Administration for Native Americans: Social and Economic Development Strategies

The Administration for Native Americans (ANA), within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), announces the availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 funds for community-based projects under the ANA Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS) program.  This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is focused on community-driven projects designed to grow local economies, strengthen Native American families, including the preservation of Native American cultures, and decrease the high rate of current challenges caused by the lack of community-based businesses, and social and economic infrastructure in Native American communities.  Native American communities include American Indian tribes (federally recognized and non-federally recognized), Native Hawaiians, Alaskan Natives, and Native American Pacific Islanders.

Program areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Social Development: Projects that develop and implement culturally appropriate strategies to meet the social service needs of Native Americans. Examples include:
* Community Living – Developing and coordinating services to assist people with disabilities by helping them reach their maximum potential through increased independence, productivity, and integration within the community
* Early Childhood Development – Supporting stable and high-quality, culturally appropriate childhood education programs; creating early childhood education jobs; and improving community-wide planning and coordination of early childhood programs
* Youth Development – Improving the well-being of youth through life-skills training, workforce development training, mentoring programs, substance abuse programs, and preventing pregnancies, suicides, and juvenile crime
* Community Health – Promoting improved access to care and quality of care through coordinated local and regional approaches, expanding access to healthy foods, and supporting environmental health
* Arts and Culture – Developing or enhancing activities that promote, preserve, or restore Native culture and arts
* Safety and Security – Developing or enhancing community-based initiatives to protect the community from external threats and reduce insecurity, violence, and crime
* Organizational Development – Increasing organizational capacity to successfully implement mission and goals
* Nutrition and Fitness – Promoting increased knowledge and participation in activities that promote healthy foods, active lifestyles, the reduction of obesity, and other healthy-living habits
* Strengthening Families – Incorporating culturally relevant strategies to strengthen families and promote family preservation, responsible parenting, and healthy relationship skills; and to foster the well-being of children
* Responsible Fatherhood – Supporting responsible fatherhood through activities such as counseling, mentoring, marriage education, enhancing relationship skills, parenting, and activities to foster economic stability
* Suicide Prevention – Promoting safety, resilience, and protective factors necessary to foster mental health and reduce incidences of suicide and suicidal ideation
* Human Trafficking – Working to identify, report, and prevent human trafficking, and providing outreach and services for victims
* Two-Spirit/LGBT – Planning, developing, and coordinating culturally relevant programs and services designed to serve Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender individuals and families

Economic Development: Projects that promote the creation of a sustainable local economy. Examples include:

* Asset Building – Increasing availability of effective financial education and other asset-building strategies for individuals and families
* Economic Stability – Conducting the necessary planning and/or research to support achievement of long-range economic development goals. Examples may include establishing a separate division to administer economic development programs or performing gap or value-added analyses to identify strengths and weaknesses in the local economy. Strengthening an organization’s capacity to deliver programs that promote economic development and security
* Infrastructure – Developing infrastructure (transportation systems, communication, distribution networks, financial institutions, technology, etc.) to support the local workforce and make business activity possible
* Subsistence – Enhancing subsistence and agricultural activities to retain or revitalize traditional native food sources and practices

Governance: Governance is defined as increasing the ability of tribal and Alaska Native village governments to exercise local control and decision-making, and to develop and enforce laws, regulations, codes, and policies that reflect and promote the interests of community members. Examples include:

* Federal Recognition – Offering one-time support to tribes during any stage in the process of seeking federal recognition
* Emergency Preparedness – Planning and coordinating emergency response services within the community and with state and local governments to protect against the acts of nature and other catastrophic events such as floods and hazardous material exposure
* Integration – Promoting program coordination among human and social service programs for native communities to strengthen the programs they provide to their children, youth, and families
* Comprehensive Strategies – Developing comprehensive intergovernmental strategies involving tribal, state, and federal governments to meet the needs of community members
* Self-Governance Infrastructure and Planning – Building the capacity and infrastructure to enter into self-governance compacts and other arrangements with funding agencies to take advantage of administrative flexibilities to more effectively operate programs
* Leadership Skills – Enriching and strengthening the management and organizational capacities of tribal governments, governing boards, tribally owned enterprises, and community leaders
* Technology Infrastructure – Establishing and implementing information management systems for effective and efficient administration of tribal governments and governing boards
* Governmental Administration – Developing or amending tribal constitutions, by-laws and codes, and council or executive branch policies and procedures to improve the regulatory, judicial, and administrative infrastructure of tribal and village governments; support and enforce business and investment transactions, contracts, and property rights; rights and procedures addressing family and child welfare issues; and enhance intergovernmental relations, including clarifying tribal jurisdiction
* ACF Program Support – Strengthening infrastructure and increased capacity for tribal governments and governing boards to operate various ACF programs

Amount: Estimated Total Funding: $5,000,000; Expected Number of Awards: 22; Grants will range from $50,000-Up

Eligibility: Federally recognized Indian tribes, as recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs; incorporated non-federally recognized tribes; incorporated state-recognized Indian tribes; consortia of Indian tribes; incorporated non-profit multi-purpose community-based Indian organizations; urban Indian Centers; Alaska Native villages as defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANSCA) and/or nonprofit village consortia; non-profit native organizations in Alaska with village specific projects; incorporated non-profit Alaska Native multi purpose, community-based organizations; non-profit Alaska Native Regional Corporations/Associations in Alaska with village-specific projects; non-profit Alaska Native community entities or tribal governing bodies (Indian Reorganization Act or Traditional Councils) as recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs; public and non-profit private agencies serving Native Hawaiians; national or regional incorporated non-profit Native American organizations with Native American community-specific objectives; public and non-profit private agencies serving native peoples from Guam, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; tribal Colleges and Universities.

Link: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/open/foa/view/HHS-2014-ACF-ANA-NA-0776

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