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Federal Grant Readiness Assessment: EPA Community Change Grant
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LAST UPDATED April 1, 2024, additions for Track 1 Compliance Review
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Complete this assessment to determine if your organization meets the basic requirements and practices to apply for the EPA Community Change grant. Review the Decision Tree to determine if your proposed project meets the requirements of the Notice.

Note: This is not a comprehensive federal grant readiness tool. For example, many federal grants require match funding, but since that is not a requirement of this opportunity, it is not included.
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Step 1: Basic Requirements to Apply for Federal GrantsYes/No
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System Award Management (SAM) Registration
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Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
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Grants.gov Registration
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Employer Identification Number (EIN)
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IRS Determination Letter (designating tax exempt status)
Applicable for nonprofits
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All Required State and Local Business Licenses and Registrations
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If your organization meets these requirements, move on to Step 2 below!

If your organization does not meet these requirements, review the Resources section to get started, or consider selecting a partner that meets the requirements to be the Lead Applicant.
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Step 2: Complete the Assessment
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For each item below:
2 points for items currently in practice at your organization;
1 point for items that are in progress or partially implemented; or
0 points for items not in practice
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Financial PracticesPoints
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IRS filings completed annually2
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Independent financial audit for most recently completed fiscal year2
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Approved annual budget2
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Documented systems/processes govern financial operations2
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Financial practices/systems meet Generally Accepted Accounting Principles2
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Ability to separate record keeping for each grant award to avoid duplicating funds2
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Ability to identify and track indirect costs
Necessary costs but not directly related to a single program
Examples: rent or utilities		2
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No negative actions by a granting agency such as failure to comply with any corrective actions or audit findings2
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No delinquency of federal debt2
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Long-term financial plan and fundraising strategy in place2
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Organization Practices
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Board of Directors in place2
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Board meets regularly (with quorum)2
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Board has clearly defined roles/responsibilities2
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Board takes and saves meeting minutes2
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Board governance structure and decision-making processes are clearly defined and consistently employed2
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By-laws2
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Articles of Incorporation2
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Anti Discrimination policy2
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Whistleblower policy2
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Equal Employment Opportunity policy2
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Staff roster: org chart, resumes, bios for key staff2
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Contact information for leadership team and key staff2
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Strategic plan in place2
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Track record of success in achieving mission-related goals2
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Data collections systems in place2
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Data is reviewed, analyzed, and reported regularly 2
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Access for limited English-speaking participants, if applicable2
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Access for persons with disability, if applicable2
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TOTAL (out of 56 points)56
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Total score 0-18: Review results with organization leadership and make a plan to implement these practices before applying

Total score 19-37: Review and revise internal practices to meet more requirements, complete section 3 below, and complete the decision tree

Total score 38-56: Make a plan to complete missing or in-progress items above, complete section 3 below, and complete the decision tree
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Step 3: Evaluate Partnership Readiness
2 entities working as partners required for EPA Community Change grant

Eligible applicants may include 2 community-based nonprofits, or a community-based nonprofit and a federally-recognized tribe, a local government, or institution of higher learning		Yes/No
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Partners have determined who will be the Lead Applicant and who will be Statutory Partner
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Partners have clearly defined roles and responsibilities for program/project implementation
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Partners have defined grant management roles for program data collection and reports
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Partners have defined grant management for financial management and reports
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Partners have determined who will serve as "Lead Applicant" vs. "Statutory Partner"
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Partners are willing to execute a legally binding partnership agreement (See Appendix B of NOFO)
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Next steps: Complete the decision tree. If your organization does not have a partner yet, consider the items above during the planning stages.
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Step 4, for Track 1 Projects ONLY: Review Compliance Requirements

Review compliance requirements to ensure that your project can meet all applicable fedeal policies that are required for this grant
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Review this EPA presentation with a focus on slides 23-29 around Grants Administration, including topics on:
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Administrative Requirements:
- Code of Federal Regulations/ Uniform Grant Guidance (2 CFR 200 / 1500)
- Provisions of Subawards vs Subcontracts
- Post-award requirements
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Construction-related Policies: ALL CONTRACTORS MUST BE COMPETITIVELY PROCURED
- Build America Buy America Act
- Davis-Bacon Related Act
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Other Applicable Policies:
- Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act (URA): Grant agreement will include URA compliance requirements.
- Justice40 Reporting: Grant agreement will include a requirement to report on metrics demonstrating how grant activities advance
the 40% goal.
- Environmental Justice Grant Applicant Database: Applicants who apply under this NOFO will be added to the database.
- National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA): Grant agreement will include NHPA compliance requirements.
- Signage: Award will include appropriate terms and conditions about signage requirements.
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