To
assist refugees in becoming self-supporting and independent members
of American society, by providing grant funds to private nonprofit
organizations to support case management, transitional assistance,
and social services for new arrivals.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Federal
funds of up to $2,000 per refugee were provided on a matching basis
of $2.00 of Federal funds for each $1.00 of private funds. Required
services included case management, job development, and maintenance
support for up to 4 months. Assistance could also be used for English
language training, job training, medical support, maintenance and
cash allowance.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: Grant awards are limited to private
nonprofit organizations which have a Reception and Placement Grant
with the Department of State or Department of Justice and are to
provide the prescribed services to eligible recipient refugees.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: Refugees will be determined eligible
by the grantee agencies as verified by Health and Human Services
(HHS) monitoring. Refugees must be enrolled within 31 days of
arrival. Entrants/asylees must be enrolled within 31 days of granting
of parole or asylum.
Credentials/Documentation:
Newly arriving refugees with an employable refugee in the case
with documentation from INS as to refugee, entrant/asylee status
are eligible. Cost principles for nonprofit organizations will
be determined by OMB Circular No. A-122. This program is excluded
from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.
Pre-application
Coordination: This program is excluded from
coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application
Procedure: This program is subject to the
provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110. This program is excluded
from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102.
Award
Procedure: Eligible applicants submit a signed
application to HHS. This document includes a detailed program
proposal and budget. Subsequent to review by an independent panel
and the analysis of funding recommendations, the Director makes
final funding decisions and grant awards are issued.
Deadlines:
Determined annually. Program operates on a calendar year.
Formula
and Matching Requirements: Grants are awarded
on a basis of $2.00 in Federal funds for each $1.00 of private funds
up to a maximum of $2,000 per refugee. Up to 80 percent of the nonfederal
share may be through in-kind donations, with a minimum required
cash match of 20 percent.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: Funds are
awarded in the fiscal year for which the appropriation was made.
Grants project and budget periods are on a calendar year basis
and are generally awarded with a 3-year project period and incremental
1-year budget periods.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Program Progress Reports are required every four months and Financial
Reports are required semi-annually. A programmatic narrative report
is due February 15th of each year. An interim final financial statement
is due 90 days after the program period has ended and a final financial
report is due 210 days after the projected period.
Audits:
Periodic audits should be made as part of the recipient's systems
of financial management and internal control to meet terms and
conditions of grants and other agreements. In accordance with
the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997),
"Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations,"
nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000
or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific
audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend
less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal
audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular
No. A-133.
Records:
The grantee shall maintain individual case records on all refugees
counted as receiving services.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 75-1503-0-1-609.
Obligations:
FY 01 $59,214,000; FY 02 est $58,710,000; and FY 03 est $61,560,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
In fiscal year 2001, grants ranged from $972,000 to $17,000,000
to nine National Voluntary Agencies on behalf of 239 local affiliate
sites. The average grant amount was $6,579,333 to a voluntary
agency, and $247,757 to a local affiliate. Federal funds
listed must be matched by 50% in private funds.
In calendar year 2001, refugee arrivals virtually ceased after the
9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. Still the program was able to
serve more than 26,000 refugees of 29,000 refugees proposed to be
served in calendar year 2001. Miami, Florida has the largest number
of refugees served in the program with 4,176 served by eight different
Volag affiliates. Houston, New York and Atlanta were the next three
largest cities where the Matching Grant program was offered with
a combined total of nearly 5,000 refugees served. Approximately
80% of refugees participating in the program become self- sufficient
within 120 days. It is estimated that 9 agencies will continue to
receive awards in calendar years 2002 and 2003.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
All inquiries should be directed to the Information Contact listed
below.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: Not applicable.
Headquarters
Office: Ron Munia, Office of Refugee Resettlement,
Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health
and Human Services, 6th Floor, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington,
DC 20447. Telephone: (202) 401-4559. Use the same number for FTS.
Web
Site Address: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/orr
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
In fiscal year 2001, USCCB has 60 sites where Matching Grant is
offered and was funded to serve 8,500 refugees. EMM was awarded
$2,186,000 to serve 1,093 clients in 20 sites. LIRS received $8,290,000
to serve 4,145 clients in 29 locations around the nation.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
Matching grant awards are made on the basis of a panel review using
evaluation criteria contained in the program guidelines implemented
in January 2000.
