Rural Community Development Initiative
Published on AidPage by
IDILOGIC on Jun 24, 2005
Purpose of this program:
To develop the capacity and ability of private, nonprofit community-based housing and community development organizations, and low income rural communities to improve housing, community facilities, community and economic development projects in rural areas.
Possible uses and use restrictions...
Rural Community Development Initiative grants may be used for but are not limited to (a) training sub-grantees to conduct a program on home-ownership education; (b) training sub- grantees to conduct a program for minority business entrepreneurs; (c) providing technical assistance to sub-grantees on how to effectively prepare a strategic plan; (d) provide technical assistance to sub- grantees on how to access alternative funding sources; (e) building organizational capacity through board training; (f) developing training tools, such as videos, workbooks, and reference guides to be used by the sub-grantee; (g) providing technical assistance and training on how to develop successful child care facilities; and (h) providing training on effective fundraising techniques.
Who is eligible to apply...
Rural Community Development Initiative grants may be made to a qualified private or public (including tribal) organization that provides technical assistance to nonprofit community-based housing and community development organizations, and low income rural communities. The grantee must provide a program of technical assistance to the sub-grantee. The grantee must have at least three years prior experience working with nonprofit organizations or low-income rural communities in the areas of housing, community facilities, or community and economic development. Assistance is authorized for eligible applicants in rural areas of the States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palaw, and the Federated States of Micronesia.
Credentials/Documentation
Have the legal, financial, administrative, and operational capacity relative to the activity for which assistance is requested. Have necessary background and experience with proven ability to perform responsibly in the areas of housing, community facilities, or community and economic development. Have the ability to work within established guidelines.
Note:This is a brief description of the credentials or documentation required prior to, or along with, an application for assistance.
About this section:
This section indicates who can apply to the Federal government for assistance and the criteria the potential applicant must satisfy.
For example, individuals may be eligible for research grants, and the criteria to be satisfied may be that they have a professional or scientific degree,
3 years of research experience, and be a citizen of the United States. Universities, medical schools, hospitals, or State and local governments may also be eligible.
Where State governments are eligible, the type of State agency will be indicated (State welfare agency or State agency on aging) and the criteria that they
must satisfy.
Certain federal programs (e.g., the Pell Grant program which provides grants to students) involve intermediate levels of application processing, i.e., applications
are transmitted through colleges or universities that are neither the direct applicant nor the ultimate beneficiary. For these programs,
the criteria that the intermediaries must satisfy are also indicated, along with intermediaries who are not eligible.
How to apply...
Application Procedure:
Application procedures will be announced in the Federal Register.
Note: Each program will indicate whether applications are to be submitted to the Federal headquarters, regional or local office, or to a State or local government office.
Award Procedure:
Award is made by the Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
Note: Grant payments may be made by a letter of credit, advance by Treasury check, or reimbursement by Treasury check.
Awards may be made by the headquarters office directly to the applicant, an agency field office, a regional office,
or by an authorized county office. The assistance may pass through the initial applicant for further distribution by
intermediate level applicants to groups or individuals in the private sector.
Deadlines and process...
Deadlines
Announced in Federal Register.
Note:
When available, this section indicates the deadlines for applications to the funding agency which will
be stated in terms of the date(s) or between what dates the application should be received.
When not available, applicants should contact the funding agency for deadline information.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
As required, 90 days to 120 days.
Preapplication Coordination
A complete application for RCDI funds must include the following: (a) a summary page; (b) a detailed table of contents containing page numbers for each component of the application; (c) a project overview; (d) the evaluation criteria; (e) a separate one-page information sheet listing each of the evaluation criteria followed by the page numbers of all relevant material and documentation contained in the application which supports these criteria; (f) a breakdown of specific time increments and steps to accomplish goals; (g) a detailed breakdown of estimated costs and a project budget; (h) organizational documents for the grantee; (i) Form SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance; (j) Form SF-424B, Assurances - Non-Construction Programs; (k) Form AD-1047, Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters Primary Covered Transactions; (l) Form AD-1048, Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion Lower Tier Covered Transactions; (m) Form AD-1049, Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements; (n) Certification of Non- Lobbying Activities; (o) Standard Form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities; (p) Form RD 400-1, Equal Opportunity Agreement; (q) Form RD 400-4, Assurance Agreement, and (r) report any association or relationship with Rural Development employees. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Note:
This section indicates whether any prior coordination or approval is required with governmental or nongovernmental units
prior to the submission of a formal application to the federal funding agency.
Appeals
If an application is rejected, the reasons for rejection are fully stated. The applicant may request a review of the decision from the National Appeals Division, USDA.
Note:
In some cases, there are no provisions for appeal. Where applicable, this section discusses appeal procedures or allowable rework time for resubmission
of applications to be processed by the funding agency. Appeal procedures vary with individual programs and are either listed in this section or
applicants are referred to appeal procedures documented in the relevant Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Renewals
Not applicable.
Note:
In some instances, renewal procedures may be the same as for the application procedure, e.g., for projects of a non-continuing nature renewals will be treated as new, competing applications; for projects of an ongoing nature, renewals may be given annually.
Who can benefit...
Private, nonprofit community-based housing and community development organizations, low income rural communities, and Federally recognized Indian Tribes.
Beneficiaries
About this section:
This section lists the ultimate beneficiaries of a program, the criteria they must satisfy and who specifically is not eligible. The applicant and beneficiary will generally be the same for programs that provide assistance directly from a Federal agency. However, financial assistance that passes through State or local governments will have different applicants and beneficiaries since the assistance is transmitted to private sector beneficiaries who are not obligated to request or apply for the assistance.
What types of assistance...
Project Grants
The funding, for fixed or known periods, of specific projects. Project grants can include fellowships, scholarships, research grants, training grants, traineeships, experimental and demonstration grants, evaluation grants, planning grants, technical assistance grants, survey grants, and construction grants.
How much financial aid...
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
$50,000 to $1,000,000. Average: $300,000.
Note:
This section lists the representative range (smallest to largest) of the amount of financial assistance available. These figures are based upon funds awarded in the past fiscal year and the current fiscal year to date. Also indicated is an approximate average amount of awards which were made in the past and current fiscal years.
Obligations
(Grants) FY 03 $6,000,000; FY 04 est $6,000,000; and FY 05 est $6,000,000.
Note:
The dollar amounts listed in this section represent obligations for the past fiscal year (PY), estimates for the current fiscal year (CY), and estimates for the budget fiscal year (BY) as reported by the Federal agencies. Obligations for non-financial assistance programs indicate the administrative expenses involved in the operation of a program.
Account Identification
12-2081-0-1-371; 12-4215-0-3-371.
Note:
Note: This 11-digit budget account identification code represents the account which funds a particular program.
This code should be consistent with the code given for the program area as specified in Appendix III of the Budget of the United States Government.
Examples of funded projects...
Grants were made to (a) hire a staff person to provide technical assistance to the sub-grantee; (b) the sub-grantee organization hires a staff person, under the supervision of the grantee, to carry out the technical assistance; (c) develop the capacity of sub-grantees to conduct community development programs; (d) develop the capacity of sub-grantees to conduct home-ownership education programs; and (e) develop the capacity of sub-grantees to conduct training for minority business entrepreneurs.
About this section
This section indicates the different types of projects which have been funded in the past. Only projects funded under Project Grants or Direct Payments for Specified Use should be listed here. The examples give potential applicants an idea of the types of projects that may be accepted for funding. The agency should list at least five examples of the most recently funded projects.
Program accomplishments...
In fiscal year 2001, 20 grants were made.
Criteria for selecting proposals...
Factors considered for project selection include but are not limited to median household income, rural population, and points for evaluation criteria.
Assistance considerations...
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Proposals must be structured to utilize the Rural Community Development Initiative grant funds within 3 years from the execution of the Rural Community Development Initiative grant agreement.
Formula and Matching Requirements
The grantee must provide matching funds at least equal to the amount of the grant in the form of cash or committed funding. (No in-kind contributions.)
Note:
A formula may be based on population, per capita income, and other statistical factors. Applicants are informed whether there are any matching requirements to be met when participating in the cost of a project. In general, the matching share represents that portion of the project costs not borne by the Federal government. Attachment F of OMB Circular No. A-102 (Office of Management and Budget) sets forth the criteria and procedures for the evaluation of matching share requirements which may be cash or in-kind contributions made by State and local governments or other agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals to satisfy matching requirements of Federal grants or loans.
Cash contributions represent the grantees' cash outlay, including the outlay of money contributed to the grantee by other public agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals. When authorized by Federal regulation, Federal funds received from other grants may be considered as the grantees' cash contribution.
In-kind contributions represent the value of noncash contributions provided by the grantee, other public agencies and institutions, private organizations or individuals. In-kind contributions may consist of charges for real property and equipment, and value of goods and services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the grant program. When authorized by Federal legislation, property purchased with Federal funds may be considered as grantees' in-kind contribution.
Maintenance of effort (MOE) is a requirement contained in certain legislation, regulations, or administrative policies stating that a grantee must maintain a specified level of financial effort in a specific area in order to receive Federal grant funds, and that the Federal grant funds may be used only to supplement, not supplant, the level of grantee funds.
Post assistance requirements...
Reports
The grantee will perform self-evaluations by preparing quarterly financial and project performance reports in accordance with the grant agreement for RCDI.
Note:
This section indicates whether program reports, expenditure reports, cash reports or performance monitoring are required by the Federal funding agency, and specifies at what time intervals (monthly, annually, etc.) this must be accomplished.
Audits
Periodic audits should be made as part of the grantee's system of financial management and internal control to meet terms and conditions of the grant. In accordance with the provisions of 7 CFR Part 3052, "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," which implement OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that receive financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 7 CFR 3052.
Note:
This section discusses audits required by the Federal agency.
The procedures and requirements for State and local governments and nonprofit entities are set forth in OMB Circular No. A-133.
These requirements pertain to awards made within the respective State's fiscal year - not the Federal fiscal year,
as some State and local governments may use the calendar year or other variation of time span designated as the fiscal year period,
rather than that commonly known as the Federal fiscal year (from October 1st through September 30th).
Records
The borrower must maintain adequate records and accounts related to the technical assistance performed.
Note:
This section indicates the record retention requirements and the type of records the Federal agency may require.
Not included are the normally imposed requirements of the General Accounting Office.
For programs falling under the purview of OMB Circular No. A-102, record retention is set forth in Attachment C.
For other programs, record retention is governed by the funding agency's requirements.
Regulations...
Authorization
Appropriation Act for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, Public Law 106-387.
Note:
This section lists the legal authority upon which a program is based (acts, amendments to acts, Public Law numbers, titles, sections, Statute Codes, citations to the U.S. Code, Executive Orders, Presidential Reorganization Plans, and Memoranda from an agency head).
Regulations, Guidelines, And Literature
Administrative Regulations 7 CFR 3015, 7 CFR 3016, 7 CFR 3019, 7 CFR 3052; H.R. 5426 Guidelines announced in NOFA, published in the Federal Register.