1. Public Notice of Nondiscrimination. The grantee must notify members, community beneficiaries, applicants, program staff, and the public, including those with impaired vision or hearing, that it operates its program or activity subject to the nondiscrimination requirements of the applicable statutes. The notice must summarize the requirements, note the availability of compliance information from the grantee and the Corporation, and briefly explain procedures for filing discrimination complaints with the Corporation.
Sample language is:
It is against the law for organizations that receive federal financial assistance from the Corporation for National and Community Service to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, sex, age, political affiliation, or, in most cases, religion. It is also unlawful to retaliate against any person who, or organization that, files a complaint about such discrimination. In addition to filing a complaint with local and state agencies that are responsible for resolving discrimination complaints, you may bring a complaint to the attention of the Corporation for National and Community Service. If you believe that you or others have been discriminated against, or if you want more information, contact:
(Name, address, phone number – both voice and TTY, and preferably toll free – FAX number and e-mail address of the grantee) or
Office of Civil Right and Inclusiveness
Corporation for National and Community Service
1201 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20525
(202) 606-7503 (voice); (202) 565-2799 (TTY)
(202) 565-3465 (FAX); eo@cns.gov (e-mail)
The grantee must include information on civil rights requirements, complaint procedures and the rights of beneficiaries in member contracts, handbooks, manuals, pamphlets, and post in prominent locations, as appropriate. The grantee must also notify the public in recruitment material and application forms that it operates its program or activity subject to the nondiscrimination requirements. Sample language, in bold print, is “This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, political affiliation, or, in most instances, religion.” Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the grantee shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages.
2. Records and Compliance Information. The grantee must keep records and make available to the Corporation timely, complete and accurate compliance information to allow the Corporation to determine if the grantee is complying with the civil rights statutes and implementing regulations. Where a grantee extends federal financial assistance to sub-grantees, the sub-grantees must make available compliance information to the grantee so it can carry out its civil rights obligations.
3. Obligation to Cooperate. The grantee must cooperate with the Corporation so that the Corporation can ensure compliance with the civil rights statutes and implementing regulations. The grantee shall permit access by the Corporation during normal business hours to its books, records, accounts, staff, members, facilities, and other sources of information as may be needed to determine compliance.