RSVP Competition
Grant: RSVP Competition
Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
Department: Senior Corps
Deadline: September 10, 2013
Description: The RSVP program is one of the largest senior volunteer programs in the nation and offers activities that serve communities to create measurable impact, benefiting volunteers through the service experience and creates community impact.
Under this competition, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) intends to further increase the impact of national service in 270 specific communities across the country. Funds will be used for projects that support volunteers 55 years and older serving a diverse range of activities that meet specific local and community needs. All projects must address at least one of the following six focus areas listed below:
- Education: support access to services and resources that contribute to improved educational outcomes for economically disadvantaged people, especially children and for children with special and/or exceptional needs.
- Healthy Features: assist with meeting health needs within communities including access to care, aging in place and childhood obesity.
- Veterans and Military Families: impact the quality of life of veterans and improve military family strength.
- Environmental Stewardship: support increased citizen behavioral change leading to increased efficiency, renewable energy use and ecosystem improvements particularly for economically disadvantaged households and communities.
- Economic Opportunity: support access to services and resources that contribute to the improved economic well-being and security of economically disadvantaged individuals.
- Disaster Services: assist communities as they prepare for, respond to, recover from and mitigate disasters and increase community resiliency.
In addition to the focus areas described above, grants also will support capacity building activities. Information on acceptable capacity building activities, as well as suggested activities for the different focus areas can be found in the program notice.
Fit for Public Broadcasting: Public broadcasting stations are eligible to apply directly to this program, but may also want to consider establishing partnerships with other nonprofit or public agencies in their community to garner the necessary volunteers. Stations with a history of providing community outreach activities related to education, health and veterans affairs will find a natural fit. Additionally, those stations involved in American Graduate may find particular interest under the Education focus area.
Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations (including community-based organizations) as well as public agencies, institutions of higher education, government-recognized veteran service organizations and Indian Tribes are eligible to apply.
Anticipated Funding: CNCS anticipates awarding approximately $14.5 million in new RSVP grants. Funding amounts vary by community. For a full list of funding opportunities by region, and the corresponding funding amount see Appendix A of the program notice. The grant award will cover a three-year project period.
How to Apply: If you intend to apply, you must submit a Notice of Intent to Apply via email to 2014RSVPIntent@cns.gov by August 10, 2013. Please include the opportunity number, how you heard about the RSVP competition, the name of the applicant organization, address, contact person and phone number.
Applications must be submitted electronically via the CNCS’s web-based application system, eGrants. It is highly recommended that applicants create an eGrants account and begin the application at least three weeks before the deadline.
Resources:
Program notice
Program website
List of available funding opportunities by state
CNCS will offer a variety of technical assistance and general information conference calls. Detailed information, including call date and time, call-in numbers and archive information can be found by scrolling to the bottom of the program website.
