Grants Available from the Department of Health and Human Services

Community Service Block Grant Recovery Act Funding Information

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides for $1 billion in additional funds to the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program for Federal Fiscal Year 2009. As with regularly appropriated CBSG funds, Recovery Act funds may be used for the reduction of poverty, the revitalization of low-income communities, and the empowerment of low-income families and individuals in rural and urban areas to become fully self-sufficient.

States will receive Recovery Funds, as a separate allotment, under the same formula used for funds allocated under regular annual appropriations. 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and Federal and State-recognized Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations will receive $985 million in Recovery Funds. The Recovery Act mandates that States pass through no less than 99 percent of their Recovery Act allocations for grants to "eligible entities" under the CSBG Act, commonly referred to as Community Action agencies.

States and Tribes will be required to submit to the Office of Community Service (OCS) an amendment to the FFY 2009 CSBG Application and Plan regarding the use of the Recovery Funds. They will be expected to make the amended plan available for public inspection and comment and begin distributing Recovery Funds as soon as they become available. Applications are due on May 29. For more information, click here.

Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals

The Office of Community Services' (OCS) Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals (JOLI) program supports business development and expansion opportunities, including micro-enterprise and self-employment opportunities, in an effort to help Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients and other low-income individuals achieve economic self-sufficiency. Grantees may provide technical and financial assistance to private employers in low-income communities in order to create sustainable employment and business opportunities.

Funded projects should focus on one of the following three program strategies: (1) new business ventures, (2) business expansion, and (3) self-employment/micro-enterprise projects. A minimum of 20 percent of the JOLI funds must be allotted to direct financial assistance to program participants for creating or expanding a business.

Grantees must ensure that TANF recipients and other low-income individuals are recruited to participate in business development and expansion activities, and to fill positions created under the program. The program must help TANF recipients and other low-income individuals overcome personal or community barriers, and ensure that the businesses and jobs remain viable for at least six months after the end of the grant. For JOLI grants, low-income individuals are defined as those living in households with incomes at or below poverty, as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Guidelines on Poverty, found here.

In addition to a well-planned and viable strategy for business creation or expansion, applicants must have in place: (1) needed management, staff, and other resources, (2) written commitments from third-party partners, (3) evidence of site control, and (4) referral sources to identify low-income individuals to fill the positions.

JOLI grants are awarded to non-profit organizations having 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) status. Applications must be received by May 8. To read the full notice, click here.

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