The application's basic information web-form includes the minimal project identifying information such as the proposal title, grant category and applicant information needed to uniquely identify the application.  All correspondence to the applicant will be sent to the application's Primary Contact email address listed here.

NOTE: CHANGING THIS EMAIL ADDRESS ALSO CHANGES THE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR THE PRIMARY CONTACT.  ANY CHANGES TO THE PRIMARY CONTACT'S EMAIL ADDRESS WILL REQUIRE USE OF THE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS TO ACCESS YOUR ONLINE APPLICATION GOING FORWARD.

The applicant contact information web-form includes the primary and secondary applicants' full contact information.

NOTE: IF YOU CHANGE THE PRIMARY CONTACT'S EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU WILL NEED TO USE THAT EMAIL ADDRESS TO ACCESS YOUR ONLINE APPLICATION GOING FORWARD.

The project funding and abstract web-form is used to identify the project funding and a project summary/abstract.  Unless a cost-share match waiver has been requested, all federal grant funds are to be matched at least equally (dollar for dollar) with non-federal match which may include allowable and allocable in-kind contributions (i.e., personal salary, fringe, and indirect costs; services, materials, supplies, equipment donations; and volunteer assistance), and private and public (non-federal) monetary contributions.

If your proposal does not require at least $100,000 in federal funding, you won't qualify for this funding opportunity. However, you will be able to request to be connected with our partners to learn more about other Urban and Community Forestry funding opportunities and activities within our partner network.

You are also able to either request administrative and technical assistance from a designated Sub-Award Partner -or- indicate that you would like to be considered as a Pass-Through Funding (Sub-Awards) partner.

NOTE: Federal and non-federal funding amounts MUST match the amounts entered on your SF-424 and SF-424A forms as well as your Budget and Budget Narrative documents.  If you change amounts on any of these forms, make sure you update the amounts on the other forms to match.

Refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for complete details.

You MUST download and use the Project Narrative Template (.doc format) from the Forms, Templates, and Resources section of this Portal to complete this step.

YOU MUST USE THE PROJECT NARRATIVE TEMPLATE NOTED ABOVE. DO NOT MODIFY OR REMOVE ANYTHING IN THE PROJECT NARRATIVE TEMPLATE. DO NOT REMOVE THE HEADING, INSTRUCTIONS, OR FORMATTING.  DO NOT MODIFY THE NUMBERED SECTIONS. DO NOT ADD ANYTHING EXTRA THAT IS NOT BEING ASKED FOR IN THE TEMPLATE'S INSTRUCTIONS.  YOUR RESPONSES TO EACH NUMBERED SECTION IN THE TEMPLATE SHOULD BE ENTERED UNDER EACH NUMBERED SECTION.

IF YOU HAVE A CEJST MAP TO INCLUDE THAT SHOWS YOUR DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY AND YOU DON'T WANT THE MAP INCLUDED IN YOUR 7 PAGE LIMIT, UPLOAD YOUR CEJST MAP UNDER STEP-12 (ADDITIONAL PROPOSAL INFORMATION) IN YOUR APPLICATION WORKFLOW.

Your completed Proposal Narrative Template document must be saved as an Adobe PDF file for uploading to the Project Narrative workflow step in the Grants Portal.

The Proposal Narrative uploaded is not to be more than 7 single spaced pages.  Maps that identify and show your project's targeted land area may be uploaded separately under Step-12 (Additional Proposal Information) of your application workflow and will not be counted toward the 7 page limit.

The Forest Service may NOT consider applications that fail to comply with the required content, format, and page limits, or those that are incomplete.

Refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for complete details.

For complete instructions on the budget requirements and to view a simple budget example, see the 'Budget and Budget Narrative Instructions with Examples' document in the 'Forms, Templates, and Resources' section of this website.

NOTE: Your completed Budget document must be saved as a PDF file and uploaded to the 'Budget' workflow step in your online application.

The budget should provide sufficient details (e.g., personnel, equipment, consultants, supplies, administration, partnership contributions) to reflect costs needed to complete the activities identified in the proposal narrative work plan.

Matching amounts, if listed as in-kind contributions (e.g., personnel time, donated equipment, materials, and matching non-Federal grants), should be based on realistic calculated values. Costs should also provide enough detail to determine if they are reasonable and allowable. The budget should also identify the source of non-Federal resources and the ability to meet matching requirements.

Your project costs must be categories using the following budget categories:

• Personnel (salary costs)
• Fringe benefits
• Travel
• Equipment (cost of purchase, not rental. NOTE: The definition of equipment is tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost of at least $5000. Equipment purchase is heavily discouraged. Consider equipment rental instead.)
• Supplies (tangible personal property other than equipment--includes tree purchase not completed under a contract for service)
• Contractual (e.g., contract for service, equipment rental)
• Other (sub-grants only)
• Indirect costs (NICRA, de minimus, or none—see below)

De minimis rate: Any Non-Federal entity (except State and local governments that receive more than $35 million per year in Federal funding) that does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) indirect rate (NICRA) may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. No documentation is required to justify the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate. As described in 2 CFR 200.403, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. If chosen, this methodology once elected must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as a non-Federal entity chooses to negotiate for a rate, which the non-Federal entity may apply to do at any time.

Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) means all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs.

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) may be used, if established.

NOTE: The budget amounts on your BUDGET and BUDGET NARRATIVE MUST match the funding requested in the 'Abstract/Funding' workflow step and the budget amounts on the Federal Financial forms, SF-424 and SF424A.

Refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for complete details.

For complete instructions on the Budget Narrative requirements and to view a simple example, see the 'Budget and Budget Narrative Instructions with Examples' document in the 'Forms, Templates, and Resources' section of this website.

In general, the budget narrative should provide sufficient details (e.g., personnel, equipment, consultants, supplies, administration, partnership contributions) to reflect costs needed to complete the activities identified in the proposal narrative work plan.

Matching amounts, if listed as in-kind contributions (e.g., personnel time, donated equipment, materials, and matching non-Federal grants), should be based on realistic calculated values. Costs should also provide enough detail to determine if they are reasonable and allowable. The budget should also identify the source of non-Federal resources and the ability to meet matching requirements.

NOTE: The Federal funding and non-Federal match amounts MUST match the funding requested on the Budget/Abstract, SF-424 (Federal Financial forms) and the Budget form.  If you change the funds requested, make sure you make the change to the other forms as well.

Your completed budget narrative must be saved as a .pdf file for upload to the Grant Portal.  The .pdf document you upload will be included in the Appendix as part of your Project Narrative.  The document you upload will be included in the Appendix as part of your Project Narrative.

Refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for complete details.

Enter the project's application for Federal assistance details using Federal financial form SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance).  NOTE: Your organization's authorized representative is required to sign this form.

NOTE: The Federal funding and non-Federal match amounts MUST match the funding requested on the Budget/Abstract, SF-424 (Federal Financial forms) and the Budget Narrative/Justification form.  If you change the funds requested, make sure you make the change to the other forms as well.

You can download a blank SF-424 form (.pdf format) from the Forms and Templates section of the Grants Portal.  Your completed SF-424 form must be saved as a .pdf file for upload to the Grant Portal.  The document you upload will be included in the Appendix section of your Application.

DO NOT ATTACH YOUR BUDGET NARRATIVE OR ANY OTHER DOCUMENT TO SF-424.  ATTACHED DOCUMENTS TO SF-424 ARE NOT BEING SOLICITED AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

NOTE: YOUR ORGANIZATION'S SAM.GOV ISSUED UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER (UEI) MUST BE ENTERED ON LINE 8(C) OF FOR SF-424.  IF YOUR SF-424 TEMPLATE IS ASKING FOR YOUR DUNS ON LINE 8(C), PLEASE ENTER YOUR UEI INSTEAD. YOU CAN ALSO DOWNLOAD AND USE THE LATEST SF-424 FROM THE GRANT PORTAL WHICH SPECIFICALLY ASKS FOR YOUR UEI ON LINE 8(C).

ORGANIZATION'S WITHOUT A SAM.GOV ISSUES UEI WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.  FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT A SAM.GOV ISSUED UEI, PLEASE SEARCH THE HELP SECTION USING KEYWORD 'SAM.GOV'.

Enter the project's budget details using Federal financial form SF-424A (Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs).

NOTE: The Federal funding and non-Federal match amounts MUST match the funding requested on the Budget/Abstract, SF-424 (Federal Financial forms) and the Budget Narrative/Justification form.  If you change the funds requested, make sure you make the change to the other forms as well.

You can download a blank SF-424A form (.pdf format) from the Forms and Templates section of the Grants Portal.  Your completed SF-424A form must be saved as a .pdf file for upload to the Grant Portal.  The document you upload will be included in the Appendix section of your Application.

Your organization is required to affirm to certain assurances to apply for Federal assistance.  Affirm the assurances using Federal financial form SF-424B (Assurances - Non-Construction Programs). 

You can download a blank SF-424B form (.pdf format) from the Forms and Templates section of the Grants Portal.  Your completed and signed SF-424B form must be saved as a PDF file for upload to the Grant Portal.  The document you upload will be included in the Appendix section of your application.

NOTE: This form must be signed before uploading to your online application.

Optional. If indirect costs are included in the budget, provide documentation of the negotiated indirect cost rate agreement or a copy of the submitted application to the primary funding federal agency.  Note: Although indirect costs are allowable in Federal Financial Assistance Grants, the Council prefers that indirect costs are shared or covered by matching funds.

If you have multiple documents, combine all documents into one PDF file for upload.  The PDF document you upload will be included in the Appendix as part of your Application.

Optional.  Upload all maps here that do not fit within your Project Narrative document.  Additionally, if asked by the Grant Administrator to provide additional information or documentation directly related to your proposal that does not fall into any of the other application workflow steps, you may upload it here.  Do NOT upload unsolicited information or documentation and do NOT use this section to upload documentation or information being requested by other application workflow steps.

UPLOAD ALL MAPS HERE THAT DO NOT FIT WITHIN YOUR PROJECT NARRATIVE.  IF YOU ARE REQUESTING A NON-FEDERAL FUNDS MATCH WAIVER, WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU UPLOAD AN IMAGE OF THE CEJST MAP SHOWING THE DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY HERE. FORMAT YOUR MAP TO PRINT APPROPRIATELY ON 8 1/2 X 11 PAPER AND SAVE AS A PDF DOCUMENT BEFORE UPLOADING.

The PDF document you upload will be included in the Appendix as part of your Application.

The uploaded document MUST be an Adobe PDF formatted file.  If you have multiple documents to upload, combine them into one PDF document before uploading.