Proposed Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Social Innovation Fund 2011 Awards; Request for Feedback

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is releasing a draft of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the 2011 Social Innovation Fund competition. This release will initiate a public input period that will extend until January 21, 2011. The Social Innovation Fund is an innovative program that awards grants to and works with existing grantmaking institutions, referred to in the Notice as "intermediaries," to direct resources to innovative community-based nonprofit organizations that will identify and grow promising programs with preliminary evidence of effectiveness. These programs will address challenges facing local communities in three priority issue areas: <bullet> Youth Development; <bullet> Economic Opportunity; and <bullet> Healthy Futures This public input process reinforces the commitment of CNCS to maintain the high standard of transparency and openness the Social Innovation Fund demonstrated in its initial year (2010). An open process is also critical to ensure that, moving forward, the Social Innovation Fund is able to select the high quality of grantees required to advance its mission--significantly and sustainably improving the lives of people in low-income communities throughout the U.S. CNCS has built on the lessons from the 2010 Social Innovation Fund competition, and is proposing several changes from last year's process that are reflected in the draft 2011 document: <bullet> The Social Innovation Fund is taking additional steps towards transparency consistent with CNCS's commitment to transparency. The NOFO indicates that CNCS plans to release the names and executive summaries of all applications considered for funding, the names of all expert reviewers, and the reviewer comments for all selected grantees. The public comment period will allow us to gauge the sector's thoughts on this issue. <bullet> To expand the number of intermediaries able to participate in the Social Innovation Fund, we have decreased the maximum dollar amount for which intermediaries can apply from $10 million to $7 million. The minimum level will remain at $1 million. <bullet> To stimulate the identification of additional high-impact community-based organizations throughout the U.S., intermediaries will not be permitted to include pre-selected subgrantees in their applications. All intermediary applicants will select all of their subgrantees through open, competitive processes initiated after receipt of their award. <bullet> CNCS has streamlined and clarified the overall content of the NOFO to make it easier for organizations to apply. Particularly we have clarified the eligibility criteria, consolidated guidelines for narrative content, and added information about the review process. CNCS is soliciting public input on the proposed Social Innovation Fund NOFO. As appropriate, the feedback received will be taken into account in the final NOFA. (CNCS will not provide individual responses to feedback received.)