Your application consists of Standard Form 424 and page one only of Standard Form 424A; and a narrative that addresses Program D

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Application Instructions

The applicant must provide a well-designed plan with a clear and compelling justification for awarding the requested funds.  The narratives must cover the three year project period for which the applicant is requesting approval.

The completed application will consist of the following components, described in more detail below:

    1. Standard Form 424 Facesheet 
    2. Executive Summary (maximum length – 2,000 characters) 
    3. Narratives:  (maximum length for combined narratives – 23,000 characters) 
        a. Program Design 
        b. Organizational Capacity 
        c. Budget/Cost Effectiveness 
    2. Standard Form 424A Budget 
5. 	Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications 
6. 	Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants (Optional) 

1.  Facesheet. You can find the Standard Form 424 and instructions here: http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp. 
Applications must include a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number on the Standard Form 424  

2. Executive Summary.  Summarize your proposed project in 2,000 characters or less.

3.  Narratives.   Please address the following elements in your narrative: 

a.  Program Design 
Describe your approach to addressing the need or problem described in the Notice of Federal Funding Opportunity.  Your strategy should address the following: 

Goals and Objectives.  What are your proposed project’s proposed goals and objectives?  What are the expected outcomes and how will you measure them?  What is the connection between the community need(s) you describe and the approach you are proposing?  In describing the strategy, address the following:
    • Who is the target population or beneficiaries of this proposed project?
    • Why will this approach be successful and why is it more promising than other alternative approaches?

Community Resources.  Your strategy to secure matching funds should address the following: 
    • How will you use existing community resources, such as other service or community organizations, community volunteers, to implement your approach? 
    • How will the proposed program benefit the community?  
    • How will the program collaborate with organizations in your community and beyond? 

Description of Activities.  Please describe in detail the activities of the proposed program and provide a timeline for the activities. 

b.   Organizational Capacity  
Describe your capacity to implement and manage the proposed program.  Your description should address the following:

Ability to Provide Program Oversight.  Describe the experience and infrastructure your organization has in managing similar programs.  
Ability to Provide Fiscal Oversight.  Describe the experience and infrastructure your organization has in managing grants.  What is your current organizational budget? What percentage of the budget would this grant represent?  How will you ensure compliance with Federal requirements?  

c.   Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy

Budget and Program Design.  Explain how the proposed program budget reflects the program’s goals and design. 

Match Sources.  The Notice will include information about match.  If match is required, list your planned sources of match. 

    4. Budget. You can find the Standard Form 424A and instructions here: http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp

    5. Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications. Authorize and certify your application in eGrants.

6.  Equal Opportunity Survey:  Applicants are asked to complete the Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants.  You can find this Survey at http://www.nationalservice.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp. 

Reporting Questions

On an annual basis you will be expected to respond to the following reporting questions:

Section I:  Demographic Information

This section contains a list of demographic indicators of interest to the Corporation and our stakeholders.  To complete this section, enter as accurate an estimate as possible for each indicator that is relevant to your program design.  If you do not collect data on an indicator because it is not relevant to your program design, enter a zero (0) in that field. 

All grantees are required to report the total number of leveraged volunteers and number of volunteer hours and the number of new volunteers leveraged and number of new volunteer hours.

Please note that you are not required to report on every indicator other than the required elements.  However, if your program includes these types of leveraged volunteers or target groups, include an estimate of their totals.

Indicator
Definition
Number
REQUIRED
Leveraged volunteers
Number of volunteers of all ages who were recruited, coordinated, or supported by your grant..  

REQUIRED
Volunteer hours
Number of hours leveraged volunteers served during the reporting period.

REQUIRED
Leveraged New volunteers
Number of individuals who served as leveraged volunteers who are NEW volunteers.

REQUIRED
New Volunteer hours
Number of hours leveraged volunteers served during the reporting period that were by NEW volunteers.

Leveraged Volunteers
Disadvantaged children and youth
Number of disadvantaged children and youth who served as leveraged volunteers.  Disadvantaged children and youth are those up to age 25 with exceptional or special needs (as defined in part 2552.12 (f) and (g) of the DVSA regulations1), or who are economically disadvantaged and for whom one or more of the following apply:  1) out-of-school, including out-of-school youth who are unemployed; 2) in or aging out of foster care; 3) limited English proficiency; 4) homeless or have run away from home; 5) at-risk to leave school without a diploma; and 6) former juvenile offenders or at risk of delinquency.  
 


College students

Number of individuals who served as leveraged volunteers who are enrolled in a degree-seeking program at a community, professional, or technical college, or within an undergraduate or graduate program at a college or university. 

Baby Boomers
Number of individuals born between 1946 and 1964 who served as leveraged volunteers.

Populations Served
Disadvantaged children and youth
Number of disadvantaged children and youth served (see definition above).

Children of incarcerated parents
Number of children and youth up to age 25, who had one or both parents or legal guardians serving or having served a period of time in jail and/or prison.  You should only report the number of children of incarcerated parents served by programs designed to work with this population.  

Individuals mentored
Number of formal, sustained relationships established between an older or more experienced person and a younger or less experienced person for the purpose of academic, social, or career support.  This does not include the relationship between a teacher and his or her students in a classroom setting.  If your program supports mentors who work with multiple mentees, please report total number of individuals mentored. 

Independent living services
Number of clients who received independent living services, including respite care, to help them live independently in their homes in community-based settings.

Disaster preparedness and response
Number of community members who receive assistance from members responding to disasters and participating in recovery. 


Section II: Performance Measures

The performance measures from approved applications will automatically populate the Grantee Performance Report in eGrants.  Grantees will report on each measure separately in the text box provided.  To complete this section, enter the following information for each performance measure.

    • Target Actual to Date:  Enter a numerical value documenting the actual progress towards the measure.  For example, if the program anticipated placing 500 volunteers during the reporting period, specify the number of volunteers that were actually placed. Use complete sentences.
    • Performance Measure Accomplishments:  You may elaborate on the program’s progress toward a measure in this field
    • Challenges/Corrective Actions:  For each target that a program did not reach, explain why it did not reach the target and the corrective actions that will be carried out to improve performance.  This information is required if a program did not reach a target.

Section III: Narratives

In this section, describe activities from the reporting period in more detail. Focus your remarks as described below.  Please limit each narrative to 1,500 words or less, approximately 1-3 pages in length.
 
    1. Volunteer Activities
Describe the activities that the volunteers carried out.  This may include but is not limited to meaningful roles, the important needs addressed, the impact of their service and participation in National Days of Service.

    2. Successes and Challenges
Describe any factors that have positively or negatively influenced program performance.  Illustrate the trends that you see affecting your program.  The discussion may include but is not limited to program design, program and financial management, systems, data collection, evaluation, capacity building, and resource development, including raising match funds, strategic partnerships, successful strategies or lessons learned that may be useful to other grantees. 


3.  Other Accomplishments
Highlight activities which are especially reflective of the impact the program has in the community.  Describe accomplishments that increased the number of volunteers engaged in meaningful roles in meeting community needs.  Illustrate activities that enhanced the capacity and sustainability of volunteer connector organizations as effective delivery systems. Include numerical data whenever possible.


4.   Activities Related to Corporation Strategic Initiatives  
If programs or sites have addressed any of the Corporation Strategic Initiatives particularly effectively, describe these activities here.  

Section IV: Review and Submit
Please review the report carefully before submitting.  Your Program Officer will review and provide feedback, using eGrants, in a timely fashion.

    V. Burden
Total Respondents:  2,000.
Frequency:  Depending on the availability of appropriations.
Average Time Per Response:  Application averages 8 hours.  Reporting averages 8 hours. 
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 32,000 hours.