## AMERICORPS **VISTA**

**PROJECT APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS**  PART V I. 1 STANDARD VISTA PROJECT BUDGET

OMB NO.: 3045
- 0038 EXPIRATION DATE: 05/03/xxxx2

**VI. 1**  **S TANDARD**  **VISTA PROJECT BUDGET**  **Introduction** This document, Part VI. 1 , Standard VI STA Project Budget, provides detailed instructions for completing Budget Section 1 and Budget Section 2 in an already started eGrants application. The following are instructions for completing a budget for a S tandard VI ST A Project. NOTE: Applicants to be a VISTA sponsoring organization must complete an application, including a budget. The a

pplication is submitted using eGrants, CNCS’s integrated, secure, web
- based sy stem for applications. Organizations must have an eGrants account to submit the Application in eGrants. The account is free and can be created online at http://www.nationalservice.gov/egrants/index.asp
. To complete the application, applicants use the VI STA Project Application Instructions provided by the CNCS State Office. Contact information for State Offices is available at http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/contact/index.asp
. T o complete the budget of the a pplication, applicants use this specific budget guidance to supplement the VI STA Project Application Instructions. **About Standard**  **VISTA Projects** A Standard VI STA project is a project in which :  The Corporation awards a certain number of VI STA positions to a sponsor and provides benefits directl y to the VISTA;  The sponsor provides local operating and logistics costs ;  No financial resources are requested b y the applicant or provided b y CNCS
. **While there is no specific match requirement, applicant organizations should indicate the type and level of resources they will provide to support the project. Examples of resources provided**  **by applicant organizations include personnel costs**  **and supplies. Please include these resources whether they are financial contributions or in**  **- kind contributions.**  **Application Process** Lo g in to eGrants. In eGrants, you will need to:  Select “ View All .” A screen will appear that lists all the applications that are in “Grantee Initial Entry” status that are associated with your account.  Find your application using the Application ID. Itwill be listed as “VI STA State” or “VISTA Headquarters” under the Programs column.  Select “E dit” next to your listing.  In the Application Info section, choose the correct Program Ty pe b y selecting “ S tandard ” from the Program Ty

pe dropdown menu. Check the box next to Cost Share as appropriate. Consult your Corporation State Office if you are uncertain.  Once you select the program ty pe and cost share ty

pe and click save , the Budget S ections 1 and 2 will be created and added to the application. The Budget includes two sections: Budget Section 1 deals with v olunteer s upport e xpenses incurred by the project
. Budget Section 2 deals with v olunteer e xpenses incurred by members, including living allowance and end
- of
- service award **.** Applicants for Standard VISTA Projects are onl y required to complete **Budget Section II. Vo**  **lunteer Expenses.** Budget Section I. Volunteer Support Expenses may be completed, but is not required.3

As you prepare your budget:  Your detailed budget narrative must provide a full explanation of the proposed costs including their purpose and the basis of your calculation.  For the Personnel and Travel line items, and wherever else it may increase clarity , present yo ur calculations in the form of an equation, e.g., Two (2) VISTAs traveling @ $25/trip for 2 trips = $50; or, Salary

$35,000 @ 30% devoted to program = $10,500.  Do not include fractional amounts (cents).  Your b udget entries should reflect a twelve
- month project period. **Budget Section 1**  **. Volunteer Support Expenses (Optional**  **)** You are not required to complete this section; however, you may wish to complete it to document the resources that your organization will provide to support the VI STA project (personnel, supplies , etc.). To do so, enter information into the line items in the “ Grantee Share ” column . Do not enter an y information into the “ CNCS Share” or “ Member Support ” columns. **Budget Section 2.**  **Volunteer Expenses (Required)** You must complete certain budget line items in this section. Your proposed budget should be sufficient to allow you to perform the tasks described in your proposal narrative. You may wish to add line items to document the resources that your organization will provide to support the VI STA project. **Full Time (Federal)** Only complete this line item to apply for non cost share positions. For information about cost share, contact your CNCS State Offic e . Click “a dd a new budget item ” under Full
- time (Federal) and complete the requested information to apply for VISTAs or Leaders. For Description/sit es, use a project site name and county ( e.g. , Crawford County F inancial Fitness/Richland County)
. For the “# Mbr” field, enter th e number of requested members that will serve with that project component
. Select the living allowance rate. Living allowance rates are determined b y county. For the current county living allowance rate, contact your CNCS State Office. The total amount should calculate and appear in the “Member Support” column. Note: If you propose to have VISTAs serving at different sites, add a new budget line item for each different rate . For example, VI STAs proposed for three sites in three different counties may receive two different living allowance rates, so yo u would complete a budget item for Site 1, then a budget item for Site s 2 and 3 . Also, VI STAs and L eaders receive different living allowance rates and should be entered separatel y. A dd as many budget items as needed by selecting “ add a new budget item. ” **Full Time ( non**  **- Federal)**  Only complete this section to apply for cost share positions. For information about cost share, contact your CNCS State Offic e .4

Click “a dd a new budget item ” under Full
- time (non - Federal) and complete the requested information to apply for cost share VISTAs or Leaders. For Description/sit es, use a project site name and issue area (e.g. , Crawford County F inancial Fitness/Asset Building )
. For the “# Mbr” field, enter th e number of requested cost share members that will serve with that project component
. Select the living allowance rate. Living allowance rates are determined b y county. For the current county living allowance rate, contact your CNCS State Office. The total amount should calculate and appear in the “ Grantee Share ” column. Note: If you propose to have VISTAs serving in different project components at different sites, add a new budget item and provide specific information about that component. For example, VI STAs proposed for three sites in three different counties may receive different living allowance rates, so you would complete a budget item for Si te 1, then for Site 2, and then for Site 3. Also, VI STAs and Leaders receive different living allowance rates and should be entered separatel y. A dd as man y budget items as needed by selecting “ add a new budget item. ” **Summer Associate (Federal) and Su mmer Associate (non**  **- Federal)**  Only existing sponsors may participate in the Summer Associate program. Unless you have been directed to complete an amendment to specifically add Summer Associates or the CNCS State Office has not indicated in the system that your organization can apply for Summer Associates, you will not see this option in your budget. For information about the Summer Associate program, contact your CNCS State Offic e . **Education and End of Service Awards** VI STAs have a choice between two end
- of
- service options, an education award and a cash stipend, both of which are provided after a successful completion of service. Nationally , about 80 percent of members choose the education award; 20 percent choose the cash stipend. However for the purposes of th is project application it is not necessary to estimate the number of VISTAs selecting each option. The budget will calculate the total dollar amount of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award for each of the VISTAs and VI STA Leaders. **Health coverage**  The total amount of the cost of health care coverage will be auto
- calculated using the current dollar amount per VISTA and VI STA Leader. **Travel and Other Volunteer**  **Expenses** These sections are optional. If you wish to show on
- site travel or other costs provided by your organization to the VI STAs and/or VISTA Leaders, click “a dd a new budget item ” and complete the requested information to show your organization’s contribution to the support of your VISTAs. **Once you have entered your budget inform ation in eGrants, you will be asked to validate your budget, and eGrants**  **will check your submission for errors.**5