TRANSCRIPT of the 2008 JOLI Conference Call of Friday, May 9, 2008

Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals Program

RAFAEL:
Welcome to the 2008 Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals program announcement conference call for interested applicants. My name is Rafael J. Elizalde and I am the Team Leader for the Division of Community Discretionary Programs. Today my team and I will present important information about the Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals grant competition, based on the program announcement published on April 22.

Please note that a modification to the original Program Announcement has also been published.
You may download, from our web site, a copy of the program announcement and also a Power Point slide presentation.

Our JOLI website address is located at:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/dcdp/joli

Please note that applications are due by 4:30 pm Eastern Standard Time on Monday, June 2nd, 2008.

With me today are FIVE JOLI specialists: Ms. Latonya Phipps, Ms. Cathi Beck, Ms. Leanna Fox, Mr. Harold Taylor and Ms. Bridget Dorsey.
Before I start the presentation, I would like to introduce a few acronyms.

OCS refers to the Office of Community Services
JOLI refers to Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals Program
ACF refers to the Administration for Children and Families
TANF refers to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
The JOLI program assists individuals in overcoming personal and systemic barriers to employment, job retention and economic self sufficiency. JOLI projects are expected to further the Department of Health and Human Services goals of strengthening families and promoting self-sufficiency. Grantees are to create new jobs and business opportunities to be filled by low-income individuals that will help move them towards economic self sufficiency. JOLI projects are REQUIRED to target TANF recipients or individuals who are TANF eligible and other low-income individuals and should focus on the creation of new full time, permanent jobs. Grantees may use the JOLI funding to provide TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE to private employers in the community that are providing new jobs and business opportunities for low-income individuals. Funded projects must focus on ONE of THREE program strategies to create new jobs:
(1) A new business venture, (2) a business expansion, or (3) self-employment / micro-enterprise businesses. Grantees must reserve a 20% allotment to provide financial assistance to program participants for the purpose of the creation or expansion of a business created by the project. Grantees will be required to provide a detailed plan outlining the strategy for disbursing the allotted funds.
Next, I will introduce you to Ms. Leanna Fox who will assist us in asking all the right questions.

LEANNA:
Thank you Rafael, it is always a pleasure to assist interested organizations. We receive an average of 200 applications per year and award approximately 10 to 12 projects, about 5-6% of the applications submitted. This year there will be $4.8 million dollars to award projects focused on the creation of new jobs.
Now, Latonya Phipps will explain who qualifies to apply for JOLI funding.

LATONYA:
Thank you Leanna.

Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations with a 501(c) (3) or 501 (c) (4) IRS status, as well as faith-based and community organizations that meet the same requirements.

LEANNA:
Now, CATHI BECK will explain how eligible organizations can apply for JOLI funds.

CATHI:
Thank you, Leanna. After an organization determines that it meets the eligibility requirements, their application must be received by the OCS OPERATIONS CENTER no later than Monday, June 2nd, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).

There are TWO WAYS to submit an application: ONE is electronic - through the Internet Web portal at www.grants.gov, and following all the instructions. Please note that the registration process for grants.gov can take up to 5 days. In addition, the organization must have a valid Data Universal Number System or DUNS number and you must update your registration with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) annually. Please do not wait until the last minute because you will not be able to apply and OCS will not extend the deadline.

THE SECOND way is by submitting a hard copy, by mail or hand delivery to the OCS Operations Center at 1515 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22209. This address is also referenced in Section 4.6 in the program announcement. Also please remember that applicants who apply via hard copy submission must provide one signed original application and two additional copies.

LEANNA:
It is extremely important for applicants to submit all of the information outlined in the program announcement. This information determines an applicant’s eligibility for JOLI grant funding. Failure to provide the requested information reduces or eliminates an applicant’s chance of receiving a grant.

We strongly encourage applicants to use the check list in the program announcement. Applicants can find the check list in Section Four of the announcement.

Let me go over briefly the information referenced in the check list, in no order of importance. I will go into more detail later on some of these items such as third party agreements that will help applicants improve the quality of the application, or score higher. The items in the check list are:

Letter of Intent – Found in section 4.2, this is a voluntary notification of your intent to apply to our program this year.

Table of Content – A complete and concise inclusion of the contents in your application package.

Project Abstract – This is a brief narrative outlining the project, including the number of jobs to be created and anticipated project outcomes. The applicant should give a brief description of the organization, the project strategy, the collaboration partners, the well-defined service area, the needs of the service area and the project’s proposed activities. This narrative should NOT exceed 350 words.

Project Description—this is the place in the application where the applicant describes the specific project goals and outcomes in detail.

Third Party Agreements- These are signed formal agreements for the purpose of implementing the proposed activities.

Budget Narrative and Justification – This is a clear account of all the expenditures related to the project.

Completed Standard Forms – This are Standard Forms 424 and 424A, they must be completed and appropriately signed.

Harold, is there any other form to be considered?

HAROLD:
Additional Official Forms or Certifications needed to apply include:
• Non-Federal Resources,
• Certification Regarding Lobbying,
• Certification Regarding Environmental Tobacco Smoke,
• Assurances,
• Letters of Support and most importantly:
• Documentation of non-profit status for 501(c) (3) or (c) (4) in which applicants need a letter from the IRS confirming their non-profit status. I will mention this again later.

There are other forms that you need to consider in your submission, please take a close look at the program announcement to see if they apply to your particular project/organization.

HAROLD: (continues)
Other important considerations when submitting your application include the following:

Mobilization of Resources -- There is no match requirement for the JOLI program. If other, non-JOLI funds are required for the successful completion of the project, applicants must provide documenting proof they have it, or will have it by the time the award is made.

Support for Non-Custodial Parents – This is a signed agreement with the local Office of Child Support Enforcement.

See the list of Child Support Enforcement State Offices that can identify local CSE agencies at: www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/extinf.htm.
Please note that your State agency can identify local Child Support Enforcement agencies in your area.

I will talk more about this Child Support Enforcement agreement shortly.

Technical and Financial Assistance to Employers and Individuals—Technical and financial assistance should be for helping prepare private employers to create jobs. Applicant Experience--Consideration will be given to applicants that document past achievement in creating sustainable jobs and enterprise opportunities for low-income people.

Cost-Per-Job – OCS will not fund projects where the cost-per-job in JOLI funds exceeds $15,000.

Loan Funds- Are a part of the financial assistance we talked about earlier. There is a requirement that at least twenty percent of JOLI funds must be used to provide direct financial assistance to program participants in the form of revolving loan funds and/or provide direct financial assistance to the businesses.

I want to remind applicants that the time to achieve the outcomes they propose via the JOLI application is within the proposed project period. The time allotted to achieve proposed outcomes is 3 years.

CATHI:
There are EIGHT major ELEMENTS in the JOLI announcement.
These ELEMENTS should be addressed and organized in your application so that a reviewer will be able to follow a seamless and logical flow of information.
We will talk briefly about each ELEMENT.
ELEMENT 1 is Objectives and Need for Assistance
In this section, the applicant should provide detailed information regarding the target population and the geographic location of the project. Provide data that characterizes the area as a distressed community with extreme instances of poverty.
Data should include characteristics of the population, including unemployment rates and other related statistics of the community. The applicant should identify the needs of the community and demonstrate how the project specifically addresses those needs. The project should identify community systemic barriers (such as: public transportation, unavailability of financing, insurance, or bonding, inadequate social services, job training, high crime) and provide in detail provisions on how this project addresses those barriers.
Failing to fully address any of these areas will result in a reduced score.
Bridget will now walk us through what is expected in the results and Benefits section.

BRIDGET:
Thank you Cathi. Let me explain element number two: Results or Benefits Expected
This section explains how this project will address personal and family support barriers and how the jobs provided by this project are designed to eliminate those specific barriers. Applicants should have a clear and logical description of the results and benefits expected and the results and benefits should be attributable to the implementation of the JOLI project. For example, if an identified need of a participant is a lack of affordable child care, then the applicant should discuss how it will provide assistance to the participant to secure affordable child care including subsidizing child care or linking the participant to affordable child care.

LEANNA:
Let’s move on to the third ELEMENT of the application: Approach
This year, we have broken down the Approach section into three areas: “Scope and Detail of Proposed Project,” “Quantification of Jobs Created” and “Marketing.” We have done this because OCS has become increasingly concerned that quality jobs are created within a community and that JOLI projects are addressing the barriers to employment that TANF recipients, non-custodial parents under the monitoring of the local CSE agency, and other low-income persons face in attempting to access quality jobs. I will discuss the Scope and Detail sub-section first.
First, we want to know what your project plans to do. The applicant should discuss the major strategies and activities that will be carried out during the project in order to create jobs for low-income individuals. The applicant will identify what program strategy they will implement and describe in detail the component of that strategy. The three program strategies are: 1. New business creation, 2. Business expansion and 3. Self-Employment / Micro-Enterprise businesses. The components should include a description, including the quantity, of the new full time jobs or businesses that will be created and how TANF recipients and other low-income individuals will be targeted and recruited for these jobs. Furthermore, the applicant should discuss how many of the created jobs will lead to long-term career development opportunities and state the annual salaries of the proposed jobs including any self employment businesses.

HAROLD:
The applicant should discuss the economic and non-economic benefits that the community will receive as a result of this project. For example if a child care facility is created, the community will have another child care resource to serve the community’s residents. Similarly, if the applicant creates a home health service agency, then the community can benefit from the additional resources available for persons needing such services. Finally, the applicant should discuss the expanded economic activity that participants will engage in as a result of employment.
An applicant must realize that a JOLI project cannot operate without appropriate physical facilities and equipment. As a result, the applicant should provide detail on the type of equipment and physical facilities needed to operate the project.
The applicant must provide a clear time-line of the quarterly activities that will occur in order to meet the project's objectives. The applicant should discuss relevant product development, market planning, sales programming, production and operations. The applicant should clearly identify the time when jobs will be available.

CATHI:
Now that we have discussed what OCS expects in the Scope and Details sub-section, we will move on to the Quantification of Jobs Created sub-section.
The applicant should describe the quantifiable results in terms of new jobs created, businesses expanded or new self employment opportunities realized. OCS would like to know what training, technical assistance, or other support that the project will offer in order to assist in the creation and maintenance of permanent, full-time jobs. If the applicant’s project will involve self-employment/micro-enterprise, then the applicant must discuss how it will facilitate training on business planning and management concepts, assistance in preparing a business plan, assistance in accessing business loans, and assistance in securing commitments of contracts/subcontracts at the end of training.

OCS wants to ensure that JOLI projects are creating permanent, full-time jobs that can provide livable wages. The applicant should fully describe the wages, benefits, and career development opportunities that participants will gain as a result of the JOLI project. In addition, the applicant should also detail how any support services such as child care, transportation assistance, case management or other supports will be provided to assist participants in obtaining and maintaining employment and not seeking public assistance benefits.

OCS expects that the jobs created as a result of the JOLI project will exist after the end of the project. An applicant should describe what steps it or a third party will take to maintain the created jobs.

Finally, the applicant must provide a detailed marketing plan that indicates a sufficient market exists to sustain development of this project. This should include an analysis of the business including its competitors, the amount of market share it expects to receive, an analysis of the customer base by segment, the market size and applicable trends such as declines or increases in the local economy, and projected sales estimates.

LEANNA:
Now I will move on to the fourth ELEMENT in the application: Organizational Profiles

OCS wants organizations to have experience in implementing human development programs in economically distressed areas, to have experience operating job creation programs similar to the JOLI program, and to have innovative and competent leadership to oversee the implementation of the project. First, we ask that applicant’s have experience in community involvement. The applicant should describe how it has been involved in the planning and implementation of a community based strategic plan to assist persons in overcoming their personal barriers in order to achieve employment. The applicant must also describe how it has implemented this strategy in an economically distressed community.
Second, the applicant will need to detail their organization’s capabilities and experience in operating and developing similar programs addressing the needs of low-income persons and/or issues addressing poverty. The applicant must identify two similar projects and demonstrate experience in collaborative programming and operations involving data collection and evaluation. Furthermore, the applicant should cite two previous successful examples describing the goals met and the overall results.
Third, the applicant should identify its executive and volunteer leadership and describe how the leadership will effectively oversee the project. Finally, the organization should describe its commitment to the successful implementation of the proposed project of the project.

HAROLD:
The fifth ELEMENT is: Staff and position Data
Applicants should clearly identify the individuals who will have the key responsibilities for managing the project, coordinating services and activities for participants and partners, and achieving performance targets. The focus should be on the qualifications, experience, capacity, and commitment to the program of the key staff, executive officials and volunteer leaders of the organization who will administer and implement the project. The person identified as project director should have supervisory experience in finance and business, and experience with the target population. Applicants should provide resumes in the application.
HAROLD:
The sixth ELEMENT in the application is: Budget and Budget Justification
Applicants are encouraged to provide thorough detail in this section. In this detailed section the applicant must provide a sound financial plan that provides categorical documentation of the project’s costs. Applicants should address the necessity, reasonableness and allocation of all proposed project costs.
In this section, the applicant will address the strategy and plan concerning the twenty percent allotment for direct financial assistance. A minimum of twenty percent of the JOLI grant is required to be used to provide direct financial assistance to: A new business venture, a business expansion, and a micro-enterprise or self-employment business. Financial assistance may be provided through the establishment of a revolving loan fund.
It is also very important to outline all non-Federal resources in your application. You need to have adequate funding to begin and complete the project. The non-JOLI funding required to implement the project must be available in its entirety. You must include the value of in-kind contributions and an equipment evaluation inventory. Applicants should provide a budget which verifies that the cost per job will not exceed $15,000 per job. Please note that only full-time, permanent jobs for low-income persons will be counted.

BRIDGET:
The Seventh ELEMENT in the application is: Evaluation
This element addresses the applicant’s evaluation of the proposed project and should outline a plan to evaluate the project’s achievements, processes and outcomes in measurable terms.
The applicant is responsible for designing the evaluation plan for the full three-year project period. The plan should determine what activities, goals and interventions the project expects to achieve and should describe how these activities will be measured for success.
Applicants are required to hire an independent third party evaluator to assess the applicant’s evaluation plan and project activities and outcomes in order to measure the results of the project.

LEANNA:
The eighth and final ELEMENT in the application is: Third Party Agreements.
OCS expects that applicants collaborate with the social service referral agencies, financial partners, or any entity that commits to provide financial resources to the project and document these relationships by supplying documentation of all signed agreements. The signed third party agreement must outline the exact details of the agreement between the parties and the applicant must demonstrate how the partnership relates in the scope and success of the project.There are additional important documents that you should provide. These include: a signed statement from a Certified or Licensed Public Accountant certifying the third-party’s financial management system, financial statements for the prior 3 years and a collaboration agreement from agencies that will assist the project by providing referrals and resources. We are looking particularly for agreements with local child support enforcement agencies, TANF offices, or workforce investment centers.
Please read the program announcement closely for complete details of these elements.
Harold, will you explain what happens, once an application has been submitted?

HAROLD:
Every application will be reviewed if it is submitted on time, and is not over the maximum funding level of $475,000. The application will be reviewed for content completeness. A very important aspect of the application is the inclusion of all documentation needed to support written statements. For a detailed list of requirements, please read the program announcement closely.
The easiest way to make certain your organization is covering all of the bases is by complying with the Checklist Table presented in the Submission Dates and Times section of the JOLI program announcement. The application must not exceed 60 pages. This does not include Standard Forms 424, Required Assurances, and Appendices.

CATHI:
Please do not submit tapes or brochures with the application since these will not be duplicated for the panel review.
Once an application passes the initial screening, it will be reviewed and scored based on responsiveness to the program announcement evaluation criteria. The panel reviewing the application will be composed of non-Federal reviewers. These reviewers are experts from around the country who have knowledge and skills in areas such as job creation: community economic and business development; banking and lending; and nonprofit management.

Reviewers’ scores weigh heavily in funding decisions, but may not be the only factor considered. Highly ranked applications are not guaranteed funding.There are several other important factors also taken into consideration, such as the applicant’s past performance on any OCS grant and geographic diversity.All applicants will be notified by mail, no later than mid-October.

RAFAEL:
Thank you Latonya, Cathi, Harold, Leanna and Bridget for guiding us through the many details in the application. Now that we have heard what it takes to submit a successful JOLI application, please remember a critical part of the application is to provide all supporting documents for your proposed project.
Please keep in mind that the purpose of the JOLI program is to create new jobs to be filled by TANF recipients and other low-income individuals.
Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations that have a 501 c 3 or c 4 IRS status and Faith-based community organizations that meet the same requirements.

*The DEADLINE to receive applications is
Monday, June 2nd, 2008 4:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.

Please note that a modification to the original Program Announcement has also been published.

IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, please contact us via email at ocsgrants@acf.hhs.gov.
That is ocsgrants@acf.hhs.gov on or before June 2nd. We will post the questions and the answers on our Web site no later than Friday, May 23rd.

This conference call will be available on the JOLI Web site no later than May 21st. The JOLI Web site address is: www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/dcdp/joli .
I would like to thank you, as well as our team. This concludes today’s conference call.