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DC Auditor

Statutory Guidelines for Grant Awards

D.C. Code, Section 1-264, as amended by D.C. Law 13-135, authorizes ANCs to award grants to organizations for public purposes. The Auditor encourages ANCs to adopt guidelines for the consideration and award of grants.

A grant applicant must:

  • Submit a written grant application to the Commission;

  • Describe the proposed project for which the grant is requested;

  • State the expected public benefits; and

  • State the total cost of the project including other sources of funding.

A grant may not be awarded unless the grant is awarded pursuant to a vote of the Commission at a public meeting.

 

A grant request may be made by an organization proposing to provide services that are public in nature and benefit persons who reside or work within the Commission area.

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The services proposed should not duplicate those that are already performed by the District government.

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Expenditures for grant awards should be supported by documentation (e.g. vouchers, grant request letter and/or proposal, and minutes of the meeting in which the Commission approved the grant).

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Grant disbursements and supporting documentation should be included in quarterly financial reports submitted to the Office of the District of Columbia Auditor.

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Within 60 days after the grant award is disbursed to the grantee, the grant recipient shall forward to the Commission a statement as to the use of the funds.

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The use of the funds should be consistent with the grant application approved by the Commission.

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Examples of Grants Which Are Allowed

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Parent-Teacher Associations to fund such activities as computer literacy programs, musical instruction programs, or local cultural education field trips.

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Neighborhood civic associations for projects or activities of a public nature that benefit the Commission area.

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Examples of Grants Which Are Prohibited

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Grant awards should not be made for non-public purposes or where services are provided for personal gain.

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Grant awards should not be made conditional on a grantee’s political support or support of a position taken by the Commission.

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Grant awards should not be made to a District agency or program funded by the District Government.

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Grant awards should not be made where the funds will be used to purchase food and/or entertainment, or to support festivals.

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Grant awards should not be made to an individual in that they are deemed a nonpublic purpose expenditure.

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Procedural Requirements for Grant Awards

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Ensure that a grant application is submitted for the ANC’s review.

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Ensure that the purpose of the requested grant adheres to the public purpose requirement.

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Ensure that the organization’s representative presents the grant request at a public meeting of the ANC.

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Ensure that grant guidelines are included in the ANC’s by- laws.

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Ensure that ANC minutes reflect the approval of all grants awarded by the ANC.

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Ensure that the grantee uses the grant funds for the purpose stated in the grant request letter or proposal.

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Ensure that, within 60 days following the issuance of a grant, the grant recipient forwards to the ANC a statement as to the use of the funds along with receipts that support the expenditures.

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Ensure that grant disbursements are included in the quarterly financial reports submitted to the Auditor.

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