The Social Innovation Fund deadline of March 27, 2012 5:00 p.m. has been extended until 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 27, 2012. Applicants who have already submitted their applications have the option to request their application be sent back to them if they would like to make additional revisions. Please contact Innovations@cns.gov if you have any questions.
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Important information for Social Innovation Fund applicants: Please be advised of a clarification in the Notice of Federal Funding Availability regarding instructions on how to enter your budget into the eGrants database. Training and Evaluation expenses can be entered under the Other Costs category; however, if you have already entered those expenses in another part of your budget, that will not be counted against your application.
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Created by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009, the Social Innovation Fund is a program that awards grants to and works with existing grantmaking institutions to direct resources to innovative community-based nonprofit organizations to identify, validate, and grow promising approaches to overcoming challenges facing local communities.
In FY 2012, CNCS will award a limited number of Social Innovation Fund grants to outstanding grantmaking institutions, or “intermediaries.” These intermediaries will match every federal dollar of the grant award in cash. They will then identify and invest at least 80% of their federal funds (plus identified cash matching funds) in portfolios of promising community-based nonprofit organizations (subgrantees) working in low-income communities in one or more of the following issue areas:
- Youth Development – Preparing America’s youth for success in school, active citizenship, productive work, and healthy and safe lives.
- Economic Opportunity – Increasing economic opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals.
- Healthy Futures – Promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing the risk factors that can lead to illness.
Subgrantees will also match every dollar of their awards in cash and will utilize CNCS funding to produce measurable outcomes within a specific issue area and geographic area, evaluate their effectiveness and replicate and expand their impact to more individuals.
Funding Availability
CNCS anticipates awarding up to $15 million to a limited number of new Social Innovation Fund intermediary organizations. CNCS expects to make annual awards in the range of $1 million to $5 million for a period of up to five years.
Deadline
Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, March 27, 2012. Applications must be submitted through the CNCS eGrants system.
Note to Applicants:
Please remember that all SIF applicants must submit letters verifying 50% of the cash match to SIFapplication@cns.gov by the application deadline, 5:00 pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, March 27, 2012.