Instrumentalities of Tribes can mean any number of things such as Tribal departments of agriculture, food authorities or even food processing or food marketing entities. Tribal governments have the latitude to determine which entities are instrumentalities of their governments; NAAF only needs proper documentation as to that status.

Applicants must show eligibility as one of the four eligible grant recipient entity types by the deadline of the 2020 Request for Applications (June 1, 2020, or June 15, 2020 with an extension). If an organization is awarded a grant, eligibility must remain valid through the duration of the grant agreement period. Organizations not yet possessing necessary designations (i.e. 501(c)(3) status) are encouraged to work with a Fiscal Sponsor as opposed to waiting for a determination near the deadline.

Yes. Entities not meeting one of the non-profit, educational, CDFI or tribal-specific designation requirements in the answer to FAQ Question #1 are excluded from applying. If your organization is awaiting 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS, you are allowed to apply utilizing a fiscal sponsor.

As described in FAQ Question #1 above, only nonprofit organizations, educational organizations, CDFIs and designated tribal entities are allowed to receive awards from NAAF. The NAAF Trust Agreement specifically outlines the entities eligible to receive grants from NAAF. Individuals are not eligible to receive grants directly under NAAF. Loans to individuals are also not allowed under the NAAF Trust Agreement, except through eligible entities. Entities receiving funds will be required to use the funds to provide services important to Native farmers and ranchers, or those seeking to become farmers and ranchers.

Applicants must be one of the four eligible grant recipients as described in the Trust Agreement Section 8. For-profit entities can be involved in a project as long as the applicant is eligible.

NAAF is not bound by USDA’s definition of covered agriculture for purposes of the farm loan program or other programs available through the federal government. NAAF’s preliminary definition of Native agriculture is as follows: Native agriculture reflects ancient subsistence practices. It is the gathering, producing, harvesting and preserving of plants and animals for food and fiber by Native/Indian/Indigenous people. Native agriculture supports family, community, tribe, and country, and often incorporates ceremonial, traditional and cultural values.

Entities receiving funds will be required to use the funds to provide services important to Native farmers and ranchers, including those seeking to become farmers and ranchers, to support and promote their continued engagement in agriculture. Funds may be used for: project support, re-grants, scholarships, re-lending or capital expenditures.

Yes. A single application may include a mix of funds requested for project support, scholarships, re-grants, lending to farmers and ranchers and/or capital expenditures. For example, an applicant may request funds for program staff and re-grants together in one project budget. Project applications must follow the instructions contained within the RFA and should restrict their requested funds to the types of projects for which NAAF is seeking applications in the 2020 RFA process.

NAAF will consider projects from 2019 grantees that describe activities for which you are seeking continuation funding. In other words, you are allowed to have a project currently underway and apply to NAAF for funding to continue the work undertaken in the project to reach new audiences or to improve original projects. Not all projects need to be new. Fast Track grantees are also allowed to seek funding for projects that are either new projects or continuations of projects begun with Fast Track funding. Future RFAs may allow for continuation funding as well, but those determinations will be made at a later date.

The following applicants/uses of funds are NOT eligible under this 2019 Request for Applications:

a) Funding for entities that do not provide business assistance, agriculture education, technical support or advocacy services to Native farmers and ranchers

b) Work based outside the United States or its territories

c) Projects that do not provide assistance designed to further the success of Native farmers and ranchers or provide resources designed to further such success

d) Projects that do not provide assistance that impacts and assists individual Native farmers and ranchers

e) Projects that assist individual Native farmers and ranchers, but the services are not agriculture-related

f) Use of funds that are not restricted exclusively to charitable and educational purposes described in IRS Section 170(c)(2)(B)

g) Use of funds for litigation; however, offering of legal services important to Native farmers and ranchers is allowable (this can include, but is not limited to estate planning, land purchase agreements, understanding of legal rights, contract negotiation and other typical services important to those engaged in agriculture)

h) Use of funds for lobbying or political activity as defined by the IRS, which is influencing legislation (other forms of advocacy are eligible activities)

i) Entities that are educational organizations but that do not have an established record of working with, by and through Native farmers and ranchers are not eligible for funding, unless they partner with a Native-controlled educational organization.

Activities funded through NAAF do not explicitly allow for the purchase of land. There are other resources available for land purchase through federal lending programs and non-federal lending and granting programs. NAAF resources are to focus on business assistance, technical support, agricultural education and advocacy and while we are not opposed to land leasing, land improvement for farming or ranching or purchasing costs to be included within an applicable budget for a project that focuses on one of those four areas listed previously, we are not interested in funding projects that are solely involved in land purchase, land improvement or land rental. In addition, we are interested, should those items be included in a proposed budget, to know how those budget items will improve the success of Native farming and ranching enterprises or the individual farmers or ranchers themselves.

Allowable capital expenditures are those that have a clear link to direct service provided to Native farmers and ranchers or project costs that directly improve or impact the resources available to Native farming and ranching enterprises or improvement of Native food systems. Capital expenditures can take many forms but are normally considered to be money spent by an organization on acquiring or maintaining fixed assets, such as land, buildings or equipment of some kind. Please reach out if you have questions.

IRS provides some guidance here. They define “charitable” to be activities designed to be scientific, public safety or public benefit oriented, literary and the like; in other words, activities that have a general public benefit. “Educational” can encompass training, instruction, development of capabilities and include doing so through schools, colleges, universities, trade schools, professional schools, publicly available enrichment activities, and the like.

NAAF takes a broad approach in defining the audience targeted in Youth Programming and is interested in how various Native communities view it. Typically, participants in youth programs will be in the age range of pre-school to late twenties, but we encourage you to make a clear case on how your project will define youth. Some activities that encompass “youth” also can be designed to reach audiences “young or beginning”, particularly in the farming and ranching context.

Non-litigation legal services that assist Native farmers and ranchers are eligible for funding under NAAF. This includes, for example, legal services related to contract review and formation, property transactions, estate planning, credit repair, advice on farm programs, administrative appeals and general policy analysis or policy education activities and the like.

Organizations that serve a broader population may be eligible. However, award funds would have to be directed toward Native farmers and ranchers only. For example, a youth program that works to help the next generation of farmers and ranchers nationwide could be eligible if their application proposes funding for a program targeted to Natives, such as youth on a specific reservation, but not for other programs serving non-Natives.

There are many needs in the Native communities and many worthy organizations seeking to meet those needs. However, these funds must be expended in accordance with the terms of the NAAF Trust Agreement which provides that awards must only be used for the benefit of Native farmers and ranchers to support their involvement with agriculture. Thus, programs which address non-agricultural issues, such as housing, would not become eligible just because some of the individuals served happen to be Native farmers or ranchers. However, an organization that serves a broader Native population but will use award funds specifically for Native farmers and ranchers may be eligible. For example, a community development financial institution (CDFI) that makes low-interest loans to small businesses generally could receive an award if the funds were going to be used solely for making such loans to Native farmers and ranchers, but the loans must support agricultural activity.

Value added agriculture activities allow farmers or ranchers or food champions to capture a larger share of the consumer food dollar. These activities often refer to some sort of processing activity that increases the value of raw food products. For instance, taking strawberries and turning them into jam is considered a value-added activity; so is taking corn and making corn bread mix; taking wheat and turning it into flour. This can also mean taking food products and marketing them through special “branding” of the product, such as through placing a logo on the packaging. Sometimes this is differentiating your product (producing something differently; such as through organic, grass-fed, or regeneratively produced activities to name a few). Agritourism is also considered value-added if the activity of encouraging and promoting tourism incorporates food or agriculture-related activities.

In order for food processing activities to be covered, there would have to be a direct involvement of Native farmers and ranchers, not simply supporting a food processing business that might buy its inputs from Native farmers and ranchers. Thus, if a farmer wanted to expand into processing some of his or her own produce for higher market value items, or if ranchers wanted to organize a cooperatively owned slaughtering and processing facility, then such activities could be supported with NAAF funds so long as the applicant is an eligible entity identified in the Trust Agreement. If a processing plant or food hub or other processing facility making value-added food products seeks funding, the application must specifically state the involvement of Native farmers and ranchers throughout the processing activities and the benefit Native farmers and ranchers will gain by participating with the processing facility. All other eligibility requirements must also be met.

Projects that focus only on research will not be considered for funding during this program cycle. In addition, projects that focus only on health-related issues will also not be considered for funding during this program cycle. NAAF will allow curriculum development to occur within a funded project scope, but only if delivery of the curriculum during the project period occurs. Stand-alone curriculum development projects will not be funded; delivery to Native farmers and ranchers is essential. NAAF is looking for projects that deliver developed content with practical application to the success of Native farmers and ranchers.

Yes. The RFA describes the types of COVID-19 related activities for which NAAF is seeking project proposals. Please consult the RFA and if you have further questions, please contact us for further clarification.

Faculty can apply, but individuals who are on staff but are not technically faculty in an institution can also apply. Sometimes projects or activities are led by individuals who do not have full time faculty appointments but are considered staff of educational institutions or affiliated staff. So long as the person has an employment or staff relationship with the educational institution or agricultural extension office, they are eligible to apply on behalf of the entity. If awarded, the authorized official for the organization will have to sign the grant agreement on behalf of the organization.

Agriculture certificate or degree programs are encouraged but not required. Educational institutions can seek funding for work that is community based and does not result in a certificate or degree, so long as the activity strives to improve the skills or knowledge or support provided by the institutions within the community, related to food and agriculture issues. Partnerships between various educational organizations are encouraged but not required.

Funding for specific, eligible programs may be requested for expenditures expected to be made within 24 months (2 years) of receipt of an award. NAAF will consider future requests for no cost extensions of time to complete the funded project deliverables/activities. Applicants are free to request projects of a less than 2-year time frame for implementation. Your application and related documents (budget and budget justifications) must be clear as to the length of time your project will utilize for implementation.

Project awards should be complete within 24 months of start date. NAAF will entertain future requests to continue projects awarded in this cycle. Applications submitted in the 2020 RFA process should not describe project activities past the 24-month time frame.

All successful applicants will be required to provide periodic progress reports through an online or hard-copy system. Those periodic progress reports will be required by deadlines outlined in the funding agreement which all successful applicants will be required to execute with NAAF before funds are transferred.

Final determinations for funding will be announced as quickly as possible so that successful applicants can be notified, grant agreements finalized, and funds dispersed as soon as possible. Project start dates will be determined once this process is concluded, but all project start dates will be in 2020.

No. There is a limited amount of money available during the 2020 RFA process and applications could exceed the total funds available to distribute. NAAF Board of Trustees will determine how much funding to release for project funding during each subsequent year. The funding levels for which applications will be sought, and the types of applications which will be sought may change from year to year.

Yes. Paper applications (hard copy, type-written) are allowed but must be postmarked and date- stamped no later than Monday, June 1, 2020 at 11:59 pm CDT in order to be accepted.

Applications are due by June 1, 2020 at 11:59 pm CT. This deadline applies to online applicants and to hard-copy submittal applicants. Online applicants are required to have a completed application uploaded and submitted through the online system by this deadline; hard-copy applicants are required to send their application with a postmarked date and time stamp that is in compliance with the same deadline.

However, for the 2020 funding cycle and in light of the impacts of COVID-19, NAAF is offering all applicants an additional 15 days for final submittal. NAAF recognizes that the current impacts of COVID-19 may impact potential applicants in a number of different ways. If an applicant contacts NAAF by the June 1 deadline and requests flexibility in securing reliable electronic communications, in securing signatures and authorizations or addressing other reasonable complications in meeting the original deadline, the applicant may be allowed until June 15, 2020 at 11:59 pm CT to submit their complete application.

The NAAF Trust Agreement includes various requirements for the eligibility of applicants that will be allowed to apply for NAAF funding. If the applicant must secure a Tribal or board resolution prior to submitting proposals for funding, then those resolutions should be included in the application. If a Tribal government application requires a resolution before applications may be submitted, then those resolutions should be included in the application. Limited waivers of sovereign immunity are required by the Trust Agreement, and there is specific guidance related to those documents reflecting eligibility.

No. NAAF staff, the review panel and the NAAF Board of Trustees must remain completely unbiased in their work, which will ultimately lead to funding recommendations and final funding decisions. Therefore, the only assistance NAAF can provide is to a) help organizations determine whether or not they and their programs are eligible entities, and b) how to use the website (or a hard-copy submittal process) to submit an application, or c) specific questions providing details regarding submittal or the RFA. NAAF staff, reviewers or Trustees will not comment on or strategize with applicants concerning their particular project.

Yes. Since the text section does not allow for visuals, you will need to save them all as a PDF (only one file allowed) and upload it at the end under ‘Support Letters’. Please reach out to us if you have questions.

Smaller budgets projects can be just as impactful as larger budget projects. The work you want to do should match the budget you are thinking is necessary to reach your goals and outcomes.

Indirect expenses of up to 15% are allowed. NAAF reserves the right to raise or lower indirect costs allowed within future RFA processes, based on stakeholder comments and the successes or challenges faced by successful applicants during implementation of their project.

Indirect costs represent the expenses of doing business that are not readily identified in specific activities but are necessary for the general operation of the organization or to support the conduct of the activities. This can include accounting or legal expenses, office expenses, rent, telephone expenses, utilities and the like. Indirect costs can apply to more than one activity within an organization while project-specific costs (or direct costs) are specific to the unique activity you are trying to accomplish. If you need more information, please let us know.

Yes. We understand that effective programs require some overhead for staff and other expenses. However, we also must ensure that as much of these funds as possible is put to work directly benefitting Native farmers and ranchers. Please see the response to FAQ Question #27.

Guidelines for what is considered matching or in-kind funds can vary funder to funder. Some organization require applicants to provide cash match; some organizations require applicants to provide in-kind match. In-kind is a form of matching dollars and can refer to such things as personnel, goods or services that are identified by applicants as being contributed to the overall support of a project. NAAF does not require matching (cash or in-kind); however, NAAF funds (if your application is funded) can be used as federal match because NAAF funds are considered private in nature. If you need more information, please let us know.

No. Cost share, in-kind or matching funds is not required for NAAF funding. However, while not required, these funds can be listed or noted as such in the grant application budget or budget narrative. In-kind, third party contributions are encouraged but not required. An application will be reviewed to see if the entity applying has the capacity to responsibly manage an award. An organization should seek funding commensurate with its capacity. Please note that NAAF funds, if awarded, are not considered federal funds and as such may be used to meet federal matching funds required, as appropriate.

Applicants for intermediary funding must demonstrate a record of successfully assisting nonprofits and communities, normally including experience in grantmaking, scholarships or loans, and that they have the ability to provide adequate due diligence for a re-granting, loan or scholarship program.

If a CDFI seeks funds specifically to make grants or low-interest loans, the intermediary section of the application should be included and their role in the project must be detailed.

Access to credit can be improved by a variety of ways: improved access to technology; improved record-keeping skills; credit repair activities; business planning skills improvement; marketing planning skills improvement; advocating on behalf of Native farmers and ranchers so that their access to banking and financial services is improved; and activities that help people analyze and plan for mitigating risks they might face, to name a few.

Yes. All NAAF staff and all NAAF Board of Trustee members are required to comply with Conflict of Interest policies. Anyone involved in evaluating the applications will recuse themselves from evaluating any applications from organizations or entities with which they have a conflict of interest or an appearance of conflict of interest.

Applications will be screened first to determine whether the applicant is an eligible entity. If the applicant is an eligible entity their application will be reviewed by the review panel. All applications will be reviewed by the review panel unless they have been disqualified for one of three reasons: 1) failure to provide evidence of eligible entity status; 2) failure to include all required forms and information within their submitted application; or 3) failure to submit their application by the relevant closing deadline. The review panel will consider all evaluation criteria factors when deciding which organizations to submit to the Board of Trustees for final decisions for possible funding.

All information and documents received during this process are held in confidence and will become a part of the records of NAAF. All current and former applications will have access to their former applications in a secure dashboard found on NAAF’s application page.

The Trust Agreement is very specific about eligible entities. Two of the types of organizations are 501(c)(3) and Tribal governments. In order to secure Section 7871 status, applicants must prove that they are an instrumentality of a single tribe or group of multiple tribes. Therefore, Section 7871 entities might be able to come under either of these definitions depending on their status. All applicants need to study carefully the language of the Trust Agreement so that you provide necessary documentation of eligibility. If the 7871 organizations can fall under either of these requirements, with or without fiscal sponsors that are clearly qualified under one of the four entities, then they are encouraged to apply. All applicants must include some documentation reflecting their eligibility.

Because the limited waiver of sovereign immunity must be provided by an authorized official of the Tribal government, NAAF is not requiring a certain template be used. The resolution or statement must be provided on Tribal government letterhead and signed by an appropriate and authorized official.

ou can ‘Save’ and then later submit your application. If you have problems, please contact our NAAF team to work through any technical issues associated with your application.