FY 2023‐24
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
For Direct Services in the Following Priority Areas:
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH: MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS
EDUCATION SUPPORT AND EMPLOYMENT/TRAINING SUPPORT
OUT‐OF‐SCHOOL, AFTER‐SCHOOL, SPORTS AND ENRICHMENT
YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION
ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS
INFORMATION, GUIDANCE AND CASE MANAGEMENT
RFP ISSUED: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2022
PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCES:
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2023, FROM 6:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2023, FROM 11:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
PROPOSAL DUE DATE: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023, BY 2:00 P.M.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth
450 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 300
Richmond, CA 94804
Phone 510.620.6523 www.richmondyouth.org
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction ................................................................................................................. ............. 4 Request for Proposals Overview ...................................................................................................................... 4 II. Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (RFCY) Introduction ............................................. 5 The Richmond Fund for Children and Youth .............................................................................................. 5 Goals of the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth ............................................................................. 6 Richmond Department of Children and Youth (RDCY) ........................................................................... 7 Community Needs Assessment (CNA) Guiding Principles ........... ........................................................ 8 Learning Questions ............................................................................................................................................... 8 Funding Allocations Available by RFCY 2021-2024 Strategies............................................................. 9 II. Application Process .......................................................................................................... .... 10 Eligibility ................................................................................................................................................................. 10 Funding Amounts................................................................................................................................................ 15 Applying for Funding ......................................................................................................................................... 18 Pre-Proposal Meetings, Training, & Technical Assistance ................................................................... 19 Important Dates ................................................................................................................................................... 20 Additional RFCY Resources ............................................................................................................................. 20 III. Funding Priority Areas for FY 2021-2024 .......................................................................... 21 Priority 1: Support Behavioral Health: Mental Health and Wellness for Children and Youth 23 Priority 2: Provide Education Support and Employment/Training Support so that Youth Can Move to College and Career ..................................................................................................... 25 Priority 3: Support Out-of-School Time, After-school, Sports and Enrichment ........................... 27 Priority 4: Expand Youth Violence Prevention Efforts ............................................................................ 29 Priority 5: Strengthen Access to Basic Needs ........................................................................................... 31 Priority 6: Strengthen Access to Guidance and Information about Resources Available for Children and Youth ...................................................................................................................................... 33 IV. Proposal Instructions ........................................................................................................ .. 35 Step 1: Agency and Proposal Information ................................................................................................. 36 Step 2: Proposal Narrative ............................................................................................................................... 37 Step 3: Budget ...................................................................................................................................................... 40 Step 4: Required Documents .......................................................................................................................... 43 Step 5: Proposal Submission & Acknowledgement ............................................................................... 45 V. Funding Recommendations and Contract Negotiation .................................................... 47 Rejection of Proposal Elements .................................................................................................................... 47 Proposal Review Process ................................................................................................................................. 47 Evaluation of Proposals .................................................................................................................................... 49 Contract Negotiations ....................................................................................................................................... 50 Contract Award .................................................................................................................................................... 51 Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 3 Appendix A: Proposal Template ................................................................................................ 53 SECTION 1 – AGENCY AND PROPOSAL INFORMATION ...................................................................... 53 SECTION 2 –NARRATIVE ..................................................................................................................... 54 Appendix B: Demographic Projections Table(s) ...................................................................... 58 Appendix C: Activity and Operations Projection Table(s) ....................................................... 59 Appendix D: Budget Template ............................................................... .................................... 63 Appendix E: Letter of Agreement (LOA) Sample ..................................................................... 64 Appendix F: Compliance with City Council Policies and Applicable Laws ............................. 65 Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 4 I. Introduction
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS OVERVIEW
This Request for Proposals (RFP) is being issued by the City of Richmond, Department of Children and Youth (RDCY) for the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (RFCY). This RFP aims to solicit program proposals from non-profit organizations and public agencies to provide services to children and youth from birth to 24 years old in Richmond and Unincorporated North Richmond.
Voluntary Pre-Proposal (Bidders Conference) Meeting Date and Time:
In order to provide information regarding the RFP, the RDCY will host two virtual pre-proposal conferences for interested applicants. A video of the pre-proposal meeting will be available on the RFCY grants webpage at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/RFCYGrants by January 20, 2023.
Tuesday, January 17, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 27, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Deadline for Questions: Friday, January 20, by 5:00 p.m., by email to the Project Manager, Patrick Seals at [email protected].
Proposal Submittal Deadline Date and Time: Monday, February 13, 2023, by 2:00 p.m.
Proposal Submission: Proposals must be submitted online at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/RFCYGrants
The Grantee shall be required to comply with all applicable City programs and policies. Details are presented in this RFP and will be discussed at the pre-proposal meeting. Applicants who wish to participate in the RFP process are recommended to register, visit, and review the:
1. Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (RFCY) Grant Program Listserv
2. BidsOnline System
3. RDCY webpage
The links above will allow interested applicants to receive addenda, updates, announcements, and notifications relevant to the RFP and other contracting opportunities. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
Contact Information: The following City staff are available to answer questions regarding this RFP: Patrick Seals at (510) 620-6523 or [email protected] (email preferred) and Guadalupe Morales at [email protected] (email preferred) Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 5 II. Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (RFCY) Introduction The Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (RFCY) is pleased to release the 2021-2024 Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit program proposals from non-profit organizations and public agencies to provide services to children and youth in Richmond and North Richmond, California.
We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with strong community agencies to best serve the needs of Richmond’s children and youth.
This RFP covers the six priority areas outlined in the 2021-2024 Strategic Investment Plan, which was developed through an extensive community engagement process and can be found on RFCY’s grant webpage (http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/RFCYGrants). All applicants are strongly encouraged to read the 2021-2024 Strategic Investment Plan in addition to this RFP before starting the application process.
Grants awarded through this RFP process will be for a one-year period, July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 (FY 2023-2024). The total projected amount available for FY2023-2024 grant awards through this RFP is approximately $1.86 million; however, there is approximately $5.6 million available in FY 2023-2024 to renew grant applications for FY 2021-2022 and FY 2022-2023 grantees and award funds to new grantees in FY 2023-2024 (based on the 3% General Fund allocation per the Richmond Charter, Article 15).
The Richmond Fund for Children and Youth
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 (Article 15) to:
Create a Richmond Department of Children and Youth (RDCY), Establish the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (Fund) which requires that a portion of the City’s General Fund be set aside to fund youth programs and services, Establish a 15-member Oversight Board,
Conduct a Community Needs Assessment (CNA), and
Develop a three-year Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) which guides a 3-year grant-making process.
Per the ballot measure’s Statement of Purpose, “Children, youth and young adults under the age of 24 comprise approximately 35% of the City of Richmond’s overall population, and young people i n R i c h m o n d e x p e r i e n c e e x t r e m e l y h i g h r a t e s o f v i o l e n c e , t r a u m a, poor health and social outcomes, and stress.”
Richmond and North Richmond’s children and young people demand consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, supportiv e, and inspiring environments a t home a nd i n co mmuni t y to foster their learning, growth, empowerment, and fulfillment.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 6 The Fund was set up to provide a dedicated funding source to help address some of the issues facing Richmond’s young people and will be maintained separate and apart from all other City funds. At the time of the City’s budget adoption, the City is required to set aside a portion of the annual actual unrestricted general purpose revenues to be transferred in the amounts specified below:
For Fiscal Year 2021-2022, set aside for the Fund is an amount equal to one percent (1%) of the City’s annual actual unrestricted general purpose revenues For Fiscal Year 2022-2023, set aside for the Fund is an amount equal to two percent (2%) of the City’s annual actual unrestricted general purpose revenues For Fiscal Year 2023-2024, and each fiscal year thereafter through Fiscal Year 2027-2028, set aside for the Fund is an amount equal to three percent (3%) of the City’s annual actual unrestricted general purpose revenues
The Fund aims to support programs that focus on community-based initiatives and interventions that improve the community institutions and environments that our children and young people interact with and navigate daily.
Goals of the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth
Per the Charter, the Fund will support services for young people that fulfill the following goals:
To ensure that Richmond’s children, youth, and young adults are physically, emotionally, mentally, and socially healthy, educated, successful in school, and live in stable safe and supported families and communities
To increase safety for children, youth, young adults, their par ents/guardians, families and the communities in which they live by preventing problems and e nhancing the strengths of children, youth, young adults and their families
To ensure young people are provided with gender responsive, tra uma-informed, population specific and culturally competent services
To strengthen collaboration among public agencies and community -based organizations around shared outcomes among all service providers for children, youth, young adults and their parents/guardians
T o e n s u r e a n e q u i t a b l e d i s t r i b u t i o n o f r e s o u r c e s t o a l l o f R i c hmond’s young people in recognition of the importance of investment in their futures fr om birth through young adulthood
To fill gaps in services and leverage other resources whenever feasible
More information is available online from the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth website at www.richmondyouth.org.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 7 Richmond Department of Children and Youth (RDCY)
The purpose of the Department is to facilitate the allocation of funds for youth-serving organizations by administering an open and fair application process that is in compliance with the policies adopted by the RFCY Oversight Board. Furthermore, RDCY supports the Oversight Board in the development of a Strategic Investment Plan and conducts a community needs assessment.
RDCY roles and responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Administrator: Administering the grant program in alignment wit h Measures E & K and Oversight Board direction
Advocate: Working to advocate for services and adequate funding for children and youth supported by this Fund
Collaborator: Collaborating with v a r i o u s g o v e r n m e n t a l , f a i t h - b ased, community-based organizations, and philanthropy t o s u p p o r t w o r k i n t h e c o m m u n i ty and ensure that children and youth needs are met
Convener: Holding space for City interdepartmental meetings, as w e l l a s c r o s s - e n t i t y meetings to discuss service delivery, opportunities for collaboration, etc. Evaluator: Developing and implementing a process to evaluate an d / o r s u p p o r t t h e evaluation of grantees, the gran t process, collaborative work w ith other entities, and the p r o g r a m . R D C Y w i l l h e l p c o l l e c t a n d a n a l y z e m e a n i n g f u l d a t a a n d u s e t h e e v a l u a t i o n process to document the collective impact of the Fund. Funder: Developing and administering the grant program in align ment with the Community Needs Assessment and Strategic Investment Plan Supporter: Providing support to the Oversight Board (e.g., assi st with recruitment, retention, development, training, agenda setting, meeting facilitation, etc.)
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 8 Community Needs Assessment (CNA) Guiding Principles
RDCY staff initiated a needs assessment and strategic planning process in 2020 that sought to honor community voice, and include a diverse range of youth and adults in order to develop a comprehensive, equitable investment plan that reflects community vision. The City committed to guiding principles for creating both the Community Needs Assessment (CNA) and the Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) as follows:
LEARNING QUESTIONS
The following guiding learning questions were developed to focus the CNA effort:
What is working? What are the key assets for children, youth, a nd their families in Richmond and North Richmond?
How are resources and services that support youth currently dis persed? What are the gaps?
What are the barriers to accessing current and future services? What resources do families in Richmond and North Richmond need to thrive? Which families need these resources the most?
What are the needs of the most hard-to-reach groups?
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 9 Funding Allocations Available by RFCY 2021‐2024 Strategies The following chart provides a summary of projected allocations for all priority areas, based on an estimated $5.6 million in total available grant funding for FY 2023-2024. For more comprehensive strategy summaries and guidelines, please refer to the Priority Areas for FY2021-2024 section of the RFP and the 2021-2024 Strategic Investment Plan, which can be found on RFCY’s website (www.richmondyouth.org).
Estimated % of
Total Funds
Priority Area 1: 20%
Behavioral Health: Mental Health and Wellness ($372,000)
Priority Area 2: 20%
Education Support and Employment/Training Support ($372,000)
Priority Area 3: 20%
Out of School, After‐School, Sports and Enrichment ($372,000)
Priority Area 4: 20%
Youth Violence Prevention ($372,000)
Priority Area 5: 10%
Access to Basic Needs ($186,000)
Priority Area 6: 10%
Information, Guidance, and Case Management ($186,000)
Total Estimated Funding in FY 2023‐2024: $1.86
Million
Once grant award decisions are finalized, the allocation amounts, as shown above, may vary slightly depending upon the type and number of grant applications submitted and grants awarded in each priority area. Also, it is important to note that per the Charter, any change in an approved SIP, which could include the priority areas and allocations, shall be based on the community needs assessment and input from the community.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 10 II. Application Process
Eligibility
Entities eligible to receive funding shall be public agencies and non-profit community-based organizations, including organizations with a non-profit fiscal agent, that serve children, youth and disconnected transitional-aged young adults. For-profit agencies are not eligible for funding. An applicant that is a community-based organization must be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Location: Entities eligible to receive funding include those (1) located outside but in close proximity (approximately 15 mile radius) to Richmond to the extent that those entities serve children, youth and disconnected transitional-aged young adults who reside in Richmond or unincorporated North Richmond, and (2) located in Richmond or unincorporated North Richmond that serve children, youth, and disconnected transitional-aged young adults in Richmond or unincorporated North Richmond, regardless of the residence of the children or youth.
Collaboration: Article 15, Section 5b of the Charter states that the Fund shall not fund the following services or types of expenditures: services provided by the West Contra Costa Unified School District, Richmond libraries, Office of Neighborhood Safety, Richmond Promise College Scholarship Program, Richmond Housing Authority and Youth Works, except for collaborations between the above mentioned entities and community-based organizations and programs that meet the goals and eligible uses of the Fund.
Collaboration Definition:
For the purposes of this RFP, collaboration between the entities listed in Article 15, Section 5b of the Charter (entities)1 and a community-based organization (CBO) is defined as cooperation between the entity and the CBO that includes at least one of the following activities: (1) seeking input from the CBO on how services provided can best respond to community needs (e.g. needs of children, youth, and young adults) OR (2) working together to plan or coordinate services. Collaboration can include, but does not require the joint delivery of services or a formalized agreement. The nature of the collaboration can be described in the entity’s application for funding and does not require a joint application between the entity and the CBO.
Youth Voice: It is expected that eligible organizations that apply for funding will clearly demonstrate how youth voice, perspective, and input is central in the proposed program design, development, outreach, and/or implementation.
1 Entities included in Article 15, Section 5b include West Contra Costa Unified School District, Richmond libraries, Office of Neighborhood Safety, Richmond Promise College Scholarship Program, Richmond Housing Authority and Richmond YouthWORKS.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 11 FISCAL SPONSORS
Organizations (other than public agencies) that do not have 501(c)(3) status must apply using a fiscal sponsor. In this case, the fiscal sponsor is the applicant and, if a grant is awarded, would be the organization that contracts with the City of Richmond and is legally liable for all aspects of the contract including program implementation, fiscal management, and communication with the City regarding subgrantee or fiscal partner activities.
The fiscal sponsor would be expected and authorized to oversee and manage all aspects of the contract including finances and to monitor and ensure implementation of program activities of contracted or collaborating agencies. An eligible public agency must apply on its own behalf and may not use a fiscal sponsor.
USE OF FUNDS
The City shall only use monies from the Fund for services provi ded to:
Children (birth to 12) and youth (ages 13 to 17) and their care givers, Disconnected transitional-aged young adults (ages 18 to 24 year s) who are most impacted by harm, inequity and lack of access to support and se rvices and, when relevant, their caregivers, or
As part of programs that predominantly serve children, youth an d disconnected transitional-aged young adults within those ages and their caregivers.
The populations that are prioritized by the Fund included but a re not limited to:
System-involved young people;
Young people who have been pushed out of school;
Young people who themselves or whose families are homeless or t hreatened by homelessness;
Young people living in poverty;
Immigrant and undocumented children, youth and families; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) children, youth and families; Teen parents and families, including single mothers;
Young people with poor physical, mental, emotional and behavior al health outcomes and disabilities;
Families with children and youth who are impacted by the crimin al justice system and/or who have family members who are incarcerated; and/or Families with children and youth who are involved in or transit ioning from the foster care, juvenile justice, criminal justice or special education s ystems.
Funds may NOT be used for:
a. Services provided by the Police Department, Sheriff, other law enforcement agencies, Courts, District Attorney, Public Defender, City Attorney or Fi re Department; detention or probation services mandated by state or federal law; or publ ic transportation, except to the extent that transportation may be needed to access eligi ble services supported by the Fund;
b. Services provided by the West Contra Costa Unified School Distr ict, Richmond libraries, Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 12 Office of Neighborhood Safety, Richmond Promise College Scholar ship Program, Richmond Housing Authority and YouthWORKS, except for collaborations between the above-mentioned entities and community-based organizations and programs that meet the goals and eligible uses of the Fund (see Eligibility section for definition of collaboration – entities listed in this section can apply as a collaborative or single entity as long as the definition of collaboration is met);
c. Any service that primarily benefits adults over 24 years; d. Any service for which a fixed or minimum level of expenditure i s mandated by state or federal law, to the extent of the fixed or minimum level of exp enditure; e. Acquisition of any capital item not for primary and direct use by children or youth; acquisition, other than by lease for a term of ten years or les s, of any real property; or maintenance, utilities or any similar operating costs of any fa cility not used primarily and directly by children or youth, or of any recreation or park facility, library, or hospital;
f. Capital expenditures for housing, or rent subsidies; g. Primary and specialized medical and direct mental health services; however, prevention, education, and other behavioral and mental health s upport services are eligible for funding;
h. Income supports that supplant state or federal benefits or post -secondary tuition assistance;
i. Political campaigning or lobbying;
j. Subsidization of existing contracts;
k. Repayment of existing debt or pre-existing tax liens or obligations; l. Advancement of certain sectarian, politically partisan, or religious projects (grant funds should be used for specific programs and not to advance the causes of any of the stated group);
m. Legal, loan, or bank fees;
n. A project or program which is clearly intended for commercial gain; o. A project or program that occurs before or after the grant award period; or p. For businesses established for personal benefit or profit.
TYPE OF APPLICANTS
Small and Emerging Applicants
The Small and Emerging designation focuses on smaller organizations and assists grass root organizations to be funded by RFCY. Organizations in this category may have recently received their 501(c)(3) status, after having been fiscally sponsored. If the organization does not have 501(c)(3) status, it must apply using a fiscal sponsor. If the organization has 501(c)(3) status, it may still choose to use a fiscal sponsor.
If the organizational budget is under $250,000 in the current or most recent fiscal/calendar year, not including the RFCY grant request, an organization must identify/apply as a Small and Emerging Applicant. RFCY staff will utilize audited or reviewed financials, 990s and/or 990Ns, and/or income statements to confirm the applicant’s budget for placement in this category. If an organization utilizes a fiscal sponsor, the fiscal sponsor budget will not be used to determine the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 13 proper designation. However, the City will still enter into the grant agreement with the fiscal sponsor in the event a grant is awarded.
Entities listed in Article 15, Section 5b of the Charter may apply as a single entity in this category as long as they demonstrate that they have met the definition o f collaboration as defined in this RFP (see Eligibility section, page 10).
Single Agency Applicant
A Single Agency Applicant is one agency applying for RFCY funding. This applicant is also referred to as the lead agency and will be the agency that contracts with the City of Richmond.
Applicants in this category have an organizational budget over $250,000, not including the RFCY grant request. RFCY staff will utilize financial documents to confirm the applicant’s budget for placement in this category.
Entities listed in Article 15, Section 5b of the Charter may apply as a single entity in this category as long as they demonstrate that they have met the definition o f collaboration as defined in this RFP (see Eligibility section, page 10).
Collaborative Applicants
Through this grant program, the City strongly encourages applicants to collaborate with other organizations. Collaboration is a mutually beneficial relationship to meet a common goal.
Collaboration can come in many forms, from information sharing to joint programming. It can help organizations reduce redundancy in service sectors, leverage resources, share strengths, and increase efficiencies. RFCY strongly encourages collaboration between nonprofit and public entities to create and sustain collaborations that maximize the cost-effectiveness and quality of service delivery.
A Collaborative Applicant must consist of two or more agencies, each contributing substantially toward a mutual goal, where at least two of the agencies are proposing to receive RFCY funds.
Substantial participation includes providing direct services, and/or planning and coordinating services, and/or having equal collaboration in decision making around program design and/or implementation. No one agency should receive more than eighty percent (80%) of the funding.
When completing budget documents, please make clear how funding will be allocated between collaborating organizations.
The lead agency of a Collaborative will be the agency that contracts with the City of Richmond.
Collaboratives must choose a lead agency that has the fiscal and management capacity to support the other collaborating organization by issuing payments in a timely and professional manner. All collaborative organizations of a collaborative must have the capacity to provide services as presented in the proposal.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 14 The Collaborative should examine how the involvement of other collaborating organizations will be best coordinated within the model. RFCY will not consider lead agencies that act simply as a fiscal pass through. All agencies, schools, and/or program sites must be active parts of program implementation.
Entities listed in Article 15, Section 5b of the Charter may apply as part of a Collaborative applicant in this category.
NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS
Understanding that entities are diverse in their program offerings, an entity can submit more than one (1) but no more than three (3) proposals as a lead agency requesting funding, as long as the proposals are requesting funding for programming that is substantially different.
Substantially different programming is defined as having a different priority area OR program design OR staffing OR program location OR target population receiving services.
Applicants may submit separate proposals for their own program and be part of a Collaborative proposal as long as the proposals are substantially different. Applicants may not receive funds as a single agency and as part of a Collaborative for the same program. Applicants may submit substantially different proposals within the same priority area.
Applicants may not submit the same proposal more than one time to different RFCY priority areas. Select the most appropriate priority area that best aligns to your program and submit only one request proposal for the proposed program.
Please note that the reviewers will look closely at and/or take into consideration the ratio between your organization’s total requests and your organization’s overall current year budget when determining grant awards. It is STRONGLY recommended that organizations do not submit grant requests that equate to more than 40% of their overall organizational budget.
Public agencies are able to submit separate proposals per depar tment and/or division, as long as the departments and/or divisions are substantially different in the services that they provide to the community and have separate and distinct budgets.
Special Note: Entities listed in Article 15, Section 5b of the Charter may apply as a Collaborative Applicant with a formalized agreement AND may also apply as a single agency in which they demonstrate collaboration between their organization and a community-based organization (no formalized agreement required).
These entities include West Contra Costa Unified School District, Richmond libraries, Office of Neighborhood Safety, Richmond Promise College Scholarship Program, Richmond Housing Authority, Richmond YouthWORKS.
Special Note: If City Richmond Department(s) and/or Division(s) are awarded grants, the proposed program and funding award must meet the requirements as set forth in Article 15 of Section 5(J) and Section 6 of the City of Richmond Charter.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 15 Funding Amounts
FUNDING PARAMETERS
Each grant award amount will depend on the frequency of service, the amount of service, the number of service sites, the number of children and families served, the proposed staffing, and the range and depth of expertise provided. Please use the following funding parameters as a guide to determine how much funding is appropriate and allowed.
Small and Emerging Applicants
A Small and Emerging applicant may apply for between $30,000 and $100,000. No more than 20% may be allocated to indirect costs, calculated as a percentage of the total grant request.
Agencies may submit more than one grant request. However, Small and Emerging Applicants are advised to limit their total and/or combined RFCY requests to no more than 40% of their current year overall organizational budget excluding current RFCY funding request(s).
Single Agency Applicant
Single agency applicants may apply for between $40,000 and $150,000. No more than 20% may be allocated to indirect costs, calculated as a percentage of the total grant request.
Agencies may submit more than one grant request. However, Single Agency Applicants are advised to limit their total and/or combined RFCY request(s) to no more than 40% of their current year overall organizational budget excluding current RFCY funding request(s).
Collaborative Applicant
Collaboratives may apply for between $50,000 and $200,000. No more than 20% may be allocated to indirect costs, calculated as a percentage of the total grant request.
Agencies may submit more than one grant request. However, Collaboratives are advised to limit their total and/or combined RFCY request(s) to no more than 40% of the lead agency’s current year overall organizational budgets excluding current RFCY funding request(s).
Example: A Small and Emerging organization with an annual budget of $200,000 could request one or more grants for a maximum RFCY award of $80,000.
Example: A Single Agency organization with an annual budget of $420,000 or more could request one or more grants for a maximum RFCY award of $168,000.
Example: A lead agency in a Collaborative with an annual budget of $570,000 or more could request one of more grants for a maximum RFCY award of $228,000.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 16 SUMMARY TABLE BY APPLICATION TYPE
Small and Emerging
(Budgets under $250,000)
Single Agency
(Budgets over $250,000) Collaboratives
Minimum
Grant
Request
$30,000 $40,000 $50,000
Maximum
Grant
Request
$100,000 $150,000 $200,000
Maximum Award per
Organizational
across all application
areas2
$100,000
$150,000
Maximum
Indirect
Rate
20% 20% 20%
Minimum
Match
Requirement
15%
of RFCY grant request
15%
of RFCY grant request
15%
of RFCY grant request
Financial Statements See Information and Requirements Below
Financial Statements
All financial statements (i.e., audited/reviewed financials or 990s/990Ns or income statements) must be from no later than 2018. If an applicant is a public agency, other than the City of Richmond, the applicant must submit proof of the existence of an independent audit. If applying with a fiscal sponsor, the applicant must submit the fiscal sponsor’s financial statements.
If your agency is in the process of obtaining your audited OR reviewed financial statements, but the audit and financial statements will not be complete before the grant deadline, you will be able to submit proof of a contract with a Certified Public Accountant as part of your application submission. In the Agency and Proposal Information section of the proposal, provide a copy of your contract or engagement letter with a CPA as proof that an audit of your agency will be conducted, and include the expected date of completion as part of proof. All audited financial statements must be completed and delivered to RDCY by June 30, 2024 (electronic copy via email to [email protected]).
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 17 2This is a recommended amount and the Review Committee may consider the amount of funding received by organizations across priority areas.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 18 MATCHING FUNDS
1) Matching Funds refers to all program funding above the RFCY award that are necessary to provide the services at the proposed levels. Proposals must demonstrate, and if awarded will be held accountable for, raising and documenting funding that equals at least 15% of the RFCY grant award as a program match. This 15% match of RFCY program funding must be a cash or in-kind match that supports the proposed program.
2) Grantees may NOT use one RFCY grant as a match for another.
FUNDING PERIOD
This RFP represents a three-year grant cycle. The initial contract is for a one-year period (July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022) with the option to renew for two additional one-year periods based on available grant funds, satisfactory evaluation, grant monitoring reports, and overall grant performance. The second and third grant period will run from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023; and from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. Selected applicants will not receive their first disbursement of funds until they submit all required contract documents. After all contract documents are received it takes approximately 6-8 weeks before the contract is executed.
Example: An organization is seeking $100,000 from RFCY to run a youth program. If awarded a $100,000 grant from RFCY, the organization would be held accountable for raising and documenting a minimum of 15% match of the grant award amount, which is $15,000.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 19 Applying for Funding
COMPLETING YOUR PROPOSAL
The RFCY application process is entirely online and must be completed and submitted through the online application system to be considered for funding. The online application will consist of the following elements:
1) Agency and Proposal Information
2) Proposal Narrative
3) Budget
4) Required Documents
5) Proposal Submission and Acknowledgement
The Proposal Instructions section will provide detailed instructions on completing the application, and the additional submission of forms required by the City of Richmond – Richmond Fund for Children and Youth. Be sure to read these instructions carefully.
Contact RDCY staff at [email protected] for all technical issues and questions regarding the online application system.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 20 Pre‐Proposal Meetings, Training, & Technical Assistance
PRE-PROPOSAL MEETINGS (BIDDERS CONFERENCES)
To provide general information and guidance to all potential applicants, RFCY will hold two virtual Pre-Proposal Meetings (Bidders’ Conferences). All potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend one of the two pre-proposal meetings. A video of the pre-proposal meeting will be available on the RFCY grants webpage at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/RFCYGrants. The current dates and times are:
Tuesday, January 17, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 27, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS AND GENERAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANC E BY EMAIL
General Technical Assistance (TA) and/or submission of general questions by e-mail begins January 3rd , 2023, and concludes January 20, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. E-mail TA and/or general questions to RDCY staff at [email protected]. Staff will answer questions about eligibility, funding parameters, and required information and documents for online submission. The assistance is not intended to provide professional advice on program design, feasibility, or other program development and implementation issues.
This TA is provided by email only. Frequently Asked Questions will be publicly posted to the RFCY webpage by 5:00 p.m. on January 30, 2023. No phone or in-person technical assistance will be provided. RDCY staff will aim to provide a response to the TA Request within two (2) business days.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 21 Important Dates
These dates are tentative and subject to change:
Date
Request for Proposals (RFP) Released January 3, 2023
Pre-Proposal Meetings
Virtual/Video Conferencing
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.
Friday, January 27, 2023
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Questions Due by E-mail January 20, 2023, 5:00 p.m.
Frequently Asked Questions Published January 30, 2023, 5:00 p.m.
Online Proposals Due
Monday, February 13, 2023, by 2:00
p.m. An online receipt will be produced in
the form of an email upon submission.
Proposals submitted after the deadline will
not be considered for review.
Oversight Board and City Council Approves
Recommendations for Funding May 2023
Contracting and Negotiations Begins June 2023
Program Year July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024
Additional RFCY Resources
The following documents can be found on the RFCY website at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/RFCYGrants
RFCY 2020 Community Needs Assessment
RFCY 2021-2024 Strategic Investment Plan
RFCY Contract Documents
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 22 III. Funding Priority Areas for FY 2021‐2024
The Community Needs Assessment (CNA) process provided an overview of current data and findings related to children, youth, and their families in Richmond, and North Richmond, California – specifically as related to the focus of the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth.
Community input was gathered through focus groups and interviews with youth, parents/guardians and providers, surveys, forums, and the review of multiple reports and secondary data resources. The CNA, which guided the development of the Strategic Investment Plan (SIP), identified six priority areas for investment. Priorities were identified by synthesizing these data sources and surfacing issues that were raised across multiple groups and subgroups and within the framework of the legislation informing the Richmond Kids First Initiative.
The six priority areas were then assigned a percentage allocation based on considerations of the urgency of the need and potential for equity impact. The priority areas, not listed in order of importance, are as follows:
PRIORITY AREAS Estimated % of
Total Funds
1. Behavioral Health: Mental Health and Wellness 20% = $372,000
2. Education Support and Employment/Training Support 20% = $372 ,000
3. Out of School Time, After-School, Sports, and Enrichment 20% = $372,000
4. Youth Violence Prevention 20% = $372,000
5. Access to Basic Needs 10% = $186,000
6. Information, Guidance and Case Management 10% = $186,000 Total Estimated Funding in FY 2023-24 100% = $1.86M
The approved SIP will guide RDCY’s three-year grant cycle between 2021 and 2024. The third round of grant funding for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024) is estimated to total approximately $1.86 million (based on the City’s Fiscal Year 2022-23 revenue amounts).
Estimated funding is approximate for the priority areas.
Cross-Strategy Approaches
The SIP provides further information related to these priorities and begins to detail options regarding programming, approaches and populations that will benefit from investment. There were also several approaches identified related to programming that could cross several of the six inter-related priority areas identified above. These cross-cutting approaches include but are not limited to:
Trauma informed programming
Healing
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 23 Caring adults participating in the lives of youth Trusting relationships with providers
Meeting children and youth where they are (e.g., school or neighborhood) “Push in” supports rather than “opt in” supports for those hard to reach (e.g. reaching out to our most marginalized students)
Valuing and recognizing identity while building belonging Staffing programs with individuals with lived experience or cultural fluency who can effectively engage youth – “Have staff who can not only represent a culture but can be restorative and beneficial to the culture”
Providing culturally competent programming and services which reflect the diversity of Richmond and North Richmond
Improving translation and language equity
Improving access by robustly sharing information out to the community Equity in place
Including and valuing youth voice in the design and implementation of programming There are numerous options for programmatic strategies identified under each priority, and it is likely that not all of them will be proposed or funded in this initial year of the Fund. RDCY is committed to using an equity perspective in its grant programs to ensure that the Fund fills gaps in services, provides resources to those populations that have been identified as under- resourced, and strategically contributes to meaningful results for children and youth.
Tip: The six priority areas that will be funded through this RFP process are listed in detail in the following section and additional information can be found in the RFCY Strategic Investment Plan at www.richmondyouth.org.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 24 Mental Health and wellness for Richmond and North Richmond children and youth clearly stood out in the Community Needs Assessment. The community has identified stress and trauma as an issue for children and youth in the community. Given the many health stressors in the community, there are children at risk of mental health and developmental impact given their exposure to “adverse childhood experiences.” At the same time, youth expressed that they have experienced depression. Programs that support mental health and wellness and that address mental health needs will help Richmond and North Richmond children and youth to thrive.
Included in this priority is mental health education which will be targeted toward reducing stigma and increasing understanding of mental health and wellness issues.
The issue of mental health and well-being was a concern across all of the focus groups that were conducted. This is particularly true for Black and Latinx residents who are disproportionately exposed to violence leading to long-term impacts on health and well-being. Trauma-informed programming, as well as behavioral and mental health programs, emerged as a significant need for children, youth, and families along with the need for that programming to consider the rich diversity of residents, many of whom have are experiencing the trauma of the constant threat of family deportation, violence in the community, discrimination and more. Also, the need for culturally fluent approaches is central to filling this gap as many of Richmond and North Richmond’s children, youth, and families come from non-western cultures where there may be barriers and stigma attached to western approaches to mental health and wellness programming.
Options for Supported Programming
Integrate behavioral health strategies into programming that support mental health and wellness
Provide a “safe space” and support mental health along with social and emotional well- being for young children and youth
Provide supportive relationships, including counseling and support for children and youth
Strengthen school-based and group programming (e.g., anxiety or anger management) Diversify access (e.g., by opening access to short-term needs and those not being served)
Address trauma and support healing skills
Behavioral and mental health education for children, youth, and families; build access and openness to receiving support
Priority 1: Support Behavioral Health: Mental Health and Wellness for Children and Youth
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 25 Priority Populations
Disconnected youth
Young people who themselves are homeless, or whose families are homeless or threatened by homelessness
Young people living in poverty
Immigrant and undocumented children and youth
LGBTQ+ children, youth, and families
Youth who have experienced trauma
Young people with poor physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health outcomes
Desired Results
Increased access to mental or beh avioral health programs and se rvices (Indicator:
number of unique and new participants)
Decreased stigma about receiving mental health services Reduced reliance on substances to deal with mental and behavioral health issues Increased awareness of available mental or behavioral health services Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 26 Richmond and North Richmond youth participating in the Community Needs Assessment consistently expressed the desire to be successful in school and go on to college or employment. In the 2019 Richmond Community Survey, residents were asked what areas the City should prioritize in order to best support young people in Richmond. Education and Job Training received the highest response rate with 82% of respondents (308 responses) selecting this as a priority1.
In the Community Needs Assessment, participants also identified the need for programs that support children and youth along their journey toward educational success, college, career, and employment. These needs emerged across surveys, focus groups, forums, and other sources.
Richmond and North Richmond children and youth want the chance to excel in school and career. There was a strong desire for more tutoring, broader college access programs, and extra support for those who may be struggling with a range of barriers such as transitional age youth (TAY) or new immigrants arriving as unaccompanied minor children. The latter is also an example of a group that needs accelerated or intensive language learning support.
Many older youth participants wanted support in moving toward employment and identified the need to learn more about employment requirements and career options via mentoring, internships, and, in some cases, job skills training as key to their success.
It is also notable that reliable access to resources such as high-speed internet and computer equipment, such as tablets, has become even more important in the current distance learning environment. Participants often pointed to disparities between nearby, wealthier districts outside of Richmond and North Richmond that are better resourced and have programs, tools, and infrastructure that allow for students to excel.
Options for Supported Programming
Programs that improve educational outcomes for high-need young children Targeted educational support (e.g., tutoring, language, homework assistance) for children and youth facing multiple challenges in moving forward to post-secondary education and employment (e.g., populations such as unaccompanied minor immigrants, system involved youth, or very low-income students) Career and college exposure at earlier ages (e.g., middle school programs) Internships to provide experience, skill building and exposure for youth
1 National Research Center and ICMA, The National Community Survey, Richmond, CA Technical Appendices, 2019 Priority 2: Provide Education Support and Employment/Training Support so that Youth Can Move to College and Career
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 27 Outreach and strategies directed to disconnected youth and systems-impacted youth who are not engaged in community programming
Expand access to West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) career readiness resources to students not in pathways
Priority populations
Youth of color
System involved young people and transitional-age youth (TAY) Disconnected youth
Young people who themselves are homeless, or whose families are homeless or threatened by homelessness
Socioeconomically disadvantaged children and young people Immigrant and undocumented children and youth
Students with disabilities
Youth from under-resourced neighborhoods (e.g., North Richmond, Iron Triangle) Desired Results
Education Support
Increased access to early learning
Kindergarten readiness
Improved third grade reading levels
Improved school attendance
Improved High School graduation rates
College entry and success rates
Reduction in chronic absenteeism
Black and Latinx college enrollment and persistence
Employment
Increased numbers of youth with work experience opportunities Increased numbers of youth accessing career and college Increased knowledge of programs
Increase in earnings/income for youth and young adults Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 28 This strategy builds on and expands available out-of-school and afterschool programming.
Participation in afterschool and out-of-school programs is linked to better academic outcomes.
For Richmond and North Richmond’s priority populations, targeted afterschool programming could improve their chances of completion and success in school as well as their connection to caring adults. Programs must be provided in a safe space with safe access for students.
Low-cost or no-cost out-of-school and after-school sports and enrichment programming scored high as both desired and needed for youth to thrive across groups. Sports were a popular suggestion as were outdoor activities such as gardening and hiking. The arts (music, dance, visual arts were all mentioned) were very often mixed in with responses to sports but were also often singled out as highly desirable. This is in addition to culturally relevant arts and other programming to help them to build awareness, strengthen self-esteem, and create a sense of belonging. Some groups stated there were few or no respectful and safe spaces to be with others like them. Existing after-school resources should be leveraged so that funding from the Fund could bring in those not participating and engage students who have barriers to participation.
Options for Supported Programming
● Programming that meets specific needs of children and youth at their age and stage ● Support youth voice to support diverse programming for students in later grades to develop their strengths and interests
● Free or very low-cost programming
● Funding to also engage parents to understand barriers to participation ● Enrichment programming (e.g., music & arts, science & technology, sports & recreation) ● Culturally relevant and fluent programming
● Academic support such as tutoring, homework support, etc. ● Outdoor programming
● Accessible programming for students with disabilities ● Youth development and leadership opportunities for positive youth engagement
Priority Populations
This could include all of the priority populations and programs should be targeted toward including these hard to reach/underserved groups:
● Young people living in poverty
● Immigrant and undocumented children and youth
● Young people with poor physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health outcomes Priority 3: Support Out‐of‐School Time, After‐school, Sports and Enrichment
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 29 ● Children with disabilities
● Students experiencing homelessness
● Students who are not engaged in out-of-school extracurricular activities ● Students at schools with high levels of free and reduced lunch ● Students in very high need locations
Desired Results
Expanded access to out-of-school, after-school, sports, and enrichment programming (Indicator: number and demographics of unique participants) Increased learning opportunities year round
Increased and more diverse offerings of culturally relevant programming Increase in caring adult relationships
Increased number of hours of academic support provided Increased number of no-cost or low-cost/fully subsidized programs Improved attendance
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 30 Priority 4: Expand Youth Violence Prevention Efforts
Violence in the community came up as a barrier to participation and even as a significant barrier to everyday activity for priority populations. Violence manifests itself in many forms including gun violence, domestic violence, and more. In the focus groups, youth stated they could not go to many places in Richmond and North Richmond out of fear and that they were frequently uncomfortable to go out with groups of friends when one of them did not feel safe in a particular neighborhood. Others participating in the needs assessment spoke of witnessing violence or dangerous spots in their neighborhood. Bullying is also a concern for children. In addition, some participants also reported the fear of gender-based violence as a barrier to movement and participation in the community.
The 2019 Richmond Community Survey asked residents what areas the City should prioritize in order to best support young people in Richmond. Violence prevention and response received the second highest response rate with 73% of respondents (275 responses) selecting this as a priority2. Other plans and reports including the 2019 Kaiser Community Health Needs Assessment and the North Richmond Quality of Life Plan also identified community safety as a priority.
Options for Supported programming
Programs supporting healthy development for children Mentorship and other programs for youth that feature a caring adult Programs that support connection to after-school activities and reduce exposure to community risks
Programs outside of school
Peer-to-peer groups
Whole family/parent support
Anti-bullying programs
Programs focusing on African American and Latino/Latinx youth Youth skills programs: non-violent coping and communication skills Street outreach and community norm changes
Support for families experiencing domestic violence
Access to programs that are “close to home” or that provide safety support or community travel support that reduces risk of violence for youth (e.g., transportation vouchers or programs located next to public transportation) Priority populations
African American youth
Latino/Latinx youth
2 National Research Center and ICMA, The National Community Survey, Richmond, CA Technical Appendices, 2019 Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 31 System-involved young people
Young people who have been pushed out-of-school
Young people living in poverty
Children and youth who are impacted by the criminal justice system and/or who have family members who are incarcerated
Desired Results
Reduction in the number of youths involved in criminal activity Reduction in the numbers of youth homicides for those under 24 years of age Reduction in the numbers of youth that perpetrate violence Increase in the number of students who feel safe at school Reduction in bullying
Reduction in the number of children and youth that witness violence Increase in services that support whole-family violence prevention Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 32 Priority 5: Strengthen Access to Basic Needs
The Community Needs Assessment identified that many Richmond and North Richmond children, youth, and their families were struggling and needed support with meeting one or more of their basic needs (e.g., housing, food, medicine, utilities, and transportation) for their families. For homeless participants, housing and wraparound support was identified. For transitional age youth, the need for assistance in supporting their own household after they turned 18 was mentioned. For immigrant children, the need for financial support for families who were often barred from working full-time was mentioned. Justice-involved youth suggested that they needed access to support that they said was often contingent on having been in Juvenile Hall. For some parents and youth who wanted to access particular programs, transportation was identified as a barrier.
Given that this planning work was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, basic needs issues were heightened beyond the norm. It is widely expected that many families will face ongoing economic hardship as the pandemic wanes and the economy moves toward recovery.
Options for Supported Programming
Childcare support including childcare to provide relief to youth caring for siblings or parenting youth
Meal and nutrition support
Rental support
Navigation of available basic needs resources
Support for family resource centers
Support for families with barriers to access
Expanded homelessness prevention resources to identify and support children and youth at risk of homelessness in Richmond and North Richmond Support for children and youth experiencing homelessness including coordination between outreach workers, after-school providers, schools, and shelter/housing resources
Priority Populations
Young people who themselves are homeless, or whose families are homeless or threatened by homelessness
Young people living in poverty
Immigrant and undocumented children and youth
Teen parents and families, including single mothers
Families with children and youth who are involved in or transitioning from the foster care, juvenile justice, criminal justice, or special education systems Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 33 Desired Results
Fewer children, youth and their families will experience homele ssness in Richmond and North Richmond
Increased housing security
Increased access to childcare
Increased food security
Increased access to services by mitigating financial or resource barriers Improved transportation to service locations
Increased access to high-speed internet and Wi-Fi
Decreased rates of poverty in Richmond and North Richmond, part icularly for households of color
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 34 For children, youth, and families, there were a number of voices across the spectrum of youth residents that reported on how difficult it is to navigate the Richmond and North Richmond environment of youth services. Almost all community engagement activities during the Community Needs Assessment identified the need for support that would assist community members in understanding what resources were out there and whether they qualified to access them. Many of those surveyed said they did not access services because they did not know about them.
Young people expressed the need for help, including coaching or case management, in navigating the turn toward independence or the journey to college success. Case management, or at the very least, guidance from a caring adult, is needed so that children, youth, and their families can understand and access the services available. Parents and guardians need more support with understanding what was offered and how to make the best use of these programs and services for their children. Information and case management was also mentioned as critical to individuals experiencing homelessness that were in need of successfully regaining housing.
This information needs to be in multiple languages with extra effort to reach marginalized children, youth, and their families.
Options for Supported programming
Fund the creation and hosting of an inclusive web resource that can provide robust information on children and youth programming in multiple languages Fund navigation support or case management for children, youth and their families who face complex challenges
Support mentorship and guidance that helps disadvantaged children and youth with understanding and accessing resources that will move them forward on their path toward college and/or employment
Social media strategies and outreach
Provide resources and capacity for guidance and case management in programming for those who most need it
Make sure that staff providing guidance and case management reflects the diversity of the clients
Priority 6: Strengthen Access to Guidance and Information about Resources Available for Children and Youth
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 35 Priority populations
This priority will support children and youth across Richmond and North Richmond inclusive of all priority populations.
System-involved young people
Young people who have been pushed out-of-school
Young people who themselves are homeless, or whose families are homeless or threatened by homelessness
Young people living in poverty
Immigrant and undocumented children, youth, and families LGBTQ+ children, youth, and families
Teen parents and families, including single mothers; young people with poor physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health outcomes, and children with disabilities Families with children and youth who are impacted by the criminal justice system and/or who have family members who are incarcerated; and/or are involved in or transitioning from the foster care, juvenile justice, criminal justice, or special education systems. Desired Results
Information
Increased access to information: (Indicators: Number of inquiries and posts on one stop shop platform)
Increased access to information in multiple languages other than English (Indicator:
Increased number of requests for information that are made in other languages) Increase in the number of children and youth and their families that are aware of programming and know how to access information needed to participate Increased access to Wi-Fi connectivity
Navigation Support, Guidance, and Case Management
Increase in number of case management spots available for high need youth or those with complex situations
Increase in number of mentors available for high-need youth Increased navigation support for youth who want to access post-secondary education or who are transitional aged youth moving to independence Increased numbers of youth that have connection to caring adults Increased number of programs or collaborations that offer wraparound services/programming targeted at high need youth
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 36 IV. Proposal Instructions
The RFCY application process is entirely online through the RFCY Forms CivicPlus website at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/RFCYGrants. All proposals must be completed and submitted through the online application system to be considered for funding.
To review the Proposal Narrative Template, Demographic Table, Activity and Operations Projections Table, and Budget Template sections of the RFP go to Appendices A, B, C, and D, or to access those documents, please go to www.ci.richmond.ca.us/RFCYGrants. The following outlines the steps necessary to submit a proposal:
Step 1 – Agency and Proposal Information - Provide information specific to your agency and to the program your organization is requesting funding for, including the RFCY priority area aligned to the proposed program
Step 2 – Proposal Narrative – Upload your proposal responses completed on the Proposal Narrative Template
o Demographics – Upload your Demographic Table that estimates the individuals projected to be served annually by your program
o Activity and Operations Projections – Upload your Activity and Operations Projection Table that summarizes the proposed programming by projecting the types of activities to be delivered by the program your organization is requesting funding for, and the hours and location of operations
Step 3 – Budget – Upload a detailed program budget based on the Budget Template showing the RFCY funding requested and total program budget costs Step 4 – Required Documents Upload
Step 5 – Proposal Submission and Acknowledgements – Verify that the information is complete, all forms have been submitted, and submit the online proposal.
You may enter your application over multiple sessions. Remember to save often and log out when you have finished a session. Please review the elements of your application including all uploads before submitting. It is recommended that you wait until the entire application is complete before submitting each form. Once you submit, you will not be able to edit any of your work.
More information is provided on each of these steps on the following pages. Be sure to read these instructions carefully.
Questions about the content of the RFP can be directed by email to [email protected] . Questions by phone or in person will not be taken.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 37 Step 1: Agency and Proposal Information
Begin your application by completing the Agency and Proposal Information section.
Organizations may submit more than one (1) but not more than three (3) grant applications. If submitting more than one (1) application, organizations may apply for the same or different priority areas. Each application must be submitted separately. Please review the Application Process section of this RFP for additional information.
To complete the Agency and Proposal Information, provide the requested information via the online portal at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/RFCYGrants:
Name of Organization or Lead Agency/Organization
Fiscal Sponsor Information (if Applicable)
Project Manager Information
Program/Project Budget
Type of Applicant
RFCY Priority Areas
TYPE OF APPLICANT
Select whether the organization is applying as a “Small and Emerging Applicant”, “Single Agency“ or “Collaborative.” For collaborations, list the agency name for all collaborative organizations for the proposed program. For more information on types of applicants, please refer to the Eligibility section of this RFP.
RFCY PRIORITY AREA
Select the appropriate strategy under which the proposal is being submitted for funding consideration. You must select ONE priority area.
When you have finished with the Agency and Proposal Information section, move on to upload the Proposal Narrative, Demographics Table and Activities and Operations Projections Table, and Budget sections of the RFP.
Example: Organization ABC would like to apply as a Single Agency for the Access to Basic Needs priority area and as a Collaborative for the Youth Violence Prevention priority area.
Organization ABC must submit two separate applications for each and list the preferred priority area for each application.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 38 Step 2: Proposal Narrative
The Proposal Narrative must include the following elements, presented in the order listed below.
Reviewers will score the Proposa l Narratives based upon the ade quacy and thoroughness of the response to the RFP requirements and according to the following point system3:
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
Including the responses in Section 1 and Section 2, the Proposal Narrative form shall be limited to ten (10) pages. This page limit is not inclusive of budgets, resumes, descriptions of work experience, or documents requested as part of the application, including Appendices B, C, and D.
All submitted materials should be typed in a 12-point font size and a Serif or Sans Serif font style (e.g., Times New Roman or Arial). Applications must be easily r eproducible on a standard copying machine.
All costs incurred in the preparation of an application are the applicant’s responsibility.
Applications must be completed and submitted electronically at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/RFCYGrants by Monday, February 13, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.
Applications received after this date and time will not be considered and will not be eligible for review and scoring by the Review Committee.
For more information regarding scoring of the application, see the Evaluation of Proposals section.
3 This point system applies only to the scoring of the narrative section. The scoring committee will use this score along with other criteria, including but not limited to service location, service to priority populations, strategic alignment, past performance, and reasonableness of budget and activities, when making funding recommendations.
Tip: RDCY recommends that organizations first draft their responses to the Proposal Narrative section in the template provided. Be sure to review your submis sions for accuracy, formatting, clarity and completeness prior to uploading your Proposal Narrative template.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 39 Proposal Narrative
PROGRAM SUMMARY (NOT SCORED)
Provide a clear and concise summary of your program. The summary should describe the program in terms of who will be served, numbers to be served, types of services, location and frequency of services, and the purpose of your program and outcomes to be achieved. This Program Summary will be used to describe the proposed program throughout the review process (100 word limit).
AGENCY HISTORY AND CAPACITY (20 POINTS)
1) Briefly describe your agency.
2) Describe your agency's experience providing the services proposed in your application.
Include information on years of service in the community being served, experience working with diverse communities and youth, and any collaboration with other organizations or systems of care.
3) Describe the staffing plan for your proposed program. Identify the person who will have primary responsibility for managing the program and discuss their experience managing similar projects and in similar communities. Provide information on how many people will be directly working on the project and their qualifications to work effectively with your target population. Resumes or other relevant work history documents that can substantiate experience can be uploaded online via the portal and will not count toward the page limit.
PROGRAM DESIGN (35 POINTS)
4) Identify the population that will be served in your program. How do you plan to recruit, engage, and retain children, youth, and/or caregivers in your services to reach your program’s goals?
a. In addition to responding to the prompt(s), also complete the Demographics Table found in Appendix B.
5) Describe the program and proposed services. Provide information on the program design, type of services, average length of participation, location of services (include the defined boundaries for each targeted neighborhood/geographical area), and how services will be delivered.
a. In addition to responding to the prompt(s), also complete the Activity and Operations Table found in Appendix C.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 40 6) What role will youth have in program design, implementation and/or evaluation, if any? For example, how will youth inform, consult, or collaborate with staff? 7) Who are the other organizations that will support the program? Identify the roles, responsibilities and functions of each organization. For Section 5b organizations only: How does your proposal demonstrate collaboration as required per the definition listed on page 10 of the RFP? 8) Please discuss how your proposed program that you are requesting funding for through this RFP has been or will be impacted by COVID-19. What have been the implications for the services you provide? How has or will your organization add ress those issues so that the program can continue to be offered?
OUTCOMES AND IMPACT (25 POINTS)
9) What are the needs that your proposed program is designed to address (provide data)? How will your program’s target population directly benefit from the proposed services? 10) Describe how your program will measure its performance impact and achievement of outcomes. What are the short-term outcomes, and what do you anticipate as the long- term impacts? What are the performance targets that will be met? How will you know that your program is successful?
11) List your program’s annual outcomes and performance for the past one to three years.
Explain any fluctuations in outcome and performance year-to-year.
REQUIRED RESOURCES AND BUDGET REQUEST (20 POINTS)
12) What are the total proposed annual program expenses for the 2023-2024 fiscal year? What were the total program expenses in the most recently completed calendar or fiscal year? What is changing?
13) Describe the proposed program expenses and explain how funds requested are reasonable to support the proposed numbers of participants to be served, hours of service to be provided, and overall program design.
14) Provide information on the other sources of revenue supporting the program. Include the name of the funding entity, amount of funds, duration of funds, and whether the funds have been received, are committed, are pending, or will be requested. State whether your program will collect fees for participation or if it will be free of charge to all participants. If collecting fees, describe your fee structure, estimated annual revenue, and estimated percent of students participating for free compared to students paying a fee. 15) In addition to responding to all the prompt(s), also complete the Budget Template as referenced in Step 3 found in Appendix D.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 41 Step 3: Budget
The program budget is an important component of your proposal that should be clearly linked to support the proposed program, with reasonable and justifiable expenses for staffing and program costs. The budget proposed should be an appropriate and accurate projection of the program expenses for one program year: FY 2023-2024 (July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024).
This section also allows you to show the cost effectiveness of your program and demonstrate how you will leverage other funds for the programs you are proposing. The proposed budget should be reflective of what was written in the Proposal Narrat ive section and your proposed Activities.
The budget section is organized in two sections:
REVENUES
Category
o All revenue sources that will fund your proposed program (e.g., grants, program fees, in-kind donations).
Total RFCY Funding Request
o The total amount of RFCY funding requested in the application. Total Project/Program Budget
o The total budget that supports the entire program or project pr oposed for funding.
Revenue Status
o The status of revenue sources sought by the applicant (e.g., pending and/or approved) including the current organization’s RFCY request.
EXPENDITURES
Funding Category
o The expenditure allocations for which requested funds are being requested (e.g., salaries and position, benefits, program supplies, insurance, transportation, etc.). RFCY Funds Requested
o The portion of the total program cost for which you are requesting RFCY funds. Program Budget
o The total cost of funding a line item to operate the proposed program. Budget Narrative
o Provide a narrative justification for each line item in the budget and describe what the specific item is and how the amount shown in the budget was calculated.
Reminder: Proposals must demonstrate, and if awarded a grant will be held accountable for, raising and documenting funding that equals at least 15% of the RFCY grant award as a program match.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 42 DIRECT COSTS
PERSONNEL
Please list all direct service staff including line staff, supervisory staff that supervises line staff, and support/clerical staff that work directly on the proposed program. Create a separate line item for EACH individual staff working directly on the program including Lead Agency Positions.
FRINGE AND BENEFITS
This line item represents benefits (health, dental, retirement, etc.) as well as mandatory employment costs such as FICA, Social Security, SDI, and unemployment taxes. Enter in a numerical total for all fringe benefit costs paid by RFCY and by your match. The total fringe amount is only for those personnel receiving benefits from your agency. In the Budget Narrative provide a clear response of how your agency is calculating the Fringe and Benefits.
OTHER DIRECT COSTS
All other direct costs included in the program budget must directly benefit and support the operation of the proposed program. Examples include but are not limited to:
Equipment/Furniture: Durable goods such as computers and furniture.
Facility Rental: Pro-rated costs of space rental, utilities, building maintenance and other occupancy costs.
Food: Meals, snacks and food for regular programming and special events.
General Office Supplies: Paper, pens, toner, and other reasonable office supply expenses.
Participant Incentives: Monies or other non-cash incentives, such as gift certificates, provided to a program participant as a reward for completing a program or achieving a programmatic milestone. Detail how many participants are projected to receive incentives, amount of incentive, and the reason for receiving the incentive.
Professional Development: Please justify how you intend to use this amount in the narrative text box to support the professional development and training of your direct service staff.
Program Supplies: Art supplies, workbooks, sports equipment, and other reasonable program supply expenses that are required for the proposed program.
Travel/Transportation: This item includes expenses for field trips and access to programs. The basis for the calculation as well as the purpose for all travel should be provided. Travel expenses for staff are allowed when directly benefiting children and youth. Funds cannot be used for travel to trainings or professional development conferences. Local travel estimates should be based on your organization’s current policies, for example, 55.5 cents per mile or for AC Transit or BART. Any non-local travel needs to be carefully itemized and justified.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 43 YOUTH WAGES AND STIPENDS
Youth Wages and Fringe Benefits
This line item is for programs that offer youth an hourly wage for internships or employment experiences. Please enter a separate line item for each unique hourly wage. Do NOT enter a range for wages. Provide a description of what the employment is and how the cost was calculated.
Enter the total amount of fringe benefits associated with employing youth including any benefits youth may receive and mandatory employment costs such as FICA, SDI, and UI.
Youth Stipends
Stipends are used to support youth participants enrolled in your program in limited duration work experiences and internships (not as employees of your organization). Please enter a separate line item for each unique stipend profile and stipend amount. Do NOT enter a stipend range. Provide a description of what the stipend is and how the cost was calculated.
NOTE: Do NOT include incentives for program participation in this line item. These should be included in the line item Participant Incentives under Other Direct Costs.
ADMINISTRATIVE/INDIRECT COSTS
Eligible administrative/indirect costs by applicant designation are:
Single Agency: Up to a total of 20% of total grant request may be requested. Collaborative Applicants: Up to a total of 20% of total grant request may be requested. Small & Emerging: Up to a total of 20% of total grant request may be requested.
Administrative/indirect costs cannot exceed the limits stated above.
Examples of allowable expenses in the administrative/indirect line item include but are not limited to: audit, bookkeeping, payroll/finance, facilities maintenance, fiscal sponsor costs, insurance, rent, storage, utilities, and allocated personnel costs (Executive Director’s time or any other staff who works minimally on the funded program).
Some of the items listed under Direct Costs might also be appli cable to Indirect Costs if those costs do not DIRECTLY benefit the proposed program.
Example: Indirect Costs are calculated as a percentage of the total RFCY Funds requested. A Single Agency applicant can request up to 20% of the total grant as Indirect Costs. If the agency applies for a grant requesting $100,000 from RFCY, the maximum indirect costs that can be requested is $20,000.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 44 Step 4: Required Documents
In the Required Documents section you will upload the following attachments:
Copy of IRS Letter Certifying Tax Exempt Status.
Applicants must upload an IRS statement certifying their organization’s nonprofit status under section 501(c)(3). To obtain this letter, call IRS at 1-877-829-5500 (Note: in some cases, it can take over two weeks to obtain this form). For Public Agencies, submit a blank document as an attachment.
Financial Statements
Provide a copy of your agency’s most recent (current) audited financials or Internal Revenue Service Form 990 or 990N or Income Statements (no later than 2018).
Reviewed or compiled annual financial statements are allowable for faith-based organizations
Organizational Budget
Provide the lead agency’s current year organizational budget for the current fiscal (FY 2021-2022) or calendar year. The organizational budget must clearly list sources of income/revenue, and detail personnel, direct, and indirect expenses. If applying with a fiscal sponsor, the organizational budgets of the lead agency and fiscal sponsor are required.
List of Board of Directors
Upload the current active board roster indicating officers and affiliations. If applying with a fiscal sponsor, the lead agency’s list of Board of the Directors indicating officers and affiliations is required.
If applying as part of a collaborative, the Board of Directors indicating officers and affiliations is required for all collaborative organizations.
Fiscal Sponsorship Letter of Agreement (LOA)
If applying with a fiscal sponsor, provide a letter of agreement between the fiscal sponsor and the sponsored organization. Among other responsibilities, the LOA must state that the Fiscal Sponsor or grantee is aware of their responsibility both fiscally and programmatically for all grant requirements if funds are awarded. The Fiscal Sponsor will be the applicant and will be the responsible party for the contract if the application is successful.
Collaborative Applicant Letter of Agreement (LOA)
For Collaborative Applicants:
o LOAs authorizing the collaborative relationship must be provided by all collaborative organizations and accompany your grant application. For Small & Emerging Applicants or Single Agency Applicants:
o If the successful implementation of your proposed RFCY grant-funded program is dependent on the collaboration with a governmental entity (i.e., state, county, city, school district, etc.) then a communication (e.g., email, letter) indicating the nature of that collaboration should be included in the application.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 45 Each LOA document can be uploaded in any format (e.g., word, pdf, excel, etc.). See Appendix E for a sample LOA.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 46 Step 5: Proposal Submission & Acknowledgement
The final step to complete your online proposal is to click “Submit”. Please review the elements of your application including all uploads. RDCY recommends that you wait until the entire application is complete before submitting the form. Once you submit, you will not be able to edit any of your work.
After all the forms are uploaded, review and confirm your agreement of the information in the Proposal Submission & Acknowledgement for the final confirmation of submission for your proposal. The form requires the applicant to verify the following:
(1) You are an Officer on the Board of Directors of the organization or have been authorized to submit the grant application,
(2) You have thoroughly read and understand the grant program guidelines and application questions and City of Richmond requirements (business license, insurance, and grant agreement),
(3) All questions contained in the application have been answered and the required documents are included as part of our application,
(4) Your organization will obtain comprehensive background checks and/or fingerprinting of all employees and/or volunteers that work directly with youth or such other vulnerable populations, and
(5) To the best of your knowledge, the information included as part of this application is true and accurate.
Following your agreement and completion of the Electronic Signature Agreement, click “Submit” to submit your application to RDCY. CivicPlus will generate and e-mail a Receipt of Submission to verify proof of submission. Save the e-mail of your receipt as a confirmation of your submission. Please note that all future communication regarding the submitted grant application will be sent to the Project Manager listed on the application.
ONLINE PROPOSAL DUE: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023, BY 2:00 P.M. (PST) You must have completed and submitted all forms and uploads by 2:00 p.m., on Monday, February 13, 2023. All proposals submitted after 2:00 p.m. on M onday, February 13, 2023, will be deemed ineligible. This will be strictly enforced. RDCY strongly encourages organizations NOT TO WAIT until the last minute to submit your proposal to avoid any unforeseen technical issues.
All proposals must be submitted online through the RFCY CivicPlus system. Proposals that are mailed, e-mailed, or faxed will not be accepted.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 47 CITY OF RICHMOND/ RICHMOND DEPARTMENT FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH RIGHTS
AND RESERVATIONS
By submitting a proposal, an applicant authorizes RDCY to verify any information the proposal contains. At any time before a contract is issued, RDCY may conduct site visits, interviews, and/or undertake other means to verify applicants’ provision of services before making a final determination of grant awards. RDCY has the right to disqualify applicants whose proposals present false, inaccurate, or incorrect information or are incomplete in any fashion.
Once a final award is made, all RFP responses, except financial and proprietary information, become a matter of public record and shall be regarded by the City as public records. To withhold financial and proprietary information, please label each page as "confidential" or "proprietary". Although a document may be labeled "confidential" or "proprietary", information is still subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act and is, at the City's discretion, based on the potential impact of the public’s interests whether or not to disclose "confidential" or "proprietary" information. The City shall not in any way be liable or responsible for the disclosure of any such records or portions thereof if the disclosure is made pursuant to a request under the Public Records Act.
If an inadequate number of proposals is received or the proposals received are deemed nonresponsive, not qualified, or not cost effective, the City may at its sole discretion reissue the RFP.
ADDITIONAL PREFERENCE POINTS
Applicants will receive preference points from the City of Rich mond for being an organization that is a Richmond business. (see Richmond Business Opportunity Ordinance, Richmond Municipal Code 2.50).
Richmond Business Opportunity Ordinance is incorporated into the Richmond Municipal Code (RMC) linked here: RMC Section 2.50. Be sure to review Section 2.50.040 for Definitions of the “Richmond business”, “Richmond nonprofit business”, and all other applicable sections, terms, and/or stipulations set forth within the RMC Section 2.50.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 48 V. Funding Recommendations and Contract Negotiation
Rejection of Proposal Elements
The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, whether or not minimum qualifications are met, and to modify, postpone, or cancel the RFP without liability, obligation, or commitment to any party, firm, or organization. In addition, the City reserves the right to request and obtain additional information from any candidate submitting a proposal. A proposal may be rejected for any of the following reasons:
Proposal received after designated time and date
Proposal not containing the required elements, exhibits, nor organized in the required format
Proposal considered not fully responsive to this RFP
Proposal not in compliance with the City of Richmond with contracting procurement policies, city ordinances, and legal requirements
Proposal Review Process
The City's overall objective is to award grants to highly qualified organizations that provide needed services to young people in Richmond and North Richmond. Within this overall objective, it is also the City’s intent that the selection process is fair and transparent.
All proposals will be evaluated and scored by a RFCY Review Committee (Committee).
Committee members may consist of but are not limited to RFCY Oversight Board members, employees from internal and external organizations, and community members.
The selection process is divided into the following steps:
1. All applications that are received by the submission deadline are reviewed in depth by RFCY staff for responsiveness, completeness, and satisfaction of eligibility requirements.
Based on this review, eligible proposals will proceed to the application evaluation process.
2. All complete and eligible applications are forwarded to the Committee, which will review and score the proposals, based on priority areas, using the criteria listed in the guidelines.
3. Individual Committee members will provide scoring to RFCY staff and the average of reviewer scores will be used to provide a ranking of proposals by priority area.
4. RFCY staff will provide the Committee with the average scores and ranking of proposals within each priority area. Committee members will utilize this information to help make recommendations to the RFCY Oversight Board.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 49 5. The RFCY Oversight Board will review Committee recommendations and will convene to approve funding decisions at their public monthly meeting in Summer of 2023. Award recommendations will align with the strategic objectives as detailed in the 2021-2024 RFCY Strategic Investment Plan.
The RFCY Oversight Board regular meetings are held monthly on the first Monday of the month, and depending on the status of COVID-19, are hosted in Richmond City Hall, located at 440 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804 or video conference platform.
6. The RFCY Oversight Board will then present their funding recommendations to Richmond City Council for approval and adoption.
Any party applying for funding through this RFP shall not contact or lobby any City Council member, RFCY Oversight Board member, Review Panel member, City employee (except those specified for contact) or agent regarding the RFP. Any party attempting to influence or circumvent the RFP, application submittal, and/or review process may have their application rejected for violating this provision of the RFP.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 50 The City has allocated up to eight weeks for review of the proposals. The following specific criteria and the points for each criterion, for a total of 100 points, will be used in evaluating and rating the proposals:
1) AGENCY HISTORY AND CAPACITY................................. ...............................20 POINTS Past, recently completed, or on-going projects to substantiate experience. Demonstration of ability and experience in working with diverse communities and youth. Agency has achieved success and accomplishments demonstrate capacity for effective delivery of proposed services.
Professional background and qualifications of team members prop osed to deliver direct services and manage the program are included and relevant and show that members are qualified.
Racial, ethnic, cultural, linguistic characteristics and or lived experience of staff reflect communities proposed to be served.
2) PROGRAM DESIGN............................................ ................................................35 POINTS A clear and specific outline of the proposed services, including frequency of programming, average number of clients to be served daily and over the course of the year, location of services, and extent of proposed services to be delivered. Outreach and engagement strategies that are effective and culturally relevant. Clearly demonstrated how youth voice, perspective, and input is included in the program development, design, outreach, and/or implementation.
Responses show an awareness of the community and target population. Special resources and capacities the team offers that are relevant to the successful completion of the project, including collaborations and subgrantees. The organization has a plan on how the program or project will be sustained and thrive in a COVID-19-impacted environment.
3) OUTCOMES AND IMPACT….............................................................................. 25 POINTS Applicant describes how program will contribute to equity among children, youth and their families in Richmond and North Richmond.
Applicant clearly describes the intended participants that the program is designed to address and their needs, providing accurate, current, and specific data where possible to demonstrate need.
Applicant identifies outcomes that have been achieved through the proposed services before and is able to link projected outcomes to intended impacts identified in the priority areas/funding strategies.
Applicant demonstrate the ability to reasonably account for/track outcomes.
Evaluation of Proposals
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 51 4) REQUIRED RESOURCES AND BUDGET REQUEST....................... .................20 POINTS Program provides a clear budget that describes staffing and associated direct costs required for successful program implementation.
Expenses are reasonable and commensurate with the scale of services proposed. Additional resources are identified to support the program, with reasonable plan for securing matching funds.
Total program budget of RFCY funding and additional matching funding is realistic and reasonable for proposed level of services.
The ratio between the organization’s total grant requests and their organization’s overall current year budget is appropriate based on program design and other factors.
The Board will base funding recommendations upon the ranking of proposals according to the p o i n t s y s t e m d e s c r i b e d a b o v e f o r t h e P r o p o s a l N a r r a t i v e s e c t i o n of the proposal, along with additional considerations and cr iteria, including but not limit ed to service location, service to priority populations, strategic alignment, past program perform ance and agency capacity, and reasonableness of budget and scope of services.
Contract Negotiations
During contract negotiation, RFCY staff will work with organizations to develop and/or update scopes of work, program outcomes, timelines, demographics and activity reports, and budgets.
Staff will ensure that contracts meet the goals, objectives and policies of RFCY and the Oversight Board.
With prior notification, during or before a grant agreement is issued, City of Richmond staff may conduct site visits, interviews, and/or undertake other means to better understand applicants’ provision of services.
Should the City and the applicant not be able to reach an agreement as to the contract terms within a reasonable timeframe, the City may terminate the negotiations and begin negotiations with the next most qualified applicant within the priority area, as identified and selected by the Oversight Board and approved by City Council, and proceed down the list of qualified applicants as necessary until an agreement is reached or the list is exhausted.
Once awarded, all grantees must use the CivicPlus online reporting system to report scope of work activities, demographics, budget, program activities, enrollment, attendance, and invoices.
Grantees are also required to submit quarterly progress reports in a timely manner.
All grantees must participate fully in the RFCY independent evaluation process so that meaningful data may be gathered to report to all parties interested in RFCY. Participation may include attending trainings and workshops, collection of participant survey data, gathering adequate data on effort and results at the evaluator’s request, and hosting site visits.
Organizations are also required to attend RFCY grantee convenings and other RFCY informational, technical assistance, training and service coordination meetings.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 52 Contract Award
1) Upon successful completion of the negotiations, staff will transmit the agreement to the City Manager/City Council (as applicable) for review and approval. 2) The contract amount (including reimbursements) shall be a not to exceed amount, to be established based upon a mutually agreeable Scope of Services and fee schedule. 3) After contract execution, an initial advance payment of twenty-five percent (25%) of the total award amount MAY be advanced to all grantees as part of the application award process. Grantees receiving an advance payment may be eligible for an additional advance of twenty-five percent (25%) of the award amount, contingent upon the submission of complete and adequate reporting and invoicing documentation. A final advance of twenty-five percent (25%) of the award amount may be made contingent upon submission of the complete and adequate reporting and invoicing documentation.
Payments will only be made for the eligible items and amounts specified in the approved grant agreement budget and a manner consistent with the payment provisions contained in the executed grant agreement.
4) The City will withhold the final twenty-five percent (25%) of the contract amount pending successful completion of work and final submittal of all required documentation.
5) The selected grantee will be required to enter into a grant services agreement that contains similar terms and conditions as in the City’s standard agreement. Please note that the City Attorney’s Office is typically not inclined to make any modifications to the standard agreement terms and provisions.
6) The selected grantee and their members will be required to maintain auditable records, documents, and papers for inspection by authorized local, state and federal representatives. Therefore, the grantee and their members may be required to undergo an evaluation to demonstrate that the grantee uses recognized accounting and financial procedures.
7) Reports will be required and must provide detailed information about the services provided. Grantees that do not submit the required reports run the risk of forfeiting their funding. A final report at the conclusion of the project or program is also required. 8) Invoicing or Funding Requests for reimbursement must include the necessary documents to substantiate the disbursement (e.g., receipts, time cards, payroll records, etc.).
Grantees that do not adhere to the invoicing requirements run the risk of forfeiting their funding.
9) Published program materials shall include the City seal or logo and shall state, “Made possible in part by the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth.” The material must be appropriate, relevant, and aligned with the approved project an d should be reviewed and approved by City staff before release.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 53 CONTRACT AND COMPLIANCE
Please review Appendix F: Compliance with City Council Policies and Applicable Laws for details on the City policies that are required of funded agencies.
1. Grantees must provide the services projected in the proposal and Scope of Work, subject to contract negotiations. Failure to provide these services may result in reduced payments or suspension of payment.
2. Grantees must provide evidence of in-kind and cash matches at the end of the third quarter, (e.g., through letters, copies of checks, grants, or records of volunteer or donated services.)
3. After a contract is awarded, RDCY and the City reserve the right to amend it as needed throughout the term of the grant agreement to best meet the needs of all parties.
4. RDCY staff and/or other appropriate City staff or affiliates shall have the right to audit the grant agreement and all books, documents and records relating thereto.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 54 Appendix A: Proposal Template
SECTION 1 – AGENCY AND PROPOSAL INFORMATION
Including the responses in Section 1 and Section 2, this Proposal Narrative form shall be limited to ten (10) pages.
Community-Based Organization Information (Applicant Information):
Name of Organization or Lead Agency/Organization:
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Organization Address:
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Executive Director Name:
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Project Manager Name (primary contact for the grant):
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Project Manager Phone Number:
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Project Manager Email Address:
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Program Summary:
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Fiscal Sponsor Information (Organization with 501(c)(3) tax status):
Name of Organization:
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Executive Director Name:
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Organization Address:
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Project Manager Name (primary contact for the grant):
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Project Manager Phone Number:
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Project Manager Email Address:
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Program/Project Budget:
Program/Project Budget:
$ Click here to enter text.
Amount of Grant Funds Requested:
$ Click here to enter text.
Annual Organizational Budget:
$ Click here to enter text.
Fiscal-Sponsor Budget (if applicable):
$ Click here to enter text.
Type of Applicant:
Choose whether the organization is applying as a Small and Emerging, Single Agency, or Collaborative Applicant and enter than information in the field below.
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Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 55 For Collaborative Applicants and organizations listed in Article 15, Section 5b, list the information below for all collaborating orga nizations for the proposed program.
Agency Name Contact Name Major Responsibilities
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RFCY Priority Area:
Choose one (1) appropriate strategy under which the proposal is being submitted for funding consideration and enter that information below:
Priority Area 1: Behavioral Health: Mental Health & Wellness Priority Area 2: Education Support and Employment/Training Support Priority Area 3: Out-of-School Time, After-School, Sports, and Enrichment Priority Area 4: Youth violence Prevention
Priority Area 5: Access to Basic Needs
Priority Area 6: Information, Guidance and Case Management
SECTION 2 –PROPOSAL NARRATIVE
Including the responses in Section 1 (above) and Section 2, this Proposal Narrative shall be limited to ten (10) pages.
PROGRAM SUMMARY (NOT SCORED)
Provide a clear and concise summary of your program. The summary should describe the program in terms of who will be served, numbers to be served, types of services, location and frequency of services, and the purpose of your program and outcomes to be achieved. This Program Summary will be used to describe the proposed program throughout the review process. There is a 100 word limit to this response.
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AGENCY HISTORY AND CAPACITY (20 POINTS)
1) Briefly describe your agency.
2) Describe your agency's experience providing the services proposed in your application.
Include information on years of service in the community being served, experience working with diverse communities and youth, and any collaboration with other organizations or systems of care.
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3) Describe the staffing plan for your proposed program. Identify the person who will have primary responsibility for managing the program and discuss their experience managing
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 56 similar projects and in similar communities. Provide information on how many people will be directly working on the project and their qualifications to work effectively with your target population. Resumes or other relevant work history documents that can substantiate experience can be uploaded online via the grant application and will not count toward the page limit.
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Staff Name Roles and Responsibilities
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PROGRAM DESIGN (35 POINTS)
4) Identify the population that will be served in your program. How do you plan to recruit, engage, and retain children, youth, and/or caregivers in your services to reach your program’s goals?
a. In addition to responding to the prompt(s), also complete the Demographics Table found on www.ci.richmond.ca.us/RFCYGrants.
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5) Describe the program and proposed services. Provide information on the program design, type of services, average length of participation, location of services (include the defined boundaries for each targeted neighborhood/geographical area), and how services will be delivered.
a. In addition to responding to the prompt(s), also complete the Activity and Operations Table found on www.ci.richmond.ca.us/RFCYGrants.
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6) What role will youth have in program design, implementation and/or evaluation, if any? For example, how will they inform, consult, or collaborate with staff? Click here to enter text.
7) Who are the other organizations that will support the program? Identify the roles, responsibilities and functions of each organization. For Section 5b organizations only:
How does your proposal demonstrate collaboration as required per the definition listed on page 10 of the RFP?
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 57 Click here to enter text.
Collaborating
Organization
Roles and Responsibilities
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8) Please discuss how your proposed program that you are requesting funding for through this RFP has been impacted by COVID-19. What have been the implications for the services you provide? How has or will your organization address those issues so that the program can continue to be offered?
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OUTCOMES AND IMPACT (25 POINTS)
9) What are the needs that your program is designed to address (provide data)? How will your program’s target population directly benefit from the proposed services? Click here to enter text.
10) Describe how your program will measure its performance impact and achievement of outcomes. What are the short-term outcomes, and what do you anticipate as the long-term impacts? What are the performance targets that will be met? How will you know that your program is successful?
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11) List your program’s annual outcomes and performances for the past one to three years.
Explain any fluctuations in outcome and performance year-to-year.
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REQUIRED RESOURCES AND BUDGET REQUEST (20 POINTS)
12) What are the total proposed annual program expenses for the 2022-2023 fiscal year? What were the total program expenses in the most recently completed calendar or fiscal year? What is changing?
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13) Describe the proposed program expenses and explain how funds requested are reasonable to support the proposed numbers of participants to be served, hours of service to be provided, and overall program design.
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14) Provide information on the other sources of revenue supporting the program. Include the name of the funding entity, amount of funds, duration of funds, and whether the funds have Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 58 been received, are committed, are pending, or will be planned to be requested. State whether your program will collect fees for participation or if it will be free of charge to all participants. If collecting fees, describe your fee structure, estimated annual revenue, and estimated percent of students participating for free compared to students paying a fee.
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15) In addition to responding to all the prompts(s), also complete the Budget Table as referenced in Step 3 and found on www.ci.richmond.ca.us/RFCYGrants.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 59 Appendix B: Demographic Projections Table(s)
Please estimate the total number of unique clients your program projects to enroll and serve during the period July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, if funded by RFCY. Do not include in your projections participants that only receive ancillary services such as sitting through a one-time workshop. Do not include projected number of participants reached in outreach efforts. Space is included in the fillable template to provide a narrative response.
NOTE: If awarded RFCY funding, organizations will provide First Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, Gender Identity, Race/Ethnicity, and residential Zip Code for all participants (unless otherwise legally prohibited). Enrolled clients (and their parent, guardian, or other legally authorized representative if a minor) are required to provide a Release of Information Form giving consent to being entered and their participation tracked and agreeing to participate in an annual evaluation of the funded program by the RFCY and/or its evaluation consultant. Youth participants (birth – 24) must be Richmond or unincorporated North Richmond residents.
OVERALL TOTAL NUMBER OF UNDUPLICATED PARTICIPANTS:
Ages
Race/Ethnicity Birth-5 6-12 13-17 18-24 TOTALS
Asian
Black/African American
Latinx
Native American/Indigenous
White
Pacific Islander
Mixed Race
Prefer not to state
Other
TOTALS
Gender Number of Participants TOTALS
Male
Female
Non-Binary
Other Gender Not Listed
TOTALS
Residential Zip Codes Number of Participants TOTALS
94801
94803
94804
94805
94806
TOTALS
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 60 Appendix C: Activity and Operations Projection Table(s) Provide an overview of the total expected activities to be supported during the first year of funding support. Provide an estimate on the overall activities in this section that correspond to the detailed activities you will provide throughout the year. Do not provide a detailed list of each and every expected activity that would constitute a completed Scope of Work. If selected for funding, applicants will be required to translate their Activity Projections into a detailed Scope of Work and set of specific activities prior to entering into contract with the City of Richmond.
ACTIVITY PROJECTIONS TABLE
The activity types that are available are dependent upon the RFCY priority area selected. There are four activity types that are available:
Individual Activities
Group Activities
Consultation Hours
Internships and Employment
Select the appropriate type of activity based on your services. For each activity category, you will be able to enter one or more activities.
For Individual and Group Activities, you will be required to provide the following information:
Activity Name
Activity Category
o Select the most appropriate activity category from the drop-down list # of Sessions by Quarter
o Enter the number of sessions that this activity is projected to occur by quarter o The quarters follow the City of Richmond’s fiscal year July 1st – June 30th Average # of Participants per Session
o Project the number of youth expected to be present per session on average Average Length of Session (hours)
o Project the average length of each activity session. Make sure to project out in hours, not minutes. For example, a 30-minute session should be entered as 0.5 Service Description
o Provide a short summary of the activity to provide information on the type of activity proposed
Example: A program proposes to provide summer camp for four weeks for 100 students. Each day the program provides youth with three hours of arts and enrichment, and three hours of academic programming. Select “Group Activities” and complete one activity to capture the arts and enrichment programming, and a second activity to capture the academic programming.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 61 PROGRAM ACTIVITIES CATEGORY
Select the most appropriate category for each of your Individual and Group activities. Examples include:
Academics – includes literacy, math, STEM and STEAM programming Arts, Dance, Music and Culture
College and Career Readiness
Community Building
Early Learning
Family Engagement and Parent Education
Field Trips
Health Education and Wellness – includes gardening, cooking and nutrition Internships and Employment
Leadership and Civic Engagement – includes community service Sports and Recreation
Supportive Services – includes mental health services, case management, mentoring, resource referrals, legal services, housing support, restorative justice Other
PROGRAM OPERATIONS TABLE
Provide information on the months that the program will be active, projected number of weeks the program will be active over the course of one year, and the projected days and hours of operation.
LOCATIONS OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
Provide information on the service site location. If your program is operating at multiple locations, provide information for each program site location. Do not include service site locations where only brief activities will take place, such as field trips or showcase event locations.
For each Service Location, provide the following information:
Location Name: Provide a clear name for the site (do not use acronyms). Address: Including Street Address, City, and Zip Code. o Note: RFCY uses this information to inform the Oversight Board and Richmond City Council of potential program locations and it is helpful during the review process to determine geographic diversity of programs. Please be sure to include accurate information in this section to be able to map potential service locations. Location Type: Select from the drop-down list the most appropriate category for the proposed service site location.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 62 ACTIVITY PROJECTIONS TABLE:
Name of
Program
Activities
Category
No.
Sessions
per
Quarter
Avg. No.
Participants
Avg.
Length
per
Session
(hours)
Activity
Description
Select Category
hours
Select Category
hours
Select Category
hours
Select Category
hours
Select Category
hours
Select Category
hours
Select Category
hours
Select Category
hours
Select Category
hours
Select Category
hours
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 63 PROGRAM OPERATIONS TABLE:
Number of Weeks
Operating
Days of Week
Operating
Grant Program Hours of
Operation
June 0
July 0
August 0
September 0
October 0
November 0
December 0
January 0
February 0
March 0
April 0
May 0
TOTAL Weeks Days Hours
Location(s) of Program Activities:
Location Name Address Location Type
Choose an item.
Choose an item.
Choose an item.
Choose an item.
Choose an item.
Choose an item.
Choose an item.
Choose an item.
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 64 Appendix D: Budget Template
a. Total organization budget (based on prior year’s 990, audite d/reviewed financials, or income statement):$
b. Complete the budget template below for your proposed program . If needed, add rows and provide as much detail as possible in the revenue and expenditure sections. Revenue section: List all of the revenue sources that will fun d your proposed program (e.g., grants, program fees, in-kind donations) and state wheth er those sources are pending and/or approved. Include, the Total Project Budget as w ell as your organization’s RFCY request.
Expenditures: List, with as much detail as possible, the expen diture categories (e.g. salaries, benefits, program supplies)
The revenue total and the expenditure total in the “RFCY Reque st” column should match. The same is true for the “Project Budget” column.
For example, if your organization is requesting a total of $50,000 from the RFCY grant program, that amount should be listed in the “Revenue” section of the budget table. You would then need to complete the “Expenditure” section of the budget table, making sure that the total amount of the expenditures is also equal to $50,000 (the total amount of the revenue requested).
Use the “Budget Narrative” section to justify and explain the expenditures outlined in your program budget table.
Program Budget Table
REVENUE
Category
(List Funding Sources)
RFCY Request Total Project
Budget
Revenue Status
(Approved/Pending)
Revenue Total $ $
EXPENDITURES
Funding Category RFCY Request Total Project
Budget
Budget Narrative
(if applicable)
Expenditure Total $ $
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 65 Appendix E: Letter of Agreement (LOA) Sample
This template is provided as a general guideline. If your organization has its own template, feel free to use it as long as it contains the key features of the LOA template. The LOA must include:
Description of the nature, history and extent of the collaborat ion including past successes and accomplishments of the collaboration.
Responsibilities of each party detailing administrative and operational duties including staffing, service delivery specifics, facility space, data management, evaluation, etc. Any funds being exchanged.
Signature of director level person or someone who has the organ izational authority to enter their respective organizations into an agreement.
Letter of Agreement (LOA) for Richmond Fund for Children and Youth This Letter of Agreement establishes the intention of [ORGANIZATION 1] and [ORGANIZATION 2] to work together if RFCY funds are awarded for [Program Name]. [Give a brief description of program and any past collaboration history and successes]. [ORGANIZATION 1] will fulfill the following responsibilities:
List out responsibilities detailing administrative and operational duties including staffing, facility space, targeted numbers of priority populations to be served, type of services, frequency of services, average length of participation, location of services, and how services will be delivered.
Provide information on data management and evaluation practices. [ORGANIZATION 2] will fulfill the following responsibilities:
List out responsibilities detailing administrative and operational duties including staffing, facility space, targeted numbers of priority populations to be served, type of services, frequency of services, average length of participation, location of services, and how services will be delivered.
Provide information on data management and evaluation practices.
JOINT RESPONSIBILITIES
List out any joint responsibilities including regular meetings to align, coordinate and review services and collaboration.
COMPENSATION AND TERM
Detail any funds being exchanged. Specify the length of time for the agreement.
NOTE: It is RFCY’s expectation that all collaborating organizat ions written into the proposal and b u d g e t w i l l r e m a i n i n t h e c o l l a b o r a t i o n f o r t h e d u r a t i o n o f t h e 2021-2024 grant cycle period because your grant was reviewed and awarded based on these coll aborations. If there needs to be any potential changes in the scope of work and budget, these need to be brought to RFCY’s attention for approval of modification in the scope of work prior to implementation.
[ORGANIZATION 1] Date
[ORGANIZATION 2] Date
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth – RFP for Direct Services for FYs 2021-2024 66 Appendix F: Compliance with City Council Policies and Applicable Laws
1. The successful applicants selected shall obtain or provide proof of having a current City of Richmond Business Tax Certificate.
2. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids.
3. Federal, State and Local Laws: The selected applicants will be required to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, including the City of Richmond’s Nondiscrimination Ordinance (Chapter 2.28), Business Opportunity Ordinance (Chapter
2.50), Local Employment Program Ordinance (Chapter 2.56), and Living Wage Ordinance (Chapter 2.60), if applicable. Please contact the City or RDCY staff for further information regarding the above requirements.
4. The successful applicants must complete and submit a W-9 and Supplemental Vendor forms.
5. The successful applicants must meet the applicable City of Richmond insurance requirements.