention

• Monitoring findings - CNCS and/or OIG (if applicable) State Commission (for their 

subgrantees)

• Commission rank

Other Programmatic Risks:

• publicly available information, including information from the applicant organization's 

website

Commission staff should review for the same types of risks for the applicants they submit.

CNCS will assess its recompeting direct grantees related to programmatic past performance. This 

assessment is in addition to the evaluation of the applicant’s eligibility for funding or the quality 

of its application on the basis of the Selection Criteria. Results from this assessment will inform 

funding decisions. In evaluating programmatic performance, CNCS may consider the italicized 

criteria above for applicants that are current formula and competitive grantees.

Commission staff will assess their recompeting subgrantees’ programmatic past performance 

using the italicized criteria above and submit those assessments to CNCS. 

Additionally, CNCS may use the results of the review of the risk assessment evaluation in 

determining which applications to fund. 
28

E.2.e. Consideration of Integrity and Performance System Information

Prior to making any award that exceeds $250,000, CNCS is required to review and consider any 

information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system 

accessible through SAM and FAPIIS (see 41 U.S.C. §2313). Additionally, CNCS may expand 

upon these requirements and use its discretion to review and consider information about any 

applicant receiving an award, including those under the simplified acquisition threshold.

Any applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance 

systems accessible through FAPIIS and comment on any information about itself that a federal 

awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance 

system accessible through FAPIIS.

CNCS may consider comments by any applicant, in addition to the other information in the 

designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's 

integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under federal awards when completing its 

review of risk posed by the applicant under the Risk Assessment Evaluation section of this

Notice. 

E.2.f. Selection for Funding

The review and selection process is designed to: 

• identify how well eligible applications are aligned with the application review criteria

• build a diversified portfolio based on the following strategic considerations: 

o CNCS Funding Priorities (See Section A.2. Funding Priorities)

o meaningful representation of 

▪ geographic diversity 

▪ rural communities

▪ single and multi-state programs

▪ faith-based organizations

▪ focus area representation

Based on the evaluation of these strategic considerations, applications may be selected for 

funding over applications with a greater degree of alignment with the review criteria. In selecting 

applicants to receive awards under this Notice, the Chief Executive Officer will endeavor to 

include a diverse portfolio of applications based on staff recommendations and strategic 

considerations.

CNCS reserves the right to prioritize funding existing awards over making new awards. 

CNCS reserves the right to award applications in an amount other than at the requested level of 

funding and will document the rationale for doing so. 

CNCS reserves the right to adjust or make changes to the review process, if unforeseen 

challenges or urgent circumstances make it impossible, impracticable, or inefficient to conduct

the review process as planned. Any such adjustments or changes will not affect the selection 

criteria that will be used to assess applications.
29

E.3. Feedback to Applicants

Following awards, applicants will receive feedback from the External Review and Staff Review 

of their compliant applications. This feedback will be based on the review of the original 

application and will not reflect information provided during clarification.

E.4. Transparency in Grant-making

CNCS is committed to transparency in grant-making. The following information for new and recompeting applications will be published on CNCS Results of Grant Competitions within 90 

business days after all grants are awarded:

• a list of all compliant applications submitted

• executive summaries of all compliant applications

• data extracted from the SF-424 Face Sheet 

• a blank template of the external review worksheet

• a list of all external reviewers who completed the review process

• a summary of external reviewer comments for successful applications.

Submitted program narratives for successful applications will be available upon request. 

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

F.1. Federal Award Notices

CNCS will make awards following the grant selection announcement. CNCS anticipates 

announcing the results of this competition by mid-May, 2021 contingent on the availability of 

congressional appropriations. All applicants, successful or not, will be notified of funding 

decisions via email.

Notification of an award is not an authorization to begin grant activities. The Notice of Grant 

Award is the authorizing document for grant activities. An awardee may not expend federal 

funds until the start of the Project Period identified on the Notice of Grant Award unless it has 

received a written pre-award cost approval from CNCS.

F.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

F.2.a. Uniform Guidance

All awards made under this Notice will be subject to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, 

Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) in 2 CFR Parts 

200 and 2205.

F.2.b. Requests for Improper Payment Information

CNCS may request documentation from recipients in order to monitor the award or to comply 

with other legal requirements, such as the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002, as 

amended. Failure to make timely responses to these requests may result in award funds being 

placed on manual hold, reimbursement only status, or other remedies may be applied as 

appropriate. 

F.2.c. CNCS Terms and Conditions 
30

All awards made under this Notice will be subject to the FY 2021 CNCS General Terms and 

Conditions, and the FY 2021 AmeriCorps Program Specific Terms and Conditions for the 

particular program (when applicable). These Terms and Conditions contain detailed, mandatory 

compliance and reporting requirements. Current versions of the CNCS General and Program 

Specific Terms and Conditions for each of its programs is available at 

https://www.nationalservice.gov/resources/terms-and-conditions-cncs-grants. 

F.2.d. National Service Criminal History Check Requirements

The National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) is a specific screening procedure 

established by law to protect the beneficiaries of national service. The law requires grantees to 

conduct and document NSCHCs on persons (including award-funded staff, national service 

participant, or volunteer) receiving a salary, living allowance, stipend, or education award 

through a program receiving CNCS funds. This includes staff that receive part of their salary 

through a subgrant. An individual is ineligible to serve in a position that receives such CNCS 

funding if the individual is registered, or required to be registered, as a sex offender or has been 

convicted of murder. The cost of conducting NSCHCs is an allowable expense under the award.

Grantees should utilize the two vendors CNCS has engaged to conduct the required NSCHCs. 

Information regarding use of these two vendors can be found at 

https://www.nationalservice.gov/documents/2018/nschc-using-fieldprint-and-truescreen-manual.

Failure to conduct compliant NSCHC may result in significant disallowed costs.

Unless CNCS has provided a grant recipient with a written exemption or written approval of an 

alternative search procedure, recipients must perform the following checks:

All award-funded staff, national service participants, and volunteers must undergo NSCHCs that 

include:

• A nationwide name-based search of the National Sex Offender Public Website 

(NSOPW); and

• Either

o A name- or finger-based search of the statewide criminal history registry in the 

person’s state of residence and in the state where the person will serve/work or

o A fingerprint-based FBI criminal history check.

Special Rule for Persons Serving Vulnerable Populations. Award-funded staff, national service 

participants, and volunteers with recurring access to vulnerable populations (i.e., children age 17 

or younger, individuals age 60 or older, or individuals with disabilities) must undergo NSCHCs 

that include:

• A nationwide name-based check of the NSOPW; and 

• Both 

o A name- or fingerprint-based search of the statewide criminal history registry in 

the person’s state of residence and in the state where the person will serve/work; 

and

o A fingerprint-based FBI criminal history check.
31

See 45 CFR 2540.200–2540.207 and CNCS Criminal History Check Resources for complete 

information and FAQs.

F.2.e. Official Guidance

All CNCS active Guidance is available on the agency’s Guidance webpage: 

https://www.nationalservice.gov/resources/official-guidance. The contents of these documents do 

not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way unless 

incorporated into a contract or grant agreement. These documents are intended only to provide 

clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.

F.3. Use of Material

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

accessible to recipients and non-recipients, 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 (2 CFR 

§200.315).

F.4. Reporting

Recipients are required to submit a variety of reports which are due at specific times during the 

life cycle of an award. All reports must be accurate, complete, and submitted on time.

Cost reimbursement grantees are required to provide annual progress reports, semi-annual 

financial reports, and an internal or external evaluation report as required by the AmeriCorps 

regulations 45 CFR 2522.500-2522.540 and 2522.700-2522.740. Final financial and progress

reports are due 90 days after the end of the agreement. 

Fixed Amount grantees are required to provide annual and final progress reports and an internal 

or external evaluation report. 

All grantees, including Fixed Amount grantees, must submit quarterly financial reports to the 

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

Award recipients will be required to report at www.FSRS.gov on all subawards over 

$30,000, and may be required to report on executive compensation for the recipient organization 

and its subrecipients. Recipients 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. 

Once the grant is awarded, recipients will be expected to have data collection and data 

management policies, processes, and practices that provide reasonable assurance that they are 

reporting high quality performance measure data. At a minimum, recipients should have policies, 

processes, and practices that address the following five aspects of data quality for themselves and 

for subrecipients (if applicable):

• the data measures what it intends to measure

• the data reported is complete

• the recipient collects data in a consistent manner
32

• the recipient takes steps to correct data errors

• the recipient actively reviews data for accuracy prior to submission. 

In addition to annual reporting of progress toward the grant’s approved performance measure 

outputs and outcomes, additional performance data and narrative data must be reported annually 

(as applicable), including the number of applicants for AmeriCorps positions and the number of 

volunteers recruited and/or supported by AmeriCorps members. The full list of required and

optional performance data elements for AmeriCorps programs can be found on the AmeriCorps 

Grantee Progress Report webpage.

Failure to submit accurate, complete, and timely required reports may affect the recipient’s 

ability to secure future CNCS funding.

F.5. Continuation Funding Information and Requirements 

Organizations that have current awards that continue beyond FY 2021 must submit an 

application in order to be eligible to receive funding for the following year. Please see the 

Application Instructions, if applicable. Requests by existing continuation applicants for increases 

in the level of funding or number of positions will be assessed using the review criteria published 

in this Notice. The review will also be based on progress reports, the federal financial report, 

evaluation plans, and CNCS staff’s knowledge of the grant program. To be approved for 

continuation funding, recipients must demonstrate satisfactory performance with respect to key 

program goals and requirements, as well as compliance with the terms and conditions of the 

grant. 

CNCS reserves the right to award applications in an amount other than at the requested level of 

funding and will document the rationale for doing so. 

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

For more information, call (202) 606-7508 or email americorpsgrants@cns.gov. CNCS offers 

live text chat at www.NationalService.gov/contact-us.

For technical questions and problems with the eGrants system, call the National Service Hotline 

at (800) 942-2677. National Service Hotline hours are posted at 

https://questions.nationalservice.gov/

Potential applicants can also use this link: eGrants Questions. Be prepared to provide the 

application ID, organization’s name, and the name of the Notice to which the organization is 

applying.
33

H. OTHER INFORMATION 

H.1. Technical Assistance

CNCS will host technical assistance calls to answer questions about the funding opportunity and 

eGrants. CNCS strongly encourages all applicants to participate in these sessions. The schedule 

and call-in information for the technical assistance calls is on CNCS’s website: 

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

H.2. Re-Focusing of Funding

CNCS reserves the right to re-focus program dollars for this competition in the event of disaster 

or other compelling needs. 

I. IMPORTANT NOTICES

Public Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for collection of information under this 

Notice of Funding is estimated to average six hours per submission, including reviewing 

instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing the application and 

reporting forms. CNCS informs people who may respond to this Notice of Funding that they are 

not required to respond unless the OMB control number and expiration date are current valid. 

(See 5 C.F.R. 1320.5(b)(2)(i).) The OMB Control Number for the information collection is 3045-

0187. It expires on 9/30/2020.

Privacy Act Statement: The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C § 552a) requires that we notify you 

that the information requested under this Notice of Funding is collected pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 

§§12592 and 12615 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended, and 42 

U.S.C. §4953 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 as amended. Purposes and Uses -

The information requested is collected for the purposes of reviewing grant applications and 

granting funding requests. Routine uses may include disclosure of the information to federal, 

state, or local agencies pursuant to lawfully authorized requests. In some programs, the 

information may also be provided to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to 

determine the existence of any prior criminal convictions. The information may also be provided 

to appropriate federal agencies and contractors that have a need to know the information for the 

purpose of assisting the government to respond to a suspected or confirmed breach of the 

security or confidentiality or information maintained in this system of records, and the 

information disclosed is relevant and unnecessary for the assistance. Effects of Nondisclosure -

The information requested is voluntary; however, to be a recipient of this grant program, 

disclosure of personal or sensitive information is required to receive federal benefits.
34

Attachment A: Economic Mobility Corps

About the CDFI Fund and CDFIs

The mission of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institution

Fund (CDFI Fund) is to expand economic opportunity for underserved people and communities 

by supporting the growth and capacity of a national network of community development lenders, 

investors, and financial service providers known as Community Development Financial 

Institutions (CDFIs).

CDFIs are community-based financial institutions that have a common goal of filling financing 

gaps in underserved, low-income areas. As community-based institutions, they possess a keen 

sensitivity to needs of local residents and businesses, and their creation reflects a bottom-up, 

rather than a top-down, approach to community investment and revitalization.

Currently, there are more than 1,100 CDFIs that are certified by the CDFI Fund serving urban 

and rural communities throughout the United States. CDFIs are found in all fifty states, the 

District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. They bridge diverse public and private sector 

interests to serve people and places that traditional financial institutions usually do not. CDFIs 

provide:

• loans for businesses and projects that otherwise would not receive for financing;

• safe, affordable banking services that otherwise would not be available in the community;

• loan rates and terms that are more flexible than those offered by traditional lenders; and

• development services—such as business planning, credit counseling, and homebuyer 

education—to help their borrowers use credit effectively and build financial strength.

As a result, CDFIs support the creation of small businesses and local jobs, and the development 

of affordable housing, community facilities, and schools—all in places where economic 

opportunity is needed most.

About the Economic Mobility Corps

A joint initiative of the CDFI Fund and CNCS, the Economic Mobility Corps (EMC) places fulltime AmeriCorps members at Certified CDFIs to enhance their capacity to provide financial 

literacy, financial planning, budgeting, saving, and other financial counseling activities in 

distressed and underserved areas. Economic Mobility Corps members will be placed in Certified 

CDFIs and will receive training on the principles of financial counseling and financial literacy. A 

Certified CDFI is an entity that the CDFI Fund has officially notified that it meets all CDFI 

certification requirements. Only Certified CDFI’s are eligible to receive EMC members.

This initiative will fund up to 61 full-time members a year for two years. 
35

Who is Eligible for Award

Organizations that meet the AmeriCorps State and National eligibility criteria.

Additionally, applicants that are Certified CDFIs and organizations with CDFI Fund awards:

• Will be considered ineligible for award if the applicant has a previously executed award 

agreement(s), as of the date of the Application, (i) the CDFI Fund has made a 

determination that such entity is noncompliant or found in default with a previously 

executed agreement, and (ii) the CDFI Fund has provided written notification that such 

entity is ineligible to apply for or receive any future CDFI Fund awards or allocations. 

Such entities will be ineligible to submit an application for such time period as specified 

by the CDFI Fund in writing. Applicants that have pending noncompliance issues of any 

of its previously executed award agreement(s), are eligible to receive an award if the 

CDFI Fund has not yet made a final compliance determination.

• Will be considered ineligible for award if the applicant has defaulted on a loan from the 

CDFI Fund within five years of the application deadline.

Preference will be given to applicants that intend to enroll veterans as AmeriCorps members 

and/or serve rural areas.

AmeriCorps Member Position Description

Economic Mobility Corps members will strengthen the capacity of Certified CDFIs to provide 

financial literacy, financial counseling, and financial planning services offered by the Certified 

CDFIs, to distressed and underserved individuals. Duties include:

• conducting community outreach and recruitment of new clients to the Certified CDFI’s 

counseling and planning services and programs;

• assisting or conducting one-on-one or group orientation sessions for new program clients 

to explain the Certified CDFI’s services, as well as the responsibilities of the client;

• providing financial planning workshops and individual financial counseling to meet the 

needs of Certified CDFI clients, including conducting group education meetings, and 

delivering workshops, webinars and meetings;

• assisting in the development and execution of marketing strategies to promote program 

client participation in Certified CDFI-sponsored financial counseling and education 

programs;

• providing program clients with information on the different financial products and 

services (e.g., loan products, checking/savings accounts, etc.) offered by the Certified 

CDFI; 

• conducting scheduled follow-ups with program clients to ask how they are doing, find out 

if they need additional help, and to help them stay engaged to achieve their plans by 

established deadlines; 

• performing administrative duties that support the Certified CDFI’s activities, including 

but not limited to, coordinating client meetings, preparing presentations, conducting 

research, reviewing training and outreach materials, reviewing applications for programs 

and services, and developing material that supports the Certified CDFI’s financial 

counseling and outreach activity; and
36

• reporting to the Certified CDFI on a regular basis on activities undertaken by the service 

member. 

Desired Skills 

Economic Mobility Corps members should possess:

• a desire and ability to work with a diverse group of people, particularly those living in 

low-income and economically distressed neighborhoods;

• willingness to learn and serve others;

• ability to successfully work independently and in a team environment;

• strong organizational, writing, and oral communication skills, and possess high attention 

to detail;

• familiarity with community development, financial services, banking and lending 

terminology, including an understanding of financial planning basics, credit and credit 

scoring;

• have an interest in finance and/or financial education;

• computer skills, including high-degree of familiarity with Microsoft Excel, or other 

spreadsheet software; and

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, with coursework in finance, accounting, business, or 

community development.