Grants to Maine Nonprofits, Agencies, Tribes, IHEs, and Faith-Based Organizations for volunteer Service Programs in Rural Communities

Maine Rural State AmeriCorps Grant

Agency

State

GrantWatch ID#

205025

Funding Source

Volunteer Maine, Maine Commission for Community Service
and Maine AmeriCorps

Funding or PIN Number: RFA # 202303050

Geographic Focus

USA: Maine

Important Dates

Deadline: 04/13/23 11:59 PM Local Time Receipt

Grant Description

Grants to Maine nonprofit organizations, government agencies, tribes, IHEs, and faith-based organizations for community service programs in rural communities. Funding is intended for projects and activities that address high-priority, critical needs with the goal of measurably improving the situation. Applicants serving any rural region may submit proposals, but preference points will be given to applicants in counties classified as 6, 7, or 8 on the USDA rural-urban continuum. Those counties are Franklin, Hancock, Oxford, Somerset, Waldo, Aroostook, Knox, Washington, Lincoln, and Piscataquis.

Priority will be given to programs in the focus areas of housing, public health, climate action, workforce development, and environment and community sustainability.

Applicants must implement an evidence-based program model that addresses one of these community issues:

Public Health – including domestic violence, abuse or neglect, substance use, emergency preparedness/response, adverse childhood experiences, and mental health;
Workforce development – combining service with skill development or certifications that lead to post-service employment
Housing – affordable and safe housing; home energy conservation, weatherization, or repair including programs that perform the modifications, teach homeowners DIY skills or help residents connect with programs that offer financial assistance to accomplish the projects
Climate action compatible with Maine Won’t Wait (the state climate action plan) and Maine Climate Corps; and,
Environmental/community resilience, adaptation, and sustainability including emergency preparedness.

AmeriCorps members serve with a single organization and help in one of three ways:

Increase the amount of service provided through an evidence-based program in order to overcome unusual demand or delay in accessing the service.
Provide new services to an organization’s clients/customers through an evidence-based program in order to address an unmet need.
Extend to a new population or region a proven program model that addresses a local need.

AmeriCorps grants award two types of resources to address the local need: member positions (also called slots) and funds to support AmeriCorps members during their service terms. Grantees use the funding to support AmeriCorps members performing service. In other words, AmeriCorps grants partially cover the expense of operating an AmeriCorps program and do not cover general organizational expenses. Local cash and in-kind resources are required to cover the full implementation of the program.

Recipient

Additional Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must operate an AmeriCorps program only in Maine. Eligible types of organizations are public or private non-profits, State/county/local units of government, higher ed institutions, faith-based organizations, labor organizations, federally recognized Tribes, and regional organizations. All applicants must have an existing physical presence in the community where AmeriCorps members will serve.

Only organizations that have never had an AmeriCorps grant may apply. Local agencies that have hosted AmeriCorps members and paid cost share to AmeriCorps grantees or VISTA programs are eligible.

Applicants serving any rural region may submit proposals, but preference points will
be given to applicants in counties classified as 6, 7, or 8 on the USDA rural-urban continuum.
Those counties are Franklin, Hancock, Oxford, Somerset, Waldo, Aroostook, Knox, Washington, Lincoln, and Piscataquis.

Ineligible

For a list of prohibited activities see Page 8 of the Guidelines in Supporting Documents, below.

Pre-Proposal Conference

An Information Session will be held on March 29, 2023, at 1:00 PM.

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/56whhzx7

Pre-Application Information

Both the proposal sections using the federal eGrants system and additional documents emailed to the Division of Procurement Services must be received no later than 11:59 p.m., local time on April 13, 2023.

All questions must be received by the RFA Coordinator by April 3, 2023, no later than 4:00 p.m., local time.

Applicants will need to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier with the federal System for Award Management and have an active registration.

Number of Grants

1-3

Estimated Size of Grant

Typical awards range from $56,000 to $140,000.

Term of Contract

- Proposals submitted in this competition may only propose member terms of service that require full-time commitment each week (e.g., 40 hours/week).
- The smallest project must account for no less than 3,400 hours of service (2 MSY) in a year; 8,500 hours (5 MSY) for the largest project.

Contact Information

Apply online: https://egrants.cns.gov/espan/main/login.jsp

Submit additional documents to Proposals@maine.gov.

Questions must be submitted to Service.Commission@maine.gov with the subject line: “Maine AmeriCorps Planning Grant RFA #202303050.”

Maryalice Crofton, RFA Coordinator
(207) 624-7792

Maine Commission for Community Service
19 Elkins Lane, 105 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-1005

Grants to Maine Nonprofits, Agencies, Tribes, IHEs, and Faith-Based Organizations for volunteer Service Programs in Rural Communities

Maine Rural State AmeriCorps Grant

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