Fixed Amount Grants
Fixed-Amount Grant Pilot for 2010
The Serve America Act authorizes the Corporation to award
fixed-amount grants in 2010. In 2010, these fixed-amount grants are
available for programs that enroll full-time members only. Fixed-amount
grants allow programs to apply for a fixed dollar amount per member. The
fixed amount awarded per member is significantly less than the cost of
running an AmeriCorps program and the applicant must raise the
additional revenue necessary to operate the program. EAP programs, which
have been authorized to receive fixed-amount grants for many years, may
continue to enroll less-than-full-time members.
An AmeriCorps program that receives a fixed-amount grant is like any
other AmeriCorps program except that, unlike the more typical
cost-reimbursement grant, the fixed amount grant does not require:
- Compliance with OMB Cost Principles.
- Detailed, line-item budgets.
- Corporation FFRs.
- Match or documentation of match.
Applicants, other than Professional Corps and EAP, can apply for up
to $13,000 per full-time member. Applicants for Professional Corps
fixed-amount grants may apply for up to $2,000 per member. Applicants
for EAP fixed-amount grants can apply for up to $800 per member. The
amount per full-time member requested will be a competitive factor in
the Corporation’s selection process.
Priority will be given in the selection process to organizations that
have demonstrated the capacity to track and report on performance
measures.
Performance Measurement
Fixed-amount grant applicants in the education priority area will be
required to select national education performance measures. Applicants
proposing non-education programs will propose their own performance
measures. We will be assessing these measures based on their connection
to program outcomes and their potential to inform the Corporation’s
development of national measures. All performance measures will be
negotiated prior to grant decision-making and award, and will be held to
a high standard. Higher priority will be given to program models and
measures informed by effective and proven practices, as well as existing
evaluation literature.
Evaluation
Applicants approved for a fixed-amount grant must agree to
participate in evaluations the Corporation will conduct of this pilot
program. One such evaluation is designed to measure whether fixed-amount
grants reduce the burden on recipients of grant administration. We also
anticipate evaluating the correlation between decreases in
administrative burden and increases in capacity to meet performance
measures. Applicants must also agree to participate in any other
relevant evaluations conducted by the Corporation. |
