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2017 FGP Replacement Sponsors Competition 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

Updated November 10, 2016 

This document supplements the 2017 Senior Corps FGP Replacement Sponsors Competition 

Notice of Funding Opportunity and Application Instructions. These FAQs will be updated 

periodically. New or updated questions will be clearly indicated within each section. 

Sections 

1. AWARD INFORMATION...................................................................................................................... 1

2. SELECTION CRITERIA AND REVIEW .............................................................................................. 2

3. EGRANTS...............................................................................................................................................2

4. BUDGET .................................................................................................................................................3

5. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS ................................................................................................................... 4

6. VOLUNTEERS AND CLIENTS ............................................................................................................ 4

7. OTHER.....................................................................................................................................................5

1. AWARD INFORMATION 

1.1 What are the responsibilities of a sponsor with respect to project management 

responsibilities? For example, can the grantee subgrant out any of the responsibilities? 

No. Please see the FGP regulation requirements below: 

FGP Regulations – 45 CFR 2552.22 

A sponsor is responsible for fulfilling all project management requirements necessary to 

accomplish the purposes of the Foster Grandparent Program as specified in the Act. A sponsor 

shall not delegate or contract these responsibilities to another entity. A sponsor shall comply with 

all program regulations and policies, and grant provisions prescribed by the Corporation. 

1.2 Can a project have a “satellite” site with a supervisor from a separate organization in another 

county managing the program? 

No. The sponsor must consider all project staff as employees who are subject to its personnel 

policies and procedures. Any staff accountable for conducting program responsibilities as 
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outlined in 45 CFR 2552.23, must be considered an employee of the sponsor who is subject to 

the sponsor’s personnel policies and procedures per regulation 45 CFR 2552.25. 

1.3 Can a project partner with a different agency in a different county to provide services under a 

lead supervisor whose salary would be counted as “in-kind” on the budget? 

No. The sponsor must consider all project staff as employees who are subject to its personnel 

policies and procedures. Any staff accountable for conducting program responsibilities as 

outlined in 45 CFR 2552.23, must be considered an employee of the sponsor who is subject to 

the sponsor’s personnel policies and procedures per regulation 45 CFR 2552.25. Therefore, staff 

and the associated salary from another organization cannot be considered in-kind for the purpose 

of providing non-federal match for the grant. 

2. SELECTION CRITERIA AND REVIEW 

2.1 How should applicants address the selection criteria described in the Notice for cost 

effectiveness/budget adequacy? 

Selection criteria Q15 and Q16 should be addressed through the text that can be entered in the 

narrative, work plans, and the budget section and should align with the other responses. 

2.2 How is the DUNS number used during the review? 

The DUNS number is one of the items considered during the financial review. A DUNS number 

established an organization’s credit score and should be established as soon as possible prior to 

submitting an application. 

3. EGRANTS 

3.1 When starting my application in eGrants, do I select ‘New’? 

All applicants should select ‘New’. 

3.2 How do I enter my authorized representative name in my application? 

The authorized representative for your organization must login to eGrants with their own user 

account, click on the assurances and conditions, and submit the grant application. This will allow 

their name to show up as the authorized representative for the grant application. 

3.3 Should an applicant submit a station roster? 

Applicants are not required to submit a station roster at the time of their initial application. 

However, if applicants have stations identified, applicants can submit those stations in eGrants. 

3.4 Who should submit the application through eGrants? 
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A person with the legal authority to enter into contracts and grant agreements on behalf of the 

applicant must submit the application in eGrants. This person is the Authorized Representative. 

Someone else can prepare the initial application within eGrants, but the Authorized 

Representative must be the one to review and submit the application. 

3.5 Are the application questions laid out within eGrants?

No. eGrants prompts applicants with the broader narrative categories (e.g. “Strengthening 

Communities”). The questions to be answered within each category are found in the Grant 

Application Instructions (https://www.nationalservice.gov/documents/senior-corps/2015/2016-

fgpscp-grant-application-instructions). It is recommended that applicants copy and paste each 

narrative question into the body of your application narratives so that your answers to each 

question are easily located. 

4. BUDGET 

4.1 What is the average amount awarded per year for this grant? 

There is no average amount awarded for this competition. Grant applicants should request grant 

amounts based on a rate of $6,000 in CNCS funding annually per VSY for FGP. 

4.2 Is there a waiver if an applicant cannot meet the Direct Benefit Ratio (80/20 rule) in the 

first three years of operations? 

Applicants should submit an application that they feel is appropriate for their community when 

envisioning a fully operational project. Senior Corps is able to approve a waiver to the Direct 

Benefit Ratio for a grant in its first three years of operation when a request and an appropriate 

rationale are submitted, in accordance with 45 CFR 2552.92. 

4.3 Is there a waiver if an applicant cannot meet the 10% match requirement in the first 

three years of operations? 

Applicants should submit an application that they feel is appropriate for their community when 

envisioning a fully operational project. Senior Corps is able to approve a waiver to the 10% 

match requirement for a grant in its first three years of operation when a request and an 

appropriate rationale are submitted, in accordance with 45 CFR 2552.92. 

4.4 My organization has a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement with the federal 

government. My I apply it to this grant? 

As stated in the Notice, CNCS allows applicants to include administrative indirect costs in the 

CNCS grant budgets when a sponsoring organization has a negotiated indirect cost rate 

agreement in place with the federal government. The CFR 200 Uniform Guidance governing 

appropriate expenses should be reviewed when considering indirect expenses for the budget. 
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5. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS 

5.1 If our audit is not done for this year, can we submit last year’s audit? 

Yes. The instructions say to submit your most recent audit. If this year’s audit is not finished, 

then the previous year’s audit is the most recent audit. 

5.2 Where can I find a form for the Negotiated Indirect Cost Agreement? 

Forms are not provided for the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement as part of this 

competition. If your organization has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement already in 

place, then you should have a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement from your cognizant 

federal agency. In that case, you would send a copy of that document as part of your application. 

5.3 What is a statement of audit status and who is responsible for submitting an audit to 

the Audit Clearinghouse? 

The statement of audit status is simply a short written statement from your organization that 

includes all of the information requested in item 12 of the document table of the Grant 

Application Instructions. If your organization is subject to an A-133 audit, your organization is 

responsible for submitting it to the Audit Clearinghouse. 

5.4 Should information entered in the Aggregate Dollar Amount of Funding Form be for 

all funding for the entire organization, or only for the Senior Corps project? 

The information should be for all funding for the organization. 

5.5 Is the Financial Management Survey required to be submitted with the grant? 

Yes. It should be sent with all other attachments to FGPSCP@cns.gov. 

6. VOLUNTEERS AND CLIENTS 

6.1 When reporting on the Foster Grandparent Program, does the outcome have to be tied 

to each child? 

Yes. Each child served by a Foster Grandparent volunteer should be assessed in accordance with 

the data collection method proposed. In order to preserve student confidentiality, the program 

may collect aggregated data on children served as long as the underlying assessment is made on 

each child individually before the results are aggregated. The aggregated data should include 

only children served, not include all children within a school or classroom. 

6.2 How do you pair a Foster Grandparent with a child? 
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The sponsoring organization will need to develop a policy regarding volunteer recruitment and 

placement and apply it uniformly. 

7. OTHER 

7.1 Does each station need its own work plan, or can they be aggregated together in one 

work plan? 

They can be aggregated in one work plan if those stations are using the same outputs, outcomes, 

and service activities. 

7.2 What is the difference between output and outcome? 

An output is the type of measure that tabulates, calculates, or records the actual products or 

services delivered by a program, such as students receiving tutoring or older adults receiving 

companionship services. 

An outcome is a type of measure that indicates progress toward achieving the intended result of a 

program, which usually represents a change in the situation of beneficiaries of service. 

7.3 Can a Foster Grandparent Program have just one single station? 

Yes, if that station serves the entire geographic area the applicant proposes to serve, and if that 

setup makes the most sense for the community. 

7.4 Does the sponsor need to have all policies set in place by the application deadline? 

No. 

7.5 What is an unduplicated volunteer? 

Each volunteer can be counted only once as an “unduplicated volunteer” across all of the 

proposed work plans even if that volunteer serves in more than one work plan. If a volunteer’s 

services fall into multiple work plans, that volunteer should be included in the “total volunteers” 

count of each work plan where his/her service is included. However, that volunteer should be 

included in the “unduplicated volunteers” count in only one work plan. The volunteer should be 

counted in the area where he/she will make the most impact--in terms of the type of service or in 

terms of the scope of service, such as the most number of hours served. 

7.6 What is a work plan? 

A work plan is a part of the grant application used to show how the sponsoring organization’s 

volunteers will serve in their communities and achieve specific results.