FY24/25 Grant Application Questions 

1.  Is this the only funding opportunity coming out of GOFBCI this year for Governor’s Grants? Yes

2. What is the timeline/dates of the award period?

• The Application link opens on March 20, 2023, at 8 a.m.
• The application deadline is March 31, 2023, at 6 p.m.
• Executive Order of Grant Awards will be signed in July 2023.

 3. When will this grant cycle begin? July 1, 2023

4. What calendar year is the grant good for?

• July 1, 2023- June 30, 2024 (for 1-year grants)
• July 1, 2023- June 30, 2025 (for 2-year grants)

5. When will grant decisions be made? Decisions will be announced in July 2023.

6. What is the range of grant awards? 25k, 50k, 100k, 200k

7. What is the maximum grant request amount? $200,000

8. Does that mean that an application with a budget greater than $200,000 is not allowable under any circumstance? That is correct.

9. How many grants will be awarded? There is not a specific limit to the number of awards.

10. Is this grant application to cover a period of 2 years?

• Grant requests under $50,000 will be a 1-year grant.
• Grant requests higher than $50,000 will be a 2-year grant. (Be advised that the grant amount awarded will be the same both years.

11. Should our grant request reflect a 2-year grant period?  If an organization requests $50,000 or less, then it will fall into the 1-year grant category. If an organization requests more than $50,000, it will fall into the 2-year grant category. This means that If your organization is awarded grant funding, your organization will receive the same grant amount for both FY24 and FY25. Thus, if your organization's request is $25,000 and you will need to submit a budget and budget narrative for FY24 only.  However, if your organization requests $200,000, then you will receive $200,000 in FY24 and $200,000 in FY25. Therefore, you will need to supply a budget and budget narrative for both FY24 and FY25. 

12. The budget versus budget narrative? We have provided templates on the website for the grant applicants but you can whatever format you prefer.

BUDGET

Now it’s time to put dollars to the plan. How much will this cost? Be specific and account for all the ingredients in your program recipe. Start by making a chart with four columns:

• Column 1 – Line Items: Use your organization’s chart of accounts to list the line items that must be addressed in budgeting for the grant-funded program.
• Column 2 – Total Program Budget: This column shows the cost of everything that will go into the program, even if it’s already covered by other sources.
• Column 3 – Other Funding: For each line item, show funding and the value of other resources that will be contributed from sources other than the requested grant. Be sure to include what your own organization will provide. The amounts in this column are sometimes called “matching resources,” “leveraged funds,” or “cost sharing.”
• Column 4 – Amount of The Requested Grant: The difference between Column 2 and Column 3 is the requested grant amount.

Learning to use spreadsheet software well will make budget calculations faster, easier to adjust, and more accurate.

A few more points about the budget:

• Typically, grant proposals include budgets for one-year time periods. If you are submitting a multi-year request, calculate each year separately and include a summary that shows the multi-year total.
• Remember you are projecting a budget. Therefore, you want to think not just about what the line items would cost today, but what will they cost when you actually incur the expense. Will salaries go up? Will benefits change?
• The value of donations should be calculated in the total program budget and then be indicated in the other funding column. The value should be based on what you would actually pay for that item if you had to pay cash for it.
• Check your math!

BUDGET NARRATIVE

The budget narrative serves two purposes:

1. It explains how the costs were estimated.
2. It justifies the need for the cost.

Be certain that there are no expenses in your budget request that are unexplained. Some funding sources will ask for a budget narrative, which gives you an opportunity to explain each item, how you calculated it, and how it is important to your proposed program.

13. Is this grant a renewal grant, a one-time-only grant, or given annually once you have been approved? This is not a renewable grant. Applicants are required to apply for each grant cycle offered.

14. Is this a first come first serve or do they wait to review after the deadline of March 30th? No, it is not first come first serve and the deadline is March 30^th.  It is not a revolving deadline. Grant applications not received by the deadline will not be reviewed.

15. Is this a reimbursement grant? Yes

16. What cannot be funded by TANF?

• Medical services
• Any entertainment expenses (sports tickets, movie tickets, etc.)
• Juvenile justice services
• Regular IV-D child support services 
• Regular IV-E services
• Foster care maintenance payments
• Constructing or purchasing buildings or facilities or purchasing real property
• Public education
• Satisfying a cost sharing or matching requirement of another federal program unless specifically authorized by federal law
• Supplanting (replace or displace) current funding 

17. What types of programs have been funded in the past?

• Children’s Initiatives
• Recovery
• Reentry
• Housing
• Food Security
• Personal Development
• Workforce Development

18. What, if any, restrictions apply to the funding if awarded? There are several restrictions that are covered in the TANF FAQs found on the Grants Initiatives section of the GOFBCI website (faith-based.ohio.gov).

19. Is there a budget template? Yes. The budget template can be found under the additional downloads section of the Governor’s Grants page in the Grants Initiatives section of the GOFBCI website.

20. Regarding the grant application: what is the exact definition of "deliverables" in this context? Activities

21. Is the DUNS # a requirement? No, you are now required to have a Unique Entity ID (UEI) number as of April 1, 2022. Applicants must provide the correct UEI Number in their application at the time of submission. For organizations that do not have a UEI Number, you will immediately need to go to fsd.gov and select the green “Help on UEI Transition” button to learn more.  The assignment of a UEI Number may take up to one month.  Applicants that do not have a registered UEI Number will not be considered for grant funds.

22. Does an applicant have to be registered through the OAKS process? Yes. If you do not, you need to begin that process right away. All applicants must have an OAKS Supplier ID/Vendor ID. Applicants must provide the correct OAKS Supplier ID/Vendor ID in their application at the time of submission. For organizations that do not have an OAKS Supplier ID/Vendor ID, vendor forms are available to be printed or downloaded from the Ohio Shared Services (OSS) Website, in the Vendor section, under Forms. To access the vendor forms, please go to https://supplier.ohio.gov. Applicants that do not have an OAKS Supplier ID/Vendor ID will not be considered for grant funds.

23. Is the SAMS # the same as the Vendor ID #? No. The Vendor ID is a State of Ohio OAKS number.

24. Is it okay if my agency has a P.O. Box address? No. When applying for state grant funding, you will have to provide proof of a physical address. You must fill out a Location of Business form supplied by the state.

25. When applying for the grant, can you save your application and come back to it or do you need to enter it in the system in one sitting? You must complete the application in one sitting. It will not allow you to save and return at a later date.

26. Can you provide a sample proposal for our review? We do not provide sample proposals.

27. If my organization has multiple locations or multiple programs, do we need to submit multiple grant applications for each site or each program? No. As a matter of fact, only one grant application per organization is allowed. Submitting multiple applications will disqualify your organization.

28. Are there word counts for the sections with boxes (narrative, deliverables)? No

29. How do we indicate if we serve clients in more than one county? Indicate the number of counties served in the letter of intent.

30. Are there recommended procedures for verifying participants' income? Provide each participant with the ODJFS Earmark Non- Assistance Participant Self-Attestation Application.

31. Is there a preferred budget format that comes with the application, or do we use our own format? No, but a sample budget template is provided as a resource for you on our website on the Grant Initiatives page in the “Governor’s Grants” section. However, you can use your own budget format.

32. How can organizations check the status of their application? A confirmation email is provided upon submission of the grant application.  All applicants will receive an additional email by April 5, 2023 from the GOFBCI team confirming that their application was received. Please do not call or email.

33. Where can we see a list of grants/projects previously given under this funding? They can be found in previous executive orders listing grant awards can be found on the governor’s website.

34. Does the category Children's Initiatives include high school-age participants (ages 15-24)? Participants in this category would be 15-18 yrs. old.

35. How do foster children fall under TANF eligibility? Foster children can be served in limited circumstances. A waiver must be obtained for eligibility. TANF will allow up to 6 months of services for this population.

36. If children in our program are from many different schools both public and private, will this affect this grant in any way? No

37. Are out-of-school time programs, providing educational support and enrichment for children, qualify for funding under this initiative? Yes

38. We need outside space for young children so that they can a safe space. Does this qualify? No. TANF is not able to fund the purchase or acquisition of property.

39. Would a scholarship program for youth be acceptable if youth meet the poverty guidelines? Scholarships are only available through a formal approved Individual Development Account when the program participant makes a personal financial contribution, the contribution can be matched with TANF funds. The match cannot exceed funds saved by the client.

40. Are medical expenses allowable under TANF? No

41. What are examples of 'housing' needs that this grant could fall under?

• reentry housing
• recovery housing
• transitional housing
• short term respite

42. How does GOFBCI define the funding interests of "recovery"? Recovery initiatives refer to mental health or substance use disorders. 

43. Is the purchasing of equipment allowed under workforce development or any of the categories for funding? For example, part of the workforce development training requires that participants have access to a simulated kitchen for training to work in a bistro. Limited equipment and supplies are allowable if the items are considered reasonable and necessary to meet the stated TANF purpose.  

44. Can personal development and workforce development be explained further i.e. the scope of services and type of acceptable programs under these areas? Personal development can be things like microenterprise development or business capitalization; future purchase of a first home; postsecondary educational expenses; and purchase of a vehicle. These items may only be provided through a match with an Individual Development Account (IDA).  The match cannot exceed funds saved by the client. Workforce development is preparing an individual for the workforce through training and/or education in basic or specialized skills that lead to permanent employment to achieve self-sufficiency.

45. Are there stipulations about faith-based agencies using funding for activities that are religious in nature (or include an element of faith-based training etc.)?
 Federal guidelines require that TANF cannot be used to prohibit religion, nor can it be used it to discriminate against those who do not practice religion.
 To that end, any funded organization must ensure that their activities do not discriminate against participants receiving their services.
 Example: a participant should not be required to attend a church’s bible study to receive services from the church’s food pantry, if it is publicly funded.

46. Would employment case management services fall under personal development or workforce development? This would depend on the
 case management services offered.

47. Trauma therapy? Services that are medical in nature or provided by a licensed therapist or social worker. If it is something Medicaid will pay for then TANF cannot pay for it as it is a competing federal program.