[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 15, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18381-18383]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10021]
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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
Availability of Funds for New Retired and Senior Volunteer
Program (RSVP) 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
(hereinafter the ``Corporation'') announces the availability of up to
$625,000 to support approximately 1,200 RSVP volunteers in new RSVP
projects in geographic areas that do not fall within approved service
areas of current RSVP program sponsors. Approximately $300,000 will be
made available to support each of two national organizations and three
of their local affiliates. Each national organization will be expected
to provide coordination, networking and training and technical
assistance to its three local affiliates. The local affiliates will be
expected to support a total of approximately 600 RSVP volunteers for
each national organization. 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 national organizations that are
willing to actively promote senior service within their networks and
that view older volunteers as an important resource in accomplishing
their own objectives.
The RSVP provides service opportunities to adults age 55 and older,
matching their skills, life experiences, and interests to priority
needs in communities across the nation. Through this service, RSVP
provides communities with valuable resources to meet their needs,
enhances the lives of the volunteers and those whom they serve. The
primary focus of volunteer activities for this twelve-month period must
be on helping children learn to read and other literacy activities that
support the goals of the America Reads Challenge.
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, 1201 New York Avenue, NW., National Senior
Service Corps, 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
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those who make a substantial commitment to service.
The RSVP is authorized by the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of
1973, as amended. (See 42 U.S.C. 5001 et seq.). The RSVP provides
service opportunities to adults age 55 and older, matching their
skills, life experiences, and interests to priority needs in
communities across the nation. Through this service, RSVP provides
communities with valuable resources to meet their needs, enhances the
lives of the volunteers and those whom they serve.
The RSVP was launched with 11 RSVP projects in 1971. Today there
are over 450,000 RSVP volunteers serving almost 80 million hours
annually through a myriad of local community organizations in over
1,500 communities. They volunteer in schools, libraries, hospitals,
nursing homes, meals on wheels, senior centers, public housing, law
enforcement agencies, parks, environmental organizations, and a wide
range of community organizations. Through these organizations, they
tutor youth, respond to natural disasters, serve as citizen patrols,
teach parenting skills to teen parents, get children immunized, mentor
troubled youth, plan community gardens, help other seniors complete
income tax forms, serve as hospital aides, conduct groundwater
protection surveys, provide in-home respite care with the frail
elderly, teach computer classes at elementary schools, test buildings
for radon, read to hospitalized children, manage grief counseling
groups, set up block watch projects, bring meals to the terminally ill,
test water for pollutants and track down their sources, drive the
visually impaired to doctors appointments, provide a human touch to
AIDS babies, and so much more.
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 RSVP to serve
new geographic locations currently unserved by the program. It is
expected that the new projects, in the first year of operation, will
focus on activities that support the goals of the America Reads
Challenge.
The goal of the America Reads Challenge is to mobilize Americans
from all walks of life to ensure that all children can read well and
independently by the end of third grade. The America Reads Challenge is
a comprehensive, nationwide effort to create in-school, after-school,
weekend, and summer tutoring programs in reading. Working to support
the efforts of teachers and parents, this initiative calls on all
Americans, including college students, business leaders, and senior
citizens, to work through schools, libraries, religious organizations,
universities, community and national groups, and cultural organizations
to ensure that every child can read independently by the end of third
grade.
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
national organizations that are willing to actively promote senior
service within their networks and that view older volunteers as an
important resource in accomplishing their own objectives.
The local affiliates of the national organizations must have or
develop strong partnerships with: (1) entities planning or operating
city, county, statewide, or multi-state America Reads initiatives; (2)
local governments planning or operating area-wide America Reads
initiatives; (3) volunteer centers engaged in recruiting trained
literacy tutors for the America Reads Challenge and, (4) university
service-learning centers coordinating work-study and other college
students for the America Reads Challenge.
RSVP sponsors that are currently funded by the Corporation are not
eligible to receive a grant to expand into new geographic areas.
D. Award Process and Estimated Number of Awards
The Corporation will issue a letter of intent to provide funding to
each 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 two awards to national
organizations, and approximately three awards to local affiliates of
each national organization.
E. Scope of Grants
The amount of the grants for the national organizations will
include funds to cover national coordination, networking and training
and technical assistance. The amounts of the grants to the local
affiliates will include funds to cover: Volunteer travel reimbursement;
insurance costs; incentives including monetary stipends of up to $150 a
month for Volunteer Leaders; and volunteer support costs including
project administration, staff and training and technical assistance.
The average federal cost is $300 per volunteer a year and $2,100 a year
for each Volunteer Leader.
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 RSVP
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 a proposal
should be coordinated through a well-developed national
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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 RSVP
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; and the extent to which the
national organization can demonstrate that local projects have the
capacity to continue in subsequent years.
The Corporation will take into consideration the following factors
after the proposals are assessed:
Geographic Location: The Corporation will assure that local
projects include 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 RSVP Program are located in 45 CFR part
1209 (1997).
J. Program Authority
The Corporation's authority to make these grants is codified in 42
U.S.C. 5001.
Dated: April 10, 1998.
Thomas L. Bryant,
Associate General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 98-10021 Filed 4-14-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-28-P
