[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 110 (Wednesday, June 9, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31009-31015]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-14575]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
Discretionary Funds for Projects To Establish Individual
Development Accounts for Refugees
AGENCY: Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), ACF, DHHS.
ACTION: Notice of availability of FY 1999 Discretionary Social Service
Funds to public and private, non-profit agencies for projects to
establish and manage Individual Development Accounts for refugees.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Refugee Resettlement invites eligible entities
to submit competitive grant applications for projects to establish and
manage Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) for low-income refugee
1 participants. Eligible refugee participants who enroll in
these projects will open and contribute systematically to IDAs for
specified Savings Goals, including homeownership, business
capitalization, and post-secondary education. Grantees may use ORR
funds to provide matches for the savings in the IDAs up to $2,000 per
individual refugee and $4,000 per refugee household. Applications will
be screened and evaluated as indicated in this program announcement.
Awards will be contingent on the outcome of the competition and the
availability of funds.
\1\ In addition to persons who meet all requirements of 45 CFR
400.43, eligibility for refugee social services also includes: (1)
Cuban and Haitian entrants under section 501 of the Refugee
Education Assistance Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-422); (2) certain
Amerasians from Vietnam who are admitted to the U.S. as immigrants
under section 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and
Related Programs Appropriations Act, as included in the FY 1988
Continuing Resolution (Pub. L. 100-202); and (3) certain Amerasians
from Vietnam, including U.S. citizens, under Title II of the Foreign
Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations
Act of 1989 (Pub. L. 100-461), 1990 (Pub. L. 101-167), and 1991
(Pub. L. 101-513). For convenience, the term ``refugee'' is used in
this notice to encompass all such eligible persons.
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DATES: The closing date for submission of applications is August 9,
1999. See Part IV of this announcement for more information on
submitting applications.
ANNOUNCEMENT AVAILABILITY: The program announcement and the application
materials are available on the ORR website at www.acf.dhhs.gov/
programs/orr.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carmel Clay-Thompson, Director,
Division of Community Resettlement (DCR), ORR, Administration for
[[Page 31010]]
Children and Families (ACF), (Telephone: (202) 401-4557; Fax: (202)
401-5487) or Henley Portner, Program Specialist, DCR, ORR, ACF,
(Telephone: (202) 401-5363; Fax: (202) 401-5772; E-mail:
[email protected]).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This program announcement consists of four
parts:
Part I: Background--program purpose, program objectives, legislative
authority, funding availability, CFDA Number, definition of terms
Part II: Project and Applicant Eligibility--funding priorities,
preferences, eligible applicants, project and budget periods,
multiple applications, treatment of program income
Part III: The Review Process--intergovernmental review, initial ACF
screening, evaluation criteria and competitive review
Part IV: The Application--application materials, application
development, application submission
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13): Public reporting
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average four
hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions,
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection
of information. The following information collection is included in the
program announcement: OMB Approval No. 0970-0139, ACF UNIFORM PROJECT
DESCRIPTION (UPD), which expires 10/31/2000. An agency may not conduct
or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Part I. Background
Program Purpose and Objectives: The Office of Refugee Resettlement
invites qualified entities to submit competing grant applications for
new projects that will establish, support, and manage Individual
Development Accounts (IDAs) for eligible low-income refugee individuals
and families. The Refugee IDA Program represents an anti-poverty
strategy built on asset accumulation for low-income refugee individuals
and families with the goal of promoting refugee economic independence.
In particular, the objectives of this program are to: Increase the
ability of low-income refugees to save; promote their participation in
the financial institutions of this country; assist refugees in
advancing their education; increase home ownership; and assist refugees
in gaining access to capital. These new projects will accomplish these
objectives by establishing programs that combine the provision of
matched savings accounts with financial training and counseling.
Eligibility for this program is limited to refugees:
Who have earned income and whose household earned income
at time of enrollment does not exceed 200 percent of the federal
poverty level; and
Whose assets at time of enrollment do not exceed $10,000,
excluding the value of a primary residence.
Grantees may target their projects to refugees with lower incomes
and net worth than the limits described above. A copy of the HHS
Poverty Guidelines is attached to this announcement. The Poverty
Guidelines may also be found at http:/aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/
99poverty.htm.
Grantees, in partnership with qualified financial institutions,
will create Individual Development Accounts for refugee participants.
Refugee participants will systematically contribute to the IDAs in
order to purchase specified Savings Goals. Grantees may include any or
all of the following Savings Goals in their IDA program:
Home Purchase or Renovation;
Post-Secondary Education, Vocational Training, or
Recertification;
Microenterprise Capitalization;
Purchase of an Automobile;
Purchase of a Computer.
Additional information on these Savings Goals is provided in the
Definition of Terms section of this announcement.
ORR encourages applicants to include in their projects commitments
of additional public or private funds for matching IDA deposits,
operational overhead, or training. Documentation of additional funds
should be provided in the application in writing, executed with the
entity providing the non-ORR contribution, on letterhead of the entity,
and signed by a person authorized to make a commitment on behalf of the
entity.
The grantee will establish a ``Savings Plan Agreement'' with each
refugee participant. The Savings Plan Agreement should include:
(1) A proposed schedule of savings deposits by the participant;
(2) The rate at which participant's savings will be matched;
(3) The Savings Goal for which the account is maintained;
(4) Any training or counseling which the participant agrees to attend;
(5) Agreement that the participant will not withdraw funds except for
the specified Savings Goal or for an emergency and only after
consultation with the grantee; and
(6) A procedure for amending the Agreement.
Applicants may propose additional provisions to be included in
Savings Plan Agreements.
The IDA contains only the refugee participant's deposits and
interest earned on those deposits. The grantee will create a parallel
account (or parallel accounts), separate from the participants' IDAs,
in a qualified financial institution, in which all matching ORR grant
funds will be deposited and maintained on behalf of the refugee
participants. Drawdown of the ORR grant funds and deposit of those
funds into the parallel account(s) will be permitted no earlier than
the time of the refugee's deposit to the IDA. Grantees must draw down
ORR funds for matching IDA deposits within three months of the date
that the refugee participant makes the deposit.
ORR funds may be used at a matching rate no greater than two-to-one
for each dollar deposited in the IDA by the refugee participant.
Grantees may choose to vary the amount of the match by type of Savings
Goal and/or by income level of the refugee participants. Over the
course of the five-year project period, not more than $2,000 in ORR
grant funds may be provided through matching contributions to any one
refugee individual and not more than $4,000 may be provided to any one
refugee household.
The interest that accrues on the ORR matching funds deposited in
the parallel account must be credited to the IDAs of the refugee
participants. Interest on the matching funds is not subject to the
$2,000/$4,000 limitation on total match for an individual and a
household. The interest on the match funds in the parallel account may
not be retained by the grantee for any purpose, including program
administration, participant support services, or program data
collection.
ORR strongly encourages applicants to incorporate in these projects
financial training for the refugee participants. The training may be
provided directly by the grantee or the grantee may choose to provide
the training through subgrantees or other providers. The types of
training provided by a grantee should reflect both the refugee
population and the types of Savings Goals to be included in the
program. Such training could include budgeting, cash management,
savings, investment, and credit counseling. Specialized training and
technical assistance should be provided for refugee participants whose
Savings Goals are home purchase or microenterprise.
[[Page 31011]]
Legislative Authority: Section 412(c)(1)(A) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act authorizes the Director ``to make grants to, and enter
into contracts with, public or private nonprofit agencies for projects
specifically designed--(i) To assist refugees in obtaining skills which
are necessary for economic self-sufficiency, including projects for job
training, employment services, day care, professional refresher
training, and other recertification services; (ii) to provide training
in English where necessary (regardless of whether the refugees are
employed or receiving cash or other assistance); and (iii) to provide
where specific needs have been shown and recognized by the Director,
health (including mental health) services, social services, educational
and other services.''
Funding Availability: ORR expects to award approximately $5 million
in FY 1999 funds for the Refugee IDA Program among approximately eight
to twelve grantees. Grants are expected to range from $200,000 to
$800,000. Approximately 75-80 percent of the ORR grant funds should be
designated for the purpose of providing matches for the refugee IDA
accounts. The remaining 20-25 percent of ORR funds may be used for the
administrative and operational costs of the project and for financial
training, counseling, and technical assistance.
The Director reserves the right to award more or less than the
funds described in the absence of worthy applications or such other
circumstances as may be deemed to be in the best interest of the
government. Applicants may be required to reduce the scope of selected
projects based on the amount of the approved grant award.
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number assigned
to this announcement is 93.576. The title of the program is the Refugee
Individual Development Account Program.
Applicable Regulations: Applicable U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services regulations can be found at 45 CFR part 74 or part 92.
Definition of Terms: Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) are
leveraged, or matched, savings accounts. IDAs are established in
insured accounts in qualified financial institutions; and the funds are
intended for the Savings Goals specified in this announcement. Although
the refugee participant maintains control of all funds that the
participant deposits in the IDA, including all interest that may accrue
on the funds, the participant must sign a Savings Plan Agreement with
the grantee that specifies that the funds in the account will be used
only for the participant's Savings Goal or for an emergency withdrawal.
A signed Savings Plan Agreement is required for the refugee participant
to be eligible for matching funds.
The Savings Goals, as specified below, are the purchases/
investments for which the matching funds, and the interest on matching
funds, are available when used in conjunction with the savings from the
IDAs of refugee participants. The Savings Goal specified by a
participant in the Savings Plan Agreement may be for the benefit of the
refugee participant or of a refugee dependent of the refugee
participant. Savings Goals are defined as follows:
Home ownership: Includes costs of a principal residence
including the downpayment and closing costs when purchasing a home;
also renovation costs of a new home or of an existing primary
residence. In the case of acquisition, the purchaser must be a first-
time homebuyer.
Microenterprise capitalization: Means costs described in a
qualified business plan, such as capital, plant, equipment, working
capital, and inventory expenses. The business plan must be approved by
a financial institution, a microenterprise development organization, or
a nonprofit loan fund. The plan must also describe services or goods to
be sold and include a marketing plan and projected financial
statements. Also included in microenterprise capitalization are
expenditures for a business expansion.
Post-secondary Education, Vocational Training, and
Recertification: Tuition or fees, professional recertification fees,
books, supplies, and equipment related to the enrollment or attendance
of a refugee student at an educational institution.
Purchase of an Automobile: If necessary for the purpose of
maintaining or upgrading employment.
Purchase of a Computer: Including hardware and software,
to support a refugee student's enrollment in an educational,
vocational, or recertification institution or for a microenterprise.
Qualified financial institution means a Federally insured
bank, credit union, or savings and loan institution or a State-insured
bank, credit union, or savings and loan institution if no Federally
insured bank, credit union, or savings and loan institution is
available.
A parallel account is an insured account (or accounts)
opened by the grantee in a qualified financial institution for the
purpose of depositing the matching funds for the savings deposited by
refugee participants in their individual IDAs. Interest earned on the
matching funds must remain in the parallel account and be credited to
the refugee participants. Both the matching funds and the interest
earned on those funds must be made available to the refugee participant
at the time that the participant purchases the Savings Goal. The
matching funds and the interest on the matching funds in the parallel
account are not available to the refugee participant except for the
Savings Goals defined in this announcement.
An emergency withdrawal is a withdrawal of funds, or a
portion of funds, deposited by the refugee participant in his/her
Individual Development Account. The withdrawal may also include any of
the interest that may have accrued to the participant's savings in the
account. Such a withdrawal must be approved by the project grantee and
be consistent with the terms of the Savings Plan Agreement between the
grantee and the refugee participant. Causes for emergency withdrawals
include, but are not limited to, medical expenses, payments to prevent
eviction or foreclosure, or payments for necessary living expenses. If
funds withdrawn for emergency purposes are not repaid within 12 months,
the refugee participant forfeits the match on those funds. Emergency
withdrawals may never be authorized from the parallel account(s).
Part II. Project and Applicant Eligibility
Eligible Applicants: To be eligible for funding under this
announcement, projects must meet the following requirements. Eligible
applicants for these funds include States and private, non-profit
organizations. Applicants may request funding to administer a refugee
IDA project directly with refugee participants or as an intermediary
agency which will administer multiple projects through participating
community-based organizations. Private, non-profit agency applicants
must provide documentation of their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status at the
time of the application submission.
Applicants must also provide documentation of participation of a
qualified financial institution(s) in the project. This documentation
must be in writing, on letterhead of the financial institution, and
signed by a person authorized to make the commitment on behalf of the
financial institution. The documentation must include a commitment by
the financial institution to establish IDAs for the refugee
participants, to establish a parallel account (or accounts) for the
matching funds, and to provide the grantee with
[[Page 31012]]
account activity data on the IDAs and the parallel account(s) in a
timely manner.
Project and Budget Periods: This announcement invites applications
for project periods up to five years. Awards, on a competitive basis,
will be for a one-year budget period. Applications for continuation
grants funded under these awards beyond the first one-year budget
period but within the five-year project period will be entertained in
subsequent years on a noncompetitive basis, subject to availability of
funds, satisfactory progress of the grantee, and a determination that
continued funding would be in the best interest of the Government.
Under these projects, grantees should schedule their account
activities so that all IDA accounts reach their maximum savings, and
refugee participants have purchased their Savings Goal, within the
five-year project period. Applicants should include in their
applications their proposal for handling accounts in the event that any
refugee participant has not completed the Savings Goal purchase by the
end of the five-year project period. (For instance, applicants may
consider creating an escrow account for each participant's matching
funds.)
Part III: The Review Process
A. Intergovernmental Review
This program is covered under Executive Order 12372,
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' and 45 CFR part 100,
``Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services
Programs and Activities.'' Under the Order, States may design their own
processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance
under covered programs.
As of November 20, 1998, the following jurisdictions have elected
not to participate in the Executive Order process. Applicants from
these jurisdictions need take no action in regard to E.O. 12372:
Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Hawaii,
Idaho, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New
Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Palau, Pennsylvania, South Dakota,
Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
Although the jurisdictions listed above no longer participate in
the process, entities which have met the eligibility criteria of the
program may still apply for a grant even if a State, Territory,
Commonwealth, etc., does not have a SPOC. All remaining jurisdictions
participate in the Executive Order process and have established SPOCs.
Applicants from participating jurisdictions should contact their SPOCs
as soon as possible to alert them of the prospective applications and
receive instructions. Applicants must submit any required material to
the SPOCs as soon as possible so that the program office can obtain and
review SPOC comments as part of the award process. The applicant must
submit all required materials, if any, to the SPOC and indicate the
date of this submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is
required) on the Standard Form 424, item 16a. Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2),
a SPOC has 60 days from the application deadline to comment on proposed
new or competing continuation awards.
SPOCs are encouraged to eliminate the submission of routine
endorsements as official recommendations. Additionally, SPOCs are
requested to differentiate clearly between mere advisory comments and
those official State process recommendations, which may trigger the
``accommodate or explain'' rule.
When comments are submitted directly to ACF, they should be
addressed to: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration
for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Attention:
Shirley B. Parker, ORR Grants Officer, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW.,
Washington, DC 20447.
A list of the Single Points of Contact for each State and Territory
is included with the application materials for this program
announcement.
B. Initial ACF Screening
Each application submitted under this program announcement will
undergo a pre-review to determine that: (1) The application was
received by the closing date and submitted in accordance with the
instructions in this announcement; and (2) the applicant is eligible
for funding.
C. Competitive Review and Evaluation Criteria
Applications that pass the initial ACF screening will be evaluated
and rated by an independent review panel on the basis of specific
evaluation criteria. The evaluation criteria were designed to assess
the quality of a proposed project and to determine the likelihood of
its success. The evaluation criteria are closely related and are
considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application.
Points are awarded only to applications that are responsive to the
evaluation criteria within the context of this program announcement.
Proposed projects will be reviewed using the following evaluation
criteria:
1. Description of Targeted Population and Need for Assistance. The
application identifies the refugee population to be assisted by this
project and describes the need for assistance of this population.
Indicators of the need for assistance include low rates of: use of
financial institutions, home ownership, education, and access to
capital; and high rates of: reliance on public assistance and incomes
below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level. (15 points)
2. Project Plan and Design. The application provides a clear
explanation of a feasible, appropriate, and complete plan for
establishing and managing IDAs for the refugee participants. The plan
clearly describes the structure, uses, requirements, and management of
the IDAs and includes procedures for: managing the parallel account(s);
ensuring that interest on the matches is correctly credited to
individual refugee participants; and providing financial training
appropriate to the refugee population and to the Savings Goals included
in the project. (25 points)
3. Organizational and Staff Experience. Applicant organization and
staff and partner organizations have demonstrated capability to
implement and manage new programs and to recruit and work with the
refugee population. The applicant has developed a partnership with a
financial institution(s) to implement the IDAs. (25 points)
4. Proposed Outcomes and Expected Benefits. The outcomes and
benefits proposed are reasonable and reflect the objectives of this
announcement. The methodology proposed for collecting outcome data is
reasonable. (20 points)
5. Project Budget. The budget is reasonable and clearly justified.
The methodologies for estimating the number of refugee participants and
amount of matching funds are reasonable. (15 points)
Part IV. The Application
A. Application Development
In order to be considered for a grant under this program
announcement, an application must be submitted on the Standard Form 424
and in the manner prescribed by ACF. Application materials including
forms and instructions are available from the contacts named under the
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section in the preamble of this
announcement.
[[Page 31013]]
General Guidelines for Preparing a Project Description
Purpose: The project description provides a major means by which an
application is evaluated and ranked to compete with other applications
for available assistance. The project description should be concise and
complete and should address the activity for which Federal funds are
being requested. Supporting documents should be included where they can
present information clearly and succinctly. Applicants are encouraged
to provide information on their organizational structure, staff,
related experience, and other information considered to be relevant.
Awarding offices use this and other information to determine whether
the applicant has the capability and resources necessary to carry out
the proposed project. It is important, therefore, that this information
be included in the application. However, in the narrative, the
applicant must distinguish between resources directly related to the
proposed project from those that will not be used in support of the
specific project for which funds are requested.
General Instructions: Cross-referencing should be used rather than
repetition. ACF is particularly interested in specific factual
information and statements of measurable goals in quantitative terms.
Project descriptions are evaluated on the basis of substance, not
length. Extensive exhibits are not required. (Supporting information
concerning activities that will not be directly funded by the grant or
information that does not directly pertain to an integral part of the
grant-funded activity should be placed in an appendix.) Pages should be
numbered and a table of contents should be included for easy reference.
Project Summary/Abstract: Provide a summary of the project
description (a page or less) with reference to the funding request.
Objectives and Need for Assistance: Clearly identify the economic,
social, financial, institutional, and/or other problem(s) requiring a
solution. The need for assistance must be demonstrated and the
principal and subordinate objectives of the project must be clearly
stated; supporting documentation, such as letters of support and
testimonials from concerned interests other than the applicant, may be
included. Any relevant data based on planning studies should be
included or referred to in the endnotes/footnotes. Incorporate
demographic data and participant/beneficiary information, as needed. In
developing the project description, the applicant may volunteer, or be
requested to provide, information on the total range of projects
currently being conducted and supported (or to be initiated), some of
which may be outside the scope of the program announcement.
Results or Benefits Expected: Identify the results and benefits to
be derived from this project. ORR is particularly interested in the
projected outcomes for the targeted refugee group, including the number
of IDAs opened, rate of growth in savings, number and size of
withdrawals for each of the Savings Goals, and the impact of the
purchase of the Savings Goal on the participant's movement toward self-
sufficiency.
Approach: Outline a plan of action that describes the scope and
detail of how the proposed work will be accomplished. Account for all
functions or activities identified in the application. Cite factors
which might accelerate or decelerate the work and state your reason for
taking the proposed approach rather than others. Describe any unusual
features of the project such as design or technological innovations,
reductions in cost or time, or extraordinary social and community
involvement. Provide quantitative monthly or quarterly projections of
the accomplishments to be achieved for each function or activity in
such terms as the number of people to be served and the number of IDAs
to be opened. When accomplishments cannot be quantified by activity or
function, list them in chronological order to show the schedule of
accomplishments and their target dates. Identify the kinds of data to
be collected, maintained, and/or disseminated. Note that clearance from
the U.S. Office of Management and Budget might be needed prior to a
``collection of information'' that is ``conducted or sponsored'' by
ACF. List organizations, cooperating entities, consultants, or other
key individuals who will work on the project along with a short
description of the nature of their effort or contribution.
Geographic Location: Describe the precise location of the project
and boundaries of the area to be served by the proposed project. Maps
or other graphic aids may be attached.
Additional Information: Following is a description of additional
information that should be placed in the appendix to the application.
Staff and Position Data: Provide a biographical sketch for each key
person appointed and a job description for each vacant key position. A
biographical sketch will also be required for new key staff as
appointed.
Organization Profiles: Provide information on the applicant
organization(s) and cooperating partners such as organizational charts,
financial statements, audit reports or statements from CPAs/Licensed
Public Accountants, Employer Identification Numbers, names of bond
carriers, contact persons and telephone numbers, child care licenses
and other documentation of professional accreditation, information on
compliance with Federal/State/local government standards, documentation
of experience in the program area, and other pertinent information. Any
non-profit organization submitting an application must submit proof of
its non-profit status in its application at the time of submission. The
non-profit agency can accomplish this by providing a copy of the
applicant's listing in the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) most recent
list of tax-exempt organizations described in section 501(c)(3) of the
IRS code or by providing a copy of the currently valid IRS tax
exemption certificate or by providing a copy of the articles of
incorporation bearing the seal of the State in which the corporation or
association is domiciled.
Third-Party Agreements: Include written agreements between grantees
and subgrantees or subcontractors or other cooperating entities. These
agreements must detail scope of work to be performed, work schedules,
remuneration, and other terms and conditions that structure or define
the relationship.
Letters of Support: Provide statements from community, public, and
commercial leaders that support the project proposed for funding.
Budget and Budget Justification
Provide line item detail and detailed calculations for each budget
object class identified on the Budget Information form. Detailed
calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs,
and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to
be duplicated. The detailed budget must also include a breakout by the
funding sources identified in Block 15 of the SF-424. Provide a
narrative budget justification that describes how the categorical costs
are derived. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness, and allocability of
the proposed costs.
General
The following guidelines are for preparing the budget and budget
justification. Both Federal and non-Federal resources shall be detailed
and justified in the budget and narrative
[[Page 31014]]
justification. For purposes of preparing the budget and budget
justification, ``Federal resources'' refers only to the ACF grant for
which you are applying. Non-Federal resources are all other Federal and
non-Federal resources. It is suggested that budget amounts and
computations be presented in a columnar format: First column, object
class categories; second column, Federal budget; next column(s), non-
Federal budget(s), and last column, total budget. The budget
justification should be a narrative.
Personnel
Description: Costs of employee salaries and wages.
Justification: Identify the project director or principal
investigator, if known. For each staff person, provide the title, time
commitment to the project (in months), time commitment to the project
(as a percentage or full-time equivalent), annual salary, grant salary,
wage rates, etc. Do not include the costs of consultants or personnel
costs of delegate agencies or of specific project(s) or businesses to
be financed by the applicant.
Fringe Benefits
Description: Costs of employee fringe benefits unless treated as
part of an approved indirect cost rate.
Justification: Provide a breakdown of the amounts and percentages
that comprise fringe benefit costs such as health insurance, FICA,
retirement insurance, taxes, etc.
Travel
Description: Costs of project-related travel by employees of the
applicant organization (does not include costs of consultant travel).
Justification: For each trip, show the total number of traveler(s),
travel destination, duration of trip, per diem, mileage allowances, if
privately owned vehicles will be used, and other transportation costs
and subsistence allowances. Travel costs for key staff to attend ORR-
sponsored conferences should be detailed in the budget.
Equipment
Description: Costs of tangible, non-expendable, personal property,
having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of
$5,000 or more per unit. However, an applicant may use its own
definition of equipment provided that such equipment would at least
include all equipment defined above.
Justification: For each type of equipment requested, provide a
description of the equipment, the cost per unit, the number of units,
the total cost, and a plan for use on the project, as well as use or
disposal of the equipment after the project ends. An applicant
organization that uses its own definition for equipment should provide
a copy of its policy or section of its policy which includes the
equipment definition.
Supplies
Description: Costs of all tangible personal property other than
that included under the Equipment category.
Justification: Specify general categories of supplies and their
costs. Show computations and provide other information, which supports
the amount requested.
Other
Enter the total of all other costs. Such costs, where applicable
and appropriate, may include but are not limited to insurance, food,
medical and dental costs (noncontractual), professional services costs,
space and equipment rentals, printing and publication, computer use,
training costs, such as tuition and stipends, staff development costs,
and administrative costs.
Justification: Provide computations, a narrative description and a
justification for each cost under this category.
Indirect Costs
Description: Total amount of indirect costs. This category should
be used only when the applicant currently has an indirect cost rate
approved by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or
another cognizant Federal agency.
Justification: An applicant that will charge indirect costs to the
grant must enclose a copy of the current rate agreement. If the
applicant organization is in the process of initially developing or
renegotiating a rate, it should immediately upon notification that an
award will be made, develop a tentative indirect cost rate proposal
based on its most recently completed fiscal year in accordance with the
principles set forth in the cognizant agency's guidelines for
establishing indirect cost rates, and submit it to the cognizant
agency. Applicants awaiting approval of their indirect cost proposals
may also request indirect costs. It should be noted that when an
indirect cost rate is requested, those costs included in the indirect
cost pool should not also be charged as direct costs to the grant.
Also, if the applicant is requesting a rate which is less than what is
allowed under the program, the authorized representative of the
applicant organization must submit a signed acknowledgement that the
applicant is accepting a lower rate than allowed.
Program Income
Description: The estimated amount of income, if any, expected to be
generated from this project.
Justification: Describe the nature, source and anticipated use of
program income in the budget or refer to the pages in the application,
which contain this information.
Non-Federal Resources
Description: Amounts of non-Federal resources that will be used to
support the project as identified in Block 15 of the SF-424.
Justification: The firm commitment of these resources must be
documented and submitted with the application in order to be given
credit in the review process. A detailed budget must be prepared for
each funding source.
Total Direct Charges, Total Indirect Charges, Total Project Costs
Self-explanatory.
B. Application Submission
1. Mailed applications postmarked after the closing date will be
classified as late.
2. Deadline. Mailed applications shall be considered as meeting an
announced deadline if they are either received on or before the
deadline date or sent on or before the deadline date and received by
ACF in time for the independent review to: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of
Refugee Resettlement, Attention: Shirley B. Parker, ORR Grants Officer,
370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW, Washington, DC 20447. Applicants must
ensure that a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or a legibly
dated, machine produced postmark of a commercial mail service is
affixed to the envelope/package containing the application(s). To be
acceptable as proof of timely mailing, a postmark from a commercial
mail service must include the logo/emblem of the commercial mail
service company and must reflect the date the package was received by
the commercial mail service company from the applicant. Private metered
postmarks shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing.
(Applicants are cautioned that express/overnight mail services do not
always deliver as agreed.) Applications handcarried by applicants,
applicant couriers, or by other representatives of the applicant shall
be considered as meeting an announced deadline if they are received on
or before the deadline date, between
[[Page 31015]]
the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., EST, at the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families,
Office of Refugee Resettlement, ACF Mailroom, Second Floor (near
loading dock), Aerospace Center, 901 D Street, SW, Washington, DC
20024, between Monday and Friday (excluding Federal holidays). The
address must appear on the envelope/package containing the application
with the note ``Attention: Shirley B. Parker, ORR Grants Officer.'' ACF
cannot accommodate transmission of applications by fax or through other
electronic media. Therefore, applications transmitted to ACF
electronically will not be accepted regardless of date or time of
submission and time of receipt.
3. Late applications. Applications that do not meet the criteria
above are considered late applications. ACF shall notify each late
applicant that its application will not be considered in the current
competition.
4. Extension of deadlines. ACF may extend an application deadline
when circumstances such as acts of God (floods, hurricanes, etc.)
occur, or when there is widespread disruption of the mail service, or
in other rare cases. Determinations to extend or waive deadline
requirements rest with ACF's Chief Grants Management Officer.
Reporting Requirements
Grantees under this program announcement will be required to
provide quarterly program narrative reports, describing outcomes and
activities under the grant. Grantees will also be required to submit
semi-annual financial reports using the Financial Status Report (SF-
269). A final financial and narrative report shall be due 90 days after
the end of the Grant Project Period (i.e., after the final budget
period).
Dated: June 3, 1999.
Lavinia Limon,
Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Attachment A--The 1999 HHS Poverty Guidelines
One Version of the [U.S.] Federal Poverty Measure
[Information Contracts/References--Poverty Guidelines & Thresholds--
Also History of U.S. Poverty Lines]
There are two slightly different versions of the federal poverty
measures:
The poverty thresholds, and
The poverty guidelines.
The poverty thresholds are the original version of the federal
poverty measure. They are updated each year by the Census Bureau
(although they were originally developed by Mollie Orshansky of the
Social Security Administration). The thresholds are used mainly for
statistical purposes--for instance, preparing estimates of the
number of Americans in poverty each year. (In other works, all
official poverty population figures are calculated using the poverty
thresholds, not the guidelines.)
The poverty guidelines are the other version of the federal
poverty measure. They are issued each year in the Federal Register
by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines
are a simplification of the poverty thresholds for use of
administrative purposes--for instance, determining financial
eligibility for certain federal program. (The full text of the
Federal Register notice with the 1999 poverty guidelines is
available here.)
1999 HHS Poverty Guidelines
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
48 contiguous
Size of family unit states, and DC Alaska Hawaii
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1............................................................... $8,240 $10,320 $9,490
2............................................................... 11,060 13,840 12,730
3............................................................... 13,880 17,360 15,970
4............................................................... 16,700 20,880 19,210
5............................................................... 19,520 24,400 22,450
6............................................................... 22,340 27,920 25,690
7............................................................... 25,160 31,440 28,930
8............................................................... 27,980 34,960 32,170
For each additional person, add................................. 2,820 3,520 3,240
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Federal Register, Vol. 64, No. 52, March 18, 1999, pp. 13428-13430.
(The separate poverty guidelines for Alaska and Hawaii reflect
Office of Economic Opportunity administrative practice beginning in
the 1966-1970 period. Notice that the poverty thresholds--the
original version of the poverty measure--have never had separate
figures for Alaska and Hawaii.)
Programs using the guidelines (or percentage multiples of the
guidelines--for instance, 130 percent of the guidelines) in
determining eligibility include Head Start, the Food Stamp Program,
the National School Lunch Program, and the Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Program. Note that is general, public assistance programs
(Aid to Families with Dependent Children and its block grant
successor Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and Supplemental
Security Income) do NOT use the poverty guidelines in determining
eligibility. The Earned Income Credit program also does NOT use the
poverty guidelines to determine eligibility.
The poverty guidelines (unlike the poverty thresholds) are
designated by the year in which they are issued. For instance, the
guidelines issued in March 1999 are designated the 1999 poverty
guidelines. However, the 1999 HHS poverty guidelines only reflect
price changes through calendar year 1998; accordingly, they are
approximately equal to the Census Bureau poverty thresholds for
calendar year 1998. (The 1998 thresholds will be issued in final
form about September or October 1999; a preliminary version of the
1998 thresholds is now available from the Census Bureau.)
The poverty guidelines are sometimes loosely referred to as the
``Federal poverty level'' (FPL), but that term is ambiguous, and
should be avoided in situation (e.g., legislative or administrative)
where precision is important.
Go to the page of Information Contracts and References on the
Poverty Guidelines, the Poverty Thresholds, and the Development and
History of U.S. Poverty Lines.
Return to the Poverty Guidelines, Research, and Measurement main
page.
[FR Doc. 99-14575 Filed 6-8-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P
