The Fund for Veterans' Assistance Announcement of the Release of
the Grant Program' Request for Applications for the 2021 - 2022 Grant
Period
The Texas Veterans Commission ("TVC") announces September 5, 2020, as its posting and release
date of the Fund for Veterans' Assistance ("FV") Request for Applications
("RF") for the 2021-2022 grant cycle. The deadline to submit all applications
is November 5, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. (CDST).
Through its forthcoming RFA, FVA is requesting
applications from organizations eligible to apply for grant funding
under the following general purposes, terms, and conditions:
Eligible Applicants. Eligible
Applicants are units of local government, under IRS Code §501(c)(19);
posts or organizations of past or present members of the Armed Forces,
under IRS Code §501(c)(3); private nonprofit corporations authorized
to conduct business in Texas and veterans service organizations, under
IRS Code §501(c)(4); and nonprofit organizations authorized to
do business in Texas with experience providing services to veterans.
Purpose. The
purpose of the RFA is to:
1. Provide an overview of FVA grant programs, including detailed
descriptions of service categories, service areas, program goals and
guidelines;
2. Solicit grant applications from eligible applicants for the
2021-2022 grant period;
3. Provide application instructions and specific information on
grant eligibility; and,
4. Provide information about the FVA grant application and awarding
process.
Description. The
RFA details funding opportunities and requirements for FVA's five
grant programs: General Assistance, Housing for Texas Heroes, Veterans
Mental Health, Veteran Treatment Courts, and Veteran County Service
Officer.
All grant programs and opportunities function as reimbursement
grants. Grants are awarded by the TVC Commissioner, based on a competitive
application and awarding process. TVC Staff initially review applications
for eligibility, and the all-volunteer FVA Advisory Committee review
the eligibility-screened applications to make a recommendation to
the Commission for its final consideration and awards.
FVA's grant programs and service categories are:
1. The General Assistance (GA) grant includes seven service categories
that provide employment support, financial assistance, homeless veteran
support, pro bono legal services,
referral services, supportive services, and transportation programs
and services to veterans, dependents, and surviving spouses who live
in Texas;
2. The Housing for Texas Heroes (H4TXH) grant provides home modifications
and home repair for veterans and their families, as well as qualifying
rent and utilities' assistance;
3. The Veterans Mental Health (VMH) grant includes two service
categories--Clinical Counseling Services and Peer-Support Services--which
provide counseling and treatment to veterans and their families in
addressing diagnosed conditions to improve their quality of life,
relationships, outlook, and successful integration with their communities;
4. The Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) grant supports eligible units
of local government in providing services through VTC programs established
under Texas Government Code §124.001-.006. Grant funding is intended
to support rehabilitation for justice-involved veterans to best prepare
them for reintegration into their communities; and,
5. The Veteran County Service Officer (VCSO) grant includes all
the service categories listed above. (1-4). Veteran County Service
Officers are eligible to submit one application for any of the service
categories above and must serve as the project coordinator for the
services if awarded the grant.
Note: For FVA grant programs that have multiple service categories,
applicants should select the service category that their organization
would best serve and develop their project narratives and budgets
to illustrate how they will successfully provide those services.
FVA Program Goals.
TVC Commissioners have established the following goals for successful
grant applicants:
1. Provide support, services, and resources to veterans, their
families, and surviving spouses to improve their quality of life and
strengthen their connections and integration within their communities;
2. Responsively serve eligible TVC grant beneficiaries to meet
the justice-involved veterans' acute and chronic needs;
3. Provide grant-funded services and resources that have measurable
and positive outcomes;
4. Ensure grant-funded projects are available to veterans, dependents,
and surviving spouses across the state;
5. Ensure that a diversity of grant-funded services are available
within geographic regions; and,
6. Fully fund grant projects that support FVA's overall and specific
program goals approved by the Commission.
Funding Priorities
for 2021-22 FVA Grants. The Commission has established
the following priorities to provide guidance to the FVA Advisory Committee
in developing funding recommendations to the Commission in making
its final decision on grant awards. In sum, the FVA Advisory Committee
shall provide funding recommendations for grant applications that:
(1) Meet the FVA program goals; (2) Provide services and resources
available through FVA grant programs to veterans and their families
based upon their expressed needs for their county or region; (3) Place
a high priority on budgeting for client services; and (4) Fund organizations
with a demonstrated history of meeting grant performance benchmarks.
Grant Funding Period. .
Awarded grants will commence on July 1, 2021, and end on June 30,
2022. All grants are reimbursement grants. Reimbursements are permitted
only for eligible expenses that are incurred within the term of the
grant. No pre-award spending will be reimbursed.
* Grant Amounts. Eligible
Applicants can request the specific funding amounts for their grant-funded
projects from the options in the table below:
Attached Graphic
Number of Grants
to be Awarded and Total Available The anticipated amount
of grant funding available for all 2021-2022 FVA grant programs, including
VCSO funding and potential grant renewals, is $30,000,000. The number
of awards made will be contingent upon the amount of grants renewed
from the 2020-2021 grant period and funding requested and awarded
to eligible applicants from the 2020-2022 RFA. The total amount of
grant funding is subject to change depending on the availability of
funds.
Selection Criteria. TVC
staff use an eligibility checklist and evaluation rubric to review
all applications for eligibility. Eligible applications will be forwarded
to the FVA Advisory Committee for review and consideration. The FVA
Advisory Committee will prepare a funding recommendation to be presented
to the Commission for action. Again, the Commission makes all final
funding decisions. Applications shall address all requirements of
the RFA to be considered for funding by the Commission.
TVC is not obligated to approve an application, provide funds,
or endorse any application submitted in response to the RFA solicitation.
Applicants should have no expectation of continued funding. Neither
this notice nor the RFA obligates the Commission to award a grant
or pay any costs incurred in preparing an application.
Requesting the Materials
Needed to Complete an Application. All information needed
to respond to the RFA solicitation will be posted on the TVC website
(www.tvc.texas.gov/grants/) and the TVC GovGrants portal (http://tvcportal.force.com/)
on September 5, 2020. All applications must be timely submitted electronically
through the TVC GovGrants portal. No paper applications or other methods
of submission will be considered for funding.
Further Information. In
order to assure that no prospective applicant obtains a competitive
advantage because of information unknown to other prospective applicants,
all applicants' questions must be submitted via email
to rfaquestions@tvc.texas.gov. All questions and the written answers
will be posted on the TVC GovGrants portal in the "Frequently Asked
Questions" (FAQs) tab. The last day to submit questions regarding
the RFA is October 28, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. (CDST).
Deadline for Receipt
of Applications. Applications must be submitted to the
TVC GovGrants portal by 5:00 p.m. (CDST) on November 5, 2020, to be
considered for funding. Applications received after the deadline or
submitted through other means will not be considered for processing
or funding. As such, Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit
their applications at least three days prior to the deadline to ensure
that there is sufficient time to address any validation or error messages
generated by the GovGrants program, which prevents submission until
resolved.
Funding Authority. The
Fund For Veterans' Assistance is authorized by Texas Government Code,
Section 434.017.
TRD-202003558 Madeleine Connor
General Counsel
Texas Veterans Commission
Filed: August 26, 2020
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