Department of Finance

COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT FUND (CEF) GRANTS FOR FY10 - Frequently Asked Questions

Questions on the FY10 Community Enhancement Fund may be emailed to dgc@nashville.gov. This page is updated as new questions come in, so responses should be posted within 1 business day.

Under “Community Services”, would services related to the provision of medical care and/or prescription medication access for the uninsured be considered “services provided for individuals and families experiencing economic crisis that address basic needs” (p.6)?
No. The only services eligible for funding are services related to shelter needs as described in the Handbook, food, or case management related to those two needs.
Does “After School” include summer time or just after school hours and on the weekend during the school year?
Afterschool can include summer time as long as the program meets the rest of the criteria for Afterschool programs (e.g., structured programs at least 3 days a week, that promote student success). However, applicants should note that the CEF Timeline does not lend itself well to funding summer-only programs. Although the CEF grant contract term runs from July 1-June 30, the CEF grants will not be confirmed by Council until July 21 and grant contracts cannot be issued until after that date. Most summer programs have already started by then, and some have even ended by then.
Our agency is small, with an annual budget of <$100,000. We do not have a formal annual audit. Are we still eligible to apply?
No.
I am interested in knowing if due to the fact that we are a faith- based organization this decreases our chances for funding.
No, being faith based does not have an effect of chances for funding, as long as there is no faith-based content in the program delivered, and as long as eligibility for the service is in no way contingent upon profession of a particular faith.
What is considered an extended period of time for the after-school category?
An extended period of time has now been defined in Amendment One to the FY10 CEF Handbook, as a minimum of 180 hours totally. See Amendment One for details.
Would Safe Exchange of children for visitation in situations of domestic violence be eligible to apply for funding under the Domestic Violence category? The funding priorities listed are: shelter, advocacy, and counseling.
Safe Exchange of children does not fall under the funding priorities in the Domestic Violence category.
What format do you want the audits in? PDF?
Audits should be in PDF.
Under Community Services it states services provided to individuals and families experiencing economic crisis that address basic needs, including housing, food and/or case management services. Am I correct in reading that job/employment training or GED adult classes would not qualify this year? What about organizations that provide case management services to their clients assisting them in meeting basic needs?
Case management services for clients which assist them in meeting basic needs would qualify, as long as the basic needs include housing and/or food.
In the Spending Plan, does the line-item for “communications” mean “telephone” or “marketing materials”
In most cases “marketing materials” would be included in the “Printing and Publications” line item, although marketing-related communications that do not fall in the Printing and Publications” category could be included under “Communications”. Telephone would typically fall under “Communications”.
If our agency includes two different programs that address the same need, could we submit an application that included both programs?
Since each agency is allowed to submit only one application, it would not be permitted to combine two different programs into one application. The agency should choose just one program to include in their application.
We have a summer program that covers June and July. Can we apply for a CEF grant that would cover June and July costs for that program?
No, the grant term runs from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. Costs incurred outside of that period would not be allowable under the grant.
Would the cost of Accessride passes for transportation for economically needy clients be eligible under the Community Services area?
No, transportation is not an eligible use of Community Services funding for FY10.
Would the cost of food supplements, such as Ensure, be included as an eligible use of the Community Services fund? This would be for clients with very special nutritional needs that could not be met with regular food items.
Yes, supplements of that nature needed for nourishment for some beneficiaries would be considered food.
In the Afterschool ‘Program Design Factors’ where it asks for ‘Clearly defined program goals, policies, and procedures, including grievance, nondiscrimination, and disciplinary policies, program schedules, emergency plans, and registration/enrollment. Procedures are provided to parents.’, is the applicant expected to provide all the policies and procedures governing all those areas in the application?
It is unlikely that the applicant will be able to include all of these agency policies and procedures within the number of keystrokes allowed. It is most important that the applicant indicate that the agency has such policies and procedures and that they are provided to the parents.
We are applying for a grant and we have a Application form and rules / guideline form for the program we are submitting. Can I attach with the application as an attachment? Or would you prefer not to see it?
Do not attach anything to your application which is not already requested in the CEF Handbook. Any additional attachments will be discarded.
If the program for which the application is submitted has some funding from non-Metro sources, should the Spending Plan Narrative provide an explanation of just the items to be paid for by the grant, or should it also explain items paid for by non-Metro sources?
The Spending Plan Narrative should provide an explanation of all items in the program budget, not just those paid for by Metro funds.
Is there a match requirement specific to this grant opportunity? Are we required to complete Column 2 Non-Metro Funds on the Spending Plan?
No, there is no match requirement and you complete the “Non-Metro Funds” column in the Spending Plan only if you intend to use some non-Metro funds.
Can you give us specific instructions, like a landmark of exactly where to deliver our grant application?
222 Third Avenue, North is about one block south of the Courthouse (that is, south of Union Street). There is no free parking nearby although there are many pay lots within a block, including the lot underneath Courthouse Square. Allow time to locate the building and park. No applications will be accepted after 4:30 p.m. on May 8.

Contact Grants Coordination

Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
Department of Finance
Division of Grants Coordination
222 3rd Avenue North, Suite 501
P.O. Box 196300
Nashville, TN 37219-6300
E-mail: DGC@nashville.gov