Opportunity Information: Apply for CNCS GRANTS 032008 001
Apply for CNCS GRANTS 032008 001
- The Corporation for National and Community Service in the community development disaster prevention and relief education employment, labor and training environment food and nutrition health housing law, justice and legal services regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service FY 2009" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 94.007 Program Development and Innovation Grants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 20, 2008 and posted on Mar 20, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 15, 2008 The deadline for eGrants application submissions is 500 p.m. Eastern Time on April 15, 2008. Applications submitted by fax or e mail will not be accepted.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public and State controlled institutions of higher education 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 Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Private institutions of higher education Independent school districts State governments.
- By law, any entity otherwise eligible for assistance under the national service laws is eligible to apply for and receive a grant under this announcement. The applicable laws include the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to nonprofit organizations, state service commissions, volunteer centers, institutions of higher education, national or regional education agencies, educational institutions, and faith based institutions. Only applicants capable of carrying out multi state, national focused (10 or more states), or comprehensive regional initiatives are eligible for funding. (Regional initiatives are multiple states in a region, such as the Corporation s clusters .) The Corporation is particularly interested in applications from organizations with experience in fostering service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service FY 2009 grant opportunity was a discretionary grant competition offered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to help organizations plan and run large-scale service projects tied to the federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The central idea behind the funding was to make the holiday a true "day on, not a day off" by bringing Americans together to volunteer in their communities, building unity through service, and encouraging people who volunteer on MLK Day to stay engaged in community service long after the holiday weekend ends. CNCS framed this as both a mobilization effort (getting more people to participate) and a longer-term civic engagement strategy (turning one-day volunteering into sustained service).
Funding for the first year was expected to total about $500,000 nationwide, subject to the availability of FY 2009 appropriations. Individual awards were anticipated to range from roughly $50,000 to $300,000, with an expected total of about four awards. The authority for the program came from section 198(s) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 USC 12653(9)), which allows CNCS to share the costs of planning and carrying out service opportunities connected to the MLK federal holiday. While the announcement focused on supporting 2009 activities, it also described a three-year project horizon, with potential continuation funding in years two and three (covering MLK Day weekends in 2010 and 2011) depending on future appropriations, compliance with grant requirements, and satisfactory performance.
CNCS emphasized that it was looking for initiatives that operate across multiple states rather than single local projects. Eligible proposals needed to be multi-state, national in scope (defined as involvement in 10 or more states), or comprehensive regional initiatives spanning multiple states (including configurations such as CNCS regional clusters). A key programmatic requirement was that supported activities must include projects that both improve the lives of disadvantaged youth and actively engage youth in providing service to others, meaning youth were not only intended beneficiaries but also participants and leaders in service where appropriate.
A major structural feature of the program was the expectation that grantees would function as intermediaries. Grantees were required to competitively subgrant a portion of the federal funds to eligible local organizations to plan and carry out direct service activities, while also being allowed to directly support local projects themselves. In practice, this meant applicants needed the capacity to manage a competitive subgrant process, oversee multiple local partners across states or regions, and coordinate planning and implementation for MLK Day service events over the three holiday weekends covered by the project period (2009, 2010, and 2011).
The opportunity fell under CFDA 94.007 (Program Development and Innovation Grants) and carried a cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning recipients had to provide non-federal resources to help cover project costs. The funding activity categories listed were broad, reflecting the many forms MLK Day service can take, including community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment and training, the environment, food and nutrition, health, housing, law and legal services, and regional development.
Eligibility was intentionally broad under national service laws. By statute, any entity otherwise eligible for assistance under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 or the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 could apply. The notice listed examples such as nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) nonprofits), state service commissions, volunteer centers, institutions of higher education (public and private), education agencies, faith-based organizations, and various government entities (state governments, counties, cities or townships, independent school districts), as well as federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations and public or Indian housing authorities. However, only applicants capable of delivering the required multi-state, national, or comprehensive regional initiative were considered eligible for funding under this specific competition. CNCS also signaled a preference for organizations with demonstrated experience fostering MLK Day service efforts.
Applications had to be submitted electronically through CNCS eGrants, with a firm deadline of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 15, 2008. Submissions by fax or email were not accepted. The funding opportunity number was CNCS-GRANTS-032008-001, and the notice was posted on March 20, 2008, with an archive date of April 16, 2008. For questions about the substance of the competition, the listed contact was Rochelle Barry, State Director, reachable by phone at (404) 331-4646 ext. 2.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service FY 2009 grant opportunity?
This was a discretionary grant competition offered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to help organizations plan and carry out large-scale service projects tied to the federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The program goal was to make MLK Day a "day on, not a day off" by mobilizing volunteers and encouraging continued civic engagement beyond the holiday weekend.
What is the main purpose of this funding?
The funding was intended to (1) increase participation in MLK Day service projects and (2) convert one-day volunteer activity into longer-term community service and civic engagement. CNCS framed the opportunity as both a mobilization effort and a sustained engagement strategy.
Which federal agency offered this grant?
The grant opportunity was offered by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).
What is the legal authority for this grant program?
The authority cited was section 198(s) of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 USC 12653(9)), which allows CNCS to share the costs of planning and carrying out service opportunities connected to the MLK federal holiday.
How much funding was expected to be available in the first year?
First-year funding was expected to total about $500,000 nationwide, subject to the availability of FY 2009 appropriations.
What was the anticipated award size?
Individual awards were anticipated to range from roughly $50,000 to $300,000.
How many awards were expected?
CNCS expected to make about four awards in total.
Is this a one-year grant or a multi-year project?
While the announcement focused on supporting 2009 activities, it described a three-year project horizon. Continuation funding for years two and three (covering MLK Day weekends in 2010 and 2011) was possible depending on future appropriations, compliance with grant requirements, and satisfactory performance.
Which MLK Day service periods did the project intend to cover?
The project period was structured to support MLK Day holiday weekends in 2009, 2010, and 2011 (with years two and three dependent on continuation conditions).
What kinds of projects was CNCS looking to fund?
CNCS emphasized initiatives operating across multiple states rather than single local projects. The supported work needed to be tied to MLK Day service and designed to mobilize volunteers and build ongoing civic engagement.
Does the grant require a multi-state approach?
Yes. Eligible proposals needed to be multi-state, national in scope (defined as involvement in 10 or more states), or comprehensive regional initiatives spanning multiple states (including configurations such as CNCS regional clusters).
How does the opportunity define "national in scope"?
For this competition, "national in scope" was defined as involvement in 10 or more states.
Are single-city or single-locality projects eligible?
The announcement emphasized that CNCS was seeking multi-state, national, or comprehensive regional initiatives rather than single local projects. Only applicants capable of delivering the required multi-state or broader approach were considered eligible under this competition.
What youth-related requirement applied to funded activities?
Supported activities had to include projects that both improve the lives of disadvantaged youth and actively engage youth in providing service to others. Youth were not only intended beneficiaries but also expected to participate and, where appropriate, take leadership roles in service.
What does it mean that grantees were expected to act as intermediaries?
Grantees were required to competitively subgrant a portion of the federal funds to eligible local organizations to plan and carry out direct service activities. Grantees could also directly support local projects themselves. This structure required applicants to manage a competitive subgrant process and oversee multiple local partners across states or regions.
Is subgranting required, or can an organization run all projects directly?
Subgranting was a required feature: grantees were required to competitively subgrant a portion of the federal funds. The notice also allowed grantees to directly support local projects in addition to subgranting.
What kind of organizational capacity was expected of applicants?
Applicants needed the capacity to manage a competitive subgrant process, oversee multiple local partners across states or regions, and coordinate planning and implementation for MLK Day service events across the three holiday weekends described in the project horizon.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity fell under CFDA 94.007, described as Program Development and Innovation Grants.
Was there a matching or cost-sharing requirement?
Yes. The opportunity included a cost-sharing or matching requirement, meaning recipients had to provide non-federal resources to help cover project costs.
What activity areas could MLK Day service projects fall under?
The funding activity categories were broad and included: community development; disaster prevention and relief; education; employment and training; the environment; food and nutrition; health; housing; law and legal services; and regional development.
Who was eligible to apply?
By statute, any entity otherwise eligible for assistance under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 or the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 could apply. Examples listed included nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) nonprofits), state service commissions, volunteer centers, institutions of higher education (public and private), education agencies, faith-based organizations, and various government entities (including state governments, counties, cities or townships, independent school districts), as well as federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations and public or Indian housing authorities.
Were there additional eligibility expectations beyond entity type?
Yes. Even though eligibility was broad under national service laws, only applicants capable of delivering the required multi-state, national, or comprehensive regional initiative were considered eligible for funding under this specific competition.
Did CNCS express any preference among applicants?
CNCS signaled a preference for organizations with demonstrated experience fostering MLK Day service efforts.
How were applications required to be submitted?
Applications had to be submitted electronically through CNCS eGrants.
Were fax or email submissions accepted?
No. Submissions by fax or email were not accepted.
What was the application deadline?
The deadline was 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 15, 2008.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number was CNCS-GRANTS-032008-001.
When was the notice posted and when was it archived?
The notice was posted on March 20, 2008, and had an archive date of April 16, 2008.
Who was the listed contact for questions about the competition?
For questions about the substance of the competition, the notice listed Rochelle Barry, State Director, reachable by phone at (404) 331-4646 ext. 2.
What was the overall strategy CNCS wanted grantees to advance?
CNCS wanted grantees to use MLK Day service as a catalyst to bring Americans together to volunteer, build unity through service, and create pathways for participants to remain engaged in community service after the holiday weekend ended.
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