Please include a short summary of your program. Summary should include Organizational History, Goals, Objectives, Expected Outcomes, and amount requested for funding. Summary should be no more than 400 words. 

Applicant will answer all questions in the ZoomGrants platform. This will function as the project proposal. Acceptable narratives are clear and concise and must not exceed word limits prescribed for each question. Generally, the questions in the application portal will encompass the following elements:

• Organizational Background
• Project Description
• Organizational Capacity
• Evaluation

Certificate of Good Standing

Each Applicant must submit a current Certificate of Good Standing from the District Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. DYRS requires that the submitted Certificate of Good Standing reflect a date within a six-month period immediately preceding the application’s submission.

IRS W-9 Tax Form

The applicant must submit a current completed W-9 form prepared for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). SYRS defines “current” to mean that the document was completed within the same calendar year as that of the application date.

Tax Exemption Affirmation Letter

The tax exemption affirmation letter is the IRS’s determination letter of non-profit status. If this letter is not available then the applicant should provide its most recent IRS Form 990 tax return, if one was submitted. If no return has yet been filed, the organization can submit its application for tax-exempt status. If the group has a supporting organization with an IIRS tax-exempt status determination then that organization’s tax exemption affirmation letter should also be submitted.

If there is no IRS tax exemption affirmation letter because the organization is a religious organization then the applicant may submit the best evidence it can of its status. Examples of potential best evidence for this purpose include, but are not limited to (i) a letter from the leader of the organization verifying that the organization is a religious group; (ii) a letter from the group’s board chair or similar official, verifying that the organization is a religious group; (iii) the applicant’s most recently submitted state sales or other tax exemption form, if it exists (Form 164 in the District of Columbia); or (iv) the state’s issued tax exemption certificate or card, if it exists (See IRS publication no. 1828, Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations.).

Applicant’s Current Fiscal Year Budget

The applicant must submit its full budget, including projected income, for the current fiscal year, using a format at least as detailed as that presented in Appendix A. Also, the applicant should submit a comparison of budgeted versus actual income and expenses of the fiscal year to date.

Audited Financial Statements

If the Applicant has undergone an audit or financial review, it must provide the most recent audited financial statements or reviews. If audited financial statements or reviews are not available the applicant must provide its most recent complete year’s unaudited financial statements.

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

If the applicant has a negotiated indirect cost rate with a federal agency, it must submit evidence of that negotiated rate with its application package. If an applicant does not have a negotiated indirect cost rate, or if not established, DYRS will accept an explanation of how indirect costs will be calculated on letterhead and signed by the organizations financial officer or president.

Separation of Duties Policy

The applicant must state how the organization separates financial transactions and duties among people within the organization to prevent fraud or waste and maintain internal controls for the financial management of grant funds. This may be a statement that already exists as a formal policy of the organization, or the applicant may create the statement for purposes of the application. The applicant should state which of these situations apply.

This statement should:

• Describe how financial transactions are handled and recorded;
• Provide the names and titles of personnel working in financial transactions;
• Identify how many signatures the financial institution(s) require on the organization’s checks and withdrawal slips; and
• Address other limits on staff and board members’ handling of the organization’s

Letters of Support

The proposal must identify and attach a letter of support on the supporting entity’s letterhead, signed by an authorized representative.

Partner Documents

If applicable, the applicant must submit any partnering organization’s Certificate of Good Standing from the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and documentation of the partner’s tax-exempt status.

System for Award Management (SAM) Registration

If a project within this RFA is funded partially by federal funding sources, applicants for that project must be registered in the System for Award Management at www.sam.gov and provide evidence of this registration as part of its application package to DYRS.

Documentation or Proof of Matching Funds

Either of the following documents will be accepted: (a) award letters signed with the award amount and date awarded clearly stated; or (b) donation letters from any private donor documenting the amount donated and the date of the donation (in-kind donation and monetary donations are accepted).

Other Documents

• Signed Promises, Certifications, Assertions, and Assurances

• Budget: The application includes a reasonable, comprehensive, accurate numeric budget.

  Budget Narrative: The application includes a clear, compelling budget narrative, one which justifies the line items listed in the numeric budget.