1. AmeriCorps Policy & Operations

2. OGM Updates Peg Rosenberry, Director of Grants Management
Kristin McSwain, Director of AmeriCorps

3. Overview Unexpended Funds in Formula Grants
The New Federal Financial Report and Program Income
Common Audit Findings

4. Managing Unexpended Funds in Formula Grants
Commissions and CNCS need to ensure unexpended funds do not build up in formula grants.
Commissions must monitor fund usage closely.
Undrawn funds at HHS affect the Corporation’s financial audit.

5. Carryover of Unexpended Funds
Commissions will report unexpended funds on FFRs. Grants officers will review FFRs and compare with amounts drawn from HHS.
Commissions should incorporate unexpended funds in the next year’s budget;…….
Or, confirm with Grants and Program Officers the amount of unexpended funds to deduct from the next award.

6. Unexpended Funds
CNCS staff will work with commissions to identify funds to re-distribute to other states……OR…..
Commissions will incorporate unexpended funds into the current year’s application …..AND….
Commissions can carry over funds into the next year…..BUT….
Excessive amounts will be questioned and considered in making competitive decisions.

7. Threshold of Unexpended Funds Allowed as Carryover Without Question
Year 1: Not applicable
Year 2: 30%
Year 3: 25%
Year 4: 20%
Year 5: 10%
Year 6: 5%

8. Supplemental Requests
We will continue to make unrequested and unexpended funds available to states that can use them.
Current criteria for accessing supplemental funds apply.

9. New Financial Report
Commissions may start using it for the Admin, PDAT and Disability reports due January 30
Grantees will continue to use eGrants to submit the FFR
Grantees will start reporting excess program income, in addition to program income reported as match.

10. What is Program Income?
Any revenue earned as a direct result of activities supported under the grant.
Program income must be used as stipulated in the grant provisions. Most grantees use it to meet matching requirements.
Fees for service are program income.
A foundation grant received to support the program is not program income.
Program income FAQs are on the Corporation’s website.

11. Common Audit Findings
AmeriCorps member timekeeping is not accurate. Members are credited with hours they did not serve or staff make mathematical errors.
Staff members do not maintain timesheets or timekeeping is not adequate.
General ledger numbers do not match the FSR.
Subgrantee monitoring systems are inadequate or not implemented effectively.
Match is not properly recorded and tracked, particularly in-kind donations.
Costs not in the approved budget.

12. Questions?

13. AmeriCorps Policy & Operations
Policy Update with Amy Borgstrom

14. WBRS Transition My AmeriCorps and your systems Current timeline
Q and A

15. Policy Update Application Instructions AmeriCorps Rule
Single State EAPs
CCRAA Update 
HEART Act
New Policy FAQs and Best Practice FAQs    
Dates to Remember

16. Application Instructions
Single match
New fields
Clarification Information
Continuation Changes
Evaluation requirement
Labor Union concurrence
New MSY factors
eGrants will be open late September

17. AmeriCorps Rule Member evaluations Performance measurement
National service insignia
False or misleading statements
State service plans
IG access to records
Definition of same project
Member = participant
Voter registration drives prohibited
Living allowance disbursement
Living allowance waiver
Civil rights
State commission membership

18. Single State EAPs
Starts with recompeting programs in 2010: MA, NC, NY, TX, WI,
2011: AZ, MS, NM
We will be working with each commission with single state EAPS to ensure a smooth transition

19. CCRAA Update College Cost Reduction and Access Act
AmeriCorps service is considered an eligible public service position
Offers Income-based Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness
FAQs available on Communication Center and Resource Center

20. HEART Act
Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 signed June 16.
Excludes AmeriCorps benefits from being counted as income to determine eligibility for SSI.
All AmeriCorps now aligns with VISTA.
Does not extend to SSDI.

21. New Policy FAQs & Best Practice FAQs
Thirty-six new Policy FAQs derived from real Q and A.
Seventeen new Policy FAQs derived from AmeriCorps State and National Updates.
Twenty-two new Best Practice FAQs derived from the Program Director’s Handbook.

22. Dates to Remember
November 4, 2008: Admin/PDAT/Disability reports and applications due
December 1, 2008: Grantee Progress Reports due
January 13, 2009: Application deadline
May 9-16, 2009: AmeriCorps Week
June 22-24, 2009: National Conference on Volunteering and Service
September 2009: Grantee Meeting in Washington D.C.

23. AmeriCorps Policy & Operations
Update on The Portal with Kristin McSwain

24. AmeriCorps Policy & Operations
Grant Application Review Process with Lenny Teh

25. A Look at GARP in ’09? Funding Availability Process Flow
Formula Submission
Supplemental A-P-D
Today we will provide an overview of the Grant Award Review Process in 2009, or GARP ’09 for short, to help set expectations for this year’s competition.
Basically, there are little changes to the overall process from last year. However, we are expecting a large and extremely competitive year and here’s why… [next slide]

26. Analysis of Funding Availability
Large and extremely competitive year
Approx. $40M available
Board target of 15% for new programs
Current pool of $45M excluding disaster
Anticipate funding gap < $11M
Anticipate a large competition at approximately 450 applicants are continuations and 235 are new/recompete.
Funding availability is approximately $40.3M for new/recompete applications of which 15%, or $6M, is targeted for new programs. Current programming is estimated at $45M which includes regular state competitive, plus 3 year forward-funded disaster programs from 2006; all which are up for renewal this year. Thus, there is a difference of approximately $11M between recompeting programs and available funds. Under these circumstances it will be an extremely competitive year.
Assumptions:
Continuations will be funded at prior year levels
Our expectation for poor performing programs will be downsized which then may augment funding for new/recompete
15% is only a target and includes programs that were funded out of state formula
Anticipate a continuing resolution so there won’t be any change to funding levels.
Notes:
President’s budget is $108,298,000 and is pending Congressional appropriations.
$40,328,000 for State Commissions Competitive, New/Recompete
$2,209,000 for States and Territories without Commissions
$3,544,000 for State and National Education Award Programs

27. Process Flow Applications Compliance Review Peer Review Staff Review
Longer process than last year due to the high number of applications anticipated in ’09.
Clarification Period
Recommendation for Funding
Final Funding Decision
Award

28. Applications Compliance Review Peer Review Continued
[CLICK on the Info tab for Applications.]
Applications are due in eGrants on Tuesday, January 13th, 2009 by 5PM EST. This is a hard deadline so please plan accordingly.
Peer Review
Continued

29. Intent to Apply Why do we ask this? Impact on the review process
The intent apply is due by 60 days prior to the submission deadline which is November 13, 2009, by 5PM EST. This is not mandatory, but your notice will allow the Corporation to plan more efficiently for the review in this large and highly competitive year. Commissions are to basically provide name and contact information and a general estimate of the number of programs (not names or MSYs) you are planning on submitting to the state competitive competition.
Reminders:
Details are on page 8 of the NOFO which available online.
Send to

30. Applications Compliance Review Peer Review Continued
Compliance Review is January 14th-15th.
Peer Review will be over 4 weeks from Jan 28th to Feb 17th and conducted in the field instead of reviewers coming on-site.
Peer Review
Continued

31. Staff Review Clarification Period Continued
Staff Review is Feb 19th to April 2nd.
We are committed to providing commissions excellent customer service; however, we ask commission’s for their patience during this very busy time as staff focuses on reviewing applications and processing continuations. This is approximately a 6 week period between mid-February to early-April.
Clarification
Period
Continued

32. Clarification Period April 13th – May 15th (5 week process)
Resolution of issues
Negotiation of performance measures
Critical that commission staff be available to resolve clarification issues
Reminder: The reason for clarification is to assure all factors are resolved and awards can be made immediately after the final decision. This is critical in a one year funding environment to issue awards as early in the process as possible so all funds can be utilized as intended. Clarification will start with commissions while staff review is still on-going. And, it will entail submission of performance measures, if not already submitted, and clarification of other matters prior to recommendation for funding.

33. Recommendation for Funding Final Funding Decision Award
Critical that commission staff be available to resolve clarification issues by the May 15th deadline.
Notification will be Friday, May 22nd
[CLICK on the Info tab for Applications.]
Final Funding
Decision
Award

34. Final Funding Decision
Important for programs to indicate accurate start and end dates
Decisions will be based on the resolution of matters identified and corrected during clarification
Target award date for grantees will be June 30th
Target award date for grantees will be June 30th

35. Formula Deadline No later than Tuesday, July 7th, 2009, 5PM EST
Approximately 2 weeks between the competitive notification and the formula deadline.

36. Supplemental A-P-D Guidance expected in the Fall
Awards made in late-March/early-April
Notes:
Applies to all A-P-D grants
One-year funding environment
Supplemental funding the pooling of unrequested monies from commission’s base-allocations

37. Questions?

38. AmeriCorps Policy & Operations
T/TA and the role of CNCS POs and TOs with Mikel Herrington & Ralph Morales