[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18381-18383]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10021]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Availability of Funds for New Retired and Senior Volunteer 
Program (RSVP) Projects--Nationwide

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Funds.

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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service 
(hereinafter the ``Corporation'') announces the availability of up to 
$625,000 to support approximately 1,200 RSVP volunteers in new RSVP 
projects in geographic areas that do not fall within approved service 
areas of current RSVP program sponsors. Approximately $300,000 will be 
made available to support each of two national organizations and three 
of their local affiliates. Each national organization will be expected 
to provide coordination, networking and training and technical 
assistance to its three local affiliates. The local affiliates will be 
expected to support a total of approximately 600 RSVP volunteers for 
each national organization. Awards will cover a twelve-month period and 
can be renewed for up to twenty-four additional months contingent upon 
the continuing need for the projects, performance and the availability 
of appropriations. This allows the Corporation to fund multi-state and 
multi-site projects that are national in scope and build on existing 
networks. The Corporation is seeking national organizations that are 
willing to actively promote senior service within their networks and 
that view older volunteers as an important resource in accomplishing 
their own objectives.
    The RSVP provides service opportunities to adults age 55 and older, 
matching their skills, life experiences, and interests to priority 
needs in communities across the nation. Through this service, RSVP 
provides communities with valuable resources to meet their needs, 
enhances the lives of the volunteers and those whom they serve. The 
primary focus of volunteer activities for this twelve-month period must 
be on helping children learn to read and other literacy activities that 
support the goals of the America Reads Challenge.

DATES: Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 
May 11, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Application instructions and kits are available from the 
Corporation for National and Community Service, National Senior Service 
Corps, 1201 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20525, (202) 606-5000, 
ext. 261, TDD (202) 565-2799, or TTY via the Federal Information Relay 
Service at 1-(800) 877-8339.
    Applications should be submitted to the Corporation for National 
and Community Service, 1201 New York Avenue, NW., National Senior 
Service Corps, Mailstop 9310, Attn: Barbara Wilson, Washington, DC 
20525. The Corporation will not accept applications that are submitted 
via facsimile or e-mail transmission.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    The Corporation is a federal government corporation that encourages 
Americans of all ages and backgrounds to engage in community-based 
service. This service addresses the nation's educational, public 
safety, environmental, and other human needs to achieve direct and 
demonstrable results. In supporting service programs, the Corporation 
fosters civic responsibility, strengthens the ties that bind us 
together as a people, and provides educational opportunity for

[[Page 18382]]

those who make a substantial commitment to service.
    The RSVP is authorized by the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 
1973, as amended. (See 42 U.S.C. 5001 et seq.). The RSVP provides 
service opportunities to adults age 55 and older, matching their 
skills, life experiences, and interests to priority needs in 
communities across the nation. Through this service, RSVP provides 
communities with valuable resources to meet their needs, enhances the 
lives of the volunteers and those whom they serve.
    The RSVP was launched with 11 RSVP projects in 1971. Today there 
are over 450,000 RSVP volunteers serving almost 80 million hours 
annually through a myriad of local community organizations in over 
1,500 communities. They volunteer in schools, libraries, hospitals, 
nursing homes, meals on wheels, senior centers, public housing, law 
enforcement agencies, parks, environmental organizations, and a wide 
range of community organizations. Through these organizations, they 
tutor youth, respond to natural disasters, serve as citizen patrols, 
teach parenting skills to teen parents, get children immunized, mentor 
troubled youth, plan community gardens, help other seniors complete 
income tax forms, serve as hospital aides, conduct groundwater 
protection surveys, provide in-home respite care with the frail 
elderly, teach computer classes at elementary schools, test buildings 
for radon, read to hospitalized children, manage grief counseling 
groups, set up block watch projects, bring meals to the terminally ill, 
test water for pollutants and track down their sources, drive the 
visually impaired to doctors appointments, provide a human touch to 
AIDS babies, and so much more.

B. Purpose of This Announcement

    The Corporation is soliciting applications from national nonprofit 
organizations in order to fund multi-state and multi-site projects that 
are national in scope and build on existing networks of the national 
organizations. The Corporation is interested in expanding RSVP to serve 
new geographic locations currently unserved by the program. It is 
expected that the new projects, in the first year of operation, will 
focus on activities that support the goals of the America Reads 
Challenge.
    The goal of the America Reads Challenge is to mobilize Americans 
from all walks of life to ensure that all children can read well and 
independently by the end of third grade. The America Reads Challenge is 
a comprehensive, nationwide effort to create in-school, after-school, 
weekend, and summer tutoring programs in reading. Working to support 
the efforts of teachers and parents, this initiative calls on all 
Americans, including college students, business leaders, and senior 
citizens, to work through schools, libraries, religious organizations, 
universities, community and national groups, and cultural organizations 
to ensure that every child can read independently by the end of third 
grade.

C. Eligible Applicants

    National nonprofit organizations that operate in more than one 
state are eligible to apply. The Corporation defines a national 
nonprofit organization as one whose mission, membership and activities, 
or constituencies are national in scope. However, an organization 
described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 
(26 U.S.C. 501 (c)(4)) that engages in lobbying activities is not 
eligible to apply, serve as a host site for volunteers, or act in any 
type of supervisory role in the program. The Corporation is seeking 
national organizations that are willing to actively promote senior 
service within their networks and that view older volunteers as an 
important resource in accomplishing their own objectives.
    The local affiliates of the national organizations must have or 
develop strong partnerships with: (1) entities planning or operating 
city, county, statewide, or multi-state America Reads initiatives; (2) 
local governments planning or operating area-wide America Reads 
initiatives; (3) volunteer centers engaged in recruiting trained 
literacy tutors for the America Reads Challenge and, (4) university 
service-learning centers coordinating work-study and other college 
students for the America Reads Challenge.
    RSVP sponsors that are currently funded by the Corporation are not 
eligible to receive a grant to expand into new geographic areas.

D. Award Process and Estimated Number of Awards

    The Corporation will issue a letter of intent to provide funding to 
each approved applicant. This letter will instruct the national 
organization to work with the Corporation to identify the local 
affiliates that will serve as local project sites. The official awards 
will be made only after the Corporation is satisfied that the local 
sites are located in currently unserved geographic areas and that the 
local affiliates have the capacity to effectively implement the 
program.
    The Corporation anticipates making two awards to national 
organizations, and approximately three awards to local affiliates of 
each national organization.

E. Scope of Grants

    The amount of the grants for the national organizations will 
include funds to cover national coordination, networking and training 
and technical assistance. The amounts of the grants to the local 
affiliates will include funds to cover: Volunteer travel reimbursement; 
insurance costs; incentives including monetary stipends of up to $150 a 
month for Volunteer Leaders; and volunteer support costs including 
project administration, staff and training and technical assistance. 
The average federal cost is $300 per volunteer a year and $2,100 a year 
for each Volunteer Leader.
    Grant applicants should demonstrate their commitment to cost-
sharing by offsetting part of the costs. This support can be achieved 
through cash or in-kind contributions.
    Publication of this announcement does not obligate the Corporation 
to award any specific number of grants or to obligate the entire amount 
of funds available, or any part thereof, for grants under the RSVP 
Program.

F. Period of Awards

    Grants cover twelve months and may be renewed for up to twenty-four 
additional months contingent upon the continuing need for the projects, 
performance and the availability of appropriations.

G. Submission Requirements

    To be considered for funding, applicants must submit five copies of 
the following (with original signatures on items 1 and 2):
    (1) An Application for Federal Assistance, Corporation Form 424-
NSSC (OMB 3045-0035), Parts I through III;
    (2) Signed Assurances (424-B) and Certifications (424E-G);
    (3) Verification of status as a non-profit organization as 
described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and
    (4) Most recent audit report.

H. General Selection Criteria

    The Corporation will initially determine whether the organization 
is eligible and whether the application contains the information 
required in the application materials. All activities within a proposal 
should be coordinated through a well-developed national

[[Page 18383]]

strategy and unified programmatically by a common theme and program 
elements, including training and technical assistance.
    To ensure fairness to all applicants, the Corporation reserves the 
right to take action up to and including disqualification, in the event 
that a proposal fails to comply with any requirements specified in the 
application instructions. After this initial screening, the Corporation 
will assess applications based on the following criteria that will be 
further specified in the application instructions:
    (1) The capacity of the applicant to effectively implement RSVP 
according to law, regulations and current Corporation policy, 
procedures, and priorities.
    (2) The cost-effectiveness of the proposal; the applicant's ability 
to leverage significant additional resources from non-federal sources 
to support and sustain the project; and the extent to which the 
national organization can demonstrate that local projects have the 
capacity to continue in subsequent years.
    The Corporation will take into consideration the following factors 
after the proposals are assessed:
    Geographic Location: The Corporation will assure that local 
projects include a mix of urban and rural sites.
    Diversity: The Corporation will select organizations whose local 
projects have the capacity to recruit ethnic and racial minorities, 
males and persons with disabilities.

I. Applicable Regulations

    Regulations governing the RSVP Program are located in 45 CFR part 
1209 (1997).

J. Program Authority

    The Corporation's authority to make these grants is codified in 42 
U.S.C. 5001.

    Dated: April 10, 1998.
Thomas L. Bryant,
Associate General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 98-10021 Filed 4-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-P