[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 131 (Friday, July 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41963-41965]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17152]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Availability of Funds for AmeriCorps*VISTA/Higher Education and 
Non-Profit Service-Learning Program Grants

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 funds 
for fiscal year 2000 for new AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to 
America) Program grants and placements focusing on meeting the needs of 
low income communities, both urban and rural, through institutions of 
higher learning and non-profit organizations engaged in service-
learning-focused activities, including current Learn and Serve America 
grantees.
    As Harris Wofford, the CEO for the Corporation has stated, ``by 
making the entire community the classroom, service-learning teaches 
students how to be better students and better citizens.'' The 
Corporation for National Service defines service-learning as an 
educational method:
     Under which students or participants learn and develop 
through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that is 
conducted in and meets the needs of a community;
     Which is coordinated within an elementary school, 
secondary school, institution of higher education, or community service 
program, and with the community;
     Which helps foster civic responsibility;
     Which is integrated into and enhances the academic 
curriculum of the students, or the educational components of the 
community service program in which the participant is enrolled; and
     Which provides structured time for the students or 
participants to reflect on the service experience.
    AmeriCorps*VISTA/Higher Education and Non-Profit Service-Learning 
Program Grants will focus on service-learning activities addressing the 
needs of low-income communities in school districts. AmeriCorps*VISTA 
Program grant recipients must create sustainable anti-poverty service-
learning programs after the AmeriCorps*VISTA resources are withdrawn. 
Applicants must clearly describe sustainable outcomes in terms of the 
impact on residents of low-income communities, both urban and rural, 
through the efforts of these projects.
    Up to 10 grants will be funded. Each grant will support a minimum 
of five AmeriCorps*VISTA members. Grants with a larger number of 
AmeriCorps*VISTA members are encouraged. It is expected that grants 
will be awarded in September 2000. Each proposed grant project must be 
within the jurisdiction of a single Corporation for National Service 
State Office (state offices cover their own states only, with the 
following exceptions that are combined: Maine & New Hampshire, Vermont 
& Massachusetts; North & South Dakotas; Virginia & Washington, DC; 
Puerto Rico & Virgin islands; Maryland & Delaware).

DATES: Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. E.D.T., August 4, 
2000.

ADDRESSES: Background information, including project applications, are 
available from the Corporation for National and Community Service, 
AmeriCorps*VISTA, 1201 New York Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20525, (202) 
606-5000, ext. 134; TDD (202) 565-2799, or TTY via the Federal 
Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. One signed original and 
two copies of the application should be submitted to the Corporation 
for National and Community Service, 1201 New York Avenue, NW, 
Washington, D.C. 20525 Attn: David Gurr. The Corporation will not 
accept applications that are submitted via facsimile or e-mail 
transmission. Applications submitted via overnight mail that arrive 
after the closing date will be accepted if they are postmarked at least 
two days prior to the closing date. Otherwise, late applications will 
not be accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, contact David 
Gurr, at 202-606-5000, ext. 212.

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 doing so, we strive to foster civic 
responsibility, strengthen the ties that bind us together as a people, 
and provide educational opportunity for those who make a substantial 
commitment to service. We support a range of national service programs, 
including AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and the National Senior 
Service Corps.
    AmeriCorps*VISTA, a component of AmeriCorps, is authorized under 
the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended (Pub. L. 93-
113). The statutory mandate of AmeriCorps*VISTA is ``to strengthen and 
supplement efforts to eliminate and alleviate poverty and poverty-
related problems in the United States by encouraging and enabling 
persons from all walks of life, all geographical areas, and all age 
groups * * * (to) assist in the solution of poverty and poverty-related 
problems, and * * * to generate the commitment of private sector 
resources, to encourage volunteer service at the local level, and to 
strengthen local agencies and organizations to carry out the purpose 
(of the program).'' (42 U.S.C. 4951)
    AmeriCorps*VISTA carries out its legislative mandate by assigning 
individuals 18 years and older, on a full-time, year-long basis, to 
public and private non-profit organizations. Each AmeriCorps*VISTA 
project must focus on the mobilization of community resources, the 
transference of skills to community residents, and the expansion of the 
capacity of community-based organizations to solve local problems. 
Programming should encourage permanent, long-term solutions to problems 
confronting low-income communities rather than short-term approaches 
for handling emergency needs.
    AmeriCorps*VISTA projects must actively elicit the support and/or 
participation of local public and private sector elements in order to 
enhance the chances of a project's success, as well as to make the 
activities undertaken by AmeriCorps*VISTA members self-sustaining.

B. Purpose of This Announcement

    The purpose of this announcement is to solicit applicants from the 
service-

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learning community who will focus efforts solely on addressing the 
needs of low-income communities. These efforts should be accomplished 
through community-based organizations and/or institutions of higher 
education whose efforts draw upon the unique strengths of service-
learning as well as learned best practices. The goal of these efforts 
is the creation of sustained service-learning opportunities and 
permanent long-term programming that continues to meet the needs of 
low-income communities after AmeriCorps*VISTA resources are withdrawn.

C. Eligible Applicants

    Institutions of higher learning and non-profit organizations 
engaged in service learning activities, including current Learn and 
Serve America grantees.

D. Scope of Grant and Project

    Each applicant should include in the Application for Federal 
Assistance (see E.2, below) funds for: a monthly subsistence allowance 
for AmeriCorps*VISTA members that is commensurate with the cost-of-
living of the assignment area, as determined by AmeriCorps*VISTA, that 
covers the cost of subsistence, utilities, and incidental expenses; an 
end-of-service cash stipend payment, accrued at the rate of $100 per 
month, for those members not selecting the AmeriCorps education award 
of $4,725; and relocation expenses not to exceed $550, for those 
AmeriCorps*VISTA members who must relocate in order to serve. Each 
grant applicant should also include in the Application for Federal 
Assistance, a request for funds for member in-service training, member 
supervision, and member/supervisor job-related transportation.
    Although there are no matching requirements for the receipt of 
AmeriCorps*VISTA members, applicants should demonstrate their 
commitment to matching the Federal contribution toward the operation of 
the AmeriCorps*VISTA project grant by offsetting all, or part of, the 
costs of member supervision, transportation, and training, as well as 
the basic costs of the project itself (e.g., space, telephone, etc.). 
This support can be achieved through cash or in-kind contributions.
    Further, applicants are encouraged to share in the costs of the 
project, including paying for a specified number of AmeriCorps*VISTA 
positions, to include all costs except for health insurance, the 
education award, health care and childcare, which will be paid by the 
Corporation.
    Grants will be awarded on a twelve-month basis with a renewal 
option subject to need, satisfactory performance, and the availability 
of Corporation resources. 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 AmeriCorps*VISTA Program, or to approve any specific 
number of non-grant projects for the placement of AmeriCorps*VISTA 
members.

E. Submission Requirements

    To be considered for funding, applicants must submit one signed 
original and two copies, of the AmeriCorps*VISTA application form. Each 
must contain an original signature in all sections where it is 
required. In addition, applicants must include the following:
    1. A one-page narrative summary description, single-spaced, single-
sided, of the proposed AmeriCorps*VISTA project including the name, 
address, telephone number, and contact person for the applicant 
organization. The summary should include the major objectives and 
expected long-term outcomes of the project. The summary will be used as 
a project abstract to provide reviewers with an introduction to the 
substantive parts of the application. Therefore, care should be taken 
to produce a summary that accurately and concisely reflects the 
proposal.
    2. Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424) (OMB Approval No. 
0348-0043), including the Part II Budget. This is a standard form used 
by applicants as a required face sheet for applications requesting 
Federal assistance. It includes attachments requiring signatures 
assuring that applicants comply with all other relevant Federal laws, 
rules and regulations, and certifications that: (a) The applicant has 
not been debarred from receiving Federal assistance, (b) that it has a 
drug-free work plan and (c) that it will comply with Federal 
requirements governing lobbying activities.
    3. Part A (CNS Form 1421A) (OMB Control Number 3045-0039) 
containing a description of the organization's mission, population to 
be served, experience in the areas of service and specific problems of 
poverty to be addressed. In addition, the applicant must state the 
problems it will address, the long-term goals of the project and 
anticipated outcomes over the entire length of the project and the 
anticipated impact on the low-income community. Finally, the applicant 
must describe the activities that the AmeriCorps*VISTA members will 
perform in accomplishing those goals, the applicant's experience in 
coordinating the efforts of community volunteers and/or service 
participants, and the resources that exist to support the project, 
including the organizations that will serve as collaborators.
    4. Part B (CNS Form 1421B) (OMB Control Number 3045-0038) which 
includes a measurable and quantifiable description of the specific 
problem(s) the AmeriCorps*VISTA project will address, current 
activities to address the problem and how AmeriCorps*VISTA members will 
complement this effort. A work plan must be completed for the first 
year of the project that contains objectives that are measurable, 
quantifiable and time-phased by each quarter of the year. Also, there 
must be a brief description of the applicant organization, its mission 
and activities, and the low-income population to be served, along with 
a description of how the project is incorporated into the overall 
mission of the applicant organization. The applicant must list the 
tasks and activities of the AmeriCorps*VISTA member assignments, 
required skills and qualifications of members, and factors to be 
considered in assigning disabled members. A description is needed of: 
(a) How project beneficiaries will be involved in the planning of the 
project, including in its development and implementation and (b) what 
resources will be provided by the community for a successful project 
and how the community will be involved in assuring project 
sustainability. Also, there must be a description of the process for 
recruiting qualified AmeriCorps*VISTA members, including whether the 
applicant needs nationally recruited members (members recruited by the 
Corporation's Office of Recruitment, Selection and Placement), and how 
members will be supervised. Finally, the applicant needs to state if 
support will be needed for on-the-job transportation of 
AmeriCorps*VISTA members, the content of the On-the-Job Orientation of 
these members, including on-going training and technical assistance 
available to them, and plans for publicizing the project, recognizing 
member accomplishments, and community support in sustaining their 
efforts.
    5. Documentation in the form of letters of support from 
collaborating organizations and/or individuals stating what will be 
provided by them in the overall project effort.
    6. Copy of Articles of Incorporation (not applicable to public 
entities).

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    7. List of Board of Directors or governing body (not applicable to 
public entities).
    8. Organizational chart illustrating the location of the 
AmeriCorps*VISTA project within the overall applicant organization.
    9. List of Advisory Council Members if already selected.
    10. Tax exempt status: either IRS determination or copy of 
application to IRS for exemption (not applicable to public entities).
    11. Copy of Supervisor's Resume and Job Description.
    12. Copy of most recent financial audit if available.

F. Criteria for Project Selection

I. All of the following elements will be used in judging the 
applications:

a. Getting Things Done
    The proposed project must:
    1. Address the needs of low-income communities and otherwise comply 
with the provisions of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 4951 et seq.) applicable to AmeriCorps*VISTA and all 
applicable published regulations, guidelines, and Corporation policies.
    2. Be internally consistent, i.e., the problem statement that 
demonstrates need, the project work plan, the AmeriCorps*VISTA member 
assignment description, and all other components must be related 
logically to each other.
    3. Contain clear and measurable objectives/outcomes in the project 
application for a 12-month period that address the overall objectives 
of the initiative. Proposed projects must show how the activities of 
the AmeriCorps*VISTA members contribute to specific outcomes related to 
increased opportunity for low-income people. It is expected that 
outcome objectives in the Part B work plan will reflect the evolution 
of the project over the 12-month period.
    4. Indicate how the proposed project complements and/or enhances 
activities already underway in, or planned for, the community(ies) that 
will be served by the project. To the extent possible, projects should 
seek out opportunities to collaborate with other Corporation programs, 
including Learn and Serve America grantees, as well as with other 
community partners, including the business sector.
    5. Describe how the number of AmeriCorps*VISTA members requested is 
appropriate for the project goals/objectives, and how the skills 
requested are appropriate for the assignment(s).
b. Strengthening Communities
    The proposed project must:
    1. Describe how the project will be sustained after 
Americorps*VISTA resources are withdrawn from the local low-income 
community.
    2. Demonstrate collaboration with organizations that provide 
supportive services to enhance project outcomes.
    3. Be designed to generate public and/or private sector resources, 
and to promote local, part-time volunteer service at the low-income 
community level, not only to assist in the project itself, but also to 
sustain its efforts after the Corporation ceases its support.
    4. Describe in measurable terms the anticipated self-sufficiency 
outcomes and tangible anti-poverty goals and objectives after 
AmeriCorps*VISTA resources are withdrawn, including outcomes related to 
the sustainability and institutionalization of the project activities 
in addressing and resolving challenges faced by low-income residents of 
the target community(ies).
c. AmeriCorps*VISTA Member Development
    The proposed project must:
    1. Clearly state how AmeriCorps*VISTA members will be trained, 
supervised, and supported to ensure the achievement of project goals 
and objectives as stated in the Part B work plan.
    2. Describe how AmeriCorps*VISTA assignments are designed to 
utilize the full-time AmeriCorps*VISTA members' time to the maximum 
extent.

II. Organizational Capacity

    The applicant organization must:
    1. Ensure that resources needed to achieve project goals and 
objectives are available.
    2. Have the management and technical capability to implement the 
project successfully.
    3. Have an established record or experience in dealing with the 
issues addressed by the proposed project.
    4. Have systems for the evaluation and monitoring of project 
activities. Applicants must describe the methods that will be used to 
record progress toward the stated objectives, and procedures that will 
provide the reporting of project achievement needed to make adjustments 
and improve program quality.

III. Budget/Cost-Effectiveness

    The applicant organization must:
    1. Include a budget that adequately supports the program design.
    2. Include a budget that adheres to budget guidance provided with 
the application.
    3. Describe how the applicant organization is committing resources 
necessary for program implementation.

G. Application Review

Proposal Evaluation

    To ensure fairness to all applicants, the Corporation reserves the 
right to take action, up to and including disqualification, in the 
event that an application fails to comply with any requirements 
specified in this Notice.
    The following weights will be used in judging the elements 
described above.
    1. Program Design (60%) in the following order of importance:
    a. Responsiveness to Strengthening Communities Criteria
    b. Responsiveness to Getting Things Done Criteria
    2. Organizational Capacity (30%).
    3. Budget cost-effectiveness (10%).

H. Geographic Diversity

    After evaluating the overall quality of the proposal and its 
responsiveness to the criteria noted above, the Corporation will take 
into consideration whether funded projects are in areas of high 
concentration of low-income residents, including for example those in 
empowerment zones, and enterprise communities.

I. Technical Assistance Conference Call

    An informal, technical assistance conference call will be scheduled 
on Thursday, July 20, 2000, at 2 p.m. E.D.T. All applicants must pre-
register by faxing the names, organization and phone number of up to 
two members planning to participate no later than Tuesday, July 18, 
2000. This information should be faxed to Kara Lounsbury at 202-565-
2789. Questions may be submitted in advance of the meeting via fax to 
the above number. If you are unable to participate in the technical 
assistance conference call but would like the conference materials and 
a conference transcript, submit your request via fax to the fax number 
above.

J. Program Authority

    Corporation authority to make these grants and approve projects is 
authorized under Title I, Part A of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act 
of 1973, as amended (Pub. L. 93-113).

    Dated: June 29, 2000.
Matt Dunne,
Director, AmeriCorps*VISTA Program.
[FR Doc. 00-17152 Filed 7-6-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-U