[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18383-18385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10019]
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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
Availability of Funds for New Senior Companion Projects--
Nationwide
AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.
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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service
(``Corporation'') announces the availability of up to $1,000,000 to
support one national organization and five of its local affiliates to
operate new Senior Companion Projects. The local projects must be
located in geographic areas that do not fall within approved geographic
service areas of current Senior Companion program sponsors or urban
areas or large counties where the project serves only part of the city
or county. The national organization will be expected to provide
coordination, networking and training and technical assistance to its
five local affiliates who combined will support a total of 225 Senior
Companions. Awards will cover a twelve-month period and can be renewed
for up to twenty-four additional months contingent upon the continuing
need for the projects, performance and the availability of
appropriations. This allows the Corporation to fund multi-state and
multi-site projects that are national in scope and build on existing
networks. The Corporation is seeking a national organization that is
willing to actively promote senior service within its network and that
have the potential to view older volunteers as an important resource in
accomplishing its own objectives.
The Senior Companion Program (SCP) provides opportunities for
income eligible individuals 60 years of age and over to serve frail
adults on a person to person basis. The SCP provides essential services
that enable frail adults to continue to live in their own homes, while
also enhancing the lives of the volunteers and those whom they serve.
DATES: Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time,
May 11, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Application instructions and kits are available from the
Corporation for National and Community Service, National Senior Service
Corps, 1201 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20525, (202) 606-5000,
ext. 261, TDD (202) 565-2799, or TTY via the Federal Information Relay
Service at 1-(800) 877-8339.
Applications should be submitted to the Corporation for National
and Community Service, National Senior Service Corps, 1201 New York
Avenue, NW., Mailstop 9310, Attn: Barbara Wilson, Washington, DC 20525.
The Corporation will not accept applications that are submitted via
facsimile or e-mail transmission.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
The Corporation is a federal government corporation that encourages
Americans of all ages and backgrounds to engage in community-based
service. This service addresses the nation's educational, public
safety, environmental, and other human needs to achieve direct and
demonstrable results. In supporting service programs, the Corporation
fosters civic responsibility, strengthens the ties that bind us
together as a people, and provides educational opportunity for those
who make a substantial commitment to service.
The SCP is authorized by the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of
1973, as amended. (See 42 U.S.C. 5013 et seq.) The SCP is one of three
programs that comprise the National Senior Service Corps. All three
Senior Corps programs are based on the premise that seniors are
valuable resources, can be mobilized to help meet priority community
needs, and through their skills and talents can have an impact on
national problems of local concern.
The SCP was launched in 1974 with its first 11 projects. Today
there are over 13,000 Senior Companions serving 48,000 frail adults
annually. These Senior Companions provide high quality and reliable
personal support to adults, primarily frail elderly, experiencing
difficulties with activities of daily living, allowing them to live
independently in their own homes for as long as possible. SCP focuses
on those with moderate physical, mental or emotional impairments who
are without adequate family support and who in the absence of non-
medical support services would be at risk of institutionalization.
Senior Companions also assist clients in patient discharge programs at
acute care, mental health, and long-term care facilities to make the
transition to living in less restrictive community settings, and some
Senior Companions provide short-term respite for primary care givers of
frail adults in times of special need.
B. Purpose of This Announcement
The Corporation is soliciting applications from national nonprofit
organizations in order to fund multi-state and multi-site projects that
are national in scope and build on existing networks of the national
organizations. The Corporation is interested in expanding the Senior
Companion Program to serve new geographic locations currently unserved
by the program. The Corporation is interested in focusing on in-home
assignments for older persons most in need and respite for family care
givers.
Many older adults experience problems in one or more routine
activities of daily living (ADLs) which
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makes them homebound. With the support of a caring adult, many of these
individuals are able to remain at home. This in-home support often
makes the difference between living independently at home and premature
placement into a long-term care facility, especially when immediate
family members are not present to provide support.
It is essential that project activities strive to result in
improvements that otherwise would not occur. While multiple benefits
may be realized through these projects, the primary outcome objectives
should be focused on:
(a) Reducing the gap between available services and the need for
services among the frail elderly in need of independent living support.
Depending upon the specific needs identified within a community, this
might involve increasing the number of persons who receive services,
increasing the amount of service available to current service
recipients, or adding types of services that are needed but not
currently available within the community; and
(b) Increasing the efficiency of service delivery by making use of
the diverse talents of volunteers. This might involve freeing
professional and paraprofessional care givers from routine tasks,
improving coordination of services, or improving the appropriateness of
the level and type of service delivered.
Activities should complement services being provided by medical
professionals and para-professionals and others who are also providing
services to the older person.
C. Eligible Applicants
National nonprofit organizations that operate in more than one
state are eligible to apply. The Corporation defines a national
nonprofit organization as one whose mission, membership and activities,
or constituencies are national in scope. However, an organization
described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
(26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4)) that engages in lobbying activities is not
eligible to apply, serve as a host site for volunteers, or act in any
type of supervisory role in the program. The Corporation is seeking a
national organization that is willing to actively promote senior
service within its networks and that views older volunteers as an
important resource in accomplishing its own objectives.
All activities within a proposal should be coordinated through a
well-developed national strategy and unified programmatically by a
common theme and program elements, including training and technical
assistance. In designing a program, an applicant should consider its
national, regional and local capacities.
The local affiliates of the national organizations must have or
develop strong partnerships with the aging network; hospitals and other
health care providers; care giver coalitions and agencies; volunteer,
church and civic groups that provide in-home and respite services;
businesses and community members; and collaborations with RSVP, Learn
and Serve America and/or AmeriCorps.
D. Award Process and Estimated Number of Awards
The Corporation will issue a letter of intent to provide funding to
the approved applicant. This letter will instruct the national
organization to work with the Corporation to identify the local
affiliates that will serve as local project sites. The official awards
will be made only after the Corporation is satisfied that the local
sites are located in currently unserved geographic areas and that the
local affiliates have the capacity to effectively implement the
program.
The Corporation anticipates making one award to a national
organization and approximately five awards to local affiliates of the
national organization.
E. Scope of Grant
The amount of the grant for the national organization will include
funds to cover national coordination, networking, training and
technical assistance. The amount of the grants to the local affiliates
will include funds to support approximately 45 Senior Companion
Volunteer Service Years (VSYs.). The amount of each local grant will
include funds to cover: volunteer cost reimbursements including
stipends of approximately $2,662 a year for each Volunteer Service Year
(VSY), transportation, meals and insurance; and volunteer support costs
including project administration, staff and training and technical
assistance. The average Federal Cost per Volunteer Service Year (VSY)
is approximately $4,000 for standard volunteers and $4,600 for
volunteer leaders.
Grant applicants should demonstrate their commitment to cost-
sharing by offsetting part of the costs. This support can be achieved
through cash or in-kind contributions.
Publication of this announcement does not obligate the Corporation
to award any specific number of grants or to obligate the entire amount
of funds available, or any part thereof, for grants under the Senior
Companion Program.
F. Period of Awards
Grants cover twelve months and may be renewed for up to twenty-four
additional months contingent upon the continuing need for the projects,
performance and the availability of appropriations.
G. Submission Requirements
To be considered for funding, applicants must submit five copies of
the following (with original signatures on items 1 and 2):
(1) An Application for Federal Assistance, Corporation Form 424-
NSSC (OMB 3045-0035), Parts I through III;
(2) Signed Assurances (424-B) and Certifications (424E-G);
(3) Verification of status as a non-profit organization as
described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and
(4) Most recent audit report.
H. General Selection Criteria
The Corporation will initially determine whether the organization
is eligible and whether the application contains the information
required in the application materials. All activities within the
proposal should be coordinated through a well-developed national
strategy and unified programmatically by a common theme and program
elements, including training and technical assistance.
To ensure fairness to all applicants, the Corporation reserves the
right to take action up to and including disqualification, in the event
that a proposal fails to comply with any requirements specified in the
application instructions. After this initial screening, the Corporation
will assess applications based on the following criteria that will be
further specified in the application instructions:
(1) The capacity of the applicant to effectively implement the
Senior Companion Program according to law, regulations and current
Corporation policy, procedures, and priorities.
(2) The cost-effectiveness of the proposal; the applicant's ability
to leverage significant additional resources from non-federal sources
to support and sustain the project; the extent to which the national
organization can demonstrate the capacity to continue the projects at
the local level in subsequent years.
The Corporation will take into consideration the following factors
after the proposals are assessed:
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Geographic Location: The Corporation will assure a mix of urban and
rural sites.
Diversity: The Corporation will select organizations whose local
projects have the capacity to recruit ethnic and racial minorities,
males and persons with disabilities.
I. Applicable Regulations
Regulations governing the Senior Companion Program are located in
45 C.F.R. Part 1207 (1997).
J. Program Authority
The Corporation's authority to make these grants is codified in 42
U.S.C. 5013.
Dated: April 10, 1998.
Thomas L. Bryant,
Associate General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 98-10019 Filed 4-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-P
