Frequently Asked Questions for 2008 Community Program RFP

Q. Do I need to include citations or references in my Letter of Intent (LOI)?

A. No, citations or references are not as critical in this phase of the RFP. They will be utilized and more important in the full application phase should your organization be asked to submit. Since the LOI is only two (2) pages in length it is recommended that you keep any references or citations to a minimum and respond to the LOI Template sections.

Q. Can we apply for both Research and Community Program grant funds?

A. Yes, applicants may submit LOI’s in each of these grant cycles however applicants may not submit more than one (1) LOI for the Community Program. Applicants may only submit under the Evidence-Based Interventions or Education for Health Care Professionals.

Q. Can we partner with a for-profit organization for this project?

A. Yes, applicants are encouraged to identify partners in their communities who will provide programmatic and financial support towards sustainability.

Q. We are currently receiving funding from the Lance Armstrong Foundation's (LAF) Community Program, but would like to apply for funding of a separate initiative. Are we eligible to apply?

A. Applicants currently receiving funding through the LAF's Community Program (Current grantees whose grants will be closing by October 31, 2008) are advised to contact Suzanne Potts, Community Program Officer to ascertain their eligibility.

Q. What grant types are available through the 2008 Community Program RFP?

A. Applicants can apply for two types of grants:

• Evidence-based Interventions
• Education for Health Care Professionals

Applicants may only submit one Letter of Intent (LOI) this grant cycle.

Q. Do applicants have to apply for either an evidence-based intervention or an education for health care professionals type grant or can one apply for a combination?

A. Applicants may only apply for one grant in this grant cycle.

Q. Is it possible to apply as a single organization, as well as part of a joint collaboration?

A. Organizations may apply as a lead organization and be listed as a collaborator or subcontractor on another application.

Q. How many grants will be awarded in both categories?

A. The number of grants awarded and award amounts are dependent upon the quality of applications, available resources and identified needs.

Q. How many applications were submitted last cycle and what percent were accepted?

A. There were 316 Letters of Intent submitted in 2007, 106 were approved to submit a full application, and 15 were awarded a grant.

Q. What are some examples of previous community programs that have received a LAF community grant?

A. Descriptions of previous award recipients of the Community Program are available on our website. Please note that the LAF's funding priorities may change from year to year and that prospective applicants should pay close attention to the current RFP including funding priorities, subject areas, and deadlines to determine whether or not to apply.

Q. What are the submission deadlines for Community Program grant applications and how do I apply?

A. Proposals must be submitted through the online system proposalCENTRAL by their respective deadlines in order to be considered for funding. Applicants may submit only one LOI during this funding cycle.

LOI deadline: 5:00 p.m. EST, March 24, 2008
Full application deadline: 5:00 p.m. EST, June 20, 2008

Q. Can we get an extension on submitting our LOI? We had some technical problems with uploading our document?

A. Applicants will not be given extensions if they encounter technical problems while uploading their proposals. LAF encourages all applicants to submit proposals in a timely manner and to work with proposalCENTRAL if any problems occur. Do not wait until the submission deadline to upload your documents as sometimes there are problems with PDF conversion or questions on using the online system. If you have difficulties with the online system, please contact proposalCENTRAL at 1-800-875-2562 or support@altum.com.

Q. When will grantees be notified of their proposal status? At what point will we know if our program was funded?

A. Applicants will be notified on or before September 29, 2008 if their proposal was selected by LAF for funding. Do not contact LAF staff prior to this date to request information about the status of your proposal. For larger grants, select applicants will undergo a site visit by LAF staff in late August before funding recommendations are approved.

Q. How will applicants be notified if their proposal has been funded or not?

A. All applicants will receive electronic notification of their proposal status; emails will be sent to the contact person identified as applicant within proposalCENTRAL.

Q. How do I convert my proposal documents to a PDF File(s)?

A. PDF generator software is available to help you save your documents as PDF's. There are several programs available for both PCs and Macs, along with websites that will perform the conversion for you. The list below contains some of the PDF generators on the market, many of which are free or very low ¬cost. Detailed instructions are also provided in the Download Templates and Instructions section of the online application in proposalCENTRAL.

Adobe:
www.adobe.com/products/acrobatstd/main.html

Print driver that will work with any application. (For PC)
Go2PDF:
www.go2pdf.com

Web¬-based converter. Vendor e¬mails PDF back to you. (For PC or Mac)
Blue Squirrel:
www.bluesquirrel.com/products/Click2PDF/

Q. I'm having trouble with the online system. Where can I find help?

A. Applicants with questions about proposalCENTRAL, the online application system, should direct their questions to proposalCENTRAL's toll-free customer service line at (800) 875-2562 or by email at support@altum.com.

Q. The national office of my organization received an award through the "National Partnerships Program". Is my chapter still eligible to apply?

A. Yes, local chapters/associations/divisions of national organizations are eligible to apply through the Community Program even if their national office has received funding through the National Partnerships program. However, they cannot apply for funding for the same program that is being supported through the national office.

Q. Can you describe underserved population?

A. Applicants will be asked to provide their own definition of an underserved population or community. For purposes of this RFP, community is defined as "populations that may be defined by geography, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability or other health condition, or to groups that have a common interest or cause, such as health or service agencies and organizations, health practitioners, policy makers, or groups with public health concerns".

Q. We have a very specific population of cancer survivors that we're working with. Is it possible to be too specific to be eligible for LAF funding?

A. Many of our grantees are offering programs for specific populations, genders, cancer types and there is no area that is too specific for this grant cycle.

Q. We have a hospital wide program that includes non-cancer patients. Are we allowed to apply for funds to programs that involve non-cancer patients or do we need to only fund the cancer aspect of our program?

A. LAF funds are intended to serve cancer survivors so the proposal must be limited to the cancer patient population. Funds requested should include those that would only serve cancer patients.

Q. How important is it to include examples of underserved communities as stated by LAF?

A. Applicants are asked to define underserved populations to be served in their specific community. The populations listed in the RFP are only examples of underserved cancer survivor populations.

Q. Does LAF fund staffing, IT or marketing?

A. All grants are very different and there is a wide range of allowable project related expenses. Please refer to the application budget guidelines for more information. All expenses must be directly related to the proposed project and personnel must be directly working on the project and adequately justified.

Q. We have applied for but not received 501c3 status. Can our program still apply with our non-profit status pending?

A. No, you will need to submit through a fiscal agent. LAF allows fiscal agents to apply for organizations that do not have their 501 c 3 established. Please contact LAF for further instructions, Amy Nunn, Grants Manager at amy.nunn@livestrong.org.

Q. Could you provide a specific definition of practical issues of cancer survivorship?

A. In the area of practical issues of survivorship, the LAF seeks projects that address issues including, but not limited to employment discrimination, finding and evaluating resources, health insurance, life insurance, patient navigation, planning for medical and/or financial future and transportation issues.

Q. Does LAF have an expectation when it comes to regional, statewide, or counties served?

A. LAF does not have an expectation and will accept applications that serve cancer survivors in each of those regions.

Q. What type of evaluation component is needed and how much detail should be included in the LOI?

A. All programs are expected to set goals and objectives, monitor activities, outcomes and evaluate program success. Successful applicants will begin program evaluation from the onset of programmatic activities and throughout the project period. Ongoing feedback, evaluation and assessment are critical to program success. A more rigorous evaluation of programs that request three (3) years of funding is expected. All 3 Year funding requests must include 10% of the entire grant amount for evaluation purposes.

Q. How important is it to show alignment with the National Action Plan in the LOI and how do we do this?

A. Applicants will be asked to provide information about how their proposal is in alignment with the National Action Plan in the full application phase. It is not necessary in the LOI phase.

Q. Do we need to know that we want to apply for a 3 year grant when filling out the LOI?

A. Applicants will need to indicate in the Title Sheet of their LOI how many years of funding they will be seeking and how much money they will request. This amount and timeframe may be altered at the application phase if necessary.

Q. Can you elaborate on community member participation/ level of participation? What constituent groups does this include?

A. It is expected that community members participate in the planning, implementation and evaluation of all programmatic activities for these projects. This includes survivors served in Evidence-Based Interventions and/or Education for Health Care Professionals and/or educators who will participate in training for Health Care Professionals.

Q. How much detail/scientific support do you want in the LOI?

A. LOIs are limited to 2 pages so applicants are encouraged to be concise. Basic information on the evidence-based intervention or education for health care professionals program is expected at the LOI stage; however, more detail will be required at the full proposal stage.