Opportunity Information: Apply for CNCS GRANTS 02102011
Apply for CNCS GRANTS 02102011
- The Corporation for National and Community Service in the community development education environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Learn and Serve America Youth Engagement Zone FY11" and is now available to receive applicants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 10, 2011 and posted on Feb 10, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 31, 2011 The deadline for submission of applications is 500 p.m. Eastern Time on 03/31/2011 Applications must be submitted using eGrants, the Corporations integrated, secure, web based system for grant application and management. To create and submit an application via eGrants, please visit http://www.learnandserve.gov/egrants.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $5,700,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,600,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) City or township governments Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education County governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education State governments.
- Eligible partnerships may apply for a Youth Engagement Zone grant. The lead applicant for this YEZ competition must be a public or private non profit organization e.g., a faith based or community based organization, a local educational agency (or individual public secondary school), an institution of higher education, or an Indian tribe. In addition, the lead applicant of the partnership must be physically located in the designated zone and have the organizational capacity to manage the grant. Eligible partnerships must include the following components these factors will be used to determine eligibility for funding for this competition. (See Section VI regarding submission requirements. You are not required to submit partnership agreements or memoranda of understanding at the time of application, but you may be asked to provide them as part of the review and selection process.) 1. One or more community based entities with demonstrated records of success in service learning programs with economically disadvantaged students. (For the purpose of this competition, a community based entity is a public or private nonprofit organization that has experience with meeting unmet educational, environmental or public safety needs.) 2. A local educational agency (LEA) serving a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students (a free and reduced price lunch eligibility rate of 70 or more) and where the graduation rate is less than 70. 3. a community college with existing connections to the LEA and/or youth serving organizations and 4. a geographic area where less than 30 of the secondary school students are already engaged in service learning.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Opportunity Summary:
The Learn and Serve America Youth Engagement Zone (YEZ) FY11 grant opportunity, offered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), is a discretionary grant program designed to boost student engagement and long-term academic outcomes in high-need communities by expanding high-quality service-learning. The central idea is to use service-learning as a practical way to make school feel more relevant to students lives, strengthen civic identity, and improve measurable outcomes like attendance, behavior, academic achievement, graduation rates, and college-going rates. The initiative also emphasizes bringing young people into contact with citizens from different backgrounds and perspectives, with the goal of widening access to meaningful service opportunities and strengthening social connections across a community. At the community level, the program is meant to build lasting capacity so local partners can continue using service as an effective tool to address pressing local challenges even after the grant period ends.
A key feature of this competition is that it is partnership-driven and targeted to specific types of communities. To be eligible, applicants had to propose a partnership that includes several required components. First, the partnership must include one or more community-based entities, meaning public or private nonprofit organizations, that can show a track record of successful service-learning work with economically disadvantaged students and experience addressing unmet needs (such as educational, environmental, or public safety needs). Second, the partnership must include a local educational agency (LEA) that serves a high concentration of economically disadvantaged students, defined here as having a free and reduced-price lunch eligibility rate of 70 percent or higher, and with a graduation rate below 70 percent. Third, the partnership must include a community college that already has connections to the LEA and/or youth-serving organizations, reinforcing the programs interest in creating real pathways from secondary school into postsecondary education. Fourth, the proposal must focus on a geographic area where service-learning participation among secondary students is relatively low, specifically where fewer than 30 percent of secondary students are already engaged in service-learning. These conditions make clear that the program is not just funding more of the same activity; it is trying to seed or significantly expand service-learning where it is not yet common, especially in communities with serious educational challenges.
The opportunity allowed a range of organizations to serve as the lead applicant, as long as they were part of an eligible partnership and could demonstrate the capacity to manage the grant. The lead applicant had to be physically located in the designated zone and could be a public or private nonprofit organization (including faith-based or community-based organizations), an LEA or individual public secondary school, an institution of higher education, or an Indian tribe. The eligible applicant types listed for the competition included state and local governments, county and city or township governments, nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions), public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations. While the partnership structure was mandatory, the notice indicated that formal partnership agreements or memoranda of understanding were not required at the time of application, though applicants could be asked to provide them later during review and selection.
Funding for YEZ FY11 was substantial and structured to support multi-year implementation. CNCS estimated total available funding at about $5.7 million, with an expectation of roughly 6 awards (described elsewhere as an estimated 5 to 7 awards). Individual awards were projected to range roughly from about $700,000 to $1.5 million per year for a three-year period, with an award floor of $600,000 and an award ceiling of $1.6 million. The program also required cost sharing or matching, meaning grantees were expected to contribute non-federal resources toward the total project cost, consistent with common federal grant practices for building local buy-in and sustainability.
The application process was strictly tied to CNCS online systems. Applicants were required to submit through eGrants, CNCS web-based application and grants management platform, accessible via nationalservice.gov and the Learn and Serve eGrants portal. For FY11, the application deadline was March 31, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and the opportunity was posted on February 10, 2011, with an archive date of April 1, 2011. For technical or access issues related to the full announcement, CNCS provided a specific competition contact, Cara Patrick, reachable at YEZ@cns.gov and 202-606-7510.
Learn and Serve America Youth Engagement Zone (YEZ) FY11 Grant - FAQs
1) What is the Learn and Serve America Youth Engagement Zone (YEZ) FY11 grant?
The Learn and Serve America Youth Engagement Zone (YEZ) FY11 grant is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). It is designed to expand high-quality service-learning in high-need communities as a way to boost student engagement and improve long-term academic outcomes.
2) What is the main goal of the YEZ FY11 program?
The program aims to make school feel more relevant to students' lives by integrating service-learning into education, strengthening civic identity, and improving measurable outcomes such as attendance, behavior, academic achievement, graduation rates, and college-going rates.
3) What outcomes is the program trying to improve?
The notice emphasizes improvements in student engagement and long-term academic outcomes, including attendance, behavior, academic achievement, graduation rates, and college-going rates.
4) What is service-learning in the context of this grant?
Based on the opportunity description, service-learning is presented as a practical approach that connects learning with meaningful service, helping students see school as more relevant while also strengthening civic identity and addressing community needs.
5) Who is the funder for this opportunity?
The grant is offered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).
6) Is this a partnership-driven grant?
Yes. A central feature of the competition is that applicants must propose an eligible partnership with specific required partners and conditions tied to the target community.
7) What partners are required in an eligible YEZ FY11 partnership?
The proposed partnership had to include: (1) one or more community-based entities (public or private nonprofit organizations) with a track record of successful service-learning with economically disadvantaged students and experience addressing unmet needs; (2) a local educational agency (LEA) meeting specific poverty and graduation-rate criteria; and (3) a community college connected to the LEA and/or youth-serving organizations.
8) What is meant by a "community-based entity" for this competition?
The notice describes community-based entities as public or private nonprofit organizations that can demonstrate successful service-learning work with economically disadvantaged students and experience addressing unmet needs (such as educational, environmental, or public safety needs).
9) What are the eligibility requirements for the local educational agency (LEA) partner?
The LEA had to serve a high concentration of economically disadvantaged students, defined as having a free and reduced-price lunch eligibility rate of 70 percent or higher, and it also had to have a graduation rate below 70 percent.
10) Why is a community college required as part of the partnership?
The community college requirement is intended to reinforce pathways from secondary school into postsecondary education. The community college must already have connections to the LEA and/or youth-serving organizations.
11) What geographic or community targeting requirement applied to this competition?
The proposal had to focus on a geographic area where service-learning participation among secondary students was relatively low, specifically where fewer than 30 percent of secondary students were already engaged in service-learning.
12) Does the program fund service-learning anywhere, or only in certain communities?
Only certain communities qualify under the described requirements. The competition targets areas with low existing secondary student service-learning participation (under 30 percent) and with significant educational challenges as reflected in the LEA criteria.
13) Is the program intended to expand existing service-learning or start it in new places?
The notice stresses that the program is trying to seed or significantly expand service-learning where it is not yet common, especially in communities with serious educational challenges.
14) Who could serve as the lead applicant?
The lead applicant could be a public or private nonprofit organization (including faith-based or community-based organizations), an LEA or individual public secondary school, an institution of higher education, or an Indian tribe, as long as the lead applicant was part of an eligible partnership and could demonstrate capacity to manage the grant.
15) Does the lead applicant need to be located in the Youth Engagement Zone?
Yes. The lead applicant had to be physically located in the designated zone.
16) What types of organizations were listed as eligible applicants?
The eligible applicant types listed included: state and local governments; county and city or township governments; nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions); public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; and Native American tribal governments and tribal organizations.
17) Were formal partnership agreements (MOUs) required at the time of application?
No. The notice indicated that formal partnership agreements or memoranda of understanding were not required at the time of application, although applicants could be asked to provide them later during review and selection.
18) How much total funding was available under YEZ FY11?
CNCS estimated total available funding at about $5.7 million.
19) How many awards did CNCS expect to make?
The opportunity anticipated roughly 6 awards, and it is also described as an estimated 5 to 7 awards.
20) What was the expected award size and duration?
Individual awards were projected to range from about $700,000 to $1.5 million per year for a three-year period.
21) What were the minimum and maximum award amounts?
The award floor was $600,000 and the award ceiling was $1.6 million.
22) Was cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The program required cost sharing or matching, meaning grantees were expected to contribute non-federal resources toward the total project cost.
23) How were applications submitted?
Applications had to be submitted through CNCS eGrants, the agency's web-based application and grants management platform, accessible via nationalservice.gov and the Learn and Serve eGrants portal.
24) What was the application deadline for FY11?
The FY11 application deadline was March 31, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
25) When was the opportunity posted and when was it archived?
The opportunity was posted on February 10, 2011, and the archive date was April 1, 2011.
26) Who should applicants contact for technical or access issues related to the full announcement?
For technical or access issues related to the full announcement, CNCS listed a competition contact: Cara Patrick, reachable at YEZ@cns.gov and 202-606-7510.
27) What kinds of community needs could service-learning address under this grant?
The notice gives examples of unmet needs that partners may have experience addressing, including educational, environmental, or public safety needs.
28) What is the community-level purpose of the YEZ FY11 initiative beyond student outcomes?
At the community level, the program is intended to build lasting capacity so local partners can continue using service as an effective tool to address pressing local challenges even after the grant period ends.
29) Does the program emphasize exposure to diverse backgrounds and perspectives?
Yes. The initiative emphasizes bringing young people into contact with citizens from different backgrounds and perspectives to widen access to meaningful service opportunities and strengthen social connections across a community.
30) Is this grant described as competitive?
Yes. The description frames YEZ FY11 as a "competition" with an estimated number of awards and specific eligibility conditions that proposals had to meet.
Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Corporation for National and Community Service
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Community Development Education Environment
Next opportunity: National Legal Resource Center
Previous opportunity: Improving Implementation of Programs for Care Treatment of HIV/AIDS in the Republic of Mozambique under the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
USGrants.org Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for CNCS GRANTS 02102011
[Watch] how do funding administrators access proposals?
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Subscribe to Leads
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "CNCS GRANTS 02102011", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.