AmeriCorps Policy & Operations. OGM Updates Peg Rosenberry, Director of Grants Management Kristin McSwain, Director of AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps Policy & OperationsAmeriCorps Policy & Operations

OGM UpdatesOGM Updates

• Peg Rosenberry, Director of Grants Management

• Kristin McSwain, Director of AmeriCorps

Overview

• Unexpended Funds in Formula Grants

• The New Federal Financial Report and Program Income

• Common Audit Findings

Managing Unexpended Funds in Formula Grants

• Commissions and CNCS need to ensure unexpended funds do not build up in formula grants.

• Commissions must monitor fund usage closely.

• Undrawn funds at HHS affect the Corporation’s financial audit.

Carryover of Unexpended Funds

• Commissions will report unexpended funds on FFRs. Grants officers will review FFRs and compare with amounts drawn from HHS.

• Commissions should incorporate unexpended funds in the next year’s budget;…….

• Or, confirm with Grants and Program Officers the amount of unexpended funds to deduct from the next award.

Unexpended Funds

• CNCS staff will work with commissions to identify funds to re-distribute to other states……OR…..

• Commissions will incorporate unexpended funds into the current year’s application …..AND….

• Commissions can carry over funds into the next year…..BUT….

• Excessive amounts will be questioned and considered in making competitive decisions.

Threshold of Unexpended Funds Allowed as Carryover Without Question

• Year 1: Not applicable

• Year 2: 30%

• Year 3: 25%

• Year 4: 20%

• Year 5: 10%

• Year 6: 5%

Supplemental Requests

• We will continue to make unrequested and unexpended funds available to states that can use them.

• Current criteria for accessing supplemental funds apply.

New Financial Report

• Commissions may start using it for the Admin, PDAT and Disability reports due January 30

• Grantees will continue to use eGrants to submit the FFR

• Grantees will start reporting excess program income, in addition to program income reported as match.

What is Program Income?

• Any revenue earned as a direct result of activities supported under the grant.

• Program income must be used as stipulated in the grant provisions. Most grantees use it to meet matching requirements.

• Fees for service are program income.• A foundation grant received to support the

program is not program income.• Program income FAQs are on the

Corporation’s website.

Common Audit Findings• AmeriCorps member timekeeping is not

accurate. Members are credited with hours they did not serve or staff make mathematical errors.

• Staff members do not maintain timesheets or timekeeping is not adequate.

• General ledger numbers do not match the FSR.• Subgrantee monitoring systems are inadequate

or not implemented effectively.• Match is not properly recorded and tracked,

particularly in-kind donations.• Costs not in the approved budget.

Questions?


Policy Update

with Amy Borgstrom

WBRS Transition

• My AmeriCorps and your systems

• Current timeline

• Q and A

Policy Update• Application Instructions• AmeriCorps Rule• Single State EAPs • CCRAA Update • HEART Act• New Policy FAQs and Best Practice

FAQs • Dates to Remember

Application Instructions

• Single match• New fields

– Clarification Information– Continuation Changes

• Evaluation requirement• Labor Union concurrence• New MSY factors• eGrants will be open late September

AmeriCorps Rule

• Member evaluations• Performance measurement• National service insignia• False or misleading statements• State service plans• IG access to records• Definition of same project• Member = participant• Voter registration drives prohibited• Living allowance disbursement• Living allowance waiver• Civil rights• State commission membership

Single State EAPs

• Starts with recompeting programs in 2010: MA, NC, NY, TX, WI,

• 2011: AZ, MS, NM

• We will be working with each commission with single state EAPS to ensure a smooth transition

CCRAA Update

• College Cost Reduction and Access Act• AmeriCorps service is considered an

eligible public service position• Offers Income-based Repayment and

Public Service Loan Forgiveness• FAQs available on Communication

Center and Resource Center

HEART Act

• Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 signed June 16.

• Excludes AmeriCorps benefits from being counted as income to determine eligibility for SSI.

• All AmeriCorps now aligns with VISTA.• Does not extend to SSDI.

New Policy FAQs & Best Practice FAQs

• Thirty-six new Policy FAQs derived from real Q and A.

• Seventeen new Policy FAQs derived from AmeriCorps State and National Updates.

• Twenty-two new Best Practice FAQs derived from the Program Director’s Handbook.

Dates to Remember

• November 4, 2008: Admin/PDAT/Disability reports and applications due

• December 1, 2008: Grantee Progress Reports due

• January 13, 2009: Application deadline

• May 9-16, 2009: AmeriCorps Week

• June 22-24, 2009: National Conference on Volunteering and Service

• September 2009: Grantee Meeting in Washington D.C.


Update on The Portal

with Kristin McSwain


Grant Application Review Process

with Lenny Teh

• Funding Availability• Process Flow• Formula Submission• Supplemental A-P-D

A Look at GARP in ’09?A Look at GARP in ’09?

• Large and extremely competitive year• Approx. $40M available• Board target of 15% for new programs• Current pool of $45M excluding disaster• Anticipate funding gap < $11M

Analysis of Funding AvailabilityAnalysis of Funding Availability

Peer Review

Staff Review

Clarification Period

Recommendation for Funding

Process FlowProcess FlowApplications

Compliance Review

Award

Final Funding Decision

Applications

Compliance Review

Peer Review

Continued

• Why do we ask this? • Impact on the review process

Intent to ApplyIntent to Apply

Applications

Compliance Review

Peer Review

Continued

Staff Review

ClarificationPeriod

Continued

• April 13th – May 15th (5 week process)

• Resolution of issues• Negotiation of performance measures• Critical that commission staff be

available to resolve clarification issues

Clarification PeriodClarification Period

Recommendationfor Funding

Final FundingDecision

Award

• Important for programs to indicate accurate start and end dates

• Decisions will be based on the resolution of matters identified and corrected during clarification

• Target award date for grantees will be June 30th

Final Funding DecisionFinal Funding Decision

• No later than Tuesday, July 7th, 2009, 5PM EST

Formula DeadlineFormula Deadline

• Guidance expected in the Fall• Awards made in late-March/early-April

Supplemental A-P-DSupplemental A-P-D

Questions?Questions?


T/TA and the role of CNCS

POs and TOs

with Mikel Herrington & Ralph Morales

Documents

AmeriCorps Policy & Operations. OGM Updates Peg Rosenberry, Director of Grants Management Kristin McSwain, Director of AmeriCorps