FUNDING FOR STATE FISCAL YEAR (JULY 1, 2023

Idaho Supreme Court Administrative Office of the Courts Guardian ad litem (GAL) Grant Application

FUNDING FOR STATE FISCAL YEAR 2026 (JULY 1, 2025– JUNE 30, 2026)

Section 1: Organizational Information
Name of organization
Email of user filling out form (this email will be used to communicate application status, etc)
example@example.com
Organization federal tax ID#
Organization physical address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState

Zip Code
Mailing address (if different than physical address)

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Organization website
Judicial district jurisdiction
Choose a judicial district (1-7) which your organization serves.
Counties served
List all counties that your organization serves within your judicial district.
Executive Director or Authorized Representative:
First Name   Last Name
Email      Phone Number

GAL Program Director (if different than above):
First Name   Last Name
Email      Phone Number

Fiscal Officer:
First Name   Last Name
Email      Phone Number

Board President:
First Name   Last Name
Email      Phone Number
Upload a copy of your organization's mission statement.

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Section 2: Project Plan and Narrative
Annual Planning: Provide a brief summary of your annual planning process to meet the needs of children in foster care in your community.
Grant Funds Purpose and Plan:
General Use Funds: What are the needs you will address with general use funds this fiscal year? Be specific in defining the needs you will address and provide supporting data. What is your plan for addressing your need(s)? What outcomes you will accomplish? List your goals using Goal #1, Goal #2, and Goal #3 to enable us to match the tables to the goals correctly.
Copy and paste below what you entered under the "Grant Funds and Plans" of your previous application in regards to "General Use Funds: What are the needs you will address with general use funds this fiscal year? Be specific in defining the needs you will address and provide supporting data. What is your plan for addressing your need(s)? What outcomes you will accomplish?"
Please explain how you used the funds received to accomplish the above. If the money was used elsewhere, please explain how and why.
Provide a project plan using the template below. The project plan will help you assess whether your plan is successful. Fill out the table for each goal that addresses the needs listed above. You may include as many as three outcomes per goal. Outcomes are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. Outcomes provide a clear measure to assess whether the project was successful, e.g. “Our program will see a 10% increase in active volunteers by the end of the 4th quarter.”
General Use Funds: Goal #1
General Use Funds: Goal #2
General Use Funds: Goal #3
Volunteer Recruitment, Training, and Retention Grant Funds: What are the recruiting, retention or training needs you will address this fiscal year? Be specific in defining the needs you will address and provide supporting data. For example, stating you do not have sufficient volunteers, while accurate, is too broad. What is your plan for addressing your need(s)? What outcomes you will accomplish? List your goals using Goal #1, Goal #2, and Goal #3 to enable us to match the tables to the goals correctly.
Copy and paste below what you entered under the "Grant Funds and Plans" of your previous application in regards to "Volunteer Recruitment, Training, and Retention Grant Funds: What are the recruiting, retention or training needs you will address this fiscal year? Be specific in defining the needs you will address and provide supporting data. For example, stating you do not have sufficient volunteers, while accurate, is too broad. What is your plan for addressing your need(s)? What outcomes you will accomplish?"
Please explain how you used the funds received to accomplish the above. If the money was used elsewhere, please explain how and why.
Volunteer Recruitment, Training and Retention Grant Funds: Goal #1
Volunteer Recruitment, Training and Retention Grant Funds: Goal #2
Volunteer Recruitment, Training and Retention Grant Funds: Goal #3

Section 3: Budget
Indicate the total amount of funds requested from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). The amount allocated per funding source per district is listed on the solicitation instructions. You may request up to the full allocation for each funding source.
General Use Funds (e.g. Travel, Personnel, Equipment, Supplies, etc.)
Volunteer Recruitment, Training and Retention Funds (e.g. Training, Appreciation Events, Background checks, etc.)
Upload a budget narrative that supports and justifies all proposed costs in the detailed budget worksheets.

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General Use Funds Budget Worksheet
If preferred, you may upload your General Use Funds budget worksheet in Excel format here. If uploaded here, do not fill out table above.

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Volunteer Recruitment, Training and Retention Funds Budget Worksheet
If preferred, you may upload your Volunteer Recruitment, Training and Retention Funds budget worksheet in Excel format here. If uploaded here, do not fill out table above.

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Section 4: Organizational Practices
How many full-time employees does your organization have?
How many full-time employees are dedicated to the GAL Program?
How many part-time employees does your organization have?
How many part-time employees are dedicated to the GAL Program?
How many active GAL volunteers does your organization currently have?
Describe turnover in key staff and volunteers within the past state fiscal year.
Submit an organizational chart for your organization

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Background check policy: Submit your organization’s written policy and process in place to ensure any person in training to serve or who is serving as a GAL has cleared a background check in accordance with Idaho Supreme Court Rules, prior to having access to program case files or children being served.

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Notification of wrongdoing: Submit your organization’s written policy to require employees and volunteers to report any criminal, civil, or administrative investigations and/or convictions, and findings to the funded program.

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Population Served: Describe your efforts to ensure that each child that comes within the purview of the Child Protective Act in your jurisdiction is appointed a GAL volunteer and has access to a GAL volunteer throughout each stage of the case.
Triage plan: Submit your plan which describes how you prioritize which children are served by a volunteer GAL, including your written priority list (triage plan).

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Family preservation & reunification plan: Submit your organization’s written policy that recognizes the importance of family preservation and reunification.

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Diversity / inclusivity plan. Submit your organization’s written plan and action steps to diversify staff, volunteers, and governing board to reflect the population and meet the needs of the children served.

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Section 5: Funding and Fiscal Management
List all funding sources for your organization for the current state fiscal year and the percentage of total funding from each source. Include grants, fundraising activities, donors, additional appropriations from the legislature, etc. The total on Row 7 should equal 100%.
For the next fiscal year, do you anticipate a major change in any of your funding sources of greater than a ten percent change (per category)?

YesNo
If you answered yes to the question above, please describe what funding source, the percent change, and the explanation.
Describe your organization’s ongoing budget monitoring procedures.
Describe your plans to ensure long-term financial stability.
Describe how your organization is staying in compliance with the requirement under I.J.R.35 to manage its operations in accord with generally accepted financial and risk management practices.
Submit a copy of your organization’s internal control policies.

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Submit a copy of your organization’s most recent audited, reviewed, or compiled financial statements and any related audit finding reports.

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Letter of Assurance
Submit a letter of assurance, stating that your organization will comply with the following requirements:

Idaho Code § 16-1632

i.     Has established, maintains, and coordinates a districtwide GAL program consistent with the requirements of the Child Protective Act and to the extent possible, has established a districtwide program to recruit GAL volunteers sufficient to provide services in each county of the judicial district. [1 (a) & (f)]

ii.     Provides necessary administrative and staffing services as may from time to time be required. ([1] [b])

iii.     Acts as a volunteer coordinator and strives to provide every child under the age of 12 years, who has an open child protection case, a GAL volunteer throughout each stage of any child protective proceeding and strives to provide a GAL volunteer to children age 12 and over for whom the court has appointed a GAL. [(1) (c), (d) and (f), IJR 37, and I.C. § 16-1614(1) (2)]

iv.     Has established a program for attorneys to represent GAL volunteers, whether or not appointed by the court in conjunction with the local, districtwide, and state bar associations. [(1)(e)]

v.     Has developed uniform criteria to screen, select, train, and remove volunteer GALs. [(1) (h)]

vi.     Has established a priority list (triage plan) for those proceedings under the Child Protective Act in which guardians ad litem shall be appointed in districts where there are insufficient numbers of guardians ad litem. [(1) (i))

vii.     Will submit an annual report for the preceding fiscal year to the grant administrator for delivery to the legislature. [(2)] and P and P]

viii.     Confirms that all criminal background checks are complete and up to date on all staff, board members and active GAL volunteers. [(3) and I.J.R. 35 (k)]

Idaho Code § 16-1633

ix.     Confirms that all program GAL volunteers perform all the duties as listed under I.C. § 16-1633(1) to (6).

Idaho Juvenile Rule 35

x. Is committed to providing court-appointed volunteer advocacy to abused, neglected, abandoned and/or homeless children. [(a) and IJR 37]

xi.     Has a governing body responsible for overseeing compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, adoption of program policies, defining program services, and the guidance of program development. [(b)]

xii.     Communicates, collaborates, and shares information with fellow programs in the state. [(c)]

xiii.     Follows written policies for inclusiveness, recruitment, selection, training, retention, effective performance, and evaluation of its paid personnel. [(d)]

xiv.     Has developed and follows written policies for its volunteers regarding recruitment; application, selection and screening; training; supervision; volunteer roles and responsibilities; and dismissal. [(e)]

xv.     Requires that all GAL volunteers complete at least 30 hours of required training prior to accepting a case. The training must cover the topics identified in I.J.R. 35. In addition, the program requires that in order to remain active as a GAL volunteer, each GAL volunteer shall complete 12 hours of required in-service training per year. [(e)(1) and (2)]

xvi.     Manages its operations in accordance with generally accepted financial and risk management practices and applicable federal, state, and local statutory requirements, and is in compliance with the fiscal control and reporting requirements in the Idaho Supreme Court’s P and P. [(f) and P and P]

xvii.     Has liability protection for the program’s governing body, organization, program staff, and volunteers to the extent that such individuals are not otherwise immune from liability under Idaho law. [(g)]

xviii.     Maintains management information and data necessary to plan and evaluate its services. [(h)]

xix.     Maintains complete, accurate, and current case records and follows local policies for acceptance and assignment of GAL cases. [(i)]

xx.     Maintains all information regarding a case confidential and does not disclose the same except to the court or to other parties to the case and to the Department of Health and Welfare. [(j) and IJR 36(c)]

xxi.     Follows written policies and procedures regarding access to, use of, and release of information about the children it serves to ensure that children’s confidentiality is maintained at all times. [(j)]

Other Grant Eligibility Requirements from Policies and Procedures

xxii.     Is in compliance with the terms and requirements set forth in the Policies and Procedures for GAL Grantee Programs.

xxiii.     Has in place a policy and process to ensure that any person in training to serve or who is serving as a GAL volunteer has completed a criminal records check prior to having access to Program case files or children being served by the Program, as set forth in I.C. § 16-1632(3) and Idaho Juvenile Rule 35 (j) and (k).

xxiv.     Will submit timely progress and financial reports as required by the Policies & Procedures.

xxv.     Must have a written plan and action steps to diversify staff, volunteers, and governing board to reflect the population and meet the needs of the children served.

xxvi.     Must have written policy that recognizes the importance of family preservation and reunification.

xxvii.     Must effectively communicate and engage with all stakeholders to provide information and build support for the needs of children within the Program.

xxviii.     Must attend mandatory trainings related to data collection, reporting, and grant administration conducted by AOC staff annually in early summer.

xxix.     Must conduct all interactions in an honest, fair, respectful and compassionate manner. The Program incorporates policies and practices to avoid conflicts of interest and preserve confidentiality.

xxx.     Must have written policy to require employees and volunteers to report any criminal, civil, or administrative investigations and/or convictions, and findings to the funded Program. Funded Program must notify the AOC in writing within five (5) business days of receiving any information.

Ensure your letter is signed and dated by the executive director or authorized representative and the president of the board of directors for your organization, if applicable. Your letter must be printed on your organization’s letterhead.

Include the following language in your letter of assurance:

“I certify under penalty of perjury pursuant to the law of the State of Idaho that the information provided is true and correct.”

Upload your letter of assurance which contains all of the listed requirements and which has been signed and dated by the executive director (or authorized representative) and the president of the board of the directors for your organization (if applicable). *

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Idaho Supreme Court Administrative Office of the Courts Guardian ad litem (GAL) Grant Application