To
provide for community-based, local, statewide and national programs
which: (1) Coordinate existing private and public food assistance
resources to better serve low-income populations, whenever such
coordination is determined to be inadequate; (2) assist low-income
communities to identify potential sponsors of child nutrition programs
and initiate new programs in underserved or unserved areas; and
(3) develop innovative approaches at the State and local level to
meet the nutritional needs of low-income individuals.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Formula Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
Direct Payments for Specified Use. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
(1)
States receive Community Food and Nutrition funds for Statewide
Community Food and Nutrition initiatives, which must be subgranted
to eligible agencies. (2) Federal funds are competitively-awarded
to eligible agencies for statewide and local program activities
which address one or more of the above objectives and also include
outreach and public education efforts designed to inform low-income
individuals and displaced workers of the nutrition services available
to them under the various federally-assisted nutrition programs.
Of the amounts appropriated, 60 percent is for allotment by statutory
formula to eligible agencies for statewide programs, and 40 percent
is available for competitive awards to eligible agencies for local
and statewide programs. (3) Projects must result in direct benefits
targeted toward low-income individuals as defined in the most recent
"Annual Update of Poverty Income Guidelines," published in the Federal
Register. (4) Projects are normally funded for 1 year and each project
will have an expiration date; however, at the Director's discretion,
competitively-awarded grants may support projects for shorter or
longer periods, i.e., up to 17 months. (5) States may not use their
formula grant supplement for State-level administrative costs.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: (1) Formula Grants: Formula grants
are awarded to Community Services Block Grant recipients in each
of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, Guam the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern
Mariana Islands. (2) Direct Grants: The Secretary of Health and
Human Services is authorized to make direct grants to State and
local public and private nonprofit agencies with a demonstrated
ability to successfully develop and implement nutrition-related
program activities.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: A project must be targeted to
address the needs of a specific segment of low-income individuals
or families. The official poverty line, as established by the
Department of Health and Human Services is used as a criterion
of eligibility.
Credentials/Documentation:
Formula Grants: Formula grant awards are made to Community Services
Block Grant recipients.
Pre-application
Coordination: (1) Formula Grants: States are
required to submit an annual application for the formula grant awards.
(2) Direct Grants: The competitively-awarded grants are subject
to the provisions of Title 45 CFR 74 and 92 and E.O. 12372. This
program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental
Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office
or officials designated as the single point of contact in his or
her State for more information on the process the State requires
to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected
the program for review. Applicants for funds are subject to the
clearance procedures and requirements established by the States
in which their projects will be conducted. Clearance action through
the appropriate State clearinghouses must be initiated prior to
or at the same time of submission of proposals to the Office of
Community Services (OCS).
Application
Procedure: (1) Formula Grants: None is required
for the formula grant awards, since they are made as supplements
to the existing Community Services Block Grant awards; however,
if the intended use of funds is not consistent with its current
block grant application, the State must submit an appropriate
plan revision to OCS. (2) Direct Grants: Applications to OCS for
competitively-awarded direct grants should be addressed to: Division
of Discretionary Grants, Administration for Children and Families
(ACF), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), 370 L'Enfant
Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447. All applications for assistance
under this program component must contain: (1) SF-424, Application
for Federal Assistance; (2) SF-424A, Budget Information; (3) a
program narrative, submitted in accordance with the following
format: (a) analysis of need; (b) project design/work program;
(c) organizational experience in program area; (d) management
history; (e) staffing and resources; and (f) staff responsibilities;
(4) SF-424B, Assurances-Non-Construction Programs; (5) Certification
Regarding Drug Free Work place Requirements; (6) Certification
Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters;
(7) Certification Regarding Lobbying; and certification regarding
environmental tobacco smoke.
Award
Procedure: (1) Formula Grants: OCS determines
the amount to be awarded to States in accordance with the formula
set forth in the Community Services Block Grant Act, as amended.
(2) Direct Grants: The Director, Office of Community Services,
Administration for Children and Families, DHHS, will make the
final decision on all grant awards. Selection of applicants will
be determined based on the review and rating criteria outlined
in the Program Announcement.
Deadlines:
(1) Formula Grants: None is applicable for formula grants. Grants
are awarded anytime during the fiscal year in which the recipient
submits his or her application. (2) Direct Grants: Applications
must be submitted within the time frame published in the Program
Announcement. Applicants should contact the following office for
specific deadlines: Office of Community Services, ACF, 5th Floor,
370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: (1) Formula
Grants: Not applicable. (2) Direct Grants: From 60 to 90 days
from the application deadline.
Appeals:
Not applicable.
Renewals:
Not applicable.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: (1) Formula Grants:
Section 681 of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Act, as
amended (Public Law 97-35, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 9910) prescribes
that, from 60 percent of the amount appropriated shall be awarded
to eligible agencies for Statewide programs in each State in an
amount which bears the same ratio to 60 percent of such appropriations
as the low-income and unemployed populations of such State bear
to the low-income and unemployed population of all the States. There
is no matching requirement. (2) Direct Grants: Section 681 of the
CSBG Act, as amended, provides that 40 percent of the amount appropriated
be awarded as direct grants to eligible agencies for local and statewide
programs. These awards are made on a competitive basis. There is
no matching requirement.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: (1) Formula
Grants: Formula grant awards are made for a specific grant period
in the fiscal year; amounts unobligated by the State at the end
of a grant period are not available for obligation after the expiration
of the established grant period. (2) Direct Grants: Financial
assistance made available under the competitive grant component
will normally be for a 1-year period and each project will have
an expiration date. However, at the discretion of the Director,
Office of Community Services, Administration for Children and
Families, shorter or longer project periods, i.e., up to 17 months,
may be established.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
(1) Formula Grants: States must prepare a final report on the use
of formula grants of Community Food and Nutrition funds 90 days
after the end of the grant period. (2) Direct Grants: Competitively-awarded
direct grant recipients are required to file semi-annual financial
and program progress reports and a final narrative report summarizing
the activities and accomplishments of the project in relation to
the work program approved by OCS.
Audits:
Audits are conducted in accordance with the requirements in 45
CFR 74 and 92 and OMB Circular No. A-133. In accordance with the
provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, (Revised, June 24, 1997),
"Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit 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 the year, except as noted in Circular No.
A-133.
Records:
(1) Formula Grants: States receiving formula grants are required
to keep records sufficient to permit preparation of required reports
and to permit tracing of funds to a level of expenditure adequate
to insure that funds have not been spent unlawfully. (2) Direct
Grants: Recipients of competitively-awarded direct grants are
required to keep all financial and program reports necessary for
program review and audit to insure that funds have been expended
in accordance with grant terms and conditions. Records must be
kept on file for at least 3 years.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 75-1504-0-1-506.
Obligations:
(Grants and Contracts) FY 01 $6,314,000; FY 02 $7,314,000; and
FY 03 est $6,657,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance: (1) Formula Grants: $715 to $363,440; (2) Direct
Grants: $50,000.
In fiscal year 2001, 103 grants were awarded. It is anticipated
that 105 grants will be awarded for fiscal year 2002 and 100 in
fiscal year 2003.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
(1) Formula Grants: the CSBG Act, as amended, and internal Information
Memorandum. (2) Direct Grants: Office of Community Services, Program
Announcement, notice of availability published in the Federal Register.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: Not applicable.
Headquarters
Office: (1) Formula Grants: Mae Brooks, Chief,
CSBG Branch, on (202) 401-9344; (2) Direct Grants: Catherine Rivers,
Division of Community Discretionary Programs, Office of Community
Services, Administration for Children and Families, Department
of Health and Human Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington,
20447. Telephone: (202) 401-5039.
Web
Site Address: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/ocs
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
Not applicable.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
(1) Formula Grants: Based on a complete application which addressed
the objectives contained in this submission. (2) The rating criteria
for competitively-awarded direct grants are as follows: (a) analysis
of needs (target area/population to be served, nature and extent
of problem adequately described and documented); (b) adequacy of
work program (specific, measurable goals appropriately related to
needs, adequately described activities appropriately related to
goals); (c) significant and beneficial impact (significantly improved
or increased nutrition services for low-income individuals, significant
leverage or mobilization of funds, the enhancement of existing outreach
activity, and either addresses a one-time problem or can be continued
with nonfederal resources); (d) implementation coordinated with
other organizations to avoid duplication and improve service delivery;
(e) ability of applicant to perform (successful past experience
in operation nutrition-related activities, and quality of staff);
and (f) adequacy of the proposed budget.
