Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2011 ACF ORR RE 0173
Apply for HHS 2011 ACF ORR RE 0173
- The Administration for Children and Families ORR in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Ethnic Community Self Help Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.576 Refugee and Entrant AssistanceDiscretionary Grants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 13, 2013 and posted on Jan 18, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 22, 2013. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,000,000.00 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 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
- Eligibility is limited to non profit organizations which serve refugees and are ethnically based community organizations or faith based ethnic organizations. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Ethnic Community Self Help Program is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Its main purpose is to help refugee ethnic community-based organizations, including faith-based ethnic refugee organizations, strengthen their capacity to support newly arrived refugees and provide practical services during the critical early years after resettlement. The program is designed to reinforce organized ethnic communities that are representative of refugee populations so they can deliver ongoing support and improve access to services for refugees within five years of their initial resettlement in the United States.
A key eligibility and service requirement is the five-year limit tied to ORR services for newly arriving refugees. For this funding round, the announcement clarified that beneficiaries served through proposed projects must be from refugee communities that arrived in the U.S. within the last five years, with the earliest allowable arrival date adjusted to 2008 to align with that five-year window. The funding is positioned as a short-term boost to help organizations meet emerging needs among newly arriving populations, with the expectation that grantees will build toward longer-term sustainability by planning to secure non-ORR funding sources after the project period ends.
Funding details indicate an estimated total of $2,000,000 available for the competition, with an anticipated 15 awards. Individual awards are expected to fall between $100,000 (floor) and $250,000 (ceiling). There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, which means applicants are not required to contribute matching funds to be considered. The assistance listing associated with the program is CFDA 93.576 (Refugee and Entrant Assistance - Discretionary Grants), and the activity category is Income Security and Social Services.
Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations that serve refugees and are ethnically based community organizations or faith-based ethnic organizations. Both nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status and certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status may be eligible, but institutions of higher education are excluded under the listed categories. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorships are explicitly not eligible to apply for or receive awards under this announcement. In practical terms, the program is meant for community-rooted organizations connected directly to specific refugee ethnic communities, rather than for individuals or organizations outside the refugee community-based service landscape.
The announcement also includes important application submission changes that applicants must follow carefully. ACF implemented a strict two-file electronic submission requirement (excluding Standard Forms and OMB-approved forms). Applicants must upload only two electronic files for the narrative materials: one file containing the entire Project Description along with the detailed Budget and Budget Justification, and a second file containing all Appendices. No more than two files will be accepted for review, and any extra uploaded files beyond those two will be removed. Because the application kit and instructions were updated to reflect this requirement, applicants were directed to download and use the revised application package to avoid formatting or submission compliance issues.
The due date for the FY2013 competition was set to March 22, 2013 (with the posting date noted as January 18, 2013), and the opportunity was later archived on April 21, 2013. Internally, the announcement also reflects a terminology/organizational update within ACF: references were updated so that the relevant unit is the Division of Refugee Services (previously referred to as the Division of Community Resettlement in parts of the documentation).
Finally, the announcement provides a more detailed breakdown of how applications would be scored, giving applicants clearer guidance on what reviewers value. Under Organizational Capacity, points are allocated for staff qualifications and project administration/management (up to 10 points) and for collaborating partners plus previous grant implementation experience (up to 10 points). Under Objectives and Need for Assistance, points are assigned to the needs statement and target population description (up to 10 points), the inclusion of SMART objectives (up to 10 points), and evidence of target community involvement and support (up to 5 points). Under Approach, points cover the project design/strategy/rationale (up to 5 points), quantitative details demonstrating accomplishments (up to 10 points), and evidence of sustainability plus community empowerment and collaboration (up to 10 points). Under Expected Outcomes, points reward the inclusion of both direct and indirect outcomes (up to 5 points), measurable and realistic outcomes along with monitoring and evaluation activities (up to 5 points), and a clear demonstration that the project will benefit refugee communities by increasing individual refugees access to services (up to 10 points). Taken together, these criteria signal that ORR is looking for proposals that are community-backed, measurable, operationally credible, and built to last beyond the grant.
For questions or difficulty accessing the full announcement, the listed contact was Daphne Weeden, Grants Management Officer at ACFs Office of Grant Management (email: Grants@acf.hhs.gov; phone: 202-401-5513). The funding opportunity number is HHS-2011-ACF-ORR-RE-0173, and the official title is Ethnic Community Self Help Program.
Ethnic Community Self Help Program (ORR/ACF) - FAQs
1) What is the Ethnic Community Self Help Program?
The Ethnic Community Self Help Program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). It is designed to strengthen the capacity of refugee ethnic community-based organizations (including faith-based ethnic refugee organizations) so they can support newly arrived refugees and provide practical services during the early years after resettlement.
2) What is the main purpose of this funding?
The main purpose is to reinforce organized ethnic communities that represent refugee populations so they can deliver ongoing support and improve access to services for refugees within five years of their initial resettlement in the United States.
3) Who is the intended population to be served by projects?
Beneficiaries served through proposed projects must be from refugee communities that arrived in the United States within the last five years, consistent with ORR service limits for newly arriving refugees.
4) What is the key five-year eligibility/service requirement?
The program is tied to ORR services for newly arriving refugees and uses a five-year limit. For this funding round, the announcement clarified that beneficiaries served must have arrived within the last five years, and it adjusted the earliest allowable arrival date to 2008 to align with that five-year window.
5) Is this funding intended to be short-term or long-term support?
The funding is positioned as a short-term boost to help organizations meet emerging needs among newly arriving populations. The expectation is that grantees will plan for longer-term sustainability by securing non-ORR funding sources after the project period ends.
6) How much total funding is available under this competition?
The estimated total funding available for the competition is $2,000,000.
7) How many awards does ORR anticipate making?
The announcement indicates an anticipated 15 awards.
8) What is the expected award size (minimum and maximum)?
Individual awards are expected to range from $100,000 (floor) to $250,000 (ceiling).
9) Is there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?
No. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, so applicants are not required to contribute matching funds to be considered.
10) What is the CFDA/Assistance Listing number for this program?
The assistance listing associated with this opportunity is CFDA 93.576 (Refugee and Entrant Assistance - Discretionary Grants).
11) What is the activity category for this grant?
The activity category listed is Income Security and Social Services.
12) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations that serve refugees and are ethnically based community organizations or faith-based ethnic organizations. Both nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status and certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status may be eligible under the listed categories.
13) Are institutions of higher education eligible?
No. Institutions of higher education are excluded under the listed eligibility categories for this announcement.
14) Are individuals eligible to apply?
No. Individuals are explicitly not eligible to apply for or receive awards under this announcement.
15) Are foreign entities eligible to apply?
No. Foreign entities are explicitly not eligible to apply for or receive awards under this announcement.
16) Are sole proprietorships eligible to apply?
No. Sole proprietorships are explicitly not eligible to apply for or receive awards under this announcement.
17) What kinds of organizations is this program meant for in practical terms?
In practical terms, the program is meant for community-rooted organizations directly connected to specific refugee ethnic communities, rather than for individuals or organizations outside the refugee community-based service landscape.
18) What are the application submission requirements related to uploaded files?
ACF implemented a strict two-file electronic submission requirement (excluding Standard Forms and OMB-approved forms). Applicants must upload only two electronic files for narrative materials: (1) one file containing the entire Project Description plus the detailed Budget and Budget Justification, and (2) a second file containing all Appendices.
19) What happens if an applicant uploads more than two narrative files?
No more than two files will be accepted for review. Any extra uploaded files beyond the two allowed files will be removed.
20) What should applicants do to avoid submission or formatting issues?
Applicants were directed to download and use the revised application package and instructions that were updated to reflect the two-file submission requirement.
21) What was the due date for the FY2013 competition?
The due date for the FY2013 competition was March 22, 2013.
22) What was the posting date for the opportunity?
The posting date noted in the announcement was January 18, 2013.
23) When was the opportunity archived?
The opportunity was later archived on April 21, 2013.
24) What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is HHS-2011-ACF-ORR-RE-0173.
25) What is the official title of the opportunity?
The official title is Ethnic Community Self Help Program.
26) Which unit within ACF/ORR is referenced in the announcement?
The announcement reflects an internal terminology/organizational update indicating the relevant unit as the Division of Refugee Services (previously referred to as the Division of Community Resettlement in parts of the documentation).
27) How will applications be scored under Organizational Capacity?
Under Organizational Capacity, points are allocated for (a) staff qualifications and project administration/management (up to 10 points) and (b) collaborating partners plus previous grant implementation experience (up to 10 points).
28) How will applications be scored under Objectives and Need for Assistance?
Under Objectives and Need for Assistance, points are assigned to (a) the needs statement and target population description (up to 10 points), (b) the inclusion of SMART objectives (up to 10 points), and (c) evidence of target community involvement and support (up to 5 points).
29) How will applications be scored under Approach?
Under Approach, points cover (a) the project design/strategy/rationale (up to 5 points), (b) quantitative details demonstrating accomplishments (up to 10 points), and (c) evidence of sustainability plus community empowerment and collaboration (up to 10 points).
30) How will applications be scored under Expected Outcomes?
Under Expected Outcomes, points reward (a) inclusion of both direct and indirect outcomes (up to 5 points), (b) measurable and realistic outcomes along with monitoring and evaluation activities (up to 5 points), and (c) a clear demonstration that the project will benefit refugee communities by increasing individual refugees access to services (up to 10 points).
31) What does the scoring criteria suggest ORR is looking for in proposals?
Taken together, the criteria signal that ORR is looking for proposals that are community-backed, measurable, operationally credible, and built to last beyond the grant.
32) Who can be contacted with questions or if someone cannot access the full announcement?
The listed contact is Daphne Weeden, Grants Management Officer at ACFs Office of Grant Management. Email: Grants@acf.hhs.gov. Phone: 202-401-5513.
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