Appendix N: Standard Budget Forms for AFI Applications PDF Version (161KB)
	Reflecting AFI Guidelines on Standard Forms Standard Form 424, Request for Federal Assistance Standard Form-424A: Budget Information: Non-Construction Programs

Please note that this guide presents general information about the AFI program and the application processes. When developing an application, it is important to review the current program announcement for application requirements.

The Office of Community Services is not accepting applications for the AFI program at this time. Please check the AFI program website for updates on the publication of a program announcement that will include application due dates and requirements.

Requests for Federal assistance require a number of standard forms. Those related specifically to your project budget are:

• Standard Form 424: Application for Federal Assistance. Make sure the chairperson or executive director of the submitting organization signs this. You can find this two-page form on the Web, at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/forms.htm /.1
• Standard Form 424A: Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs . You can find this four-page form at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/forms.htm /.2

Electronic Submissions: All required forms, budgetary and nonbudgetary, may be submitted as part of a complete electronic application. The content of the forms will be as described below. For instructions on the electronic submission process, go to: http://www.grants.gov. Note that you should read the information under "Prepare to Apply for Grants Through Grants.gov" carefully and follow the directions exactly. There are several registration steps involved before you can download an application package or submit a completed application. So begin this process well ahead of the application due date so that you will have ample time to handle any technical difficulties that may arise and are not competing with other applicants for access in the final days or hours of the application period.

Reflecting AFI Guidelines on Standard Forms

The Assets for Independence guidelines include several specifications for how funds are used, as well as the requirement of a dollar-for-dollar nonfederal cash contribution to the Project Reserve Account. Because of these unique requirements, applicants may find that some of the usual instructions to complete the standard forms related to budgets are difficult to follow. Here we provide assistance on specific parts of the Standard Form 424, the Request for Federal Assistance, and the Standard Form 424A, Budget Information, Non-Construction Programs.

The majority of the fields on these two forms are self-explanatory and not affected by AFI requirements. Both of these forms should reflect only the funds you plan to have in your Project Reserve Account , though many projects will also be drawing on other resources to provide administrative and programmatic support.

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Standard Form 424, Request for Federal Assistance

This form is a cover sheet for your entire proposal and captures basic information about the applicant organization, contact data, location of the project, and the like. The only budgetary element is the section entitled "Estimated Funding." This is the part of the form in which you enter summary figures for your AFI budget, in particular the Project Reserve Account. This is section 18 on the new version of the form that you will use if you apply through Grants.gov. If you use the older, one-page version, it is section 15. There are five key points that require special attention:

• The figures here should represent your request of Federal funds and nonfederal cash contribution for the full project period , up to five years, not for one year only.
• The Federal line is the amount you are requesting from AFI.
• The total of figures entered for the applicant (your agency), state, local, and other sources equals the total in the Federal line.
• There will be nothing in the program income line.
• Be sure your total budget figure here matches the corresponding total budget figure on the SF-424A and in your detailed narrative budget. Similarly, the Federal Amount should correspond to the Federal amount shown on the SF-424A.

Following is the SF-424, Request for Federal Assistance, Ver. 2, expiration date 07/31/06. You may use the previous version of the SF-424, Ver. 7/03. There are no items on the earlier version that are not also on the new version. Only the box numbers vary because of the addition of new items to Version 2.

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Standard Form-424A: Budget Information: Non-Construction Programs

This form asks you to break down your projected budget in two ways: by the sources of funds and by the uses of funds. You will itemize your sources of funds in Section A: Budget Summary; and Section C: Nonfederal Sources. You will list projected expenses by a few general categories, such as personnel, travel, and other costs in Section B, Budget Categories. In the case of AFI, the funds to be allocated to participant matches over the life of your project will be the largest figure and appear in the "Other" object class. The form also asks you to project overall expenditures of the Federal portion of your project budget annually over the entire project period in Sections D and E.

Represent on the SF-424A only the Federal funds you are requesting and the required nonfederal cash contribution to your project budget that will be deposited into your Project Reserve Account. The AFI guidelines concerning uses of funds apply only to funds in the Project Reserve Account and not to other resources that may support your project. You can include additional resources in the detailed budget and budget narrative requested in the funding announcement.

Remember that the figures here should reflect the full project period , up to five years and should correspond to the estimated funding section on the SF-424. In addition, here are the key points to note so that the figures on the SF-424A reflect AFI guidelines.

• Section A, Budget Summary
  In this section, you are showing the planned Federal and nonfederal funds, similar to the way you showed them in the estimated funding section of the SF-424. Note the following:

• The Grant Program, column (a), is Assets for Independence .
• The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number, column (b) is: 93:602.
• Use columns (c) and (d), under Estimated Unobligated Funds, Federal and nonfederal, and not columns (e) and (f), even though AFI Projects are considered new.
• The figures in the Federal, column (c), and nonfederal, column (d) will be equal.
• The Federal amount should be the same as the Federal amount in the estimated funding section of the SF-424.
• The total figure, column (g), should be the same as the total estimated funding figure on your SF-424.

• Section B, Budget Categories
  This section of the SF-424A asks for projections according to common budget categories. Because you are describing only the funds in your Project Reserve Account, the figures given for each Object Class under Federal and nonfederal will be equal. In this section you will use only column (1), Federal; and (2), nonfederal (aligned with columns c and d in the previous section). Note especially the following points to conform to AFI guidelines:
  • The single largest figure will be in the Other Object Category. This is where you show the Federal and nonfederal funds that will go to match participant savings. This will be at least 85 percent of your Federal and at least 85 percent of your nonfederal funds.
  • The amounts entered in the remaining Object Classes (personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, and contractual) will depend on how you have allocated the remaining 15 percent of your Federal and nonfederal funds, while adhering to the AFI guidelines described in the funding notice and elsewhere in this Project Builder. The amounts in columns (1) and (2) will always be equal. It may be that the amounts entered in these categories do not incorporate the full costs for the category to your project, but you can show additional resources in your detailed budget and budget narrative.
  • There should be no entries in the Construction or Indirect Charges Object Categories.
  • The totals for columns (1) and (2) should match those in Section A, columns (c) and (d) above; the total for column (6) should match the total for column (g) in Section A.
    
• Section C, Nonfederal Resources
  This section of the form asks you to itemize the nonfederal funds that will go into your Project Reserve Account. The total, of course, should be equal to the Federal funds you are requesting and that you have shown on your SF-424 and in Section A of the SF-424A. However, the breakdown of sources of funds is not exactly the same as on the SF-424. Note the following:
  • The figure for column (b), Applicant, will be the same as on the SF-424.
  • The figure for column (c), State, will be the same as on the SF-424.
  • The figure for column (d), Other Sources, will be the total of Local and Other on the SF-424.
  • The total of these sources should be the same as the total of nonfederal sources given in Section A and Section B of the SF-424A.

• Section D, Forecasted Cash Needs
  This section asks you to project the amount of Federal and nonfederal funds that you expect to spend in the first operating year of your whole project period and to break down that total by quarter. Note the following:
  • The figures entered in the Federal and nonfederal lines will always be equal.
  • Be sure the figures given in the quarterly columns do add up to the total given for the year.

• Section E, Budget Estimates of Federal Funds Needed for Balance of the Project

This section asks only about projected Federal funds to be used in operating years after year one in your whole project period. Remember, however, that AFI guidelines require that the nonfederal share must be deposited in the Project Reserve Account before draw down of the Federal portion. Therefore, the figures here will reflect the timing for deposit of your nonfederal commitments into your Project Reserve Account.

• Section F, Other Budget Information

You do not need to enter any information in this section. Additional details on your overall project budget will be reflected in the detailed budget and budget narrative included in your proposal.

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