AmeriCorps Competitive Traditional (Illinois) Technical Assistance, Question & Answers and Appendices

AmeriCorps Competitive Traditional (Illinois) (26-444-80-2808-01) Technical Assistance Session:

AmeriCorps Competitive Traditional (Illinois) Appendices:

AmeriCorps Competitive Traditional (Illinois) Questions and Answers:

December 17, 2024:

  1. Question: Is the AmeriCorps Competitive Traditional NOFO with CSFA 444-20-8808 for new applications only, or can previously awarded agencies also apply?
    Answer:     This funding opportunity is open to new, recompete and continuation applicants
  2. Question: The due date for submission in eGrants is 1/23/2025, but the due date listed in the NOFO is 1/13/2025. What is the correct due date?
    Answer:     All information should be entered in eGrants by the grantees by the date 1/13/2025. The 1/23/25 deadline is (IDHS-Serve Illinois) deadline to submit to AmeriCorps. The 1/13 deadline will allow us (IDHS-Serve Illinois) to grade, review budgets, review apps, rank and submit by the 1/23 due date.
  3. Question: Is there any information or resources on the content that should be included in our evaluation report? In the NOFO, I can only find information on what the title page of the evaluation report should contain.
    Answer:     Please reference the NOFO, specifically under Application Content Instructions, part b references the evaluation plan. In this section, you can click on the link for FY2025 AmeriCorps State and National Grants, and you will find the evaluation template. The second bullet will provide a link for evaluation FAQ's where you can look for more detailed information.

December 23, 2024:

  1. Question: I am a former AmeriCorps member, and I wanted to know, if a nonprofit whose focus is STEM and is looking for a Grant Coordinator to help build their community outreach. Can they apply for an AmeriCorps person through this grant?
    Answer:     This NOFO is graded and awarded based on eligible organizations that engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions to strengthen communities.
    Additionally, The NOFO posted on the website and in GOMB provides details on the requirements for applying, eligible organizations, and eligible applicants. New applicants with Serve IL are encouraged to apply for a planning grant for one year, in order to develop your concept. Please note that planning grants may include personnel costs to administer your planning, but planning grants are not intended to fund AmeriCorps members. This is very important to note.
    In order to apply for our NOFO(s), you must develop a program plan with a minimum of (3) Member Service Years which is equivalent to 3 full-time AmeriCorps members (full time means the members will complete at least 1,700 hours in a 12-month program year.
    If you are seeking one grants coordinator who has professional experience, we recommend you look at the AmeriCorps website and what it takes to apply for a Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) member.
  2. Question: What is the difference between a continuation and recompete year?
    Answer:     Continuation means a grantee is in year 2 or 3 of the grant cycle. Recompete means the program has been funded by IDHS-Serve Illinois before.
  3. Question: The application due date is January 13, 2025, however grants.gov shows January 23, 2025, which date should we go by?
    Answer:     The date that is shown in eGrants of January 23, 2025, is the date IDHS-Serve Illinois must submit all of the applications to our federal agency. The January 13, 2025, date is when we have asked all applicants to submit applications to us to give us 10 days to review applications, budgets, grade, and submit to AmeriCorps.
  4. Question: Does the Uniform Grant Budget need to be submitted in the CSA system before the application due date?
    Answer:     We will alert applicants when to add their Uniform Grant Budget in CSA. We require the Uniform Grant Application (different form) to be submitted to us by January 13, 2025, to DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov as a part of your application packet. Please also submit the Grantee Conflict of Interest Disclosure to DHS.ServeIllinois.NOFO@illinois.gov by the application due date.
  5. Question: For applicants choosing the de minimis option, when putting together the proposal budget, should the calculation of the indirect costs at 5.26% rate or should we still calculate the 10% in indirect costs?
    Answer:     The Competitive NOFO currently shows a 10% de minimis rate, which was changed to 15% on October 1st. AmeriCorps allows 5.26% for administrative costs that can only be added on to the CNCS side of the budget. The federal government allows you to choose between a designated indirect cost rate, a de minimis rate or choose not to claim indirect costs. When developing your budget, you will determine which option will work best for you on indirect costs. If you choose to use either your designated indirect cost rate or the de minimis rate, as well as use the 5.26% administrative fees that AmeriCorps allows, you will deduct the 5.26% from your indirect cost rate and add the 5.26% to the CNCS share and that will leave you the remaining percent of indirect costs, which you must add to the grantee share side.

January 6, 2025:

  1. Question: How much is the living allowance? Is there a minimum amount?
    Answer:     Please reference the NOFO under Mandatory Funding and member living allowances which will have a chart to specify the minimum and maximum amounts. Please note the living allowance and requirements vary per slot type - it is important to review  the NOFO carefully.
  2. Question: Is the 300 hours to be offered over the duration of the fiscal year? Full time at 80 hours would mean participants would be working 3.5 months roughly.
    Answer:     Please refer to the section on the NOFO, program deliverables and then follow the link to the AmeriCorps Terms and Conditions which will explain more about managing member service terms. The number of hours a member must complete is based on the slot type. Programs need to ensure members have enough time in the program year to complete all hours. Per the NOFO, a program year should begin between August and September 2025 and should last no more than 12 months.
  3. Question: Regarding hosting holiday events, what requirements need to be met? Is there a minimum participant quota, event time total, etc.?
    Answer:     National Days of Service are a requirement. Each occasion is an opportunity to spotlight an AmeriCorps State program's impact while fulfilling programmatic needs. All members should participate in these activities. Please refer to the Program Director's manual mentioned in the NOFO for more details about the National Days of Service requirements.
  4. Question: Could you please explain what this statement means for Eligible Service Areas: State and Territory Service Commissions, for Single-State Applicants? Our organization is only operating in Joliet, Illinois. So that means we apply to IDHS-Serve Illinois?
    Answer:     Yes, that is correct, all applicants in Illinois must apply through IDHS- Serve Illinois. Applications will be reviewed by Serve Illinois to determine if they will move forward to AmeriCorps.
  5. Question: Can you please confirm whether service year members are eligible for AmeriCorps health insurance?
    Answer:     Please refer to the NOFO Section A. 4. d. and utilize the link to the Serve Illinois Program Directors Manual. From there, please reference pages 54-56.
  6. Question: Do you anticipate making 10 awards OR 10 grantees? Or both?
    Answer:     We do our best to project how many awards will be made. We can submit as many applications as we would like to AmeriCorps, but they make the final award determination. We slightly increased the anticipated awards in hopes of receiving more applicants.

January 9, 2025

  1. Question: If we are designing a program that currently sits at 4.844 MSY's, do we calculate the CNCS share at 5 times $25K or 4.844 times $25K?
    Answer:     You would take 4.844 x $25K. You cannot round up to 5 MSYs. You must count the decimals.
  2. Question: If an existing state program (AmeriCorps Formula Traditional) is expanding work in Cook County, IL to include additional sites in Lake County IL, must the existing state program submit their application for AmeriCorps program expansion to AmeriCorps Competitive?
    Answer:     You could do either apply for formula traditional when the NOFO is released in March and request additional dollars to support these efforts; or apply for competitive traditional instead of formula traditional. If applying for competitive traditional you would include your entire requested amount - expansion and all - for Program Year 2025-2026. There is not a lot different from competitive traditional and formula traditional except for the pot of money the funds come from.
  3. Question: Do you have to be GATA certified to apply for the AmeriCorps grant in eGrants?
    Answer:     Please refer to Section A.C.b. GATA Registration and Prequalification in the NOFO.