Proposed Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Social Innovation Fund 2011 Awards; Request for Feedback, 81979-81993 [2010-32789]

Agencies

• Corporation for National and Community Service

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81979-81993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32789]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Proposed Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Social 
Innovation Fund 2011 Awards; Request for Feedback

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service (the 
Corporation).

ACTION: Request for Feedback on the Corporation's Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Social Innovation Fund Awards.

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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is 
releasing a draft of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the 
2011 Social Innovation Fund competition. This release will initiate a 
public input period that will extend until January 21, 2011.
    The Social Innovation Fund is an innovative program that awards 
grants to and works with existing grantmaking institutions, referred to 
in the Notice as ``intermediaries,'' to direct resources to innovative 
community-based nonprofit organizations that will identify and grow 
promising programs with

[[Page 81980]]

preliminary evidence of effectiveness. These programs will address 
challenges facing local communities in three priority issue areas:
     Youth Development;
     Economic Opportunity; and
     Healthy Futures
    This public input process reinforces the commitment of CNCS to 
maintain the high standard of transparency and openness the Social 
Innovation Fund demonstrated in its initial year (2010). An open 
process is also critical to ensure that, moving forward, the Social 
Innovation Fund is able to select the high quality of grantees required 
to advance its mission--significantly and sustainably improving the 
lives of people in low-income communities throughout the U.S.
    CNCS has built on the lessons from the 2010 Social Innovation Fund 
competition, and is proposing several changes from last year's process 
that are reflected in the draft 2011 document:
     The Social Innovation Fund is taking additional steps 
towards transparency consistent with CNCS's commitment to transparency. 
The NOFO indicates that CNCS plans to release the names and executive 
summaries of all applications considered for funding, the names of all 
expert reviewers, and the reviewer comments for all selected grantees. 
The public comment period will allow us to gauge the sector's thoughts 
on this issue.
     To expand the number of intermediaries able to participate 
in the Social Innovation Fund, we have decreased the maximum dollar 
amount for which intermediaries can apply from $10 million to $7 
million. The minimum level will remain at $1 million.
     To stimulate the identification of additional high-impact 
community-based organizations throughout the U.S., intermediaries will 
not be permitted to include pre-selected subgrantees in their 
applications. All intermediary applicants will select all of their 
subgrantees through open, competitive processes initiated after receipt 
of their award.
     CNCS has streamlined and clarified the overall content of 
the NOFO to make it easier for organizations to apply. Particularly we 
have clarified the eligibility criteria, consolidated guidelines for 
narrative content, and added information about the review process.
    CNCS is soliciting public input on the proposed Social Innovation 
Fund NOFO. As appropriate, the feedback received will be taken into 
account in the final NOFA. (CNCS will not provide individual responses 
to feedback received.)

DATES: Feedback Due Date: January 21, 2011.

ADDRESSES: You may submit feedback by any of the following methods:
    (1) Electronically through the Corporation's e-mail address system: 
SIFinput@cns.gov.
    (2) By mail sent to: Corporation for National and Community 
Service, Attention: Kirsten Breckinridge, Room 10708A; 1201 New York 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20525.
    (3) By hand delivery or by courier to: The Corporation's mailroom 
at Room 8100 at the mail address given in paragraph (1) above, between 
9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    (4) By fax to: (202) 606-3466, Attention: Kirsten Breckinridge, SIF 
Docket Manager.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding specific SIF 
program requirements should be directed to Kirsten Breckinridge by e-
mail at SIFinput@cns.gov. Persons with hearing or speech impairments 
may contact CNCS via TTY by calling the Federal Information Relay 
Service at (800) 877-8339.

Overview Information

    A. Federal Agency Name: Corporation for National and Community 
Service.
    B. Funding Opportunity Title: Social Innovation Fund.
    C. Announcement Type: Initial announcement.
    D. Funding Opportunity Number: OMB Approval Numbers applicable to 
this NOFA are 3045-0129.
    E. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): 94.019.
    F. Dates:
    1. Application Receipt Requirements and Date: CNCS is not currently 
accepting applications for this assistance.
    2. Estimated Award Date. The estimated award date will be included 
in the final NOFA published by CNCS.
    G. Additional Important Overview Information:
    1. CNCS is specifically seeking feedback on the changes that have 
been made to the 2011 Social Innovation Fund Notice of Funding 
Opportunity that are intended to clarify the Social Innovation Fund 
transparency practices, as well as the review and selection processes 
from the 2010 NOFA. We also welcome feedback on changes to the Notice 
format.
     CNCS is specifically inviting feedback on the outlined 
transparency practices and description of the review and selection 
process. CNCS is interested in whether the process and policies 
outlined reflect our intention to make public the processes behind 
grant selection and if not, how they can be changed to do so.
     The Corporation has changed two policies within the 2010 
Notice regarding the allowability of pre-selected subgrantees and the 
range of grant award that may be requested by an applicant. The 
Corporation is interested in public feedback on these two changes and 
the implications for potential applicant programming.
     The format of the Notice of Funding Opportunity has been 
changed from the 2010 NOFO to provide streamlined application narrative 
instructions and to more clearly delineate the eligibility criteria and 
the selection criteria. These changes are mostly contained within 
sections II, IV, and V. The Corporation is specifically inviting 
feedback on whether these changes improve the clarity of the 
eligibility and review criteria and whether the narrative instructions 
are clearly laid forth.
    2. Application materials. The NOFA and application materials will 
be available for download via the Corporation's Web site at https://www.nationalservice.gov/about/programs/innovation.asp.

Full Text of Announcement

Overview

    This Notice of Funding Opportunity (Notice) announces the 
opportunity (pending the availability of appropriations) to apply for 
fiscal year 2011 awards from the Social Innovation Fund. The Social 
Innovation Fund is administered by the Corporation for National and 
Community Service (CNCS), whose mission is to improve lives, strengthen 
communities, and foster civic participation through service and 
volunteering. As the nation's largest grantmaker for service and 
volunteering, CNCS plays a critical role in building the capacity of 
America's nonprofit sector and expanding the reach and impact of 
volunteers in addressing pressing community challenges. Last fiscal 
year, CNCS engaged an estimated 5.5 million Americans in service, the 
largest total in its history. CNCS's core programs are AmeriCorps, 
Learn and Serve America and Senior Corps.
    Created by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009, the 
Social Innovation Fund is itself an innovative program that awards 
grants to and works with existing grantmaking institutions, referred to 
in this Notice as ``intermediaries,'' to direct resources to innovative 
community-based nonprofit

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organizations to identify, validate, and grow promising approaches to 
challenges facing local communities in three priority issue areas:
     Youth Development;
     Economic Opportunity; and
     Healthy Futures
    The true innovation behind the Social Innovation Fund stems from 
the combination of three major elements: (1) Its focus on developing, 
strengthening, and then replicating and expanding community solutions 
that deliver results, (2) its operating model, which represents a new 
way of doing business for the Federal government, and (3) its support 
of supplementary initiatives intended to leverage the grant program and 
benefit the broader social innovation field.
    With respect to validating and growing promising approaches, the 
Social Innovation Fund embraces a belief that many compelling solutions 
to the persistent problems of low-income communities have already been 
developed and successfully implemented, albeit on a limited scale, by 
social entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations working in those very 
communities, who have a deep understanding of the problems and bring 
passion and fresh, practical thinking to the challenge of solving them. 
Accordingly, the Social Innovation Fund aims to identify those 
community-based organizations with the greatest potential for 
generating increased impact, help them strengthen their evidence base, 
and proactively support the growth of their work in order to 
significantly improve the lives of more people in more low-income 
communities.
    With respect to its operating model, the Social Innovation Fund's 
approach to investing in promising community solutions is characterized 
by several elements that are explicitly designed to increase the 
effectiveness and sustainability of the program's work while maximizing 
the impact generated per unit of public money invested. These elements 
include: (1) Reliance on intermediaries with strong skills and track 
records of success to do the critical work of selecting, validating, 
and growing high-impact nonprofit organizations; (2) requirements that 
each Federal dollar granted by the Social Innovation Fund be matched 
1:1 by the grantees and again by subgrantees with money from private 
and other non-Federal sources, (3) strict accountability for the 
achievement of impact and outcomes rather than for activities and 
outputs; and (4) requirements for systematic evaluation of program 
performance and results at all three critical levels: the service-
providing nonprofit organizations, the intermediaries and the Social 
Innovation Fund itself.
    Last year, the Social Innovation Fund competitively selected 11 
intermediaries with exemplary track records of success at identifying, 
supporting and growing promising approaches to critical community 
challenges. To learn more about last year's grantees and to read their 
full applications to CNCS, please visit: https://www.nationalservice.gov/about/programs/innovation.asp.
    CNCS embraces the Obama Administration's emphasis on open 
government and is moving toward greater openness and transparency in 
grantmaking. Last year, the Social Innovation fund took an 
unprecedented step in this direction by making available the names of 
expert reviewers, the names of applicants who were considered for 
funding, and the full applications and review comments for the selected 
grantees.
    For the 2011 Social Innovation Fund competition, CNCS has described 
the application review process stage by stage (see section V of this 
Notice). The following information will be provided to the public 
(except for any information which is clearly protected by law) within 
90 days of announcing the selected grantees:
     Names of expert reviewers.
     List of all applicants considered for funding.
     Executive summaries of all applications considered for 
funding.
     The applications of selected grantees.
     External reviewer comments for the selected grantees.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. What is the purpose of the Social Innovation Fund?

    The purpose of the Social Innovation Fund is to improve the lives 
of people in low-income communities throughout the United States by 
increasing the impact and scale of innovative community-based 
approaches that deliver results in three critical areas, youth 
development, economic opportunity and healthy futures. To this end, the 
Social Innovation Fund is a vehicle to: (1) Promote public and private 
investment in community-based nonprofit organizations with promising 
approaches to critical challenges to validate their impact and 
replicate and expand to serve more communities (2) through the use of 
appropriate evidence, identify additional effective approaches to 
addressing critical community challenges and broadly share this 
knowledge; and (3) develop the grantmaking infrastructure necessary to 
support the work of social innovation in communities across the 
country.
    As relates to the Social Innovation Fund, ``social innovation'' is 
understood to be the development and eventual scaling of promising and 
potentially transformative community-based approaches that solve 
critical problems. An approach is ``transformative'' if it not only 
produces strong impact (as defined in this Notice), but also (1) has 
the potential to affect how the same challenge is addressed in other 
communities, (2) addresses more than one critical community challenge 
concurrently, or (3) produces significant cost savings through gains in 
efficiency.
    Although the practice of social innovation requires the invention 
and testing of new ideas, the Social Innovation Fund is not intended to 
fulfill this role, for two reasons: First, the nonprofit marketplace 
offers sources of funding for that stage of development; and, second, 
the Social Innovation Fund believes that public funds are most 
appropriately and responsibly used for programs with a higher 
probability of success. Consequently, the Social Innovation Fund 
focuses primarily on ``promising'' approaches. These approaches may be 
relatively new or have limited current market penetration, but they 
will have a body of operational experience and at least preliminary 
evidence of effectiveness, as defined in this Notice.

B. How does the Social Innovation Fund program work?

    In FY 2011, CNCS will award a limited number of Social Innovation 
Fund grants to outstanding grantmaking institutions, referred to in 
this Notice as ``intermediaries.'' These intermediaries will match 
every Federal dollar of the grant award in cash. They will then 
identify and invest at least 80% of their Federal funds (plus 
identified cash matching funds) in portfolios of promising community-
based nonprofit organizations (subgrantees) working in low-income 
communities in one or more of the following issue areas:
     Youth Development--Preparing America's youth for success 
in school, active citizenship, productive work, and healthy and safe 
lives.
     Economic Opportunity--Increasing economic opportunities 
for economically disadvantaged individuals.
     Healthy Futures--Promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing 
the risk factors that can lead to illness.
    Subgrantees will also match every dollar of their awards in cash 
and will

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utilize CNCS funding to produce measurable outcomes within a specific 
issue area and geographic area, evaluate their effectiveness and 
replicate and expand to serve more individuals. Throughout this 
process, subgrantees will be supported and monitored by the 
intermediaries, who will remain accountable to CNCS for the achievement 
of the intended results set forth in their proposals.
    Successful intermediary applicants in this funding competition will 
have:
     A track record of using rigorous evidence to select, 
invest in, validate, support, and monitor the replication and expansion 
of their subgrantees;
     The capacity to conduct a competitive process for 
selecting innovative nonprofit community organizations with effective 
and potentially transformative approaches;
     Expertise in one or more of the issue areas; and
     Deep and broad relationships with stakeholders in one or 
more priority issue areas and/or specific geographic regions.
    This Notice provides full details on how applicants must address 
these and other factors in submitting their applications.

C. What is the match requirement for this competition?

    Social Innovation Fund grantees will match the Federal funds 
received, dollar-for-dollar, in cash. For FY 2011, Social Innovation 
Fund applicants must demonstrate the ability to meet 50 percent of 
their cash match requirement at the time of the application. 
Subgrantees will be required to provide the same match (dollar-for-
dollar, in cash) for every dollar received.

D. How does CNCS define ``low-income communities''?

    As specified in section 198K of the National and Community Service 
Act of 1990 (``the Act''), Social Innovation Fund intermediary grantees 
must make subgrants and otherwise support programs that serve ``low-
income'' communities. For purposes of this Notice, ``low-income 
community'' means either:
     A population of individuals or households being served by 
a subgrantee on the basis of having a household income that is 200 
percent or less of the applicable Federal poverty guideline, or
     Either a population of individuals or households, or a 
specific local geographic area, with specific measurable indicators 
that correlate to low-income status, such as, but not exclusive to, 
long-term unemployment, risk of homelessness, low school achievement, 
persistent hunger, or serious mental illness. An application that 
proposes to rely on measurable indicators should fully describe the 
basis for relying upon those indicators (including citations to 
appropriate studies). The application must also describe and cite the 
source of data supporting the conclusion that the targeted community 
meets the indicators.

E. How does the CNCS define which communities are ``significantly 
philanthropically underserved''?

    In making its final award determinations under this Notice, section 
198K(h)(2) of the Act requires CNCS to include, among award recipients, 
eligible applicants that propose to provide subgrants to nonprofit 
community organizations that will serve ``significantly 
philanthropically underserved'' communities. For purposes of this FY 
2011 Notice, CNCS will consider applicants serving significantly 
philanthropically underserved communities if they carryout activities 
in low-income communities (as defined above), which are also in a rural 
geographic area.
    For purposes of this Notice, a rural geographic area is one with a 
2003 Rural-Urban Continuum Code of 4 or higher (as issued by the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service). The full list of 
Rural-Urban Continuum Codes is listed here: https://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/rurality/ruralurbcon/.

F. What is the subgranting process and what are requirements?

    As discussed above, this Notice seeks applications for 
organizations to act as intermediaries. By statute, intermediaries must 
select subgrantees on a competitive basis. The primary functions of 
Social Innovation Fund awardees will be to conduct competitive subgrant 
competitions and administer those subgrants as required by the Act, 
this Notice, and the terms and conditions of the final awards.
    Competitive subgrant competitions must be completed within six 
months of the grant award. CNCS may review the results of subgrant 
processes for compliance and appropriate outcomes.
    Subgrants are to be made in annual amounts of $100,000 or more, per 
year, for a period between three and five years. For the FY 2011 Social 
Innovation Fund competition, CNCS anticipates Social Innovation Fund 
intermediaries awarding larger subgrants to programs that show the 
higher levels of impact and effectiveness, as defined below. Applicants 
should note that their subgrantees will be required to provide dollar-
for-dollar matching funds, in cash, for each year that they receive a 
Social Innovation Fund subgrant.
    In order to maximize the impact of the Social Innovation Fund and 
ensure a diverse array of innovative grantees across the Federal 
government, intermediary applicants should direct Social Innovation 
Fund funds toward innovations that will not receive grants for the same 
activities from other Federal innovation funds (e.g., ``Investing in 
Innovation'' at the Federal Department of Education). Final Social 
Innovation Fund award decisions may take into consideration the 
outcomes of other Federal competitions.

G. What constitutes a ``competitive subgrant competition''?

    As described in this Notice, Social Innovation Fund intermediaries 
must select their subgrantees through an open and competitive process. 
Applicants should clearly describe their plan for subgranting in their 
application narrative and will want to include the characteristics 
described below.
    To ensure that the competition is open, Intermediaries should 
provide sufficient public notice of the availability of Social 
Innovation Fund subgrants to eligible nonprofit community 
organizations. Intermediaries will also want to ensure that the 
following information is available to all potential applicants:
     What organizations are eligible for funding;
     How to obtain and submit an application;
     The criteria (including appropriate subcriteria) that will 
be considered in reviewing applications; and
     Any relative percentages, weights, or other means used to 
distinguish among the criteria.
    In their application, intermediaries should also describe how their 
review process will ensure applications are reviewed in a manner 
consistent with the established criteria and how they will ensure the 
process is free from any actual conflicts of interest or the reasonable 
perception of any such conflict.

H. What emphasis does the Social Innovation Fund place on evidence of 
effectiveness?

    CNCS is committed to using the resources available to encourage 
public and private investment in a portfolio of approaches with the 
potential to produce transformative results.

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Wherever possible, this means acting on evidence from well-designed and 
well-implemented experimental or quasi-experimental studies that 
demonstrate the program has a sizeable impact. However, CNCS recognizes 
that in many fields, and in many parts of the country, such evidence is 
not available. In those cases, CNCS is committed to funding promising 
efforts that will build on the existing base of evidence and grow our 
evidence about what works, improve programs, and inform future 
investments. All selected subgrantees will be required to have at least 
``preliminary'' evidence of their impact and effectiveness.
    The Social Innovation Fund will support the use of evidence in 
several ways. First, the Social Innovation Fund will prioritize 
intermediaries that have a track record of using evidence (see Section 
V) to select and invest in their subgrantees. Second, the Social 
Innovation Fund will require the use of data and evaluation tools by 
both intermediaries and subgrantees to validate their effectiveness and 
support the replication and expansion of their programs. Third, the 
Social Innovation Fund will evaluate the efforts of intermediaries and 
their subgrantees to achieve measurable outcomes. Fourth, the Social 
Innovation Fund will require that intermediaries put in place plans for 
all subgrantees to achieve at least moderate levels of evidence.

I. What definitions of impact and evidence will the Social Innovation 
Fund use?

    As mentioned above, successful applicants should demonstrate a 
history of using evidence of effectiveness to select and invest in 
their subgrantees and should propose a clear and detailed plan for 
validating the effectiveness of promising programs and evaluating the 
impact of their investments in replicating and expanding programs. One 
of the goals of these evaluation plans should be to increase the number 
of programs over time that have moderate or strong evidence of program 
effectiveness.
    CNCS will use the following definitions of impact and evidence 
(these definitions are consistent with those used in the Investing in 
Innovation fund at the Federal Department of Education):
     Strong impact means an impact with a substantial 
likelihood of yielding a major change in life outcomes for individuals 
or improvements in community standards of living. This definition will 
vary with context. To give examples, a mentoring program that cut youth 
crime by two percent over a given period would not have a strong 
impact, but a program that cut such crime by 20 percent could. A 
program that increases earnings by $50 per week for one month, and then 
fades out, would not have a strong impact. A program that increased 
earnings by this amount for a period of years would.
     Strong evidence means evidence from previous studies whose 
designs can support causal conclusions (i.e., studies with high 
internal validity), and studies that in total include enough of the 
range of participants and settings to support scaling up to the State, 
regional, or national level (i.e., studies with high external 
validity). The following are examples of strong evidence: (1) More than 
one well-designed and well-implemented experimental study or well-
designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study that supports 
the effectiveness of the practice, strategy, or program; or (2) one 
large, well-designed and well-implemented randomized controlled, 
multisite trial that supports the effectiveness of the practice, 
strategy, or program.
     Moderate evidence means evidence from previous studies 
whose designs can support causal conclusions (i.e., studies with high 
internal validity) but have limited generalizability (i.e., moderate 
external validity), or studies with high external validity but moderate 
internal validity. The following would constitute moderate evidence: 
(1) At least one well-designed and well-implemented experimental or 
quasi-experimental study supporting the effectiveness of the practice 
strategy, or program, with small sample sizes or other conditions of 
implementation or analysis that limit generalizability; (2) at least 
one well-designed and well-implemented experimental or quasi-
experimental study that does not demonstrate equivalence between the 
intervention and comparison groups at program entry but that has no 
other major flaws related to internal validity; or (3) correlational 
research with strong statistical controls for selection bias and for 
discerning the influence of internal factors.
     Preliminary evidence means evidence that is based on a 
reasonable hypothesis supported by research findings. Thus, research 
that has yielded promising results for either the program, or a similar 
program, will constitute preliminary evidence and will meet CNCS's 
criteria. Examples of research that meet the standards include: (1) 
Outcome studies that track program participants through a service 
`pipeline' and measure participants' responses at the end of the 
program; and (2) pre- and post-test research that determines whether 
participants have improved on an outcome of interest. In future years, 
CNCS may expand its standard for preliminary evidence to include 
reasonable hypotheses that are based on theories of change.

II. Award Information

A. How much funding is available?

    Subject to the availability of appropriations for FY 2011, CNCS 
anticipates awarding up to $XX million to approximately five to ten new 
Social Innovation Fund intermediary organizations. Based on recent 
experience and expressions of interest, CNCS anticipates that this 
Social Innovation Fund grant competition will be highly competitive.

B. What is the award amount?

    For the FY 2011 Social Innovation Fund award competition, CNCS 
expects to make annual awards in the range of $1 million to $7 million. 
CNCS expects to make larger grants to those intermediary organizations 
with a track record of supporting subgrantees with strong evidence and 
impact (as described in Section V of this Notice) and the capacity to 
support replication or expansion.

C. What is the award period?

    The award period is up to five years, with funding provided in 
annual increments, subject to availability of annual appropriations. 
Grantees will be eligible for continuation funding in the second 
through fifth year, contingent on the availability of appropriations, 
compliance with grant conditions, and satisfactory performance, 
including having secured sufficient matching funds.

III. Eligibility Information

A. What are the eligibility criteria?

    This competition is open to all entities that meet the following 
compliance and eligibility criteria. Receipt of previous funding from 
CNCS or other Federal agencies is not a prerequisite to applying under 
this Notice.
    In order to be compliant and eligible for review, an applicant 
must:
    1. Meet specific compliance requirements including:
     Include a budget that reflects a Federal share of between 
$1 million and $7 million;
     Include a budget that reflects a plan to distribute at 
least 80 percent of awarded Federal funds to subgrantees;
     Submit application in a timely manner as provided in this 
Notice;
     Submit an application that is complete, in that it 
contains all required

[[Page 81984]]

elements and follows the instructions provided in this Notice.
    2. Demonstrate either cash-on-hand or commitments (or a combination 
thereof) toward meeting 50 percent of the required first year matching 
funds, based on the amount of grant funds requested.
    At the time of submission of the application, applicants must 
demonstrate either cash-on-hand or commitments (or a combination 
thereof) toward meeting 50 percent of their first year matching funds, 
based on the amount of Federal grant funds applied for. For example, a 
request of $1 million needs to be accompanied by documentation of 
having $500,000 in cash on-hand or commitments at the time of 
application. Instructions for how to provide documentation of match are 
provided in section IV.
    In order to be eligible for award, an applicant must:
    1. Be an existing grantmaking institution or an eligible 
partnership;
    Existing grantmaking institutions are organizations in existence at 
the time of the application, which invest in nonprofit community 
organizations or programs as an essential (rather than collateral) 
means of fulfilling their mission and vision.
    In keeping with this view, grantmaking institutions will generally 
have the following as part of their core operating functions:
     Conducting open or otherwise competitive programs to award 
grants to or make investments in a diverse portfolio of nonprofit 
community organizations;
     Negotiating specific grant requirements with nonprofit 
community organizations; and
     Overseeing and monitoring the performance of grantees.
    An eligible partnership is a formal relationship between an 
existing grantmaking institution (as defined above) and either an 
additional grantmaking institution, a State Commission on National and 
Community Service (State Commission), or a chief executive officer of a 
unit of general local government where the partner organizations will 
share responsibilities under the award. In a cooperative agreement with 
a partnership, CNCS would expect to be dealing with each partner 
organization with some degree of independence concerning their 
collective responsibilities. For example, a partnership could include 
one organization that handles all aspects of a Social Innovation Fund 
program related to evaluation, while another organization handles all 
aspects related to finances and grant administration.
    Other collaborations (which may be similar to consultant or 
contractor arrangements), where an organization obtains access to 
needed competencies, but remains fully responsible for performance of 
the cooperative agreement, will not be treated as partnerships for 
purposes of determining eligibility. Please see the description of 
successful 2010 Social Innovation Fund grantees for examples of 
existing grantmaking institutions and eligible partnerships.
    2. Declare its status as either a geographically-based or issue-
based Social Innovation Fund that will focus on improving measurable 
outcomes;
    CNCS asks applicants to use a thematic approach in describing their 
proposed investments in community organizations. As established in 
section 198K of the Act, there are two basic operational models of 
Social Innovation Fund intermediaries. The first is a Social Innovation 
Fund that will operate in a single geographic location, and address one 
or more priority issues within that location. This model is referred to 
as a ``geographically-based Social Innovation Fund.'' The second model 
is a Social Innovation Fund that will address a single priority issue 
area in multiple geographic locations. This model is referred to as an 
``issue-based Social Innovation Fund.'' CNCS will assess whether the 
application properly proposes goals and objectives as either a 
geographically-based or an issue-based Social Innovation Fund.
Geographically-Based Social Innovation Fund
    To apply as a geographically-based Social Innovation Fund, the 
applicant must propose to focus on serving low-income communities 
within a specific local geographic area, and propose to focus on 
improving measurable outcomes related to one or more of the following 
priority issue areas:
     Youth Development.
     Economic Opportunity.
     Healthy Futures.
Issue-Based Social Innovation Fund
    To apply as an issue-based Social Innovation Fund, the applicant 
must propose to focus on addressing one of the following priority issue 
areas within multiple low-income communities:
     Youth Development.
     Economic Opportunity.
     Healthy Futures.
    3. Have a track record of using evidence to select, invest in, 
validate, and support the replication and expansion of grantees.
    Applicants must include information in their application that 
describes their track record of using evidence, data, and evaluation 
tools to:
     Select and invest in subgrantees;
     Validate the effectiveness of subgrantees;
     Support, monitor, and evaluate the replication and 
expansion of subgrantees; and
     Achieve measurable outcomes.
    4. Have a clearly-articulated plan to:
     Select, replicate and expand subgrantees that have been 
shown to have at least preliminary evidence of effectiveness; and
     Collaborate with a research organization to undertake 
rigorous evaluations to move subgrantees to at least moderate levels of 
evidence.
    5. Have appropriate policies on conflicts of interest, self-
dealing, and other improper practices.
    Applicants must explain within the Program Design section of their 
application how they have, or will, put measures in place that will 
prevent conflict of interest, opportunities for self-dealing, and other 
improper practices from occurring, specifically during the competitive 
subgrant selection process.

B. How will eligibility criteria be applied?

    CNCS will conduct a compliance review of applications to determine 
whether they meet the compliance criteria listed above. Applications' 
executive summaries will then be screened through an initial 
eligibility review which will confirm whether the applicant meets 
eligibility criteria 1 and 2 listed above. The compliance and initial 
eligibility reviews will not involve reading the entire application. 
Any application that does not meet each of these four initial criteria 
will be considered nonresponsive to this Notice and will not be further 
reviewed.
    The remaining applications will be reviewed as described in this 
Notice. The review will include an evaluation of the final three 
eligibility criteria above as part of the overall review process. In 
addition, and as necessary, CNCS will further evaluate an applicant 
during clarifying discussions (and possible site visits) with 
applicants. CNCS also anticipates conducting due diligence reviews to 
assess or confirm information or assurances provided by applicants. As 
part of these application reviews, further discussions and any due 
diligence reviews, CNCS may conclude that an application does not meet 
one or more of the eligibility criteria listed above, in which case the 
application will be considered

[[Page 81985]]

nonresponsive and will not be further considered.

C. Can existing social innovation fund grantees apply under this 
Notice?

    Existing Social Innovation Fund grantees may apply under this 
Notice, but their application must seek funding for a program that is 
distinct from the program currently being funded. An application to 
expand a current Social Innovation Fund supported program into 
different geographical areas will not be considered an application for 
a distinct program.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    This section is divided into two parts. The first part explains 
when and how applications should be submitted. The second part provides 
explicit guidance for the application narratives that must be submitted 
as a part of an application.

Part 1. Application Submission Information

A. When are applications due?
    Applications are due no later than 5 p.m. ET on XXXX. Applications 
must arrive at CNCS by the deadline in order to be considered.
B. Where can I request application information?
    This Notice may be found on CNCS's Web site: https://www.nationalservice.gov/about/programs/innovation.asp.
C. What is a DUNS number and is it required?
    The Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 
number is an identifier that helps the Federal government improve 
statistical reports on Federal grants and cooperative agreements. 
Applications must include a DUNS number on the Application for Federal 
Assistance (Standard Form 424). The DUNS number does not replace your 
Employer Identification Number. DUNS numbers may be obtained at no cost 
by calling the DUNS number request line at (866) 705-5711, or by 
applying online at https://www.dnb.com.
    The Web site indicates a 24-hour e-mail turnaround time on requests 
for DUNS numbers. However, we suggest registering at least 30 days in 
advance of the application due date. Expedited DUNS numbers may be 
obtained by telephone at a cost of $99 by calling the DUNS number 
request line. Applications without DUNS numbers or with invalid DUNS 
numbers will be rejected. A DUNS number is required to apply for this 
funding opportunity.
D. How do I submit an application?
    CNCS requires that all applicants submit their applications 
electronically via CNCS's Web-based application system, eGrants.
    Applications must arrive at CNCS by XXXX at 5 p.m. ET in order to 
be considered. CNCS reserves the right to extend the submission 
deadline. Any notice of such extended deadline will be posted in 
eGrants.
    We recommend that applicants create an eGrants account and begin 
the application at least three weeks before the deadline and begin 
pasting your application into eGrants no later than ten days before the 
deadline. Applicants should draft the application as a word processing 
document, then copy and paste the document into eGrants no later than 
10 days before the deadline.
    Contact the eGrants Help Desk at 888-677-7849 or e-mail 
egrantshelp@cns.gov if a problem arises while creating an account, 
preparing, or submitting an application. Be prepared to provide your 
application ID and organization's name. eGrants Help Desk hours are 8 
p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
    If technical issues are preventing you from submitting your 
application in eGrants by the deadline, please contact the eGrants Help 
Desk prior the deadline to explain the technical issue and receive a 
ticket number. If the issue cannot be resolved by the deadline, the 
applicant must continue working with the eGrants Help Desk to submit 
via eGrants.
E. Will late applications be considered?
    CNCS may consider an application after the deadline, but only if 
the applicant submits a letter explaining the extenuating circumstance 
which caused the delay. The letter must be sent to 
LateApplications@cns.gov within the 24-hour period following the 
deadline. Late applications are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
    If extenuating circumstances make the use of eGrants impossible, 
applicants may send a hard copy of the application to the address below 
in Section VI, Agency Contacts, via overnight carrier. Please use a 
non-U.S. Postal Service because of security-related delays in receiving 
mail from the U.S. Postal Service. All deadlines and requirements in 
this Notice apply to hard copy applications. Hard copy applications 
must include a cover letter detailing the circumstances that make it 
impossible to submit via e-Grants.
    Do not submit supplementary materials such as videos, brochures, 
letters of support, or any other item not requested in this Notice. 
CNCS will not review or return them.
F. How is an application created in eGrants?
    If you need help establishing a new organization account in 
eGrants, or a new user account for an existing organization account, 
please refer to the eGrants Help Desk Web site: https://www.nationalservice.gov/egrants/help.asp.
    After you create your eGrants account, begin by selecting ``New'' 
under the Creating an Application heading on your Home Page. Select 
``Other'' as the Program Area and click ``Go.'' You will then be asked 
to select a NOFA. Choose: Social Innovation Fund 2011. Once you create 
an application, you will be allowed to edit as needed until you are 
ready to submit.
    Do not use the New button again as this will start a brand new 
application. Once you have initiated an application, it will be listed 
in the View My Grants/Applications section of the homepage under the 
status: Grantee Edit of Application or Report. If you exit and then 
return to eGrants and wish to continue entering or editing your 
application, please open your saved version by selecting View My 
Grants/Applications in the status Grantee Edit of Application or 
Report.
G. What must be included in an application?
    This Notice contains all application instructions and is available 
at https://www.nationalservice.gov/about/programs/innovation.asp.
    The application must provide a well-designed plan with a clear and 
compelling justification for awarding the requested funds. Guidance for 
completing the narrative sections is provided below. In evaluating your 
application, reviewers will assess the narrative on the basis of your 
program design, organizational capacity, and budget adequacy/cost 
effectiveness.
    Application Instructions are formatted to correspond to fields in 
eGrants and clarified through this Notice.
    The completed application will consist of the following components, 
described in detail below:
    1. Standard Form 424 (SF-424) Facesheet
    2. Narratives (OMB Control 3045-0129, Expiration Date 11/
30/2011)
     Executive Summary.
     Program Design.
     Organizational Capacity.
     Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy.
    3. Standard Form 424A Budget
    4. Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications

[[Page 81986]]

    5. Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity (Optional; OMB 
Control 1894-0010, Expiration Date 5/31/2012)
1. Standard Form 424 Facesheet
    The Standard Form-424 Facesheet is required for applications 
submitted for Federal assistance. The SF-424 contents are duplicated in 
eGrants, although the format is different.
    Please note that the SF-424 is automatically generated by 
completing the data elements in the eGrants system. When completing the 
application in eGrants, many of the fields will be populated with 
information entered during the organization's registration process.
Applicant Info
    Please note that the Authorized Representative name is blank. You 
cannot select a name for this field. Instead, the Authorized 
Representative will need to have his/her own account to click on the 
Assurances and Certifications at the end of the application. 
(Attachment A)
    Under Project Information select, ``Enter New'' and choose a title 
for the proposed project. It is possible to enter another address for 
the project, which may or not be the same as that of the Legal 
Applicant.
    Select a Project Initiative: Choose the operational model which 
best describes your Social Innovation Fund application from the 
following options:
    SIF--Geographic Healthy Futures.
    SIF--Geographic Opportunity.
    SIF--Geographic Youth.
    SIF--Geographic Multiple Issues.
    SIF--Issue Area Healthy Futures.
    SIF--Issue Area Opportunity.
    SIF--Issue Area Youth.
    To select an individual as the Project Director, choose a name from 
the pull-down menu or add a new contact.
Application Info
    Areas affected by the project: List only the largest political or 
municipal entities affected (e.g., counties and cities).
    Enter the dates for the proposed project start and end dates. Your 
project period is up to five years and must begin no later than 
September 30, 2011.
    Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs: This program is NOT 
subject to Executive Order 12372.
    Delinquent on any Federal debt: Check the appropriate box. This 
question applies to the applicant organization, not the person who 
signs as the authorized representative. Categories of debt include 
delinquent audit allowances, loans, and taxes. If Yes, type your 
explanation in the text box provided.
    State Application Identifier: Enter N/A.

    Note: Falsification or concealment of a material fact or 
submission of false, fictitious or fraudulent statements or 
representations to any department or agency of the United States. 
Government may result in a fine or imprisonment for not more than 
five (5) years, or both. (18 U.S.C. 1001).

2. Narrative Section
    The application narrative comprises four separate sections. Content 
guidelines for each of these narrative sections, including character 
limits and content requirements, are provided later in this section of 
the Notice. The four sections include:
    1. Executive Summary
    2. Program Design
    A. Goals and Objectives
    B. Description of Activities
    C. Use of Evidence
    D. Community Resources
    3. Organizational Capacity
    A. Ability to Provide Program Oversight
    B. Ability to Provide Fiscal Oversight
    4. Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy
    A. Budget and Program Design
    B. Match Sources
3. Standard Form 424A Budget
Budget--Year One
    The budget should describe how grant funds will be used to 
effectively support activities described in the proposal narrative. Do 
not include unexplained amounts, amounts for miscellaneous or 
contingency costs, or unallowable expenses such as entertainment costs. 
Round all figures to the nearest dollar. Refer to the Federal cost 
principles at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/ for 
information on allowable costs in Federal grants.
    We recommend you prepare your project budget off-line before 
entering it into eGrants. EGrants will create the budget and the budget 
narrative automatically from the detailed budget information you enter.
    Budget Section 1 Categories:
    Project Personnel Expenses.
    Personnel Fringe Benefits.
    Travel--Please include adequate funding for travel for at least two 
staff member to 2 CNCS convenings and 1 financial training. For the 
sake of planning purposes, assume that meetings will take place in 
Washington, DC.
    Equipment (individual items over $5,000).
    Supplies.
    Contractual and Consultant Services.
    Other (all subgrant costs are included in the line titled, 
``Subgrants'').
    Budget Section 2 Categories:
    Source of Matching Funds.
    Federally Approved Indirect Costs.
    You will be prevented from validating your budget in eGrants if you 
do not meet the dollar-for-dollar, cash match. You will receive an 
error message that states, ``Grantee share must be greater than or 
equal to CNCS share.''
4. Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications
    eGrants requires that you review and verify your entire application 
before submitting, by completing the following sections in eGrants:
     Review.
     Authorize.
     Assurances.
     Certifications.
     Verify.
     Submit.
    Read the Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications carefully 
(Attachment A). The person who authorizes the application must be the 
applicant's Authorized Representative or his/her designee and must have 
an active eGrants account to sign these documents electronically. An 
Authorized Representative is the person in your organization authorized 
to accept and commit funds on behalf of the organization. A copy of the 
governing body's authorization for this official representative to sign 
must be on file in the applicant's office.
    Be sure to check your entire application to make sure that there 
are no errors before submitting it. eGrants will also generate a list 
of errors if there are sections that need to be corrected prior to 
submission when you verify the application. If someone else is acting 
in the role of the applicant's authorized representative, that person 
must log into his/her eGrants account to proceed with Authorize and 
Submit. After signing off on the Authorization, Assurances, and 
Certifications, his/her name will override any previous signatory that 
may appear and show on the application as the Authorized 
Representative.

    Note: Anyone within your organization who will be entering 
information in the application at any point during application 
preparation and submission in the eGrants system must have their own 
eGrants account. Individuals may establish an eGrants account by 
accessing this link: https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp 
and selecting ``Don't have an eGrants account? Create an account.''

5. Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity (Optional)
    Applicants are asked to complete the Survey on Ensuring Equal 
Opportunity

[[Page 81987]]

for Applicants. The survey can be found at: https://www.americorps.gov/pdf/CNCS_2007_EO_survey.doc. Submission of the survey is not 
required.
G. Is this funding opportunity subject to intergovernmental review?
    Applicants under this program are not subject to Executive Order 
12372 ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
H. What are the funding restrictions?
Budget Requirements
    Applicants must submit a proposed first year budget that includes 
both Federal and match funding as part of their application. If an 
application is selected for award, CNCS will determine the final amount 
of the award of Federal funds, and will negotiate a final budget. Upon 
award, compliance with the approved budget will be a material term and 
condition of the cooperative agreement with the Social Innovation Fund 
intermediary.
    Proposed and final budgets may only include allowable costs as 
defined in the applicable cost principles for the award recipient--
     2 CFR Part 220--Cost Principles for Educational 
Institutions (OMB Circular A-21).
     2 CFR Part 225--Cost Principles for State, Local and 
Tribal Governments (OMB Circular A-87).
     2 CFR Part 230--Cost Principles for Non-Profit 
Organizations (OMB Circular A-122).
    Applicants who have not previously applied for Federal grant funds 
should understand that ``allowable costs'' under Federal awards do not 
necessarily include all costs that the organization will incur in order 
to perform their awards. For example, the costs of raising funds in 
order to meet the nonfederal share of the budget (``matching funds'') 
are not allowable costs under OMB cost principles. The cost principles 
implement long standing government-wide policy decisions on the use of 
Federal grant funds and applicants should ensure that they are fully 
aware of requirements in the applicable OMB circular while preparing 
their budgets.
    The proposed and final budgets may only include actual expenditures 
by the applicant organization. The value of any in-kind goods or 
services provided to the applicant cannot be included in the proposed 
or final budgets. The budgets will allocate allowable costs to either 
the Federal or non-Federal share of the total budget. At least 80 
percent of the Federal share must be awarded to subgrantees; the 
balance may go toward the intermediary's program support costs, 
including evaluation, knowledge management, and Social Innovation Fund 
implementation.
    The non-Federal share of the budget must equal or exceed the 
Federal share of the budget (this implements the dollar-for-dollar cash 
match requirement). There is no requirement that the non-Federal share 
of the budget ``mirror'' or be allocated on the same basis as the 
Federal share of the budget. However, CNCS is particularly interested 
in applicants that raise additional dollars to be provided to the 
subgrantees, and in applicants that propose to award the majority of 
their matching funds to subgrantees through their competitive subgrant 
selection process.
    As described in the OMB cost principles, applicant budgets (other 
than the amounts budgeted for subgrants) will include a combination of 
direct or indirect costs. Applicants with approved indirect cost rates 
for Federal grants must use those rates for any indirect costs they 
include in their budgets. CNCS will work with applicants selected for 
award who do not have approved Federal indirect cost rates to help them 
develop and obtain approval for their rates.
Matching Funds
    The non-Federal share of the budget represents the dollar-for-
dollar matching funds requirement under this Notice. Any organization 
that receives an award under this Notice is responsible for securing 
the necessary matching funds. Matching funds may come from State, 
local, or private sources, which may include State or local agencies, 
businesses, private philanthropic organizations, or individuals. 
Federal funds, including Federal block grants being distributed by 
State or local governments, may not be used towards the match 
requirement, except under very specific circumstances.
    Additionally:
     If the applicant is an eligible partnership that includes 
a State Commission or a local government office, the State or local 
government involved must provide not less than 30 percent and not more 
than 50 percent of the matching funds.
     CNCS is particularly interested in applicants that 
demonstrate that Federal funds are generating additional or new private 
sector funds.
     CNCS is also particularly interested in applicants that 
present both a strong capacity to raise additional dollars to be 
provided to subgrantees, and a serious commitment to share the 
fundraising burden for their subgrantees.
I. Where should match verification documents be submitted?
    Social Innovation Fund applicants must demonstrate the ability to 
meet 50 percent of their cash match requirement at the time of the 
application. Signed letters verifying match, as well as all other 
required documentation, can be sent via e-mail to Social_Innovation_FundApplication@cns.gov or via overnight carrier (non-U.S. Postal 
Service because of security-related delays in receiving mail from the 
U.S. Postal Service) to the following address: Corporation for National 
and Community Service, ATT: Office of Grants Policy and Operations/
Social Innovation Fund Application, 1201 New York Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20525.
    When submitting match verification by e-mail, applicants should 
reference their application ID and organization name in the subject 
line of their e-mail. Match verification, as well as all other 
documentation must be received by the deadline on XXXX, 5 p.m. Eastern 
Time. Submission of evidence of match by the application deadline is a 
compliance criterion.
    In the FY 2011 Social Innovation Fund award competition, CNCS will 
not reduce the match requirement for applicants that will be serving 
significantly philanthropically underserved communities.

Part 2. Application Narrative Guidelines

    The following guidelines should be used to draft the narrative 
section of the application. These instructions form the basis for the 
review criteria and, along with the eligibility criteria, will be used 
by reviewers to evaluate your application.
A. What are the character limits for the narrative section?
    For the entire narrative section, the maximum character limit is 
75,000 or approximately 55 double-spaced pages using a 12-point font. 
We recommend the following character limit disbursements for each 
component:
     Executive Summary: Up to 4,500 characters or approximately 
3 double-spaced pages, 12-point font.
     Program Design: Up to 31,500 characters or approximately 
22.5 double-spaced pages, 12-point font.
     Organizational Capacity: Up to 24,500 characters or 
approximately 17.5 double-spaced pages, 12-point font.
     Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy: Up to 14,000 
characters or approximately 10 double-spaced pages, 12-point font.
    Please note that character limits include spaces. When drafting 
narrative

[[Page 81988]]

responses, we recommend using word processing software that will check 
spelling and count characters. Use only uppercase letters for all 
section headings and other information you would like to highlight in 
your narrative. Bold face, bullets, underlines, or other types of 
formatting, charts, diagrams, and tables will not copy into eGrants.
B. What should be included in the Executive Summary?
    The Executive Summary should be completed using the following 
guide. Executive summaries for all applications considered for funding 
will be made public and posted to CNCS's Web site. Executive summaries 
will be used in the initial eligibility review to assess applicants' 
status as: (1) An existing grantmaking institution or an eligible 
partnership; and (2) to confirm its identification as either a 
geographically-based or issue-based Social Innovation Fund.
    Title:
    For the title of your Executive Summary, applicants should use the 
name of the sole or lead intermediary (if an eligible partnership)
    Contents:
    Applicants should provide a summary of the proposed program 
including the following:
     Basic Information:

--Demonstrate that the applicant is an existing grantmaking institution 
or eligible partnership;
--Identify as either a geographically-based Social Innovation Fund or 
issue-based Social Innovation Fund;
--Identify priority issue area(s) of focus;
--Identify key measurable outcomes your program will improve;
--Identify specific local geographic areas where subgrantees are likely 
to be located (if applying as an issue-based Social Innovation Fund);
--Identify key implementation partners (if you are applying as an 
eligible partnership, clearly identify the other members of your 
partnership);
--Identify the grant amount you are requesting and your proposed grant 
period; and
--Identify the key sources of match you have secured.

     Project Overview:

--Provide an overview of your proposed program and the need(s) your 
program will meet;
--Describe the specific issue area(s) you will address and the 
measurable outcomes you propose to improve;
--Provide an overview of your proposed competitive subgrant selection 
process and what you hope to achieve, including how you plan to use 
evidence of effectiveness to identify and select subgrantees;
--Describe your track record of using rigorous evidence to select 
grantees; validate potentially effective programs and practices, and 
support and evaluate the replication and expansion of grantees;
--Describe what support and assistance you will provide selected 
subgrantees in terms of operations, performance measurement, and 
evaluation; and
--Identify major sources of match you have secured.
C. What should be included in the Program Design section?
1. Goals and Objectives
    In this section, applicants should identify and describe the key 
objectives of their Social Innovation Fund, as well as the theory of 
change and overall approach to selecting and supporting subgrantees 
they are proposing in order to achieve their objectives.
    First, applicants must identify themselves as either a 
geographically-based Social Innovation Fund or an issue-based Social 
Innovation Fund, as defined in this Notice. For either type, your 
narrative should include additional information as noted below.
Geographically-Based Social Innovation Fund
    The application must do the following:
     Describe the target community, State or region that you 
propose to serve;
     Describe the specific priority issue area(s) on which you 
propose to focus--i.e. Youth Development, Economic Opportunity, and/or 
Healthy Futures--and the statistical information that supports this 
focus;
     Provide statistics on the needs related to the issue 
area(s) within the specific local geographic area;
     Describe the specific measurable outcomes you propose to 
improve; and
     Describe the availability of relevant data and your 
approach to assess whether your investments caused improvement in the 
proposed measurable outcomes.
    Issue-Based Social Innovation Fund:
    The application must do the following:
     Describe the specific issue area on which you propose to 
focus--i.e. Youth Development, Economic Opportunity, and/or Healthy 
Futures;
     Describe the target geographies--i.e. communities, States 
or regions--which you are likely to serve and your rationale for 
selecting these particular geographies;
     Provide statistics on the needs related to the issue area 
within the geographic areas likely to be served, including statistics 
demonstrating that those geographic areas have a high need in the issue 
area;
     Describe the measurable outcomes related to the issue area 
you propose to improve; and
     Describe the availability of relevant data and your 
approach to assess whether your investments caused improvement in the 
proposed measurable outcomes.
    Second, applicants must describe the theory of change relevant to 
their proposed program and the investment strategy they intend to 
employ. Applicants should convey an intentional approach to solving 
community problems through their subgrant investments and clearly 
explain (1) the types of organizations they will invest in and why, and 
(2) the value-added activities, including technical assistance or other 
services, they will provide their subgrantees in order to align them 
with the theory of change and achieve the desired outcomes.
2. Description of Activities
Subgranting
    In this section of the narrative, applicants must describe the 
process by which they will identify and competitively select their 
nonprofit community organiz