2017 Terms and Conditions for Commission Support Grants

Effective January 1, 2017

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

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

recipient. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Changes from the 2016 Terms and Conditions for Commission Support Grants

II. Purpose of Commission Support Grants

III. Prohibitions on the Use of Funds

IV. Budget and Programmatic Changes

V. Reporting Requirements

VI. Award Period and Incremental Funding

VII. Program Income

VIII. National Service Criminal History Check Training
I. CHANGES FROM THE 2016 TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COMMISSION 

SUPPORT GRANTS

Section IV.B.1. – Updated the language regarding pre-approval of costs

Section V.B. – Changed reporting requirements for progress reports

Added Section VIII – National Service Criminal History Check Training

II. PURPOSE OF COMMISSION SUPPORT GRANTS

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

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

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

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

guidelines are described in 45 CFR 2550.50.

III. PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF FUNDS

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

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

following activities:

A. Attempting to influence legislation.

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

C. Assisting, promoting , or deterring union organizing.

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

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

registration drive.

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

the outcome of an election to any public office.

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

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

proposed legislation, or elected officials.

H. Engaging in religious instruction; conducting worship services providing 

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

worship; constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or 

worship; maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious 

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

I. Providing a direct benefit to:
1. A for-profit entity;

2. A labor union;

3. A partisan political organization;

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

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

religious activities; or

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

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

nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent participants from 

engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative.

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

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

primary beneficiaries of an activity are outside the United States.

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

the recipient.

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

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

funds.

IV. BUDGET AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES

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

CNCS before making the following changes:

1. Changes in the scope, objectives or goals of the program, whether or not 

they involve budgetary changes.

2. Entering into subawards or contracting out any activities funded by the 

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

award.

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

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

in any of the following ways:

1. Specific Costs Requiring Prior Approval Before Incurrence under the 

uniform administrative requirement, cost principles, and audit 

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

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

agency for the cost to be allowable such as pre-award costs. Please ensure 

you consult the regulations prior to incurring costs to ensure allowability.

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

in the approved application and budget.
C. Approvals of Programmatic and Budget Changes. CNCS’s Grants Officers 

are the only officials who have the authority to alter or change the terms and 

conditions or requirements of the award. Grants Officers will execute written 

amendments, and recipients should not assume approvals have been granted 

unless documentation from the Grants Office has been received. Programmatic 

changes also require final approval of CNCS’s Office of Grants Management 

after written recommendation for approval is received from the Program Office.

V. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

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

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

during the project period and final financial report.

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

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

Recipients must submit timely cumulative financial reports in accordance with 

CNCS guidelines according to the following schedule:

Due Date Reporting Period Covered

July 31 Start of award through June 30

January 31 July 1 – December 31

B. Progress Reports. The recipient shall complete and submit cumulative progress 

reports, including reporting on performance measures, in eGrants according to the 

following schedule:

Due Date Reporting Period Covered

March 31 Start of award through December 31

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

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

financial report is due within 90 days after the end of the project period.

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

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

final progress report is due within 90-days after the end of the project period.

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

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

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

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

need for an extension before the due date of the report.
F. Extensions of deadlines for financial reports may only be granted by the Office of 

Grants Management, and extension of deadlines for Progress Reports may only be 

granted by the Program office.

VI. AWARD PERIOD AND INCREMENTAL FUNDING

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

recipient is proposed to be funded to complete the approved activities under the award. A 

project period may contain one or more budget periods. A budget period is a specific 

interval of time for which federal funds are provided to finance a recipient’s approved 

activities and budget.

Unless otherwise specified, the award covers a three-year project period. In approving a 

multi-year project period, CNCS generally makes an initial award for the first year of 

operation. Additional funding is contingent upon satisfactory performance, a recipient’s 

demonstrated capacity to manage an award and comply with award requirements, and the 

availability of Congressional appropriations. The project period and the budget period 

are noted on the award document.

VII. PROGRAM INCOME

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

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

recipient and used to finance the Commission Support grant’s non-CNCS share.

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

needed to finance the recipient share must follow the appropriate requirements of 

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

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

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

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

Financial Report (FFR).

VIII. NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK TRAINING

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

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

thorough overview of the requirements and can be found at: http://cncstraining.articulateonline.com/4240214797, unless otherwise notified by CNCS. Each grant recipient and 

subrecipient must identify at minimum one staff person who has some responsibility for 

NSCHC compliance to fulfill this requirement on behalf of the grant recipient or 

subrecipient. The grant recipient and subrecipient must retain the certificate of 

completion and assign staff to retake the course annually prior to the expiration of the 
certificate. Grant recipients and subrecipients should save certificates of completion from 

each year as grant records.