Frequently Asked Questions - AmeriCorps RFA

1. If we have to apply every year, are the contracts only for one year, too?

No. Project/Award Period (Page 11 of the RFA)
Awards will be made for 18 months. AmeriCorps Members may not begin service until the Corporation and the Illinois Department of Public Health issues the grant award and grant agreement. A program may not certify hours a member performs prior to the award being issued.

2. If we apply for the Governor-Mayor initiative and do not get selected, will we be moved over to the Formula category?

The Governor-Mayor initiative is part of the competitive process. Any competitive applicants that do not receive funding will be moved to the formula pool for consideration.

3. If called to send in a Competitive grant, do you still qualify for a Formula grant if not successful at the national level?

If recommended for Competitive funding but not selected, the original application will be considered for Formula Funding.

4. Will national organizations be penalized for applying at the State and National levels? For example, will state applications be de-prioritized if a national grant is submitted?

This has not been the case in the past.

5. How does scale factor into scoring the application?

A programs current capacity plays a role and ability to scale is valued; however, size or scale is not the sole determining factor in scoring.

6. What role do Commissioners play in the decision-making process?

Commissioners review applications and assist in scoring the applications. Note that if a Commissioner has a relationship with an applicant, for example - they serve on an applicant’s Board of Directors, they do not participate in the process. All funding decisions require a majority vote of the Commission’s voting members.

7. For continuation applications, are we limited to the program areas and performance measures that were previously funded?

Continuation applications should continue with the same performance measures. If applying as a recomplete program, the focus can change. See Section H on page 40 of the RFA for more details.

8. Are continuation and new programs competing equally?

Yes, all programs compete equally.

9. If you apply for AmeriCorps members, can they be doing different categories or focus areas, if they are part time?

Yes

10. Are both Competitive and Formula programs required to meet the 8 MSY minimum?

Yes, and there is a 20 Member minimum for all Competitive applications. Note there is an error on page 7 of the RFA. It states that “only programs with 20 or more MSY will be considered for the AmeriCorps*State Competitive grant.” It should read, “only programs with 20 or more Members…”.

11. We have begun drafting our narrative and are not sure if the document needs to be double or single spaced.

Most formatting will be removed when you post the narrative on to eGrants. It seems that eGrants uses 1.5 spacing, but we recommend you put your narratives into eGrants early so you can check the length.

12. Do we send additional documents to Serve Illinois and CNCS?

No, just send the documents to Serve Illinois and we will forward the documents.

13. When are the other documents due?

All application materials must be received by Serve Illinois by 5pm CST on December 4, 2015.

14. Will you take digital copies?

Yes. The additional documents can be mailed, emailed, or faxed. We prefer email.

15. CNCS has said that they are no longer requesting organization charts or letter of commitment. Does Serve Illinois still want them?

Yes. We utilize both in our review.

16. We are interested in applying for more than the minimum of 8 MSY, but are curious as to whether the number of members we ask for impacts our application.

As long as your budget meets the budget adequacy and cost effectiveness requirements starting on page 28 of the RFA, Serve Illinois will not score a program positively or negatively based on the requested MSY.

Yes, programs may be asked to reduce their budgets to take on less MSY’s than they originally requested.

17. Can current IDPH Grantees apply?

Yes. Current IDPH grantees can apply for the AmeriCorps*State program.

18. In the evidence base, will case studies be accorded value equal to that of research studies or evaluations?

Please refer to the evidence base section that begins on page 23 of the RFA. This is language taken directly from the CNCS NOFO. There is not a classification regarding what type of study is acceptable. Instead, they have a tier system that details what evidence garners what types of points.

19. The RFA references a “Glossary” section and several attachments. Where can those be found?

The Glossary can be found at http://www.nationalservice.gov/build-your-capacity/grants/funding-opportunities/2016/americorps-state-and-national-grants-fy-2016.

20. Can a community partnership apply with a fiscal agent that is a 501(c)(3)?

Yes.

21. Who is the grantee?

The legal applicant that submits the grant application.

22. How is the living stipend structured compared to VISTA?

The stipend is paid to the member by the program whereas VISTA’s are paid directly from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)

23. Would the $12,530 minimum Living Allowance come out of the $13,730 Traditional grant or is that an expense Serve Illinois would cover IN ADDITION to the grant amount?

The budget must include the Living Allowance. Serve Illinois does not provide matching funds for AmeriCorps.

24. Can you use other federal grant dollars as matching?

Any federal grant requires written approval to use as match. Only certain agencies under specific circumstances will allow their federal funds to be used for AmeriCorps match. You will need to contact your grants officer from the federal agency that you receive funding from.

25. Do you need to have a match for the EAP Award?

Education Award Program (EAP) Fixed-Amount grants: (Page 8 of the RFA). Applicants are eligible to apply for a small fixed-amount grant and use their own or other resources for the members’ living allowance and program costs. Applicants can apply for up to $800 per member service year (MSY). There is no match requirement for EAP grants. may enroll full-time and less-than-full-time members. These grants are applied for through Serve Illinois and forwarded to CNCS for review and consideration.

26. If our program works with host sites, do we need to verify they aren’t using federal funds?

Yes, if the host site fees are used to match the grant, they fall under the same rules as other matching funds.

27. Can staff training cost come out of this budget? If yes, what are some examples of what is allowed?

Staff training should be included in the budget and could cover training of supervisors, fiscal staff and/or other training needed for managing the Program and Members.

28. How do we obtain AmeriCorps regulated gear for our members? Is this an expense we can add to our budget?

Programs can obtain gear from any vendor by providing the approved logo or by going through the http://www.nationalservicegear.org/. Yes, you may use grant or matching funds to pay for gear.

29. Does the cost reimbursement limit apply only to living allowance?

All expenses requested by Programs are on a reimbursement basis.

30. Match percent is across all 3 budget sections, rather than each section, correct?

Yes, it is across all 3 budget sessions.

31. If you have a program asking for only half-time member, education award only, can you ask for $800 for each member, or are you required to ask for less?

The cost would be requested per MSY, not member. In this case, one (1) MSY would equal 2 HT member slots.

32. Is the match applied to the Total Direct Costs only or is it calculated after the 1% Serve Illinois portion has been added to the Total Direct Costs?

The 1% Commission cost must be matched, so you will match everything on the grant side on the grantee side based on your year.

33. Can the proposal request to fund 1 employee to supervise the 12 FT members and manage the program

Yes, employees can be funded on the grant side in Section 1 of the budget.

34. What is the maximum amount of funds you can apply for?

There is no maximum amount. Apply for what you feel you need to effectively manage the number of MSYs that you are requesting.

35. If a local agency wants to donate a percentage of an administrators time (salary and benefits) to the project, what documentation would be needed to use their time as in-kind match for the grant?

They would need to be budgeted in Section 1 as match, and timesheets would have to be used to track their time.

36. Regarding Budget Section III. Administrative Costs, can you offer any guidance on how to choose between using Option A CNCS Fixed Percentage Method, and Option C De Minimis Rate of 10% MTDC?

In an example scenario where budget section I totals $100,000 and budget section II totals $24,000, Option A yields $5,260 as CNCS share for Administrative Cost, while Option B yields $10,000 as CNCS share for Administrative

The de minimus rate is new for this year. Most apply for the 5/10 fixed method. We would recommend that you work with your accounting department to determine what works best for your organization. Please keep in mind that you must not bring in over $35 million in federal funds and you must never have had a negotiated indirect cost rate.

37. Are applicants required to have an Indirect Cost Rate if they are including administrative expenses to the budget?

No. You may use an Indirect Cost Rate, the 5% and 10% rate, or a de minimus rate. All are outlined on page 37 of the RFA.

38. On page 21 of the RFA, it is stated that all applications should be submitted as “Competitive.” Is this valid, even if an applicant would only be considered for a Formula grant?

Yes. We will determine if you are a competitive application or not. We will then move all non-competitive programs to our formula application. This move is done by Commission staff.

39. Can someone on state or federal disability serve as a member of AmeriCorps?

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal program that provides a monthly cash benefit to low-income individuals who are aged, blind, or who have a disability. Prior to the passage of the Heroes Earnings and Relief Tax Act of 2008 (HEART Act), receiving an AmeriCorps living allowance could disqualify an individual from eligibility. Under the HEART Act, the Social Security Administration will ignore an individual’s receipt of AmeriCorps benefits for purposes of SSI 42 eligibility. The Heart Act excludes “any benefit (whether cash or in-kind)” and so covers the living allowance, health insurance, child care, and the education award (and related interest payments). (Page 60- Program Director Manual).

40. Our students are interested in becoming members. They are over 18, are in school, and are persons with disabilities. If they are not taking the G.E.D. and they do not get a diploma but a certificate, are they eligible to apply?

Certification of Completion will be accepted for education awards.

41. Can the education award be split amongst children and grandchildren or does it all have to go to one individual?

There is only one payout per education award.

42. Please confirm that we can have a mix of members (example: 3 FTE, 3 PTE, 3 RPT).

Yes, you can mix the type of member slots.

43. Can we partner with other programs to gain our 8 members FTE?

Yes.

44. If you get funded for X number of MSYs, can you self fund the rest?

Yes. There is an option to buy additional education awards through the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Please contact the Commission for more details.

45. If we have partners to bring number of requested members up to 8, is it okay for all to have different program focus as long as all are emphasizing education, for instance?

Yes. You will need to describe those focus areas in your application and measures.

46. How should we manage 8 MSY’s in an 18 month program?

Many programs utilize the first months for recruitment and sometimes end their programs early. This is up to the program. Members may only serve for 12 months.

47. What is the health care AmeriCorps requirements?

  Grantees must provide minimum essential coverage (MEC) health coverage for full time members.

48. What is the maximum that can pay out of pocket. Our employees pay 10% of the cost.

Programs absorb the entire cost of health care for full time members. If a member is already covered (for example: a student that is covered on their parents health insurance) they can waive the health insurance offered by the program.

49. How much is the insurance for an AmeriCorps member?

This is determined by the provider selected by the Program.

50. If our agency insurance requires an employment relationship, how can AmeriCorps members be covered?

AmeriCorps members are not employees, so they will need to have a different kind of coverage.

51. Is the Illinois Commission joining The Corps Network so that our programs can get member health benefits?

Yes, Serve Illinois is a dues paying member of The Corps Network. You do not have to utilize their services for healthcare.

52. Can AmeriCorps grant funds be used to cover health care costs (understanding that dependent care isn’t covered)? If so, must these costs be kept within the $13,730 per member cost?

Yes, AmeriCorps funds can be used to pay for the health care, but you cannot exceed the maximum cost per MSY on your federal side. Any excess would have to be covered on your match/grantee side of the budget.

53. Because of the AmeriCorps focus on direct service, should we not select any of the performance measures “G3” in the CNCS Performance Measures Instructions?

You can select capacity-building measures, but they are not national priorities. We would recommend you select at least one national priority measure along with the capacity building measures.

54. Are we required to use the national performance measures?

No, you can choose your own measures, but programs that opt into the national measures will be more likely to be selected for the competitive funding process.

55. Are there performance measures for all Commission priorities?

No. We utilize your narrative, logic model, and measures to determine if you meet Commission priorities.

56. Where does Violence Prevention fall within the CNCS priority areas? It was mentioned several times in the Bidder’s Conference, but it is not listed under the national priority areas or performance measures.

Violence Prevention is a state priority area. It also is a part of the “safer communities” national funding priority mentioned on page 19 of the RFA.

57. Can members be involved in documenting or summarizing information that is included in award applications (not grants) or information for a community’s website or newsletter?

Yes, as long as those duties fall within the grant narrative and members are conducting direct service.

58. What are the requirements for grantees in regards to reporting and performance measurements/evaluation?

Grantees are required to provide mid-year and end of year progress reports and an internal or external evaluation report as required by the AmeriCorps regulations §§2522.500-2522.540 and §§2522.700-2522.740.

59. Do we need an evaluation plan if we are in the first 3-year grant cycle?

Years 1 & 2, no. You will need to turn in an evaluation plan when applying for the 3rd year. The evaluation should be conducted in year 3. The evaluation will be due on your fourth application (recompeting year).

60. What is PER?

Periodic Expense Report

61. Is it worth our time and would it strengthen our proposal to have letters of participation from agencies with which we wish to collaborate on our proposed project?

Yes, letters would help to show organizational capacity.

62. Can a student requiring an internship for graduation be an AmeriCorps member at the same time?

Yes; however, the internship would need to be determined by the school.

63. Is it required to have all members recruit and utilize volunteers?

No, the volunteer recruitment requirement is for your program, not the individual members.

64. How do you engage naturalized citizens that may not have a high school diploma or equivalent and may be unable (for various reasons – such as age) to obtain a G.E.D.?

If the prospective member is not a Lawful Permanent Resident Alien of the US they are not eligible. They need to prove they are eligible with (i) a Permanent Resident Card, INS Form I-551; (ii) an Alien Registration Receipt Card, INS Form I-551, (iii) a passport indicating that the INS has approved it as temporary evidence of lawful admission for permanent residence; or (iv) an I-94 indicating that the INS has approved it as temporary evidence of lawful admission for permanent residence. NOTE: A student visa does not confer eligibility to enroll in an AmeriCorps program.

Just having an “Form I94 Departure Record“ is not sufficient unless it is annotated to indicate the member was a LPR.

65. Please clarify if a Member can engage in grant writing for a project they are directly involved in. (i.e. if working in a tutoring program, can they write a small grant for that program?)

No. It would have to be a specific service project outside of the day to day operation of the grant.

66. What are maximum and minimum participants?

Minimum is 8 MSY, which can be broken up based on the hours time table in the instructions. There is no maximum. Although most new programs will be started at the minimum. Note that the Competitive grant requires 20 Members as a minimum.

67. If we are currently finishing a Federal award with CNCS (AmeriCorps Vista), do we need to submit an Evaluation Summary? The new application is not related to the current program.

No. You will not need an Evaluation Summary until the third year of AmeriCorps*State funding.

68. Is it correct that a program cannot apply for both traditional and ED Award only grants?

That is correct. Programs must apply for only one grant.

69. One of our partners is a community college that pays students an hourly wage for some kinds of work, and so if one of the members were a student there ?

1. Could they also be a full-time AmeriCorps member? Part-time member?
2. Does each hour of work need to be under either AmeriCorps or paid, but not both?

There is nothing that prohibits an AmeriCorps Member from having a “paying” part time or full time job in addition to the time they volunteer with AmeriCorps. The member just needs to fulfill their AmeriCorps hours in the time allotted so they can earn their education award. The hours at their “paying” job are not hours the Member can counting toward the grant.

70. If during the term of service, a member provides less than the 1,700 hours, will adjustments be made to their monthly/quarterly stipend to accurately reflect hours served?

The stipends must be paid out in equal increments regardless of how many hours are served during the pay period. If a member is not completing any hours, it’s the programs responsibility to either suspend or terminate the member. In both cases, the living stipend payments would stop.

71. Is this program separate from the AmeriCorps*VISTA program?

Yes. The VISTA program is managed directly from the federal Corporation for National and Community Service. That program focuses on capacity building while the AmeriCorps*State program that we oversee focuses on direct service.

72. Our program once administered an AmeriCorps*VISTA program. Would this qualify us as a previous grantee if we decided to apply this year?

No, your previous VISTA experience would not classify you as a previous grantee. We only factor AmeriCorps*State experience. However, you could highlight that your program has national service experience.

73. Could we have VISTA members AND AmeriCorps members, if they were doing different types of work? Is there a minimum # of VISTA members (like the 8-MSY minimum for AmeriCorps?)

Yes, VISTAs and State AmeriCorps Members may serve together.

74. Can we apply for a capacity building project?

If you intend to apply for a capacity building project, please apply for AmeriCorps Vista, AmeriCorps*State only focuses on direct service.

76. Does the National Service Recognition Day count towards members’ services hours?

Yes. That time would be logged as training.

77. Do all members need to be tied to priority areas?

No. All members do not need to be tied to priority areas.

78. Are school districts eligible to apply?

Yes. School districts, and other governmental entities, may apply for this grant.

79. If we missed the bidders conferences, may we still apply?

No. This application is only available to those who attended a bidders conference. The RFA will be released again in August of 2016 for the next round of funding.

80. Does the State Commission accept applications for state funding for AmeriCorps on an annual basis?

Yes we do. The RFA is released every year around mid-August.​