• Here you will find tools, resources, and other information related to the Community Economic Development (CED), Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals (JOLI), and Rural Community Development (RCD) programs.  Visit OCS Community Development to learn how to manage and administer your grant, obtain best practices for creating jobs and revitalizing communities, locate a grantee near you, and find your federal points of contact.

Please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions.

News and Announcements

Register Now: Rural Outreach Webinar for CED and CED-HFFI Projects!
This webinar will provide more information on how rural organizations can get involved with the Community Economic Development Grant (CED) and Community Economic Development – Healthy Food Financing Initiative (CED-HFFI) programs. This webinar will be an open discussion focused on funding opportunities for rural organizations, provide tips for successful applications, and present examples of successful rural CED/CED-HFFI projects. Register here.

Upcoming Webinar: What Does it Take to Build Sustainable Micro-Businesses?  Register Now!

Friedman Associates is hosting a free webinar on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 from 2:00PM - 3:00PM EDT on effective approaches to building sustainable businesses. Participants of this webinar will learn:

• What is the best approach to do an assessment and analysis of an existing business – including financials, key performance indicators, marketing plans and operations?
  
• How do you keep clients accountable?  How do you measure outcomes?
  
• What is the most effective approach for peer learning?
  
• What are the best ways to use staff, volunteers, and consultants?
  
• Can your organization create a revenue stream for these services? 

Register here for this webinar. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

CDFI Fund Opens Application Period for FY 2013
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) opened the inaugural application period for the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program. Through the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program, certified CDFIs or their designees will issue bonds that are guaranteed by the Federal government and use the bond proceeds to extend capital within the broader CDFI industry for community development financing and for long-term community investments. The Secretary of the Treasury may guarantee up to five bonds in FY 2013, each at a minimum of $100 million, with a total of up to $500 million in bonds guaranteed. Multiple eligible CDFIs may pool together in a single $100 million minimum bond issuance provided that each eligible CDFI participates at a minimum of $10 million.

Please reference the NOGA and application instructions for detailed information regarding the following application deadlines for consideration for FY 2013 bond guarantee authority:

• The Notice of Guarantee Authority (NOGA) is anticipated to be published in the Federal Register on June 14, 2013
• Qualified Issuer Applications must be submitted through myCDFIFund by 11:59 p.m. EDT on July 17, 2013.
• Guarantee Applications must be submitted through myCDFIFund by 11:59 p.m. EDT on July 17, 2013.
  

Application Materials
In addition to being available through myCDFIFund, the FY 2013 NOGA and application materials are available via the CDFI Fund’s website.
Application Workshops
The CDFI Fund will conduct two application workshops (two days per workshop) on June 18-19, 2013 and June 20-21, 2013 in Washington, D.C. for potential applicants regarding the FY 2013 Qualified Issuer and Guarantee Application requirements. Registration is required for both sessions. There is no registration fee; however, due to limited space, registration will be honored on a first come, first served basis. More information is available on the CDFI Fund's Registration Site.

For more information about the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program, please visit www.cdfifund.gov/bond, or call the CDFI Fund’s Help Desk at (202) 653-0421.

MyMoney.gov Resource Updated and Available for Grantees!

MyMoney.gov is a one-stop shop for Americans to find financial education information and resources from across the federal government in one place. Visit MyMoney.gov for more information and check out the following resources located in the Resource Library:

• MyMoney.gov Flyer with Webiste Updates
  
• FLEC Research and DATA Clearinghouse Submission Information
  
• Adding an Item to MyMoney.gov Form
  

The 2013 CED and CED-HFFI Funding Opportunity Announcements Have Been Published!
The Application Deadline for the 2013 CED and CED-HFFI Funding Opportunity Announcements in July 2, 2013. To view the announcements, select the links below. More information regarding the CED/CED-HFFI FOA will be posted to the Prospective Applicant Resource Page.:

• 2013 CED Funding Opportunity Announcement Updated 5/10/2013.
  
  This Announcement was originally published on May 3, 2013. The announcement is now modified. Please refer to this revised version which incorporates the changes made to the CED FOA. The following changes were made:
  
  
  • In Section IV.6. Other Submission Requirements, the address of the OCS Grant Operations Center has been changed.  
  • In Section V.1. Criteria changes have been made under the Business Plan- Financial Strategies, Letters of Support, Bonus Points –  CED Project Located in Rural Areas   and the Budget and Budget Justification.
  
  
• 2013 CED-HFFI Funding Opportunity Announcement
  

2013 CED Spring Webinar Series!
The 12 webinars from the CED Spring Webinar Series are available here.  The webinars offer a mix of content for staff from nonprofits and Community Development Corporations (CDCs) that have received new or ongoing grants. The webinars offer information of the following topics:

• Track 1: 2013 Interested Applicants
  
• Track 2: Healthy Food
  
• Track 3: Managing Your Grant
  
• Track 4: Business Strategies
  

Michelle Obama Makes the Business Case for Healthy Foods
Check out the full article by First Lady Michelle Obama about the success of American companies by creating and selling healthy foods. View the full article here.

Intended Changes to the HHS Grants Policy Statement
HHS has intended changes to the Grant Policy Statement. The anticipated publication date is in the summer of 2013, and implementation will start beginning in the fall of 2013. View the upcoming changes here.

• The content of the letter is designed to give you a sense of the broader policy changes that are currently under consideration by the Department, and provide a very high level heads up to areas of change that will likely be reflected in the updated Grants Policy Statement.   The letter speaks to reduced grantee burden, improved information sharing, greater financial accountability, and program integrity.

News from CFPB's Office of Financial Education
Check out OFE's highlights from 2012 that may help with your own projects! For more information you can access the article here.  

2012 CED New Grantee Webinars

OCS has developed a New Grantee Orientation Webinar for 2012 CED Grantees.  

Session 1: Getting Started with Your Grant is the first of a series of sessions designed to provide you with guidance, resources, and tools as you kick-off your grant. This per-recorded webinar is available for view here.   

Important Information about JOLI Program Funding for FY2012:

No funds were appropriated for the JOLI program in Fiscal Year 2012; therefore, the Administration of Children and Families will not be holding a competition for new grant awards for the JOLI program this year.

Assets for Independence Grant Opportunity:

The Assets for Independence (AFI) program provides five-year grants to nonprofit organizations and government agencies that empower low-income families to become economically self-sufficient for the long-term.  Grantees provide financial education training on money management issues, and they assist participants with saving earned income in special matched savings accounts called Individual Development Accounts (IDAs).  Here are the upcoming application due dates:

Winter Cycle - due January 25, 2013
Spring Cycle - due March 25, 2013
Summer Cycle - due June 7, 2013

Read More.