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Applicant Eligibility Requirements for the DFC Program

This PowerPoint provides valuable information on the DFC program and provides the specific forms of evidences that applicant coalitions must have in order to prove their eligibility and move forward into the Peer Review process.

In order to better understand the statutory eligibility requirements of the DFC Program, potential applicants are encouraged to read the Drug Free Communities Act of 1997.  The Act established the DFC program and the eligibility requirements are law and must be followed.  Failure to prove eligibility means that an application will not move forward in the competition process for a DFC grant.  Coalitions thinking about applying for a DFC grant should begin to thing about their ability to prove eligibility before applying for the grant.  Study the requirements carefully, and more so, understand the various types of evidence needed to be deemed eligible.

Eligibility screening of applications is conducted through a joint effort by ONDCP and SAMHSA.  When applications are received, they go through an initial screening by SAMHSA to ensure that they meet the grant requirements established by the US Department of Health and Human Services (i.e., page requirement, margins, font, due date is met).  The second screening is for the proof of eligibility related to the statutory requirements established by the DFC Act.  Failing to meet one requirement means an application is ineligible and will not go forward into Peer Review.

Principal Mission (Mission Statement):  The coalition must have the goal of reduction substance abuse among youth as part of its principal mission.

This means that the coalition's mission statement needs to include the reduction of youth substance abuse.  Coalitions that have general mission statements that do not include words that would lead an eligibility screener to know without a doubt that the reduction of youth substance abuse is a part of the coalition's mission will not be deemed eligible.

Address Multiple Drugs:  Coalitions applying for DFC funding MUST address multiple drugs (more than one).  Coalitions that just focus on underage drinking are not considered eligible for DFC funding.  Evidence of this is found throughout the application.

6 Month Requirement:  Coalitions must have been in existence for at least six months from the date of application in order to be eligible for DFC funding.  That means that any coalition applying for 2010 funding must have been in place by September 2009 (specific date is determined by the specific application due date).  The evidence for proving this is done through the two (2) sets of coalition minutes that are required.  One set must be from a timeframe 6 months prior to the application due date.  For example, if the application due date is March 1, 2010, then the minutes must be from a meeting prior to September 1, 2009.  This set establishes that the coalition was in existence for at least six months.  The second set of minutes must be during the time period of the six-month cut off to the application due date.  For example, if the application due date is March 1, 2010, then the minutes must be from a meeting that took place between September 1, 2009 and March 1, 2010.  A coalition meeting agenda will not be accepted.  Minutes from a fiduciary agent will not be accepted.  Members in attendance should be listed by sector on the minutes.  Minutes should be focus on substance abuse prevention and be descriptive enough that the eligibility screener knows that the business of the coalition was the focus of the meeting.

The 12 Sectors:   Coalitions applying for DFC funding must demonstrate substance participation from volunteer members in the required twelve (12) sectors.  The coalition must have representation from its target community that includes at least one member from the following sectors:

1. Youth (must be under the age of 18)
2. Parents
3. Business
4. Media
5. School
6. Youth-serving organization
7. Law Enforcement
8. Religious/Fraternal organization
9. Civic/Volunteer group (Sertoma, Rotary, AmeriCorps, etc.—cannot be just a “volunteer” on your coalition)
10. Healthcare Professional (doctor, nurse, dentist, pharmacists, etc.)
11. State/Local/Tribal Government agency with expertise in substance abuse (State/Local Prevention/Treatment director)
12. Other organization involved in reducing substance abuse (MUST have substance abuse as a main focus)

Year 11 Policy:  According to the DFC Act, coalitions cannot receive DFC funding for more than 10 years.  Grantees receive DFC funding in two 5-year cycles.  An organization acting a fiduciary agent to coalitions (who are legally eligible on their own to receive Federal funding) are not held to this policy.  A fiduciary can act as a grantee on behalf of DFC-funded coalitions for more than 10 years.  For example, a coalition may have had DFC funding for 10 years through the local police department (a legally eligible entity).  Once that coalition is through with their two cycles of funding, the police department can act as a fiduciary agent to another coalition.  Below are further explanations for the Year 11 Policy.

Coalitions:

1. A coalition that has received ten years of direct DFC funding is not eligible to receive additional funds through the DFC program.

2. A coalition that has received 10 years of DFC funds through a fiscal/legal agent(s) is no longer eligible to receive funds through the DFC program, regardless of how long they have been served by that fiscal agent.

   For example, if Coalition X has received DFC funding through Fiscal Agent Y for six years, and Fiscal Agent Z for four years, Coalition X is no longer eligible to receive DFC funds.

3. A coalition that has received ten years of DFC funding may not receive additional DFC through a new or different fiscal agent.

4. A coalition that proposes to serve a target community that has already been served for 10 years by another DFC-funded coalition must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the DFC Administrator that it is unique and distinct from the coalition that has already served the same community.

To be considered "unique and distinct," the new coalition must be made up of different representatives from, where possible, different organizations in the community. Additionally, the coalition should have different leadership and have a different strategic plan from any previously funded organization serving the same area. Personnel and plans from the original coalition may not be repurposed, redressed, and/or renamed in order to receive funds through DFC as a "new" coalition.

Applicants are asked to demonstrate compliance with this requirement in Section V-G of the RFA, "Documentation of Eligibility Requirements." Issuing false or misleading statements in response to these requirements is unlawful and subject to criminal penalties, 18 USC1001.

Fiscal Agents:

1. A fiscal agent may not receive DFC funds on behalf of the same coalition for more than 10 years.

For example, if Fiscal Agent W has received DFC funds on behalf of coalition A for 10 years, Fiscal Agent W may no longer receive funds on behalf on Coalition A. Additionally, Coalition A may no longer receive funds directly or through a different Fiscal Agent.

2. A fiscal agent may receive DFC funds only on behalf of one coalition at a time.

3. A fiscal agent may receive a DFC grant on behalf of a 'new' coalition that meets the criteria above for involving different individuals or serving a different geographic area (one that has never before received DFC funding), even if that fiscal agent has received DFC funds on behalf of another coalition for 10 years. However, a fiscal agent may receive DFC funds on behalf of only one coalition at a time.

For example, if Fiscal Agent W received DFC funds on behalf of Coalition A for 10 years, it may now receive DFC funds on behalf of Coalition B (a coalition which has never before received a DFC grant and meets the criteria above).

4. A Fiscal Agent may receive a DFC grant on behalf of a coalition which has been funded through DFC in the past, as long as that coalition has not already received DFC funding for 10 years.

For example, if Coalition C previously received four years of DFC funding and is eligible to receive six more, then Fiscal Agent W may receive funds on behalf of Coalition C for up to six years.

5. A fiscal agent that is also its own coalition may receive only 10 years of DFC funding. This applies to coalitions that are their own 501(c) (3)s and serve as their own fiscal agents.