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NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Federal Agency Name: Corporation for National and Community Service 

Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2019 Day of Service Grants

Announcement Type: Initial Announcement

CFDA Number: 94.014 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

94.012 – September 11th Day of Service and Remembrance

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 a specific amount of funding. 

Important Dates

• CNCS strongly encourages applicants to submit a Notification of Intent to Apply for this

competition. Notifications of Intent to Apply should be submitted by Wednesday, June 5,

2019, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

• Applications are due Wednesday, June 19, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

• Successful applicants will be notified in August 2019.

FULL TEXT OF THE NOTICE

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Purpose of Day of Service 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.

The Day of Service grant competition includes funding for both September 11th Day of Service 

and Remembrance (September 11th) and Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service (MLK). 

Applicant organizations may apply for either September 11th, MLK, or both. Applicants must 

submit a separate application for each Day of Service. Applicants may not submit more than one 

application for each Day of Service.

The purpose of the September 11th grant funding is to mobilize more Americans to engage in 

service and remembrance activities that meet community needs and honor the sacrifice of those 

who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, or who rose in service because of that tragedy.

The purpose of the MLK grant funding is to mobilize more Americans to observe the Martin 

Luther King Jr. federal holiday as a day of service in communities, to encourage those who serve 

on this holiday to make a long-term commitment to community service, and to bring people

together to focus on service to others. 

2. Funding Priorities

CNCS is looking for applications that feature major activities occurring on September 11th or
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MLK as applicable or within approximately one week of the actual Day, and engage a significant

number of volunteers. In order to carry out Congress’s intent and to maximize the impact of 

investment in national service, this Day of Service Notice prioritizes grant funding in distinct 

areas for September 11th and MLK. 

For September 11th, CNCS will give priority consideration to applications that include a central 

focus on: 

• engaging and supporting Veterans and Military Families in September 11th National Day

of Service and Remembrance activities.

• developing educational materials or curriculum for youth, including a plan for curriculum

distribution, and educating and engaging youth in service to honor September 11th

National Day of Service and Remembrance.

• training volunteers who make a commitment for future service.

• preparing communities for disasters.

For MLK, CNCS will give priority consideration to applications that include a central focus on: 

• providing support and/or facilitating access to services and resources for economically

disadvantaged people.

• training volunteers who make a commitment for future service.

Please note that priority consideration does not guarantee funding. 

3. Performance Measures

All recipients will be required to provide data on the following indicators in annual Progress

Reports:

• Number of volunteers recruited, trained, and committed to one or more future service

activities.

• Number of organizations engaged and committed to one or more future service activities

that honor and reflect MLK or 9/11.

Additionally, recipients must report values for all indicators that are relevant to the activities 

described in the approved grant application in annual progress reports. CNCS expects the 

reported values to be reasonably ambitious and to correspond to the activities proposed by the 

recipient in the application. 

4. Program Authority

Grants under this initiative are authorized by statute. For September 11th, Section 198(k) of the

National and Community Service Act, (42 U.S.C. § 12653(k)). For MLK, Section 198(i) of the

National and Community Service Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12653(i).

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Estimated Available Funds

Up to $2,200,000 million is available to support National Days of Service under this Notice.
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2. Estimated Award Amount

Award amounts will vary, as determined by the scope of the projects. CNCS has previously made 

annual awards in the range of $50,000 to $150,000 for each Day of Service project, but there is 

no minimum or maximum grant amount under this Notice. CNCS reserves the right to fund

requests, in full or part, and may fund either MLK or September 11th applications, or may fund 

both MLK and September 11th applications from individual applicants. Specifics will be resolved 

through the clarification process as applicable. 

3. Project Period

The grant award covers a three-year project period. CNCS generally makes an initial award for 

the first year of operation. Your budget should only include costs for the first year. Continuation 

funding for subsequent years depends upon availability of appropriations and satisfactory 

performance, and is not guaranteed. 

4. Type of Award 

Day of Service grants will be awarded on a cost reimbursement basis. This Notice allows 

applicants to act as pass-through entities, subgranting organizations, partnership coordinators, or 

as the sole entity implementing Day of Service activities. 

Pass-through entities must select subrecipients on a competitive basis through a subgrant. Acting 

as a pass-through entity (subawarding) is not required. Pass-through applicants should clearly 

describe their plan for subawarding in their application narrative.

Subawards are to be made in annual amounts of $1,000 or more per year. CNCS encourages Day 

of Service grant recipients that are intending to award larger subawards, to do so to subrecipients 

that show higher levels of impact and effectiveness.

Recipients should provide sufficient public notice of the availability of Day of Service subawards 

to organizations within their network and out of their network community. Pass-through entities 

and subgranting organizations will ensure that the following information is available to all 

potential applicants: 

• the types of organizations that are eligible for funding

• how to obtain and submit an application to the subawarding organization (subapplicants 

should apply to the Day of Service recipient and not to CNCS)

• the criteria (including appropriate subcriteria) that will be considered in reviewing 

applications

• any relative percentages, weights, or other means that will be used to distinguish 

applications

• reporting requirements of subrecipients.

Applicants may also apply to this Notice with a partner organization(s) and a partnership plan. 

Partners must be named in the application in the Organizational Capability narrative section at 

the time the application is submitted to CNCS, and the partnership plan should clearly identify 

how the partnership is structured to carry out the project and grant requirements. 
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C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

The following non-federal entities (as defined in 2 CFR §200.69) that have DUNS numbers and

are registered in System for Award Management (SAM) are eligible to apply:

• Indian tribes (2 CFR §200.54)

• institutions of higher education (2 CFR §200.55)

• local governments (2 CFR §200.64)

• nonprofit organizations (2 CFR §200.70)

• states (2 CFR §200.90).

Tribal Organizations 

In addition to Indian tribes as defined in 2 CFR 200.54, tribal organizations that are controlled, 

sanctioned, or chartered by Indian tribes are also eligible to apply. If an entity applies for an 

award as a tribal organization on behalf of a federally-recognized tribe, or multiple specific 

federally-recognized tribes, it must submit a sanctioning resolution, applicable to the entirety of 

the performance period to which the applicant is applying, adopted by the Tribal Council (or 

comparable tribal governing body) of each Indian tribe. 

The resolution(s) must identify the entity by name as a tribal organization and indicate whether it 

is controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by an Indian tribe(s). It must authorize the entity to be the 

legal applicant and act on behalf of and include the Indian tribe(s) in a CNCS application for the 

purpose of conducting the activities and providing the services described in the application. A 

current resolution will not suffice to meet this requirement unless the resolution applies to the 

entire performance period of the award, i.e. current resolutions that are applicable to a previous 

Day of Service award at the time of application submission but expire during the prospective 

performance period of a new award, do not meet this requirement. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

For MLK projects only, federal grant funds requested may not exceed 30 percent of the total

program budget. Applicants are required to match funds equal to 70 percent of the total program

budget. The applicant’s match can be cash and/or in-kind contributions matching funds. See

section D.6. Funding Restrictions for more information.

For example, if an MLK applicant requests $60,000 in federal grant funds, then the applicant is 

required to provide $140,000 in matching funds for a total program budget of $200,000. 

For September 11th, there is no requirement that the grant applicant provide matching funds. 

3. Other Eligibility Requirements

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 Public Law No. 116-09 (Section 744 of Title VII, Division D, of the 

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (H.J. 13)), if CNCS is aware that any corporation has any 
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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 

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 Application Instructions. These documents are 

available online at www.nationalservice.gov/dayofservice.

1. Address to Request an Application Package

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 

DayofService@cns.gov for a printed copy of application materials. CNCS also offers live text 

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

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

a. Application Content

Complete applications must have the following: 

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

complete the data elements in the eGrants system, which is the official system of record.

• Narrative Sections:

o Executive Summary: This is a brief description of the proposed program. 

Executive Summaries of all compliant applications are published on the CNCS 

website following grant awards.

o Program Design

o Organizational Capability

o Cost-Effectiveness & Budget Adequacy

• Standard Form 424A Budget

• Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications.

b. Page Limits

Applications for each Day of Service may not exceed ten double-spaced pages as the pages print 

out from eGrants. The application sections that count towards the page limit are:

• the SF-424 Face Sheet 

• Executive Summary 
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• the Program Design, Organizational Capability, and Cost-Effectiveness & Budget

Adequacy narratives.

The application page limit does not include the Budget (SF-424A). 

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. CNCS strongly encourages applicants to 

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

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. 

3. Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Award

Management (SAM)

Applications must include a DUNS number and an Employer Identification Number. The DUNS

number does not replace an Employer Identification Number. 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.

After obtaining a DUNS number, all applicants must register with the SAM at www.sam.gov

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. 

Please note SAM.gov has a new login process. Please go to the General Services Administration

SAM Update page for more information. 

SAM registration must be renewed annually. CNCS suggests that applicants finalize a new 

registration or renew an existing one at least two 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.

Applicants that do not comply with these requirements may become ineligible to receive an 

award. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees. 

4. Submission Dates and Times

a. Notification of Intent to Apply

CNCS strongly encourages applicants to submit a Notification of Intent to Apply by

Wednesday, June 5, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Please submit your intent to

IntentToApply@cns.gov with the email subject line "2019 Day of Service Intent to Apply".

The notification of intent to apply must include the name of the applicant organization,

address, contact person, email address, and phone number as well as if you intend to apply for

MLK, September 11th, or both.

b. Application Submission Deadline

Applications are due by Wednesday, June 19, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
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CNCS will not consider applications submitted after the deadline, except as noted in Section 

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

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

c. Additional Documents Deadline

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

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

information.

d. Late Applications

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

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

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

caused the delay, including:

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

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

Hotline

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

o any other documentation or evidence that supports the justification.

• ensure that CNCS receives the justification and any other evidence that substantiates the

claimed extenuating circumstance(s) via email to LateApplications@cns.gov no later

than one business day after the published application deadline stated in the Notice.

Communication with CNCS staff is not a substitute for the letter. Applicants are required to 

continue working in eGrants, CNCS’s web-based 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 submit a justification and any other evidence to overcome the presumption 

of non-compliance within the published timeframe 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. 

5. Intergovernmental Review

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

Programs.”

6. Funding Restrictions

a. Award Funding Requirements

MLK awards under this Notice are subject to cost share or matching requirements. For MLK, the

amount of federal funding provided under awards will be limited to 30 percent of the total

allowable costs for the funded activity, as determined under 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E-Cost

Principles.
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There are no cost share or matching requirements for September 11th awards.

There are also limitations on the use of federal funds to recover indirect costs. As provided in 2 

CFR 200.306(c), unrecovered indirect costs may be included as part of an applicant’s cost 

sharing or matching requirements. 

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 cost allocation plans. All methods 

must be applied consistently across all federal awards. Applicants that hold 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.

c. Pre-Award Costs

Federal funds awarded pursuant to this Notice will not allow reimbursement for pre-federal 

award costs (See 2 CFR 200.209 and 200.458). 

7. Other Submission Requirements

a. Electronic Application Submission in eGrants

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

if they have a problem when they create an account or prepare or submit the application. 

National Service Hotline hours are: Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (in

May-September). 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 to the following address:

Corporation for National and Community Service 

ATTN: Office of Grants Policy and Operations/Day of Service Application 
9

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. 

b. Submission of Additional Documents

New and Recompeting applicants requesting over $75,000 and All New to CNCS applicants 

regardless of funding level are required to submit a Financial Management Survey (FMS) and 

supporting documents located at http://www.nationalservice.gov/resources/financialmanagement - select Financial Management Survey under the Application Certification Forms 

section.

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

on the assessment of your application.

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.

Do not submit any items that are not requested in this Notice. CNCS will not review or return 

them.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Review Criteria

Applications should include a well-designed plan with clear and compelling justifications for

receiving the requested funds. Reviewers will assess the quality of applications by using the

selection criteria below and will rate applications accordingly. They will also consider the

weights assigned to each criterion.

Categories/Subcategories Percentage

Program Design 60

• Goals and Objectives 30

• Performance Measures 15

• Description of Activities 15

Organizational Capability 30

Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy 10
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a. Executive Summary (0 percent)

Provide a concise, one-paragraph summary of the proposed project. If you are applying for both 

MLK and September 11th funding, you must submit two separate narratives in this section of 

eGrants.

Use the following template:

The [Name of the organization] proposes to have [Number of] volunteers who will [what the 

volunteers will be doing] in [the locations the Day of Service activities will take place] on 

[Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service or September 11th Day of Service and Remembrance]. 

On the [MLK or September 11] Day of Service, [# of] volunteers will be responsible for 

[anticipated goals of project]. This program will focus on the CNCS focus area(s) of [Focus 

Area(s)]. For MLK, 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 non-governmental funds] in private funding.

b. Program Design (60 percent): Please note that each component below is weighted 

equally:

Goals and Objectives (30 percent):

Reviewers will assess the following:

• clearly identified sites: target communities, states, or regions that will be served to 

include at least ten service locations for each Day of Service

• a program design that supports and engages individuals in activities reflecting on one or 

both as applicable:

o on the sacrifice of those who died on September 11, 2001 and in honor of those 

who rose in service and continue to serve as a result of that tragedy

o the life and teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr.

• a reasonable and feasible timeline for major activities under the grant ensuring that 

activities occur either on September 11th or MLK Day as applicable or in close proximity 

to that date

• utilizes existing community resources, such as other service organizations and 

community volunteers, to implement goals and objectives and bring additional beneficial 

resources to the community

• a clear and comprehensive plan for carrying out partner engagement or subgrantee 

selection or a comprehensive plan for implementing projects directly.

Performance Measures (15 percent):

Reviewers will assess the following:

• the number of grant-supported activities that focus on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday 

or September 11th and provides opportunities to connect to service beyond the Day of 

Service 

• measurable outputs are identified that result from delivering the intervention including 

specific identified targets for each year of the award

• data collection plan that includes tools, data storage, data analysis, and reporting.
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Description of Activities (15 percent):

Reviewers will assess the following:

• identifies need(s) that will be addressed 

• demonstrates opportunities to engage new and diverse groups and individuals

• demonstrates the ability to connect volunteers to ongoing opportunities to serve.

c. Organizational Capability (30 percent):

Reviewers will assess the following:

• a sound organizational structure including experience managing federal grants, staffing, 

and management structure to plan and implement the proposed program 

• a description of the relevant background and experience of key staff members and their 

respective roles, or the applicant’s plans to recruit, select, train, and support additional 

staff, and their proposed roles 

• the experience or the capacity to successfully implement their proposed partner 

engagement or subgranting plan including monitoring plans*

• a plan to oversee and provide technical assistance and support for multiple programs at 

different locations 

• robust financial management systems and that will ensure compliance with federal 

regulations.

*This criterion will only be assessed if using a subgranting, pass-through entity, or partner 

engagement process. If the applicant does not propose any of these three plans, six points from 

this criterion will be allocated to other organizational capability criteria.

d. Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy (10 percent):

Reviewers will assess the following:

• clarity and completeness of the budget and budget narrative to support the program 

design

• the extent to which the applicant demonstrates diverse non-federal resources for program 

implementation and sustainability**.

**This criterion is for MLK applications only. September 11th applications will be assessed only 

on the other criterion for cost-effectiveness and budget adequacy.

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 stages of the review and selection process follow:

a. Compliance and Eligibility Review

CNCS will conduct an initial compliance review to determine if an application meets the 

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

process.
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An application is compliant if the applicant:

• is an eligible organization;

• 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 during the 

application review and selection process. Applicants that are determined to be non-compliant and/or 

ineligible will not receive an award. 

b. Review of Applications

Panels of Reviewers (a combination of External Reviewers and CNCS Staff Reviewers) will

assess applications based on the Program Design, Organizational Capability, and CostEffectiveness and Budget Adequacy Selection Criteria. CNCS will recruit and select Reviewers 

on the basis of demonstrated expertise in Day of Service programming and/or the Focus Areas, 

as well as experience assessing applications. All Reviewers will be screened for conflicts of 

interest. 

c. Post-Review Quality Control

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

and consistency. Some applications may be selected for a Post-Review Quality Control 

assessment. This additional level of review will be used to assess the applications for which 

significant irregularities were identified on the review panel.

d. Senior Staff Review

CNCS senior staff will review the highest scoring applications from the blended review. Senior 

staff review includes a review for additional clarification items and alignment with Notice 

priorities in order to make a high-quality recommendation. 

e. Applicant Clarification

CNCS may ask an applicant for clarifying information, including requested funding amounts for 

MLK and/or September 11th projects. 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 fashion may result in the

removal of its application from consideration. CNCS staff may conduct a site visit inspection as 

part of the clarification process, as appropriate.

f. Risk Assessment

CNCS staff will evaluate the risks to the program posed by each applicant, including conducting 

due diligence to ensure an applicant’s ability to manage federal funds. This evaluation is in 

addition to the 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 poor risk assessment are 

not likely to be mitigated, those applications may not be selected for funding. 
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In evaluating risks, CNCS may consider: 

• financial stability

• quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards prescribed 

in applicable OMB Guidance

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

procurement awards, including: 

o timeliness of compliance with applicable reporting requirements

o accuracy of data reported

o validity of performance measure data reported

o conformance to the terms and conditions of previous federal awards 

o if applicable, the extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be 

expended prior to future awards

• 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 DUNS and SAM

o “Do Not Pay”

• reports and findings from single audits performed under 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F –

Audit Requirements and findings and reports of any other available audits

• IRS Tax Form 990

• applicant organization’s annual report

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

website

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

imposed on award recipients

• responses to the Financial Management Survey (FMS) and supporting documentation.

g. Consideration of Integrity and Performance System Information

Prior to making any award under this Notice that exceeds $150,000, 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 $150,000.

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 will consider any 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.
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h. 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

 small and medium programs 

 faith-based organizations

 Focus Area representation

 high ratio of match and/or other revenue to CNCS investment.

Based on the evaluation of these strategic characteristics, 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 adjust or make changes to the review process, in the event that 

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.

3. Feedback to Applicants

Following awards, compliant applicants will receive summary comments from the Application 

Review. This feedback will be based on the review of the original application and will not reflect 

information provided during clarification.

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 and the submitted program narratives for 

successful applications

• a blank template of the review worksheet

• a list of all External Reviewers who completed the review process.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

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

announcing the results of this competition in August 2019 contingent on the availability of 
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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 signed by the grant officer 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.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

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), now 

consolidated in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 2205.

b. Requests for Improper Payment Information

CNCS may, from time to time, 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 temporary manual hold, reimbursement only, or other remedies as 

appropriate. In addition, CNCS may, in appropriate circumstances, consider in its funding 

decisions any previous failures to make timely responses. 

c. CNCS Terms and Conditions 

All awards made under this Notice will be subject to the 2019 CNCS General Terms and 

Conditions, and the 2019 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 Specific Terms and Conditions for each 

of its programs is available here. 

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 all persons funded in part or full on the project 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 and on the grantee 

share. However, NSCHC does not apply to September 11th and MLK Day volunteers.

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. Days of 

Service award recipients should utilize two vendors CNCS has engaged to conduct some of the 

required NSCHCs.

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:
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All award-funded staff and national service participants must undergo NSCHCs that include:

• a nationwide name-based search of the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW); 

and

• either 

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 

or

o a fingerprint-based FBI criminal history check.

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

service participants 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.

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

information and FAQs.

e. Compliance with Requests for Data

CNCS may from time to time 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 such requests may result in award 

funds being placed on temporary manual hold, reimbursement only, or other remedies as 

appropriate. In addition, CNCS may, in appropriate circumstances, consider any previous failures 

to make timely responses in its future funding decisions.

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).

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.

Recipients are required to provide annual progress reports and semi-annual financial and 

narrative progress reports through eGrants, CNCS’s web-based grants management system. All 

recipients must provide quarterly expense reports through the Payment Management System

(PMS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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In addition, at the end of the award period, recipients must submit final financial and progress 

reports that are cumulative over the entire award period and consistent with the close-out 

requirements of CNCS’s Office of Grants Management. The final reports are due 90 days after 

the end of the award. 

Award recipients will be required to report at www.FSRS.gov on all subawards over $25,000, 

and may be required to report on executive compensation for the recipient organization and its 

subrecipients. Recipients and subrecipients 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 

giving CNCS high quality 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

• the recipient takes steps to correct data errors

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

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

ability to secure future CNCS funding.

For further guidance and training resources see: Resources: Data Collection and Instruments.

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

For more information or a printed copy of related material(s), email DayofService@cns.gov.

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

at (800) 942-2677. National Service Hotline hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 

p.m. Eastern Time in May through September. 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.

H. OTHER INFORMATION

1. Technical Assistance

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

eGrants. CNCS strongly encourages all applicants to participate in this session. Call-in 

information for the technical assistance call is on CNCS’s website.

2. Re-Focusing of Funding

CNCS reserves the right to re-focus program dollars for this competition in the event of disaster 
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or other compelling needs.