Table of Contents
I. Application Deadline
II. Funding Opportunity and Application Instructions
III. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
IV. Required Documents
V. Resources for Applicants
VI. Training and Technical Assistance
Established in 1971 and now one of the largest senior volunteer programs in the nation, RSVP offers a diverse range of volunteer activities that serve communities to create measurable impact, benefit volunteers through the service experience, and create community capacity. Senior Corps RSVP engages Americans over the age of 55 in volunteer service that meets national and community needs and delivers lasting, meaningful results. With this NOFO, CNCS intends to fund successful applicants that increase the impact of volunteering as a response to local community needs.
In order to carry out Congress’s intent and to maximize the impact of investment in national service, CNCS has the following Focus Areas: Disaster Services – COVID 19 recovery; Economic Opportunity; Education; Environmental Stewardship; Healthy Futures; and Veterans and Military Families.
CNCS Agency-wide Funding Priorities: Programs that actively engage in removing structural racial equities, advancing racial equality, and increasing opportunity in order to achieve sustainable change in communities. In addition, work plans are encouraged to include efforts to help local communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants may propose programming in any focus area to aid communities as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following entities, including those that are current CNCS grantees, are eligible to apply: public or private non-profit organizations (including faith-based and other community organizations); institutions of higher education; government entities within states or territories (e.g. cities, counties); government recognized veteran serving organizations; labor organizations; partnerships and consortia; and Indian Tribes.
I. Application Deadline
Application Deadline: Applications are due by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, September 3, 2020. Successful applicants will be notified by January 2021.
II. Funding Opportunity and Application Instructions
Applicants must review both the Notice of Funding Opportunity including the Appendices and the Grant Application Instructions in order to fully understand the applications requirements.
On August 28, 2020 the Notice was amended to extend the application submission deadline to Thursday, September 3, 2020.
- FY 2021 RSVP Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity (Last Updated August 28, 2020)
- RSVP Grant Application Instructions
- Appendix A: List of Available Funding Opportunities by State (Last Updated August 24, 2020)
- Appendix B: RSVP National Performance Measure Instructions
- Appendix C: Terms and Definitions
- Work Plan Development Worksheets
III. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The FAQs document will be compiled and regularly updated. Questions submitted to 2021RSVP@cns.gov will likely be answered in the FAQs document.
Frequently Asked Questions (Last Updated August 28, 2020)
IV. Required Documents
These additional documents are referenced in the Notice of Funding Opportunity and Grant Application Instructions.
- Operational and Financial Management Survey (OFMS)
- Submission of the Operational and Financial Management Survey (OFMS) is required for all new to CNCS grantees regardless of funding level, and for new or recompete applicants requesting $75,000 or more of Federal funds.
- Some grantees may have completed a Financial Management Survey (FMS) in the past. The Operational and Financial Management Survey (OFMS) is a different document, and the old FMS will not be accepted in place of the OFMS.
- The form needs to be completed fully, a response for every question. If there are additional comments needed to explain certain responses, please utilize the ‘preparer’s comments’ section.
- The OFMS must be submitted as Word Document. All other formats, including PDF, will not be accepted.
- If possible, please limit the amount of times and locations the document is saved prior to submitting to CNCS. We’ve found that the macros used to extract data from the form can be corrupted by saving the file in different formats or locations.
V. Resources for Applicants
VI. Training and Technical Assistance
CNCS will host a series of webinars to introduce potential applicants to the RSVP, this competition, its performance measurement system and more. See below for available sessions and link to register and receive detailed connection information. All session will be recorded and recordings will be available on this webpage shortly after a webinar’s conclusion.
Complete Schedule:
Introduction to CNCS, Senior Corps and RSVP
In this session, we will introduce potential applicants to the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that administers the RSVP program as part of its mission to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering across the United States. We will also look at the RSVP program in more depth, examining how it empowers individuals 55 and over to serve their communities throughout the country.
Session 1: Monday, July 13, 2020 3:30-4:30pm ET
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Session 2: Tuesday August 4, 2020 3:30-4:30pm ET
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A Tour of the Notice of Funding Opportunity
In this session, we will look more closely at the Notice of Funding Opportunity (or “NOFO”) that describes the application process and its requirements in greater depth. We will spotlight some of the most important sections of this critical document and highlight other tools and resources you can use to help you through the application process.
Session 1: Wednesday, July 15, 2020 3:30-4:30pm ET
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Session 2: Wednesday August 5, 2020 3:30-4:30pm ET
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RSVP in Action: Mobilizing a Generation
In this session, we will focus on the RSVP program itself and how communities all across the country use RSVP grants to mobilize older Americans in service opportunities that address their unique local needs. We will explore the kinds of partnerships they form and how RSVP has been used to address the funding priorities for this competition, with some specific examples to help potential applicants envision their own RSVP programs.
Session 1: Monday, July 20, 2020 3:30-4:30pm ET
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Session 2: Tuesday August 11, 2020 3:30-4:30pm ET
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Understanding the National Performance Measures
In this session, we will review the National Performance Measures, CNCS’ method of quantifying a grantee’s impact on the community. We will discuss the rationale behind this system of performance measurement, look at the menu of available output and outcome measures, and review the specific requirements for RSVP applicants. We will also use some real examples to help us understand how an individual grantee can contribute to the nationwide story of service told by the National Performance Measures.
Session 1: Tuesday, July 21, 2020 3:30-4:30pm ET
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Session 2: Wednesday August 12, 2020 3:30-4:30pm ET
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Submitting Your Application Via eGrants
In this session, we will walk through the process of submitting an application in CNCS’ electronic grants management system, eGrants, step-by-step. We will give some pointers on using the system and look inside the system so you’re prepared to submit your application seamlessly.
Session 1: Wednesday, July 22, 2020 3:30-4:30pm ET
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Session 2: Thursday August 13, 2020 3:30-4:30pm ET
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Best Practices in Budget Development
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