Tsegaye Wolde

1
Match Grant Program

• By
• Tsegaye Wolde
• Program Officer
• IRSA Match Grant Program

2
What is the Match Grant (MG) program? It is

• A public-privately funded program through the
  Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)
• An employment program

3
What is the primary goal of the MG program?

• The primary goal of the MG program is to help
  refugees, asylees and Cuban/Haitian parolees
  attain economic self-sufficiency within four
  months after arrival in the United States without
  accessing public cash assistance.

4
What does economic self-sufficiency mean?

• Earning a total family income at a level that
  enables a family unit to support itself without
  the receipt of public and MG cash assistance

5
How is the success of the MG program measured?

• MG participating agencies should set goals for
  five criteria
• Family self-sufficiency-A critical outcome of the
  MG program success is measured by family
  self-sufficiency at the 120th day after arrival.
• Self-sufficiency retention-In addition,
  self-sufficiency retention is measured at the
  180th day after arrival.
• Entered employments- the number and percent of
  job placements for the employable adults who
  participate in MG employment services and who
  reach the 120th day after arrival during the
  calendar year.

6
contd

• Average hourly wage at placement for all
  full-time placements for those refugees/clients
  who participate in MG employment services and who
  reach the 120th day after arrival during the
  calendar year.
• Availability of health benefits the number and
  percent of full-time placements that offer health
  benefits to the family or only to the employed
  individual within six months of job placement.

7
Who sets these annual goals and when?

• MG participating agencies work with IRSA to
  develop Annual Goals according to the above
  criteria and based on previous year outcomes(if
  applicable) and their current local conditions.
  This process occurs at the time of writing the
  annual MG proposal.

8
Who is eligible for the MG program?

• Refugees
• Amerasians
• Cuban and Haitian Parolees
• Asylees
• At least one member of the family unit must
  be deemed employable for the case to be enrolled
  into the MG program and all other members must
  otherwise be eligible (to be eligible for MG
  assistance, applicants must provide evidence of
  their immigration status).

9
When is the date of eligibility for the MG
services?

• Date of eligibility is counted from
• The date of arrival into the country for refugees
  and Amerasians,
• The date an individual becomes a Cuban/ Haitian
  parolee,
• the date of the final grant of asylum for
  asylees.
• Enrollment into the MG program must be within
  31days of the date of the admission (refugees) or
  final grant of asylum (asylees).

10
What resettlement services must be provided in
the MG program?

• Matching Grant services are provided to clients
  in addition to RP services (where applicable)
  and must be distinguished from RP both
  financially and programmatically.

11
Required services which agencies must provide
in-house are

• Case Management
• Employment Services
• Maintenance and Cash Assistances
• Administration

12
Services for which agencies may use outside
providers are

• English Language Training (ELT)
• Health and Medical Services
• Employment Training or Recertification
• Social Adjustment (counseling, interpretation,
  accultural programs, etc.)

13
What types of coordination responsibilities are
expected from the MG agencies?

• Local affiliates that participate in the MG
  program should inform the relevant State Refugee
  Coordinator of the agencys participation in the
  MG program in writing upon program award.
• Local affiliates that participate in the program,
  coordinates as appropriate, with local welfare
  services. MG clients cannot receive Refugee Cash
  Assistance (RCA) or Temporary Assistance for
  Needy Families (TANF), but may receive food
  stamps and Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) or
  Medicaid, as needed.
• In cases where no voluntary agency has been
  assigned to provide reception and placement
  services, enrollment into the MG program must be
  coordinated with other local agencies
  participating in the MG program to assure no
  duplication of enrollment.

14
Program Funding

• Federal funds ORR provides a per capita grant of
  2,000 per client, of which 1,800 per MG client
  is passed through to the local partner agencies
  by IRSA.
• Agency Match A total of 1,000 per MG client
  must be raised as matching funds by the local
  agency. At least 20 of the match must be in
  cash and 80 can be in-kind match.
• Total funds available The agency must expend
  and account for 2,800 per client by the end of
  the program year.

15

• Expenditures IRSA requires agencies to spend at
  least half of the 2,800 on direct client
  assistance. Up to 900 of the expenditures for
  direct assistance can be covered by federal cash.
• MG finances must be distinguished from the RP
  finances and documented separately.

16
Sources of cash can include

• Non-federal cash donated to the agency from
  county and city governments, foundations and the
  United Way.
• Fundraising.
• Goods or services purchased by the donor are
  considered cash.
• Donations of housing made by distant relatives
  and friends.

17

• Non-federal salaries for staff services to
  Matching Grant clients are considered cash
  contributions.
• Items purchased with non-federal funds and given
  to MG clients may be considered a cash donation.
• All contributions should be documented.
  Documentation can include copies of checks, time
  sheets, and signed receipts.

18
Sources of in-kind match can include

• Volunteer hours.
• Food baskets.
• Office space.
• Medical services not covered by Medicaid.
• Bilingual volunteers.
• Housing.
• Furnishings.
• Health care, childcare providers, etc.
• If items are offered to agencies at a discount,
  the difference between the retail price and the
  discounted price may be considered as in-kind
  donation.

19
IRSA MG AFFILIATE SITES
BUF
BOS
NYC
PRO
ERI
PHL
CHI
JC
AKR
KC
BG
STL
LA
HOU
HON
MIA
20
Cities where IRSA affiliates are participating in
the MG program

• -Akron, Ohio
• -Boston, Massachusetts
• -Bowling Green, Kentucky
• -Buffalo, New York
• -Chicago, Illinois
• -Erie, Pennsylvania
• -Honolulu, Hawaii
• -Houston, Texas
• -Jersey City, New Jersey
• -Kansas City, Missouri
• -Los Angeles, California

21

• -Miami, Florida
• -CAMBA, New York
• -Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• - Providence, Rhode Island
• -St. Louis, Missouri

22
CY 2000 Program Achievements and Outcomes

• -101 enrollment.
• - 93 economic self-sufficiency at 120 days.
• - 99 self-sufficiency retention at180 days.
• - 91 entered employment.
• - 92 of those employed entered full-time
  employment.
• - 6.80 average wage.
• - 65 of full-time jobs had health benefits.

23
For more information about the MG program?

• Contact
• Tsegaye Wolde, Program Officer
• Phone [phone] ext. 3056
• Fax [phone]
• E-mail Twolde_at_irsa-uscr.org
• or
• Kate Hilton-Hayward, Senior Program Officer
• Phone [phone] ext. 3044
• Fax [phone]
• E-mail khayward_at_irsa-uscr.org