FY26 AmeriCorps Competitive Traditional (Illinois) Notice of Funding Opportunity (26-444-80-2808-01)

Awarding Agency Name (I-A)	Illinois Department of Human Services
Agency Division Name	Department of Human Services; Office of Community and Positive Youth Development; Bureau of Volunteerism and Community Service
Agency Contact	Rachael Tuxhorn DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov
Announcement Type (I-C)	Initial Announcement
Funding Opportunity Title (I-B)	AmeriCorps Competitive Traditional (Illinois)
Funding Opportunity Number (I-D)	26-444-80-2808-01
Application Posting Date	December 9, 2024
Application Closing Date	January 13, 2025 by 4:00pm CST
Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA) Number	444-80-2808
Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA) Name	AmeriCorps Competitive Traditional
Assistance Listing Number(s) (I-E)	Enter "not applicable" if Source of Funding does not include Federal or Federal pass-through funds
Awarding Source	Federal Funds - Through the AmeriCorps Agency
Estimated Total Program Funding Amount	$3,000,000
Anticipated Number of Awards	10
Award Range	Awards will vary based on the project. Limit of 1 application per applicant.
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement?	Yes See Section C. Eligibility Information and Grant Funding Requirements
Indirect Costs Allowed?	Yes
Restrictions on Indirect Costs?	See Section C. Eligibility Information and Grant Funding Requirements for any funding restrictions.
Technical Assistance Session Offered	Session Offered: Yes Session Mandatory: No Date and time: 12/19/2024 at 10:00AM CST Registration Link
NOFO / Application Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)	Submit questions to: DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov Due date for submitting questions: 1/8/2025 FAQs will be updated frequently, and a final, complete list will be posted to the IDHS website on 1/10/2025.

Program Description
1. Background and Program Summary
  The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National grants are awarded to eligible organizations that engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions to strengthen communities. An AmeriCorps member is a person who does community service through AmeriCorps.
  Members may receive a living allowance and other benefits. After successful completion of their service, members earn a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award they can use to pay for higher education expenses or apply to qualified student loans.
  AmeriCorps State and National improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. AmeriCorps State and National brings people together to tackle some of the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps members serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities and those serving.
  This funding opportunity is open to new, recompete, and continuation applicants in any community located in Illinois. Any applicants selected for funding will be notified by IDHS - Serve Illinois and a contract will be sent requiring a signature form the program designee.
2. Funding Priorities
  IDHS is working to counteract systemic racism and inequity, and to prioritize and maximize diversity throughout its service provision process. This work involves addressing existing institutionalized inequities, aiming to create transformation, and operationalizing equity and racial justice. It also focuses on the creation of a culture of inclusivity for all regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or ability. Organizations that provide services under this funding opportunity and all related AmeriCorps programs must reflect IDHS' commitment to advance equity and racial justice by enabling all to thrive, regardless of race, zip code, and disability.
  For this funding opportunity, IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National will prioritize consideration from organizations proposing to focus on the funding priorities listed below. Organizations may submit an application that focuses on other issues or populations not identified in the funding priorities below, but the organization must demonstrate a need in their application and how that need will be met.
  1. Serve Communities
    1. Serve communities with concentrated poverty, rural communities, tribal communities, and historically underrepresented and underserved individuals. These may include people of color, immigrants, refugees, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with arrest or conviction records, religious minorities, etc.;
    2. Implement programs for or expand access to high-quality youth mental health and substance use recovery services and prepare AmeriCorps members to enter behavioral health careers. These may include individuals with lived experience with substance use and mental health challenges to support youth mental health efforts and continued AmeriCorps work on the opioid epidemic;
    3. Focus on improving the quality of life for veterans, active-duty members of the Armed Forces, and their families by recruiting veterans, military spouses, and their older children into national service;
    4. Promote environmental stewardship to help communities (especially underserved households and communities) to be more resilient by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving land, and water, increasing renewable energy use, and improving at-risk ecosystems;
    5. Support civic bridgebuilding programs and projects to reduce polarization and community divisions; and providing training in civic bridgebuilding skills and techniques to AmeriCorps members;
  2. Benefit AmeriCorps Members
    1. Provide benefits to AmeriCorps members aimed at enhancing member experience and bolstering member recruitment and retention such as paying more than the minimum living allowance, transportation, housing, food, etc.;
    2. Create workforce pathways for AmeriCorps members, including deliberate training, certifications, and hiring preferences or support;
    3. Enhance and expand services to second chance youth and/or engage those youth as AmeriCorps members;
    4. Develop and train the next generation of diverse public health leaders through service while addressing pressing community health challenges. Review Public Health AmeriCorps Priority in the Mandatory Supplemental Information for eligibility information;
  3. Use Evidence
    1. Utilize reports from the AmeriCorps Evidence Exchange on programs assessed as having Moderate or Strong evidence to scale, replicate, or adapt the intervention;
  4. Faith-Based
    1. Organizations that are faith-based; and
  5. American Climate Corps
    1. Please note that applicants may propose projects to be affiliated with the American Climate Corps (ACC), which is a federal government national service and workforce development initiative focused on training young people for the clean energy and climate resilience workforce. Applicants who are interested must demonstrate that their project funds ACC eligible positions meeting the following criteria:
      1. The position has verifiable climate or environmental impact.
      2. The position is temporary (term-limited), and the term length is at least 300 hours.
      3. The position includes skills-based training as part of the program and provides a pathway to employment.
      4. The position must receive a living allowance and, in some cases, may receive additional member benefits.
    2. Applicants submitting a workforce development project to qualify for affiliation with the ACC should note that in their application. Successful applicants will be notified if they are part of the ACC and may be subject to additional reporting requirements.
    3. To receive priority consideration, applicants must show the priority area is a significant part of the program focus and intended outcomes. Priority consideration does not guarantee funding.
3. Eligible Service Areas
  1. State and Territory Service Commissions, for Single-State Applicants
    1. Organizations that plan to operate only in Illinois must apply directly to IDHS - Serve Illinois per the instructions in this NOFO. This opportunity is open to all counties and communities in Illinois.
  2. National Direct Applicants
    1. Multi-State: Organizations that plan to operate AmeriCorps programs in more than one state or territory apply directly to AmeriCorps.
    2. States and Territories without State Service Commissions: Applicants in South Dakota, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands apply directly to AmeriCorps because they do not have an established Commission.
    3. Federally recognized Indian Tribes: Applicants that are Indian Tribes apply directly to AmeriCorps.
      NOTE: In addition to Indian Tribes, as defined in 2 CFR 200.1, tribal organizations that are controlled, authorized, or chartered by Federally recognized Indian Tribes are also eligible to apply directly to AmeriCorps.
      Federally recognized Indian Tribes will also be eligible to apply for operating or planning grants under a separate Notice of Funding Opportunity for Indian Tribes at the AmeriCorps.gov Funding Opportunities webpage with an application deadline in the spring.
4. Program Deliverables
  The Provider will provide the services and agrees to act in compliance with all state and federal statutes and administrative rules applicable to the provision of services pursuant to this Agreement. The grant application, submitted by the Provider, relates to this Agreement must be implemented as outlined below.
  1. The Provider will comply with applicable Terms and Conditions for AmeriCorps State and National Grants.pdf and General Grant and Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions.pdf.
  2. The Provider will comply with member recruitment and selection requirements as outlined in AmeriCorps' regulations at 45 CFR §§ 2522.210 and Part 2540, subpart B.
  3. The Provider will ensure that each member has sufficient opportunity to complete the required number of hours of service to qualify for the education award.
  4. The Provider will adhere to all requirements outlined in the IDHS - Serve Illinois Program Director's Manual.
  5. Conduct National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) requirements as outlined in the NSCHC Manual and regulations at 45 CFR § 2540, subpart B.
  6. Recruit and retain the allocated number and type of slots (e.g., full-time, half-time) of AmeriCorps members.
  7. Provide services with the designated population(s) in the service area that work towards meeting the specified outcomes and outputs that align with primary services, addressing the focus area(s), and, if applicable, engaging volunteers in accordance with the approved program plan.
  8. Adhere to the performance measures and evaluation in the approved program plan as required by IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National.
  9. Supervise and train members throughout their service term as outlined in the approved program plan.
  10. Provide all members with AmeriCorps uniforms, service gear, personal protective equipment and all other service materials required to accomplish the member's service hours.
  11. Participate in Illinois IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National scheduled meetings and trainings (including Program Director's meetings, AmeriCorps regional offerings and regional trainings).
  12. Certify member enrollment in My AmeriCorps Portal for all members within eight calendar days of the AmeriCorps members' starting a term of service.
  13. Host or co-host two national service days. All sites will host/co-host an event for the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday. The Provider will also host/co-host a second event and it is at the discretion of the Provider to select from one of the following options: Global Youth Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, 9/11 Remembrance Day or Veteran's Day.
  14. Host a National Service Opening Day event/activity at the program site no later than six weeks from the start date of the program.
  15. Host or co-host an AmeriCorps member recognition event/activity during AmeriCorps week.
  16. Programs are to be designed to operate for no more than 12 months.
5. Performance Measures
  At the end of each quarter, successful applicants will submit a periodic performance report (PPR). At the end of the year, successful applicants will submit a cumulative report. In addition to service data and activities, the PPRs will also include the following performance measures:
  1. State Performance Measures
    1. Execute an approved overall program plan designed to serve the target population and achieve identified program goals.
    2. Execute a detailed member outreach and recruitment plan.
    3. Ensure that each AmeriCorps member completes the required number of hours of service to qualify for the education award.
    4. Ensure provider participation in IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National meetings.
    5. Ensure provider participation in IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National sanctioned activities and trainings.
    6. Ensure AmeriCorps member participation in IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National sanctioned activities and trainings.
    7. Ensure timely exit of all members.
    8. Complete all required reports and program closeout by agreed deadlines.
  2. National Performance Measures
    1. All applications must include at least one aligned performance measure, output, and outcome, that corresponds to the proposed primary intervention. This may be a National Performance Measure or an applicant-determined measure. For more information, refer to the AmeriCorps State and National Performance Measure Instructions 2025 (pdf).
6. Performance Standards
  1. State Performance Standards
    1. Execution of IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National-approved program plan designed to serve the target population and achieve identified program goals by the date in the approved timeline.
    2. 50% of approved member slots are recruited and enrolled within 30 days of the program start date.
    3. 85% of enrolled AmeriCorps members qualify for the education award by program end.
    4. 80% provider attendance rate for participation in IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National meetings.
    5. 80% provider attendance rate for participation in IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National sanctioned activities and training.
    6. 80% participation rate of currently enrolled members (on the date of the activity/training) in IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National sanctioned and required activities/trainings.
    7. 100% of enrolled members are exited from the eGrants system within 30 days of the end of their term of service.
    8. 100% accurate completion of all required reports and program closeout by the agreed deadline.
  2. National Performance Standards
    1. National Performance Standards. Must be consistent with chosen performance measure. See AmeriCorps State and National Performance Measure Instructions 2025 (pdf).
7. Authorizing Statutes
  1. Statutory Authority: Awards under this Notice are authorized by the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (pdf), as amended, (42 U.S.C. §12501 et seq.)
Award and Funding Information
1. This is both a competitive funding opportunity and a continuation opportunity. Applicant organizations must apply to IDHS - Serve Illinois by following the instructions included in this NOFO and submitting their application in the federal eGrants, AmeriCorps' web-based application system.
  1. The IDHS - Serve Illinois AmeriCorps Program Manager will send an email notification to current grantees from the DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov email address which will indicate if the grantee is in a continuation or recompete year.
  2. Continuation applicants are not guaranteed an award for subsequent years; awards depend upon the availability of future appropriations and satisfactory performance. Please refer to Section F.5 Continuation Funding Information and Requirements for additional instructions.
2. Recompete and new applicants will be selected for submission to AmeriCorps State and National for funding consideration following the Merit-Based-Review process administered by IDHS - Serve Illinois.
3. Following the MBR process, and once IDHS - Serve Illinois submits recommended applicants to AmeriCorps State and National for review, AmeriCorps State and National will conduct their own review to make the final award decision.
4. Continuation applicants requesting funding will be prioritized over new and recompete applicants.
5. The release of this NOFO does not obligate IDHS - Serve Illinois to make an award.
6. Estimated available funds: AmeriCorps State and National expects a highly competitive AmeriCorps grant competition. The actual level of funding is subject to the availability of annual appropriations.
7. Award amounts will vary as determined by the scope of the projects and will be based on approved budgets. Maximum amounts will be based on proposed number of Member Service Years (MSY) multiplied by $25,000 per MSY. Refer to Section C Eligibility Information and Grant Funding Requirements for more information.
8. Grant awards will be issued based on the State Fiscal Year and will be subject to the 2 CFR 200 continuation application process (when applicable), GATA Compliance, and subject to sufficient State/Federal appropriation.
9. New applicants and applicants designated as "recompete applicants" by AmeriCorps will have their applications scored using the same scoring matrix outlined in this NOFO.
10. Applicants will be required to submit a twelve-month budget into the federal eGrants, AmeriCorps' web-based application system.
11. Once an applicant has been chosen for funding, the applicant will be directed by IDHS - Serve Illinois program staff to enter a prorated budget in the Community Service Agreement (CSA) tracking system for the State FY26 portion of the project period ending June 30, 2026. Applicants should not enter a proposed budget into the Illinois CSA system until instructed to do so.
12. Proposed budgets in CSA must be sufficiently detailed and justified to be approved by IDHS - Serve Illinois. Successful applicants will NOT receive a grant agreement until after their budget has been entered and approved through the CSA tracking system.
13. Subject to appropriation, the FY26 grant period will begin no sooner than the grant start date and will continue through 6/30/2026.
14. Applicants may propose a program start date that aligns with their program design. Programs are to be designed to operate for no more than 12 months. Programs may NOT enroll AmeriCorps members before the date IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National issues the grant award to IDHS - Serve Illinois (anticipated to be July 26, 2025), therefore program start dates should not be before August 1, 2025. AmeriCorps Members may not begin service without a signed Member Service Agreement and prior to the beginning of the Member enrollment period as designated in the grant award. A program may not certify any hours a member performs prior to the applicant becoming a member in eGrants and the beginning of the member enrollment period.
15. There is a matching requirement for this grant. Refer to Section C Eligibility Information and Grant Funding Requirements for more information.
16. Indirect costs are allowed. The applicant organization must choose one of three methods to calculate indirect costs: CNCS-Fixed Percentage rate, a Federal negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA), or a 10% De Minimis Rate. Regardless of the option chosen, the CNCS share of administrative costs is limited to 5% of the total CNCS funds expended under this grant. Refer to Section C Eligibility Information and Grant Funding Requirements for more information.
17. Type of Award: This is a cost reimbursement funding opportunity. The chart below summarizes the grant types and distinct characteristics.
  
  Grant Types
  
  Available Subtypes
  
  Maximum Cost per MSY*
  
  Minimum # of MSYs
  
  Type of Slots in the National Service Trust**
  
  Budget Submission Required
  
  Availability of Funds linked to enrollment and retention of awarded MSYs
  
  Special Requirements
  
  Financial Reporting Requirements
  
  Available to new Applicants
  
  Cost Reimbursement
  
  Traditional
  
  $25,000
  
  3
  
  FT, TQT, HT, RHT, QT, MT, AT
  
  Yes
  
  No
  
  N/A
  
  Yes
  
  Yes
  
  *Member Service Year (MSY): One Member Service Year (MSY) is equivalent to a full-time AmeriCorps position (at least 1,700 service hours.)
  ** FT = Full Time, TQT = Three Quarter Time, HT= Half Time, RHT = Reduced Half Time, QT = Quarter Time, MT = Minimum Time, AT = Abbreviated Time
18. Sub-recipient Agreement(s) and budgets must be pre-approved and on file with IDHS - Serve Illinois. Sub-recipients are subject to all provisions of this Agreement. The successful applicant organization shall retain sole responsibility for the performance of the sub-recipient.
19. 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 sufficient appropriation and performance criteria including, but not limited to:
  1. Grantee has performed satisfactorily during the previous reporting period;
  2. All required reports have been submitted on time, unless a written exception has been provided by the IDHS - Serve Illinois;
  3. No outstanding issues are present (e.g., in good standing with all pre-qualification requirements and no outstanding corrective action, etc.).
20. The release of this NOFO does not obligate AmeriCorps State and National or IDHS-Serve Illinois to make an award.
21. All funding is subject to sufficient appropriations.

Eligibility Information and Grant Funding Requirements

Eligible Applicants
This competitive funding opportunity is limited to applicants that meet the following requirements and are subject to limitations described below.
1. The following non-Federal organizations are eligible to apply:
  1. Indian Tribes;
  2. institutions of higher education;
  3. local governments, including school districts;
  4. nonprofit organizations;
  5. State Service Commissions (submit sub-applicants but not operate programs); and
  6. states and US Territories.
2. GATA Registration and Prequalification
  The applicant agency will not be considered eligible to apply if they are not registered in the GATA Grantee Portal and all GATA prequalification requirements are not met at/on the application due date and time. Further, Applications will not be considered eligible for consideration if the Mandatory Requirements of the Application are not met.
  Eligible applicant entities must be registered and prequalified through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal, available here: Illinois GATA Grantee Portal.
  Registration and prequalification are required annually.
  1. Registration
    The following information is required to complete registration in the Grantee Portal:
    1. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). The UEI is a 12-character alphanumeric ID assigned to an entity by the federal System for Award Management (SAM). For additional information refer to Section System for Award Management (SAM) and Unique Entity Identifier below.
    2. Entity's Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
    3. Organization type
    4. Illinois Secretary of State File ID (required for non-profits, for-profits, and limited liability corporations.)
    5. Entity name
    6. Entity mailing address
    7. Entity primary email address
    8. Entity primary phone number
    9. Entity fiscal year-end date
  2. Prequalification
    1. Once an entity is registered in the Grantee Portal, the system will automatically determine (within 24 hours) if an entity is prequalified to apply for an award. During prequalification, verifications are performed, including a check of federal Debarred and Suspended status on the Illinois Stop Payment List and good standing with the Secretary of State. An automated email notification is sent to the entity alerting them of "qualified" status or providing information about how to remediate a negative verification (e.g., not in good standing with the Secretary of State). A federal Debarred and Suspended status cannot be remediated.
    2. For assistance navigating government application prequalification procedure, refer to IDHS: Pre-Qualification Instructions and Resources (state.il.us)
    3. Applicants must be prequalified; therefore, applications from entities that have not prequalified prior to the due date of this application will NOT be reviewed and will NOT be considered for funding.
3. System for Award Management (SAM) and Unique Entity Identifier
  IDHS - Serve Illinois may not make an award to an applicant organization until the applicant has complied with all applicable SAM requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time IDHS - Serve Illinois is ready to make an award, the Department may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.
  IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National suggest applicants finalize a new registration or renew an existing one at least three weeks before the application deadline, to allow time to resolve any issues that may arise. Applicants must use their SAM-registered legal name and physical address on all grant applications to IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National. The legal applicant's name and physical address in the grant system must match exactly the applicant's SAM-registered information.
  1. Each applicant organization must be registered in SAM.gov before submitting an application.
  2. Upon registration, the entity will be assigned a unique entity identifier. The Unique
  3. Entity Identifier (UEI) is a 12-character alphanumeric ID assigned to an entity by the federal System for Award Management (SAM). The UEI is now the primary means of identifying entities registered for federal awards government-wide in SAM. The UEI replaces the DUNS number.
  4. To view your UEI, the Federal Service Desk has posted instructions for finding the UEI in SAM here: How can I view my Unique Entity ID?
  5. Once an entity has received a UEI, they must ensure they have completed registration for a SAM.gov account. For assistance with registration refer to SAM.gov | Entity Registrations
  6. Each applicant must continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active award or an application or plan under consideration by the Department.
Pre-Award Requirements
1. All successful applicants are required to complete a risk assessment prior to execution of a grant award. The Internal Controls Questionnaire (ICQ) is one instrument used to assess risk of grantees by identifying an organization's potential weaknesses. The ICQ is accessed through the Illinois GATA Grantee Portal. 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 26 ICQ. While these are NOT required prior to submitting the application, they are required prior to the Department issuing an award.
2. Applicants that have not completed an FY26 ICQ at the time of application will be contacted by the Department to complete these pre-award requirements.
3. 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.
Registration in CSA
1. The CSA Tracking System is where the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) expects all applicant entities to enter their GATA Budget information. It is also where IDHS staff will review and act on the proposed budget.
2. Applicants must be registered in the CSA Tracking System to enable the applicant to submit a signed budget in CSA by the application due date. For instructions on registering in CSA, refer to IDHS: CSA Tracking System (state.il.us)
3. When submitting an application, the applicant entity's proposed budget must be entered into the CSA system. The completed budget must be electronically signed and submitted in the CSA system, and a printed copy of the signed and submitted budget must be included with the application. To do this, the following is required: at a minimum, the applicant organization's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or equivalent, or the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or equivalent must be registered in the CSA system to electronically sign the required budget documents prior to submission. Refer to IDHS: Process for Adding GATA Budget Signoff Authority (state.il.us)
4. While registration in CSA is not part of the prequalification process, successful applicants will NOT be issued an award without a fully approved budget in the CSA System. Furthermore, if the Uniform Grant Budget is not entered, signed, and submitted in the CSA system by the application due date and time, points will be deducted from the Budget Narrative section.
5. It may take several days to complete the registration process so do not wait until the application due date to begin the process. For more information about registering and submitting a budget in the CSA system, refer to IDHS: CSA Tracking System (state.il.us)
Consolidated Accounting and Reporting System (CARS).
1. CARS will allow your organization to document your already established federally approved indirect cost rate, complete an indirect cost rate proposal (see State Negotiated Rate above), elect to charge the De Minimis rate (10%) of modified total direct costs (MTDC), or select that no reimbursement of indirect costs will be requested. Submission requirements are located on page 2 of the IDHS: Uniform Grant Budget Template (state.il.us) as well as 2 CFR 200 Appendices IV, V & VII.
2. Organizations which have not previously made an indirect cost rate election must submit an election (and indirect cost rate proposal, if necessary) immediately and no later than 3 months after receiving an award notification or invitation to the CARS system.
3. Organizations that have previously established an indirect cost rate election must submit a new indirect cost rate election immediately and no later than 6 months after the close of their organization's fiscal year.
4. Every organization must make an indirect cost rate election in CARS even if the organization is choosing De Minimis Rate or "no rate". Organizations that do not make an election or submission inside the CARS system within the required timeframes will not be allowed to claim indirect cost reimbursement.
5. For more information, see GATA pages.

Mandatory Requirements of Applicant/Application

The Mandatory Requirements are essential items that must be met by the applicant. If any Mandatory Requirement is not met, the responding applicant's entire proposal will not be considered. If all responding applicants fail to meet a particular mandatory requirement, that mandatory requirement may, at the sole discretion of the State, be removed from the Mandatory Requirements so the evaluation process may continue. However, this does not obligate IDHS - Serve Illinois to make an award to any applicant that fails to meet all mandatory requirements. Below are mandatory requirements of the applicant:

Threshold Requirements
Specific types of applicants/applications must meet the following requirements:
1. Professional Corps must show that the community where it will place AmeriCorps members has a shortage of professionals in the relevant area, e.g., teachers, medical professionals, etc.
2. If service activities require special member qualifications and/or training, such as tutoring programs, the applicant must describe how these requirements will be met.
3. All applicants must propose program designs that are either evidence-based or evidence-informed. Applicants assessed as lower than the Preliminary evidence tier must provide adequate responses to the Evidence Quality review.
Restrictions
Organizations that have violated a federal criminal statute may not receive AmeriCorps funds. Organizations that propose activities that are not allowed by AmeriCorps' laws, rules, or terms and conditions cannot receive AmeriCorps funding. Organizations that have any unpaid federal tax liability are not allowed to receive an award. AmeriCorps cannot provide funding to any corporation that has unpaid federal taxes that are not being paid through an agreement with the relevant tax authority. However, this does not apply if a federal agency decided that a suspension or debarment for the corporation is not necessary.
Organizations that are described in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. §501 (c)(4) that lobby cannot receive AmeriCorps funding according to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.

Mandatory Funding Requirements of Applicant/Application

Member Living Allowance
A living allowance is not considered a salary or a wage. Programs are not required to provide a living allowance for members serving in less than full-time terms of service. If a program chooses to provide a living allowance to a less than full-time member, it must follow the limits in the table below. Organizations applying for Cost Reimbursement grants must include the living allowance in the budget, either as share or match.
Table: Minimum and Maximum Living Allowance

Slot Types	Minimum # of Hours	Minimum # of Living Allowance	Maximum Total Living Allowance
Full-Time	1,700	$20,400	$40,800
Three Quarter-Time	1,200	n/a	$28,560
Half-Time	900	n/a	$20,400
Reduced Half-Time	675	n/a	$15,504
Quarter-Time	450	n/a	$10,608
Minimum-Time	300	n/a	$8,568
Abbreviated-Time	100	n/a	$2,448

Exceptions to the Living Allowance Requirements
Programs existing prior to September 21, 1993, do not have to offer a living allowance. If an organization chooses to offer a living allowance, it does not have to pay its members the minimum but cannot exceed the maximum.

Maximum Cost per Member Service Year
The cost per MSY is determined by dividing the AmeriCorps share of budgeted grant costs by the number of MSYs requested. It does not include childcare or the value of the education award a member may earn. AmeriCorps is keeping the maximum cost per MSY at the same amount as last year as a safeguard to ensure the number of members serving remains the same or grows. The agency is committed to and prioritizes applicants that maintain or grow the number of AmeriCorps members proposed to serve in their programs without increasing the requested cost per MSY.
Table: Maximum Cost per MSY

Grant Program Maximum

Individual Competitive State/Territory Program (cost reimbursement) $25,000

Multi-state competitive (cost reimbursement) $25,000
1. Costs Associated with Evidence Building Activities e.g., performance data collection and management, foundational research, program evaluation, etc.
  As noted in 2 CFR § 200.455, costs associated with evidence-building activities are allowable expenses or match under IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National grants. This includes costs related to performance data collection and management, foundational research, program evaluation, and related activities.
Cost Sharing or Match Requirements
Applicants are required to match funds provided by IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National. The applicant's match can be non-AmeriCorps cash and/or in-kind contributions. Applicants must show that they can meet the match requirement when they submit the application. Applicants must say in their application if they have already secured the match funding.
A first-time successful applicant is required to match at 24 percent for the first three-year funding period. Starting with year four, the match requirement gradually increases every three years to 30 percent by year ten.

AmeriCorps Funding Year

Grantee Share Requirements

Years 1-3

24%

Years 4-6

26%

Years 7-9

28%

Years 10

30%
1. Match Waiver
  Please use the Match Waiver information for AmeriCorps State and National Grantees located on the AmeriCorps.gov Manage Your Grant webpage. IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National encourages Tribal Nations to request match waivers to reduce barriers. Every effort will be made to reduce the match requirements to improve accessibility to funding.

Grant Fund Use Requirements
All applicants will use grant funds according to the guidelines, conditions, and parameters set forth in this funding notice and in compliance with federal statutes, regulations and the terms and conditions of any applicable federal awards.
Please refer to 2 CFR 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, PART 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles to determine the appropriateness of costs.
1. Allowable costs:
  Allowable costs are those that are necessary and reasonable based on the activity(ies) contained in the Scope of Work, are justified in the Budget Narrative, and are allowable under Subpart E of 2 CFR 200. It is expected that administrative costs, both direct and indirect, will represent a small portion of the overall program budget. Any budget deemed to include inappropriate or excessive administrative costs will not be approved. Program budgets and narratives must detail how all proposed expenditures are necessary for program implementation.
2. Unallowable costs:
  Please refer to 2 CFR 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, PART 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles to determine the appropriateness of costs. In addition, and specific to this grant, the following costs will be unallowable without specific prior written approval from IDHS - Serve Illinois:
  1. Entertainment costs, except where specific costs that might otherwise be considered entertainment have a programmatic purpose and are authorized in the approved budget (2 CFR 200.438)
  2. Capital expenditures for general purpose equipment, including any vehicle regardless of cost, buildings, and land (2 CFR 200.439)
  3. Capital expenditures for improvements to land, buildings, or equipment which materially increase their value or useful life (2 CFR 200.439)
  4. Food, and other goods or services for personal use of the grantee's employees, contractors, or consultants of the grantee unless authorized as per diem under the State of Illinois Governor's Travel Control Board (2 CFR 200.445).
  5. Deposits for items, services, or space
Limitation of Use
Limitation of Use of Award funds for Employee Compensation: With respect to any award over $250,000, recipients may not use federal funds to pay total cash compensation to any employee that exceeds 110% of the maximum annual salary payable to a member of the Federal Government's Senior Executive Service (SES) at an agency with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that year. A salary table is available at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management website: Rates of Basic Pay for Members of the Senior Executive Services (pdf).
Indirect Cost Requirements and Restrictions
To charge indirect costs to this grant, the applicant organization must have a Federal or State annually negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) or must elect to use the De Minimis Rate.
All State of Illinois grantees receiving awards from Illinois grant making agencies must enter the State of Illinois Centralized Indirect Cost Rate System via the Illinois GATA Grantee Portal to substantiate its organizations' election regarding indirect cost reimbursement. Grantees that wish to negotiate a rate with the State of Illinois will start their election process in the Grantee Portal and the case will then be sent to the Consolidated Accounting & Reporting System (CARS) to begin negotiation.
No more than five percent of award funds may be used to recover indirect costs on AmeriCorps State and National grants under section 121(d) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (pdf), as amended and AmeriCorps' regulations at 45 CFR 2521.95 and 2540.110."
Use the eGrants Indirect Cost Rate (IDCR) User Instructions (pdf) to enter the organization's Federally negotiated indirect cost rate or the de minimis rate information. Applicants should not submit documentation addressing the cost rate agreement via email.
Please note: To request a federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, when IDHS-Serve Illinois or AmeriCorps State and National is the applicable cognizant agency for an organization's indirect costs, the applicant must submit a request to IndirectCostRate@americorps.gov. The applicant may also obtain instructions and additional information by contacting the email address above.
Indirect Cost Rate Election:
1. Federally Negotiated Rate. Organizations that receive direct federal funding may have an indirect cost rate that was negotiated with the Federal Cognizant Agency. Illinois will accept the federally negotiated rate. The organization must provide a copy of the federal NICRA.
2. State Negotiated Rate. The organization must negotiate an indirect cost rate with the State of Illinois by completing an indirect cost rate proposal in the CARS system if they do not have a Federally Negotiated Rate or elect to use the De Minimis Rate.
3. De Minimis Rate. An organization that has never received a Federal or State Negotiated Rate may elect a De Minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct cost (MTDC). Once established, the De Minimis rate may be used indefinitely. The State of Illinois must verify the calculation of the MTDC annually in order to accept the De Minimis rate. If programs elect to use the De Minimis rate, it is critical that program budgets accurately calculate the MTDC base. Please see the regulation below and note the exclusions to MTDC.
  2 CFR § 200.68 Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC).
  MTDC means all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and subawards and subcontracts up to the first $25,000 of each subaward or subcontract (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards and subcontracts under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward and subcontract in excess of $25,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs.
4. "No Rate": Grantees have discretion not to claim payment for indirect costs. Grantees that elect not to claim indirect costs cannot be reimbursed for indirect costs. The organization must record an election of "No Indirect Costs" into CARS.
Administrative Costs
It is expected that administrative costs, both direct and indirect, will represent a small portion of the overall program budget. Program budgets and narratives will detail how all proposed expenditures are directly necessary for program implementation and will distinguish between Indirect/Direct Administrative and Direct Program expenses. Any budget deemed to include inappropriate or excessive administrative costs will not be approved. At no time may the approved NICRA be exceeded under this agreement. Documentation will be required to verify the approved NICRA.
Simplified Acquisition Threshold
Potential grantees under this funding announcement may receive an award in excess of the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, currently $250,000 (Refer to 2 CFR 200 Section 200.88). Therefore, the grantee must be aware of the following regarding the Simplified Acquisition Threshold as it will be applicable to any qualifying subaward:
1. That the grantee agency, prior to making a subaward with a total amount of funds greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);
2. That an applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that the awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM;
3. That the awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in §200.205 awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.
Post Award Requirements of Applicant
Successful applicants (providers) agree to provide program services as described throughout this Funding Notice.
1. Program Services: Applicants agree to provide program services as described throughout this Funding Notice.
2. Start Date
  Grant agreements are anticipated to begin 8/1/25. Programs must be designed to operate for no more than 12 months beginning anytime between 8/1/2025 and 9/1/2025. Programs may NOT enroll AmeriCorps members and begin service without a signed Member Service Agreement and prior to the beginning of the Member enrollment period as designated in the grant award. A program may not certify any hours a member performs prior to the applicant becoming a member in eGrants and the beginning of the member enrollment period.
3. Technology
  The Provider must have the technological and staff capacity to document service provision as required including capturing all required youth participation data in the eGrants. The Provider must have a sufficient number of computers that meet the following minimum specifications for the purpose of utilizing any required IDHS web-based reporting system and the receipt/submission of electronic program and fiscal information:
  1. Internet access, preferably high-speed
  2. Email capability
  3. Microsoft Excel
  4. Microsoft Word
  5. Adobe Reader
    The purchase of this technology would be an allowable expenditure under the grant and may be budgeted for as part of this application.
4. Administration
  1. Programmatic Responsibilities
    1. Provide oversight of the program through the monitoring of members and the continuous assessment of program activities and outcomes.
    2. Must demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of AmeriCorps Focus Areas.
    3. Have current systems in place to identify eligible underserved communities, and
    4. Have strong established relationships and methods to recruit members.
  2. Fiscal Responsibilities
    1. Have the capacity to assume the role of employer of record for the member and process a living allowance request via the program's financial system.
    2. Have the administrative and fiscal capacity to implement the program on a reimbursement basis.
    3. Ensure adequate internal controls and supporting documentation to ensure the accountability and appropriateness of all grant expenditures. The provider's financial management system shall be structured to provide for accurate, current and complete disclosure of the financial results of the Project funded under this grant program. The general ledger must support costs and revenue reported to the Department and must allow tracing of funds to a level of expenditure adequate to ensure funds have been expended appropriately. Providers are required to submit financial reports to IDHS as prescribed by the Department.
  3. Reporting and Record Keeping
    1. Notify appropriate IDHS staff in writing of any of the following unusual incidents involving enrolled members in the program, within 24 business hours of the incident:
      1. Serious threat or violence to self or others
      2. Death
      3. Suicide/suicide attempt
      4. Violence between youth and staff that results in injury
      5. Allegation of abuse or neglect reported to the State's Central Registry (DCFS)
    2. Provide timely reports as required or requested. Providers' submittal of required reports allows IDHS to monitor the providers' progress toward grant defined goals and their due diligence in grant fiscal management and recordkeeping. Further, Grantees' will be required to relate financial data to performance accomplishments in their reporting (2 CFR 200.301).
  4. Policies
    Organizations should have the basic governing policies necessary to comply with federal requirements and adequately manage federal funds. This includes policies that cover financial management and internal controls, human resource management, including timekeeping and travel, and policies that cover ethics, code of conduct and whistleblowers. Requirements for fiscal policies are covered in the 2 CFR Part 200 and will be discussed in Part Seven, Financial Management section of this manual. Other required administrative policies are detailed in AmeriCorps regulations, statutes, policy or other federal statutes and detailed in this or other sections of this manual.
    The following policies are required either by statute, regulation, Executive Order, Grant Terms and Conditions or the Grant Certification and Assurances. You must develop policies that meet the requirements established in the source (i.e., statute, regulation, etc.). IDHS-Serve Illinois has templates available on the Basecamp site for your adaptation.
    1. Non-Discrimination and Harassment and public notice/posting
      Requirements at: §§ 175 and 176(f) of the NCSA (pdf), 45 CFR § 2540, 45 CFR § 2522.100(f), General Terms and Conditions, Section III.M.
    2. Limited English Proficiency
      Requirements at: Executive Order 13166; 67 FR 64604; Title VI, Civil Rights Act and AmeriCorps General Terms and Conditions, Section III.M.2
    3. Whistleblower Protections
      Requirements at: 5 U.S.C.§1201 (pdf), and 5 U.S.C.§101 (pdf), and AmeriCorps General Terms and Conditions, Section III.J, 5ILCS 430/15-5
    4. Drug Free Workplace
      Requirements at: AmeriCorps Grant Certifications, Section 184 of the NCSA (42 U.S.C. 12644), sections 5150-5160 of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 (41 U.S.C. 8101-8106); 2 CFR Part 2245)
    5. Reasonable accommodation/Disability inclusion
      Requirements at: Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Sections 504, 508; 45 CFR § 1203, 45 CFR § 1232, AmeriCorps General Terms and Conditions Section IV.F
    6. Grievance procedure
      Requirements at: 42 U.S.C. 12636 (pdf) and 45 C.F.R. 2540.230 (pdf)
    7. Personally Identifiable Information
      Requirements at: 2 CFR § 200.303(e) and AmeriCorps General Terms and Conditions Section III.V.
    8. Prohibited Use of Funds and Activities
      Requirements at: sections 132A and 174 of the NCSA (42 U.S.C. §§ 12584a and 12634) , 45 CFR § 2520.65, 45 § CFR 2540.100 AmeriCorps General Terms and Conditions Section III.E and AmeriCorps Specific Terms and Conditions Section V.C.
    9. Recognition of Federal Support/Identification of funding
      Requirements at: AmeriCorps General Terms and Conditions, Sections III.H and III.M
    10. National Service Criminal History Check
      Requirements at: 42 U.S.C. § 12645g, 45 CFR §2540.200 through §2540.207.
      National Service Criminal History Checks (NSCHC) is a baseline screening requirement established by law to protect the beneficiaries of national service. While the statute and regulations do not require a formal written policy, subgrantees are strongly encouraged to do so.
5. Equity and Racial Justice
  IDHS is working to counteract systemic racism and inequity, and to prioritize and maximize equity and diversity throughout its service provision process. This work involves correcting existing institutionalized inequities, aiming to create transformation, and operationalizing equity and racial justice. It also focuses on the creation of a culture of inclusivity for all, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or ability. Organizations that provide services under this funding opportunity must reflect IDHS' commitment to advance equity and racial justice by enabling all to thrive, regardless of race, zip code, and disability. This includes but is not limited to having leadership (board and/or executive staff) that is reflective of the community/population being served; having (or an intention to develop) a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)/racial justice plan that outlines how the organization ensures equity in access to its supports/services as well as equity in outcomes; having a plan to identify and address implicit bias in all areas of the organization, including programming; having (or an intention to develop) an equity and racial justice training plan for organization staff.
6. Program Evaluation & Reporting Requirements
  Providers will be required to participate in evaluation efforts as directed by IDHS and/or its subrecipient(s) and collect and report data accordingly. Data will be submitted in the format prescribed by IDHS. All Providers are required to utilize eGrants web-based system for reporting service provision data as required. Providers will be required to report quarterly regarding program performance measures and outcomes. Providers will be required to participate in Department directed Performance and Standards Assessment reviews. A year-end program and performance measures and outcomes report will also be required. Additional data and information may be requested throughout the year as determined by IDHS.
7. Site Visits
  The provider agrees to participate in site visits as requested by IDHS or any designated individual/entity acting on behalf of IDHS and agrees that program and collaborating partners may attend such site visits.
8. Mandatory Meetings
  The provider will ensure representation at mandatory program meetings and trainings convened by or on behalf of IDHS.
9. Training and Technical Assistance
  The provider agrees to receive consultation and technical assistance from authorized Department representatives.
10. Presentations
  The applicant will be available as requested by IDHS to present information regarding service deliverables, provide data updates, or to answer questions arising from the applicant's work.
11. Sectarian Issue
  Provider organizations may not expend federal or state funds for sectarian instruction, worship, prayer, or to proselytize. If the Provider organization is a faith-based or a religious organization that offers such activities, these activities shall be voluntary for the individuals receiving services and offered separately from the program.
12. Background Checks
  AmeriCorps has strictly prescribed requirements for criminal history checks for individuals associated with their programs, which are referred to as National Service Criminal History Checks (NSCHC). The requirements, which are found in 45 CFR § 2522 and 45 CFR § 2540, include specific repositories, timelines, documentation, review, permissions, and other elements that make it highly unlikely that any background checks that an organization undertakes for other risk management purposes will meet AmeriCorps's requirements.
  Program staff should review the AmeriCorps NSCHC Resources website. For those new to AmeriCorps program management, a resource is the "Getting Started with NSCHC Resources" (pdf) available on the AmeriCorps website.
  At least two staff must complete the required NSCHC Training eCourse, on LITMOS, annually and maintain their certificates of completion for future review.
  IDHS-Serve Illinois also encourages programs to seek specific guidance from their program officer as they conduct their first checks and to follow-up with their program officer if they come across any unusual situations. Penalties for discrepancies in the criminal history check process can be costly and having to re-run checks can be time consuming and costly, too.
  Organizations may conduct additional criminal or other background checks on members or grant staff in accordance with organizational policy. In some cases, costs of additional checks may be eligible grant costs if program policy dictates that criminal history results need to be reviewed by the program as part of member selection and these results are not provided through the mandatory NSCHC process.
13. Child Abuse/Neglect Reporting Mandate
  Per the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act (ANCRA, 325 ILCS 5/4), mandated reporters are professionals who may work with children in the course of their professional duties. Mandated reporters are required to report suspected child maltreatment immediately when they have "reasonable cause to believe that a child known to them in their professional or official capacity may be an abused or neglected child" (ANCRA Sec.4). This is done by calling the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Hotline at 1-800-252-2873 or 1-800-25ABUSE. Programs funded through this grant opportunity must review ANCRA and, where appropriate, have a written protocol for identifying and reporting suspected child maltreatment.
14. Hiring and Employment Policy
  It is the policy of IDHS to encourage cultural diversity in the work environment and to promote employment opportunities through its programs. IDHS philosophy is that the program workforce should appropriately reflect the populations to be served, with special attention given to hiring individuals indigenous to those communities. Consistent with Department policy, whenever a position becomes available, funded programs are encouraged to consider TANF clients for employment, contingent upon their qualifications in the areas of education and work experience.
15. State and Federal Laws and Regulations
  The agency awarded funds through this NOFO must agree to comply with all applicable provisions of state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to nondiscrimination, sexual harassment and equal employment opportunity including, but not limited to: The Illinois Human Rights Act (775 ILCS 5/1-101 et seq.), The Public Works Employment Discrimination Act (775 ILCS 10/1 et seq.), The United States Civil Rights Act of 1964 (as amended) (42 USC 2000a-and 2000H-6), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC 794), The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 USC 12101 et seq.), and The Age Discrimination Act (42 USC 6101 et seq.).
16. Publication of Studies, Reports, or other Program Products
  The applicant agrees that products produced for IDHS under this award, including, but not limited to research reports, data, analyses, and policy recommendations are the property of IDHS and will not be published or distributed except as prescribed by IDHS.
  The applicant agrees not to publish, release, or otherwise disseminate data in any form without the prior written permission of IDHS. If such permission is granted, the applicant agrees to submit to IDHS six copies of all reports and proposed publications resulting from this Agreement a minimum of 30 calendar days prior to public release. Any publications (written, visual or sound), excluding press releases, newsletters and issue analyses, shall contain the following statement: "This project [is being] [was] supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLT-3381 awarded to the State of Illinois by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and under grant(s) from the State of Illinois, Department of Human Services. Points of view or opinions in the document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the Illinois Department of Human Services.

Grant Program	Maximum
Individual Competitive State/Territory Program (cost reimbursement)	$25,000
Multi-state competitive (cost reimbursement)	$25,000

Application and Submission Information

Address to Request Application Package
1. All information from this Notice of Funding Opportunity is available through the AmeriCorps Funding Opportunities webpage, the IDHS Grants Website, the Illinois Catalog of State Financial Assistance and the Serve Illinois website.
2. This Notice should be read together with the AmeriCorps regulations, Application Instructions (pdf), Performance Measure Instructions, and Mandatory Supplemental Information (pdf).
3. Applicants can also send an email to DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov for a printed copy of the Notice, Guidance, and Application Instructions. Additional copies of the NOFO may be obtained by contacting the Department at the email address below:
  1. Email Address: DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov
  2. Subject Line: 444-80-2808 Request and Agency Name
4. Each applicant must have access to the Internet. IDHS - Serve Illinois' website will contain information regarding the NOFO and materials necessary for submission. Questions and answers will also be posted on IDHS - Serve Illinois' website as described later in this announcement. It is the responsibility of each applicant to monitor that website and comply with any instructions or requirements relating to the NOFO.
Content and Form of Application Submission
This notice should be read together with the AmeriCorps regulations, Application Instructions (pdf), Performance Measures Instructions, and Mandatory Supplemental Information (pdf).
Applications must include the required documents and demonstrate that the program eligibility requirements have been met. IDHS - Serve Illinois will not contact applicants for missing items listed below.
1. Required Application Content
  1. Applications must include the following required elements in eGrants:
    1. Standard Form 424 Face Sheet: Automatically generated when applicants complete the data elements.
    2. Narrative Sections:
      1. Executive Summary
      2. Program Design
      3. Organizational Capability
      4. Cost-Effectiveness & Budget Adequacy; and
      5. Evaluation Summary/Plan
2. Additional Application Content
  1. Performance Measures
  2. Logic Model
  3. Standard Form 424A Budget
  4. Continuation Changes
  5. Clarification
  6. Authorization, Assurances, and Certifications.
3. Applications must include the following Required Documents/Forms
  1. To be considered a complete application, additional documents are required to be sent via email to DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov (not submitted in eGrants) by the application due date.
    1. Grantee Conflict of Interest Disclosure: The grantee Conflict of Interest Disclosure is a required for all grant award programs. The document requires agencies to identify actual or potential conflicts of interest. The form must be signed by a representative of the organization.
    2. Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance: The Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance is a three-page document used to formalize the 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.
4. Page Limit Requirements
  The narrative portion must follow the page maximums where prescribed and must be organized in the format outlined or points may be deducted. If the applicant believes that any 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.
  1. Page counts are determined by the number of pages that print out from the e-Grant system.
  2. IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National strongly encourages applicants to print out the application from the grant system prior to submission to confirm that the application does not exceed the page limit.
  3. Narrative
    1. The narrative portion of the application must not exceed eleven (11) double-spaced pages. The narrative sections that count towards this page limit include:
      1. SF-424 Face Sheet;
      2. Executive Summary;
      3. Program Design, Organizational Capability, and Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy narratives.
    2. The Logic Model may not exceed eight (8) pages when printed with the application from the "Review" tab in AmeriCorps' web-based management system.
    3. The remaining elements of the application do not have page limit requirements.

Application Content Instructions
Each applicant must describe a project that will use AmeriCorps members effectively to solve a significant community problem. Applications must have a well-designed plan with a clear justification for the requested funds. Reviewers will assess the quality of applications by using the selection criteria described below and will rate them accordingly.

Categories/Subcategories	Percentage
Executive Summary	0
Program Design/Quality/Need	50
Community and Logic Model	24
Evidence Tier	12
Evidence Quality	8
Notice Priority	0
Member Experience	6
Organizational Capability/Capacity	25
Organizational Background and Staffing	15
Member Supervision	6
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility	4
Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy	25
Member Recruitment	8
Member Retention	9
Data Collection	8

Do not assume all sub-criteria are of equal value.

Executive Summary, 0 percent:
1. Please fill in the blanks of these sentences to complete the Executive Summary. There are two options for the second paragraph; please choose the appropriate language for your application. Do not deviate from this template:
  "The [Name of the organization] will have [Number of] AmeriCorps members in [the locations the AmeriCorps members will serve, e.g. - City, State or State(s)]. AmeriCorps members will [service activities the members will do]. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will be responsible for [anticipated outcome of the project]. In addition, the AmeriCorps members will leverage [number of leveraged volunteers, if applicable] who will be engaged in [what the leveraged volunteers will be doing].
2. Cost Reimbursement grant applicants:
  1. The AmeriCorps investment will be matched with $[amount of projected match], $[amount of local, state, and Federal Funds] in public funding, and $[amount of non-governmental funds] in private funding."
Program Design/Quality/Need, 50 percent
1. Community and Logic Model, 24 points
  1. The applicant will provide a detailed summary of the community problem or need, including:
    1. How the inequities faced by underserved communities may contribute to the problem.
    2. How the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index explains the extent of the problem.
    3. How the applicant's intervention(s) will lead to the outcomes identified in the organization's Logic Model.
  2. The applicant must describe in the Logic Model:
    1. The inputs or resources that are necessary to deliver the intervention, including but not limited to:
      1. Locations or sites in which members will provide services.
      2. Setting and community condition where the intervention is delivered.
      3. Number of AmeriCorps members who will deliver the intervention.
      4. Characteristics of AmeriCorps members, including specific knowledge, skills, and abilities required to implement the intervention.
    2. The core activities that members will deliver as part of the intervention including:
      1. Length of each activity (e.g., the total number of weeks, sessions, or months of the intervention).
      2. Dosage of each activity (e.g., the number of hours per session or sessions per week).
      3. Target population for the intervention (e.g., disconnected youth, third graders at a certain reading proficiency level).
      4. The measurable outputs that result from delivering the intervention (i.e., number of beneficiaries served, types and number of activities conducted, equity gaps closed). If applicable, identify which National Performance Measures will be used as output indicators.
      5. Outcomes that result from the intervention, including meaningful changes in knowledge/skill, attitude, behavior, or condition. If applicable, identify which National Performance Measures (pdf) will be used as outcome indicators.
      6. Programs should include short, medium, or long-term outcomes. Applicants are not required to measure all components of their Logic Model. The applicant's performance measures should be consistent with the program's Logic Model and should represent significant program activities.
      7. Applicants with multiple interventions should include the above information for each intervention in the logic model.
2. Evidence Base, 20 points
  The assessment of an applicant's evidence base has two parts. First, the applicant will be assigned to an evidence tier. Second, the quality of the applicant's evidence, how the evidence aligns with funding priorities and how the evidence supports the proposed program.
3. Evidence Tier, 12 points
  Each applicant will receive an evidence tier assessment. This is based on the relative strength of the applicant's evidence base and the likelihood that the proposed intervention will lead to the outcomes identified in the Logic Model narrative.
  IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National values and funds programs at all points along the evidence continuum and expects programs to progress along the evidence continuum over time. Thus, applicants should not be deterred from applying for funding due to their current evidence level. In 2024, the evidence tiers of successful AmeriCorps State and National applicants that were competing were as follows: Strong (55 percent), Moderate (16 percent), Preliminary (19 percent), and Pre-Preliminary (11 percent).
  To qualify for the Preliminary, Moderate, or Strong evidence tier, applicants may submit up to two evidence documents, plus the evaluation report from their last three-year grant cycle, if applicable. If multiple evidence documents are submitted by the applicant, the most recent - as measured by the date of completion or publication- will be reviewed first, and any documents submitted beyond the allowable number will not be reviewed.
  The intervention evaluated in the submitted evidence documents must match the intervention proposed by the applicant in the Community and Logic Model sections of the application. Use the Mandatory Supplemental Information (pdf) for a definition of the same intervention). Applicants must meet all requirements of an evidence tier to be considered for that tier.
  Submitted evidence documents that do not sufficiently match the intervention will not be reviewed or receive any points.
  In the Evidence Tier section of the application narrative, applicants must:
  1. Summarize the study design and key findings of the evidence documents submitted, plus, if applicable, the evaluation report from their last three-year grant cycle; and
  2. Describe any other evidence that supports their program, including past performance measure data and/or other research studies that inform their program design.
  3. Applicants should provide citations for the studies they describe.
4. Evidence Quality, 8 points
  Reviewers will score the quality of an applicant's evidence and the extent to which it supports the proposed program design.
  Standards for scoring in the Preliminary, Moderate, or Strong evidence tiers: Submitted evidence documents:
  1. Are of satisfactory methodological quality and rigor for the type of evaluation conducted e.g., adequate sample size and statistical power, internal and/or external validity, appropriate use of control or comparison groups, etc.;
  2. Describe evaluations that were conducted relatively recently, preferably within the last six years; and
  3. Show a meaningful and significant positive effect on program beneficiaries or AmeriCorps members in at least one key outcome of interest.
    Standards for scoring in the pre-preliminary evidence tier:
  4. The applicant uses relevant evidence, including past performance measure data and/or cited research studies, to inform their proposed program design;
  5. The described evidence is relatively recent, preferably from the last six years; and
  6. The evidence described by the applicant indicates a meaningful positive effect on program beneficiaries or AmeriCorps members in at least one key outcome of interest.
5. Notice Priority, 0 points
  The applicant's proposed program fits within one or more of the AmeriCorps funding priorities.
6. Member Experience, 6 points
  The applicant describes how AmeriCorps members will be provided leadership and skill development opportunities.
  The applicant describes how the organization will provide members with an asset-based orientation to the community.
Organizational Capability/Capacity, 25 percent:
1. Organizational Background and Staffing, 15 points
  1. The applicant describes the roles, responsibilities, and structure of the staff that will be implementing and providing oversight of the program.
  2. The applicant describes their organization's mission and relevant experience in areas such as volunteer recruitment and management, community outreach, overcoming project implementation challenges, etc.
  3. The applicant describes their organization's experience with managing grants, especially federal or state grants. Include your past performance in meeting:
    1. Grant goals and objectives.
    2. Compliance and reporting requirements.
      Note: if you do not have experience with managing grants, please indicate that.
  4. The applicant has facilitated, partnered, or participated in educational or workforce development programs e.g., work experience or job training programs, etc.
2. Member Supervision, 6 points
  1. The applicant describes how AmeriCorps members will receive sufficient guidance and support from their supervisor to provide effective service. E.g., structure for member supervision: cadence and format of supervisor/AmeriCorps member check-ins, member, and supervisor opportunities to assess strengths and opportunities for growth, member training plan, etc.
  2. The applicant describes how program supervisors will be adequately trained to follow IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National program regulations, priorities, and expectations. E.g., structure for support of supervisors, training plan for supervisors related to supervision and IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National rules and regulations, cadence, and format of IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National program supervisors/their supervisors check-ins, opportunities to assess strengthens and opportunities for growth of supervisors, etc.
3. Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, 4 points
  1. The leadership and staff of the organization have similar lived experiences as the beneficiary population and/or community being served.
  2. The applicant's definitions of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are demonstrated by the organization. E.g., diversity on the Board of Directors, agency staff and leadership, and/or volunteers. The organization upholds a supportive and safe environment for individuals of diverse backgrounds.
Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy, 25 percent:
1. Member Recruitment, 8 points
  1. The applicant describes budget expenses to support the recruitment of AmeriCorps members best suited to serve the community e.g., from geographic or demographic communities in which the program operates.
  2. The applicant describes how the AmeriCorps member living allowance and other benefits are adjusted within the maximum and minimum living allowance to accommodate for regional variations in contributing to the cost of living including: housing, transportation, food, and other expenses. This may vary depending on a program's type of member slots, e.g., FT, PT, RPT, etc.
2. Member Retention, 9 points
  1. The applicant provides a description of budget expenses to support the retention of AmeriCorps members. E.g., additional member benefits such as paying above the minimum living allowance, supporting workforce pathways, certifications, coaching for members, resume building, individual benefits as well as community building, network building, member recognition, alumni programming, etc.
3. Data Collection, 8 points
  1. The applicant provides a description of budget expenses to support data collection, continuous improvement activities, and evaluation of the interventions and impact on the community and the member experience.
Evaluation Plan, 0 percent:
1. Required for recompeting applicants:
  1. If the applicant has previously received three or more years of competitive funding for the same project being proposed, the applicant must submit an evaluation plan.
  2. Applicants must use the evaluation plan template found on this webpage FY 2025 AmeriCorps State and National Grants to craft their evaluation plans. The evaluation plan will not be scored and will not be reviewed until after funding decisions have been made.
  3. All applicants enter N/A in the Evaluation Summary or Plan field of the Narrative. Any other text entered in this field will not be reviewed.
Amendment Justification, 0 percent:
Enter N/A. This field will be used if the applicant is awarded a grant and needs to amend it.
Clarification Information, 0 percent:
Enter N/A. This field will be utilized should an applicant be funded.
Continuation Changes, 0 percent:
Enter N/A. This field will be used to enter changes in the application narratives in continuation requests.

Submission of Additional Documents
1. Additional documents - all applicants:
  1. Evidence documents. Please refer to Evidence Base and Mandatory Supplemental Information (pdf).pdf for detailed instructions by evidence tier.
  2. Labor union concurrence, if applicable.
  3. Operational and Financial Management Survey. Submit electronically using the online form. Forms submitted as a PDF, or any other document format may not be accepted.
2. Additional documents - recompete applicants only:
  1. Applicants who have received three or more years of competitive funding for the same project being proposed should also provide an: Evaluation plan using the evaluation plan template (pdf). Evaluation plans are not scored and will not be reviewed until after funding decisions are made.
  2. Evaluation Report. Applicants who have received six or more years of competitive funding for the same project being proposed should also provide an Evaluation report. Please submit in Microsoft Word. The evaluation report should include a title page with:
    1. the AmeriCorps grant number for the project that was evaluated,
    2. the name of the project,
    3. the date of completion of the report,
    4. the evaluator name(s),
    5. evaluator organization name and,
    6. evaluator type (internal or external).
  3. If any of this required information is missing, the applicant may not receive credit for meeting their evaluation requirements.
  4. Tribal organization eligibility documentation is required for entities applying on behalf of a Federally Recognized Tribe, new and recompeting.
  5. Evaluation plans and reports should be submitted to DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov by 7/1/2025 for review by IDHS - Serve Illinois staff prior to submission to AmeriCorps State and National.
Submission Method & Instructions
1. Applicants must submit applications electronically via eGrants, which is eGrants, AmeriCorps' web-based application system.
2. The applicant's authorized representative must be the person who submits the application. The authorized representative must use their own account to sign and submit the application. Please note, if you don't have an account, one must create an account and password to submit.
3. Applicants should contact the AmeriCorps Hotline at (800) 942-2677 if they have a problem when they create an account, prepare, or submit the application. Information about the AmeriCorps Hotline hours are also posted on the AmeriCorps Hotline webpage.
4. When contacting the AmeriCorps Hotline, be prepared to provide the application ID, organization name, and the name of the Notice to which the organization is applying. If the issue cannot be fixed by the deadline, applicants must continue working with the AmeriCorps Hotline to submit via the grant system.
5. If it is impossible for an applicant to submit in the grant system, applicants may send a paper copy of the application via overnight carrier to the address below.
  IDHS-Serve Illinois
  ATTN: Cory Blissett, Bureau Chief Office of Community and Positive Youth Development
  823 E. Monroe St.
  Springfield, IL 62701
6. Please use a non-U.S. Postal Service carrier to avoid security-related delays. Applicants must include an explanation and related documents about why they could not submit their application electronically. Applications must be received by the deadline.
Guidance for Submitting Additional Documentation
1. All additional documents must be submitted to IDHS - Serve Illinois staff at DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov by the application deadline.
2. IDHS - Serve Illinois will review and submit required documents to AdditionalDocuments@AmeriCorps.gov
3. Please use the following subject line when submitting to IDHS - Serve Illinois: "Legal Applicant Name" - "Application ID Number." Emails should include:
  1. Legal applicant name and point of contact information.
  2. Application ID number.
  3. List of documents that are attached to the email by filename, labeling each document type according to the above numbered list.
  4. Individually attached files that are clearly labeled, and that include the legal applicant's name and application ID number within the file name and heading of each document.
4. To ensure that all required additional documents are considered, please provide each document as a separate single file, labeled appropriately. Please do not send multiple documents in one combined file, and do not send a single document in multiple files.
5. The email size limit is 35 MB. This limit is inclusive of all attachments associated with each email. Emails that are larger than 35 MB will not be received or reviewed.
6. If the size of an applicant's files requires multiple emails, please also include an ordering system in the subject line, such as "(1 of 3)".
7. IDHS - Serve Illinois will send separate emails with each subapplicant's materials, referencing the subapplicant's Application ID.
8. Applicants that do not have any documents to submit must send an email to DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov indicating that they are not submitting any additional documents.
9. Applicants must enter into the web-based system the quantity of each document type that was emailed to IDHS - Serve Illinois. After the application deadline, all applicants that have a difference between the number of documents emailed and the number of documents reported in the web-based system will receive an email. This email will request proof that the missing documents were emailed on time to the correct email address. If applicants do not reply to this email, then their evidence documents might not be reviewed.
  Do not submit any items that are not requested in this Notice or Application Instructions. IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National will not review or return them.
Application Submission Dates and Times
1. Electronic in the eGrants portal: Applicants must electronically submit the complete application in eGrants by 4:00pm CST on Monday, January 13, 2025.
2. Email: The signed Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance (Uniform Application) and the Grantee Conflict of Interest must be sent to DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov by 4:00pm CST on Monday, January 13, 2025.
3. 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, link or thumb drive.
4. It is strongly recommended that the applicant not wait until the last minute to submit an application in case they experience technical difficulties with the submission process. Applicants should keep copies of all documentation that that may prove their application was submitted to the correct location and that it was received by IDHS - Serve Illinois on or before the deadline. Applicants should also maintain all electronic documentation, including screen shots, email correspondence, help desk ticket numbers, etc. that would document any unforeseen difficulties the applicant may have encountered regarding the timely submission of the application.
5. Applicants are required to notify IDHS - Serve Illinois within 48 hours of the deadline, if they did NOT receive an email notifying them that their application was received. If the applicant does not receive an email and/or does not notify IDHS - Serve Illinois within 48 hours, their application will be considered a late submission and will NOT be reviewed or scored. The applicant will NOT have the right to protest the submission/receipt of their application to IDHS - Serve Illinois after the 48 hours. In the event of a dispute, the applicant bears the burden of proof that the application was received on time at the email location listed above.
6. Applications received after the established due date and time will not be considered for review or funding. All applicants/applications determined to be non-compliant or otherwise determined to be disqualified from consideration will be separately notified in writing, by email, upon determination. This email will be sent to the email addresses provided in the application and will identify the reason for disqualification.
7. For your records, please keep a copy of your submission with the date and time the application was submitted along with the email address to which it was sent. The deadline will be strictly enforced.
Intergovernmental Review
This Notice is not subject to Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.

Application Review Information
All eligible competitive grant applications are subject to merit-based review.

Eligibility Review
1. Program Staff will conduct an initial eligibility review to determine if an application meets the eligibility requirements published in this Notice and will advance to the merit-based the review process.
2. An application is compliant if the applicant:
  1. is an eligible organization
  2. has met the mandatory requirements.
  3. is GATA prequalified,
  4. meets the Application Submission requirements
3. Reviewing for eligibility is intended to ensure that only those applications that are eligible for award are advanced to the merit-based review. However, determinations of eligibility can take place at any point during the application review and selection process. Applicants that are determined to be ineligible will not receive an award.
4. All applicants / applications determined to be non-compliant or otherwise determined to be disqualified from consideration will be notified in writing, by email, upon determination. This email will be sent to the email addresses provided in the application and will identify the reason for disqualification.

Review and Selection Process

Merit-Based Review
1. The Merit Based Review will be conducted by a review team comprised of three or more internal and/or external reviewers. Internal reviewers are individuals employed by the Department, contractual staff or individuals working as interns from an Illinois academic institution. External reviewers are Governor-appointed Serve Illinois Commission board members who have volunteered to review applications, have subject matter expertise and/or grant reviewing experience and have been screened for any potential conflict of interest with their assigned applications.
2. The review and selection process are designed to:
  1. Identify how well eligible applications are aligned with the application selection criteria.
  2. Build a diversified portfolio based on the following strategic considerations:
    1. Funding Priorities (Reference Section A.2 for more information);
    2. Meaningful representation of:
      1. rural communities, and
      2. innovative community strategies; and
      3. CEO discretion to advance strategic goals.
    3. The review teams will be provided with a Merit Based Review Committee Member Orientation Session.
    4. After the orientation session, applications will be reviewed and scored individually. The Review Team scores will be compiled and averaged on a Merit Based Review Summary Score Sheet.
    5. The Bureau Chief or designee will conduct a quality assurance review which must include the following:
      1. Initial review of the summary score sheet to identify scoring discrepancies,
      2. Assess whether reviewers properly applied Merit Based Review steps as instructed,
      3. Identify any obvious infractions of committee members' independence in the review process.
      4. Assess whether reviewers properly completed all sections of the MBR Scoring Sheet. Reviewer score sheets may be returned to the reviewer to improve legibility and completeness of comments,
      5. Determine whether all facets of the review and scoring process were adhered to and consistently applied by reviewers.
    6. After individual scores have been completed, a post-merit-based review committee meeting will be held. The review committee meeting is required for all competitive merit-based reviews and will be facilitated by the Bureau Chief or designee. The following apply:
      1. Each review team assigned application will be discussed by team members, including application highlights, concerns, application mandates / requirements etc.
      2. Scoring disparities will be identified and discussed. For each application, if a significant disparity exists between reviewer scores (based on a set amount/formula), review team members will collectively examine the application and discuss comments to ensure team members have not missed items within the application that other team members may have identified including application mandates / requirements etc. Application highlights and concerns will also be discussed.
      3. Individual scores must be revised if a reviewer determines that they have missed information or made errors in scoring the application.
      4. Scoring revisions resulting from discussions must be documented on the respective scoring sheet with written commentary to support the revision.
    7. Once the post merit-based review meeting has been held and individual scores have been finalized and resubmitted as necessary, the Review Team member scores will be updated, compiled and averaged on the Merit Based Review Summary Score Sheet.
    8. At any time during the merit-based review or post-review process:
      1. If it is determined that there was the possibility of impropriety on the part of any reviewer, upon written request and with the approval of the Associate Director, the Department reserves the right to remove from consideration the reviewer scores and comments from consideration. This action must be documented in writing and must include the reason for removal.
      2. If the removal of a reviewer scores and comments results in fewer than 3 reviewers scoring the application, the Department will assign an alternate reviewer to the application. This reviewer will be afforded all the same guidance, instruction and time to complete the review task. Once completed, the process will resume as required.
    9. After the updated Review Scores have been compiled and averaged, The Bureau Chief will present the scores, summary comments and reviewer recommendations to the Associate Director for the Office of Community & Positive Youth Development (OCPYD) and the Executive Director of the Serve Illinois Commission. The Bureau Chief will work with the Associate Director (OCPYD) and Executive Director (Serve IL) to prepare funding recommendations for the Director of the Division of Family and Community Services. These recommendations may include consideration of other factors such as geographical distribution, demonstrated need, service capacity, cost effectiveness, demonstrated local community presence, agency past performance as a state grantee etc.
    10. The recommendations will be presented by the OCPYD Associate Director to the Director of the Division of Family and Community Services, or designee for consideration and final award approval.
    11. Upon approval from the Director, the Executive Director will present the recommendations to the Serve Illinois Commission board for notification purposes.
    12. The Bureau Chief will submit all applications in the eGrants portal at which time AmeriCorps State and National will conduct their own review. AmeriCorps State and National will alert the bureau chief of any issues or required resolutions.
    13. IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National reserves the right to re-focus program dollars under this Notice in the event of disaster or other compelling needs.

Criteria and Weighting of Each Criteria
The application criteria to be reviewed and scored are found in this announcement.

Scoring will be on a 100-point scale. Application Narrative will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Categories/Subcategories	Percentage
Executive Summary	0
Program Design/Quality/Need	50
Community and Logic Model	24
Evidence Tier	12
Evidence Quality	8
Notice Priority	0
Member Experience	6
Organizational Capability/Capacity	25
Organizational Background and Staffing	15
Member Supervision	6
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility	4
Cost-Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy	25
Member Recruitment	8
Member Retention	9
Data Collection	8

Cost Sharing/Matching:
This award is subject to Cost Sharing/Matching.
As described in the Criteria section above, scoring will be done by committee on a 100-point scale. The numerical score may not be the sole award criterion. IDHS - Serve Illinois and the Serve Illinois Commission reserves the right to consider other factors such as: geographical distribution, demonstrated need, demonstrated community presence, and agency past performance as a state grantee, etc. and other factors.
While the score/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 review panel 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, the Department may choose to elect one of the following options:
1. Apply one or more of the additional factors for consideration described above to prioritize the applications; or
2. Partially fund each of the tied applications
3. Not fund any of the tied applications or
4. Assign a new 3-person review team to review and score both applications to break the tie.
The Department reserves the right to negotiate with successful applicants to adjust award amounts, targets, deliverables, etc.

Application Resolution
After the MBR process but before any grant awards are issued, IDHS - Serve Illinois or AmeriCorps State and National may ask an applicant for additional information to address any application compliance or risk issues. If an applicant does not respond promptly to these requests, then the applicant may be denied funding.
Transparency in Grantmaking
IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National are committed to transparency in grant-making. A list of all approved applications for new and re-competing applications will be published on AmeriCorps Funded Grants within 90 business days after all grants are awarded.
Further information about funded grants and subgrants is also available: USASpending.gov.
Consideration of Integrity and Performance System Information
Before making any award that exceeds $250,000, AmeriCorps must consider information about the applicant from the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.gov.
Any applicant may comment upon information previously entered by another Federal agency in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM.gov.
IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National may consider applicant comments when completing its review of risk. IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National may also consider other information about any applicant receiving an award, including those under $250,000.
Merit-Based Review Appeal Process
1. 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).
2. Appeals submission IDHS contact information:
  Name of Agency contact for appeals: Kristen Bethke
  Email of Agency contact for appeals: DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov
  Email Subject Line: "agency name AmeriCorps 444-80-2808 @Appeal Kristen"
3. Submission of Appeal.
  1. 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.
  2. An appeal must be received within 14 calendar days after the date that the grant award notice has been published.
  3. The written appeal shall include at a minimum the following:
    1. Name and address of the appealing party;
    2. Identification of the grant; and
    3. Statement of reasons for the appeal.
    4. Supporting documentation, if applicable
4. Response to Appeal.
  1. IDHS will acknowledge receipt of an appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date the appeal was received.
  2. 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.
  3. The appealing party must supply any additional information requested by IDHS within the time period set in the request.
5. Resolution
  1. The ARO shall make a recommendation to the Agency Head or designee as expeditiously as possible after receiving all relevant, requested information.
  2. 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.
  3. The Agency will resolve the appeal by means of written determination.
  4. The determination shall include, but not be limited to:
    1. Review of the appeal;
    2. Appeal determination and rationale for the determination
Simplified Acquisition Threshold
Potential grantees under this funding announcement may receive an award in excess of the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, currently $250,000 (Refer to 2 CFR 200 Section 200.88). Therefore, the grantee is subject to Simplified Acquisition Threshold and related requirements.
1. IDHS - Serve Illinois prior to making an award with a total amount greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);
2. That an applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a State or Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM;
3. IDHS - Serve Illinois will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under State and Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in § 200.206.

Award Administration Information
1. Federal Award Notices
  IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National will make awards following the selection announcement. IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National anticipates announcing the results of this funding opportunity by mid-April 2025 depending on the availability of congressional appropriations. All applicants, successful or not, will be notified of funding decisions via email.
2. State Award Notices
  Applicants recommended for funding under this NOFO following the above review and selection process will receive a Notice of State Award (NOSA). The NOSA shall include:
  1. Grant award amount
  2. The terms and conditions of the award.
  3. Specific conditions, if any, assigned to the applicant based on the fiscal and administrative (ICQ), programmatic risk assessments (PRA) and merit-based review.
    Note: IDHS cannot issue a NOSA until the successful applicant has an approved budget entered into CSA. Refer to Section C. Eligibility Information and Grant Funding Requirements.
    The applicant shall receive the NOSA through the Grantee Portal. The NOSA must be signed by the grants officer (or equivalent). This signature effectively accepts the state award amount and all conditions set forth within the notice. This signed NOSA is the document authorizing IDHS to proceed with issuing an agreement. The Agency signed NOSA must be remitted to IDHS as instructed in the notice.
    Upon acceptance of the grant award, announcement of the grant award shall be published by the awarding agency to Grants.Illinois.gov
    A written Notice of Denial shall be sent to the applicants not receiving the award.
3. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
  The agency awarded funds shall provide services as set forth in the IDHS grant agreement and shall act in accordance with all state and federal statutes and administrative rules applicable to the provision of the services.
  To review a sample, please visit the IDHS Website for the FY2025 IDHS Uniform Grant Agreement.pdf
  The organization awarded funds through this Funding Notice must further agree to comply with all applicable provisions of state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to nondiscrimination, sexual harassment and equal employment opportunity including, but not limited to: The Illinois Human Rights Act (775 ILCS 5/1-101 et seq.), The Public Works Employment Discrimination Act (775 ILCS 10/1 et seq.), The United States Civil Rights Act of 1964 (as amended) (42 USC 2000a-and 2000H-6), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC 794), The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 USC 12101 et seq.), and The Age Discrimination Act (42 USC 6101 et seq.). Additional terms and conditions may apply.
  1. Uniform Guidance
    All awards made under this Notice must follow the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, in 2 CFR Parts 200 and 2205.
  2. Requests for Monitoring or Payment Integrity Information
    IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National will request information from grantees to ensure compliance with legal requirements, including the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (pdf). If grantees do not respond promptly to these requests, then their funds may be placed on manual hold, reimbursement-only status, or other restrictions as appropriate.
  3. AmeriCorps Terms and Conditions
    All grants must follow the FY 2025 AmeriCorps General Terms and Conditions, and the FY 2025 Program-Specific Terms and Conditions for the particular program (when applicable). These Terms and Conditions contain mandatory compliance and reporting requirements, and applicants should review these instructions prior to any Notice of Grant Award. Current versions of the AmeriCorps General and Program-Specific Terms and Conditions for each of its programs is available on the AmeriCorps Manage Your Grant webpage.
  4. National Service Criminal History Check Requirements
    The National Service Criminal History Check, NSCHC, is a specific screening procedure established by law to protect the beneficiaries of national service. Use 45 CFR 2540.200- 2540.207 and National Service Criminal History Check Resources for complete information and FAQs.
4. Use of Material
  To ensure that materials generated with AmeriCorps funding are available to the public and readily accessible to recipients and non-recipients, AmeriCorps reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to obtain, use, modify, reproduce, publish, or disseminate publications and materials produced under the award, including data, and to authorize others to do so per 2 CFR 200.315.
5. Continuation Funding Information and Requirements
  Organizations that have current IDHS - Serve Illinois or AmeriCorps State and National awards that will be in program Year 2 or Year 3 in FY 2026 are considered continuation applicants. Continuation applicants must submit an application to be eligible to receive funding for the 2025-2026 program year. Continuation applicants must follow the requirements for continuation application content as outlined in the Application Instructions.
  Please use the Application Instructions (pdf) for how to request use of unexpended funds.
  Requests by existing continuation applicants for increases in the level of funding or number of positions will be considered, however are not guaranteed.
  Continuation application review will also be based on progress reports, the federal financial report, evaluation plans, and staff knowledge of the grant program. To be approved for continuation funding, recipients must demonstrate satisfactory performance with respect to key program goals and requirements, as well as compliance with the terms and conditions of the grant.
  IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National reserves the right to award applications in an amount less than the requested level of funding and will document the rationale for doing so.
6. Reporting
  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:
  1. Forms
    1. Expenditure Documentation and Certification Forms (EDCF) and Periodic Financial Report (PFR)
      1. EDCF monthly reports must be submitted no later than the 15th of each month for the preceding month by email.
      2. PFR quarterly reports must be submitted no later than the 15th of the month following the end of the quarter; Quarter 1 (Start Date [between August 1 and September 1]- December 31st) is due - January 15th, and Quarter 2 (January 1st -March 31st) is due - April 15th), Quarter 3 (April 1 - June 30) is due July 15th; Quarter 4 (July 1-September 30th) is due - October 15th,
      3. The final cumulative fiscal year Periodic Financial Report is due July 15th.
      4. The final cumulative grant term Periodic Financial Report is due October 15th.
    2. Periodic Performance Report (PPR)
      1. The provider will provide monthly status reports to the Department in the format prescribed by the Department.
      2. The Provider will submit quarterly and final Periodic Performance Reports (PPRs) in the format prescribed by the Department.
      3. The quarterly reports must be submitted no later than the 15th of the month following the end of the quarter; Quarter 1 (Start Date [between August 1 and September 1] - December 31st) is due - January 15th, and Quarter 2 (January 1st -March 31st) is due - April 15th), Quarter 3 (April 1 - June 30) is due July 15th; Quarter 4 (July 1-September 30th) is due - October 15th,
      4. The final cumulative fiscal year Periodic Performance Report is due July 15th.
      5. The final cumulative grant term Periodic Performance Report is due October 15th.
      6. Other Unique Programmatic Reporting Requirements: Additional annual performance data may be collected as directed by the Department and in a format prescribed by the Department.
      7. If the State share of any State award may include more than $500,000 over the period of performance, applicants are also subject to the reporting requirements reflected in Appendix XII to 2CFR200.
      8. Non-compliance with any of the identified reports may lead to being placed on the Illinois Stop Payment List (SSPL).
    3. Annual Audit in conformance with Audit Requirements set forth in the grant agreement.
    4. Recordkeeping Requirements.
      Each provider shall maintain full and complete records of program operations in compliance with state records retention requirements. Records are defined as those documents that capture program activity, participant information and outcomes, and fiscal data. Providers shall comply with the Local Records Act, which regulates the destruction and preservation of public records within the State of Illinois.
      Presuming funding is provided for the full award + renewal period, the Provider will be required to maintain until June 30, 2032, adequate books, all financial records and supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to this Award. If any litigation, claim, or audit is started before the expiration of the retention period, the records must be retained until all litigation, claims or audit exceptions involving the records have been resolved and final action taken. The Provider agrees to provide or make available all records related to this grant upon request.
      Non-compliance with any of the above reporting requirements, including timeliness of reports may lead to being placed on the Illinois Stop Payment List.
7. Payment Terms
  The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) payment policy complies with 2 CFR 200.302, 2 CFR 200.305, 31 CFR 205 (procedures implementing Cash Management Improvement Act and Treasury-State Agreement (TSA)), and 44 Ill. Admin. Code 7000.120 (GOMB Adoption of Supplemental Rules for Grant Payment Methods).
  The three award payment methods are described below:
  1. Advance Payment (Advance and Reconcile)
    1. An initial payment will be processed in an amount equal to the first two months' cash requirements as reflected in the Advance Payment Requirements Forecast (Cash Budget) Form submitted with the Grantee's application. The initial payment will be processed upon execution of the grantee's Uniform Grant Agreement. Cash Budgets must be signed by either the Chief Executive Officer (or equivalent) or Chief Financial Officer (or equivalent) for the entity. The executive's signature certifies that their entity complies with the requirements set forth in 2 CFR 200.302 (Financial Management) and 44 Ill. Admin. Code 7000.120(b)(i)(A) (Advance Payments).
    2. Advance payments must be limited to the minimum amounts needed and be timed to be in accordance with the actual, immediate cash requirements of the grantee in carrying out the purpose of the program.
    3. Grantees must submit monthly invoices in the format and method prescribed in the Grantee's executed Uniform Grant Agreement. The first invoice is due within 15 days after the first month of the Award's term. Invoices must be submitted on or before the 15th calendar day following the end of each monthly invoice period Invoices must include only allowable incurred costs that have been paid by the Grantee. For programs that have Grantee matching requirements, allowable costs are only reimbursable when matching costs have also been incurred.
    4. Subsequent monthly payments will be based on each monthly invoice submitted by Grantee to Grantor, and will be adjusted up or down, based on a comparison of actual cumulative expenditures to cumulative advance payments, to date.
    5. Grantees that do not expend all advance payment amounts by the end of the Award term or that are unable to demonstrate that all incurred costs were necessary, reasonable, allowable, or allocable as approved in their respective budget, must return the funds within 45 days.
    6. Grantees may be required to submit supporting documentation for their requests at the request of and in a manner prescribed by the Grantor.
    7. Failure to abide by advance payment governance requirements may result in grantee losing their right to advance payments.
  2. Reimbursement
    1. IDHS will disburse payments to Grantee based on actual allowable costs incurred as reported in the monthly financial invoice submitted for the respective month, as described below.
    2. Grantees must submit monthly invoices in a format prescribed by Grantor. Invoices must include all allowable incurred costs for the first and each subsequent month of operations until the end of the Award term. Invoices must be submitted on or before the 15th calendar day following the end of each monthly invoice period. As practicable, Grantor shall process payment within 15 calendar days after receipt of the invoice, unless the State awarding agency reasonably believes the request to be improper.
    3. Grantees may be required to submit supporting documentation for their requests at the request of and in a manner prescribed by the Grantor.
  3. Working Capital Advance
    1. Grantees may request separate working capital advance payments. Requests must be submitted on the IDHS Advance Payment Request Cash Budget Form IL444-4985.pdf (state.il.us) to the respective grant Program Manager. The Cash Budget must include monthly cash requirements for every month of the grant term. Requests must be signed by either the Chief Executive Officer (or equivalent) or the Chief Financial Officer (or equivalent) for the entity. The executive's signature certifies the cash requirements are actual expected costs.
    2. IDHS Grant Program Managers will advance working capital payments to the grantee to cover their estimated disbursement needs for an initial period not to exceed two months of grant expenses. Startup costs may be approved if determined by IDHS Grant Program Managers to be allowable.
    3. Grantees must submit monthly invoices for each of the one or two months covered by the Working Capital Advance in the format and method prescribed by the Grantor. The first invoice is due 15 calendar days after the first month of the Award term. Invoices must include only allowable incurred costs that have been paid by the grantee. For grant programs that have grantee matching requirements, allowable costs are only reimbursable when matching costs have also been incurred.
    4. Grantees may be required to submit supporting documentation for their requests at the request of and in a manner prescribed by the Grantor.
    5. Working Capital Advance Payments are limited to a single occurrence per grant term.
    6. Following the initial working capital advance payment, grantees will be paid via advance or reimbursement method as appropriate.
  4. Final Payment
    The final payment from the Department under this Agreement shall be made upon the Department's determination that all requirements under this Agreement have been completed, which determination shall not be unreasonably withheld. Such final payment will be subject to adjustment after the completion of a review of the Applicant's records as provided in the Agreement.
  5. Stop Payment
    The Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) protects the quality of grant programs by limiting fraud, waste and abuse. GATA specifically requires the Governor's Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) to maintain a "list of individuals and entities that are ineligible, either temporarily or permanently, to receive an award of grant funds from the State." 30 ILCS 708/60(a)(8). In response to this requirement, the State of Illinois has set policy known as the Grantee Compliance Enforcement System (GCES) based on established federal law and supporting guidance. The system, Stop Pay List Tracking System (SPLTS), will only be used to track non-compliance of grantees.
    Non-compliance issues are classified as follows:
    1. Temporary Stop Payment Status:
      1. Late performance or expense reporting
      2. Failure to clear fiscal/administrative monitoring issue(s)
      3. Failure to submit a timely audit report
      4. Failure to respond to audit report or monitoring review corrective action for deficiencies and material weaknesses
      5. Failure to submit a required refund payment or a payment missing from the payment plan; or
      6. Factually based discretionary issue documented by the leadership within the awarding agency.
    2. Permanent Stop Payment Status
      1. Facts documented by the applicable state agency including but not limited to:
        
        Conviction of or civil judgment for commission of fraud or a criminal offense, violation of federal or state antitrust statutes, commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, tax evasion, or commission of any other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty that seriously and directly affects present responsibility.
        
        Violation of grant terms or a transaction so serious as to affect the integrity of the program such as a willful failure to perform in accordance with grant terms, a history of failure to perform or of unsatisfactory performance, or a willful violation of statutory or regulatory provisions or requirements application to a grant.
        
        Any other cause so serious or compelling in nature that it affects present responsibilities.
      2. Fraud documented by the Office of the Executive Inspector General and/or other Governmental entity's investigation.
  6. Repayment
    In the event payments made by the Department to the Applicant exceed the total amount of Applicant reported and Department authorized expenditures, the Applicant will be required to issue a repayment to the Department in an amount equal to the overpayment.
  7. Pre-Award Costs
    Pre-Award costs prior to the execution of the agreement will be allowed under the following conditions:
    1. The Provider must have received and accepted the Notice of State Award (NOSA) AND,
    2. Submitted any and all requested program plan and budget revisions per the NOSA; AND
    3. May NOT incur pre-award costs prior to the contract start date.
  8. Payment Forms
    1. Expenditure Documentation & Certification Form
    2. Advance Payment Request Cash Budget Form IL444-4985.pdf (state.il.us)
State Awarding Agency Contact(s)
1. Point of Contact
  Name: Rachael Tuxhorn
  Email Address: DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov
2. Questions and Answers
  If you have questions relating to this NOFO, please send them via email to: DHS.ServeIllinoisNOFO@illinois.gov with "AmeriCorps" in the subject line of the email. Beginning 48 hours after the NOFO is posted, Questions and Answers will be posted here: AmeriCorps Competitive Traditional (Illinois) Technical Assistance, Question & Answers and Appendices. Questions and answers will be updated frequently as new questions are received. Applicants are responsible for checking frequently as the responses provided may have an impact on their ability to submit a responsive application. Only written answers posted on the website will be considered valid and official.
  The final deadline to submit any written questions regarding this Funding Notice will be Wednesday, 1/8/2025. The Final listing of Q&A will be posted by End of Day on Friday, 1/10/2025.
Other Information, if applicable
1. Technical Assistance Conference Information
  IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National will host technical assistance calls to answer questions about the funding opportunity and the web-based application system. IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National strongly encourages all applicants to participate in these sessions. Information for these technical assistance calls is available on the AmeriCorps' Funding Opportunities website.
  Resources applicants need to effectively manage their grant award and training and technical assistance materials are found on the Manage Your Grant webpage.
  IDHS - Serve Illinois will provide one web-based Technical Assistance (TA) Session for potential applicants. Refer to the beginning of this document for the date, time, and registration details. Attendance is NOT a requirement of the application although it is strongly encouraged. During this session, IDHS - Serve Illinois staff will provide an overview of the program and expectations of the grant. IDHS - Serve Illinois staff will devote a significant amount of time responding to questions from potential applicants.
2. Re-Focusing of Funding
  IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National reserves the right to re-focus program dollars under this Notice in the event of disaster or other compelling needs.
3. Public Burden Statement
  Public reporting burden for collection of information under this Notice of Funding is estimated to average six hours per submission, including reviewing instructions, gathering, and maintaining the data needed, and completing the application and reporting forms.
  IDHS - Serve Illinois and AmeriCorps State and National informs people who may respond to this Notice of Funding that they are not required to respond unless the OMB control number and expiration date are current valid. Use 5 CFR 1320.5(b)(2)(i). This collection is approved under OMB Control #: 3045-0047, Application Instructions, State and National Competitive, New and Continuation, Expiration Date: September 30, 2026.
4. Privacy Act Statement
  The Privacy Act of 1974, 5U.S.C §552a (pdf), requires that we notify applicants that the information requested under this Notice of Funding is collected pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §12592 and 12615 of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (pdf).pdf as amended, and 42 U.S.C. §4953 (pdf) of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 as amended.
  Purposes and Uses - The information requested is collected for the purposes of reviewing grant applications and granting funding requests. Routine uses may include disclosure of the information to Federal, state, or local agencies pursuant to lawfully authorized requests. assistance.
  Effects of Nondisclosure - The information requested is voluntary; however, to be a recipient of this grant program, disclosure of personal or sensitive information is required to receive federal benefits.
Mandatory Forms

FY26 AmeriCorps Competitive Traditional (Illinois) Notice of Funding Opportunity (26-444-80-2808-01)

Links