Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2009 ACF OCS SN 0092
Apply for HHS 2009 ACF OCS SN 0092
- The Administration for Children and Families in the income security and social services recovery act sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 Strengthening Communities Fund State, Local, and Tribal Government Capacity Building Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.711 ARRA Strengthening Communities Fund.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 11, 2009 and posted on May 11, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 7, 2009 See link to full announcement for details. IMPORTANT NOTE Applications submitted electronically via Grants.gov must be submitted no later than 430 p.m., eastern time, on the due date referenced above.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $12,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 48 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) State governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) County governments City or township governments.
- An applicant must be a State, city, county, or Indian/Native American Tribal government office or a designated private nonprofit organization authorized by such an office. All applicants, whether a government office or a private nonprofit organization, must be authorized by the State, city, county, or Indian/Native American Tribal government to apply for a SCF State, Local, and Tribal Government Capacity Building program grant through a statute, resolution, or executive order. Applicants must include a copy of the authorizing document in the application. If the document is not signed or approved prior to the application due date, a letter from the executive officer of the governing body may be submitted, with an approved statute, resolution, or executive order to be submitted by the start of the grant. This documented evidence must specify the role of the Authorized Entity as well as detail the support, access, and authority to be provided by the State, city, county, and Indian/Native American Tribal government with regard to the activities to be conducted under the grant. A State, city, county, or Indian/Native American Tribal government may designate only one authorized entity to apply for this program. Faith based and community organizations are eligible to apply (if designated as Authorized Entities as described above). Foreign entities are not eligible under this announcement.
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Opportunity Summary:
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 Strengthening Communities Fund (SCF) State, Local, and Tribal Government Capacity Building Program was a grant opportunity issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF), specifically through the Office of Community Services (OCS). Authorized under Section 1110 of the Social Security Act and Title VIII of ARRA (Public Law 111-5), the program was designed to help communities respond to economic hardship by strengthening the ability of government offices and their designated partners to support nonprofit organizations on the ground. The central idea was that if local and Tribal systems could better coordinate with and train nonprofits, those nonprofits would be more effective in connecting residents to jobs, income supports, and recovery-related services.
The program planned to make 48 grant awards nationwide, with an estimated total funding pool of $12,000,000 and an award ceiling of $250,000 per grant (no stated minimum award floor). Grants were issued under CFDA 93.711 (ARRA Strengthening Communities Fund) and were categorized under Income Security and Social Services. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applied, meaning recipients were expected to contribute non-federal resources in addition to the grant funds, consistent with the terms in the full announcement.
Eligibility was focused on public-sector entities, but with a structured option to use a nonprofit as the applicant when formally designated. Applicants had to be a State, city, county, or federally recognized Indian/Native American Tribal government office, or a private nonprofit organization serving as that government office's officially designated authorized entity. A key condition was that the applying entity needed formal authorization from the relevant government body to apply and carry out the SCF capacity-building work. This authorization had to come through a statute, resolution, or executive order, and applicants were required to include documentation with the application. If the final authorizing document was not fully approved by the application deadline, a letter from the executive officer of the governing body could be submitted temporarily, with the finalized authorization due by the start of the grant period. Only one authorized entity could be designated per State, city, county, or Tribal government for this program. Faith-based and community organizations could be eligible only if they were formally designated as the authorized entity. Foreign entities were explicitly ineligible.
The purpose of the funding was twofold: first, to build the capacity of the government office (or its authorized designee) to effectively engage and collaborate with nonprofit faith-based and community organizations; and second, to deliver free capacity-building services directly to nonprofits so they could increase their impact during the economic recovery. The program emphasized that the government-side entity was not simply passing funds through, but strengthening its own infrastructure and ability to provide ongoing training, technical assistance, and coordination services to the nonprofit sector.
Supported activities were practical and service-oriented, aimed at helping nonprofits become more capable, better connected, and more able to take part in ARRA-related recovery efforts. Examples included creating or improving a beneficiary benefits clearinghouse to help individuals navigate and access available benefits, conducting outreach and education so community members and nonprofit staff understood available supports, facilitating partnerships among nonprofits and between nonprofits and government agencies, and providing training and technical assistance to improve nonprofit organizational capacity. The training and technical assistance focus included helping nonprofits understand and access ARRA efforts and benefits and strengthening internal operations so they could participate as active partners in recovery initiatives. In plain terms, the grants were meant to help nonprofits do a better job of serving people in need, while also helping public offices become stronger conveners and support hubs for local service networks.
The broader outcomes the program sought were tied directly to economic stabilization and opportunity for low-income individuals and families. Through strengthened nonprofit capacity and better cross-sector collaboration, communities were expected to improve their ability to help residents secure and keep employment, increase earnings, move into higher-quality jobs, and gain better access to State and Federal benefits and tax credits. The emphasis on benefits and tax credits reflects a recognition that recovery depends not only on jobs programs, but also on ensuring eligible households actually receive supports already available through public systems.
Because this was ARRA-funded, recipients faced heightened accountability and transparency expectations. Awardees were required to comply with ARRA standard terms and conditions, including reporting requirements. In addition to typical federal grant compliance, grantees were required to submit quarterly performance progress reports using a format tied specifically to Strengthening Communities Fund awards (the SF-PPR framework referenced in the announcement). This reporting structure was intended to document what capacity-building services were delivered, how partnerships and outreach were carried out, and what progress was being made toward the program's recovery-oriented goals.
Administratively, the opportunity was posted May 11, 2009, with an application deadline of July 7, 2009. Applications submitted through Grants.gov had to be received by 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. The opportunity was later archived on August 6, 2009. For applicants unable to access the full announcement online, ACF provided support through its Applications Help Desk.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Strengthening Communities Fund (SCF) State, Local, and Tribal Government Capacity Building Program?
It was a grant opportunity created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 to strengthen the ability of State, local, and federally recognized Tribal government offices (or their officially designated authorized entities) to collaborate with and provide capacity-building support to nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community organizations.
Which federal agency offered this grant?
The program was issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through the Office of Community Services (OCS).
What laws authorized this program?
The program was authorized under Section 1110 of the Social Security Act and Title VIII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
What was the main purpose of the funding?
The funding had two linked purposes: (1) build the capacity of the government office (or its authorized designee) to engage, coordinate with, and support nonprofit organizations; and (2) provide free capacity-building services (such as training and technical assistance) to nonprofits so they could increase their effectiveness during the economic recovery.
Was the program designed to simply pass grant funds through to nonprofits?
No. The program emphasized that the government-side entity (or its authorized designee) was expected to strengthen its own infrastructure and ability to provide ongoing coordination, training, and technical assistance, rather than operate as a pass-through funder.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were State, city, county, or federally recognized Indian/Native American Tribal government offices, or a private nonprofit organization serving as that government office's officially designated authorized entity.
Can a nonprofit apply directly?
A nonprofit could apply only if it was formally designated by the relevant government office as the officially authorized entity for this program and had documentation of that authorization included with the application.
Can faith-based and community organizations apply?
Faith-based and community organizations could be eligible only if they were formally designated as the authorized entity by a qualifying government office, consistent with the program's eligibility structure.
Are foreign entities eligible to apply?
No. Foreign entities were explicitly ineligible.
What documentation was required to show a nonprofit was authorized to apply on behalf of a government office?
The applying entity needed formal authorization from the relevant government body to apply and carry out the SCF capacity-building work. The authorization had to be established through a statute, resolution, or executive order, and applicants were required to include documentation with the application.
What if the final authorizing document was not completed by the application deadline?
If the final authorizing document was not fully approved by the deadline, a letter from the executive officer of the governing body could be submitted temporarily. The finalized authorization was due by the start of the grant period.
How many authorized entities could be designated per government for this program?
Only one authorized entity could be designated per State, city, county, or Tribal government for this program.
What kinds of activities did the grant support?
Supported activities were focused on practical capacity-building and collaboration, such as creating or improving a beneficiary benefits clearinghouse, conducting outreach and education for community members and nonprofit staff, facilitating partnerships among nonprofits and between nonprofits and government agencies, and providing training and technical assistance to strengthen nonprofit organizational capacity and participation in recovery efforts.
What is meant by a "beneficiary benefits clearinghouse" in this context?
It refers to an effort to create or improve a system that helps individuals navigate and access available benefits, so eligible residents can more easily find and receive supports and services.
How was the program connected to ARRA economic recovery efforts?
The program aimed to strengthen nonprofit and public-sector coordination so nonprofits could better connect residents to jobs, income supports, and recovery-related services, and help them understand and access ARRA efforts and benefits.
What outcomes was the program trying to achieve for residents?
The program sought to improve economic stabilization and opportunity for low-income individuals and families, including helping residents secure and retain employment, increase earnings, move into higher-quality jobs, and improve access to State and Federal benefits and tax credits.
How many awards were planned?
The program planned to make 48 grant awards nationwide.
What was the estimated total funding available?
The estimated total funding pool was $12,000,000.
What was the maximum award amount?
The award ceiling was $250,000 per grant.
Was there a minimum award amount stated?
No stated minimum award floor was provided in the information described.
What CFDA number was associated with this grant?
The opportunity was issued under CFDA 93.711 (ARRA Strengthening Communities Fund).
How was the opportunity categorized?
It was categorized under Income Security and Social Services.
Was there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?
Yes. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applied, meaning recipients were expected to contribute non-federal resources in addition to the grant funds, consistent with the terms in the full announcement.
What kinds of reporting and accountability requirements applied?
Because it was ARRA-funded, recipients faced heightened accountability and transparency expectations and had to comply with ARRA standard terms and conditions, including reporting requirements.
How often were performance reports required?
Awardees were required to submit quarterly performance progress reports.
What reporting format was referenced for quarterly reporting?
Quarterly reports were to be submitted using a format tied specifically to Strengthening Communities Fund awards, referenced as the SF-PPR framework in the announcement.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was July 7, 2009.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on May 11, 2009.
What time were Grants.gov applications due on the closing date?
Applications submitted through Grants.gov had to be received by 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date.
When was the opportunity archived?
The opportunity was archived on August 6, 2009.
What help was available for applicants who could not access the full announcement online?
For applicants unable to access the full announcement online, ACF provided support through its Applications Help Desk.
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