Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs: FY2011

Priorities for the FY2011 continuation funding are to enhance quality services in high need communities as evidenced by low income level and need for academic improvement by:

1. Supporting programs that demonstrate strong and innovative implementation of Quality Enhancements. Proposed services and activities under this priority should focus on enhancing one or more of the quality criteria listed in Addendum A: Guidelines for Quality Enhancements in After-School and Out-of-School Time Programs. The goal of the criteria is to support effective ASOST programs that provide a balanced focus on and link to supporting children's and youth's academic success as well as their overall development, including healthy social and emotional development. Grantees may propose a planning process whereby community and school partners work together to develop strategies for how to better address and sustain the after-school and out-of-school time needs of children, youth, and families within a community.

2. Addressing barriers to student participation. Grantees may apply for funding to address programmatic issues related to facilitating student participation, including, but not limited to: providing transportation; promoting effective student outreach activities; and/or providing program services for particular age groups (i.e., K-12) that are not being served currently.

3. Increasing comprehensive after-school and out-of-school time programming to children and youth during the school year and summer by supplementing existing programming, including 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Programs. Activities under this priority may include, but are not limited to, extending a program's before- and/or after-school hours/days; extending a summer program's weeks of duration or hours per day; or adding a summer program to a school year design.

FY2010 After-School and Out-of-School Time Quality grantees are eligible to apply for these continuation funds in FY2011.

Where appropriate, applicants, partnering programs, and organizations applying for funds must demonstrate:

1. adherence to applicable Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) regulations or Department Program Standards for Public School Operated After-School Programs;

2. willingness to serve low-income students through EEC vouchers if the program meets EEC's requirements for subsidized school-age services; and

3. willingness to participate in Department- and/or Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership-sponsored networking meetings.

In addition, grantees receiving more than $50,000in funds must address the following:

1. developing strong partnerships; and

2. leveraging additional funds to supplement the work of this grant in the amount of at least 10 percent of the total budget request.

Pending budget appropriation levels, individual grantee eligibility amounts are expected to be 75-100% of the FY2010 funding levels. Exact amounts will be sent to all eligible entities once confirmed.

Additionally, amounts forStudent Support continuation and allocation grants* (including this ASOST grant) will be posted in mid-late July 2010 once confirmed.

*The direct URL is: http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/SchFin/grants/11ContAllocation.aspx

Funds may be used to enhance and/or provide programs and services, as outlined in the Purpose and Priorities sections and in Addendum A. Budget expenditures may include, but are not limited to, the following costs:

1. staff and coordinator salaries;

2. contracts/subsidy payments with provider agencies;

3. professional development activities;

4. stipends for professionals and students involved actively in the delivery of services;

5. activities to promote family involvement;

6. additional costs related to serving students with disabilities and/or students who are English language learners;*

7. program materials and supplies; and

8. transportation. (Vehicles may not be purchased with these funds.)

*Expenditures for serving students with disabilities or students whose first language is not English may include increased per-child reimbursement rates, additional staff, specialized training, and technical assistance.

No more than 10 percent of the total budget may be used for program coordination and administration. Staff positions related to implementation of direct services should not be included as part of the 10 percent cap.

In addition, within the 10 percent cap, costs for directors, site coordinators, staff, utilities, audit costs, and general overhead can only be included in the budget to the extent that the plan for administering this grant requires additional responsibilities, supervision, or expenses to the agency that might not otherwise have been incurred. These funds should supplement existing budgets and program structures and not supplant current efforts and expenses. If these general overhead expenditures are included, the budget narrative must clearly describe what responsibilities directly relate to the administration of this grant.

Indirect costs (Line 9) are not an allowable expenditure under this grant.

Example of Direct Services (not included in 10 percent cap)
A grantee proposes a quality enhancement to its ASOST program that will be implemented by the Site Coordinator. Currently, the Site Coordinator works 18 hours per week but in receiving the award, the Site Coordinator would need to work an additional two hours per week directly with students to implement those new services. The budget will cover 10% (2 of 20 hours) of the Site Coordinator's position to implement the plan. That expense is not considered a program coordination or administration expense but instead is considered to be a direct service cost since the funding is for separate and new responsibilities that directly relate to this grant and the funded program.

Example of Program Coordination/Administration Costs (included in 10 percent cap)
A grantee proposes a quality enhancement to be implemented by a consultant. The budget includes expenses related to the consultant's time but includes 5% of the Site Coordinator's time for an additional hour of supervision per week to oversee the work of the consultant. The cost of the consultant's time would be considered direct services while the supervision by the Site Coordinator would be calculated as part of the 10 percent program coordination and administration cap.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on the date due.

1.     FY2011 School Year Program: Part I - General - Program Unit Signature Page - (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)
   
   This form is required for programs with services and expenditures during September 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011.

2.     FY2012 Summer Program: Part I - General - Program Unit Signature Page - (Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants)
   
   This form is required for programs with services and expenditures during July 1, 2011-August 31, 2011.

3.     Part II Workbook - Budget (II-A) and Budget Narrative (II-B)*
   
   (Print and mail with the application all four budget and budget narrative pages. See important opening instructions below.)

   Note:Programs may choose to run a school year and/or summer program. One set of budget pages must be submitted for any school year activities/expenditures (9/1/2010-6/30/2011) and a separate set of budget pages for any summer activities/expenditures (7/1/2011-8/31/2011).

4.     Part III - Required Program Information

5.     Grant Assurances

*NOTE: The Budget and Budget Narrative Workbook is a Microsoft Excel file which includes macros that enable the workbook to compute totals and summary tables.

1. ForMicrosoft Office 2000/2003, you may need to change the security setting in Excelbefore opening the file. In Excel, click 'Tools', 'Macro', and then 'Security'. When the dialog box appears, change the security setting to 'Medium' and then click 'OK'. You can now open the budget file.

2. ForMicrosoft Office 2007, you must save the workbook as an earlier version of Excel (.xlsnot.xlsx).

1.     Addendum A: Guidelines for Quality Enhancements in After-School and Out-of- School Time Programs

Please Note: Grantees may choose to apply for funds to cover services during the school year only, summer only, or both school year and summer. Applicants wishing to include school yearandsummer services must submit two Part I - Standard Contract Form and Application for Program Grants and two Part II - Budget Workbook pages. The school year set will be for services to be rendered between September 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011. The summer set should reflect dates and costs associated with services to be provided between July 1, 2011 and August 31, 2011.

Email the following:

• Part II - Budget Workbook (IIA and IIB) for FY2011 school year and/or summer programs, as applicable

• Part III - Required Program Information to Kristen McKinnon at kmckinnon@doe.mass.edu.

AND

Submit one (1) complete set of all required forms, with original signatures of the Superintendent/Executive Director.

Mail to: