Future of Nursing: State Implementation Program FAQs General Program Questions What is the goal of the Future of Nursing: State Implementation Program (SIP)? SIP will provide resources to Action Coalitions (ACs) to assist them in implementing the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Most ACs are relying on in-kind support and volunteer participation. Full implementation of the recommendations will require resources and sustained efforts beyond those of even the most committed volunteers. This grant is designed to boost efforts in the short term and attract other needed funders to help sustain efforts long term. The recommendations that we want to implement are interconnected. Can we count them as one priority recommendation so that we can choose a second priority recommendation to work on too? Yes. Some of the recommendations that fall under a particular area (like education) are clearly interconnected. In this case, you can choose to address one priority recommendation and related recommendation(s). For example, you may want to focus primarily on the 80/20 recommendation but also address doubling the number of doctorally prepared nurses to assure adequate faculty are available to increase the number of graduates with the bachelors of science in nursing (BSN) degree. In your proposal, your priority recommendation would be 80/20 and your related recommendation would be to increase the number of doctorally prepared nurses. You would then be free to choose a second recommendation area (such as leadership or interprofessional collaboration). Your full proposal narrative would need to include clearly defined action plans for each area you select. Should we stop working on the other recommendations that we did not select as part of our SIP application? No. ACs can continue to work on more than their two chosen recommendations; however, the SIP funding must be used for the priority areas noted in your application. Do our 2 priorities need to come from the IOM report? For example, we included a health summit in our application. Could this count as one of our recommendations? No. It needs to directly relate to specific recommendation from the IOM report. If the summit were specifically focused on a recommendation area (i.e., academic progression), that would count. A general health summit would not count. Scope of practice was identified as biggest priority in our state, so if we cannot lobby, how do we keep from looking like we are turning away from this? There s a lot you can do regarding legislation with this funding including non-partisan research and analysis and educating legislators, but using these funds for lobbying as that term is defined under Section 4945 of the Internal Revenue Code is not permitted. Training on how best to leverage your funding will be available through CCNA.. How will RWJF prioritize its funding? RWJF will make funding priorities in the following way: First priority will be given to applicants who have the full $75,000 in hand at the time of application, as long as the proposal meets or exceeds all other eligibility criteria Second priority will be given to applicants who have a letter of commitment from a funding entity, such as a foundation, who agrees to provide matching funds either by the start date or shortly thereafter (based on the funding cycle of the foundation). 1
For those of you who may be able to secure some indication from funders that would fall short of a firm commitment, let us know as part of your proposal and we will work with you to the extent we can. Who should we address the letters of support to? You may address the Letters of Support to To Whom it May Concern. Is a higher rating/grant award given for implementing two rather than one recommendation? No. One recommendation is just fine. It is completely up to each AC to determine its priorities and focus. What is state level data? We are asking you to first look at existing data in your state. In your proposal, please include how you would use that existing state level data to evaluate your progress (both as baseline measures as well as measures of success). This would be one item in your action plan. What is a collaborating partner chart? The SIP program is meant to encourage ACs to engage new partners as part of their coalition. We are really interested in seeing the partners in your AC that will be working with you on these particular recommendations and can list in a chart or a list. Regarding fiscal sponsorship, will we be required to have an MOU with the separate organization that will be working with us on part of our work (obtaining data)? In the case of a sub-contract or sub-grant, we expect you to have an agreement with them so you are responsible for the funding and the work being done. Questions about Grant Funds and In-Kind Resources What can we use this grant money for? Funding may be used for convening, communications and web support, expert consultation and staff support for an AC coordinator. Funds may also be used to help ACs construct and maintain an infrastructure that enables them to advance and measure their progress towards achieving their priority recommendation(s). Specifically, grant funds may be used for: project staff salaries; consultant fees; data collection and analysis; meetings; project-related travel; and other direct project expenses including a limited amount of equipment (supplies, etc.) essential to the project In keeping with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation s (RWJF) policy, grant funds may not be used for lobbying, subsidizing individuals for the costs of their health care, to support clinical trials of unapproved drugs or devices, to construct or renovate facilities, or as a substitute for funds currently being used to support similar activities. Funds cannot be used for student scholarships. If SIP funds are used for salary, can that person spend some of their time working on other AC activities (not explicitly under the 2 designated recommendations)? 2
Yes, as long as the bulk of their time is for the two recommendation areas and this person serves as a project liaison. We recognize that ACs will continue to work on other areas and coordinators may be involved in that. What types of organizations are eligible to apply for funding? Eligible applicant organizations must be either a public entity or nonprofit organization that is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code AND is classified as other than a private foundation under section 509(a) of the Code. If neither of an AC s lead organizations meet these requirements, then the AC may select one of its member organizations that is a 501(c)(3) public charity to receive and administer grant funds What types of contributions are considered in-kind resources? In-kind resources are material and human resource contributions with a discernible cash value that are donated towards the implementation of the grant. Examples of in-kind support may include contributed services or an individual s time; equipment, meeting space, office equipment and supplies; and audio-visual support. Faculty time counts as an in-kind resource. In-kind resources are not covered by the expenditures of the grant. It is not always easy to calculate inkind resources, and we understand that this category will constitute an estimate of contributions provided towards the implementation of this grant. We will not require an exact calculation. Can in-kind contributions (such as staff time) count towards the matching funds that RWJF will provide? No. Although in-kind contributions are always welcome, the received or committed matching funds must be cash. In-kind donations are an important part of the overall budget and resources, but do not count for the purposes of the matching funds. A person s time is considered in-kind and cannot be used to match RWJF grant money. Questions about Matching Funds Can matching funds come from multiple sources? Yes. If an AC raises less than $75,000 in matching funds, can it still apply for SIP funding? Yes. If we accept your application, RWJF will double the match of the funds that you ve raised. For example, if an AC raises $50,000, and we accept your application, RWJF will provide a $100,000 match. Although the foundation is committed to matching funds of any amount, those securing $75k or more will be given first priority, as long as the proposal meets all other relevant criteria. What if an AC raises more than $75,000 in matching funds? Raising funds for the important work of ACs is critical. Although RWJF cannot support ACs at more than $150,000 at this time, we highly recommend that ACs try to secure as much money as they can, using the RWJF and AARP brands to help leverage. Organizations generally want to match dollars with RWJF, so take every opportunity to negotiate for more than you need for this proposal. Your final match amount will be taken into consideration in the selection process. Should additional matching funds be secured even if the AC has previously acquired funds at hand? ACs should take every advantage of leveraging RWJF dollars beyond $75,000. Sustainability will depend on how much you are able to raise. Can matching funds be used differently than grant funds? 3
No. Matching funds must be used to advance the same recommendation(s) as specified in the SIP application, thereby ensuring a true match. Can funds previously acquired be used for the purposes of matching? Yes. Matching funds may include previously received and/or promised funds. ACs must have a letter of commitment from funders when they submit the proposal that confirms that promised matched funds will be received by November 1, 2013. Matching funds must be exclusively used to support the same one or two recommendations as designated by the AC, thereby ensuring a true match. Can we can count already received funds for the purposes of the match, as long as we use the funds for the same recommendations/action plan that we describe in our proposals. What if the funds have already been spent? We will allow this so long as it fits in your action plan for the same recommendations. In this case, you should specifically address this in your budget, noting in those line items (expended in 2012). You may apply any funds the AC has received since its official inception (likely 2011 or 2012). You must also provide documentation of these matching funds in lieu of a letter of commitment such as an award letter. We received matching funds from a foundation in our community as part of a Partners Investing in Nursing s Future (PIN) grant. Can we count these matching funds towards the matching funds that we need to raise for SIP? Yes, as long as the matching funds will be used to advance the same recommendations. However, you cannot count the RWJF funds that you received as part of your PIN grant towards the matching funds you need to raise for SIP. We plan to address the education recommendation in our application. We have hospitals that pay for tuition for nurses in career/education advancement degree programs and will continue to do so during the period of the grant. Can we count this money for our cash match? No. Although almost all hospitals provide some level of tuition reimbursement, and we want to continue to encourage that, it would not be appropriate to count tuition reimbursement or scholarships as the match. However, hospitals could certainly commit a match to an AC, independent of what they do for their employees. We will apply existing funds (which will be used for the same recommendations) as our matching funds. In this case, we do not have Letters of Intent for SIP specifically. Can we use our initial award letter(s) as documentation of those funds? Yes. You will need to provide documentation of your matching funds and that the money will go toward your selected recommendations. You can include copies of your original award letters as this documentation but you will also need to include some kind of documentation that those funds will be used for the designated recommendations. Perhaps a letter from your designated AC grantee (501(c)(3) recipient) outlining the funds and the original award letters. Can the co-lead organization gift the money to the AC for the matching funds? (in the case of a grant previously received) Yes. This would constitute pre-existing money, which we have approved. They must prove that the money will be used for the exact recommendations described in their application. Can one of the AC members receiving funds (to be used on the same recommendation/action steps) apply those funds for the purpose of the match? Yes. If an AC member receives funds which will be used on the same recommendation/action 4
steps as outlined for SIP funds, that can qualify as the match. For any matching funds, applicants must show documentation: either a letter of intent from the funder indicating that these funds will be used for this purpose, or, if the fund were already received, an award letter (and a letter from the co-lead outlining this agreement). Do grants of up to $150,000 EACH over two years" mean $150k for the two years total or $150k for each year? The grant period is 2 years so the 150K would be over two years total, not each year. If a funder wants to do a split with the money between the years (i.e. 30k first year & 20k second year for a total of 50k over two years) is this ok? As long as there is a letter of commitment from the funder as to how they will distribute the funds and when (in this case split between two years), then this is ok. We will only match real cash or a letter of commitment from a funder. Do we include matching funds in our budget narrative? Yes, but not in the budget worksheet, which is only for the RWJF grant funds (up to $150,000). Questions about the RFP Who should be included in our partnerships? Partnerships with committed stakeholders are essential to advancing campaign recommendations. Key stakeholders should include nurses, funders, policy-makers, businesses, consumer organizations, state or local government and other relevant stakeholders. What is meant by diversity and will inclusion of diversity be competitive? This campaign seeks to increase the diversity of the nursing workforce, faculty, and nurse leaders. Proposals must address diversity within their respective recommendation areas. Diversity includes but is not limited to groups that have been historically underrepresented in nursing and people of economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Examples of underrepresented groups include (but are not limited to) Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian/Asian American, first-generation college students and men. Can you elaborate on the criteria that you will be using to select grantees? Successful grantees will demonstrate that they have a clear action plan that addresses diversity to advance their chosen recommendation(s), (which could include building infrastructure). We will give a funding preference to ACs that have secured at least $75,000 or over in matching funds. You need to have your plan ready to go and an ability to track your progress across time. You need to have stakeholders on board and a defined plan to increase diversity. Will there be more information provided prior to the application deadline? Yes. Interested applicants are encouraged to participate in an optional informational Web conference scheduled for April 18 2:00pm EST. You must register in advance at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/s5n3bvk Are there any guidelines you are looking for on benchmarks or deliverables? Benchmarks will come from you. Whatever benchmarks you come up with is how we will evaluate you. We would like the benchmarks to reflect where you are and where you want to be, but we also want it to be measurable. 5
Questions about the Budget Do we enter budget information for both the requested funds from the agency ($150K) and the cash match ($75K)? The budget narrative should include your entire budget regarding SIP (i.e., budget for the designated recommendations) which would show both the grant money and the matching funds to give an idea of the impact of your workplan based on this assistance. However, your budget worksheet should only show the amount of the grant (i.e., up to $150,000). What are indirect costs? Indirect costs are those costs that are not direct, like the cost to manage the funds and general operations of the project. See the definition below: An expense (such as for advertising, computing, maintenance, security, supervision) incurred in joint usage and, therefore, difficult to assign to or identify with a specific cost object or cost center (department, function, program). Indirect costs are usually constant for a wide range of output, and are grouped under fixed costs. Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/indirectcost.html#ixzz245lda4oq If personnel are hired as independent contractors as opposed to employees, would their salaries be listed under personnel or purchased services? These persons need to be budgeted under purchased services. How do I list money in the budget for a contract? If you are putting a contract in place, it should fall under purchased service. You should budget for what you expect to spend (or as close as possible). Our AC has received funds in the past for general use and have an award letter indicating that this money is for the Action Coalition. Do we need to secure an additional letter of commitment from our funder showing that these funds will be used for the recommendations we have designated in our SIP proposal? No. You will need to spell it out in your budget narrative indicating the amount of money used toward the recommendation as outlined in your action plan. It would be good to also include a letter from your co-leads (attached to the original award letter) explaining how this money will specifically be used for the recommendations you have selected for SIP. Questions about the Application Can more than one person assist in completing the online application? Yes. Each AC will select one lead organization to be responsible for submitting the application. The lead applicant may invite contributors to assist with the completion of the proposal requirements. In order to invite a contributor, the registered applicant should: select the "Invite Contributors" button on the "Home" screen; enter the e-mail address of the contributor to be invited and select "OK"; enter the name of the contributor to be invited; select the appropriate level of responsibility you wish to assign the contributor; select Invite". Does the designated organization accepting funds on behalf of the AC (grantee) need to be a co-lead, or can it be another AC partner? 6
The recipient of grant funds must be an existing 501(c)(3) at the time of application. If neither of the AC co-leads is an existing 501(c)(3), another AC member may accept the funds on behalf of the AC. If an AC member is accepting funds on behalf of the AC, the AC co-leads must submit letters of support for the designated recipient organization. Additionally if the organization who will be receiving funds (grantee) will not be involved in the day to day aspects of the work, they must act as afiscal sponsor. Prior to granting the award, RWJF will require such a grantee to sign a letter confirming that organization will exercise programmatic and financial oversight as the fiscal sponsor. Does a public university constitute a public entity eligible for funding? Yes. How do I print the online proposal reference materials? Once you are logged in, you can use the Print Application button at top right of the home page. As you update your application and respond to questions, the Print Application PDF will update with that information. A Draft watermark will be present until the application is completed and submitted by the applicant. The Print Application does not include copies of the templates (proposal narrative and budget narrative). The user should click on the Proposal Narrative or section name and click on the Proposal Narrative link in the Templates column to open and print the templates. Who should I contact if I have additional questions about the SIP program or application process? All inquiries should be sent to: SIP@aarp.org Can we make edits to our proposal once it has been submitted? No. You may save as you go but do not submit until you are sure you won t be making further edits. You would need system administrative support to make changes once submitted. What format must documents be saved as in order for them to be uploaded? The system only allows PDF uploads, so all documents must be converted to PDF prior to uploading. Our funders are asking what needs to be in their letters. Do you have a sample or template? Since all letters of support are different depending on the circumstances and information needed, there is no template or sample, the letter just needs to demonstrate their funding commitment to the AC. In the proposal templates there is an instruction box. Where do we put our answers? As listed in the template, you should delete the instructions box. When you click on the template, it should open in Word. Delete the instructions box (after printing), include the identifying information as directed, add your proposal, save your proposal and upload it. Questions about Technical Assistance Where can I access a recording of the SIP applicant webinar? Applicant webinar recordings will be available after the live webinar on the Campaign for Action website at: http://campaignforaction.org/webinars 7
If I receive a SIP grant, how will the technical assistance differ from what I am getting now? The technical assistance that ACs receive through CCNA will not change. The campaign s technical assistance center includes individual attention through state liaisons; site visit support including national level speakers; learning collaboratives; regional experts; consultants; webinars; toolkits; briefs; the website and other products. 8