Dear Colleagues:

This email is a reminder on allowable means to fund state level evaluations of your AmeriCorps State programs. 

Admin and PDAT funds

Admin and PDAT funds may be used to cover the cost of a statewide evaluation of both your formula and competitive programs.

Formula

Commissions may choose to spread the cost of an evaluation of their formula programs among the budgets of their formula subgrantees.  Formula funds may not be used to evaluate competitive programs.

Steps to add evaluation into the formula programs:

• Commissions formula subs increase their budget requests by adding the evaluation funds into Section H;
• eGrants will do the match calculations, so primes and subs need to be sure that the sectional and overall match are being met with the evaluation funds;
• Primes and subs need to be cautious of the impact on the cost per MSY when adding in the evaluation funds.

Competitive

Commissions may choose to spread the cost of an evaluation of their competitive programs among the budgets of their competitive subgrantees.  In this instance, the subs would budget and match for the evaluation, and the commission would draw down whatever percentage you have required.  The total CNCS share for the program cannot go above the approved amount. Competitive funds may not be used to evaluate formula programs.

If the evaluation was not included in the competitive application when it was approved, a rework of the sub’s budget during negotiation would be required before award.  Notify your program officer immediately if this is the case since it would require CNCS approval. Reworking the budgets before award could impact the timing of the awards.

If the award has been made, changes to cumulative budget line items that amount to 10 per cent or more of the total program budget must be approved in writing in advance by the Corporation Grants Officer (unless the Corporation share of the award is $100,000 or less). The total program budget includes both the Corporation and grantee shares. Grantees may transfer funds among approved direct cost categories when the cumulative amount of such transfers does not exceed 10 per cent of the total program budget.  Reallocation of funds from the “Member Support Cost” category to other categories of the approved budget requires prior Corporation approval.

Steps to add evaluation into the competitive programs:

• Commissions’ competitive subs may not increase their CNCS approved amounts but must rework their budgets from the approved funds to create a line item for evaluation in Section H; 
• eGrants will do the match calculations, so primes and subs need to be sure that the sectional and overall match are being met with the evaluation funds.

Suggestions to Commissions on How to Access the Funds Once They are Budgeted for Evaluation

The following suggestions are intended to assist commissions in understanding how to access funds for evaluation after they have been budgeted in their competitive or formula subgrants.  Please note that because commission accounting systems vary, these are merely suggestions:

• The commission should have a written plan that explains how and how frequently (e.g. all at once, monthly or quarterly) it plans to access the evaluation funds;
• When a sub submits a reimbursement request, the commission can draw the evaluation funds at the same time, retaining those funds in its own account;
• The commission needs to be sure that when drawing these funds, it will not have the cash on hand for an excess period of time in order to reduce the amount of interest earned;
• The commission needs to be sure that the sub is meeting the match requirements with the evaluation funds.  If the commission chooses to access the evaluation funds early on, then it needs to be certain the match will be met over the course of the year.