National Service Agency Solicits Public Feedback on 2011 Social Innovation Fund

WASHINGTON, DC – The Corporation for National and Community Service released a draft Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for its 2011 Social Innovation Fund grant competition today. The Corporation is soliciting public feedback on the funding notification through January 21, 2011.

The 2011 NOFO is designed to increase the ability of the Social Innovation Fund to drive community impact and solutions by expanding the engagement of the social sector and opportunities for greater participation of effective community organizations. There are four important highlight in this year's NOFO:

• The Social Innovation Fund is taking additional steps towards more openness, which is consistent with the Administration's commitment to more open government. The NOFO indicates that the Corporation plans to make public 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.
      
• To expand the number of intermediaries able to participate in the Social Innovation Fund, the Corporation has decreased the maximum dollar amount for which intermediaries can apply from $10 million to $7 million. The minimum level will remain at $1 million.
      
• To stimulate the identification of additional high-impact community-based organizations throughout the U.S., Social Innovation Fund 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.

The Corporation has streamlined and clarified the overall content of the NOFO to make it easier for potential applicants to understand and meet the requirements. In particular, we have clarified the eligibility criteria, consolidated guidelines for narrative content, and added information about the review process.

The deadline for feedback is January 21, 2010. The final SIF funding notice is expected to be released in February 2010.

To date, the Social Innovation Fund's eleven grantees have awarded 61 innovative community-based nonprofit organizations with subgrants that will provide workforce training, job placement, financial literacy services, and other resources to help more than 32,000 individuals achieve long-term financial security.