Opportunity Information: Apply for CNCS GRANTS 06232014
Apply for CNCS GRANTS 06232014
- The Corporation for National and Community Service in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "justice AmeriCorps" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 94.006 AmeriCorps.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 18, 2014 and posted on Jun 23, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 22, 2014 Submitting a notification of your organizations Intent to Apply is strongly encouraged. The deadline for Intent to Apply submission is 500 p.m. Eastern Time on July 15, 2014. Reference the Notice for the instructions to submit your Intent to Apply. The deadline for eGrants application submission is 500 p.m. Eastern Time on July 22, 2014.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments City or township governments County governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Special district governments.
- Public or private nonprofit organizations, including faith based and other community organizations institutions of higher education government entities within states(e.g., cities, counties) or a partnership or consortia consisting of the aforementioned are eligible to apply. Intermediaries are encouraged to apply. Single State applicants If your organization proposes to operate a program in just one state, please contact your State Commission, which can be found here http://www.americorps.gov/about/contact/statecommission.asp You will need to apply to your respective State Commission and not directly to CNCS unless otherwise instructed by the State Commission. Multi State applicants If your organization proposes to operate a program in more than one state, you are eligible to apply for a national grant. You will apply directly to the Corporation.
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Opportunity Summary:
Justice AmeriCorps (Funding Opportunity Number CNCS-GRANTS-06232014) is a discretionary federal grant competition run by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), in partnership with the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). The core goal is to make immigration court cases involving certain unaccompanied children move more efficiently and be handled more effectively by expanding access to legal help through the AmeriCorps national service model. Rather than funding traditional staff attorney positions alone, the program is designed to let grantees enroll lawyers and paralegals as AmeriCorps members who then deliver direct legal services in eligible proceedings, while also strengthening local pro bono support and the broader national service experience.
The grant focuses on a specific group of children: those under age 16 who are in removal proceedings before EOIR after receiving a Notice to Appear, who are not currently in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and whose cases have not been consolidated with removal proceedings involving a parent or legal guardian. In other words, the funding targets minors who are navigating immigration court on their own and who fall outside certain federal custody settings, where access to representation and coordinated support can be especially limited.
Funded legal representation must stay within a defined set of case types called "Immigration Proceedings" in the Notice. This includes representation in EOIR Immigration Courts, appeals at the Board of Immigration Appeals, and proceedings before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), including filings and advocacy connected to asylum and other humanitarian protections such as Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status and T or U nonimmigrant status. The scope also includes state court proceedings when those state court orders are necessary to support an SIJ application (for example, predicate orders related to custody or guardianship findings). At the same time, the Notice draws a clear boundary around what is not covered: it does not fund claims or litigation in federal district courts, federal courts of appeals, or the U.S. Supreme Court. The practical takeaway is that the program is meant to support representation and case support through the administrative immigration system and related state court steps tied to SIJ, not federal court litigation.
Beyond direct representation, the opportunity strongly emphasizes child safety and exploitation prevention. Applicants are expected to design programs that can identify and support unaccompanied children who may have experienced human trafficking, abuse, or trauma. That includes screening children for indicators of abuse, trafficking, and trauma; referring suspected cases to appropriate law enforcement and/or supportive services; and helping reduce the risk of re-trafficking or exploitation if a child is returned to their country of nationality or last habitual residence. In addition to those protective elements, the program is also meant to build pro bono capacity in the immigration court locations where AmeriCorps members serve, so the grant has a systems-building component alongside the individual client services.
From an eligibility standpoint, the competition is open to a wide range of entities: public and private nonprofit organizations (including faith-based and community organizations), institutions of higher education, and state and local government entities (cities, counties, special districts). Partnerships or consortia of these types of organizations may also apply, and intermediaries are encouraged, which signals CNCS interest in models that can coordinate multiple service sites or partners. The Notice distinguishes between applicants proposing work in a single state versus multiple states. Single-state applicants are generally directed to apply through their State Commission (unless the commission instructs otherwise), while multi-state proposals can apply directly to CNCS for a national grant.
Administratively, the opportunity falls under CFDA 94.006 (AmeriCorps) and has a cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning grantees must contribute non-federal resources consistent with AmeriCorps program rules. The original posting date was June 23, 2014, with an encouraged Intent to Apply deadline of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 15, 2014, and an eGrants application deadline of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 22, 2014 (the notice was archived July 23, 2014). Questions about the Notice were directed to americorpsgrants@cns.gov, and an additional competition link was provided for the full official announcement and instructions.
Justice AmeriCorps Grant (CNCS-GRANTS-06232014) FAQs
What is the Justice AmeriCorps grant opportunity?
Justice AmeriCorps (Funding Opportunity Number CNCS-GRANTS-06232014) is a discretionary federal grant competition run by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), in partnership with the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). It supports the use of the AmeriCorps national service model to expand access to legal help for certain unaccompanied children in immigration court so their cases can move more efficiently and be handled more effectively.
What is the main purpose of the program?
The core goal is to improve efficiency and effectiveness in immigration court cases involving certain unaccompanied children by expanding access to legal assistance through AmeriCorps members (including lawyers and paralegals) who provide direct legal services and help build pro bono capacity in the locations where they serve.
How is this different from funding traditional staff attorney positions?
Rather than funding only traditional staff attorney roles, the program is designed for grantees to enroll lawyers and paralegals as AmeriCorps members. Those members then deliver direct legal services in eligible proceedings while also strengthening local pro bono support and contributing to the broader national service experience.
Who is the target client population for funded services?
The funding targets a specific group of children: those under age 16 who are in removal proceedings before EOIR after receiving a Notice to Appear, who are not currently in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and whose cases have not been consolidated with removal proceedings involving a parent or legal guardian.
Does the program serve unaccompanied children who are already in ORR or DHS custody?
No. The Notice specifies that the focus is on children who are not currently in the custody of ORR or DHS.
Does the program support cases consolidated with a parent or legal guardian?
No. The Notice specifies that eligible cases are those that have not been consolidated with removal proceedings involving a parent or legal guardian.
What kinds of legal matters can the grant-funded representation cover?
Funded legal representation must stay within the defined set of case types called "Immigration Proceedings" in the Notice. This includes representation in EOIR Immigration Courts, appeals at the Board of Immigration Appeals, and proceedings before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), including filings and advocacy connected to asylum and other humanitarian protections.
Which humanitarian protections are specifically mentioned as within scope?
The Notice specifically mentions asylum and other humanitarian protections such as Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status and T or U nonimmigrant status as included within the scope of covered work (as part of proceedings before USCIS and related advocacy/filings).
Are state court proceedings ever supported under this grant?
Yes, in a limited way. The scope includes state court proceedings when those state court orders are necessary to support an SIJ application, such as predicate orders related to custody or guardianship findings.
What is explicitly not funded under this opportunity?
The Notice draws a clear boundary that it does not fund claims or litigation in federal district courts, federal courts of appeals, or the U.S. Supreme Court. The program is intended to support representation through the administrative immigration system and related state court steps tied to SIJ, not federal court litigation.
Does the grant focus only on direct legal representation?
No. In addition to direct representation, the opportunity strongly emphasizes child safety and exploitation prevention and also aims to build pro bono capacity in immigration court locations where AmeriCorps members serve.
What child safety and exploitation-prevention activities are expected?
Applicants are expected to design programs that can identify and support unaccompanied children who may have experienced human trafficking, abuse, or trauma. This includes screening for indicators of abuse, trafficking, and trauma; referring suspected cases to appropriate law enforcement and/or supportive services; and helping reduce the risk of re-trafficking or exploitation if a child is returned to their country of nationality or last habitual residence.
Is building pro bono capacity part of the grant expectations?
Yes. The program is meant to build pro bono capacity in the immigration court locations where AmeriCorps members serve, so the grant includes a systems-building component alongside individual client services.
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
The competition is open to public and private nonprofit organizations (including faith-based and community organizations), institutions of higher education, and state and local government entities (including cities, counties, and special districts).
Can partnerships or consortia apply?
Yes. Partnerships or consortia of eligible organizations may apply. The Notice also indicates that intermediaries are encouraged, suggesting interest in models that coordinate multiple service sites or partners.
How does applying differ for single-state versus multi-state proposals?
The Notice distinguishes between applicants proposing work in a single state versus multiple states. Single-state applicants are generally directed to apply through their State Commission (unless the commission instructs otherwise), while multi-state proposals can apply directly to CNCS for a national grant.
What CFDA program is associated with this funding?
This opportunity falls under CFDA 94.006 (AmeriCorps).
Is there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
Yes. The opportunity includes a cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning grantees must contribute non-federal resources consistent with AmeriCorps program rules.
When was the opportunity posted, and what were the key deadlines?
The original posting date was June 23, 2014. An Intent to Apply was encouraged by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 15, 2014. The eGrants application deadline was 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 22, 2014. The notice was archived July 23, 2014.
How were applications submitted?
Applications were submitted through eGrants, with the deadline specified as 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 22, 2014.
Where could applicants direct questions about the Notice?
Questions about the Notice were directed to americorpsgrants@cns.gov.
Who were the federal agencies involved in running this competition?
The competition was run by CNCS in partnership with the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).
What is the practical takeaway about the scope of supported legal work?
The practical takeaway is that the program supports representation and case support through the administrative immigration system (EOIR courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and USCIS processes), plus limited state court work needed for SIJ predicate orders, but it does not support federal court litigation.
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