June 20, 2023
Library and Community Services
DATE: June 20, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
LaShonda White, Deputy City Manager - Community
Services
Patrick Seals, Project Manager
Nicholas Delgado, Management Analyst II
Guadalupe Morales, Assistant Administrative Analyst
Subject:
Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Richmond Fund for Children and
Youth Grant Awardee Recommendation
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Charter requires the City to allocate one, two, and three percent of the City’s General Fund (GF) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-2022, FY 2022-2023, and FY 2023-2024,
respectively, and three percent each fiscal year thereafter through FY 2027-2028.
Based on early FY 2023-2024 GF revenue estimates,
approximately $6.45 million (three percent of the General Fund) was allocated to fund grants and support the
Department of Children and Youth. Per the Charter, 85
percent or $5.48 million of the three percent allocation is available to fund grants awarded in FY 2021-2022, FY
2022-2023, and FY 2023-2024. The Richmond Fund for
Children and Youth is recommending $1,462,292 for the
new FY 2023-2024 grantees (13371018-400201).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
December 20, 2022
AGENDA
REPORT
June 20, 2023
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
On June 5, 2018, Richmond voters approved Measures
E and K, known as the Richmond Kids First Initiative,
which approved a City of Richmond charter amendment
to create a Department and Fund for Children and Youth
(RFCY) and requires that a portion of the General Fund
be set aside to fund youth programs and services. Per
Article 15 of the Richmond Charter, City staff is bringing forth approximately $1.46 million in FY 2023-2024 grant funding recommendations from the RFCY Oversight
Board for final review and approval by the City Council.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ACCEPT a recommendation from the Richmond Fund for
Children and Youth Oversight Board for Fiscal Year
2023-2024 to award 19 grants in an amount not to
exceed $1,462,292; and ADOPT a resolution approving
the grant awards and authorizing the city manager or
their designee to negotiate and execute Grant Service
Agreements with the approved grantees – Community
Services Department (LaShonda White/Patrick Seals
510-620-6512).
DISCUSSION:
Background
On December 20, 2022, the City Council approved the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (RFCY) fiscal year (FY) 2023-2024 Request for Proposals (RFP) (See Attachment 1 – RFCY FY 2023-2024 Request for Proposal). The RFP was released on December 27, 2022, and closed on February 13, 2023. In alignment with the six Priority Areas of the 2021-2024 Strategic Investment Plan, the funding allocations based on an estimated $2.88 million in total available grant funding for FY 2023-2024 are as follows:
June 20, 2023
Priority Area % of Total Funds
Mental Health and Wellness 20% = $576,000
Education Support and Employment Training/Support 20% = $576,000 Out of School Time, Afterschool Sports, and Enrichment
Programming 20% = $576,000
Information, Guidance, and Case Management 20% = $576,000 Violence Prevention 10% = $288,000
Basic Needs 10% = $288,000
Total 100% = $2.88 M
Organizations that receive an RFCY grant will be awarded for a one-year period beginning July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024 (FY 2023-2024).
Funding parameters were based on the agency applicant type consisting of the following:
Small and Emerging Applicants (grant request range of $30,000 up to $100,000)
Single Agency Applicant (grant request range of $40,000 up to $200,000) Collaborative Applicant (grant request range of $50,000 up to $150,000)
Applicants were eligible to submit up to three (3) proposals either as a Single Agency applicant, Small and Emerging, or Collaborative applicant, as long as the proposals were substantially different.
Outreach and Technical Support
Information about the FY 2023-2024 RFCY grant cycle was posted to the City’s website, presented in the City Manager’s Weekly Report, posted on the Department’s social media platforms, and emailed through various list serves to inform as many organizations as possible of the Children and Youth grant.
In addition, the City hosted two (2) pre-proposal conferences that focused on reviewing the grant guidelines and completing the application included in the RFP. All grant- related materials and video-recorded training sessions were posted on the City’s RFCY grant webpage.
June 20, 2023
Evaluation Process
A total of 22 grant applications were received, and 19 applications were submitted to the RFP Grant Review Committee (Committee) for evaluation and scoring during April and May 2023. The 19 applications equated to approximately $2 million in award requests. All reviewed applications were evaluated and rated independently by each Committee member using the criteria listed below.
Narrative Element Points
Program Summary (no points)
Agency History and Capacity 20
Program Design 35
Outcomes and Impact 25
Required Resources and
Budget Request
20 TOTAL 100
The eligible applications were organized into six (6) groups based on the six (6) priority areas. Each group consisted of a minimum of five (5) reviewers, with each applicant receiving a minimum of three (3) reviews utilizing a standard scoresheet to score/rate each narrative element. All reviewers signed conflict of interest forms prior to reviewing applications and City staff took additional steps to ensure no reviewers scored proposals where they may have such a conflict.
Applications were scored from one to five in individual sections and then given a multiplier that rendered scores up to a total of 100 points. Agencies located in Richmond received an extra five (5) bonus points per the City’s Business Opportunity Ordinance. Committee members submitted their final scores and evaluations to City staff in May 2023. City staff then totaled and averaged the scores for each application and generated rankings in each priority area (a ranking of 1 denoting the highest average score overall, a ranking of 2 denoting the second-highest average score overall, etc.). Subsequently, each Committee met following their initial review and score submission and discussed their scores, overall rankings, and proposed funding recommendations.
During those meetings, the reviewers agreed that a scoring floor or threshold of approximately 70 points should be the minimum score eligible for funding recommendation. The intent behind this choice was to preserve and allow for funding to those organizations’ program applications that represented the highest quality and standards of service offerings for Richmond youth and their families.
June 20, 2023
FY 2023-2024 RFCY Grant Award Recommendations
The RFCY Oversight Board’s subsequently approved the following grant recommendations at a meeting held on June 5, 2023. The information in the tables below represents awards to public and/or nonprofit organizations (19 programs overall) in an amount not to exceed $1,462,292.
Priority Area
Total
Recommended
Grant Award
Behavioral Health: Mental Health and Wellness $401,335 Education Support and Employment Training/Support $521,000 Out of School Time, Afterschool Sports, and Enrichment
Programming $375,907
Violence Prevention; $74,050
Information, Guidance, and Case Management $90,000
TOTAL PROPOSED ALLOCATION $1,462,292
Grant award recommendations are listed below at the “Grant Award Recommendation” level based on the six priority areas. Brief program descriptions for each organization recommended for funding, as well as all applicants, are included in Attachment 2 – FY 2023-2024 Children and Youth Grant Program Evaluation Matrix and Ranking.
Determinations for full or partial funding were based on notes and recommendations from the reviewers, as well as the RFCY staff’s analysis of the application and budget components.
Mental Health and Wellness Recommendations
Organization Name Requested Amount Grant Award
Recommendation
West County Mandarin School PTA
(Small and Emerging) $81,750 $41,000
Greater Richmond Interfaith Program
(Collaboration) $170,000 $85,000
Richmond Community Foundation
(Single Agency) $125,335 $125,335
Bay Area Community Resources (Single
Agency) $150,000 $150,000
TOTAL $527,085 $401,335
June 20, 2023
Education Support and Employment Training/Support Recommendations Organization Name Requested Amount RFP Committee
Recommendation
Bridges from School to Work (Single
Agency) $75,000 $50,000
Improve Your Tomorrow (Single Agency) $150,000 $75,000
Healthy Contra Costa (Collaborative) $192,288.31 $96,000 City of Richmond Employment and
Training Department (Single Agency) $150,000 $150,000
Richmond Public Library (Single Agency) $150,000 $150,000 TOTAL $717,288.31 $521,000
Out of School Time, Afterschool Sports, and Enrichment Programming Recommendations
Organization Name Requested Amount RFP Committee
Recommendation
Social Progress Inc. (Small and
Emerging) $30,000 $15,000
Easter Hill United Methodist Church
(Small and Emerging) $39,000 $39,000
ABLE Community Development
Foundation (Small and Emerging) $45,707 $45,707
City of Richmond, Community Services –
Recreation (Single Agency) $61,500 $61,500
Envisioneers Inc. (Single Agency) $80,000 $80,000
Community Education Partnerships
(Single Agency) $134,700 $134,700
TOTAL $390,907 $375,907
Violence Prevention Recommendations
Organization Name Requested Amount RFP Committee
Recommendation
Richmond Police Activities League (Single
Agency) $74,050 $74,050
June 20, 2023
TOTAL $74,050 $74,050
Information, Guidance, and Case Management Recommendations Organization Name Requested Amount RFP Committee
Recommendation
Youth Finance Institute of America (Small
and Emerging) $30,000 $30,000
Richmond Neighborhood Housing
Services (Collaborative) $127,429 $60,000
TOTAL $157,429 $90,000
Next Steps
After approval of the grant award recommendations by City Council, City staff will enter into grant agreements with awardees. City staff will manage the contract processes which include, but are not limited to, entering into contracts with grantees, contract administration, serving as a point of contact for all grantees, conducting site visits, reviewing progress reports, and reviewing and approving invoices.
City staff, reviewers, and the Board agreed that organizations that were not recommended for funding would most benefit from technical assistance or capacity building. Such support (e.g., strategic planning, budgeting/financial, executive director coaching, grant writing, etc.) would allow for improved operations and grant awards in subsequent years. It is the intent of City staff to provide such support in FY 2023-2024 and we are working on an RFP to solicit those services and provide access to organizations that could best utilize the assistance. Organizations will have the opportunity to apply for other City-sponsored grant programs, such as the Environmental and Community Investment Agreement (ECIA) grant, or the next round of RFCY grants, which will be available in 2024.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – FY 2023-2024 RFP Grant Guidelines and Application Attachment 2 – FY 2023-2024 Children and Youth Grant Program Evaluation Matrix and Ranking
Attachment 3 – Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to enter into Grant Service Agreements with the FY 2023-2024 Children and Youth Grant Awardee