Transcript Matching Grant 101

Matching Grant 101
ORR Funding
Matching Grant
What is it?
What is Matching Grant?
The Matching Grant Program is a welfare alternative
funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
It provides resettlement assistance to refugees, asylees
and other eligible clients with an emphasis on
employment services, and is administered by the
national voluntary agencies.
What is the goal of Matching Grant?
The goal of the program is to help eligible clients
achieve economic self-sufficiency within 120 to 180
days after date of eligibility, without accessing public
cash assistance.
Who’s eligible?
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Refugees or asylees
Cuban and Haitain entrants
Certain Amerasians from Vietnam
Certified Victims of Severe Form of
Trafficking
Iraqi and Afghan aliens granted special
immigrant status…or SIVs
120 and 180 Day Benchmarks
Services are provided for up to 180 days from the date
of eligibility, depending upon when the client
achieves self-sufficiency.
What is self-sufficiency?
Economic self-sufficiency means earning a total
family income at a level that enables a family unit to
support itself without receipt of a cash assistance
grant (45 CFR 400.2)
Always remember…
If a client has already accessed cash
assistance, they are ineligible to enroll. If
they do so after enrolling, they must be
dropped from the program. Costs of
program services provided to such
clients may not be charged to the
Matching Grant Program.
Matching Grant
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The Matching Grant Program is a Public/Private
Partnership enabling affiliates to fund much-needed
staff time for employment services and expanded
case management, along with cash support and
maintenance assistance for eligible clients.
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Voluntary Agencies receive federal funds of
$2,200 per client, of which an agreed upon amount
is passed through to affiliates, provided the
required match is met. These monies are to be spent
providing MG services to MG clients.
MATCH!
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Affiliates “earn” federal dollars by both spending
and matching them with private contributions.
Each private $1.10 documented after date of
enrollment can earn up to $2.20 federal dollars.
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Up to 80% of the match may be in-kind donations; a
minimum of 20% must be in cash.
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One of the main administrative components of the
MG program is training sponsors/volunteers to
itemize all cash outlays made for the client and
record hours of time volunteered and miles driven.
These expenditures and hours can be counted as match.
A Year in the Life…
Enrollment
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At least one member of the refugee unit must be
deemed employable.
Who is NOT eligible?
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Those expected to receive SSI.
Cases with no member who expects to become
employed.
Those already self-sufficient.
Those receiving ANY form of public cash.
Enrollment
Clients must be enrolled within 31 days of
eligibility.
What is the date of eligibility?
Refugees & Amerasians: date of arrival
C/H entrant or Iraqi/Afghan SIVs: date they obtain
status
Asylees: date of final grant of asylum
VOT: date of certification or eligibility letter
Enrollment into Matching
Grant must be a choice.
Orientation
To be completed upon enrollment in MG
Includes:
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Matching Grant agreement
Development of resettlement plan
Maintenance Assistance: housing, etc.
Cash allowance
Collecting and Documenting Match
Sanctioning
Required Services
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Employment Services
Maintenance Assistance & Cash Allowance
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Case Management Services
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Administration
Services Provided Under MG
Employment Services
Objective: To place employable clients as quickly as possible into
appropriate jobs which will enable the household unit to become
self-sufficient within 120-180 days.
Employment services are to be provided to employable adult clients
starting upon enrollment in the MG program and continuing as
needed through the 180th day. The level of employment services
received by each client should reflect the skills, needs and barriers
identified in the Resettlement Plan.
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Job Development
Employment Counseling
Job Placement
Follow-up with employer and employed refugee
Services leading to job upgrades
Services Provided Under MG
Maintenance Assistance
Objective: To provide support adequate to meet the
subsistence needs of the client and to preclude the
need to access public cash assistance. Maintenance
assistance includes provision of food or food
subsidies, suitable housing, utilities, cash allowance
and transportation assistance throughout the first
120 days from the client’s date of eligibility. This
assistance is available to enhance and extend, but
not supplant nor duplicate, assistance provided
under any Cooperative Agreement.
Services Provided Under MG
Maintenance Assistance
Cash allowance is a minimum of:
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$200 per month or the maximum amount that will not
affect Medicaid eligibility to all adult clients
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$40 per month to each minor in the case.
Cash payments are to be distributed to clients
within ten working days of enrollment.
Exception: R&P clients enrolled before the 31st day
Cash allowance should be used by clients to buy
personal items as necessary and NOT for rent or
other forms of maintenance.
Services Provided Under MG
Maintenance Assistance
Housing: If you are providing rent payments as
part of maintenance assistance, these shall
continue at a minimum for the month following
job placement up to the 120th day. If housing is
being provided by a family member, friend, or
other source, case files should clearly indicate that
such an agreement exists.
Always remember that the
ultimate responsibility to
provide housing lies with you,
the affiliate agency!
Services Provided Under MG
For MG clients that arrive without the
benefit of an R&P grant, services such as
referral to health screening, enrollment of
children in school, orientation, ect. are to
be provided. All such services and inkind contributions are allocable to the
MG program for these clients
Services Provided Under MG
Case Management Services
Objective: To ensure that services are provided
in a planned, effective, and timely manner to
eligible clients; are appropriate to the needs of
the clients; and contribute to their community
integration, early employment and selfsufficiency. Case management shall
commence immediately upon enrollment and
continue through the 180th day.
Case files shall include:
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Intake information
Agreement letter
Resettlement plan
Clear documentation of services
provided, regular contact with and
monitoring progress of clients over time,
with respect to needs and goals identified
in the resettlement plan
Case files shall include:
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120 and 180 day reports
Documentation of the childcare/ after school
care, if applicable
Documentation of the full provision of housing
Cash transactions clearly documented and
initialed by an adult member of the case
Summary sheet of cash and in-kind donations
(Match raised)
Proposed budget with actual expenditures to
date
Case files shall include:
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Documentation of the termination of the
case
Pay stub or other documentation of
compliance with US Tax regulations
Information on training program, if
applicable
MG documentation must be separate
from that of other programs. A separate
section in the file is acceptable.
Services Provided Under MG
Administration
Objective: To ensure planned, timely, and appropriate
delivery of services and adherence to Federal
regulations, policies, and guidelines.
 Plan and coordinate program services with other
local service providers in the community.
 Monitor and provide an overall assessment of the
wellbeing of Matching Grant clients during the first
120 days.
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Manage grant finances and account for funds
according to Federal grant requirements and submit
timely programmatic and financial reports
Administration
Reporting
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MG-1 Reports are due on the 20th of each
month (CWS and EMM) or the 10th of each
month (LIRS) for the previous month.
As EMM and LIRS make the transition to IRIS,
the VOLAG will access reports on the above
dates
Services Provided Under MG
Administration
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Maintain procedures for sanctioning clients
that fail to comply with an agreed upon MG
Agreement, resettlement plan and/or directive
involving attendance at counseling, training
sessions, or ESL classes or who refuses to be
interviewed for or accept an appropriate job
offer.
External Services
Other Services Funded Either Directly by the
Matching Grant Program or by Referral:
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English language training
Health and medical services
Short term job training or recertification
Social adjustment
Mental health services
Childcare services