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| | The following were common questions asked during a series of conference calls beginning January 22, 2003, regarding the 2003 Learn and Serve America guidelines. Please contact your Learn and Serve America Program Officer or Elson Nash (enash@cns.gov) if you need further assistance. |
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| | The sections in this document are as follows: |
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| | Budget |
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What criteria should be used when developing a budget? Cost effectiveness and how the budget supports your proposal should be the basis for budget development. What is the required match? This requirement varies depending on the type of LSA grant. Higher education applicants must match with cash or in-kind contributions at least 50% of the project's total costs (dollar for dollar). School- and community-based applicants must match with cash or in-kind contributions at least 10% of the project's total costs for year one, 20% for year two, 30% for year three, and 50% each year (dollar for dollar) after three years. If you are a school- or community-based applicant and you have previously received LSA funds, you must match on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Could you delineate how we can leverage other funding? LSA requires matching funds to make sure that your program is not totally dependent upon LSA money. Applicants should work with their organizations as well as their community partners to make plans to support budget items necessary to continue a high-quality program. When programs achieve success, this helps demonstrate to others (i.e. foundations, community members) its value and could lead to additional financial or human resource support. May we use CNCS program funds to match LSA programs? No. You cannot use CNCS funds (LSA, AmeriCorps, National Senior Service Corps) to match LSA programs. However, you may be able to use other federal money as a match. Check with the federal agency to see if it is possible. The school-based formula program guidance (page 11) indicates that staff salaries may be prorated between Section I. Program Operating Costs and Section II. Implementation. Does that refer to my time? This can refer to the project director's time and other staff members' time if they are working on LSA activities related to both operating and implementation costs. Pages 3 & 4 of the formula guidance indicate that implementation funds may be used to train teachers, supervisors, administrators, and service-learning coordinators. Would that go under other costs or would grantees need to build this into their budgets so that they could pay for registration at conferences, etc.? These costs may go under Section II. E. Other costs. The training and technical assistance plan should clearly outline your strategy for the training and support you will provide to your subgrantees and the intended outcomes as a result of that training and support. Subgrantees may also provide training to other teachers, other schools, or other organizations; this may also be funded through subgrants/implementation. In the formula guidance, it appears that evaluation costs are supposed to be budgeted under Section I. Program Operating Costs." In the past, if salary has consumed almost all the allowable Program Operating Costs, how can we budget for funding an evaluation system? Since SEAs have a cap on planning and capacity building (20% with a waiver), you must choose performance measures over which you have control. Look at performance measures as a way to improve the program and provide better opportunities for students. Connect performance measures to academic standards so the program can show what outcomes result. When a SEA chooses the Corporation fixed percentage method to calculate administrative costs (page 17 of the LSA school-based formula guidance, Section III), will multiple lines be allowed? Yes. Remember the maximum amount applicants can request from LSA funds is 5%. In order to charge this fixed 5%, the grantee match for administrative costs may not exceed 10% of all direct cost expenditures. These rates may be used without supporting documentation and are in lieu of a formally approved indirect cost rate. How can our organization determine whether it received three or more years of CNCS funding? If the legal applicant records show that Corporation for National and Community Service funding supported the applicant for three or more years, the applicant must provide at least a 50 percent match. Higher education applicants are always required to provide at least a 50 percent match. If you cannot determine whether CNCS has funded your organization for more than three years, please contact Bonnie Janicki at bjanicki@cns.gov in the Corporation grants office. Must consortia programs require subgrantees to provide the same match we provide? No. However, consortia should encourage subgrantees to match their awards since this leads to program sustainability. For higher education applicants, are there any recommended percentages for each budget line item? No, other than those limitations shown on the budget form page (for example the 10 percent limit on equipment costs). You want the program to be sustained so the budget should be clear on how the money will be used to support the program. It should give reviewers enough information so they can determine whether costs are reasonable and will support program goals. What portion of the salary may be used for the program? Only the portion that supports the Learn and Serve America program. Must an Indian Tribe submit audit and financial information? Yes. Nonprofit and Indian Tribe applicants must submit audit and financial information. Please make sure to identify it as part of your application with your organization name, and the competition for which you are applying (LSA higher education, school-based, community-based) and send it to LSA by using the address information provided under the evaluation section of this FAQ list. Should budget worksheets used to determine each budget line item be submitted? Yes. This tool not only helps you calculate the line items but also allows you to show your work so reviewers can understand how you arrived at the amount requested. Our institution's individual cost rate should be approved in July 2003 or after the LSA higher education application is due. What can we do? You can submit the provisional cost rate with your application. It must be submitted by the application deadline as well. Under personnel expenses in the budget, the higher education budget worksheet highlights position/title. If we know the person who will be in that position, is it appropriate to provide the name? Yes, if possible. How do we know if our institution has an indirect cost rate? A cognizant agency can provide this information. The Department of Education or Health and Human Services are typically cognizant agencies that could provide this information. You can also check with the office in your organization that processes grants or other outside funding. If our organization is applying for a $400,000 higher education consortia grant, should the indirect cost rate be included within that total or can this be an additional cost? The maximum amount an applicant may apply for under the higher education consortia category is $400,000 so the indirect cost rate must be included in that total. LSA grants allow only 5% for administrative costs, regardless of your indirect rate. Would supplies for training and technical assistance go under supplies? Yes. If we plan to purchase two computers at the cost of $5,000 each, would this be an equipment cost? Yes. If the acquisition cost is $5,000 or more per unit, it is considered equipment. If it is less than $5,000, it is considered supplies. Purchases of equipment are limited to 10 percent of the total LSA share. How can higher education consortia programs meet the match requirement? If consortia plan to subgrant, could they require subgrantees to provide a dollar-for-dollar match? Yes. That is encouraged since it is one way for local programs to build support and sustain programs. The statutory budget requirements indicate that you must match with cash or in-kind contributions at least 50% of the project's total costs. The source(s) may be federal (non Corporation), state, or local (public or private). Can matching dollars be used to stipend student participants? Generally grant funds cannot be used for participant stipends. You may, however, use matching funds for stipends. If you have participants in a leadership role, you may elect to pay them as you would staff. Can you clarify the meaning of match under the administrative/indirect cost section of the budget form page? Higher education applicants are required to match dollar-for-dollar or a 50% match. Under the administrative/indirect cost section, the applicant may choose one of two methods to calculate these costs. One is the Corporation Fixed Percentage Method, which allows an applicant to charge a fixed 5% of the total amount of federal funds requested. If you apply for $100,000 then $5,000 of this request can be associated with administrative costs. If you use the 5% fixed rate, your match for administrative costs cannot exceed 10% of all direct cost expenditures (total LSA plus match request). Using this scenario, you could budget $10,000 as match under administrative costs to help meet the 50% match of $100,000. Supporting documentation is not necessary when using this method. The second is the Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Method. Applicants using their federally approved indirect cost (IDC) rate to calculate administrative costs specify the cost type that your organization has documented on file (i.e. Provisional, Predetermined, Fixed, or Final indirect cost rate). Supply your approved IDC rate (percentage). Whether or not you use the entire IDC rate to calculate administrative costs is up to you. Keep in mind that when using a large percentage, it could impact sustaining the program. Our college is interested in applying for the Federal Work Study (FWS) and Student Service funding. If we partner with K-12 schools, would the school be able to waive the match for FWS wages? Schools may waive the match under certain circumstances. The FWS
institutional match may be waived and 100% of Federal funds may be
used to pay students if they are involved in one of these three
activities: If a local nonprofit organization has a financial hardship, can they waive the 25% FWS match requirement? It is possible. Check with the higher education FWS office for guidance. We manage a regional AmeriCorps Ed Only award program and are interested in applying for a Learn and Serve America consortia grant. Most of the students are receiving Federal Work Study in addition to their AmeriCorps Ed Award. Can we count the FWS stipend and the Ed Award as match or just the FWS money? Only the FWS money can be used as match for student participants. Ed awards are CNCS funds and applicants cannot use CNCS funds as match. |
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| | Egrants |
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Where can I find eGrant application guidance? Please refer to the eGrants Manual. If there are problems, you can call the eGrants help desk at 1-888-677-7849. The help desk is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST Monday through Friday. Or you can contact someone by email (eGrantshelp@cns.gov). Will there be problems applying online just before the application due date? This is the first time the Corporation has used eGrants so we recommend that applicants not wait until the due date. Apply as early as possible so issues may be resolved assuring that the application arrives by the deadline. If you have worked with the eGrants Help Desk, contacted a program officer in Learn and Serve America, and are unable to resolve the problems preventing submission of an application in eGrants on the due date, submit the application on paper with a 3.5" disk using an express postal carrier. Applicants submitting on paper and disk must document their efforts to use the eGrants system including contacting Learn and Serve America. Call your program officer or Juanita Peoples at 202-606-5000 x 117. If the application is submitted by the due date on eGrants, when is the financial information due? Financial information is due within five working days of the LSA application due date. Who can create an eGrants account for an organization? Work with your organization to find out how best to set up an eGrants account. Once the account is set up, the organization may permit others to sign on and authorize the application. See eGrants Manual. What is the estimated time for submitting an application online? It is approximately two or three hours. The eGrants system at the National Science Foundation has a failsafe mechanism that prompts applicants when something is done incorrectly. Is the same system in place at CNCS? Yes, there is a verification mechanism, which is another advantage eGrants provides. It identifies most submission errors before an application is submitted. However, it does not include a spell check function. Remember that once the application is sent, you cannot get it back. See eGrant Manual. Is the CNCS eGrants system like the Department of Education (DOE)? There are some differences. The Federal government is moving toward serving the public online and the eGrants system is part of this move. CNCS, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Education are three Federal agencies offering an eGrants application system to the public. What is the character limit for a LSA application narrative? Learn and Serve America applicants may submit a maximum of 41,000 characters (including spaces) for the proposal narrative. If the proposal narrative text entered exceeds 41,000 characters, you will not be able to submit the application. Can you periodically save what you enter in the eGrants system and return at another time to add information or complete the application? Yes. eGrants allows applicants to save periodically. We suggest that applicants type information in a word processor and when complete and accurate, paste this information into the application. See eGrants Manual. Where should paper submissions be sent if we cannot provide by eGrants? See details on page 34 of the LSA application instructions. |
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| | Evaluation |
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Where should we send evaluations that relate to the proposed program? You can submit them to Learn and Serve America with a letter referencing the connection to your application. Indicate the competition for which you submitted an application: LSA HE for Higher Education What is the difference between performance measurement and evaluation as defined by the Corporation for National and Community Service? Performance measurement is an ongoing process, designed to capture progress towards meeting results. Performance measurement is systematic, continuing (at least annually) and internal, that is, usually designed and implemented by the program staff and stakeholders. The Corporation defines evaluation as in-depth, rigorous studies that measure the particular impact of national and community service programs. While performance measurement and evaluation both include systematic data collection and measurement of progress, evaluation uses scientifically-based research methods to systematically investigate the effectiveness of programs by comparing the observed program outcomes with what would have happened in the absence of the program. Evaluation studies estimate the impacts of programs by comparing the difference between the outcomes for individuals receiving a service or participating in a program to the outcomes for similar individuals not receiving a service or not participating in a program. What resources are available to help me develop and track performance measures? Learn and Serve America has worked with Project STAR to develop a handbook on performance measurement. It is available on the Learn and Serve America web page that includes the application guidance or http://www.projectstar.org/star/Learn%20and%20Serve/ls_pmtoolkit.htm. In addition, publications from the United Way of America http://www.liveunited.org/outcomes/ and the Kellogg Foundation (http://www.wkkf.org/Pubs/Tools/Evaluation/Pub770.pdf, PDF, 1.12 MB) provide an overview of outcome-based evaluation, including an introduction to performance measurement, steps for measuring program outcomes, examples of outcomes and outcome indicators for various programs, and the resources needed for measuring outcomes. Has the Corporation developed guidance for the requirement that all programs conduct an independent evaluation at least once every four years? The Corporation is in the process of developing guidance for this requirement. The Corporation does not expect to prescribe a single methodology for evaluation but rather to identify a set of general guidelines based on generally accepted program evaluation research standards. Although the guidance on evaluations is currently being developed, the general expectations of the Corporation are that the independent evaluations include:
Where can I get help in developing an independent evaluation? Please visit the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse for evaluation resources. In addition, to assist CNCS programs in their evaluation efforts, Project Star has created a User's Guide to Evaluation for National Service Programs. The Corporation also encourages programs to partner with organizations and individuals in your local area who can provide evaluation assistance. For example, many programs have successfully partnered with local higher-education institutions that are routinely engaged in evaluating the effectiveness of programs. How can I pay for an independent evaluation? Programs may request funds for evaluation in their application. Just as with performance measures, we encourage programs to seek evaluation funds from a variety of organizations. How should I go about accessing local resources, such as evaluation professionals at colleges and universities? Local resources can be helpful for program applicants in responding to the performance measurement section of the application. Suggested institutions to contact for assistance include universities/colleges, research firms, or other community organizations that may be using a local resource for their performance measurement/evaluation. Keep in mind that choosing the "right" local resource that will meet your needs is critical. Identify the specific tasks you would like the local resource to assist you with (e.g., instrument development, data analysis). We recommend that you stay involved in the performance measurement process throughout your program year. In other words, don't pass the entire task of performance measurement to your local resource. You may not get what you need in the end. The cost of having the local resource assist you is another issue to bear in mind. The cost will depend on the amount of effort you would like the local resource to assume. The more involved you are in your performance measurement, the less your local resource will need to do, reducing costs. One resource that discusses budgeting and planning for an evaluation is:
Chapter Five of this document, on page 54, states, "Generally, an evaluation costs between 5 and 7 percent of a project's total budget." This document also describes a process (and provides a worksheet) for figuring out an appropriate budget for evaluation. This document can be downloaded from http://www.wkkf.org/Pubs/Tools/Evaluation/Pub770.pdf (PDF, 1.12 MB). Performance measurement may also be an appropriate service-learning project. How should programs with many distinct service activities carry out a "rigorous evaluation of program outcomes," which might prove complicated and expensive undertaking? For programs with many distinct service activities, programs should select activities for rigorous evaluation that best reflect the overall mission of the program and the service activities carried out. The specific circumstances of the applicant and the program will be considered when evaluating applications. Is an evaluation required? Performance measurement is a required feature of all applicants, and in the future the Corporation will require that an independent evaluation be conducted by all programs every four years. If you have not conducted such an evaluation, it is not required for your application. However, if you have evaluation material that relates to the program you propose to conduct, please send it in support of your application (see the application instructions or above information for the address). Is there a preference for external rather than internal evaluations? This depends on the organization and its capacity. Some internal evaluations can be very useful tools for improving programs. Be sure the evaluation relates to the program and shows how the program has used this information to improve. What evaluation studies should be attached from broad-based organizations? Are you looking for methodology or content? CNCS would like to see rigorous evaluations that are used as learning tools to improve programs. Should evaluations on other program outcomes be included? No. Only evaluations related to what the program is applying for should be sent. How important is it that evaluations on past service-learning programs be submitted? You are required to submit any relevant evaluations you have conducted within the past two years. If you have not conducted an evaluation, it will not effect your competitiveness. If a community partner has completed an assessment, can this be used? Yes, as long as it is relevant to your application. |
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| | Funding |
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How can we join the service-learning email discussion list? Information about related service-learning email discussion lists is available on the email discussion list page of the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse. How much money is really available to fund "new" grants and how many new grants will be made under the competitive "Linking History, Civics and Service" category? Pages 4 & 5 of the overview contain an "Available Funding" chart. This chart describes grant types, approximate number of grants, range per grant, and amounts available. We cannot determine the number of grants ahead of time since it will depend upon quality of applicants and the amount awarded. Can you break down the number of new versus the number of experienced grant programs to be funded? No. We expect to fund a mix of programs based upon quality. Is the overall intent of LSA funding to provide training or is it to support service activities? LSA funding can be used to support both kinds of activities. Please refer to the application materials. Is it possible for small nonprofits to compete for LSA School- and Community-Based funding? Yes, if you are a grantmaking entity that makes grants in two or more states. It is not necessary for grantmaking entities to be large organizations. The purpose of a grantmaking entity is to reach more than one state through our limited LSA resources. In addition, there may be opportunities to become a subgrantee of a larger regional organization. You should contact your State Commission on National and Community Service, Corporation for National and Community Service State Office, state education agency, or local school district since they partner with community-based organizations. Can school-based competitive subgrantee funds go to local non-profit organizations? No. Subgrantee funds must go to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) as defined in the No Child Left Behind Act. Are any U.S. Territories other than the ones mentioned on page 17 of School-Based Competitive guidance eligible for LSA funding? No. The Corporation's law limits eligible U.S. Territory applicants to those mentioned -- Virgin Island, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Given that up to $800,000 is set aside for the Tribes and U.S. Territories, are the Tribes and U.S. Territories eligible for both the formula and the competitive school-based money? The U.S. Territories (Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) are eligible to apply under the School-Based Competitive Program Indian tribes and U.S. Territories Competition (the set-aside). In addition, they are also eligible to apply under the School-Based Competitive Programs Linking History, Civics, and Service Competition and the School-Based Competitive Programs Community, Higher Education, and School Partnerships Competition. However, they are not eligible to apply for the School-Based Formula Program competition. While there is only one pot of money for the islands and tribes, are higher education, community-based organizations, and Departments of Education/State Education Agency eligible to compete? The only eligible applicants for the U.S. Territories portion of the set-aside are the state education agencies in those U.S. Territories. Higher education institutions and community-based organizations on the islands may choose to compete in the other appropriate categories - higher education, community-based, or other school-based competitive. Can more than one island apply together? Yes. However, one of the islands would have to be the legal applicant and the grant would be officially awarded to the legal applicant. Also, the most that a legal applicant can apply for is $100,000 each year for three years regardless of whether they are partnering with another island. If our institution of higher education received LSA funding in the past, will our application be reviewed differently? On page 3 of the Learn and Serve America higher education guidance, there is additional guidance for previously funded applicants. Previous grantees must build upon any accomplishments realized through LSAHE funding. Because sustainability is a key element of LSAHE, we will take into consideration the level of sustainability and outcomes achieved through the prior grant(s) in both individual and consortia programs. Please note, in the overview section on page 5, the limited number of grants we can award in higher education. How many individual, consortia, and Federal Work Study grants will be made in higher education? We cannot determine these numbers since they depend upon application quality. Additional considerations include statutory funding requirements and preferences addressed in the guidelines. Geography and program diversity may also be considered. Our university is interested in applying for an individual grant and a consortia grant. Is this possible? Yes. These are two of the three higher education categories so the institution may apply for both. However, if both applications propose similar activities, it may impact funding. In addition, you should be aware that there is limited higher education funding, and we strive for geographic diversity within the higher education portfolio of grants. Our college is not ready to apply for a Learn and Serve America grant but may be ready in 2004. Will we have an opportunity to apply for LSA funds in 2004? This may not be possible since most LSA funds will be used to support programs funded for a three-year period (2003-2006). However, there may be opportunities for an institution of higher education to apply for a LSA subgrant from a consortia-funded program. You can tap the Corporation website for contact information on funded programs. Is the individual institution funding (up to $125,000) for one year? Yes. Applicants may be eligible to renew based upon performance and available funding. Will renewals be at level funding? This is likely but depends upon appropriations and the number of programs renewed. |
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| | Miscellaneous |
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| | Is the definition for service-learning
changing?
No. The definition is in our law and can be found on page 3 of the application overview as well as on the Corporation LSA website (www.learnandserve.org). Where can we find information on what LSA has funded? You can access information on LSA programs by visiting the LSA website. In addition, the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse hosts a database of descriptions of local Learn and Serve programs. Can attachments or hyperlinks be included with an application? No. If this information is important, a summary should be included in the proposal. Will we be notified by LSA whether we are funded or not? Applicants funded will be notified. Applicants not funded may request information by making a written request to Learn and Serve America. We would like to apply for two types of Learn and Serve America grants. Will these two applications be reviewed for similarities? At the staff level, applications will be compared. If the activities/models are similar it may diminish chances for funding. Learn and Serve America has a very limited amount of funding available so relative quality among applications, statutory funding requirements, and preferences addressed in the guidelines will be considered by staff. May we include a program start date in the application? The program start dates are September 1 for LSA School-Based formula grants and October 1 for all other LSA grants. You may not change these dates. Who will score the Learn and Serve America applications? Will each application be read by more than one person? Applications will be read by more than one reviewer. Applications are selected by using an extensive, multi-stage process that will include peer review panels, Corporation staff review, and approval from the Corporation's Chief Executive Officer. During the peer review process, Learn and Serve America uses outside experts including community service practitioners, educators, administrators, former national service participants, and specialists in the areas of environment, public safety, education, and other human needs to evaluate the quality of applications. The peer review panels will rank the applications. Avoid using abbreviations or lingo that may not be familiar to outside reviewers. During the Learn and Serve America staff review, we determine the relative quality among applications but also consider statutory funding requirements and preferences addressed in the guidelines. Can a local school district apply for a formula grant? No. Only State Education Agencies (SEAs) can apply. SEAs provide opportunities to school districts or schools to apply for subgrants. In the description section of the CHESP guidelines, it states that eligible applicants for this program must have at least two years experience in operating a consortium of local programs that combine the efforts of three principle partners to address community needs through service-learning. What is the meaning of principle partners? Principle partners refer to subgrantees not the applicants. These partners could include local education agencies, community agencies, or higher education institutions. On page 12 of the CHESP guidelines, it states that "by law, subgrants in this program can only be made to local education agencies in partnership with one or more community partners." What is the definition of a local education agency? The No Child Left Behind Act and state laws define the meaning of local education agencies. Check with your state education agency to find out the meaning. Are you looking for new applicants in the CHESP category? New applicants will be accepted if they fit the eligibility criteria outlined in the guidance, including at least two years experience in operating a consortium of local programs that combine the efforts of three principle partners to address community needs through service-learning. Do tribes need to submit Tribal Council Resolutions? No. Is the overall intent of the LSA program to provide training or is it to support service and service-learning activities? The emphasis on one or the other varies by type of program within LSA and may vary within individual grantees. Please refer to the program guidance. Our University has a Lab School. Can the Lab School submit an application for a school-based competitive grant? Nonprofit higher education institutions are eligible school-based competitive applicants; they must make grants in two or more states. How can universities sustain Learn and Serve America programs? As part of the application review, Learn and Serve America looks at an organization's commitment to fund positions that support quality service-learning; financial and human resource commitments from local partnerships; student, faculty, staff, and community leadership involvement; and whether the program builds upon success and reputation. The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse website offers information on sustaining programs. If we apply for consortia funding, are we required to report the FWS percentages for all subgrantee campuses in addition to our own campus. If the legal applicant for the program is an institution of higher education, you are required to report the percentage of FWS funds used for community service by the institution. If the organization is another entity, such as a nonprofit organization, the FWS utilization is not applicable. Our statewide consortium plans to provide financial support for subgrantee staffing to strengthen community partnerships. Is this reasonable? CNCS has no set policy. Make sure these funds enable the program to achieve its performance measures while moving toward sustainability. If a college is not yet meeting the 7% requirement, is it still eligible to apply? The Corporation takes seriously the U.S. Department of Education's requirement that 7% of Federal Work Study funds be used for community service placements. An institution of higher education that does not meet the minimum should include in its application a discussion of its use of Federal Work Study funds, the reasons for noncompliance, and the steps being taken to resolve the situation. This discussion will be considered in the review of the proposal. Why was the Federal Work Study and Student Service category added this year? President Bush proposed that institutions of higher education increase the number of community service opportunities for Federal Work Study students. The Corporation is interested in funding some higher education FWS service and service-learning model programs so that best practices can be highlighted and replicated. Could you define Hispanic Serving Institution? Our definition is consistent with the U.S. Department of Education's definition. Please check with the administration of your institution or the U.S. Department of Education to determine your status. If we have higher education questions as we move through this application process, whom do we contact? You can call or email Amiko Matsumoto, LSA higher education coordinator, at 202-606-5000 x 556 or amatsumoto@cns.gov. |
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| | Performance Measurement |
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How can I get help in developing performance measures? The Learn and Serve America Program Applicant Performance Measurement Toolkit is available. Project STAR can provide clarification to applicants regarding the Performance Measurement section of the application: star@aiweb.com or 1-800-548-3656. Project STAR is a national training and technical assistance (T/TA) provider in performance measurement for the Corporation for National and Community Service. What are the requirements for performance measurement? Please see the application guidance. LSA requires applicants to submit at least three but not more than five performance measures. The performance measures should include at least one output, one intermediate outcome and one end-outcome. The performance measures must relate to each of the three aspects of program design: Needs and Activities, Strengthening Communities, and Developing Participants. What is the time frame for reporting on outputs, intermediate-outcomes and end-outcomes? The Corporation expects applicants to submit at least one output, one intermediate-outcome and one end-outcome in their application. At a minimum, programs are required to report on outputs at the end of year one; outputs and intermediate-outcomes at the end of year two; and outputs, intermediate-outcomes and end-outcomes at the end of year three. Programs may choose to exceed these minimum requirements and report results when they are available. Should the performance measures be designed for a three-year period or one-year period? It depends on the performance measure; however, at least one end outcome should be reported by year 3. Do the end-outcomes need to be achieved before the end of the grant cycle? Yes. The toolkit provides several examples of end-outcomes that can be achieved within the performance period of the grant cycle. Although some long-term end-outcomes may take 10 years or more to accomplish (e.g. reduction in neighborhood poverty), many other end-outcomes can be achieved within a grant cycle (e.g. reduction in school dropout rate, increased civic engagement, improved reading skills, etc.). Programs are encouraged to include a description of their long-term goals in the narrative section of their application. However, programs should only include performance measures that can be achieved during the grant cycle in the performance measurement section of their application. What is a logic model? Why should I develop a logic model? The program logic model is a flow chart that provides a concise visual representation of activities that are the core of your program. Each component of a logic model diagram connects to the next component via an "if A then B" sequence of reasoning. Refer to appendix D of the application instructions for more detail. Is the logic model a required part of the Learn and Serve America application? The logic model is not a required part of the Learn and Serve America application; however, it should be used as a tool to develop your performance measures. May we use something other than a logic model to obtain performance measures? Yes, the logic model is just one way to collect information. Can the logic model help sustain programs? Logic model experts agree that it is an effective way to ensure program success since it helps organize and systematize planning, management, and evaluation functions. Are other organizations using performance measures? Yes. Please see the performance measurement toolkit for more information. We are using performance measures in the design of our program and find that we would like to include more than five performance measures in our application. May we provide these? No. Applicants should limit the number of performance measures proposed in the application to five. Should your application be funded, we will negotiate any changes or additional program measures with you. Is there an advantage to submitting five rather than three performance measures? No. Quality is the objective, not quantity. How will the Corporation use the information grantees submit on performance measurement? The Corporation's emphasis on performance measurement is part of a government-wide movement toward greater accountability. In accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, all federal agencies are required to develop performance plans and goals for their programs, link those plans and goals to budgeting and funding activities, measure program performance, and report on the results. The main purpose of performance measurement is to strengthen Learn and Serve America programs and foster continuous improvement. Performance measurement allows a program to clarify its purpose and goals, identify how specific services and program components contribute to achieving a desired result, document the actual results and impacts of program activities, and improve program performance by identifying program successes and areas for improvement. Performance measurement is one of the components the Corporation will consider in making funding decisions for new and continuing funding, and in monitoring the performance of programs. In addition, information on program performance will be included in the Corporation's Annual Performance Report to Congress and in the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) review process. I am currently funded as a Learn and Serve America program and use a variety of data collection tools (instruments). Will I be able to continue using these tools for performance measurement? Presumably, yes. It will depend upon the data you collect and the performance measure you choose. Are any of the performance measures national requirements? No. Performance measures are proposed by the program applicant, and if the grant is approved, they will be negotiated as part of the award process. In the guidelines, we indicate that the Corporation will develop a few performance measures that will apply to all Learn and Serve America programs. However, the development of these measures will be conducted in consultation with the field and negotiated with approved applicants. Do applicants need to have at least one performance measure objective in each of the three categories (needs/service activities, participant development, strengthening communities)? Yes. At a minimum, programs should have one performance measure in each of the three categories. Is "sampling" an acceptable technique for gathering and reporting performance measurement-related data? Ideally, performance measures should be derived in a way that does not require "sampling". However, if an applicant wants to propose a sampling approach to data gathering and reporting, a detailed justification and plan should be included in the application. We will consider the specific circumstances of the grantee and negotiate the performance measures. What does performance measure accountability mean? Clear performance measures allow you and your partners to know what the program goals are. They articulate clear expectations of what will be accomplished. If a program is not meeting their performance measures over time, the Corporation may adjust your budget or, in severe cases, discontinue your funding. What are expectations for community impacts? Is there an emphasis on a particular category? No. The community impacts depend upon local needs and how an organization plans to collaborate with the community to meet those needs. Can our program provide funds for a one-year project? It may be difficult to sustain the program and report on outcomes. If you can report end outcomes before a three-year cycle, that is fine. Do subgrantees need performance measures? Yes. It will enable them to set goals and recognize their progress toward those goals. The guidance indicates that SEAs could expand their service-learning network by utilizing experienced LEAs to help provide training and technical assistance to LEAs in their location. In the past, some SEAs have budgeted implementation funds to support this. Would these LEAs have to come up with performance measures? Yes, just as any LEA must come up with performance measures. Their performance will be measured based on the results of their activities. On page 6, the Developing Participants section of linking history, civics, and service highlights that students need opportunities to develop their leadership and civic skills. How can the applicant define, in advance, performance measures if students have not been included in the application process? Applicants should focus performance measures on the expectation that relate to the program's activities that develop the particular skill. When looking at performance measures for strengthening communities, would it be beneficial to include measures as a result of agency surveys containing baseline data? It depends upon what your institution considers the most feasible for reporting outcomes. Our institution provides tutoring services at local public schools. Could we provide performance measures that articulate outputs, intermediate outcomes, and end outcomes resulting in increasing grade level reading ability? Yes. Whatever the institution believes can be accomplished in this three-year period should be used as your performance measures. Are there any human subject collection limitations? Check with local organizations on whether these limitations exist. The program could be structured so the information being collected relates to broad aspects of the program rather than individual aspects. For example, if health students are learning about Alzheimer's disease and part of the program includes collaborating with patients, the information they learn from these individual contacts could be aggregated by the class and then related to performance measures focused on participant development. If an institution of higher education is interested in pursuing a performance measure for all three categories (needs and activities; strengthening communities; and participant development), is it possible to present an output, intermediate outcome, and end outcome for each? Only three to five performance measures are required by LSA. The program may have a plan that includes three performance measures in all three categories, but Learn and Serve America asks for only three to five of these performance measures. Choose those performance measures the program believes can be accomplished over the three-year period. If we succeed in applying and receive and Learn and Serve America grant, would we be expected to change our performance measures in years two and three? Not necessarily since we ask applicants to provide performance measures based upon a three-year period. We realize that programs may need to adjust these measures during this period so it is possible to negotiate changing these measures throughout the grant period. Is it possible to propose a program without specific service activities? It may be possible. An example might be a program focused on training and technical assistance. |
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Since linking history, civics, and service must be part of all Learn and Serve America programs, how much weight is being given to this? How can we be sure to address this issue if our programs focus on a particular environmental project? One basic purpose of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended, is to "renew the ethic of civic responsibility and the spirit of community throughout the United States." In addition, the definition of service-learning in this Act indicates that among other key features, service-learning is a method under which "… participants learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that … helps foster civic responsibility." Three components that could become an effective civic engagement strategy are included on page 9 of the overview. Applicants are required to specify ways in which they will encourage the development of civic knowledge, skills, responsibility, and engagement in program participants. Since applicants are encouraged to have more partnerships with faith- and small community-based nonprofit organizations, would applicants benefit by including these partnerships? Since these partnerships are part of the Corporation's specific goals, they should be part of the applications. Are you interested in recognition other than ceremonial? Yes. The language in the guidance is not meant to be exclusive. If our organization never received Corporation for National and Community Service funding but is building strong partnerships locally, is it necessary to share this information in the accomplishment summary? No. Accomplishment summaries are based upon prior Learn and Serve America or Corporation for National and Community Service funding. We would like to include as part of our Learn and Serve America application a partnership with AmeriCorps. Is this allowed? Yes, however you cannot use Corporation dollars from one program to match dollars in another program. Learn and Serve America encourages applicants to collaborate with other Corporation programs since it improves their ability to meet program goals. If you are applying for grants from a variety of programs, you cannot make the success of your program dependent upon receiving a grant through another competition. How can we support youth civic engagement? Look at "The Civic Mission of Schools" report just completed by CIRCLE (The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & engagement). This report states that civic education should help young people acquire and learn to use the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will prepare them to be competent and responsible citizens throughout their lives. You can access this report through the Corporation website (www.nationalservice.org). Do applicants have to make sure participants understand the U.S. Constitution? Not necessarily. There are many ways to understand the
principles of citizenship and democracy. Yes. Is there anything an applicant should do if applying for the first time? All applicants must demonstrate they have the knowledge and capacity to run the program. Check in with local schools or higher education institutions (many collaborate or are looking at ways to collaborate with community-based organizations) to find out what partnerships exist. This can avoid reinventing the wheel and give you an opportunity to strengthen what may exist. Become familiar with the Corporation website and its programs as well as the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse and its resources. With an emphasis on civic involvement, what prohibitions exist on registering to vote? Must Learn and Serve America applicants exclude lobbying as part of the program? CNCS has restrictions on legislative lobbying and partisan politics and the Office of General Counsel provides guidance to programs on "Restrictions on legislative lobbying and partisan politics" on its website. This guidance includes one general rule for national and community service programs and participants funded by the Corporation. They may not participate in (1) any efforts designed to influence legislation or (2) partisan political activities. Any deviation from this rule may jeopardize a program's funding as well as undermine public confidence in national and community service. Are high school-based programs required to recognize students with Presidential Freedom Scholarships? No. High schools are strongly encouraged to recognize students who have performed outstanding service through these scholarships. For more information visit the LSA website at http://www.learnandserve.org/. May we use CNCS funds to support the Presidential Freedom Scholarships for high school students? No. The federal government provides $500 toward a $1,000 scholarship for service and the $500 balance must be raised using other funds. Must LSA programs recognize participants through the Presidential Student Service Awards? LSA programs are strongly encouraged to recognize students through the Presidential Student Service Awards. Visit the LSA website at http://www.learnandserve.org/ for more information. Our SEA is concerned with a recommendation made on page 5 of the formula guidelines. The guidelines point out that Federal law requires states to provide opportunities for students enrolled in private nonprofit schools to participate in service-learning activities. It then recommends that if 5% of the students in the state are in private schools, then roughly 5% of the students participating in service learning should be private school students, and provisions should be made to train teachers of such students. Since we cannot provide subgrant funds to private nonprofit schools, we have limited control on this issue. Please clarify. LEAs may partner with private schools; the SEA may provide training to private schools. We are interested in a variety of program models to increase service-learning participation among private nonprofit schools. May we pre-select our sites for the next three years? Yes. It may be difficult to collect data from subgrantees on a particular issue (i.e. tutoring) if subgrantees focus on a variety of issues. How can we reach end outcomes if our subgrantee programs are diverse as a result of various community needs? A consortium may provide subgrants to programs that focus on a particular issue through their request for proposal (RFP) process. Or a consortium may choose only a limited number of the performance measures that can be achieved through a diverse program. Can community-based programs provide both technical assistance and subgrants? Yes. In the overview, the Corporation set several specific goals for 2003. One includes strengthening the capacity of nonprofit organizations (including faith- or community-based organizations) to assist individuals, families, and communities in need. With this emphasis, can faith-based organizations apply for community-based program funds? Yes. Funds are awarded competitively to 1) nonprofit organizations that make subgrants in two or more states, or 2) State Commissions on National and Community Service to make subgrants in their home state. The description for community-based programs states that programs should have a positive impact on youth civic skills, disposition, knowledge and participation and they may choose to do so in partnership with education institutions or without such partnerships. Can these education institution partnerships include parochial schools? Yes. On page 13, the Developing Participants section of CHESP highlights designing activities in order to have a positive impact on the civic knowledge, skills, and attitudes of participants. Our program has a low-income Spanish population serving their own community. Do we need other ethnic groups involved to ensure the program's diversity? No. Local communities identify diversity, and diversity is not limited to ethnicity. If an applicant applies as a community-based program, would we have to collaborate with another state? It depends. State Commissions and Grantmaking entities are eligible to apply for Community-Based Programs. Commissions do not collaborate with another state but nonprofit organizations applying as Grantmaking entities do have to subgrant in more than one state. If two sites connected with a grantmaking entity are interested in applying for a community-based grant, how can this be accomplished? It might be accomplished through the grantmaking entity since they are one of the eligible applicants. In order to apply directly to CNCS for community-based funds you must be either a State Commission or a grantmaking entity. If a grantmaking entity in a particular state is not interested in applying for an LSA grant but some of its affiliates are, what can we do to apply for LSA community-based funding? Affiliates should contact your state commission on national and community service or a large nonprofit (grantmaking entity) to find out if they are applying and interested in collaborating with you as a subgrantee. Our institution continues to attract faculty to integrate service-learning as part of their curricula. May we apply for funds that would support faculty to deepen this service-learning practice? Yes, that is allowable. The guidance indicates that both depth (increased quality of service-learning) and breadth (broadening the reach of service-learning) are acceptable. Two institutions of higher education have a model program that others want to replicate. Can these two institutions apply together? Only one institution can apply as the legal applicant. The other could be a partner in the program. You might also consider a consortia grant with subgrantees to broaden service beyond one or two institutions of higher education. Can we apply for academically based or co-curricula based service-learning? Yes, either or both are fine. Our institution is trying to develop citizens of the world. Can Learn and Serve America grants entertain work that is international in nature? We would like to use what is learned through an international collaboration to improve programs locally. The legislation of the Corporation does not allow Learn and Serve America to fund international programs. However, you can apply what your program learns from the international collaboration to a LSA program. What is the difference between minigrants and subgrants? Minigrants generally refer to the funds an individual institution makes available to faculty, student groups, or community partners. Subgrants are funds given by a consortium to other institutions of higher education or other partners. Could compelling needs include building the capacity of a local non-profit? Yes. The program should show how this support will meet local community needs. An individual institution with community partners would like to provide some financial support to these community partners to strengthen their capacity. Is this possible? Yes. Our institution is interested in working with all 32 institutions of higher education in the state. Does this meet the consortia definition? Yes. Can an institution of higher education apply for a consortium grant without subgrantees and include a plan to compete subgrantee awards? Yes, please indicate the criteria you plan to use to select subgrantees. Can Federal Work Study students be paid for a reflection session? If it is included as part of training, it may be possible. Can FWS applicants focus on training and technical assistance that helps FWS office directors connect FWS students to local organizations? Yes. |
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