ADMINISTRATION
FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
AUTHORIZATION:
Assets
for Independence Act, Title IV; Community Opportunities, Accountability,
Training, and Educational Services Act of 1998, Public Law 105-285,
42 U.S.C. 604, as amended.
To
provide for the establishment of demonstration projects designed
to determine: 1) the social, civic, psychological, and economic
effects of providing to individuals and families with limited means
an incentive to accumulate assets by saving a portion of their earned
income; 2) the extent to which an asset-based policy that promotes
saving for postsecondary education, homeownership, and microenterprise
development may be used to enable individuals and families with
limited means to increase their economic self-sufficiency; and 3)
the extent to which an asset-based policy stabilizes and improves
families and the community in which the families live.
TYPES
OF ASSISTANCE:
Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES
AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
Demonstration
grants for five-year project and budget periods with a 100 percent
nonfederal cash match requirement. Federal and nonfederal funds
must be used in the amount of 85 percent, in equal amounts to match
deposits by Project Participants in Individual Development Accounts
(IDAs) at an agreed upon ratio of from one to eight dollars of participant
deposits must be used. A maximum contribution of Federal dollars
of $2,000 per individual and $4,000 per household. Funds from the
IDAs may be used for any of four "Qualified Expenses": 1) Postsecondary
education expenses; 2) expenses of purchasing a first home; 3) capitalization
expenses of starting a business; and, 4) transfers to IDAs of family
members.
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant
Eligibility: Eligible applicants are (1) Private
nonprofit organizations that are tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) State or local agencies or Tribal
governments submitting applications jointly with tax exempt organizations;
or, (3) a credit union designated as a low-income credit union by
the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA); or an organization
designated as a community development financial institution (CDFI)
by the Secretary of the Treasury (or the CDFI Fund). Each of the
latter entities must demonstrate a collaborative relationship with
a local community-based organization whose activities are designed
to address poverty in the community and the needs of community members
for economic independence and stability.
Beneficiary
Eligibility: Eligible program participants
are individuals that are members of households eligible for assistance
under TANF or of households whose adjusted gross income does not
exceed the earned income amount as described in Section 32 of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, taking into account the size
of the household or of households whose annual income does not
exceed 200 percent of the poverty income guidelines as established
and published by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The net worth of the household at the end of the calendar year
preceding the determination of eligibility must not exceed $10,000
excluding the primary dwelling unit and one motor vehicle owned
by a member of the household. Grantees targeting individuals in
neighborhoods and communities of high poverty or unemployment
may restrict eligibility in neighborhoods and communities of individuals
with lower incomes and net worth.
Credentials/Documentation:
Applicants that are private nonprofit organizations must submit
proof of 501(c)(3) tax exempt status along with the application.
Pre-application
Coordination: This program is eligible for coverage
under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs."
An applicant should consult the office or official 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, and
45 CFR 100, Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and
Human Services Programs and Activities". Applicants from participating
jurisdictions should contact their State Point Of Contact (SPOC)
as soon as possible to alert them and receive instructions.
Application
Procedure: Competitive applications must be
submitted on Standard Forms 424, 424A, and 424B, and include a
project narrative as described in the program announcement issued
by the Office of Community Services and published in the Federal
Register. Required forms are attached to the published announcement.
No State plan is required.
Award
Procedure: Final decision on awarding of competitive
grants will be made by the Director of the Office of Community
Services, Administration for Children and Families, Department
of Health and Human Services, after peer review and rating of
applications on the basis of program elements and criteria set
forth in the program announcement. Applications generally will
be considered in the order of the average scores assigned by reviewers.
However, highly ranked applications are not guaranteed funding
since other factors are taken into consideration, including, but
not limited to, the timely and proper completion of projects funded
with OCS funds granted in the last 5 years; comments of reviewers
and government officials; staff evaluation and input; geographic
distribution of applications; compliance with grant terms under
previous DHHS grants, including the actual dedication to program
of mobilized resources as set forth in project applications; audit
reports; and applicant's progress in resolving any final audit
disallowances on previous OCS or other Federal agency grants.
Deadlines:
To be considered for fiscal year 2002 funding, applications must
be postmarked on or before 60 days after publication in the Federal
Register of the 2001 OCS Program Announcement. OCS expects that
this announcement will be published on or about March 27, 2002.
In future years, submission deadlines will normally be one hundred
and twenty days after publication of Program Announcements in
the Federal Register.
Range
of Approval/Disapproval Time: Applications
will normally be approved/disapproved and grant awards made within
ninety days of application receipt.
Appeals:
Not applicable.
Renewals:
Not applicable.
ASSISTANCE
CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula
and Matching Requirements: This program has
no statutory formula. Grant amounts are limited by Statute to an
amount of matching cash nonfederal contributions.
Length
and Time Phasing of Assistance: One-time grants
are for 5-year budget and project periods. Funds may be drawn
down during the 5-year budget period in amounts equal to deposit
of required nonfederal matching contributions in the reserve fund
required of each project.
POST
ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports:
Grantees will be required to submit an semi-annual program progress
and financial report (SF 269) covering the 6 month period after
grant award and first project year. Thereafter, grantees will be
required to submit annual program progress and financial reports
SF-269) within 60 days to the end of the project year, as well as
a final program and financial report within 90 days of the expiration
of the grant.
Audits:
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 that year, except as noted
in Circular No. A-133.
Records:
None.
FINANCIAL
INFORMATION:
Account
Identification: 75-1536-0-1-506.
Obligations:
(Grants and Contracts) FY 01 $24,878,326; FY 02 est $24,976,000;
and FY 03 est $24,990,000.
Range
and Average of Financial Assistance:
The agency has funded applications that range from $10,000
to $1,000,000. The average grant funded in the last funding
cycle was $238,000. OCS expects to fund approximately 60
new grants generally not to exceed $1,000,000 each for
the 5 year project and budget periods. Eligible entities may apply
for new grants up to the statutory limit of $1,000,000
in each funding cycle.
In fiscal year 2001, 60 new demonstration project grants were awarded
bringing the total number of active five year projects to 125. An
additional 24 previous awardee were granted supplements to their
grants. It is estimated that more than 16,000 new IDAs will be opened
for clients within these projects.
REGULATIONS,
GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
New accounting interim final regulations were published On February
24, 2000 amending 45 CFR Part 1000, RIN 0970-AC02. These regulations
prescribe the rules grantees must follow in accounting for monies
in reserve funds, established under the Act which are used for depositing
grant funds, the nonfederal matching funds required for establishing
individual development accounts, and the proceeds from any investment
of such funds. The following regulations also apply: Title 45 of
the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 16 - DHHS Grant Appeals Process,
Part 74 - Administration of Grants (grants with subgrants to entities),
Part 75 - Informal Grant Appeal Procedures, Part 76 - Debarment
and Suspension from Eligibility For Financial Assistance, Subpart
F - Drug Free Workplace Requirements, Part 80 - Non-discrimination
Under Programs Receiving Federal Assistance through Department of
Health and Human Services Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, Part 81 - Practice and Procedures for Hearings
Under Part 80 of this Title, Part 83 - Regulation for the Administration
and Enforcement of Sections 799A and 845 of the Public Health Service
Act, Part 84 - Non-discrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs
and Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance, Part 85 -
Enforcement of Non- discrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs
or Activities Conducted by Department of Health and Human Services,
Part 86 - Non- discrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs
and Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal Financial Assistance,
Part 91 - Non-discrimination on the Basis of Age in Health and Human
Services Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance,
Part 92 - Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative
Agreements to States and Local Governments (Federal Register, March
11, 1988), Part 93 - New Restrictions on Lobbying.
INFORMATION
CONTACTS:
Regional
or Local Office: None.
Headquarters
Office: Sheldon Shalit, Office of Community
Services, Administration for Children and Families, Department
of Health and Human Services, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington,
DC 20447. Telephone: (202) 401-4807 or e-mail address: sshalit@ACF.DHHS.GOV.
Web
Site Address: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/ocs
EXAMPLES
OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
List of funded projects is available on request to Information Contacts
above.
CRITERIA
FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
(1) Organization experience and administrative capability; (2) sufficiency
of the project theory, design, and plan: The degree to which the
project described in the application appears likely to aid project
participants in achieving economic self-sufficiency through activities
requiring one or more of the qualified expenses (postsecondary education,
first home purchase, or business capitalization); (3) adequacy of
plan for providing information for evaluation; (4) commitment of
nonfederal funds and additional resources; (5) results or benefits
expected; and (6) significant and beneficial impacts.
