Frequently Asked Questions
General questions:
Has the structure or content of this year’s grant application changed significantly from years past?
No, the basic structure and content required for the grant application are the same as those used in past years. This year, the application must be submitted using the Foundant Grant System. Some downloadable forms have been edited. Some elements of the grant (i.e. workplan narrative) will now be submitted directly through the grant system, and will have a required form.
Will applicants still be required to mail hard copies of their submissions?
No, all parts of the application will be submitted through the Foundant Grant System. A hard copy will not be required.
Will a printout of webinar slides be sent to all webinar participants?
Yes, webinar participants will receive an email with a handout of the slides. A copy of the webinar slides will also be available on the RFP Application page on
Will webinar participants receive a list of all participants by county?
No, a list of webinar participants will not be distributed.
What kind of technical assistance can PCAR provide to applicants?
Because the FY 17-18 application is a competitive application, PCAR will only be able to answer questions about the process for submitting the application. This includes how to access application materials, how to use the grant application software, or how to complete forms and documentation. PCAR will not be able to provide any technical assistance regarding content.
How will applications be scored?
All applications are reviewed and scored by an Independent Review Committee (IRC) based on the criteria laid out in the Application Instructions. Applicants have the right to appeal to the PCAR Board of Directors any decision made by the IRC if the applicant believes the review process was not followed appropriately.
When are applications due?
The deadline for submissions is 5:00 pm on March 10th 2017, and all submissions must be made via the PCAR website. Applications still in draft form at 5:00PM will be removed from the system and not considered for funding.
Is there any additional documentation (policies, job descriptions, etc.) that are required as part of the grant application process?
In years past applicants were required to submit a number of required documents during the application process. For FY 2017-2018, additional required documentation will only be collected from successful applicants prior to initiating the contract on July 1, 2017.
Workplan questions:
Should applicants include all sexual assault activities in the work plan, or just those funded through Title XX or Act 44?
Applicants should include all sexual assault activities, not just those funded by PCAR/Act 44/Title XX. Reporting all sexual assault activities will provide a full picture of the applicant’s work to the IRC.
How should services funded through other grants/funding be included?
When completing the work plan, applicants may note that a particular activity isn't funded through Act 44/Title XX to provide additional clarity.
Should services that are not funded through Act 44/Title XX be included in the service projections? ie. if the therapy is funded by VOCA do you want it included in your counseling hours projections? Should this include SA services provided with other funds?
Applicants that receive funding will be required to report all sexual assault related statistics to PCAR whether or not all of the services were funded through PCAR. Please include all direct service hours (crisis counseling, counseling and therapy) in your service projections.
Should the number of therapy hours be included in service projections?
Yes. Applicants that receive funding will be required to report all sexual assault related statistics to PCAR whether or not all of the services were funded through PCAR. Please include all direct service hours (crisis counseling, counseling and therapy) in your service projections.
Does individual counseling fall under crisis counseling?
Yes. For the purposes of PCAR funding, Crisis Counseling is defined as a short-term intervention that is action focused, client-centered, trauma-informed, and based in active/reflective listening. It should be non-judgmental, unconditionally accepting, and provided to victims of sexual violence in response to a crisis related to the victimization. Delivery may take place via the hotline, during individual in-person sessions, or while accompanying a client through the legal, medical, or other community system. (Other terms that may have been used in the past to describe this kind of service include, but are not limited to, Supportive Counseling or Short-Term Counseling. These terms will no longer be used in describing PCAR services.)
How should service projections for trainings be reported? (In terms of the number of trainings, is it necessary to project the number of individuals that will be reached?)
The only training included in the service projections is training to professionals in the community. Please include the number of individuals you believe will be trained.
How should the workplan and service projection portions of the application be submitted?
The work plan must be submitted via the Foundant Grant System using the form provided on The system will allow a file of up to 5 MB to be uploaded. There is no form for the narrative portion of the Work Plan. The narrative should be completed on a word document and uploaded into the grant system.
Should applicants applying for multiple counties include service projections for each county, or an aggregate number for all counties? The system is set up to collect aggregate projections, rather than projections by individual county.
Fiscal Questions:
What dollar amount should be used to complete budget documents for this year’s grant application?
Returning applicants should use the same dollar amount allocated for the FY 16/17 budget. New applicants should contact PCAR’s Chief Financial Officer, Heather Pachkoski for the amount of funding available (r (717) 728-9740 ext. 113).
Can federal grant funding be used for the Community Match?
No, federal grant funds may not count toward the Community Match.
What is the allowable mileage rate?
The reimbursement rate from PCAR for travel for FY 2017-2018 is .455 cents/mile.
Why is the mileage reimbursement rate lower than the federal travel reimbursement rate?
The mileage rate is set at the rate approved by the PCAR Board of Directors. Grant funding allows for the rate to be lower than the federal rate, but it may not exceed the federal rate. Successful applicants may choose to pay a different rate for mileage reimbursement, but only .455 cents/mile may be charged under PCAR grants. The different must be covered by non-grant funds.
Can applicants who own their building include any building use or depreciation expense?
No. Only rent expenses are allowable expenses. This has not changed from past years.
What is the "Financial Information" required?
This question asks about the applicant’s audit. If the most recent audit has not been submitted to PCAR, the applicant will be able to upload the audit into the application.
What is considered a “full-time” work week?
In the past full-time employment was typically considered 40 hours per week. However, many employers now consider employees as full-time when they work fewer hours i.e. 35 hours, 37.50 hours. Number of hours in a full-time workweek may be determined by the applicant.
Is there a maximum dollar amount set for office supplies vs. equipment?
Any item costing $499 or less may be considered “office supplies.” If the cost exceeds $499 the item is considered equipment. Act 44/Title XX funding does not allow for the purchase of equipment, only for rent and maintenance of equipment.
ETO Questions:
Will successful applicants be required to use the Case Management version of ETO?
ETO is the Efforts To Outcome's database system, which all centers must use to submit their monthly statistics to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. There are two ways that ETO is used, as a case management program, and as an aggregate program. Successful applicants can choose one of those two options. The case management version enables you to submit reports drawn directly from the system. The aggregate system requires that centers keep their own database, or some manner of tracking services provided and then they will complete forms and submit those through the system.
Foundant Grant System questions:
How many users per agency can log into the Foundant system?
Each agency should create 1 user account for completing the grant application. If multiple users at the same agency will be completing the application, the users must share the same username and password. Only one person per agency at a time should log into the system to ensure that data is not lost.
Will applicants be able to review the final draft of the application before submitting?
Applicants may print a hard copy of the application prior to submission. Do not submit hard copies of the application to PCAR.
Can applicants review the draft in the way that the Independent Review Committee (IRC) will see it?
The Independent Review Committee (IRC) will review all parts of the application using the Foundant Grant System.
Will applicants receive a message that application has been received after submitting?
The user account used to submit the application will receive an email message notifying them that the grant application was successfully submitted.
What forms are required for the FY 2017-2018 Competitive Application?
The following forms are available for download on the Application Page. Completed forms will be uploaded directly to the Foundant System. All other required information will be directly entered into the Foundant System.
•Act 44 Title XX Budget Documents 2017-2018
•Lobbying Certification
•Insurance Coverage Form
•Sexual Violence Work Plan Form
•Signature Statement for FY 2017-2018
•Total Budget Form
Additional resources available on the application page include:
•Act 44 Title XX Budget Checklist
•FY 2017-2018 Act 44 Title XX Application Instructions
•Competitive Application Process for Subcontractors
•Online Grant Application Instructions
•PCAR Standards
Do we still need to mail hard copy of signature pages, or just scan and attach?
No hard copies of any forms, narratives, or signature pages should be submitted to PCAR. A scanned copy of signature pages will be uploaded into the Foundant Grant System.
How will applicants report service projections?
This year the service projections will be entered directly into the Foundant System. There is no downloadable form for service projections.