Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2018 ACF ORR ZI 1338
The Refugee Individual Development Accounts (IDA) Program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Its purpose is to fund projects that set up and run Individual Development Accounts for low-income refugees, giving participants a structured way to build savings and move toward major, wealth-building goals that support long-term stability and self-sufficiency.
Under this program, funded organizations recruit eligible refugee participants who agree to open an IDA and make regular, planned deposits toward an approved savings goal. The program is designed around specific asset-building uses, including purchasing a home, starting or expanding a small business, and buying a vehicle when it is needed for education or employment. It also supports career and education advancement costs such as professional certification and certain education expenses. Education support is limited to postsecondary and/or continuing education and can include fees tied directly to moving into education or training, such as college entrance exam fees, TOEFL fees, and GED preparation and testing fees. The idea is that the account is not just general savings, but savings tied to concrete milestones that can improve a refugee household's economic prospects.
A key feature is the federal matching component. Grantees may use ORR grant funds to match what participants save in their IDAs, up to 2,000 dollars per individual refugee and up to 4,000 dollars per refugee household. This "match" is often misunderstood in grant programs, so ORR clarifies that it is not a requirement for the applicant organization to raise outside matching funds. Instead, it refers to the portion of the federal award that the grantee sets aside to match the participant's deposits, increasing the impact of each dollar a participant saves and helping participants reach their savings goals faster.
Awards are made through a competitive process, with applications screened and scored according to the criteria in the funding opportunity announcement. Funding decisions depend both on competition results and on the availability of federal funds. For this specific opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number HHS 2018 ACF ORR ZI 1338; CFDA 93.576), the maximum award amount is 250,000 dollars, with an anticipated total of about 8 awards. Applications were due May 15, 2018, with electronic submissions required by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of public and private entities capable of administering a financial capability and asset-building program. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special districts; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (with additional eligibility details referenced in the announcement). Regardless of applicant type, successful grantees are expected to coordinate closely with ORR and align their policies and procedures with the established refugee IDA network, which emphasizes consistent program standards, sound account administration, and coordination with broader refugee services.Apply for HHS 2018 ACF ORR ZI 1338
- The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families - ORR in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Refugee Individual Development Accounts (IDA) Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.576.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 16, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 15, 2018 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Refugee Individual Development Accounts (IDA) Program: FAQs
1. What is the Refugee Individual Development Accounts (IDA) Program?
The Refugee Individual Development Accounts (IDA) Program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). It funds projects that set up and run Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) for low-income refugees so participants can build savings toward specific, wealth-building goals that support long-term stability and self-sufficiency.
2. What is the purpose of this grant opportunity?
The purpose is to fund organizations to operate a structured savings program for low-income refugees, where participants save regularly toward approved asset-building goals and receive a federal match to help them reach those goals faster.
3. Who administers and funds this opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by ORR within ACF at HHS. The funding supports grantee-run IDA projects for eligible refugee participants.
4. Is this a discretionary or formula grant program?
This is a discretionary grant opportunity, meaning awards are made through a competitive application process rather than a formula allocation.
5. What do funded organizations (grantees) actually do under this program?
Funded organizations recruit eligible refugee participants, enroll them in the program, support them in opening an IDA, and run the program so participants make regular, planned deposits toward an approved savings goal. Grantees also administer the matching funds component using ORR grant funds (within the stated caps) and are expected to align with established program standards within the refugee IDA network.
6. What is an Individual Development Account (IDA) in this program?
An IDA is a structured savings account tied to specific, approved asset-building goals. In this program, it is not general-purpose savings; deposits are intended to support concrete milestones such as homeownership, small business development, certain vehicle purchases, and eligible education or career advancement expenses.
7. What types of savings goals are supported?
The program is designed around specific asset-building uses, including:
- Purchasing a home
- Starting or expanding a small business
- Purchasing a vehicle when it is needed for education or employment
- Career and education advancement costs such as professional certification and certain education expenses (with limits described in the announcement details provided)
8. What education-related expenses can be supported through the IDA?
Education support is limited to postsecondary and/or continuing education. It can include fees tied directly to moving into education or training, such as college entrance exam fees, TOEFL fees, and GED preparation and testing fees.
9. Can the IDA be used for general savings or any expense the participant chooses?
Based on the opportunity description, the IDA is intended for savings tied to approved, concrete asset-building or advancement milestones rather than general-purpose savings.
10. How does the federal matching component work?
Grantees may use ORR grant funds to match what participants save in their IDAs. The match increases the impact of participant deposits and helps participants reach approved savings goals faster.
11. What are the maximum match amounts?
Match funds may be provided up to 2,000 dollars per individual refugee and up to 4,000 dollars per refugee household.
12. Does the applicant organization have to raise outside matching funds?
No. ORR clarifies that the matching component is not a requirement for the applicant organization to raise outside matching funds. Instead, the "match" refers to the portion of the federal award that the grantee sets aside to match participant deposits (within the program caps).
13. How are awards made?
Awards are made through a competitive process. Applications are screened and scored according to the criteria in the funding opportunity announcement, and funding decisions depend on both competition results and the availability of federal funds.
14. What is the maximum award amount for this opportunity?
The maximum award amount listed for this specific opportunity is 250,000 dollars.
15. How many awards were anticipated?
Approximately 8 awards were anticipated for this specific opportunity.
16. What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number provided is HHS 2018 ACF ORR ZI 1338.
17. What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 93.576.
18. When were applications due?
Applications were due May 15, 2018.
19. What was the submission deadline time and time zone?
Electronic submissions were required by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.
20. What types of organizations were eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included many types of public and private entities capable of administering a financial capability and asset-building program, including:
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special districts
- Independent school districts
- Public and private institutions of higher education
- Federally recognized tribal governments
- Other tribal organizations
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (with additional eligibility details referenced in the announcement)
21. Are nonprofits required to have 501(c)(3) status to apply?
No. The description states that nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status are eligible, with additional eligibility details referenced in the announcement.
22. Are there expectations for coordination or program alignment if an organization is funded?
Yes. Successful grantees are expected to coordinate closely with ORR and align policies and procedures with the established refugee IDA network, which emphasizes consistent program standards, sound account administration, and coordination with broader refugee services.
23. What is emphasized by the refugee IDA network standards mentioned?
The network emphasis described includes consistent program standards, sound account administration, and coordination with broader refugee services.
24. Is funding guaranteed if an application scores well?
No. Funding decisions depend on competition results and the availability of federal funds, so a strong application does not automatically guarantee an award.
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