Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) CARES Act Rapid-Cycle Impact Projects

The Office of Community Services (OCS) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) issues this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for grants for Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) CARES Act Rapid-Cycle Impact Projects (RCIP). This new FOA will support the continuous progress toward the CSBG CARES Act RCIP goal of adapting current eligible entity service models to effectively respond to immediate community needs while also preparing for a future model that realigns local service based on those needs. The grantees under this cooperative agreement will be responsible for implementing community-based projects focused on priority areas to be specified by OCS. Examples include: Coordination with public health and emergency management to address urgent health and social outcomes for people with low-income; Adapting service delivery to a physical distancing environment to promote safety and effectiveness (including use of technology for remote service delivery or to coordinate services); Strengthening individual and family adaptive capacities (including two-generation and intergenerational service models); Making structural reforms at the community-level to reinvent the safety net; Innovations in supports for families affected by school changes and disrupted childcare services; and Identifying and training for high demand jobs in the post-COVID-19 economy. OCS will identify up to 20 regionally diverse projects focusing on one or more OCS priority areas to participate in a Rapid-Cycle Evaluation and Continuous Quality Improvement approach. Grantees will receive support from OCS on all aspects of this rapid-cycle learning approach and assistance in implementing it in their projects on developing rapid-cycle evaluation methods and assist grantees with required reporting and data collection.