Opportunity Information: Apply for CNCS GRANTS 032608 001
Apply for CNCS GRANTS 032608 001
- The Corporation for National and Community Service in the community development education employment, labor and training environment food and nutrition health other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Learn and Serve America 2008 Higher Education College Student Social Media Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 26, 2008 and posted on Mar 26, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 7, 2008 The deadline for submission of applications is 500 p.m. Eastern Time on May 7, 2008.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,300,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments).
- Eligible applicants include (a) consortia of institutions of higher education and (b) higher education partnerships, defined as one or more public or private nonprofit organizations, or public agencies, including States, and one or more institutions of higher education. Examples of such partnerships include a national service focused organization and college campuses where it has affiliated chapters a national non profit partnering with a university to run a national subgranting competition a regional group of student organizations with a campus advisor serving as a legal applicant. Applicants should have demonstrable experience in planning and implementing significant service and technology programs.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Learn and Serve America 2008 Higher Education College Student Social Media Initiative is a discretionary grant competition run by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to help colleges and their partners use social media to get more college students involved in community service and service-learning. CNCS set aside an estimated total of about $2.3 million for this effort, with the central goal being practical, measurable increases in student volunteering by using online and social networking tools to recruit, organize, and sustain student-led service.
CNCS expected to make roughly twelve awards, with individual grant amounts ranging from about $100,000 to $750,000. These are one-time awards with a project period of up to three years, giving recipients time to design, pilot, and scale approaches that blend technology with student engagement. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, meaning applicants needed to plan for non-federal resources to complement the federal grant funds, as is common in service-focused federal programs.
A key feature of the competition is that CNCS anticipated funding at least one project built primarily around subgranting. While any applicant could include subgrants as part of its model, CNCS specifically wanted at least one partnership to focus on issuing small subgrants (under $10,000) to seed student-driven projects. Under that subgranting model, the grantee was expected to allocate at least 80 percent of its funding to subgrants rather than to central administration or overhead. Importantly, the subgranting process itself had to be run through social media, meaning the awardee would use social media to promote the opportunity, solicit and manage applications, support review and selection, and publicize awards and outcomes.
Eligibility centered on higher education collaboration. Applicants could be (a) consortia of institutions of higher education or (b) higher education partnerships, defined as one or more public or private nonprofit organizations or public agencies (including states) working with one or more institutions of higher education. The announcement highlights common partnership structures, such as a national service-focused organization working with affiliated campus chapters, a national nonprofit partnering with a university to run a national subgranting competition, or a regional network of student organizations applying through a campus advisor or other eligible entity serving as the legal applicant. Beyond formal eligibility, CNCS emphasized capability: applicants were expected to show real experience planning and implementing significant service programs and technology-enabled initiatives, since the purpose was not just outreach but effective execution at scale.
In terms of scope, CNCS framed the initiative as crossing several funding activity areas, including community development, education, employment and training, environment, food and nutrition, health, and regional development, with an emphasis on service-learning and community service. The agency’s core evaluation expectation was straightforward: proposals needed to show how the program design would substantially increase the number of college students who volunteer, using social media as a primary lever for engagement rather than a minor add-on.
Administratively, the funding opportunity number is CNCS GRANTS 032608 001, and it was posted March 26, 2008. Applications were due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 7, 2008, with the opportunity archived the next day. For applicants needing help accessing the full announcement or clarifying competition details, CNCS listed a point of contact: Meredith Hatch, Program Coordinator for Knowledge Management, at 202-606-7513.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Learn and Serve America 2008 Higher Education College Student Social Media Initiative?
It is a discretionary grant competition run by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) that supports colleges and their partners in using social media and online networking tools to increase college student involvement in community service and service-learning.
What is the main goal of this grant competition?
The central goal is to achieve practical, measurable increases in college student volunteering by using online and social networking tools to recruit, organize, and sustain student-led service.
How much funding did CNCS set aside for this initiative?
CNCS set aside an estimated total of about $2.3 million for the initiative.
How many awards did CNCS expect to make?
CNCS expected to make roughly twelve awards.
What is the expected grant size per award?
Individual grant amounts were expected to range from about $100,000 to $750,000.
Are these grants renewable, or are they one-time awards?
They are described as one-time awards.
How long is the project period?
The project period can be up to three years, allowing time to design, pilot, and scale technology-enabled approaches to student engagement.
Is there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?
Yes. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, meaning applicants needed to plan for non-federal resources to complement the federal grant funds.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include (a) consortia of institutions of higher education, or (b) higher education partnerships, defined as one or more public or private nonprofit organizations or public agencies (including states) working with one or more institutions of higher education.
What kinds of partnerships did CNCS highlight as good fits?
The announcement highlights examples such as a national service-focused organization working with affiliated campus chapters, a national nonprofit partnering with a university to run a national subgranting competition, or a regional network of student organizations applying through a campus advisor or other eligible entity serving as the legal applicant.
What experience or capability did CNCS expect from applicants?
Beyond formal eligibility, CNCS emphasized that applicants were expected to demonstrate real experience planning and implementing significant service programs and technology-enabled initiatives, since the aim was effective execution at scale (not just outreach).
What issue areas or program topics could projects cover?
CNCS framed the initiative as spanning multiple activity areas, including community development, education, employment and training, environment, food and nutrition, health, and regional development, with an emphasis on community service and service-learning.
What did CNCS expect applicants to show in their proposal?
Proposals needed to show how the program design would substantially increase the number of college students who volunteer, with social media used as a primary lever for engagement rather than a minor add-on.
Did CNCS encourage subgranting as part of project design?
Yes. CNCS anticipated funding at least one project built primarily around subgranting, and noted that any applicant could include subgrants as part of its approach.
What is the subgrant size under the subgranting-focused model?
Under the subgranting model highlighted by CNCS, the grantee would issue small subgrants under $10,000 to seed student-driven projects.
How much of the award needed to go out as subgrants in the primarily subgranting model?
In the subgranting-focused approach, the grantee was expected to allocate at least 80 percent of its funding to subgrants rather than to central administration or overhead.
How was social media expected to be used in the subgranting model?
The subgranting process itself had to be run through social media. That included promoting the opportunity, soliciting and managing applications, supporting review and selection, and publicizing awards and outcomes using social media tools.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is CNCS GRANTS 032608 001.
When was the opportunity posted?
It was posted on March 26, 2008.
When were applications due?
Applications were due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 7, 2008.
When was the opportunity archived?
The opportunity was archived the next day, on May 8, 2008.
Who can applicants contact for help or clarification?
CNCS listed Meredith Hatch, Program Coordinator for Knowledge Management, as the point of contact. Phone: 202-606-7513.
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| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Learn and Serve America Higher Education FY 2009 Apply for CNCS GRANTS 011309 001 Funding Number: CNCS GRANTS 011309 001 Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service Category: Community Development Education Employment, Labor and Training Environment Food and Nutrition Health Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Learn and Serve America Higher Education FY 2010 Apply for CNCS GRANTS 121809 001 Funding Number: CNCS GRANTS 121809 001 Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service Category: Community Development Education Employment, Labor and Training Environment Food and Nutrition Health Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification) Funding Amount: $500,000 |
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