Refugee and Entrant Assistance-Discretionary Grants (93.576)

Program

93.576 Refugee and Entrant Assistance-Discretionary Grants

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Office: Administration For Children And Families

Authorization

FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, Public Law 111-08; Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 , Public Law 106-386; Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008, Public Law 110-161; Defense Authorization Act of 2008, Public Law 110-181; Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980, Title V, Public Law 96-422, 94 Stat. 1809, 8 U.S.C 1522; Refugee Act of 1980, Section 412, Public Law 96-212, 94 Stat. 111, 8 U.S.C 1522.

Program Number

93.576

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To improve resettlement services for refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian entrants, Amerasians, certified victims of a severe form of trafficking, and special immigrants from Iraq or Afghanistan. Program objectives include: (1) decreasing the numbers of refugees on public assistance and the length of time refugees require such assistance; (2) promoting refugee family stability and healthy marriages; (3) encouraging the placement of refugees in locations with good job opportunities and lower costs of living; (4) enhancing services to disadvantaged refugee groups; (5) promoting older refugees' access to aging services; (6) assisting low-income refugees with matching funds for individual development accounts and with financial literacy classes; 7) providing micro-credit to refugees interested in starting new businesses but unable to access commercial sources of capital; (8) providing services to refugees in rural areas; and (9) providing preventive health services.

Types of Assistance

PROJECT GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

Funds may be used only for the purposes set forth in the notice of funds availability and in the grant award.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Public and private nonprofit agencies.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian entrants, Amerasians and certified victims of a severe form of trafficking.

Credentials/Documentation

Proof of immigration status in the form of an I-94 card or a final grant of asylum letter from the Department of Justice or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), formerly Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS), must be provided to be eligible to receive services. For victims of a severe form of trafficking, clients must present a certification or eligibility letter from ORR. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is required. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedure

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. Applications are reviewed and evaluated pursuant to criteria specified in the program announcement. Each agency desiring to respond to a program announcement is required to submit an application. Program grant announcements may be accessed at Grants.gov or at the Office of Refugee Resettlement website at www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr. Application kits, containing the prescribed application forms and supplemental descriptive information, can also be accessed at the ORR website.

Award Procedure

Eligible applicants submit an application to HHS. This document includes a detailed program proposal and budget. Subsequent to review by an independent panel and consideration of past performance, the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement makes final funding decisions and grant awards are issued.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

From 90 to 120 days. From 90 to 120 days.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Contingent upon funding availability, grantee performance, and the best interest of the government.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

This program has no statutory formula.

This program has no matching requirements.

This program does not have MOE requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Funds made available under this program are for project periods ranging from 17 months to 5 years. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: lump sum.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Program Performance Reports are required, usually on a quarterly or semi-annual basis. Final program reports summarizing the activities and accomplishments of the project in relation to the approved goals and objectives are also required 90 days after the end of the project period. No cash reports are required. Program Performance Reports are required, usually on a quarterly or semi-annual basis. Financial Status Reports are required, usually on a quarterly or semi-annual basis. Final financial reports are also required 90 days after the end of the project period. Performance monitoring activities include on-site and desk monitoring of programs. On site, the ORR team interviews agency staff and clients to ensure that information gleaned from the case-file, agency staff and clients corroborates with one another. In addition to program monitoring, quarterly performance reports, financial Status reports (SF-269) and Annual goal plans are reviewed to ensure that agencies are spending funds appropriately and are performing in a manner consistent with the approved application and grant.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Periodic audits are made as part of the system of financial management and internal control to meet terms and conditions of grants and other agreements. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations, nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Nonprofit organizations receiving less than $25,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements, but records must be available for review by appropriate officials of the Federal grantor agency or subgranting entity.

Records

Grant recipients are required to keep all financial, business, and program reports necessary for program review and audit for the project period and for three years after the end of the project period to insure that funds have been expended in accordance with the regulations, grant terms, and conditions of this program.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: 304 discretionary grants (new and continuations) were funded. Fiscal Year 2009: Contingent upon funding, it is estimated that 307 discretionary grants (new and continuations) will be funded. Fiscal Year 2010: Contingent upon funding, discretionary grants (new and continuations) will be funded.

Financial Information

Account Identification

75-1503-0-1-609.

Obligations

(Project Grants) FY 08 $76,492,000; FY 09 est $75,110,000; FY 10 est $75,110,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

From a minimum of $50,000 per grant to the maximum of $19,000,000 based on the type of funding and services to be provided.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Program announcements are published in the ACF and ORR website. All inquiries should be directed to the Information Contact listed below.

Related Programs

93.566 Refugee and Entrant Assistance_State Administered Programs; 93.567 Refugee and Entrant Assistance_Voluntary Agency Programs; 93.583 Refugee and Entrant Assistance_Wilson/Fish Program; 93.584 Refugee and Entrant Assistance_Targeted Assistance Grants

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Ronald Munia 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW, 8th Floor West, Washington, District of Columbia 20009 Email: ronald.munia@acf.hhs.gov Phone: (202) 401-4559 Fax: (202) 401-0981

Web Site Address

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr.

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: In FY 2008, ORR provided funds for projects to: (1) provide vocational training, job search, and social services to help refugees obtain employment; (2) provide placement of refugees in preferred communities; (3) meet special needs of unanticipated arrivals; (4) meet the needs of refugees arriving in the US with special conditions such as positive HIV, trauma, physical and mental disabilities, and other health related problems; (5) provide microenterprise development services to refugees; (6) provide matching funds for individual development accounts (IDA) and funds for financial literacy training for low-income refugees; (7) provide support for ethnic community self-help organizations; (8) provide support for elderly programs; (9) provide funds to support refugee healthy marriage programs; and (10) provide services for refugees in rural areas. Fiscal Year 2009: In FY 2009, ORR will fund projects for a variety of purposes similar to those funded in FY 2008. Fiscal Year 2010: In FY 2010, ORR will fund projects for a variety of purposes similar to those funded in FY 2008.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Notice of the criteria for awarding funds is published in the ACF website and the ORR website for each type of program announcement for discretionary programs. See the Information Contact section for more information.