Illinois Department of Human Services

AmeriCorps State and National (ASN) Program improves lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps State and National brings people together to tackle some of the country’s most pressing challenges through national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps members serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities and those serving. Through AmeriCorps grants, organizations engage in meeting community and national challenges through service and volunteer action. The AmeriCorps grant engages AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions/practices to strengthen local communities. AmeriCorps program focus on the delivery of direct and/or capacity building services and Programs recruit, train and manage AmeriCorps members to deliver services. An AmeriCorps member is an individual who engages in community service through an approved national service position. Members may receive a living allowance and other benefits while serving. Upon the members' successful completion of service, members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award that they can use to pay for higher education expenses or apply to qualified student loans.

45 CFR Part 2522

20 ILCS 505

77 Ill. Adm. Code 2250

The mission of AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Social Innovation Fund, has helped to engage millions of Americans in meeting community and national challenges through service and volunteer action and unites Americans by bringing them together in service. AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations proposing to engage AmeriCorps members in well-designed interventions to strengthen communities and help those in need. Through all of its programs, AmeriCorps seeks to expand economic opportunity—helping Americans acquire the skills, education, and training they need for productive employment. By helping more Americans graduate, pursue higher education, and find work, national service can provide immediate and long-term benefits by expanding individual opportunity, building family stability, and creating more sustainable, resilient communities. The general purpose of the funding is to support eligible organizations that identify an unmet need in their community to be addressed by AmeriCorps members. Funded projects are expected to achieve outcomes in the areas of education, economic opportunity, healthy futures, or support for veterans for the public good.

Yes

1. The Provider will provide the services and agrees to act in compliance with all state and federal statutes and administrative rules applicable to the provision of services pursuant to this Agreement. The grant application, submitted by the Provider, relates to this Agreement must be implemented as outlined below. 2. The Provider will comply with applicable Terms and Conditions for AmeriCorps State and National Grants (pdf) and General Grant and Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions and Executive Orders (pdf). 3. The Provider will comply with member recruitment and selection requirements as outlined in AmeriCorps’ regulations at 45 CFR §§ 2522.210 and Part 2540, subpart B. 4. The Provider will ensure that each member has sufficient opportunity to complete the required number of hours of service to qualify for the education award. 5. The Provider will adhere to all requirements outlined in the IDHS – Serve Illinois Program Director’s Manual. 6. Conduct National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) requirements as outlined in the NSCHC Manual (pdf) and regulations at 45 CFR § 2540, subpart B. 7. Recruit and retain the allocated number and type of slots (e.g., full-time, half-time) of AmeriCorps members. 8. Provide services with the designated population(s) in the service area that work towards meeting the specified outcomes and outputs that align with primary services, addressing the focus area(s), and, if applicable, engaging volunteers in accordance with the approved program plan. 9. Adhere to the performance measures and evaluation in the approved program plan as required by IDHS – Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National. 10. Supervise and train members throughout their service term as outlined in the approved program plan. 11. Provide all members with AmeriCorps uniforms, service gear, personal protective equipment and all other service materials required to accomplish the member’s service hours. 12. Participate in Illinois IDHS – Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National scheduled meetings and trainings (including Program Director’s meetings, AmeriCorps regional offerings and regional trainings). 13. Certify member enrollment in My AmeriCorps Portal for all members within eight calendar days of the AmeriCorps members’ starting a term of service. 14. Host or co-host two national service days. All sites will host/co-host an event for the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday. The Provider will also host/co-host a second event and it is at the discretion of the Provider to select from one of the following options: Global Youth Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, 9/11 Remembrance Day or Veteran’s Day. 15. Host a National Service Opening Day event/activity at the program site no later than six weeks from the start date of the program. 16. Host or co-host an AmeriCorps member recognition event/activity during AmeriCorps week. 17. Programs are to be designed to operate for no more than 12 months.

Nonprofit Organizations;

The following non-Federal entities (all of which are defined in 2 CFR 200.1) are eligible to apply: Indian Tribes Institutions of higher education Local governments School Districts Nonprofit organizations Applicants must have a valid System Award Management (SAM) registration and Unique Entity Identifier to receive an award. IDHS-Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps encourages new organizations that have not received prior funding from AmeriCorps to apply.

N/A

Project Grants

Human Services

N/A

Current grantees should determine if they are a new, continuation, or a recompete applicant. GATA Registration and Prequalification Eligible applicant entities must be registered and prequalified through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal. Additionally, any sub- recipient must also be registered and prequalified through GATA upon application.

Electronic Application Submission in eGrants Applicants must submit applications electronically via eGrants, AmeriCorps' web- based application system. AmeriCorps recommends that applicants create an eGrants account and begin the application at least three weeks before the deadline. Applicants should draft the application as a Word document, then copy and paste the text into the appropriate eGrants field no later than 10 days before the deadline. The applicant's authorized representative must be the person who submits the application. The authorized representative must use their own eGrants account to sign and submit the application. A copy of the governing body's authorization for this official representative to sign must be on file in the applicant's office. Applicants should contact the AmeriCorps Hotline at (800) 942-2677 if they have a problem when they create an account, prepare, or submit the application in eGrants. Information about the AmeriCorps Hotline hours are also posted on the AmeriCorps Hotline webpage. When contacting the AmeriCorps Hotline, be prepared to provide the application ID, organization name, and the name of the Notice to which the organization is applying. If the issue cannot be resolved by the deadline, applicants must continue working with the AmeriCorps Hotline to submit via eGrants. Submission of Additional Documents All documents must be submitted to AmeriCorps by the Prime Applicants (State Service Commissions or National Directs). AmeriCorps Documents All applicants must submit to IDHS-Serve Illinois: Evaluation briefs, reports, studies, Uniform Grant Application for State Grant Assistance, and Grantee Conflict of Interest Disclosure Additional documents must be emailed to DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov with the following subject line: "Legal Applicant Name" - "Application ID Number." a. Legal applicant name and its point of contact information b. Application ID number c. List of documents that are attached to the email by filename, labeling each document type according to the above numbered list Labor union concurrence (if applicable) All applicants regardless of funding level are required to submit an Applicant Operational and Financial Management Survey (OFMS) found here: Manage your grant | AmeriCorps. Please submit the OFMS as a Word document. Forms submitted as a PDF, or any other document format may not be accepted. Recompete applicants who have previously received three or more years of funding for the same project being proposed must submit an Evaluation plan using the evaluation plan template available on the FY 2025 AmeriCorps State and National Grants | AmeriCorps. Evaluation plans are not scored and will not be reviewed until after funding decisions are made. Recompete applicants who have previously received six or more years of funding for the same project being proposed must submit an evaluation report. Please submit in Microsoft Word. The evaluation report should include a title page with: the AmeriCorps grant number for the project that was evaluated, the name of the project, and the date of completion of the report, the evaluator name(s) evaluator organization name, and, evaluator type (internal or external). If any of this required information is missing, the applicant may not receive credit for meeting their evaluation requirements.

Program Staff will conduct an initial eligibility review to determine if an application meets the eligibility requirements published in this Notice and will advance to the next stage of the process. All formula traditional grant applications are subject to merit-based review. AmeriCorps State and National makes the final award determination.

Applicants selected for funding will receive a Notice of State Award (NOSA). The NOSA shall include: Grant award amount, The terms and conditions of the award. Specific conditions, if any, assigned to the applicant based on the fiscal and administrative (ICQ), and merit-based review. Note: IDHS-Serve Illinois cannot issue an award until the successful applicant has an approved budget entered into CSA. The applicant shall receive the NOSA through the Grantee Portal. The NOSA must be signed by the grants officer (or equivalent). This signature effectively accepts the state award amount and all conditions set forth within the notice. This signed NOSA is the document authorizing IDHS-Serve Illinois to proceed with issuing an agreement. The Agency signed NOSA must be remitted to IDHS-Serve Illinois as instructed in the notice.

Specific deadlines are outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Varies

Appeals submission IDHS-Serve Illinois contact information: Name of Agency contact for appeals: Kristen Bethke Email of Agency contact for appeals: DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov

Continuation applicants must submit an application in order to be eligible to receive funding. Continuation applicants must follow the requirements for continuation application content as outlined in the Application Instructions. If an applicant is unsure if their organization is considered a continuation applicant, please email DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov for clarification.

Applicants are required to match funds based on the information below. The applicant's match can be non-AmeriCorps cash and/or in-kind contributions. Applicants must indicate whether the match is proposed or secured. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to meet the match requirement at the time of application submission. A first-time successful applicant is required to match at 24 percent for the first three-year funding period. Starting with year four, the match requirement gradually increases every three years to 30 percent by year ten, according to the minimum overall share chart found in 45 CFR 2521.60 and below. AmeriCorps Funding Year 1,2,3 (24%), 4,5,6 (26%), 7,8,9 (28%), 10+ (30%)

All applicants will use grant funds according to the guidelines, conditions, and parameters set forth in this funding notice and in compliance with federal statutes, regulations and the terms and conditions of any applicable federal awards. Please refer to 2 CFR 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, PART 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles to determine the appropriateness of costs. Allowable costs: Allowable costs are those that are necessary and reasonable based on the activities contained in the Scope of Work, are justified in the Budget Narrative, and are allowable under Subpart E of 2 CFR 200. It is expected that administrative costs, both direct and indirect, will represent a small portion of the overall program budget. Any budget deemed to include inappropriate or excessive administrative costs will not be approved. Program budgets and narratives must detail how all proposed expenditures are necessary for program implementation. Unallowable costs: Please refer to 2 CFR 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, PART 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles to determine the appropriateness of costs. In addition, and specific to this grant, the following costs will be unallowable without specific prior written approval from IDHS: Entertainment costs, except where specific costs that might otherwise be considered entertainment have a programmatic purpose and are authorized in the approved budget (2 CFR 200.438) Capital expenditures for general purpose equipment, including any vehicle regardless of cost, buildings, and land (2 CFR 200.439) Capital expenditures for improvements to land, buildings, or equipment which materially increase their value or useful life (2 CFR 200.439) Food, and other goods or services for personal use of the grantee's employees, contractors, or consultants of the grantee unless authorized as per diem under the State of Illinois Governor's Travel Control Board (2 CFR 200.445). Deposits for items, services, or space Limitation of Use Limitation of Use of Award funds for Employee Compensation: With respect to any award over $250,000, recipients may not use federal funds to pay total cash compensation to any employee that exceeds 110% of the maximum annual salary payable to a member of the Federal Government's Senior Executive Service (SES) at an agency with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that year. A salary table is available at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management website.

Recipients are required to submit a variety of reports that are due at specific times during the life cycle of an award. All reports must be accurate, complete, and submitted on time. Upon execution of the grant agreement, reporting shall be in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Uniform Grant Agreement and related Exhibits. Periodic Financial Reports submitted electronically in accordance with instructions in the UGA no more frequent than quarterly and no less frequent than annually, unless unusual circumstances exist. Periodic Programmatic Reports submitted electronically in accordance with instructions in the UGA no more frequent than quarterly and no less frequent than annually, unless unusual circumstances exist. Close-out Performance Reports and Financial Reports as instructed in the UGA. Other Unique Programmatic Reporting Requirements: additional annual performance data may be collected as directed by the Department and in the format prescribed by the Department. Non-compliance with any of the above reporting requirements, including timeliness of reports may lead to being placed on the Illinois Stop Payment List.

Subject to monitoring visits, desk reviews, AmeriCorps audits, and Fiscal Administrative Review (FAR) audits.

The program is required to maintain until December 31, 2031, adequate books, all financial records and supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to this Award. If any litigation, claim, or audit is started before the expiration of the retention period, the records must be retained until all litigation, claims or audit exceptions involving the records have been resolved and final action taken. The Provider agrees to provide or make available all records related to this grant upon request.

N/A

N/A

Varies

Numerous

Any Regulations, Guidelines, or Literature necessary for program implementation will be provided by the DHS Program Office responsible for managing this program grant at no cost to the provider.

DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov

AmeriCorps State and National

https://serve.illinois.gov/

Formula Fixed, Competitive Fixed, Competitive Traditional

See https://serve.illinois.gov/

3/29/2023

FY 2023 : $4,821,628
FY 2024 : $6,290,723
FY 2025 : $10,409,417