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FOSTER GRANDPARENT AND SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAMS

2020 GRANT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

These Corporation for National & Community Service (CNCS) Grant Terms and Conditions are 

binding on the grant recipient. By accepting funds under this award, the Recipient agrees to 

comply with, and include in all awards and these program-specific Grant Terms and Conditions, 

the CNCS general grant terms and conditions, all applicable federal statutes, regulations and 

guidelines, and any amendments thereto. The Recipient agrees to operate the funded programs

in accordance with the approved grant application and budget, supporting documents, and other 

representations made in support of the approved grant application. The terms “recipient” or 

“Recipient” are used to connote the grant recipient as appropriate, throughout these Terms and 

Conditions. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

I. Changes from the 2019 FGP and SCP Program Grants 1

II. Notice of Funding Opportunity 2

III. Award Acceptance 2

IV. Stipends 2

V. Recognition Events 2

VI. Failure to Maintain VSYs 2

VII. Grant Period 2

VIII. Encumbrance of Award Funds 2

IX. Federal Financial Reports (FFRs) – Expenditures/Jan - Jun and 

Jul – Dec 3

X. Federal Financial Reports (FFRs) – Expenditures/Apr - Sep and 

Oct – Mar 3

XI. Federal Financial Reporting/Disbursements 3

XII. Annual Progress Report 4

XIII. Recognition of Federal Funding 4

XIV. Authorities of Program Officer/Portfolio Manager/Grants 

Officer 4

XV. Prohibition on Use of Program Grant Funds 4

XVI. External Evaluation and Data Collection 6

XVII. Lobby Disclosure 6

XVIII. Reporting Requirements 7

XIX. Audits and Attestation Requirements 8

XX. Program Income 8

XXI. Monitoring 8

XXII. Budget and Programmatic Changes 9

XXIII. Senior Corps Branding 10

XXIV. National Criminal History Checking Training 10
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I. CHANGES FROM THE 2019 FOSTER GRANDPARENT AND SENIOR 

COMPANION PROGRAMS GRANT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

- Section XIV - Authorities of Program Officer and Grant Officer– section edited 

- Section XVII - Lobby Disclosure – section edited

- Section XVIII (E, F) - Reporting Requirements – section edited

- Section XXII (B, C) - Budget and Programmatic Changes – section edited

II. NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

The Notice of Funding opportunity (NOFO) and any amendments are hereby incorporated 

into the Grant Terms and Conditions. Recipients are bound by the authorizations, 

restrictions and requirements contained in the NOFO. If there is any inconsistency between 

the NOFO and any statute, regulation, guidance or cost principle, the statute, regulation, 

guidance or cost principle take precedence in matters relating to CNCS award funds.

III. AWARD ACCEPTANCE

The signature on the SF‐424, including electronic signature via e‐authentication on egrants, constitutes a binding agreement to the terms and conditions of award. CNCS 

reserves the right to withdraw the award if activity does not begin upon award and/or as a 

remedy for non‐compliance as described in 2 CFR 200.338‐339.

IV. STIPENDS

The recipient may not expend funds approved for payment of stipends for any other 

purpose without the prior written approval of CNCS’s Grants Officer.

V. RECOGNITION EVENTS

Recipient will ensure that at recognition events, CNCS is acknowledged as the federal 

agency responsible for the primary Federal funding of the project.

VI. FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VSYS

Failure of the Recipient to maintain Volunteer Service Year (VSY) program levels in 

accordance with the approved work plan and budget covered by the Notice of Grant Award

may result in a reduction of funding for the succeeding year in accordance with CNCS 

policies.

VII. GRANT PERIOD

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

multiyear project period, CNCS makes an initial award for the first budget period. 

Additional 

funding for subsequent budget periods is contingent upon satisfactory progress and the 

availability of funds. The project period and the budget are noted on the award document.
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VIII. ENCUMBRANCE OF AWARD FUNDS

Award funds may not be encumbered or obligated by the recipient prior to or after the 

award period. Encumbrances or obligations outstanding as of the end of the award period 

may be liquidated (paid out) after the end of the award period. Such encumbrances or 

obligations shall involve only specified commitments for which a need existed during the 

award period and that are supported by approved contracts, purchase orders, requisitions, 

invoices, bills, or other evidence of liability consistent with the recipient's purchasing 

procedures and incurred within the award period. All encumbrances/obligations incurred 

during the award period shall be liquidated no later than 90 days after the end of the award 

period or prior to the expiration of the awarded funds, whichever is sooner.

IX. FEDERAL FINANCIAL REPORTS (FFRS) – EXPENDITURES/JAN - JUN AND JUL 

- DEC

Recipients with budget periods starting in January or July paid through HHS/PMS must 

submit the Standard Form 425, Federal Financial Report (FFR), semi-annually, from the 

start date of the award, to report the status of all funds. FFRs must report expenses on a 

cumulative basis over the performance period of the award and be submitted according to 

the following schedule:

Period Covering: Report Due:

January 1 to June 30 July 30

July 1 to December 

31 

January 30

Programs completing the final year of their grant must submit a final FFR that is 

cumulative over the entire grant period. This FFR is due 90 days after the close of the 

grant.

X. FEDERAL FINANCIAL REPORTS (FFRS) – EXPENDITURES/APR - SEP AND OCT 

- MAR.

Recipients with budget periods starting in April or October paid through HHS/PMS must 

submit the Standard Form 425, Federal Financial Report (FFR), semi-annually, from the 

start date of the award, to report the status of all funds. FFRs must report expenses on a 

cumulative basis over the performance period of the grant and be submitted according to 

the following schedule:

Period Covering: Report Due:

April 1 - September 

30

October 30
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October 1 - March 

30

April 30

Programs completing the final year of their grant must submit a final FFR that is 

cumulative over the entire grant period. This FFR is due 90 days after the close of the 

grant.

XI. FEDERAL FINANCIAL REPORTING/DISBURSEMENT

Recipients paid through HHS/PMS will report quarterly disbursements to HHS through the 

HHS/PMS FFR subsystem. Recipients will report disbursements using the web-based 

version of the Standard Form 425, Federal Financial Report, no later than 30 days 

following the end of each quarter. Failure to submit this report in a timely manner may 

result in HHS placing the Recipient’s funds on manual hold.

XII. ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT

Recipients must prepare a full progress report at the end of the budget period. The report 

must be submitted in the electronic records management system no later than 30 days after 

the end of the designated reporting period. Recipients must prepare and submit the progress 

report volunteer service year production data elements at the end of the 2nd and 4th 

quarters of the budget period. These reports must be submitted in the electronic records 

management system no later than 30 days after the end of the designated reporting period.

XIII. RECOGNITION OF FEDERAL FUNDING

When issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations, annual 

reports and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part 

with CNCS funds, the Recipient receiving those CNCS funds, including but not limited to 

recipients that are state and local governments, shall clearly state: (1) the percentage of the 

total cost of the program which will be financed with CNCS funds, and (2) the dollar 

amount of CNCS funds for the project or program.

XIV. AUTHORITIES OF PROGRAM OFFICER/PORTFOLIO MANAGER/GRANTS 

OFFICER

A designated official of the appropriate CNCS State Program Office (e.g., Program 

Officer), or CNCS Regional Office (e.g., Portfolio Manager - PM), as well as a CNCS 

Grants Officer, are listed on the face page of the recipient’s Notice of Grant Award (NGA). 

The designated official has full authority to represent CNCS in connection with 

management of the technical aspects and programmatic performance of the grant award. 

However, the CNCS Grants Officer may make changes to the grant award terms and 

conditions, estimated costs, and periods of performance.

XV. PROHIBITION ON USE OF PROGRAM GRANT FUNDS
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As specified in 42 U.S.C. § 5043(c), as well as in 45 C.F.R. §§ 2551.121 and 2552.121, 

while charging time to a Senior Companion or Foster Grandparent or Senior program, 

accumulating service, or training hours, or otherwise performing activities supported by the 

Senior Companion or Foster Grandparent Program or CNCS, staff and volunteers may not 

engage in the following activities:

A. Political activities.

1. No part of any award shall be used to finance, directly or indirectly, any activity 

to influence the outcome of any election to public office, or any voter registration 

activity. No project shall be conducted in a manner involving the use of funds, 

the provision of services, or the employment or assignment of personnel in a 

matter supporting or resulting in the identification of such project with:

a. Any partisan or nonpartisan political activity associated with a candidate, or 

contending faction or group, in an election; or

b. Any activity to provide voters or prospective voters with transportation to 

the polls or similar assistance in connection with any such election; or

c. Any voter registration activity, except that voter registration applications and 

nonpartisan voter registration information may be made available to the 

public at the premises of the sponsor. But, in making registration 

applications and nonpartisan voter registration information available, 

employees of the sponsor shall not express preferences or seek to influence 

decisions concerning any candidate, political party, election issue, or voting 

decision.

2. Notwithstanding 42 U.S.C. § 5043(c), and 45 C.F.R. §§ 2551.121(a)(3) and 

2552.121(a)(3), anti-lobbying language in CNCS’s current appropriations 

legislation (like anti-lobbying language in CNCS’s past appropriations 

legislation) prohibits recipients from using CNCS funds to pay the salary or 

expenses of any grant or contract recipient, or agent acting for such recipient, 

related to any activity designed to influence the enactment of legislation, 

appropriations, regulation, administrative action, or Executive order proposed or 

pending before the Congress or any State government, State legislature or local 

legislature or legislative body, other than for normal and recognized executivelegislative relationships or participation by an agency or officer of a State, local 

or tribal government in policymaking and administrative processes within the 

executive branch of that government.

B. Non-displacement of employed workers.

A Senior Companion or Foster Grandparent Program volunteer shall not perform any 

service or duty or engage in any activity that would otherwise be performed by an 
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employee of the sponsor, or that would supplant the hiring of, or result in the 

displacement of employees, or impair existing contracts for services.

C. Compensation for service. 

A Senior Companion or Foster Grandparent Program agency or organization to which 

SCP or FGP volunteers are assigned, or which operates or supervises any SCP or FGP 

program, shall not request or receive any compensation from SCP or FGP volunteers 

or from beneficiaries for services of SCP or FGP volunteers.

1. The regulations do not prohibit a sponsor from soliciting and accepting 

voluntary contributions from the community at large to meet its local support 

obligations under the grant or from entering into agreements with parties other 

than beneficiaries to support additional volunteers beyond those supported by 

the CNCS award;

2. A volunteer station may contribute to the financial support of the Foster 

Grandparent or Senior Companion Program. However, this support shall not be 

a required precondition for a potential station to obtain Senior Companion or 

Foster Grandparent services;

3. If a volunteer station agrees to provide funds to support additional Senior 

Companion or Foster Grandparent volunteers, or pay for other volunteer support 

costs, the agreement shall be stated in a written Memorandum of Understanding. 

The sponsor shall withdraw services if the station's inability to provide monetary 

or in-kind support to the project under the Memorandum of Understanding 

diminishes or jeopardizes the project's financial capabilities to fulfill its 

obligations;

4. Under no circumstances shall Senior Companion or Foster Grandparent 

volunteers receive fees for service from service recipients, their legal guardians, 

members of their family, or friends.

D. Labor and anti-labor activity.

The sponsor shall not use grant funds directly or indirectly to finance labor or antilabor organizations or related activities.

E. Fair labor standards.

A sponsor that employs laborers and mechanics for construction, alteration, or repair 

of facilities shall pay wages at prevailing rates as determined by the Secretary of Labor 

in accordance with the Davis-Bacon Act, as amended, 40 U.S.C. 276a.

F. Religious activities.
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Neither a Senior Companion nor a Foster Grandparent volunteer, nor a member of the 

project staff funded by CNCS, shall give religious instruction, conduct worship 

services or engage in any form of proselytization as part of his or her duties.

1. A sponsor or volunteer station may retain its independence and may continue to 

carry out its mission, including the definition, development, practice, and 

expression of its religious beliefs, provided that it does not use CNCS funds to 

support any inherently religious activities, such as worship, religious instruction, 

or proselytization, as part of the programs or services funded. If an organization 

conducts such activities, the activities must be offered separately, in time or 

location, from the programs or services funded under this part.

G. Nepotism.

Persons selected for project staff positions shall not be related by blood or marriage to 

other project staff, sponsor staff or officers, or members of the sponsor Board of 

Directors, unless there is written concurrence from the community group established 

by the sponsor under Subpart B of this part and upon prior notification and approval 

by CNCS.

XVI. EXTERNAL EVALUATION AND DATA COLLECTION

The recipient must cooperate with CNCS and its evaluators in all monitoring and 

evaluation efforts. As part of this effort, the recipient must collect and submit certain 

project data, as defined in the Progress Report Supplement (PRS), and must provide data as 

requested or needed to support external evaluations.

XVII. LOBBY DISCLOSURE

For grant awards exceeding $100,000, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 1352, the Recipient is 

required to file a disclosure report, Standard Form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, 

at the end of any quarter, when the Recipient has paid or agreed to pay any lobbying entity 

for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member 

of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress 

in connection with a covered Federal action. The report must be submitted to the CNCS

State Program Director, or Senior Portfolio Manager, as appropriate? if you are located in 

one of the new Regional Offices then submit the report to the appropriate Senior Portfolio 

Manager.

XVIII. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

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

during the project period and a final financial report at the end of the period. 

A. Financial Reports. 
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The recipient shall complete and submit financial reports in eGrants to report the status 

of all funds. The recipient must submit timely cumulative financial reports in 

accordance with CNCS guidelines and sections E and F, above.

B. Final Financial Report. 

A recipient must submit, in lieu of the last semi-annual financial report, a final 

financial report. These reports are due no later than 90 days after the end of the project 

period.

C. Reporting at the Dept. of Health and Human Services/Payment Management 

System. (HHS/PMS) 

All recipients must submit the Federal Financial Report (FFR) Cash Transactions 

Report on a quarterly basis to the HHS/PMS per the Electronic Funds Transfer 

Agreement.

D. Progress Reports. 

The recipient shall complete and submit timely progress reports, including a summary 

of accomplishments during the reporting period. This includes reporting on the 

progress to date made by the recipient for that reporting period. The report is 

submitted through the appropriate electronic system. Individual program guidance 

determines the due dates for the reports.

E. Requests for Extensions. 

Each recipient must submit a financial 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, in the determination of CNCS, which are legitimately 

beyond the control of the Recipient, and 2) CNCS receives a written request 

explaining the need for an extension before the due date of the report.

Extensions of deadlines for financial reports may only be granted by the Field 

Financial Management Center (FFMC), or the PM located in the appropriate regional 

offices Extensions of deadlines for progress reports may only be granted by the CNCS 

Program Officer or PM, as appropriate.

F. Other. 

The recipient shall meet as necessary with the CNCS Program Officer or the PM in the 

appropriate regional office or with other staff or consultants designated by the CNCS 

Program Official to exchange views, ideas, and information concerning the project. 
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The recipient shall submit such special reports as may be reasonably requested by 

CNCS.

XIX. AUDITS AND ATTESTATION REQUIREMENTS

Recipients must comply with the audit requirements set forth in Subpart F – Audit 

Requirements of the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR Part 200) and must comply with the 

timeframes established in those regulations for the submission of their audits to the Federal 

Audit Clearinghouse. Recipients must notify their assigned CNCS Grants Officer of each 

audit conducted within the timeframe of the CNCS‐funded project at the time it is 

submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse.

XX. PROGRAM INCOME

A. General. Income, including fees for service earned as a direct result of the grantfunded program activities during the award period, must be retained by the Recipient 

and used to finance the 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 § 

200.307(e)(1) and be deducted from total claimed costs, or with prior written approval 

from CNCS, the requirements of 2 CFR § 200.307(e)(2) through a budget amendment 

be used to enhance the program (additive process). Recipients that earn excess income 

must specify the amount of the excess in the comment box on the financial report.

C. Fees for service. When using assistance under this grant, the Recipient may not enter 

into a contract for or accept fees for service performed by participants when:

1. The service benefits a for-profit entity;

2. The service falls within the other prohibited activities set forth in statute, 

regulation, or these award terms and conditions.

XXI. MONITORING 

1. CNCS, through its authorized representatives, has the right, at all reasonable 

times, to make site visits to review project accomplishments, financial and 

performance records, fiscal and administrative control systems, assess 

programmatic and fiscal compliance, and to provide such technical assistance as 

may be required. To the extent practicable, CNCS will notify the recipient at 

least two weeks in advance of any trip to the CNCS‐funded project site. If CNCS 

makes any site visit on the premises of a recipient, the recipient must provide all 

reasonable access to facilities, and provide assistance to ensure the safety and 

convenience of government officials in the performance of their duties. All site 

visits and evaluations are expected to be performed in a manner designed to not 

unduly delay or disrupt the implementation of the project.
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XXII. BUDGET AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES

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

CNCS before making changes

1. in the scope, objectives or goals of the project, transfer of the project effort, or 

project timeline whether or not they involve budgetary changes;

2. in key personnel specified in the application or the federal award;

3. involving the disengagement from the project for more than three months, or a 

25 percent reduction in time devoted to the project by the approved Project 

Director.

B. Budgetary Changes. The recipient must obtain the prior written approval of CNCS’s 

Field Financial Management Center (FFMC) or the designated official in the 

appropriate Regional Office, before deviating from the approved budget in any of the 

following ways:

1. incurring specific costs requiring prior approval before incurrence under 2 CFR 

§ 200.407. Examples of costs requiring prior written approval before they are 

allowed include rearrangement and alteration costs, and pre-award costs;

2. purchasing equipment over $5,000 using grant funds, unless specified in the 

approved application and budget;

3. the Federal awarding agency may, at its option, restrict the transfer of funds 

among direct cost categories or programs, functions and activities for Federal 

awards in which the Federal share of the project exceeds the Simplified 

Acquisition Threshold (currently $250,000) and the cumulative amount of such 

transfers exceeds or is expected to exceed 10 percent of the total budget as last 

approved by the Federal awarding agency;

4. changing the amount of approved cost-sharing or matching provided by the nonfederal entity;

5. including, unless waived by the federal awarding agency, costs that require 

prior approval for inclusion, in accordance with sub part E cost principles in 2 

CFR.

C. Authority to Make Programmatic and Budgetary Changes: CNCS’s Grants 

Officers and PMs are the only CNCS officials who have the authority to alter or change 

the programmatic and budgetary provisions or requirements of the grant. The FFMC 

or PM in the appropriate Regional Office has authority to approve or not approve all 

recommended programmatic and budgetary changes. The Grants Officers in the Office 

of Grant Administration will execute written programmatic and budgetary changes 

(i.e., amendments). Therefore, recipients should not assume approvals have been 
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granted unless they received documentation in the form of an NGA from an authorized 

official approving the recommended change(s). Under no circumstances may CNCS 

permit a transfer of funds to be used for purposes other than those consistent with the 

Federal appropriation of those funds.

XXIII. SENIOR CORPS BRANDING

“SCP” or “FGP”, as appropriate, must be included in all references to the project. 

Accordingly, “SCP” or “FGP”, as appropriate, must be included in the title of the project as 

listed on the grant application, and in all project promotions for the duration of the project 

period, including, but not limited to, recruitment, recognition, and publicity.

XXIV. NATIONAL SERVICE CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK TRAINING

All grant recipients must complete CNCS’s 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: 

https://cncsonlinecourses.litmos.com/account/login?ReturnUrl=%2fhome%2fcourse%2f32

5500%3fr%3dFalse%26ts%3d63658973%25200256389711.&r=False&ts=63658973%200

256389711unless otherwise notified by CNCS. Each grant recipient 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 sub-recipient. The grant recipient must

retain the certificate of completion and assign staff to retake the course annually prior to the 

expiration of the certificate. Grant recipients must save certificates of completion from 

each year as grant records.