Application Information Center for Substance Abuse Prevention(CSAP)
Request for Applications (RFA)
Drug Free Communities Support Program
(Initial Announcement)
Request for Applications (RFA) No. SP-08-002
Posting on Grants.gov: January 15, 2008
Receipt date: March 21, 2008
Announcement Type: Initial
Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No..: 93.276
Key Dates:
Application Deadline |
Applications are due by March 21, 2008 |
Intergovernmental Review |
Applicants must comply with E.O. 12372 if their State(s) participates. Review process recommendations from the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) are due no later than 60 days after application deadline. |
Public Health System Impact Statement (PHSIS)/Single State Agency Coordination |
Applicants must send the PHSIS to appropriate State and local health agencies by application deadline. Comments from Single State Agency are due no later than 60 days after application deadline. |
The Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) announce the availability of funds for the new FY 2008 Drug Free Communities Support Program (DFC) grants.
DFC is a collaborative initiative sponsored by ONDCP in partnership with SAMHSA in order to achieve two major goals:
- Establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, private nonprofit agencies, and Federal, State, local, and tribal governments to support the efforts of community coalitions to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth.
- Reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, among adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance abuse and promote the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse. (Substances include, but are not limited to, narcotics, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, cannabis, inhalants, alcohol, and tobacco, where their use is prohibited by Federal, State, or local law.) Note: DFC projects must focus on multiple drugs of abuse. When the term “drug” or “substance” is used in this funding announcement, it is intended to include all of the above drugs.
The Drug Free Communities Program (DFC) was created by the Drug Free Communities
Act, 1997 (Public Law 105-20), reauthorized through the Drug Free Communities
End of
Translation
Reauthorization Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-82) and reauthorized again through the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-469). The latest reauthorization extended the program for an additional five years until 2012.
Since 1998, ONDCP has awarded approximately 1,300 DFC grants, with an additional 150 new awards expected in FY 2008. The community sites that have been awarded grants represent a cross-section of communities from every region in the nation and include rural, urban, suburban, and tribal communities. The program has given priority to economically disadvantaged areas or counties in which 20 percent or more of the children are living in a household below the poverty line, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Additional grantee information is available on the DFC Web site www.ondcp.gov/dfc.
Eligibility
The Drug Free Communities Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-20) and its subsequent Reauthorization Acts (Public Law 107-82 and Public Law 109-469), authorize initial grant funding or renewal grant funding for coalitions who meet the criteria outlined below.
DFC grant funds are intended to support community-based coalitions. The following is a summary of the DFC eligibility requirements and the minimum documentation applicants must provide in Part V, Section G (“Documentation for Eligibility Requirements”) of their application. If an application does not meet all the eligibility requirements, it will not be forwarded to peer review. Each year, DFC grantees MUST demonstrate compliance with all of these eligibility criteria to be considered for continued funding. See Section G of the RFA: Documentation for Eligibility Requirements.
See Attachment 6 of the RFA for further information on guidance for the use of a “fiscal agent” as described below and Attachment 7 of the RFA for a sample MOU between the coalition and the fiscal agent.
DFC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS | HOW AND WHERE TO DOCUMENT |
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1.1 The coalition must be a legally eligible entity. The coalition must be an organization legally eligible to apply for a grant or must make arrangements with an organization that will apply for the grant on behalf of the coalition and serve as the legal and fiscal agent for the grant. That is, a single organization (i.e., the coalition or its fiscal agent) must be the legal applicant, the recipient of the award, and the entity legally responsible for satisfying the grant requirements. Legal/fiscal agents acting on behalf of a coalition may be domestic public or private non-profit entities, such as State, local, or tribal governments; public or private universities and colleges; professional associations; voluntary organizations, self-help groups; consumer and provider services-oriented constituency groups; community and faith-based organizations; and tribal organizations. |
1.1 How: If a coalition is NOT acting as its own Fiscal Agent, the applicant must include a completed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the coalition and the Fiscal Agent. *see Sample MOU-Coalition & Fiscal Agent (Attachment 7). * for further information and guidance on the use of a Fiscal Agent, see Attachment 6. Where: Part V, Section G, Documentation for Eligibility Requirements. |
1.2 The coalition must have the goal of reducing substance abuse among youth as part of its principal mission. |
1.2 Where: Part V, Section G, Documentation for Eligibility Requirements. |
1.3 The coalition must target multiple drugs and address the two major DFC goals. |
1.3 Where: Applicants must support this statement with the information provided in Part V, Sections A-E (Project Narrative) of their applications. Applicants must also show the targeting of multiple drugs in their logic model in Part V, Section D (Implementation). |
1.4 The coalition must demonstrate that coalition members have worked together on substance abuse prevention for a period of at least six months prior to the date of submission of this application. “Working together” can include but is not be limited to: acting through entities such as task forces, subcommittees, or community boards. The coalition must also demonstrate that it is “of ongoing concern” in the community. This means that the coalition has been active within six months of the date of submission of this application. |
1.4 A second set of meeting minutes must show that the coalition has been recently active. These minutes must be from a meeting which occurred WITHIN the six months prior to the date of submission of this application. Both sets of minutes must demonstrate that the coalition has substantial involvement and participation from its sector representatives. These minutes must also demonstrate to the satisfaction of the reviewers that the focus of the meeting is the community coalition’s efforts to prevent or reduce substance use. If a fiscal agent is applying on behalf of a coalition, the meeting minutes MUST reflect activities/business of the coalition, NOT those of the fiscal agent. Each set must include the list of attendees at the meeting and the contribution/sector that they represent. Be sure to clearly indicate the date (including month and year) that the meeting took place. Where: Part V, Section G, Documentation for Eligibility Requirements. |
1.5 The coalition must demonstrate that it has substantial participation from volunteer leaders in the community. The coalition must have representation from its targeted community and include a minimum of one member from each of the following 12 sectors: A representative of the community is defined as a coalition member if he/she participates in regularly scheduled coalition management and planning meetings and is an active participant and contributor to the coalition’s activities, events, and strategic planning. For purposes of this application, an individual coalition member may not represent more than one of the 12 sectors mentioned above. An “individual who supports or sponsors the coalition or its activities” is not necessarily the same as “an active coalition member.” |
1.5 * A sample table is provided as Attachment 3 of this RFA. Applicants MUST USE the same format as is found in the sample. * A sample MOU-Coalition & Sector Member is provided as Attachment 11 of this RFA. Applicants MUST USE the same format as is found in the sample. 2. An organization chart that reflects the coalition’s (NOT THE FISCAL AGENT’S) structure and its relationship to an umbrella agency, other separate entities, and volunteer and staff positions funded through DFC and matching funds. Where: Part V, Section G, Documentation for Eligibility Requirements. |
1.6 Applicants/fiscal agents may be awarded only one grant at a time through the DFC Support Program. |
1.6 Where: Part V, Section G, Documentation for Eligibility Requirements (include Attachment 8) |
1.7 Two coalitions may not serve the same geographic area unless both coalitions have clearly described their plan for collaboration in their applications and each coalition has independently met the eligibility requirements. |
1.7 How: If an applicant is serving an area already served by a DFC grantee, the applicant must specifically identify the level of collaboration with that grantee and include a letter of support from that grantee. |
1.8 The coalition must demonstrate that it addresses substance abuse prevention in the community in a comprehensive and long-term fashion and works to develop consensus regarding the priorities of the community to combat substance abuse among youth. |
1.8 |
1.9 Documentation that the coalition is not applying for an 11th year of DFC Funding |
1.9 Where: Part V, Section G, Documentation for Eligibility Requirements. |
Award Information
DFC expects to award approximately $19 million for 150 FY 2008 DFC grants through this RFA. DFC grants will be available to eligible coalitions in amounts of up to $125,000 per year over a five-year period, known as a “funding cycle.” To apply for a DFC grant under this RFA, a coalition must fall into one of the following three categories:
a. A coalition that has never received a DFC grant;
b. A coalition that previously received a DFC grant but experienced a lapse in funding;
c. A coalition that has concluded the first five-year funding cycle and is applying for a second five-year funding cycle.
First-time applicants (coalitions that have never before received a DFC grant) may request up to $125,000 per year for Years 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the funding cycle. If selected to receive a DFC grant, these coalitions will be awarded funds for Year 1 (covering the 12-month period from September 30, 2008 – September 29, 2009). Funds for subsequent years (Years 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the funding cycle) are distributed on an annual basis as non-competing “continuation awards.” Annual continuation awards are contingent upon the availability of DFC funds, the continued ability of the coalition to demonstrate eligibility, grantee progress in meeting grant requirements, and timely submission of the continuation application, as well as required data and reports.
Coalitions that have previously received DFC funding but, for whatever reason, experienced a lapse in funding, may reapply for funding to complete their five-year funding cycle. For example, if “Coalition XYZ” received DFC funding for Years 1 and 2, but did not receive funding for Year 3, Coalition XYZ may apply for funding for Years 3, 4 and 5 under this RFA. Coalition XYZ may not, however, reapply for Year 1 or Year 2 funding.
Coalitions that have completed their first five-year funding cycle may request up to $125,000 per year for Years 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of a second five-year cycle.
All applicants must clearly state the program award year for which they are applying (e.g., Year 1, Year 2, etc.) Please indicate in Section J of the application how many years, and which specific years, you have received DFC support.
Coalitions that have received 10 years of DFC funding should refer to the Year 11 Policy outlined in Part III of this RFA under “DFC Eligibility Requirements.”
Contact Information
For questions on program issues, contact:
Jayme S. Marshall
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
1 Choke Cherry Road
Room 4-1059
Rockville, Maryland 20857
(240) 276-1270
dfcnew2008@samhsa.hhs.gov
For questions on grants management issues, contact:
Edna Frazier
Office of Program Services, Division of Grants Management
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
1 Choke Cherry Road
Room 7-1087
Rockville, Maryland 20857
(240) 276-1405
Edna.Frazier@samhsa.hhs.gov
Documents needed to complete a grant application:
Applications that are not submitted on the required application form will be screened out and will not be reviewed.
Download the complete Announcement No. SP-08-002
You must respond to the requirements in the RFA in preparing your application.Download RFA in MS Word format
Download RFA in Adobe PDF format
PHS 5161-1 (revised July 2000): Includes the face page, budget forms and checklist. Applications that are not submitted on the required application form will be screened out and will not be reviewed.
- PHS 5161-1 in MS Word format
- PHS 5161-1 in PDF format
- HHS Form 690
- List of Assurances in MS Word format
- List of Assurances in PDF format
- List of Certifications in MS Word format
- List of Certifications in PDF format
- Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants in MS Word format
- Survey
on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants
- SMA 170 in MS Word format (For certain grants only; see RFA)
- SMA 170 in PDF format (For certain grants only; see RFA)
Additional Materials
For further information on the forms and the application process, see Useful Information for Applicants
Additional materials available on this website include:
- Technical Assistance and Training for SAMHSA Grant Applicants
- Grants Management at SAMHSA: Useful Information for Grantees
Last updated: 12/12/2008