Self-help housing resources

Free financial tools and trainings for grantee fiscal staff

Welcome to the Self-Help Financial Tool Kit! We hope that you will find these resources useful in your daily financial management responsibilities. If you have any questions or issues with content, please contact RCAC’s main office at (916) 447-2854 and request Samantha Bowley, Financial Management Specialist.

Uniform Guidance Hide & Seek
Each month we will pose a compliance question. See if you can find the answer in the eCFR200.

  • MARCH – What must the financial management system of the Non-Federal Entity provide?
  • FEBRUARY – When the federal award agency determines that all applicable administrative actions and all required work of the Federal award have been completed by the non-Federal entity what occurs? Click here to see the answer

Video Highlight

 

Upcoming trainings

There are no trainings at this time. Please check back later or view our Training Calendar.

 

Tools & Resources

 

The A-Team

The A-team is a semi-monthly gathering of the region’s Self-Help fiscal professionals to network and to share questions and answers, struggles and solutions, and events and happenings in the world of Self-Help financial management.

 

Click here to access Special Session slides and handout from December 5, 2023:
Navigating Self-Help Finance the Road Map to Success
Click here to access meeting notes from October 12, 2023
Click here to access meeting notes from July 13, 2023
Click here to access meeting notes from May 24, 2023
Click here to access meeting notes from March 29, 2023
Click here to access meeting notes from Dec. 7, 2022
Click here to access meeting notes from Oct. 27, 2022

 

Mutual Self-Help Orientation

An overview of the Mutual Self-Help Program. What is is, how it works and the relationships between USDA RD, RCAC and you, the grantee. Live orientation sessions are offered quarterly (see Upcoming Trainings above)

1-1 – New Staff Resources | 1-2 – New Staff Orientation PowerPoint slides

 

 

Uniform Guidance

Compliance, What You Need to Know

Next UG session: Please check back later for upcoming trainings.

eCFR200 – Uniform Administration Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards

2-1 – Uniform Guidance Table of Contents Reference
2-2 – Ready, Set, Action Plan handout
2-3 – UG Day 1 PowerPoint slides (8/23/2022)
2-4 – UG Day 2 PowerPoint slides (8/25/2022)
2-5 – Action Plan answers
2-6 – Rules and Regulations (Sing Along Video)

 

Indirect

Indirect is a challenging component of financial grant management.

Learn all about the mysteries of applying indirect (both provisional and final), reporting requirements and monitoring your percentage rate.

Indirect Training PowerPoint slides | Indirect Cost Allocation Spreadsheet Tool

ICR Sample Documents from a DOI ICR Calculation submission:

3-1 – Sample nonprofit proposal checklist
3-2 – Sample cover letter (Part I: Narrative and certificates)
3-3 – Sample excel file (Part II: Cost schedules)
ARTICLE: Cost Allocation & Applying Indirect – Judy Monteux (2018)

 

Bookkeeping 101

Accounting For Success | Setting Up Your 523 & 502 Books (see Upcoming trainings above).
Set up your Chart of Accounts, generate accurate reports in both 523 technical grant management and the 502 custodial account books for family builder’s loan funds. The platform used is Quickbooks, but concepts will apply to any financial software.

7 – AFS Handbook

 

MSH Custodial Accounts & Supervised Bank Accounts

The guidebooks for custodial and supervised bank accounts is here!
Discover all the how-to’s of responsible financial management of the family loan funds.

Webinar: 5 Days of 502 (Day 3): Custodial Accounting | Click here to view the recording on Vimeo

 

8-1 – Custodial SBA Loan Account Guidebook (7/13/2022) | 8-2 – Custodial SBA Accounts PowerPoint slides (7/27/2022)
8-3 – Sample Lot 15 BTA | 8-4 – Sample Draw Request Form | 8-5 – Sample Back Up | 8-6 – Sample Reconciliation Sheet

 

Financial Policies & Procedures

Your financial policies and procedures are an essential component of your financial management system. Ensure that all the processes, responsible parties and clear practices are recorded, trained to and actively monitored and updated.   

P&P Format | P&P Template

 

National Council of Nonprofits Financial Management

Self-Help Trainings & Webinars

eForms  Training

eForms Training for Self Help Grantees
View webinar recording | Download participant handout

5 Days of 502 for Self-Help

January 30 – February 3, 2023

Day 1: Income Calculations and Assets
View webinar recording | Download participant handout

Day 2: Credit and Other Requirements
View webinar recording | Download participant handout

Day 3: 502 Custodial Bill Paying presented by Samantha Bowley
View webinar recording | No handouts on Day 3

Day 4: Repayment Ability and Property
View webinar recording | Download participant handout

Day 5: Application Submission through Loan Conversion
View webinar recording | Download participant handout

 

SHARES System Trainings

SHARES Basics: Access and Main Page
View webinar recording | Download participant handout

SHARES Basics: Grant Module (File)
View webinar recording | Download participant handout

SHARES Basics: Borrower Module (File)
View webinar recording | Download participant handout

SHARES Basics: Quarterly Reporting
View webinar recording | Download participant handout

SHARES Basics: Entity Module
View webinar recording | Download participant handout

 

RD regulations and guidance forms

The most up to date forms and/or regulations for both 523 Grants and 502 Loans can be found within the following areas.  These forms and regulations are updated regularly, and it is important to ensure you are always using the most up to date form.

Forms

523 Application Forms

SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance

SF-424A – Budget Information

Form RD 400-4 – Assurance Agreement

Form RD 1940-1 – Request for Obligation of Funds

Form HUD-935.2B – Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan

RD 2006-38 – Civil Rights Analysis

Form RD 400-8 – Compliance Review

523 Post Award Forms

Form RD 1924-25 – Plan Certification

Form RD 1924-2 – Description of Materials

SF-270 – Request for Advance or Reimbursement

SF-425 – Federal Financial Report

Form RD 1924-7 – Change Order

502 Forms & Resources

502 specific forms can be found within the eForms system. To gain access to eForms you must have an eAuth login and have verified your identity. For eAuth access, go to https://www.eauth.usda.gov/ and click on Create Account. Follow the screen prompts to create an account and proceed through the Verification of Identity phase. You must verify your identity to gain or request full access to many government systems including eForms and SHARES.

eForms Login: https://myforms.sc.egov.usda.gov/eForms/welcomeAction.do?Home

For additional resources including training materials, upcoming loan packaging trainings and regulations go to Direct Loan Application Packagers | Rural Development (usda.gov).

523 Grant Regulations

1944-I Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants Instructions

eCFR Title 7/Subtitle B/Chapter XVIII/Subchapter H/Part 1944

Uniform Guidance (2CFR200)

502 Direct Loan Regulations

Handbook-1-3550 & the Worksheet for Computing Income & Max Loan Calculator can be found at Direct Loan Application Packagers | Rural Development (usda.gov)

1924-A Planning and Performing Construction and Other Development

1924-A Exhibits

Administrative Notices

Administrative Notices

Unnumbered Letters

Unnumbered Letters

Procedure Notices

Procedure Notices

SHARES (Self-Help Automated Reporting and Evaluation System)

For access to the SHARES system, please click here and follow the instructions provided.