CNCS Social Innovation Fund: Draft Notice of Funding Availability released for Public Feedback, Comments Due Jan 15

The Corporation for National and Community Service released a draft Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for its 2010 Social Innovation Fund (SIF) grant competition today. The Corporation is soliciting public feedback on the funding notification through January 15, 2010. After public feedback, CNCS plans on releasing the funding opportunity in February.

Press Release: http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr...

NOFA:http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/09_1218_sif_nofadraft.pdf

CNCS information page on Social Innovation Fund including a webinar: http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/serveamerica/innovation.asp

The SIF, is designed to create new knowledge about how to solve social challenges in the areas of economic opportunity, youth development and school support, and healthy futures, and, improve our nation's challenge-solving infrastructure in low-income communities. It is not to be confused with the I3, the US Dept of Education's Innovation fund (more info: http://mentoringforums.educationnorthwest.org/node/98)

In 2010, the Corporation expects to award an estimated $50 million in Federal funding to five to seven intermediary organizations. Annual awards, which will run for five years, are expected to be in the range of $5 million to $10 million. Intermediary organizations – grantmaking institutions – will apply for SIF funding and then make sub-grants to a portfolio of promising nonprofit organizations, matching federal dollars one to one, at each stage in the process. Intermediaries will also be expected to provide a range of strategic supports to their portfolio organizations, including in the areas of management, fundraising, and especially, evaluation. The SIF will require funded intermediaries to focus resources on promising nonprofit organizations with “rigorous evidence of impact.” To ensure that intermediary and nonprofit organizations from across the country have an opportunity to benefit from the SIF, applicants may apply and propose to host an open awards competition. "While a preference may be given to applicants with a ready portfolio of promising nonprofit organizations, this open awards provision recognizes the benefits of building new intermediaries committed to searching for transformative solutions."

Again, the deadline for feedback on the NOFA is January 15, 2010. The final SIF funding notice is expected to be released in February 2010.