The Social Innovation Fund is Currently Reviewing Submitted Applications for its 2012 Competition

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is in the process of conducting its third annual new grant competition for the Social Innovation Fund. CNCS released a Notice of Funds Availability on February 10, and applications were due by March 27 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time. CNCS is currently reviewing applications for highly qualified, experienced grantmaking intermediaries to partner with the agency in growing and evaluating promising nonprofits making an impact in their communities.

Award announcements are expected by early August.

External expert reviewer comments on all compliant applications from eligible Social Innovation Fund applicants will be posted on this web site within 90 days of the award announcement. In addition, the full applications of all selected grantees will be posted online as well.

In this competition, we expect to award $10-15 million to up to six new “intermediary” grantees. Each award will range from $1-5 million per year and will be renewable for up to five years. Selected grantees will then match the funds 1:1 and make subgrants to promising nonprofit organizations in local communities.

Successful intermediary applicants will have the following characteristics:

• A strong track record of using rigorous evidence to select, invest in, support and monitor the growth of promising nonprofit organizations;
  
• The capacity to conduct an open, competitive process for selecting innovative nonprofit organizations with evidence of compelling results in low-income communities;
  
• Expertise in one or more priority issue area; and
  
• Experience and capacity to manage evaluations of their funded interventions.

Review Process

Applications will be assessed through a multi-stage review process that is described in detail in the Notice of Funds Availability. This process will include:

• Internal Compliance Review: Applications are screened by CNCS staff to ensure they meet basic application requirements listed in the Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA).
  
  
• Initial Eligibility Review: Corporation staff will review all compliant applications to confirm that they are submitted by eligible organizations, and that they have adequately identified what type of Social Innovation Fund is being proposed (i.e. issue-based or geographic-based).
  
  
• External Expert Review: Expert reviewers will assess applications based on the Program Design, Organizational Capability, and Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy criteria. Each application will be reviewed by at least three expert reviewers.
  
  
• Post-Expert Review Quality Control: After the external reviewers complete their assessment, staff will review the results for fairness and consistency. Some applications may be selected for a Quality Control assessment based on discrepancies, anomalies, etc.
  
  
• Selection of Applications for Internal Review: Based on the results of the Expert Review and taking into account consideration of the priority issues identified, CNCS staff will determine which applications advance to Internal Review.
  
  
• Internal/Staff Review: CNCS staff will also assess Program Design, Organizational Capacity, and Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy sections of the application, particularly focusing on applicants’ strength of relationships and collaborations, opportunity for scale, potential to impact public discussion, and rigor and sophistication of evidence and evaluation.
  
  
• Clarification Stage: Following staff assessment, some applicants may receive requests to provide clarifying information.
  
  
• Selection for Funding: CNCS staff will determine which applications to recommend to the CEO for selection based on the results of the Expert Review, Internal Review, and Clarification as well as the priorities, balancing characteristics, additional considerations, and strategic characteristics listed in the NOFA. Selected applicants will then enter into negotiations of cooperative agreements with CNCS. The Chief Executive Officer will select the final portfolio of Social Innovation Fund grantees.
  
  
• Feedback to Applicants: Following grant awards, each applicant will receive the results of the Expert Review, and if applicable, the Internal Review pertaining to their application. Feedback will be based on the review of the original application and will not reflect any information that may have been provided during clarification.