ARRA COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT
Objectives are to provide assistance to States and local communities, working through a network of community action
Additional objectives are (1) to provide services and activities having a measurable and potential major impact on causes of poverty in the community or those areas of the community where poverty is a particularly acute problem; (2) to provide activities designed to assist low-income participants, including the elderly poor, to: (a) secure and retain meaningful employment; (b) attain an adequate education; (c) make better use of available income; (d) obtain and maintain adequate housing and a suitable living environment; (e) obtain emergency assistance through loans or grants to meet immediate and urgent individual and family needs, including health services, nutritious food, housing, and employment-related assistance; (f) remove obstacles and solve problems which block the achievement of self-sufficiency; (g) achieve greater participation in the affairs of the community; and (h) make more effective use of other related programs; (3) to provide on an emergency basis for the provision of such supplies and services, nutritious food, and related services, as may be necessary to counteract conditions of starvation and malnutrition among the poor; and (4) to coordinate and establish linkages between governmental and other social services programs to assure the effective delivery of such services to low-income individuals.
- Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) - State Exemplary Practices Projects (EPPs) Supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
- Community Services Block Grant Training and Technical Assistance Program: Capacity-Building for Ongoing CSBG Programs and Strategic Planning and Coordination Supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The Department of Health and Human Services is the Federal government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially to those who are least able to help themselves.
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2008: These funds were not available in FY 2008, therefore, there are no accomplishments to report. Fiscal Year 2009: TBD. Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available
Uses and Use Restrictions
Uses and restrictions for CSBG Recovery Act funds differ from the uses and restrictions that apply to allotments to States from regular CSBG annual appropriations with regard to use and percentage of funds retained by the States.
As with regular CSBG grants, States receive CSBG Recovery Act funds to ameliorate the causes of poverty in communities.
The block grant approach gives the States flexibility to tailor their programs to the particular services needs in their communities.
States are required to pass through 99 percent of their Recovery Act allocations for grants to "eligible entities," as defined in the CSBG Act and use the remaining one percent of funds for benefits enrollment coordination activities relating to the identification and enrollment of eligible individuals and families.
See Above.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
State (includes District of Columbia, public institutions of higher education and hospitals): Income Security/Social Service/Welfare.
Federally Recognized lndian Tribal Governments: Income Security/Social Service/Welfare.
U.S.
Territories and possessions (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals): Income Security/Social Service/Welfare
Beneficiary Eligibility
Public nonprofit institution/organization; Individual/Family; Low Income
Credentials/Documentation
No Credentials or documentation are required. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.
Aplication and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Preapplication coordination is not applicable.
Environmental impact information is not required for this program.
This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.
12372.
Application Procedures
This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. Under the regularly-funded CSBG Program, each State desiring to receive an allotment for a fiscal year is required to submit an application to the Secretary of HHS. For Recovery Act funds, States will receive a separate allotment of funds based on the statutory formula. Within 30 days of receiving new grant allotments, each State must submit an application amendment outlining the intended use of Recovery Act funds, to include how the State will carry out the assurances in Section 676(b) of the CSBG Act. The application amendment must be a separate document from the original application and must contain assurances by the Chief Executive Officer of the State that the State will comply with the allowable uses of funds under Section 675C of the CSBG Act, with modifications to allowable uses specified in the Recovery Act. The application amendment must set forth the general purposes for which funds will be used, including a description of the StateÃÂÂÂÂs intended use for benefits enrollment coordination activities relating to the identification and enrollment of eligible individuals and families in Federal, State, and local benefit programs. The State also must describe how it will incorporate monitoring of Recovery Act funds into its regular monitoring of CSBG eligible entities. This includes descriptions of how the State will monitor restrictions on administrative expenses, eligible recipients, board requirements for community action agencies and other nonprofit organizations, fiscal control, monitoring, and Federal investigation provisions, coordination between antipoverty programs in each community and certain prohibitions on political activities. States also must include a description of how they plan to track CSBG funds from ARRA separately from CSBG funds provided through the regular FY 2009 and 2010 appropriations process. In addition, States must indicate how they plan to evaluate the effectiveness of ARRA CSBG funds, including tracking the number of jobs created. This program is excluded from coverage under 45 CFR Part 1050.
Award Procedures
HHS determines the amount of funds to be allocated as block grants to each State in accordance with the formula set forth in the CSBG Act. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has the authority to apportion to HHS through the course of a year the Congressional appropriation for block grants. Consistent with OMB"s apportionment of funds, HHS will assign allotments to the States through individual awards or a series of awards.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.
Authorization
Community Services Block Grant Act (CSBG Act), as amended by the Community Opportunities, Accountability, Training, and Educational Services Act of 1998, Public Law 105-285; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law 111-5.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Not Applicable.
Appeals
Funds may be withheld from any State which does not utilize its allotment substantially in accordance with the provisions of the CSBG Act, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the assurances provided in its application. This may be done only after adequate notice and an opportunity for a hearing conducted within the affected State.
Renewals
Not Applicable.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.This program has no matching requirements. This program does not have MOE requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Formula grant awards will be made in FY 2009. Grant funds allotted to the State will be awarded in accordance with apportionment of funds from OMB. Amounts unobligated by the State at the end of a fiscal year remain available for obligation during the succeeding fiscal year. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Formula grant awards will be made in FY 2009.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Funded grantees must submit quarterly reports required by Section 1512 of the Recovery Act.
Cash reports are not applicable.
Progress reports are not applicable.
Expenditure reports are not applicable.
Performance monitoring is not applicable.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend 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 Circular No. A-133. States must conduct financial and compliance audits of block grant funds annually in accordance with Section 678D of the CSBG Act. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised June 27, 2003)," Audits of States, Local Governments and Non-Profit Organizations," Non-Federal entities that expend $300,000 ($500,000 for fiscal years ending after December 31, 2003) or more in a year in Federal awards shall have a single or program-specific audit conducted for that year in accordance with the provisions of this part. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $300,000 ($500,000 for fiscal years ending after December 31, 2003) a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in section .215(a), but records must be available for review or audit by appropriate officials of the Federal agency, pass-through entity, and Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Records
States are required to keep records sufficient to permit preparation of the required reports and to permit tracking of funds to a level of expenditure adequate to ensure that funds have not been spent unlawfully.
Financial Information
Account Identification
75-1537-0-1-506 - TAFS: 75-0910-1537.
Obigations
(Formula Grants) FY 08 $0; FY 09 est $985,000,000; FY 10 est $0
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
TBD based on statutory formula.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
45 CFR Part 16, 45 CFR Part 74 and 45 CFR Part 96. All ARRA Standard Terms and Conditions will be applicable to the grantee. Also reference the HHS Grants Policy Statement available online at: http://www.hhs.gov/grantsnet/adminis/gpd/index.htm
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
None.
Headquarters Office
Division of State Assistance, Office of Community Services, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services 370 L"Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington 20201 Email: POC@DHS.GOV Phone: (202) 401-2333
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Not Applicable.
Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight
The Social Innovators of 2014
For 2014, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship has recognized 37 individuals for their outstanding work in the field of social enterprise.
