Ethnic Community Self Help Program

*This announcement has been modified as follows: ACF has updated the application kit and instructions for this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to incorporate the new two electronic file requirement. All potential applicants must download the new application kit and instructions in order to apply for this FOA. *Note: This announcement was previously modified on January 18, 2013 and included the following: ACF has implemented a new submission requirement for all applicants. Each applicant is required to upload ONLY two electronic files, excluding Standard Forms and OMB-approved forms. One file must contain the entire Project Description, along with the detailed Budget and the Budget Justification. The other file must contain all Appendices. No more than two files will be accepted for the review, and additional files will be removed. Standard Forms and OMB-approved forms will not be considered additional files. For more information, please see Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission. The FY2013 due date is now March 22, 2013 The earliest date of arrival for beneficiaries of this grant was changed to 2008 to meet the five-year limit for ORR services to newly arriving refugees In Section IV.1, the Division of Community Resettlement is now the Division of Refugee Services Section IV.3 shows the FY2013 submission date as March 22, 2013 Section V.1 further itemizes the points allocation for evaluative criteria in the following sections: Under Organizational Capacity, 0-10 points may be awarded for details regarding staff qualifications, and project administration and management; and 0-10 points may be awarded for details regarding collaborating partners and previous grant implementation experience Under Objectives and Need for Assistance, 0-10 points may be awarded for the needs statement and the target population description; 0-10 points may be awarded for listing SMART objectives; and 0-5 points may be awarded for evidence of target community involvement in and support for the project Under Approach, 0-5 points may be awarded for project design, strategy, and rationale; 0-10 points may be awarded for quantitative details regarding project accomplishments; and 0-10 points may be awarded for evidence of project sustainability and community empowerment and collaboration Under Expected Outcomes, 0-5 points may be awarded for inclusion of direct and indirect outcomes; 0-5 points may be awarded for listing measurable and realistic outcomes, and monitoring and evaluation activities; and 0-10 points may be awarded for demonstrating the benefits of the project to refugee communities as well as increased access to services by individual refugees The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) invites refugee ethnic-community based organizations as well as refugee ethnic organizations that are faith-based to submit competitive grant applications for funding of the Ethnic Community Self-Help Program to provide services to newly arrived refugees. The objective of this program is to strengthen organized ethnic communities comprised and representative of refugee populations to ensure ongoing support and services to refugees within five years after initial resettlement. The populations targeted for services and benefits in the application must represent refugee communities which have arrived in the U.S. within the last five years (no earlier than 2008). Applicants should view these resources as a temporary augmentation of funds to meet emerging organizational and other needs of the arriving populations and should plan to move toward non-ORR funding sources beyond the project period.