ASSURANCES

 

As the duly authorized representative of the applicant, I certify, to the best of my knowledge and belief, that the applicant:

 

·         Has the legal authority to apply for federal assistance, and the institutional, managerial, and financial capability (including funds sufficient to pay the non-federal share of project costs) to ensure proper planning, management, and completion of the project described in this application.

·         Will give the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the CNCS Inspector General, the Comptroller General of the United States, and if appropriate, the state, through any authorized representative, access to and the right to examine all records, books, papers, or documents related to the award; and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards or agency directives.

·         Will initiate and complete the activities described in the application within the applicable time frame after receipt of CNCS’s approval..

·         Will comply with all federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination, including any self-evaluation requirements. These include but are not limited to:

1.        Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et.seq.), which prohibits federal grantees from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin;

2.        Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1681-1683, and 1685-1686), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in an educational program or activity that receives or benefits from federal financial assistance;

3.        Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794), which prohibits federal grantees from discriminating on the basis of disability;

4.        The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended (42 U.S.C. 6101-6107), which prohibits the exclusion of any person on the basis of age from participating in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance;

5.        Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.), as amended, relating to nondiscrimination in the sale, rental or financing of dwellings provided in whole or in part with the aid of CNCS funding;

6.        Any other nondiscrimination provisions in the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended (NCSA), or the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, as amended (DVSA); and

7.        The requirements of any other nondiscrimination statute(s) which may apply to the application.

·         Will comply with section 543 of the Public Health Service Act of 1912 (42 U.S.C. 290dd-2), as amended, relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records.

·         If a governmental entity—

1.        Will comply with the requirements of the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.), which govern the treatment of persons displaced or whose property is acquired as a result of federal or federally assisted programs, and

2.        Will comply with the provisions of the Hatch Act (5 U.S.C. 1501-1508 and 7324-7328), which limit the political activities of employees whose principal employment activities are funded in whole or in part with Federal funds.

·         Will assist CNCS in assuring compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470), EO 11593 (identification and protection of historic properties), and the Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 469a-l et seq.).

·         Will cause to be performed the required financial and compliance audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act of 1984, as amended, and 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F.

·         Will, when issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with CNCS funds, clearly state— (1) the percentage of the total costs of the program or project which will be financed with Federal money; (2) the dollar amount of Federal funds for the project or program; and (3) percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project or program that will be financed by non-governmental sources.

·         Will not provide any CNCS funding to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, allied organizations, or successors.

·         Will comply with all applicable requirements of all other federal laws, executive orders, regulations, application guidelines, and policies governing the program under which the application is filed.

For Applicants for awards under Subtitle C of the NCSA ONLY

 

If you are not applying for an award under Subtitle C of the NCSA (AmeriCorps State and National AmeriCorps Tribal, State Commission Support, etc), you may ignore this section.

 

·         Will comply with all rules regarding prohibited activities, including those stated in applicable Notice, grant provisions, and program regulations, and will ensure that no assistance made available by the CNCS will be used to support any such prohibited activities.

·         Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the NCSA, which provide that an individual with responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the NCSA shall not discriminate against a participant in, or member of the staff of, such project or program on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, political affiliation, disability, or religion. 

·         (NOTE: the prohibition on religious discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS funds but employed with the applicant organization prior to or on the date the grant was awarded.  If your organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief, your organization may be entitled, under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000bb, to receive federal funds and yet maintain that hiring practice, even though the NCSA includes a restriction on religious discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a CNCS-funded project and paid with CNCS grant funds.  (42 U.S.C. § 5057(c)).  For the circumstances under which this may occur, please see the document “Effect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grants” at: https://www.justice.gov/archive/fbci/effect-rfra.pdf.

·         Will provide, in the design, recruitment, and operation of any AmeriCorps program, for broad-based input from – (1) the community served, the municipality and government of the county (if appropriate) in which the community is located, and potential participants in the program; and (2) community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of experience in providing services and local labor organizations representing employees of service sponsors, if these entities exist in the area to be served by the program;

·         Will, prior to the placement of participants, consult with the appropriate local labor organization, if any, representing employees in the area who are engaged in the same or similar work as that proposed to be carried out by an AmeriCorps program, to ensure compliance with the non-displacement requirements specified in section 177 of the NCSA;

·         Will, in the case of an AmeriCorps program that is not funded through a state, consult with and coordinate activities with the State Commission for the state in which the program operates;

·         Will ensure that any national service program carried out by the applicant using assistance provided under section 121 of the NCSA and any national service program supported by a grant made by the applicant using such assistance will address unmet human, educational, environmental, or public safety needs through services that provide a direct benefit to the community in which the service is performed;

·         Will comply with the non-duplication and non-displacement requirements set out in section 177 of the NCSA, and in CNCS’s regulations at 45 CFR § 2540.100;

·         Will comply with the grievance procedure requirements as set out in section 176(f) of the NSCA and in CNCS’s regulations at 45 CFR § 2540.230;

·         Will provide participants in the national service program with the training, skills, and knowledge necessary for the projects that participants are called upon to perform;

·         Will provide support services to participants, such as information regarding G.E.D. attainment and post-service employment, and, if appropriate, opportunities for participants to reflect on their service experiences;

·         Will arrange for an independent evaluation of any national service program that is carried out using assistance provided to the applicant under section 121 of the NCSA and 45 C.F.R. Part 2522, Subpart E; or, with the approval of CNCS, conduct an internal evaluation of the program;

·         Will apply measurable performance goals and evaluation methods, which are to be used as part of such evaluation to determine the program’s impact on communities and persons served by the program, on participants who take part in the projects, and in other such areas as required by CNCS;

·         Will ensure the provision of a living allowance and other benefits to participants as required by CNCS;

·         Has not violated a federal criminal statute;

·         If a state applicant, will ensure that the state subgrants that will be used to support national service programs are selected in conformance with the requirements of the NCSA;

·         If a state applicant, will seek to ensure an equitable allocation within the state of assistance and approved national service positions, taking into consideration such factors as the locations of the programs, population density, and economic distress;

·         If a state applicant, will ensure that not less than 60% of the assistance will be used to make grants to support national service programs other than those carried out by a state agency, unless CNCS approves otherwise based upon the state applicant not having a sufficient number of acceptable applications to meet the 60% threshold.

For Social Innovation Fund Applicants ONLY

 

If you are not applying for a Social Innovation Fund grant, you may disregard this section.

 

·         Will use the funds received through the award in order to make subgrants to community organizations that will use the funds to replicate or expand proven initiatives, or support new initiatives, in low-income communities.

·         Will consult with a diverse cross section of community representatives in making decisions about subgrants for communities (including individuals from the public, nonprofit private, and for-profit private sectors).

·         Will make subgrants of a sufficient size and scope to enable the community organizations to build their capacity to manage initiatives, and sustain replication or expansion of the initiatives;

·         Will not make any subgrants to:

1.        The parent organizations of the applicant,

2.        A subsidiary organization of the parent organization of the applicant, or,

3.        If the applicant applied for a SIF award as a partnership, any member of the partnership.

·         Commits to meeting the matching fund requirements of section 198k(i) of the NCSA (42 U.S.C. §12653k(i)). 

·         Commits to use data and evaluations to improve the applicant’s own model and to improve the initiatives funded by the applicant.

·         Commits to cooperate with any evaluation activities undertaken by CNCS.

For Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companion Program, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, and Volunteers in Service to America Program Applicants ONLY

If you are not applying for an FGP, SCP, RSVP or VISTA grant, you may disregard this section.

 

·         Will comply with the nondiscrimination provisions in the DVSA, which provide that an individual with responsibility for the operation of a project or program that receives assistance under the DVSA shall not discriminate against a participant in, or member of the staff of, such project or program on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, political affiliation, disability, or on the basis of religion. 

(NOTE: the prohibition on religious discrimination does not apply to the employment of any staff member paid with non-CNCS funds or paid with CNCS funds but employed with the applicant organization prior to or on the date the grant was awarded.  If your organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief, your organization may be entitled, under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000bb, to receive federal funds and yet maintain that hiring practice, even though the DVSA includes a restriction on religious discrimination in employment of staff hired to work on a CNCS-funded project and paid with CNCS grant funds.  (42 U.S.C. § 5057(c)).  For the circumstances under which this may occur, please see the document “Effect of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act on Faith-Based Applicants for Grants” at: https://www.justice.gov/archive/fbci/effect-rfra.pdf.