Illinois Department of Human Services

The Community Equity Grassroots E&T Initiative will work with non-profit and faith-based organizations in economically disadvantaged communities of color to help program participants acquire education, training, and employment related skills to assist in finding and maintaining employment

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This program focuses on communities of color that have higher than average unemployment rates or lower educational attainment rates than the city-wide averages for the municipal areas that they are located in. Areas to be served of high poverty and low employment will receive priority regardless of the NOFO score. The priority of this program is also to serve anchor institutions within the above mentioned communities that have local relationships and a positive reputation as being centers of support and assistance for individuals struggling with all manner of personal problems. Employment services is the focus of this program but the local community-based institutions that DHS is targeting for these grants should be trusted organizations in the community that offer assistance directly or though referral and linkage for all manner of personal, psychosocial emotional, and /or financial challenges facing individuals in their local community.

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Nonprofit Organizations; Other;

This competitive funding opportunity is limited to applicants that meet the following requirements: •The applicant has met the Prequalification and Mandatory Requirements listed in this funding opportunity. •Services provided are in areas of high need as described above. Service areas must be communities struggling with high unemployment and/or high poverty rates. • Applicants must be not-for-profit or faith-based community-based organizations that prior to this application offered services to members of their communities at no cost to those being served.

Employment and Training services will be provided to those who are currently unemployed or underemployed and who live in economically underserved communities that are minority dominated. Services will be provided by community-based anchor organizations located in those same communities as the program participants they will be serving.

Project Grants

Human Services

As required in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

The pre-award process includes a financial and administrative risk assessment utilizing an Internal Controls Questionnaire (ICQ) and a Programmatic Risk Assessment (PRA). The ICQ is completed for the organization, while the PRA must be completed for each separate grant for which an applicant intends to apply. The Department may NOT issue a Notice of Award or a Grant Agreement to any applicant that does not have a submitted and approved FY 23 ICQ and a submitted and complete FY 23 PRA(s). While these are NOT required prior to submitting the application, they are required prior to the Department issuing an award. Applicants that have not completed an ICQ and/or PRA for the grant award year at the time of application will be contacted by the Department to complete these pre-award requirements. These grantee pre-award requirements are mandated by Federal Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA). Grantees must complete these requirements prior to receiving a grant award from the State of Illinois.

Application and other required documents are listed in the NOFO - 23-444-80-2459-01. Applications must be sent electronically to Kathy.L.Jackson@illinois.gov and received no later than 11:59pm CST on October 11, 2022. The application will be electronically time-stamped upon receipt. The Department will ONLY accept applications submitted by electronic mail sent to Kathy.L.Jackson@illinois.gov. Include the following in the subject line: 23-444-80-2459-01 and your agency name. Application submissions or delivery to any other email address or contact, including other IDHS offices or employees, will not be considered for review or funding. Applications will NOT be accepted if received by fax machine, hard copy, disk, or thumb drive

Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance The Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance is a three-page document used to formalize organization's request to apply for funding. The document requires the signature and email address of the organization's authorized representative. This email address will be used for official communication between the Department and the applicant organization for matters regarding this application Program Narrative IMPORTANT: The program (proposal) narrative makes up the bulk of your application. Please provide a complete response to the following sections. If the program narrative is missing from your application packet, your application will receive a score of zero points and your agency will not meet the criteria to receive a grant under this notice of funding opportunity. Proposal Narrative Content If the applicant believes that the subject has been adequately addressed in another part of the application narrative, then provide the cross-reference to the appropriate part of the narrative. If a cross-reference is not included in the section, the reviewer will only consider content contained within that specific section. The narrative portion must follow the page maximums where prescribed and must be organized in the format outlined in the NOFO - 23-444-80-2459-01.

As described in the Criteria section, evaluation of the application will be done by a review team comprised of up to three individuals. The numerical score may not be the sole award criterion. The Department reserves the right to consider other factors such as: geographical distribution, demonstrated need, and agency past performance as a state grantee, etc. While the recommendation of the review panel will be a key factor in the funding decision, the Department maintains final authority over funding decisions and considers the findings of the reviewers to be non-binding recommendations. Any internal documentation used in scoring or awarding of grants shall not be considered public information. In the event of a tie with insufficient funding for all tied applications, the Department may choose to elect one of the following options: •Apply one or more of the additional factors for consideration described above to prioritize the applications; or •Partially fund each of the tied applications or •Not fund any of the tied applications. The Department reserves the right to negotiate with successful applicants to adjust award amounts, targets, deliverables, etc.

Applications must be sent electronically to Kathy.L.Jackson@illinois.gov and received no later than 11:59pm CST on October 11, 2022.

Applicants will receive a receipt confirmation email within 72 hours of receipt or 120 hours if received on a non-business day notifying them that their application was received and the date and time it was received. This email will be sent to the email addresses provided in the application. This receipt confirmation email is solely confirmation that the application has been received by the Department; it is not a confirmation of applicant's eligibility; pre-qualifications, etc. Applicants will receive notice of approval or disapproval within 30 - 45 days of the date of closing.

Competitive grant appeals are limited to the evaluation process. Evaluation scores may not be protested. Only the evaluation process is subject to appeal and shall be reviewed by IDHS' Appeal Review Officer (ARO). Submission of Appeal Appeals submission IDHS contact information: •Name of Agency contact for appeals: Dan Lyonsmith •Email of Agency contact for appeals: Dan.Lyonsmith@illinois.gov •Email Subject Line: APPEAL 444-80-2459-01 An appeal must be submitted in writing to appeals submission IDHS contact listed above, who will send to the IDHS Appeal Review Officer (ARO) for consideration. •An appeal must be received within 14 calendar days after the date that the grant award notice has been published. •The written appeal shall include at a minimum the following: ?Name and address of the appealing party; ?Identification of the grant; and ?Statement of reasons for the appeal. ?Supporting documentation, if applicable Response to Appeal IDHS will acknowledge receipt of an appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date the appeal was received. •IDHS will respond to the appeal within 60 days or supply a written explanation to the appealing party as to why additional time is required. •The appealing party must supply any additional information requested by IDHS within the time period set in the request. Resolution The ARO shall make a recommendation to the Agency Head or designee as expeditiously as possible after receiving all relevant, requested information. •In determining the appropriate recommendation, the ARO shall consider the integrity of the competitive grant process and the impact of the recommendation on the State Agency. •The Agency will resolve the appeal by means of written determination. •The determination shall include, but not be limited to: ?Review of the appeal; ?Appeal determination; and ?Rationale for the determination.

•Successful applicants under this NOFO may be eligible to receive two subsequent one-year grant renewals for this program. Renewals are at the discretion of the Department and are based on performance and sufficient appropriation.

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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.

Upon execution of the grant agreement, reporting shall be in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Uniform Grant Agreement and related Exhibits which includes, but is not limited to the following: • Periodic Financial Report (PFR), • Periodic Performance Report (PPR), • Close-out Report at the end of the Agreement and Close-out Performance Reports • Annual Audit in conformance with Audit Requirements set forth in the grant agreement. Additional data may be collected as directed by the Department and in a format prescribed by the Department.

Grantee shall be subject to the audit requirements contained in the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 (31 USC 7501-7507) and Subpart F of 2 CFR Part 200, and the audit rules and policies set forth by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget. See 30 ILCS 708/65(c); 44 Ill. Admin. Code 7000.90. All grantees are required to complete and submit a Consolidated Year-End Financial Report (CYEFR) through the Grantee Portal. The CYEFR is a required schedule in the Grantee's audit report if the Grantee is required to complete and submit an audit report as set forth herein. The CYEFR must cover the same period as the Audited Financial Statements, if required, and must be submitted in accordance with the audit schedule at 44 Ill. Admin. Code 7000.90. CYEFRs shall follow a format prescribed by Grantor.

Grantee shall maintain for three (3) years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report, adequate books, all financial records and, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to this Award, adequate to comply with 2 CFR 200.334, unless a different retention period is specified in 2 CFR 200.334 or 44 Ill. Admin. Code 7000.430(a) and (b). 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.

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•The Department anticipates the availability of approximately $3,000,000.00 (total funding for NOFO) and funding 8-15 grant awards to provide this program. It is anticipated that grant awards will be approximately $150,000.00 to $850,000.00.

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Illinois Dept. of Human Services, Division of Family and Community Services -401 S. Clinton St., Chicago, IL 60607

www.dhs.state.il.us

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9/12/2022

FY 2023 : $3,000,000