SIF Continuations Guidance

TO: Social Innovation Fund Continuation Grantees

FROM: Director of the Social Innovation Fund

RE: FY 2013 Social Innovation Fund Grant Continuation Requests

DATE: TBD

Introduction

This memo provides information on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 continuation application process. This process applies only to grantees whose final year for awarded funds is this current program year.

The continuation application consists of: (1) an application submitted through eGrants and (2) a spreadsheet of information on subgrantee awards submitted via email.

General Information

Grantees may apply for up to the annual amount of their previous grant award. All applications will be submitted through the eGrants system. The application deadline is Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time. Grantees can expect to receive decisions from CNCS by September 1, 2013.

Continuation Request Review Criteria

The annual continuation review process will be conducted by Social Innovation Fund program staff, evaluation staff, and Office of Grants Management grants officers. Decisions will be based on the continuation submission, staff knowledge, and previously submitted documents such as the quarterly progress report, the biannual federal financial report (FFR), Subgrantee Evaluation Plans (SEP) and Scaling Plans. To be approved for continued funding, grantees must demonstrate satisfactory performance with respect to key program goals and requirements, as well as compliance with the terms and conditions of the grant. The review criteria are:

1. Subgrantee selection and continuation

   1. Grantee successfully completed its subgrantee selection process in alignment with the approved selection plan, including ensuring that all subgrantees had at least preliminary levels of evidence.

   2. Grantee successsfully completed its subgrantee continuation review process and made decisions based on subgrantee performance, spending, and progress towards evaluation goals.

   3. Grantee has a reasonable plan for use of any funds recouped through the subgrantee continuation review process.

2. Program Evaluation

   1. Grantee secured approval of and initiated implementation of subgrantee evaluation plans.

   2. Subgrantee evaluation plans will reach moderate level of evidence by the end of the grant period.

   3. Grantee demonstrates adequate progress towards subgrantee evaluation plan implementation, satisfactorily addressing challenges where they have occurred.

3. Growing Subgrantee Impact

   1. Grantee has an approved scaling plan.

   2. Grantee has made appropriate progress towards its goals for scaling or replicating subgrantees, or otherwise building their capacity for growth.

4. Ensuring and maintaining compliance with programmatic and federal requirements and regulations.

   1. Grantee has provided adequate training to subgrantees on grant requirements.

   2. Grantee is providing adequate subgrantee oversight and monitoring.

   3. Grantee has effectively utilized grant funds at the grantee and subgrantee level.

   4. Grantee and subgrantee have made sufficient progress in raising match.

   5. Grantee has adequately addressed program implementation challenges and has communicated these with its program officer.

   6. Grantee has been responsive to CNCS requests for information including timely submission of financial and progress reports, Subgrantee Evaluation Plans and continuation applications.

5. Proposed changes to the program plan and budget.

   1. Grantee has presented reasonable justification for proposed changes to the program plan or budget to the CNCS program and/or grants officer.

Application Instructions

The 2013 Social Innovation Fund Continuation NOFA is now open in eGrants. Please follow the instructions below to complete and submit your application.

1. Creating a 2013 Continuation Application

• On your eGrants Home Page, under Creating a Grant Application, select Continuation/Renewal

• Then, select Continue from the options listed to the right of your SIF grant. Do not start a new application. If you have more than one grant with the Corporation, be sure to select the correct one. The system will copy your most recently awarded application.

• Select Next on the screen that opens

2. Applicant Info and Application Info

• Update the Applicant Info and Application Info screens as necessary. In particular, click View/Edit under Project Director to see if the contact information is current. Make any necessary changes to the project director’s contact information.

• However, if the project director has changed, you must create a record for the new person by clicking Enter New. DO NOT overwrite the information for an existing contact with the information for a new contact because this affects the historical record.

• Note in the Continuation Changes field any changes you have made to these screens.

• Click Next

3. Application Narrative

• Your original application will appear in the different sections of the Narratives screen. Do not enter continuation changes in, or otherwise edit, the original narrative fields. Instead provide the information described below in the narrative field called “Continuation Changes”.

• If this is your second or third continuation request, please distinguish from last year’s text already in the Continuation Changes field by labeling this year’s narrative “Year 2 or 3 Continuation Changes”.

• First, enter any changes you are proposing to make to your applicant info or your approved grant program as presented in your application. Clearly title any change you are making. For example, if you intend to make changes to your evaluation plan, you would enter “Changes to Portfolio Evaluation Plan” as a header and list the specific changes underneath.

• Second, please address the following topics. As a general guideline, we anticipate that your continuation narrative will be about 6 double-spaced pages, or 12,000 characters.

• Explain the past year’s performance on key dimensions not addressed by the quarterly progress report including progress made towards your goals for expanding or replicating sub-grantees or otherwise building their capacity for growth; Changes to the previously approved scope or design of the program - this may include a revised timeline for the program, changes in your subgrant plan, and adjustments to your training or evaluation plans, etc.

• Describe any issues that arose during your sub-grantee continuation process and how they were resolved. Identify and provide an explanation for any subgrantees that were terminated, chose not to continue or whose award was significantly decreased.

• Describe changes in key staff positions. If any key positions are currently vacant, describe how the functions are being carried out and when the positions will be filled.

• Provide a rationale for proposed changes to the budget.

• Explain challenges from the past year and how you have addressed them. This should include any noteworthy instances where progress or implementation did not occur as planned. If there are budget ramifications, please explain these as well, for example, if your evaluation costs have increased due to a delay in implementation.

• Changes made to the Applicant Info and Application Info screens.

4. Budget

Your budget from the previous year will be copied into your continuation request. Make any necessary adjustments to the existing budget. Include funding to support at least two staff members attending two SIF-related convenings. For planning purposes, assume meetings will occur in Washington DC.

5. Subgrantee Continuation Review/Chart of Subgrant Awards

Please complete the attached spreadsheet with information on your current subgrantees. Items included in the chart are:

• 2012 Award (Federal)

• 2012 Award (Grantee)

• 2013 Award (Federal)

• 2013 Award (Grantee)

• Start Date

• Term of Award

• Total Match Funds Raised (to date)

• Total Match Funds Spent (to date)

• Total Federal Funds Spent (to date)

Please submit a copy of your continuation review criteria to your Program Officer.

6. Authorize and Submit

Your Authorized Representative* must log into his or her eGrants account in order to certify the application prior to submission.

*The Authorized Representative is the official within an applicant organization with the legal authority to give assurances, make commitments, enter into contracts, and execute such documents on behalf of the applicant as may be required by a grantmaker. The signature of the Authorized Representative certifies that commitments made on grant proposals will be honored and ensures that the applicant agrees to conform to the grantmaker's regulations, guidelines, and policies. The Authorized Representative is most cases would not be the Project Director.