Grants and cooperative agreements; availability, etc.: AmeriCorps* programs Foster grandparent projects,
[Federal Register: April 15, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 72)]
[Notices]
[Page 18379-18381]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15ap98-51]
CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
Availability of Funds for New Foster Grandparent Projects-- Nationwide
AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.
SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service (hereinafter the ``Corporation'') announces the availability of up to $3,000,000 to support 684 Foster Grandparents in new geographic areas that do not fall within approved geographic service areas of current Foster Grandparent program sponsors or urban areas or large counties where the project serves only part of the city or county. Approximately $1,500,000 will be made available to support each of two national organizations and six of their local affiliates. Each national organization will be expected to provide coordination, networking, and training and technical assistance to its local affiliates. The affiliates of each national organization will support a total of approximately 337 Foster Grandparents 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 the existing networks of the national organizations. The Corporation is seeking national organizations that are willing to actively promote senior service within their own networks and that view older volunteers as an important resource in accomplishing their own objectives.
The purpose of the Foster Grandparent Program is to provide
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opportunities for income eligible individuals 60 years of age and over to serve children and youth with special or exceptional needs on a person to person basis. 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:
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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 those who make a substantial commitment to service.
The Foster Grandparent Program (FACP.) is authorized by the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended. See 42 U.S.C. 5011 et seq. The FCP. is one of three programs that comprise the National Senior Service Corps. All three Senior Corps programs are based on the premise that seniors are valuable resources, can be mobilized to help meet priority community needs, and through their skills and talents can have an impact on national problems of local concern. The FCP provides communities with valuable service by empowering older adults to contribute to their communities through volunteer service and enhance the lives of the volunteers and those they serve.
The program began in 1965 as a national demonstration designed to show that low-income persons 60 years of age and over having the maturity and experience to establish a personal relationship with children having either special or exceptional needs. Today there are over 21,000 Foster Grandparents providing care and attention every day to more than 80,000 qualified children and youth. Foster Grandparents volunteer in schools, hospitals, drug treatment centers, correctional institutions, and Head Start and day care centers. They offer emotional support to children who have been abused and neglected, mentor troubled teenagers and young mothers, care for premature infants and children with physical disabilities or severe illnesses, including AIDS. This special relationship and high level of personal care provided by Foster Grandparents helps young people grow, gain confidence, and become more productive members of society.
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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 the FCP. 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. Grantees will be encouraged to 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.
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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 have the potential to view older volunteers as an important resource in accomplishing their own objectives. Foster Grandparent sponsors that are already funded by the Corporation are not eligible to receive a grant to expand into new geographic areas.
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Award Process and Estimated Number of Awards
The Corporation will issue a letter of intent to provide funding to each approved applicant. The 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 six awards to local affiliates of each national organization.
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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 support approximately 56 Foster Grandparent Volunteer Service Years (V.S.). The amount of each local grant will include funds to cover: volunteer cost reimbursements including stipends of approximately $2,662 a year for each Volunteer Service Year (VSY), transportation, meals and insurance; and volunteer support costs including
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project administration, staff and training and technical assistance. The average federal cost per Volunteer Service Year (VSY) is approximately $4,000 for standard volunteers and $4,600 for volunteer leaders.
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 FGP.
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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.
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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 (Corporation Form 424-B) and Certifications (Corporation Form 424E-G);
(3) Verification of status as a non-profit organization as described in Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
(4) Most recent audit report.
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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 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 the FGP 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 the capacity of the local affiliates to continue the projects at the local level 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.
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Applicable Regulations
Regulations governing the Foster Grandparent Program are located in 45 CFR part 1208 (1997).
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Program Authority
The Corporation's authority to make these grants is codified in 42 U.S.C. 5011.
Dated: April 10, 1998. Thomas L. Bryant, Associate General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 98-10020Filed4-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-P
