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I hope this message finds you all well. As the Community Change Grant November 21, 2024, submission deadline approaches, EPN wanted to send a few important reminders to ensure that all applications are complete and meet all the requirements:
Community Change Grant (CCG) Reminders
1) Request a Debrief
If you receive an email notifying you that your application is ineligible for award consideration (or was not selected), we strongly encourage you to request a debrief, as explained in the email that you received from EPA. This will allow you to understand what went wrong and submit the necessary documents to show proof of eligibility (and/or make other changes). Following the debriefing, you can submit the application again, correcting the issues that caused it to be deemed ineligible (and/or make any other changes to it that you want) as long as you resubmit before the November 21st deadline. EPN has seen the turn around time to schedule a debrief to be relatively quick, so please reach out to EPA today if you have received such an email.
2) EPN Application Guides
Please remember to use our guides (which include links to checklists for Track 1 and Track 2 in the paragraph under “Steps to Apply”) to verify that you have included all the proper attachments and documentation before submitting your grant application through Grants.gov. These guides (and those put out by EPA’s contractor, EnDyna, on the Community Change TA site) are designed to help you avoid any oversights that could affect your eligibility. EPN’s checklists can be copied and used by your team to track your work.
3) Application Issues
We have seen the following two issues with a number of applications:
– Proof of Nonprofit Status: Please make sure to include a document that proves your nonprofit status. This is not just important, it’s a mandatory requirement. “Applicants must include documentation in their application demonstrating that they are a nonprofit organization by one of two ways: 1) a written determination by the Internal Revenue Service that they are exempt from taxation under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code, or 2) based on a written determination by the state, territory, commonwealth, Tribe, or other United States governmental entity in which they are located.”
– Submit the Application Requirements with Specific File Name: Make sure your project narrative, attachments, and other mandatory documents are labeled with the corresponding name to avoid confusion on EPA’s end. For example, to describe your attachments you may use “Project Narrative,” “Proof of Nonprofit Status,” “Attachment A: Program Budget,” or “Attachment D: Project Area Map,” etc.
If you find yourself needing any assistance with any of these steps or others, do not hesitate to reach out. We are committed to ensuring your application is as strong as possible.
4) EPN CCG TA Requests
Due to the extensive time and effort needed to put together a competitive CCG application and EPA’s fast-approaching November 21 application deadline, EPN will only be able to provide Community Change Grant-related assistance to organizations or entities that have an advanced draft proposal and are looking to strengthen their application or seek draft review starting September 1, 2024. After September 1, we will not be able to assist groups 1:1 who are earlier in the process, but all of our resources will still on our website.
Thank you for your attention to these important details, and best of luck with your submission!