[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18379-18381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10020]


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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.

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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:

A. 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.

B. 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.

C. 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.

D. 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.

E. 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.

F. 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.

G. 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.

H. 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.

I. Applicable Regulations

    Regulations governing the Foster Grandparent Program are located in 
45 CFR part 1208 (1997).

J. 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. 98-10020 Filed 4-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-P