PLEASE NOTE: HYBRID MEETING FORMAT
AMENDED AGENDA
- REGULAR MEETING OF THE RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
Tuesday, October 1, 2024, 5:00 p.m.
Community Services Building
440 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond, CA 94804
Members:
Eduardo Martinez, Mayor at Large
Melvin Willis, Councilmember District 1
Cesar Zepeda, Councilmember District 2
Doria Robinson, Councilmember District 3
Soheila Bana, Councilmember District 4
Gayle McLaughlin, Councilmember District 5
Claudia Jimenez, Vice Mayor, District 6
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Any member of the City Council who would like to remove an item from the consent calendar must notify the appropriate staff person and the City Clerk’s Office prior to the meeting. Although members of the City Council are encouraged to ask questions and share concerns with staff ahead of the meeting, they are not required to do so.
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Requests made by mail to City Clerk’s Office, City Council meeting, 450 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804 must be received at least two days before the meeting. Requests will be granted whenever possible and resolved in favor of accessibility.
Unless otherwise noted in an agenda description, all actions taken by the Council include a determination that CEQA does not apply (i.e., the action is not a project and therefore exempt from CEQA).
Disclaimer: The City Clerk's Office translates agendas to enhance public access. Translated agendas are provided as a courtesy and do not constitute legal notice of the meeting or items to be discussed. In case of discrepancy, the English agenda will prevail.
Pages
4 A. OPEN SESSION TO HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE CLOSED SESSION 5:00 p.m.
B. ROLL CALL
C. CLOSED SESSION
C.1 CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - EXISTING LITIGATION (paragraph (1) of Subdivision [d] of Government Code Section 54956.9) Thomas Butt v. Eduardo Martinez•
Thomas Butt v. Gayle McLaughlin•
Norma Elias v. City of Richmond•
C.2 CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS (Government Code Section 54957.6)
Agency Representatives: Sharrone Taylor and Jack Hughes• Employee organizations:
1. SEIU Local 1021 Full Time Unit and Part Time Unit
2. IFPTE Local 21 Mid-Level Management Unit and Executive Management Units
3. Richmond Police Officers Association RPOA
4. Richmond Police Management Association RPMA
5. IAFF Local 188
6. Richmond Fire Management Association RFMA
C.3 CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATOR (Government Code Section 54956.8)
Property: 12th and Macdonald
Agency Negotiators: Nannette Beacham
Negotiating parties: SAA-EVI Richmond Partners, LLC
Under negotiation: Price and terms of payment
•
D. PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE CLOSED SESSION (limited to items on the Closed Session agenda only)
E. ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION
________________________________________________________ 5 F. REGULAR MEETING OF THE RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL
6:30 p.m.
G. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
H. ROLL CALL
I. STATEMENT OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST
J. AGENDA REVIEW
K. REPORT FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY OF FINAL DECISIONS MADE DURING
CLOSED SESSION
L. REPORT FROM THE CITY MANAGER (public comment allowed under Open Forum) L.1 NEW EMPLOYEE REPORT - 1st Tuesday
M. OPEN FORUM FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
(public comment on items that remain on the Consent Calendar or items not on the agenda - limited to 2 minutes unless otherwise specified - Back and forth dialogue with the Council is prohibited) - PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS RESPECTFUL!! N. CITY COUNCIL CONSENT CALENDAR
(All items placed under the Consent Calendar are considered to be routine and noncontroversial. These items will be enacted upon together with a motion and second, without discussion, of any member of the City Council, and each item shall be deemed to have received the action recommended.)
N.1 City Attorney's Office
N.1.a New Legal Services Agreement with Liebert Cassidy Whitmore for Employment Litigation
12 APPROVE a new legal services agreement with Liebert, Cassidy, Whitmore, for an amount not to exceed $300,000, for a term beginning September 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026 – City Attorney’s Office (Kimberly Chin 510-620-6709/Beth Arnese 510-620-6848).
N.2 City Manager's Office
N.2.a On-call List for Qualified Consultants for Grant Writing, Grant Seeking, and Other Grant Related Service
38 ADOPT a resolution approving eighteen (18) firms to provide on-call grant writing, grant seeking, or other grant-related services to City departments, on an as-needed basis, for a three-year term expiring September 30, 2027, with two one-year options to extend, and a not to exceed total expenditure of $100,000 per firm annually – City Manager’s Office (Patrick Seals 510-307-8016).
6 N.2.b 2024 Richmond Fund for Children & Youth Community Needs Assessment & Fiscal Year 2025-2028 Strategic Investment Plan 65 RECEIVE the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth 2024 Community Needs Assessment Report and the Fiscal Year 2025- 2028 Strategic Investment Plan – City Manager’s Office (Patrick Seals 510-307-8016/LaShonda White 510-620-6828).
N.2.c 2023 Richmond Community Survey Results 188
RECEIVE a report on the City of Richmond's 2023 Community Survey results – City Manager’s Office (Patrick Seals 510- 307- 8016/LaShonda White 510-620-6828).
N.3 Community Development
N.3.a Repeal of Richmond Municipal Code Chapter 9.64 - Prohibition of Natural Gas Infrastructure in Newly Constructed Buildings 361
ADOPT an ordinance (second reading) repealing Chapter 9.64 to the Richmond Municipal Code (RMC), which bans natural gas
infrastructure in new construction - Community Development Department (Lina Velasco/Avery Stark 510-620-6714).
N.4 Economic Development
N.4.a Additional work to complete the 2024 Pavement Repair at Point Potrero Marine Terminal.
369
APPROVE a construction amendment with W.R. Forde and
Associates in the amount of $120,000 for additional improvements and maintenance at the Point Potrero Marine Terminal for a total amount of $406,750 with a term ending June 30, 2025 - Economic Development Department (Charles Gerard 510-620-6792).
N.4.b Partial Funding of CARB-Approved Emissions Control Solution (CAECS) to Meet CARB At Berth Regulations for Roll-on/Roll-off Ships.
398
ADOPT a resolution to APPROPRIATE $500,000 from the Port fund to the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget to support the funding to deploy a CARB-Approved Emissions Control Solution (CAECS) barge at the Port of Richmond; and AUTHORIZE the Port to complete its evaluation of potential vendors and negotiate an agreement with the selected CAECS provider for an amount not-to-exceed $500,000 – Economic Development Department (Charles Gerard 510-620-6792). 7 N.5 Human Resources
N.5.a Amend the position control list and allocate the necessary funding as required.
415
ADOPT a resolution to amend staffing and position control list and allocate the necessary salary, wages, and benefits as required – Human Resources Department (Nickie Mastay/Sharrone Taylor 510- 620-6602).
N.6 Library and Community Services
N.6.a Contract with Epic Limousine for Youth Outdoors Richmond Transportation
431
APPROVE a contract with Epic Limousine to provide transportation services for the Youth Outdoors Richmond Program in the amount of $29,300 for a term beginning October 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025 – Community Services Department (Tetteh Kisseh 510-620-6919/ Ranjana Maharaj 510-620-6972/Jene Levine-Snipes 510-307-8132).
N.7 Mayor's Office
N.7.a Code Enforcement Officer Appreciation Week – Second Week of October
470
PROCLAMATION declaring the second week of October as Code Enforcement Officer Appreciation Week in the City of Richmond – Mayor’s Office (Mayor Eduardo Martinez 510-620-6503).
N.7.b Appointment of Nathaniel Bates to the Richmond/Zhoushan Friendship Commission
473
APPOINT Nathaniel Bates to the Richmond/Zhoushan Friendship Commission with a term that expires December 31, 2026 - Mayor’s Office (Mayor Eduardo Martinez 510-620-6503).
N.7.c Reappoint Mindy Pines to the Richmond-Shimada Friendship Commission
476
REAPPOINT Mindy Pines to the Richmond-Shimada Friendship Commission with a term that expires on January 18, 2027 – Mayor’s Office (Mayor Eduardo Martinez 510-620-6503).
N.8 Police Department
N.8.a Crime Report from Police Chief 479
RECEIVE a written crime report from the Police Chief - Police Department (Chief Bisa French 510-621-1802).
8 N.8.b Three-year contract with Chaplin & Hill Investigative Services LLC 489 APPROVE a three-year contract with Chaplin & Hill Investigative Services LLC, for third-party administrative investigative services in an amount not to exceed $300,000, for a term beginning October 2, 2024, and expiring on October 1, 2027 – Police Department (Chief Bisa French 510-621-1802).
N.9 Public Works
N.9.a Resolution to amend the contract with Ghilotti Bros., Inc. for the Yellow Brick Road Project
649
ADOPT a resolution to approve a second amendment to a
construction contract with Ghilotti Bros., Inc. for the Yellow Brick Road Project in the amount of $40,000 for the final change order that addresses unforeseen project conditions, for an amended total contract amount not to exceed $7,717,134.37; ACCEPT the Yellow Brick Road Project as complete to enable the City to release the contractor’s bonds and retention payment, transfer funds in the General Capital Fund from the Yellow Brick Road Project (29113) to the Yellow Brick Road – Clean, Green and Beautiful Project (23032) in the amount of $23,521.36; and APPROPRIATE $54,439.32 from General Capital Fund Balance for Project 23032 - Public Works Department (Robert Armijo 510-620-5477/Wendy Wellbrock 510-307- 8108).
O. BUDGET SESSION
O.1 Fiscal Year 2023-24 Quarter 4 Financial Report and Administrative Budget Adjustments
737
RECEIVE the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 Quarter 4 report for the period of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024; ADOPT resolutions to APPROPRIATE proposed administrative year-end budget adjustments in FY 2023-24; ADOPT a policy regarding Unspent Funds Appropriations; and APPROPRIATE Unspent Funds in FY 2024-25 – City Manager’s Office/Finance Department (Shasa Curl 510-620-6512/Andrea Miller 510-620-6790/Mubeen Qader 510-412-2077). 9 P. NEW BUSINESS
P.1 Arts Corridor Project Strategic Plan Presentations 794 RECEIVE a presentation from Ceres Policy Research team and Richmond Renaissance team regarding the Arts Corridor Project Strategic Plan; RECEIVE direction regarding the finalization of the criteria used by City Council to select the final vendor; and DIRECT staff to return to City Council on October 15, 2024, with results of the scoring and award of the contract to either the Ceres Policy Research team or the Independent Arts and Media as Fiscal Agent for Richmond Renaissance to develop a Strategic Plan for a sustainable Art Corridor, in an amount not to exceed $50,000 - Economic Development Department (Nannette Beacham/Winifred Day 510-620-6952).
P.2 Receive Performance Improvement Plan for the Measure J funded R-Transit Program and Lower the Cost Pool Rate for R-Transit
882
RECEIVE a presentation regarding the Richmond Paratransit Audit commissioned by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority; APPROVE the City of Richmond’s responses to the Audit and the Performance Improvement Plan; and AUTHORIZE the reduction of the cost pool amount allocated to the Richmond Paratransit Program by $351,000 in Fiscal Year 2024-25 which would increase the General Fund’s obligation by $351,000 – Community Services Department (LaShonda White 510-620-6828). This item was continued from the September 24, 2024, meeting.
P.3 Rename Virginia Playlot to Floria Evans Park 1008
ADOPT a resolution of intention to rename Virginia Playlot to Floria Evans Park and waive cost recovery fees, and SET a Public Hearing for October 15, 2024 – Councilmember Doria Robinson (510-620-6568).
P.4 Presentation of the Richmond Green Blue New Deal Opportunities Report 1020 RECEIVE presentation on the Richmond Green-Blue New Deal Opportunities Report; and RECEIVE the draft Richmond Green-Blue New Deal Implementation Plan - Economic Development Department (Samantha Carr 510-620-5407/Nannette Beacham 510-621-1306/Tamara Walker 510-307- 8006/Lizeht Zepeda 510-620-6653).
P.5 Iranian New Year known as Nowruz 1457
APPROVE the City’s celebration of Chaharshanbeh-Soori in tandem with Nowruz, supporting the cultural event and encouraging local food businesses to participate in showcasing the City’s diverse culinary offerings, and MOVE the March 18, 2025, City Council meeting to March 11, 2025 - Councilmember Soheila Bana (510-620-6743).
Q. REPORTS OF OFFICERS: REFERRALS TO STAFF, AND GENERAL REPORTS (INCLUDING AB 1234 REPORTS)(limited to two minutes per Councilmember)(public comments allowed under Open Forum)
R. ADJOURNMENT
10 ________________________
11 October 1, 2024
City Attorney's Office
DATE: October 1, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Dave Aleshire, City Attorney
Shannon Moore, Chief Assistant City Attorney
Beth Arnese, Senior Assistant City Attorney
Kimberly Chin, Senior Assistant City Attorney
Subject:
New Legal Services Agreement with Liebert Cassidy
Whitmore for Employment Litigation
FINANCIAL IMPACT: This legal services agreement will be for a total amount not to exceed $300,000, with term ending June 30, 2026.
This agreement is charged to the Risk Management
General Liability Fund 50182316-400554.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
N/A
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
A legal services agreement with Liebert, Cassidy,
Whitmore is needed to ensure that the City has
appropriate legal representation and counsel in future and pending employment litigation matters.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: APPROVE a new legal services agreement with Liebert, Cassidy, Whitmore, for an amount not to exceed
$300,000, for a term beginning September 1, 2024, to
June 30, 2026 – City Attorney’s Office (Kimberly Chin
510-620-6709/Beth Arnese 510-620-6848).
AGENDA
REPORT
12 October 1, 2024
DISCUSSION:
The City Attorney’s Office is requesting a legal services agreement with Liebert, Cassidy Whitmore (LCW) to provide legal advice and representation for employment matters. LCW is a law firm with several offices throughout California that exclusively provides legal services to public sector agencies. LCW also has a consortium that offers management training at a reduced cost to the City. The services provided by LCW have been extremely beneficial to the City and performed in a very satisfactory manner, and has entered into various previous and current legal services agreements with the City to handle litigation and employment matters. As such, continuing the working relationship with LCW will provide stability in litigation, negotiations and employment law issues, and it would be detrimental to the City's interests to change law firms at this juncture.
The rates for LCW are:
Partners $435/Hour; Senior Counsel $365/Hour; Associates $260 - $345/Hour; Labor Relations/Human Resources Consultant $280/Hour; Classification & Compensation Consultant $200/Hour; Paralegals $145/Hour; E-Discovery Specialists $145/Hour; Law Clerks $145 - $185/Hour
The City Attorney’s Office is requesting that the City enter into a contract with Liebert, Cassidy, Whitmore, for a total contract amount of $300,000, for a contract term of September 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Legal Services Agreement with Liebert, Cassidy, Whitmore (proposed)
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LEGAL SERVICES AGREEMENT
BY AND BETWEEN
THE CITY OF RICHMOND
AND
LIEBERT CASSIDY WHITMORE
PREAMBLE
This legal services agreement (“Agreement”) is made and entered into on this 1st day of September, 2024 (the “Effective Date”) by and between the City of Richmond, California, a chartered California municipal corporation (“City”), with its principa l place of business located at 4 50 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, California 94804 and LIEBERT CASSIDY WHITMORE comprised of attorneys licensed to practice law in the State of California (“Special Counsel”) with its principal place of business located at 135 Main Street, 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Special Counsel may be referred to herein individually as a “Party” or collectively as the “Parties” or the “Parties to this Agreement.”
RECITALS
The following recitals are as follows:
A. City desires to secure professional services more fully described in this Agreement; and,
B. Special Counsel represents that it has the professional qualifications, expertise , necessary licenses and desire to provide legal services of the quality and type, which meet objectives, and requirements of City.
AGREEMENT PROVISIONS
The Parties agree as follows:
1. RETENTION OF FIRM.
A. City hereby confirms, retains and authorizes S pecial Counsel to represent City and provide legal services as may be requested, from time to time, orally or in writing, by authorized representatives of City on an as -needed basis. By this Agreement, City is retaining Special Counsel and not individual members of the Special Counsel. Special Counsel’s client is the City, as a public entity, and not any of its individual members, groups of individuals or any other entity.
B. The Special Counsel shall report to and receive direction from the City Attorney only and not from any other Department Head or City staff.
C. Special Counsel shall perform such legal services for and on behalf of City under the primary direction of the City Attorney. Special Counsel shall undertake, subject to approval of the City Attorney, additional duties as may be authorized by City from time 14 2
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to time under the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
2. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED.
[See “Scope of Work” in Exhibit A].
3. TERM OF AGREEMENT.
The services of Special Counsel are to commence upon the Effective Date of this Agreement and shall terminate on JUNE 30, 2026, unless the parties extend the Agreement in writing.
The services shall be undertaken and completed in such sequence as to assure their completion as expeditiously as is consistent with professional skill and care.
4. ASSIGNMENT OF DUTIES.
It is contemplated that no other attorney will be assigned from Special Counsel other than NATHAN JACKSON, TONY G. CARVALHO, and CHARLES HELLSTROM. It is agreed by and between the Parties that should it be desirable for any attorney other than NATHAN JACKSON, TONY G. CARVALHO , and CHARLES HELLSTROM to work under this Agreement, such attorney may only be added with the express oral consent of the City Attorney. Should any asso ciate in the Special Counsel be assigned any task under this Agreement that exceeds three (3) billable hours per month, City Attorney should approve the assignment of such associate orally.
5. PUBLIC FUNDING.
Special Counsel and City mutually recognize t hat Special Counsel’s services under this Agreement are being paid for with tax dollars from citizens and taxpayers of the City of Richmond, California, and that, given this fact, a heightened duty of care exists in both Special Counsel and City to ensure that Special Counsel scrupulously adheres to principles of moderation, frugality and cost consciousness in carrying forth the goals of this Agreement.
Special Counsel and each of its attorneys pledge themselves to scrupulously observe a duty of reasonableness and cost effective representation in all aspects of this Agreement.
6. PAYMENT FOR SERVICE.
In consideration for Special Counsel’s performance of legal services on behalf of City under the terms of this Agreement, and upon review and approval of Special Counsel’s bill by the City Attorney, Special Counsel shall be compensated at the preapproved hourly rates and for authorized expenses set forth in the “Scope of Work and Schedule of Fees and Charges” set forth in Exhibit A, attached and incorporated by this reference. Fees for services performed by retained consultants, subcontractors, experts or other personnel may be billed to City only if approved in writing by the City Attorney. Exhibit A may be amended from time to time by letter agreement duly signed and approved by the City Attorney.
7. BILLING INVOICES.
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Special Counsel shall, within thirty (30) days after the end of each month in which services are performed under this Agreement, submit to the City an itemized bill describing in detail the specific services performed as set forth in this Agreement. Special Counsel shall adhere to the Protocols and Guidelines set forth in Exhibit B, attached and incorporated by this reference. The bill shall be electronically submitted to [email protected].
8. PROJECT PLAN AND BUDGET AND RESERVES.
Special Counsel shall provide a project plan and budget for any project or case assigned to Special Counsel under this A greement. Projec t plans and budgets shall conform to the guidelines set forth in Exhibit C (Project Plan and Budget) and Exhibit D (Mandatory Case Reporting Policy), when the case is reportable to the City’s excess insurance carrier, California Joint Powers Risk Management Authority (CJPRMA). If the case is reportable to CJPRMA, Special Counsel shall provide an initial report notifying them of the claim or lawsuit within 30 days of receipt of the assignment and the estimated exposure. The City Attorney and Risk Manager shall be copied on all correspondence sent to CJPRMA.
9. LITIGATION GUIDELINES.
When litigation is included in the scope of work, litigation guidelines as specified in Exhibit E are to be followed.
10. BILLING.
Special Counsel shall scrupulously examine all bills submitted for services rendered under this Agreement to assure that appropriate billing judgment is employed in billing City for service. Special Counsel shall not bill for hours other than those hours expressly devoted to the tasks approved in advance by the City Attorney. Special Counsel agrees it will not bill for time, which is not specifically devoted to the task(s). Special Counsel shall not use legal professionals for secretarial work and under no circumstances shall Special Counsel hav e lawyers billing for making copies, scheduling appointments or taking care of matters or work that would otherwise be work performed by a law clerk, assistant or secretary.
11. STATUS REPORTS.
Special Counsel shall, every thirty (30) days, submit via electronic mail a written update setting forth a summary of activities performed on behalf of City during the preceding month, the current status of each pending matter, results obtained or expected to be obtained, a summary of invoices for the preceding month and other information relating to the services rendered as City may reasonably request. The update should be emailed to the City Attorney with a copy to the Risk Manager and CJPRMA, if applicable. Please keep the status reports brief and spend no more than one (1) hour billing for your time . Please also attach any referenced filings to your status report.
12. TERMINATION.
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Either Party may terminate this Agreement by providing written notice to the other. Any termination hereunder shall become effective immediately upon receipt of written notice of termination; provided, however, that Special Counsel may exercise its right of termination only to the extent and under terms and conditions consistent with the obligations of Special Counsel under the Rul es of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of California; and provided, that in the event of termination, the amount due Special Counsel for services rendered and costs and expenses incurred prior to termination shall remain due and payable.
Special Counsel agrees to turn over to any attorney substituted in its place, the entire file and attorney work product regarding any such matter within seven (7) days of any such termination.
13. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
A. No member of the governing body of the City, and no other officer, employee or agent of the City who exercises any discretion, function or responsibility in connection with the carrying out of any project to which this Agreement pertains, shall have any personal interest, direct or indirect, in this Agreement.
B. Special Counsel agrees to secure the informed written consent of the City Attorney before accepting any representation adverse to the City (actual or apparent) during the term of this Agreement, and to forego the representation if the City Attorney, in his or her sole discretion, objects for any reason. This provision is intended to provide rights to the City above and beyond the rights Special Counsel owes to the City under all applicable rules of professional conduct relating to conflict of interest.
14. ASSIGNMENTS AND SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST.
City and Special Counsel bind themselves, their partners, successors, assigns, executors and administrators to the terms of t his Agreement. Except as otherwise set forth in this Agreement, no interest in this Agreement or any of the work provided for in this Agreement shall be assigned or transferred, either voluntarily or by operation of law, without the prior written approval of the City Attorney.
15. AUDITS, RECORDS, AND DOCUMENTATION.
A. The City and any other federal, State or l ocal governmental agency, and any of their authorized auditors or representatives, including auditors, shall have access to, and the right to audit and reproduce any of Special Counsel's records to the extent the City or such other governmental agency deems necessary to ensure that City is paying only the amounts to which Special Counsel is properly entitled or for other purposes relating to the Agreement. Special Counsel shall assist the City in responding to any requests from the City’s auditors, and Special Counsel shall not bill the City for any time spent responding to any such audit requests.
B. Special Counsel shall maintain complete and accurate records of the services provided to 17 5
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City and expenses incurred on be half of City. Special Counsel shall maintain and preserve all such records for at least three (3) years after termination of the Agreement or until an audit has been completed and accepted in writing by City. Upon written notice by the City, the Special C ounsel shall promptly make all such records available to auditors or other representatives of the City or other governmental agencies.
16. NON-DISCRIMINATION.
A. Special Counsel agrees to observe the provisions of Section 2.28.030 of the Municipal Code of the City of Richmond, obligating every contractor or subcontractor under a contract or subcontract with the City of Richmond for s ervices to refrain from discriminatory employment or subcontracting practices on the basis of the race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious creed, national origin or ancestry of any employee, any applicant for employment or any poten tial subcontractor.
Said Section 2.28.030 is, by this reference, a part of this Agreement.
B. If Special Counsel is found in violation of the nondiscrimination provisions of the State of California Fair Employment Practices Act or similar provisions of federal law or executive order in the performance of this Agreemen t, it will be in default of this Agreement. Thereupon, City will have the power to cancel or suspend this Agreement, in whole or in part.
17. HOLD HARMLESS/INDEMNIFICATION.
Special Counsel agrees to indemnify, hold harmless, release and defend to the maximum extent permitted by law, and covenants not to sue, the City, its C ity Council and each member thereof, and its officers, employees, commission members and representatives, from any and all liability, loss, suits, claims, damages, costs, judgments and expenses (including attorney’s fees and costs of litigation) which in whole or in part result from, or arise out of, any negligent acts, errors or omissions (including, without limitation, professional negligence) of Special Counsel, its employees, representatives, subcontractors, or agents in connection with the performance of this Agreement. This Agreement to indemnify, hold harmless, release and defend includes, but is not limited to, personal injury (including death at any time) and property or other damage (including, but without limitation, contract or tort or patent, c opyright, trade secret or trademark infringement) sustained by any person or persons (including, but not limited to, companies, or corporations, Special Counsel and its employees or agents, and members of the general public).
18. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS.
Special Counsel shall maintain in full force and effect the following insurance policies:
A. Commercial general liability policy (bodily injury and property damage); B. Worker’s compensation/employer’s liability policy;
C. Business automobile liability insurance policy; and, D. Professional liability policy.
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Said policies shall be maintained with respect to employees and vehicles assigned to the performance of work under this Agreement with coverage amounts, endorsements, certificates of insurance and coverage verifications as defined in Exhibit G, attached to this Agreement and incorporated by this reference.
19. CONFIDENTIALITY AND MEDIA STATEMENTS.
The data, information and reports acquired or prepared by Special Counsel in connection with matters upo n which the City has retained Special Counsel shall not be shown or distributed to any other public or private person or entity except as authorized by the City Attorney and in no event prior to having been first disclosed to the City Attorney. All information, documents, records, reports, data or other materials furnished by City to Special Counsel or other such information, documents, records, data or other materials to which the Special Counsel has access during its performance pursuant to this Agreement are deemed confidential and shall remain the property of City. Special Counsel shall not make oral or written disclosure of such documents or materials, other than as necessary for its performance under this Agreement, without the prior written approval of the City Attorney.
Special Counsel shall not provide any written or oral statements to the media without the prior written authorization of the City Attorney.
20. AMENDMENTS.
This Agreement, including any Exhibits attached to it, represents the entire understanding of the Parties as to those matters contained herein. No prior oral or written understanding shall be of any force or effect with respect to those matters covered hereunder. This Agreement may be modified only by a written amendment duly execu ted by the Parties to this Agreement.
21. ENGAGEMENT OF OTHER COUNSEL, SPECIALISTS, OR EXPERTS.
Special Counsel will not engage or otherwise incur an obligation to pay other counsel, specialists, or experts for services in connection with t his Agreement without the prior written approval of the City Attorney.
22. NOTICES.
All notices, pleadings, reports or other communication to the Parties shall be properly sent via electronic mail to [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], and to Special Counsel at its principal place of business listed on page one of this Agreement.
Either Party may change its address for receipt of notices under this Agreement by notice given in the manner provided herein.
23. LAW GOVERNING AGREEMENT.
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This Agreement shall be interpreted under the laws of the State of California. All claims or controversies arising out of or related to performance under this Agreement shall be submitted to and resolved in a forum within Contra Costa County.
24. INVALID PROVISIONS.
If any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, in full or in part, then such provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make the provision legal, valid and enforceable, and the other provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
25. LICENSE REQUIREMENTS.
Special Counsel shall demonstrate that the attorney(s) who provide legal services to City under this Agreement are licensed to practice law in the State of Californ ia and, if not, indicate to the satisfaction of the City Attorney why such license is not required to perform the services required.
26. SANCTUARY CITY CONTRACTING ORDINANCE COMPLIANCE STATEMENT.
Contractor agrees to comply with the provisions of the Richmond Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance (SCCO, Ordinance No. 12-18). Contractor must submit the Sanctuary City Compliance Statement included herein as Exhibit F along with the bid or proposal prior to execution of the contract.
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The Parties acknowledge and accept the terms and conditions of this Agreement as evidenced by the following signatures of their duly authorized representatives. It is the intent of the Parties that this Agreement shall become operative on the Effective Date.
LIEBERT CASSIDY WHITMORE
By:_______________________________
Title:_____________________________
CITY OF RICHMOND
____________________________
Mayor
Name:______________________
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
__________________________
City Attorney
ATTEST:
__________________________
City Clerk
21 Exhibit A
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SCOPE OF WORK AND SCHEDULE OF FEES & CHARGES
Scope of work:
Special Counsel shall Represent the City in connection with threatened and pending employment litigation matters, including appeals, as assigned by the City Attorney.
City of Richmond Contact Attorney: Kimberly Y. Chin, Sr. Assistant City Attorney; Beth Arnese, Sr. Assistant City Attorney
Schedule of Fees & Charges:
PARTNERS $435.00/HOUR
SENIOR COUNSEL $365.00/HOUR
ASSOCIATES $260.00 - $345.00/HOUR
LABOR RELATIONS/ $280.00/HOUR
HUMAN RESOURCES
CONSULTANT
CLASSIFICATION & $200.00/HOUR
COMPENSATION CONSULTANT
PARALEGALS $145.00/HOUR
E-DISCOVERY SPECIALISTS $145.00/HOUR
LAW CLERKS $145.00 - $185.00/HOUR
COMPENSATION
Only those costs and expenses set forth in Section III of Exhibit "B", entitled "Reimbursements" shall be paid to Special Counsel.
Total compensation for legal services and reimbursements shall be charged in accordance with Exhibits "A" and "B" and shall not exceed the sum of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) for attorneys’ fees and reimbursements. 22 Exhibit B
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BILLING PROTOCOLS/GUIDELINES
The City of Richmond (“City”) has adopted the following protocols for billing, budgeting, and planning for projects involving outside counsel. Special Counsel will be required to comply with this protocol. If you have questions concerning it, please contact the City Attorney for clarification. In the event you wish to negotiate changes due to the internal operation of your firm, please raise them in writing as soon as possible. Any changes to this protocol will need prior, written approval from the City Attorney. In the interest of fairness, all Special Counsel is required to comply with this protocol. This protocol is also to be used in conjunction with any new proposal for services.
These protocols and guidelines are instituted to ensure that Special Counsel conveys the information necessary for the City Attorney to manage outside projects and litigation.
Also, because these guidelines are set out in advance, they are designed to minimize any confusion or misunderstanding. Compliance with these guidelines should enhance the attorney-client relationship. If you have any comments or suggestions that could improve this system, please feel free to contact the City Attorney.
I. BILLING FORMAT
Unless otherwise agreed, the following information must be provided in monthly bills:
a. A detailed description of work, in time increments of .1 hour (one tenth of an hour) for and by each and every individual billing services. b. Identification of the lawyer who is in charge of the matter. c. Reasonably detailed disbursement breakdowns with backup documentation of any individual charge exceeding $100.00.
d. Each billing item must be separately stated on a separate line identifying the individual performing the services, the time spent and the exact nature of the service rendered.
e. When charges are made for research time, the specific issue being researched and the need for the research should be identified.
f. Each item billed should be coded to a specific litigation budget line item, if applicable.
g. The City Attorney reserves the right to request various levels of detail and specific formats (such as columnar comparisons with established budgets).
23 Exhibit B
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II. BILLING GUIDELINES
a. All tasks set forth in Special Counsel’s billing documentation shall be specific and detailed. Overly generalized listings of task descriptions such as “review contract” or “prepare for negotiations” are not acceptable. b. Billings under this Agreement shall not be provided in more than six (6) minute increments and shall represent the devotion of a full six minutes before an increment is billed. Under no circumstances shall Special Counsel use “block billing” procedures, wherein a list or series of activities is done each day with only an aggregate amount of time specified. c. Special Counsel shall keep the City advised of the identity and billing rates of those people working on the project account.
d. All time shall be billed within 30 days of the end of the month in which services were performed.
e. Counsel shall advise City whenever it anticipates the amount of services necessary to properly execute the task will exceed the amount of the contract.
When accrued billings are equal to eighty percent (80%) of the Payment Limit, written notice shall be given to the City as soon as possible, via e-mail, to the City Attorney’s Office, of this fact. In order to satisfy this notification requirement, Counsel shall monitor its accrued billings on a weekly basis and immediately notify the City Attorney if the eighty percent (80%) threshold is met. Special Counsel acknowledges the fiscal constraints on City funding and therefore Special Counsel assumes risk of non-payment for services rendered in the event the amount of services rendered exceeds the amount of the contract unless prior written authorization is received. Authorization to exceed the amount set forth in Exhibit A may be given only by City Attorney in writing.
f. Only those attorneys approved by the City may bill on the case. g. The City expects the attorney assigned to the case to handle all significant matters in the litigation. The City Attorney must approve in advance the assignment of other attorneys to the litigation or project. The City may request that the assigned work be instead handled by the primary attorney. h. Special Counsel shall not charge for more than one attorney at any hearing, deposition, or meeting of any kind without advance approval of the City Attorney.
i. No more than two paraprofessionals may bill on a particular case without the prior approval of the City.
24 Exhibit B
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j. The City has retained Special Counsel for its expertise, and therefore expects not to be billed for introductory or background research. City appreciates when Special Counsel has researched an issue previously and uses that research on present cases or projects. Do not charge the City for work Special Counsel has done and billed another client for in the past. k. Within thirty (30) days of the Effective Date of this Agreement, Special Counsel shall provide any manuals or policies describing Special Counsel’s billing practices.
l. The City does not allow “double billing” of any sort. If Special Counsel is working on another client’s matter, do not bill City for that time. This applies to travel time or any other matter.
m. Training time is not billable. Law clerks may be used only with prior approval.
n. City will not pay for new attorneys to “get up to speed” on a file unless it has been preapproved.
o. If a matter arises that requires Special Counsel to open a new file, the City Attorney should be informed immediately.
p. City reserves the right to require additional substantiation of any item of claimed expense.
III. REIMBURSEMENTS
a. The City will reimburse Special Counsel for the following expenses, and for no other expenses:
Actual printing costs;
Copying costs at $.12 / page (for legal documents and file materials, but not library materials);
Actual cost of postage (including express mail delivery charges); Facsimile charges at the rate of $0.25 per page;
Actual cost of long distance telephone calls;
Transcription and reporter's fees; and
Reasonable travel. The City does not pay for meals unless Attorney is required to be away from office for one full day. All meals and/or travel reimbursements will be subject to approval by the City Attorney. Travel expenses are limited to the lesser of actual expenses or expenses that would be authorized for City employee travel pursuant to City policy. b. The City Attorney must approve in advance any single reimbursement item in excess of $250.
25 Exhibit B
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c. Any expense other than those listed in section “a.” must be approved by the City Attorney in writing and in advance in an approved budget. d. No compensation shall be allowed for administrative overhead or premiums added to the direct cost of research support or other services. e. Court filings shall be prepared in a timely manner so that “rush” or “expedited” messenger fees are not incurred.
f. Messenger and other charges in excess of actual costs are not permitted. City does not allow cost, plus a percentage, for actual outside costs g. City does not pay for secretarial time or secretarial overtime. City does not pay attorneys or paralegals for secretarial tasks or tasks that should not be included in Special Counsel’s overhead. For example, faxing, mailing, arranging for messengers and calendaring are not acceptable charges. h. City does not pay for billing or discussions of bills, including discussions initiated by the City or City’s requests for additional information about a bill. i. The practice of minimum billing charges is prohibited. Please charge for actual time spent. For example, a minimum of .2 for phone calls or .4 for letters is unreasonable unless it is an accurate measure of time spent. j. Do not charge for file opening or file closing. These are not true legal services, tasks or adequate descriptions of legal activities. 26 Exhibit C
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PROJECT PLAN AND BUDGET
Project plans and budgets should conform to the following guidelines:
a. The project plan shall include a projection of recommended strategies and actions to be taken in the project and a range of costs for each such strategy or action. b. If the scope of work includes representation of the City in litigation, the project plan shall include the following elements, with explanations:
Anticipated total costs;
The primary issues;
The probability of success; and
A settlement/trial recommendation
The project plan will be modified during the litigation as the need arises. c. The project budget shall include an estimate of the attorneys' hours and fees and disbursements during each phase and/or activity. All anticipated expenses must be listed and costs estimated.
d. In the event of litigation, the project budget shall include, but not be limited to, estimates for:
Pre-commencement (legal and factual research for the complaint or answer); Pleadings;
Preliminary motions;
Initial discovery;
Factual investigation of merits (interviewing clients, employees and third parties);
Review and abstract City's documents;
Expert (non-medical) investigation and reports;
Medical experts and examinations;
Legal research on merits;
More thorough discovery (including the identity of deponents and expected costs of each deposition and preparation);
Settlement negotiations;
Trial preparation; and
Trial.
e. The project budget should include the anticipated cost of each line item, the time allotted to complete it and the professional level of the person handling it. f. The project budget is not a fixed fee agreement and is subject to revision. g. Special Counsel shall provide revisions to the project plan or budget at the request of the City Attorney.
27 Exhibit C
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h. Special Counsel understands and agrees that major unjustified deviations from the project budget, or failure to timely submit a project budget or revisions, if requested, may constitute a breach and result in termination of this Agreement. 28 Exhibit D
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California Joint Powers Risk Management Authority
Mandatory Case Reporting Policy
Pursuant to Section VII (Conditions) of the Memorandum of Coverage, the following rule is applicable to all cases reported to CJPRMA.
The Authority shall be entitled to complete access to the covered party’s claim file, the defense attorney’s complete file, and all investigation material and reports, including all evaluations and information on negotiations. The covered party shall be responsible to report the progress of the litigation and any significant developments at least quarterly to the Authority, and to provide the Authority with s imultaneous copies of all correspondence provided to the covered party by its defense attorneys and/or its agents.
In addition, the CJPRMA Board of Directors has adopted the following mandatory case reporting standards:
1) Defense counsel is expected to provide a written analysis of liability and exposure in any reported claim no later than ninety days following receipt of the file from the member agency. CJPRMA understands that the liability picture may develop as discovery is ongoing, but this does not excus e the responsibility of providing an early, objective analysis of the file, subject to later developments. An early analysis not only permits the JPA member to set an accurate reserve level, but also permits the member entity to decide whether to actively litigate the case, try to settle the case, or limit discovery based upon the exposure.
2) The initial status report should provide, at a minimum, a brief synopsis of the facts giving rise to the lawsuit; the status of the pleadings, including any discussions of demurrers or motions to dismiss, or cross-complaints; a summary and analysis of plaintiff’s injuries, damages and exposures in the case; an initial impression of liability; any requests for additional investigation; a brief outline of the discovery planned; and an evaluation of anticipated litigation costs. The report need not be lengthy, and typically might not exceed three to five pages, but must address the issues directly and in a straightforward manner so that the member entity and CJPRMA can set cost and loss reserves as necessary. 3) Defense counsel is responsible to report, in writing, the setting of a trial date, settlement conference date, hearing date on motion for summary judgment or similar dispositive motion in any litigated case, within one week of the date on which a court establishes such date.
4) Defense counsel is responsible to report, in writing, all settlement demands or offers within one week of the time the offer is made or the demand is received. 29 Exhibit D
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5) Defense counsel is responsible to report, in writing, on the substance of all depositions taken in the case. Th is need not be a multi -page deposition summary, but must, at a minimum, include a concise report of major events occurring at the deposition, and an evaluation of the effect of the deposition testimony on the case. 6) Finally, no later than sixty days before the date set for trial in any case, defense counsel is responsible to report, in writing, on (1) an assessment of liability in the case, (2) the adverse potential exposure if liability is found, (3) a concise summary of injuries sustained and/or claims, (4 ) an assessment of any other factors (such as local jury tendencies, appearance of important witnesses, etc.) that may affect the liability analysis or exposure assessment, and (5) an opinion on the settlement value of the case. 7) All status reports from defense counsel must be copied to the CJPRMA Board member whose entity is involved in the claim.
This policy is designed to protect the member entity and CJPRMA, so that they can make informed litigation decisions on reported cases. Past experience has shown that defense counsel retained by the member entities of CJPRMA are high-caliber, hard working attorneys who have done very well for their clients, and CJPRMA is grateful for their efforts. Defense counsel are cautioned, however, that case reporting is given a high priority by CJPRMA and its members, and is a major consideration in evaluating counsel’s performance.
30 Exhibit E
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LITIGATION GUIDELINES
The following guidelines should be followed when the scope of work includes representing the City in litigation:
a. The Special Counsel shall consult the City Attorney regarding the component parts of litigation handled so that the City Attorney, in consultation with the City Council, if necessary, can determine whether a particular activity is reasonable in light of its costs and benefits.
b. The City Attorney must approve the identity and number of staff assigned to the litigation, and any changes.
c. All pleadings shall be submitted to the City Attorney for review prior to filing. d. Copies of major work product, pleadings, motions, orders, decisions, research memoranda, reports on significant developments, and quarterly status reports shall be submitted to keep the City Attorney advised of any major developments in the lawsuit.
Such copies shall be provided in electronic format compatible with software in the City Attorney’s office.
e. Generally, the City Attorney will rely upon Special Counsel for guidance on litigation strategy. Nonetheless, prior approval from the City Attorney is necessary for demurrers, motions for summary judgment and discovery motions.
f. City expects that Special Counsel will resolve all discovery disputes without court intervention. If this is impossible due to the conduct of others, please inform the City Attorney immediately. City’s intent is to have discovery be fair and open with the money spent on reviewing relevant items that are discovered, not on discovery battles. g. Provide full descriptions of legal tasks performed. This will help the City Attorney follow case development and understand Firm’s strategy. h. Some types of litigation-related expenses require prior approval by the City Attorney, including, but not limited to, experts and investigators. Expenses over a certain dollar amount always require prior approval. See Section III (Reimbursements) of Exhibit B (Billing Protocols and Guidelines) of this Agreement for a list of those expenses that may be reimbursed.
31 Exhibit F
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CITY OF RICHMOND
Sanctuary City Compliance Statement
The undersigned, (hereafter "Contractor"), has had an opportunity to review the requirements of City of Richmond Ordinance 12-18 (hereafter "Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance" or “SCCO”). Contractor understands and agrees that the City may choose with whom it will maintain business relations and may refrain from contracting with any person or entity that provides Data Broker or Extreme Vetting services to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division of the United States Department of Homeland Security (“ICE”). Contractor understands the meaning of the following terms used in the SCCO:
a. "Data Broker” means either of the following:
i. The collection of information, including personal information about consumers, from a wide variety of sources for the purposes of reselling such information to their customers, which include both private-sector business and government agencies;
ii. The aggregation of data that was collected for another purpose from that for which it is ultimately used.
b. “Extreme Vetting” means data mining, threat modeling, predictive risk analysis, or other similar services."
Contractor understands that it is not eligible to receive or retain a City contract if at the time the Contract is executed, or at any time during the term of the Contract, it provides Data Broker or Extreme Vetting services to ICE.
Contractor further understands and agrees that Contractor's failure to comply with the SCCO shall constitute a material default of the Contract and the City Manager may terminate the Contract and bar Contractor from bidding on future contracts with the City for five
(5) years from the effective date of the contract termination.
By executing this Statement, Contractor certifies that it complies with the requirements of the SCCO and that if at any time during the term of the Contract it ceases to comply, Contractor will promptly notify the City Manager in writing. Any person or entity who knowingly or willingly supplies false information in violation of the SCCO shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a $1,000 fine.
Based on the foregoing, the undersigned declares under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.
Printed Name: Title:
Signed: Date:
Business Entity:
32 Exhibit F
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Vendor SCCO Compliance Statement (July2024)
33 Exhibit G
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City of Richmond - Insurance Requirements - Type 2:
Professional Services
In all instances where CONTRACTOR or its representatives will provide professional services (architects, engineers, construction management, counselors, medical professionals, hospitals, clinics, attorneys, consultants, accountants, etc.) to the City of Richmond (City), the City requires the following MINIMUM insurance requirements and limits.
CONTRACTOR shall procure and maintain for the duration of the contract, agreement, or other order for work, services or supplies, insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damages to property which may arise from or in connection with the performance of the work hereunder and the results of that work by the CONTRACTOR, its agents, representatives, employees or subcontractors. Maintenance of proper insurance coverage is a material element of the contract. Failure to maintain or renew coverage or to provide evidence of renewal may be treated by the City as a material breach of contract.
CONTRACTOR agrees that in the event of loss due to any of the perils for which it has agreed to provide Commercial General Liability insurance, CONTRACTOR shall look solely to its insurance for recovery.
CONTRACTOR hereby grants to CITY, on behalf of any insurer providing Commercial General Liability insurance to either CONTRACTOR or CITY with respect to the services of CONSULTANT herein, a waiver of any right to subrogation which any such insurer of said CONTRACTOR may acquire against the CITY by virtue of the payment of any loss under such insurance.
Original, signed certificates and original, separate policy endorsements, naming the City as an additional insured for general liability coverage, as well as a waiver of subrogation for Workers’ Compensation insurance, shall be received and approved by the City before any work may begin. However, failure to do so shall not operate as a waiver of these insurance requirements.
City reserves the right to modify or require additional coverages for specific risk exposures depending on scope of CONTRACTORS work.
Minimum coverage is detailed below. The policy limits of coverage shall be made available to the full limits of the policy. The minimum limits stated herein shall not serve to reduce the policy limits of coverage of CONTRACTOR.
Minimum Scope of Insurance – the following forms shall be provided and coverage shall be at least as broad as the following:
1. Insurance Services Office Commercial General Liability coverage (ISO Occurrence Form CG 0001), and including coverage for bodily and personal injury, property damage, and products and completed operations (if applicable).
2. Insurance Services Office Automobile Liability coverage (ISO Form CA 0001, Code 1, Any Auto).
3. Original and Separate Additional Insured Endorsement for General Liability (ISO Form CG 20 10 11/85 or its equivalent) with primary and non-contributory language.
4. Workers’ Compensation Insurance as required by the State of California including Employer’s Liability coverage.
5. Original and Separate Waiver of Subrogation for Workers’ Compensation insurance.
6. Professional Liability or Errors & Omissions Liability Insurance appropriate to the CONTRACTOR’s profession (if required.)
Required Coverage Minimum Limits
Workers’ Compensation and
Employers’ Liability
Statutory limits as required by the State of California including $1 million Employers’ Liability per accident, per employee for bodily injury or disease. If CONTRACTOR is self-insured, provide a certificate of Permission to Self- Insure, signed by the California Department of Industrial Relations and Self- Insurance. If contractor is a sole proprietor (has no employees) than contractor must sign “Contractor Release of Liability” found at:
http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=61.
34 Exhibit G
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General Liability
(primary and excess limits
combined)
$2,000,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage. If the policy includes a general aggregate, either the general aggregate shall apply separately to this project, service or location or the minimum required aggregate limit shall be twice the per occurrence limit ($4 million aggregate limit).
Policy shall be endorsed to name the City of Richmond as an addit ional insured per the conditions detailed below.
35 Exhibit G
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City of Richmond - Insurance Requirements - Type 2:
Professional Services
Automobile Liability $1,000,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage.
Professional Liability or Errors &
Omissions Liability –
Required for all professionals
including architects, engineers,
consultants, construction
management, counselors, medical
professionals, hospitals, clinics,
attorneys and accountants, & other
consultants as may be required by
the City.
PROJECT COST
$0 - $1 million
$1 million - $5 million
Over $5 million
REQUIRED LIMIT
$1 million p/o
$2 million p/o
$5 million p/o
Required Policy Conditions
Additional Insured Endorsement Applicable to General Liability coverage.
The City of Richmond, its officers, officials, employees, agents and volunteers are to be named as additional insureds for all liability arising out of the operations by or on behalf of the named insured including bodily injury, deaths and property damage or destruction arising in any respect directly or indirectly in the performance of this contract.
ISO form CG 20 10 (11/85) or its equivalent is required. If the Contractor is supplying their product or providing a service then the endorsement must not exclude products and completed operations coverage. If it does, then CG 20 37 (10/01) is also required.
SAMPLE Endorsements can be found at
http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=61.
Primary and Noncontributory The contractor’s insurance coverage must be primary coverage as it pertains to the City, its officers, officials, employees, agents and volunteers. Any insurance or self insurance maintained by the City is wholly separate from the insurance of the contractor and in no way relieves the contractor from its responsibility to provide insurance.
Waiver of Subrogation
Endorsement Form
Contractor’s insurer will provide a Waiver of Subrogation in favor of the City for Workers’ Compensation Insurance during the life of this contract.
SAMPLE Endorsements can be found at
http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=61.
Deductibles and Self-Insured
Retentions
Any deductible or self-insured retention must be declared to and approved by the City. At the option of the City either the insurer shall reduce or eliminate such deductibles or self-insured retention as respects the City or the CONTRACTOR shall procure a financial guarantee in an amount equal to the deductible or self-insured retention guaranteeing payment of losses and related investigations, claims administration and defense expenses.
Contractor is responsible for satisfaction of the deductible and/or self -insured retention for each loss.
A. M. Best Rating A:VII or Better. If the A.M. Best Rating falls below the required rating, CONTRACTOR must replace coverage immediately and provide notice to City.
Umbrella/Excess Liability Policies
If an Umbrella or Excess Liability Policy is used to meet the liability limits, coverage shall be as broad as specified for underlying coverage’s and cover those insured in the underlying policies. 36 Exhibit G
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City of Richmond - Insurance Requirements - Type 2:
Professional Services
Claims-Made Policies
If any insurance policy is written on a claims-made form: 1) the retroactive date must be shown, and must be before the date of the contract or the beginning of contract work. 2) Insurance must be maintained and evidence of insurance must be provided for at least five (5) years after completion of the contract of work. 3) If coverage is canceled or non-renewed, and not replaced with another claims- made policy form with a retroactive date prior to the contract effective date, the Contractor must purchase an extended period coverage for a minimum of five (5) years after completion of contract work.
Subcontractors
CONTRACTOR shall include all subcontractors as insured under its policies or shall furnish to the City for review and approval, separate certificates and endorsements for each subcontractor. All coverage for subcontractors shall be subject to all of the requirements stated herein.
CONTRACTOR agrees to defend and indemnify the City of Richmond for any damage resulting to it from failure of either CONTRACTOR or any subcontractor to take out or maintain the required insurance policies. The fact that insurance is obtained by CONTRACTOR, and/or CONTRACTOR’s subcontractors, will not be deemed to release or diminish the liability of CONTRACTOR, including, without limitation, liability under the indemnity provisions of this contract. Damages recoverable by CITY from CONTRACTOR or any third party will not be limited by the amount of the required insurance coverage.
Verification of Coverage
All original certificates and endorsements shall be received and approved by the City before work may begin. The City of Richmond reserves the right to require complete, certified copies of all required insurance policies including endorsements affecting the coverage at any time.
Original insurance certificates and required policy endorsements shall be mailed or delivered to the Designated Project Manager for the City of Richmond.
Insurance certificates and endorsements may be faxed to the Designated Project Manager. However, CONTRACTOR must mail the original certificates and endorsements to Designated Project Manager once faxed.
Continuous Coverage
CONTRACTOR shall maintain the required insurance for the life of the contract. Should the CONTRACTOR cease to have insurance as required during this time, all work by the CONTRACTOR pursuant to this agreement shall cease until insurance acceptable to the City is provided. In the event that CONTRACTOR fails to comply with the City’s insurance requirements, the City may take such action as it deems necessary to protect the City’s interests. Such action may include but is not limited to termination of the contract, withholding of payments, or other actions as the City deems appropriate.
If services or the scope of work extend beyond the expiration dates of the required insurance policies initially approved by the City, CONTRACTOR must provide updated certificates and endorsements indicating that the required coverage, terms and conditions are still in place. Renewal certificates and updated endorsements shall be mailed to the Designated Project Manager.
Cancellation
CONTRACTOR shall ensure that coverage shall not be cancelled, reduced or otherwise materially changed except after thirty (30) days’ prior written notice has been given to the City.
Reporting Requirements
Any failure to comply with reporting or other provisions of the policies including breaches of warranties shall not affect coverage provided to the City, its officers, officials, employees or volunteers.
Consistent with Public Policy
The insuring provisions, insofar as they may be judged to be against public policy shall be void and unenforceable only to the minimum extent necessary so that the remaining terms and provisions herein may be consistent with public policy and thus enforceable 37
October 1, 2024
Department
DATE: October 1, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Shasa Curl, City Manager
Patrick Seals, Administrative Chief
Subject:
On-call List for Qualified Consultants for Grant Writing, Grant Seeking, and Other Grant Related Service
FINANCIAL IMPACT: All departments that utilize on-call grant support services will be responsible for appropriating funding for these services from their approved fiscal year operating
budgets (Object Code 400201).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
November 20, 2018
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
In an effort to support City departments in successfully pursuing and receiving grant funding, the City Manager’s Office released a Request for Qualifications in March
2024, to create a prequalified eligibility list of individuals, consulting firms, or teams to seek, evaluate, and/or
prepare grant proposals for individual or a collaboration of City department(s).
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution approving eighteen (18) firms to
provide on-call grant writing, grant seeking, or other
grant-related services to City departments, on an as-
needed basis, for a three-year term expiring September
30, 2027, with two one-year options to extend, and a not to exceed total expenditure of $100,000 per firm annually – City Manager’s Office (Patrick Seals 510-307-8016).
AGENDA
REPORT
38
October 1, 2024
DISCUSSION:
City staff are requesting that City Council adopt a resolution, establishing a pre-qualified list of eligible consulting firms, or teams to provide grant writing, grant seeking, or other grant related services (Attachment 1). The City Manager’s Office would like to support the effort of City departments to successfully pursue and receive grant funding, with the goal of achieving:
Funding that helps departments reach their objectives Funding opportunities for activities that would otherwise be financed by the General Fund
Funds to cover one-time costs, versus ongoing operational costs Funding opportunities to departments that would not be able to respond in a timely manner due to lack of staff, grant writing expertise, or workload constraints Funding for collaborative efforts with multiple departments, agencies, community- based organizations and/or other jurisdictions
Opportunities to leverage significant additional resources
The City of Richmond continues its practice of taking advantage of granting opportunities to support operations, programs, and capital improvement projects. Major sources of grant awards are federal, state, local agencies, and private organizations.
Grants differ based on the funding source, scope of work, requirements, and timelines.
To that end, engaging a list of experienced consulting firms to support City Staff’s efforts to procure grant funding enables City staff to move more projects forward and off-set General Fund expenditures.
Background
In 2018, the Finance Department released and received proposals for grant writing supportive services. Ultimately, four (4) firms were recommended, approved, and placed on a pre-approved vendor list by Resolution No. 90-18. The pre-approved list was available beginning in 2018 and expired in December 2023, so City staff is re- initiating the pre-approval listing for grant writing support through 2029.
Solicitation and Review
The City Manager’s Office issued a Request for Qualification (RFQ) on March 28, 2024, through the City of Richmond's BidsOnline system (Attachment 2). A total of 53 vendors were notified (Attachment 3). The firms submitted proposals in response to the RFQ by May 2, 2024. Each proposal included information regarding pricing and budget, qualifications, references, and experience providing grant seeking services to public agencies, including an indication of whether grant funds were awarded.
Twenty (20) firms responded to the RFQ, and after the review of the proposals by City staff members from the City Manager’s Office, Employment and Training, Literacy for Every Adult Program (LEAP), and the Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS), the following eighteen (18) firms scored an average of 70 points or higher out of 100 points. 39
October 1, 2024
Consequently, the following firms are being recommended for placement on the pre- approved vendor list for City Council consideration (Attachment 4):
Proposed On-call grant vendors:
Ardurra BKF Engineers California Consulting Inc.,
The Canna Mind CRPA Strategies Inc. Eleventh House Solutions Engineering Solutions
Services Evan Brooks Associates Glen Price Group
Interwest Group Intuitive Group, LLC Linscott, Law and
Greenspan Engineers
Momentum PLACEWORKS Renne Public Policy Group
Rincon Consultants Inc. RDA Consulting and Witt O’Brien’s LLC
On-call Grant Services
Tasks that may be included in a contract scope of work with consultants include, but may not be limited to the following:
Developing overall grant outline
Working with appropriate department staff to determine writing assignments, including providing a prediction of how much City staff time is needed at the beginning of each project
Providing the department project manager with a list of stakeholders that the firm would need to contact, and any relevant information required Taking the lead in scheduling meetings, bringing together stakeholders, and obtaining relevant information from multiple stakeholders Ensuring that all required components of the proposal are included in the submission, ensuring adherence to grant evaluation criteria Providing budget guidance and justifications in alignment with City policies and personnel guidelines and conformance with grant solicitation requirements Editing draft proposals for consistency of messaging, ensuring integration of grant requirements and succinctness before department final review and submittal to granting agency
Organizing facts, data, statistics, and narratives collected and written as part of assigned projects and making those items available to the department for future use
Providing the department with regular grant forecasts and timely suggestions of which grants to pursue based on the priorities of the City and other City needs, interests, and capacity
Providing training and support opportunities that are high quality and relevant to grant writing and funding development to local community-based organizations and nonprofits in Richmond
40
October 1, 2024
Providing training and capacity-building opportunities for City staff and non-profits as necessary to improve fiscal and administrative services for grant-funded programs awarded.
Process and Contracting
The City Manager’s Office staff will make each proposal accessible to all department staff to review and select a consultant from the list of pre-approved consultants, as needed. City departments will be able to negotiate and enter into contracts with approved consultants for a contract amount not to exceed $100,000 per vendor per year.
In the event that the not-to-exceed amount of $100,000 per vendor per year is exceeded, the department will be required to take the contract before City Council for approval. City Manager staff will inform all consultants and departments of this requirement and require that departments check the amount. If needed, the qualified consultant list for grant-related services may be modified to include new vendors at the end of each fiscal year. This will be done by reissuing the RFQ through the BidsOnline system. At that time, a modified list will be brought before City Council for review and approval.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – City Council Resolution for Qualified Grant Consultant List Attachment 2 – Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
Attachment 3 – BidsOnline Project Report
Attachment 4 – Rating Scoring Sheet
41 Resolution NO. #
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA,
AUTHORIZING CONSULTANTS FOR AS-NEEDED GRANT SEEKING, WRITING,
AND OTHER GRANT-RELATED SERVICES FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $100,000 PER VENDOR, PER YEAR BETWEEN CONSULTANT FOR THREE YEARS WITH TWO – ONE YEAR EXTENSION OPTIONS
WHEREAS, in effort to support City departments to successfully pursue and receive grant funding, the City Manager’s Office released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) on March 28, 2024, to create a pre-qualified eligibility list of individuals, consulting firms, or teams to seek, evaluate, and/or write grants for individual departments and/or a collaboration involving City department(s); and
WHEREAS, twenty (20) firms responded to the Request for Qualifications; and WHEREAS, in evaluating proposals, staff from the City Manager’s Office, Employment and Training, Literacy for Every Adult Program (LEAP), and the Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) considered (1) the qualifications of the consultant and project team; (2) the relevant experience and strengths of each consultant and project team; and (3) pricing; and WHEREAS, eighteen (18) proposals were recommended for inclusion on the qualified list finding that all have the expertise to perform the work required; and WHEREAS, the eighteen (18) firms selected are:
Ardurra
BKF Engineers
California Consulting Inc.,
The Canna Mind
CRPA Strategies Inc.
Eleventh House Solutions
Engineering Solutions Services
Evan Brooks Associates
Glen Price Group
Interwest Group
Intuitive Group, LLC
Linscott, Law and Greenspan
Engineers
Momentum
PLACEWORKS
Rene Public Policy Group
Rincon Consultants Inc.
RDA Consulting and
Witt O’Brien’s LLC
WHEREAS, the City Manager’s Office staff will make each proposal available on the intranet to allow all departments access to review proposals and select a consultant based on department need and consultant expertise; and
42 WHEREAS, City departments will be able to negotiate and enter into contracts with approved consultants for a not to exceed amount of $100,000 per vendor, per year between the department or division and consultant; and
WHEREAS, City departments will be required to take a contract with selected consultant before City Council for approval if the not to exceed amount of $100,000 per vendor, per year has been exceeded; and
WHEREAS, consultants hired for these as-needed grant services may meet with City department staff to review priorities and funding needs; facilitate department decision-making processes regarding the feasibility of pursuing potential grant opportunities; facilitate partnership meetings on grant submissions; convene or attend meetings with departments and/or collaboratives; develop requested proposals/applications; assist in gathering grant-related information; provide estimations of City department’s commitment if grant is received; write and submit proposals; conduct follow-ups after proposal submission; and assist with contract or material development or reporting once grant is awarded; and WHEREAS, each department will manage their own contracts; and WHEREAS, if needed, the qualified consultant list for grant-related services may be modified to include new vendors at the end of each fiscal year through the reissuance of the RFQ through the BidsOnline system and at that time a modified list will be brought before City Council review and approval; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Richmond, California, herby authorizes City Departments to enter into service contracts for as-needed grant seeking, grant writing, and grant-related services, with the aforementioned consultants for an amount not to exceed $100,000 per vendor, per year for a term of three years with two – one year extension options
_______________________________________
I certify that the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Richmond at a regular meeting thereof held on October 1, 2024, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTENTIONS:
ABSENT:
43 CLERK OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND
(SEAL)
Approved:
Mayor
Approved as to form:
City Attorney
State of California }
County of Contra Costa : ss.
City of Richmond }
I certify that the foregoing is a true copy of Resolution No. _____, finally passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Richmond at a regular meeting held on October 1, 2024.
_____________________________________
Pamela Christian, Clerk of the City of Richmond
44 1
Request for Qualifications
“On-Call” Grant Writing Services
Release Date:
March 28, 2024
Deadline for Submittal:
May 2, 2024
City of Richmond
City Manager’s Office
45 2
INTRODUCTION
The City of Richmond is soliciting proposals from qualified firms or individuals to provide “on-call”, as-needed, professional grant writing services. The City intends to select one or several qualified grant writer(s) to assist in researching and identifying potential grants and providing general grant writing services associated with the completion and submission of grant applications.
Grants will provide:
• Funding that helps the Department reach its goals
• Funding opportunities for activities that the General Fund would otherwise finance
• Funds to cover one-time costs versus ongoing operational costs • Funding opportunities the Department would not be able to respond to in a timely manner due to lack of staff or workload restraints • Funding for collaborative efforts with multiple departments, agencies, community-based organizations, and/or other jurisdictions and • Opportunities to leverage significant additional resources The service contract will remain in effect for three years. The contract may also have an option to renew for two years by means of the mutual agreement of both parties.
1. PROJECT BACKGROUND / DESCRIPTION
The City of Richmond is a Charter City located in Contra Costa County, part of the San Francisco Bay Area with a population of 110,567 residents. Richmond is one of the region’s most diverse communities: 42.5% of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino,
20.2% identify as Black or African American alone, 17.8% identify as White alone (not Hispanic or Latino), and 15.4% identify as Asian alone (15.4%).1 Richmond is home to a multi-modal transit hub that includes BART, Amtrak, and AC Transit, marinas, shopping, recreational and cultural amenities, and 32 miles of shoreline. This all contributes to making Richmond among the most desirable up-and-coming communities in California.
The City intends to enter one or more contracts for grant writing, grant management, and related technical assistance. It is the C ity’s further intent that grant writing firm(s) or individual(s) will be mostly “on -call” with Departments primarily being responsible for identifying potential grant opportunities and reaching out to the cont ractor to develop a program specific to a grant and within specific details of a grant. Upon approval of a master contract and authorization for specific projects, funding for pre -work as well as grant writing and application processes will be provided by the City. It is anticipated that ongoing grant management would be funded by the specific grant(s) being managed.
Entering a Master Services contract does not guarantee any future work.
1 Quickfacts Richmond city, California. 2019 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/richmondcitycalifornia 46 3
2. SCOPE OF SERVICES
Grant Writers will provide prompt professional grant writing services, “on-call”, as needed, as the basis for all assigned projects. Assistance includes but is not limited to:
• Developing overall grant outline; working with appropriate Department staff and team to determine writing assignments, including providing a prediction of how much City staff time you expect will be needed at the beginning of each project
• Provide the Department project manager with a list of stakeholders that you would need to contact and any relevant information required • Taking the lead in scheduling meetings, bringing together stakeholders, and obtaining relevant information from multiple stakeholders • Ensuring that all required components of the proposal are included in the submission, ensuring adherence to grant evaluation criteria • Providing budget guidance and justifications in alignment with City policies and personnel guidelines and conformance with grant solicitation requirements
• Editing draft proposals for consistency of messa ging, ensuring integration of grant requirements and succinctness before Department final review and submittal to funder 3
• Organizing facts, data, statistics, and narratives collected and written as part of assigned projects and making those items availabl e to the Department for future use
• Regularly providing the Department with grant forecasts and timely suggestions of which grants to pursue based on the priorities of the City and other City needs, interests, and capacity
• Provide training and support opportunities that are high quality and relevant to grant writing and funding development to local community - based organizations and nonprofits in Richmond
• Provide training and capacity -building opportunities for City staff an d non-profits as necessary to improve fiscal and administrative services for grant-funded programs.
3. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Proposers must submit a detailed proposal which includes, at minimum, the following:
• Vendor Cover Letter summarizing key elements of the proposal will contain a statement of intent to perform services as described, number of years in business, willingness to agree an agreement under the terms and conditions prescribed by this RFP, insurance requirements ( Attachment A) and in the sample Service Agreement ( Attachment B); address and telephone number of vendor’s office nearest to Richmond, CA and office this project will be managed by; Identify singular person for contact during RFP review process and cover letter shall be 47 4
signed by an authorized official of the company.
• Define the methodology/approach to be used to identify the needs of the City that would be eligible for funding through grants, including whether costs will be hourly or per grant written and submitted.
• Detail the procedure you would utilize in identifying grants that would address the needs identified above.
• Generally, detail the involvement and role of City staff and City resources in the grant writing process. Describe, in detail, the process you would utilize to prepare the actual grant application.
• List your experience in the identification and preparation of grants for municipalities. Specifically, detail your experience with federal and state grants for public safety agencies, infrastructure improvement, parks, recre ation, technology community development, and capital assets.
• List five (5) funded grants you developed detailing the funding source, amount requested, and amount funded.
• Describe the background, experience, and qualifications of the person(s) who will act as the grant writer and the qualifications of any staff who will assist with the preparation of grant applications (include their role, education, relevant experience, and related qualifications)
• Provide at least three (3) references including the name of contact, affiliation, address, direct telephone number, and email address.
• Describe in detail the fee structure you propose for providing grant writing services.
4. PRICING
Include a cost of proposal containing:
• The schedule of costs and fees with current fee schedules, personnel wage rate sheets, and other costs. Be thorough and specific as this will form the basis for the negotiation of any contract for services that may be presented by the City. • Specific hourly rates for each class of employee/specialist • Services priced by task or deliverables (if applicable) • Requested expenses
5. EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
All proposals shall be reviewed to verify that the Respondent has met the minimum requirements. Proposals that have not complied with requirements do not meet minimum content and quality standards, or make unacceptable exceptions to the General Terms and Conditions of the Service Agreement, will be eliminated from 5 further consideration. Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by an evaluation committee comprised of City of Richmond personnel.
48 5
The criteria upon which the evaluation of the proposals will be based include, but are not limited to, the following:
The Proposal/Methodology and Approach to Work – 20%
The proposer’s responsiveness to the RFP including completeness and thoroughness of the proposal; all required information must be provided in the format specified. This category will also evaluate:
• Ability to provide services as outlined in the RFP.
• Approach and proposed methodology to project scope
• Demonstrated knowledge of the work required
• Explanation of the Project or services required
• Innovative approaches and internal measures for timely completion of the Project
Experience/Past Performance/References – 20%
Consideration will be given based on the firm’s experience, years in business, past and current client references; technical expertise and professional competence in areas directly related to this RFP; and number of years of experience in performing similar work.
Project Team – 20%
Respondent should demonstrate that all key personnel have been successfully involved with projects of similar scope and magnitude. This category will evaluate the firm’s:
• Qualifications and relevant individual experience
• Unique qualification of key personnel
• Staff Availability / Time commitment of key members
• Organization chart
Proposer Qualifications – 20%
To determine the degree of responsibility to be credited to the Res pondent, the City will weigh the evidence that the Respondent has performed satisfactorily other contracts of like nature, magnitude and comparable difficulty , and comparable rates of progress, in addition to:
• The Grant Writer’s writing samples include bu t are not limited to, quality, cohesiveness, persuasiveness, compelling nature, succinctness, login, ease of comprehension, attention to detail, and correct and meaningful use of facts and statistics.
• The Grant Writer’s ability to complete complex or tedi ous tasks, as demonstrated in their proposal.
Cost Proposal – 20%
6. Questions Concerning Request for Qualifications
49 6
All questions must be submitted via the electronic BidsOnline system on the Q&A tab by 1:00 pm PST, on April 10, 2024. If the City finds it necessary to issue an addendum, prospective Offerors will receive an e-mail notification of the addendum. Otherwise, answers to questions received will be provided on the Q&A tab and notification will be sent by April 17, 2024 . It is the proposer’s responsibility to periodically check the BidsOnline website www.ci.richmond.ca.us/bids for any possible Addenda to the RFQ that may have been posted.
Any party submitting a proposal shall not contact or lobby any City Council member, City official, employee (except those specified for contact) , or agent regarding the RFQ. Any party attempting to influence or circumvent the RFQ submittal, and review process may have their proposal rejected for violating this provision of the RFQ.
Interested parties may download copies of the above-mentioned proposal by visiting the City's website, www.ci.richmond.ca.us/bids. To download the RFQ, new vendors will be required to register. Once the vendor downloads any documents relative to a solicitation, that vendor's name will appear on the Prospective Bidders list for that project and it will receive any addenda or notifications relating to the RFQ.
7. GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSAL
The proposal and any required certifications shall be signed by an individual or individuals authorized to execute legal documents on behalf of the proposer.
Electronic Proposals shall be submitted via the City’s secure online bidding system. All required sections of the proposal must be submitted via the website. The contractor is solely responsible for the “on time” submission of their electronic proposal. The Bid Management System will not accept late proposals and no exceptions shall be made. Contractors will receive an e-bid confirmation number with a time stamp from the Bid Management System indicating that their bid was submitted successfully. The City will only receive those proposals that were transmitted successfully.
The proposal must be received no later than 3:00 PM PST, on May 2, 2024. The City of Richmond reserves the right to waive inconsequential irregularities.
8. LATE PROPOSALS
Proposals arriving after the specified date and time will not be considered, nor will late proposals be opened. Proposers assume responsibility for timely submissions of their proposals.
9. WITHDRAWL OR MODIFICATION OF PROPOSALS
Any proposal submitted before the May 2nd deadline may be withdrawn or modified by a written request signed by the Proposer and received by Patrick Seals.
50 7
10. PROPOSAL ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION
Proposals will only be co nsidered from Proposers that normally engage in providing the types of services specified herein. Proposers awarded a contract will be expected to obtain a City of Richmond business license. The City reserves the right to reject proposals where evidence or evaluation is determined to indicate an inability to perform. The City reserves the right to accept any proposal or reject all proposals if said rejection is deemed in the best interest of the City.
11. STANDARD CONTRACT AND INSURANCE
Attached is a sample Ci ty of Richmond Standard Contract Agreement (Attachment 1).
Please note the City Attorney’s Office is typically not inclined to make any revisions to the standard agreement.
Proposers shall not commence any work before obtaining and shall always maintain in force during the duration and performance of any contract with the City required policies of insurance. Attached is the City of Richmond’s Insurance Requirements for grant writing services (Attachment 2).
12. PUBLIC RECORDS
All proposals submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the City of Richmond and public records and, as such, may be subject to public review. Documents protected by law from public disclosure will not be disclosed by the City of Richmond if marked with the word "conf idential" on each applicable page. Trade secrets may be marked as confidential only to the extent they meet the requirements of California Government Code section 6254.7. Only information claimed to be a trade secret at the time of submittal to the City of Richmond and marked as "confidential" will be treated as a trade secret.
13. COMPLIANCE with CITY ORDINANCES
The contractor and all subcontractors shall comply with the City of Richmond Nondiscrimination Clauses in City Contracts Ordinance (Richmond Municipal Code (RMC) Chapter 2.28), Business Opportunity Ordinance (RMC Chapter 2.50), Local Employment Program Ordinance (RMC Chapter 2.56), Living Wage Ordinance (RMC Chapter 2.60) and Ordinance Banning the Requirement to Provide Information of Prior Criminal Con victions on all Employment Applications (“Ban the Box”) (RMC Chapter
2.65), which are incorporated into the Contract Documents by this reference.
14. AWARD
When the Review Panel has completed its work, City staff will then recommend the list of Grant Writers to the City Manager and City Council for approval. The services provided by the successful bidder shall be governed by a Standard Services Agreement (Attachment 1)
51 8
Attachments
A. Standard Contract/Standard Services Agreement
B. Insurance Requirements
52 53
54 55
56 57
58 59
60 61
62 Rank 12 34 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 31 41 5
RFQ Rating Matrix Interwest Group Evan Brooks
Associates
Witt O’Brien’s,
LLC. PLACEWORKS Ardurra Engineering
Solutions Services
Linscott, Law
and Greenspan
Engineers
California
Consulting Inc. RDA Consulting Momentum Rincon
Consultants, Inc.
Renne Public
Policy Group
CRPA Strategies,
Inc.
Intuitive Group,
LLC
Eleventh House
Solutions
Rater 2 99 98 98 99 99 100 92 99 98 100 96 94 86 56 79
Rater 3 95 95 86 96 80 90 85 93 78 85 78 70 75 70 70
Rater 4 92 92 93 90 86 99 77 91 88 92 89 95 83 91 75
Rater 6 100 95 100 80 95 65 100 50 65 45 60 60 72 100 83 Average 97 95 94 91 90 89 89 83 82 81 81 80 79 79 77
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS RATING MATRIX
On-Call Grant Writer Services
63 16 17 18 Did not qualify Did not qualify
BKF Engineers The Canna Mind Glen Price
Group HTA Consulting Yoruba
Communications
84 67 98 85 50
85 60 70 50 55
76 79 75 81
55 80 43 40 35
75 72 70 63 55
64
October 1, 2024
City Manager's Office
DATE: October 1, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
LaShonda White, Deputy City Manager – Community
Services
Patrick Seals, Administrative Chief
Nicholas Delgado, Associate Management Analyst
Guadalupe Morales, Associate Management Analyst
Kaitlen Burnom, Management Analyst
Subject:
2024 Richmond Fund for Children & Youth Community
Needs Assessment & Fiscal Year 2025-2028 Strategic
Investment Plan
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Richmond Fund for Children and Youth receives 3 percent of the City’s General Fund annually between FY
2024-25 and FY 2027-28. The total 3 percent allocation
for FY 2024-25 is approximately $7.5 million. The
proposed expenditure of $6.4 million, which is 85 percent of the $7.5 million allocation, will be used for grant
awards and is included in the approved fiscal year 2024- 25 budget for the Richmond Department of Children and
Youth. The remaining 15 percent or $1.1 million is to
support City staff costs and annual evaluations
(13371018-400201).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
November 17, 2020 and December 15, 2020 – City
Council approval of FY 2021-24 Community Needs
Assessment and Strategic Investment Plan
December 19, 2023 – Approval of Contract with Public
Works LLC
AGENDA
REPORT
65
October 1, 2024
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
On June 5, 2018, Richmond voters approved Measures
E and K, known as the Richmond Kids First Initiative,
which approved a City of Richmond charter amendment
to create a Department of Children and Youth, require
that a portion of the General Fund be set aside to fund youth programs and services, establish an Oversight
Board, conduct a Community Needs Assessment (CNA),
and develop a three-year Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) which guides a grant-making process.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth
2024 Community Needs Assessment Report and the
Fiscal Year 2025-2028 Strategic Investment Plan – City
Manager’s Office (Patrick Seals 510-307-8016/LaShonda
White 510-620-6828).
DISCUSSION:
On June 5, 2018, Richmond voters approved Measure E and Measure K, known as the Richmond Kids First Initiative, which approved a City of Richmond Charter amendment (Article 15) and authorized the creation of the Richmond Department of Children and Youth (Department) and the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (Fund) to provide increased and dedicated funding for children, youth, and young adult services. The ballot initiative also authorized the establishment of a 15-member Oversight Board and required that the Department conduct a Community Needs Assessment that would guide the development of a Strategic Investment Plan and the grant cycle of the Fund.
Additional information about the Department can be found at www.richmondyouth.org.
Community Needs Assessment
Department staff initiated a second needs assessment and strategic planning process in 2024 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. For creating both the Community Needs Assessment (CNA) and the Strategic Investment Plan (SIP), City staff committed to guiding principles rooted in community voices and includes a diverse range of youth and adults to develop a comprehensive, equitable investment plan that reflects community vision.
In 2024, Department staff partnered with Public Works LLC to facilitate a second CNA and develop the 2025-2028 SIP to guide grantmaking. The 2024 CNA revealed that while the needs identified in 2020 remained consistent, several have intensified, particularly in mental health support, educational assistance, access to basic needs, and safe recreational spaces. As one community member noted, “We really like what’s being done for our children and youth, but we just need more of it.”
The CNA report is now complete and is available to view on the Department website (Attachment 1). The CNA process provided an overview of current data and findings 66
October 1, 2024
related to children, youth, and their families in Richmond. Participants in the CNA process were offered multiple opportunities to weigh in, responding to questions regarding their thinking on where the greatest need was, and what kind of youth-serving programming would be most valuable in each core need.
Strategic Investment Plan: Core Needs, Strategies, and Allocations Article 15, Section 8 of the Charter describes that each SIP shall set forth funding priorities for a three-year period, and that those priorities shall be based on the CNA and input from the community. The Charter also states that the SIP shall set forth a plan for overseeing and evaluating the Fund and the programs supported by the Fund. The CNA included a wealth of information from outside data sources, and over 400 youth and adults were engaged in the process through 24 key stakeholder interviews, 104 focus group participants, 70 individuals engaged in our community forums, and over 200 survey responses were collected. Based on the information collected, five areas were identified as funding priorities; albeit staff recognizes that there is significant overlap in these categories.
During the community visioning event, a graphic illustrator captured important topics raised across multiple groups and subgroups and within the framework of the legislation informing the Richmond Kids First Initiative.
In the final SIP, programmatic strategies were attached to each of the core needs (Attachment 2). The five areas, not listed in order of importance, were then assigned a percentage allocation based on considerations of the urgency of the need and potential for equity impact. The core needs are as follows along with the allocation:
67
October 1, 2024
Core Needs Estimated % of Total Funds
Mental & Behavioral Health 30% = $1,911,000
Physical Health & Wellness 20% = $1,274,000
Learning Needs 30% = $1,911,000
Safety Community & Belonging 20% = $1,274,000
Connective Supportive Services
Total Annual Estimated Funding in FY 2025-28 100% = $6.37M
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 area. Also, it is important to note that per the Charter, any change in an approved SIP, which could include the core needs and allocations, shall be based on the community needs assessment and input from the community.
Next Steps
Department staff released the Request for Proposals (grant guidelines and application) on September 3, 2024, and will close on October 6, 2024. Over 120 individuals representing dozens of community-based and government organizations attended the two (2) information session held on September 11 and September 18. After the application deadline closes, City staff will review applications for responsiveness, completeness, and satisfaction of eligibility requirements. All eligible applications are forwarded to the RFCY review committee to review and score proposals, based on priority areas. Individual committee members provide scores, and the average of reviewer scores will be used to provide a ranking of proposals by core need. RFCY staff 68
October 1, 2024
will provide the committee with the average scores and ranking of proposals. RFCY Oversight Board will then review committee recommendations and will convene to approve funding decisions at a public monthly meeting. The RFCY Oversight Board will then present their funding recommendations to the Richmond City Council for approval and adoption in November 2024.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – RFCY Community Needs Assessment
Attachment 2 – RFCY Strategic Investment Plan
69 RFCY COMMUNITY
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
REPORT
70 2 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS | ORDER OF REPORT
1. Executive Summary
2. Snapshot of Richmond
3. Methodology of Community Needs Assessment
4. Poverty and the Child Opportunity Index
5. Richmond Children and Youth Needs
A. Mental and Behavioral Health
B. Physical Health
C. Learning Needs
D. Safety, Belonging and Community
E. Connective Supportive Services
6. Children and Youth Community-Based Services: Current State
7. Community Investments & Resource Needs: Current State
8. Envisioning Ideas to Address Needs: Next Steps
9. Acknowledgements
Appendix A: COI Indicators
Appendix B: Community Engagement Learnings
1. Summary and Survey Results
2. RFCY Survey Template
Appendix C: Richmond Children and Youth Organizations by Priority Areas/Domains Appendix D: Richmond Based Community Organizations Census Tract Analysis by Priority Area 71 3 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Executive Summary
Why a Community Needs Assessment?
The Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (RFCY or
Fund) plays a crucial role in guiding the distribution
of the City’s three-percent allocation of general funds dedicated to improving the lives and addressing the
needs of Richmond’s children and youth under 24.
To ensure that their guidance and grant-making are
informed and strategic, RFCY conducts Community
Needs Assessments every 3 years as mandated by
Article XV of the City of Richmond Charter. These
assessments engage community members, including
youth, agencies, and organizations that serve children
and youth in Richmond, to identify needs through
their knowledgeable lived-experiences. Additionally,
data analysis, reports, and research further enhance
understanding of the pressing needs that the Fund and
its Oversight Board Committee seek to address.
How We Identified Children and Youth Needs
The principle of “Nothing About Me, Without Me”
was central to this community needs assessment,
emphasizing the importance of listening to and
learning from youth, their families, and organizations
serving them. Through a highly interactive community
engagement process, spanning from January to July
2024, the voices of approximately 400 individuals
are reflected in this report. The assessment began
with interviews of 24 thought leaders experienced in
working with children and youth and those involved
in policy, allocation, and program decisions within
city departments and public offices. These interviews
framed questions for focus groups involving more than
100 individuals from the Priority Populations identified by RFCY per the charter: African American Youth, Asian
American Pacific Islander Youth, Immigrant Family
Youth, Justice Impacted Youth, Latinx Youth, LGBTQIA+
Youth, Transitional Age Youth, and Youth Experiencing
Homelessness. Youth participants received dinner and
a gift card in appreciation for their time. Additional
focus groups included a Parent/Caregiver Group and a
Teacher/Counselor Group.
A 14-question survey developed from focus
group insights was distributed to 33 youth-serving
organizations, resulting in 200 completed surveys
from youth, service providers, parents/caregivers, and
community members. The findings were presented at a
two-hour Community Visioning Event attended by over
70 people, generating nearly 50 ideas for consideration in the next phase of this project, a Strategic Investment Plan.
Investing in Children and Youth
The City of Richmond’s commitment to enhancing
the lives of its children and youth is evidenced by its creation of the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth.
By harnessing the community’s assets of non-profits
and community partners in both the public and private
sectors along with the City dedicating millions of dollars towards programs that advance opportunities for
children and youth to thrive, RFCY is building futures
and the community’s capacity to assure that those
futures are bright.
A Resource Gap
The City and its robust network of community partners
offer a wide array of programs and services to address
the needs of children and youth. In so doing, they fully recognize that these needs persist and are substantial
requiring continued and increased resources while
creatively finding ways to achieve the best return on
investment for children, youth and their families. This Community Needs Assessment is a foundational step in
giving voice to these needs and developing a roadmap
to address them.
Envisioning Ideas to Address Needs: Next Steps
The commitment and innovative ideas generated from
the Community Visioning Event show that community
members are ready to tackle the core needs identified.
RFCY will engage the consulting team of Public
Works LLC to develop a Strategic Investment Plan,
addressing connectivity issues, transportation, and
holistic family support. The plan will identify benchmarks and outcomes to guide RFCY’s grant-making process,
ensuring that funded programs provide a return-on-
investment worthy of Richmond’s children and youth.
72 4 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What We Learned
As a result of nearly 400 community and youth voices
informing the consulting team and RFCY leadership on
the needs of children and youth along with conducting
research on the extent and impact of those needs within the Richmond community, five core needs emerged:
Five Core Needs Emerge from Community
Engagement
1. Mental & Behavioral Health Needs
Stressors from living in poverty, bullying,
discrimination, and safety concerns
were repetitive themes. Youth report
high levels of anxiety and depression
among their peers and a lack of access
to counseling and therapy sessions.
Parents/caregivers seek guidance on
recognizing mental and behavioral
health issues and supporting their
children. Social isolation from the
pandemic remains a significant issue.
2. Physical Health & Access
The need for safe parks, open spaces,
and access to healthy foods, nutrition,
and fitness programs is high. Concerns
over healthcare access were repeatedly
cited, with Richmond designated as a
Medically Underserved Area, lacking
primary care physicians, mental health
professionals, and dentists. There is
a high demand for drug awareness,
prevention, and treatment programs.
3. Learning Needs
Learning loss from the pandemic
continues to impact students, with
third-grade reading levels and other
benchmarks negatively affected.
There is a significant need for career
and college preparation, one-on-one
mentoring, and guidance. Schools are
seen as under-resourced, with high
demand for homework assistance,
after-school programs, and quality early
childhood education.
4. Safety, Community & Belonging
Needs
Fear of lack of safety is extremely high
among youth, with violence becoming
normalized. Priority populations report
harmful stereotypes and isolation.
Justice-impacted youth and LGBTQIA+
groups particularly report feeling
othered.
5. Connective Supportive Services
Navigation of available services is
challenging, and many families lack
transportation to access after-school
programs and other activities. Youth
organizations would benefit from
connecting with the whole family to
support and uplift children and youth.
73 5 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
2. SNAPSHOT OF RICHMOND
On June 5, 2018, Richmond voters approved Measure
E and Measure K, known as the Richmond Kids First
Initiative, which approved a City of Richmond Charter
amendment (Article 15) and authorized creation of the
Richmond Department and Fund for Children and Youth
to provide increased and dedicated funding for children, youth, and young adult services for those under 24 years of age.
Richmond has significant strengths and assets. Despite the challenges of over one-third of children and youth living in poverty, limited access to health care, high mental health needs, and concerns about neighborhood safety, the community highly values the resources provided by the City. Youth attending focus groups spoke highly of the programs supported by RFCY and expressed a desire for more of what community-based organizations offer, with services available closer to their homes.
111,441
Since 2020, population
has decreased by 4.3%
1 52%
Homeowners
$88,594
Median household income
35%
Households with
children under 18
2.9 people
Average
household size
37%
Children living in poverty
(200% FPL)
4.7%
Unemployment rate
(April 2024)
79.5%
High school
graduates
34.4%
Born outside U.S.
A young, diverse city
Richmond is a young city, relative to cities
across California with 24% of residents under
the age of 20 years.
44% Hispanic/Latino
24.2% White
18.3% Black
14.2% Asian
13.3% Multiracial
1https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/richmond-ca-population 74 6 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
3. BACKGROUND
About Measure E and Measure K
On June 5, 2018, Richmond voters approved
Measure E and Measure K, known as the Richmond
Kids First Initiative, which approved a City of
Richmond Charter amendment (Article 15) and
authorized creation of The Richmond Fund for
Children and Youth City of Richmond Department.
The ballot initiative also authorized establishment
of a 15-member Oversight Board and required
the Department to conduct a Community Needs
Assessment to guide the development of a Strategic
Investment Plan.
Under Section 2 of Article 15, the City is required
to allocate 3% of the City’s General Fund to the
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth each fiscal
year, starting FY 2023-24 through FY 2027-28 to
support the ongoing needs of the Department and
Fund (Additional information about the Department
can be found at
www.richmondyouth.org).
Goals of the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth
• 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 parents/guardians, families and the communities in which they live by preventing problems and enhancing the strengths of children, youth, young adults and their families;
• To ensure young people are provided with gender responsive, trauma-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;
• To ensure an equitable distribution of resources to all of Richmond’s young people in recognition of the importance of investment in their futures from birth through young adulthood; • To fill gaps in services and leverage other resources whenever feasible.
The City of Richmond’s
Department of Children and
Youth has initiated a needs
assessment and strategic
planning process that honors
community voices and includes a
diverse range of youth and adults
to develop a comprehensive,
equitable investment plan that
reflects community vision.
75 7 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
3. BACKGROUND
Vision Statement
The City of Richmond’s Department
of Children and Youth has initiated
a needs assessment and strategic
planning process that honors
community voices and includes a
diverse range of youth and adults
to develop a comprehensive,
equitable investment plan that
reflects community vision.
Richmond Department of Children
& Youth Guiding Principles
• Community assets are our core strength.
Richmond residents are experts in their
lived experience and have valuable insight
to share;
We center the needs and dreams of
children and youth;
• We value collaboration and shared
ownership;
We believe considerations of race and
equity are critical to this process;
• We will be inclusive of all ages, races,
ethnicities, gender expressions, languages,
and abilities/disabilities;
• We will communicate in a way that is
accessible and easy to understand;
• We believe all voices should contribute and
encourage participants to bring their full,
authentic selves to this process; and
• We believe it is important to be (1)
innovative and flexible and (2) transparent
and accountable.
76 8 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
3. BACKGROUND
Who is the Fund Designed to Support?
The Fund prioritizes Richmond and North Richmond children (birth 0-12); youth (ages 13 to 17) and transitional age youth (ages 18-24) who are most impacted by harm, inequity and lack of access to support services.
The priority populations include, but are not limited to:
Funding Categories
• Violence Prevention/Response
• Education/Job Training
• Parent/Guardian Support
• Media, Arts, Culture & Technology
• Youth/Family Leadership, Organizing
& Civic Engagement
• Health and Well-Being
• Environmental Health & Justice
• Outdoor Education/ Recreation
• Deportation Support
• Justice-impacted youth;
• 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;
• LGBTQIA+ 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 who are involved in or transitioning from
the foster care, juvenile/ criminal justice, or
special education systems.
This Community Needs Assessment (CNA) will be used by the Richmond Department of Children and Youth to develop of a Strategic Investment Plan, which will guide the Department’s grant decisions for the Fund from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2027. 77 9 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
4. METHODOLOGY OF COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Methodology of the Community Needs
Assessment
To develop a Community Needs Assessment that reflects
the community’s concerns and priorities, Public Works LLC public policy consulting firm conducted individual and group interviews, focus groups, and brainstorming sessions to identify key issues and gaps in services impacting Richmond’s children and youth and their families.
Throughout this highly interactive community-engagement process, Public Works partnered with the leadership team of the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (RFCY) to ensure that representatives from the Priority Populations, community- based organizations and community members would inform
the research, findings and recommendations of the Community Needs Assessment.
Key Informant Interviews
• Public Works launched this project in March 2024 by conducting initial interviews with the Department’s project management team and senior staff about the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth’s current grantees, the communities they serve, and their perception of the unmet needs of Richmond’s children and young people.
Based on those interviews, the consulting team developed a list of diverse interest holders, including City officials and employees, community-based organizations, providers, business leaders, educators, and Richmond youth and their families. Interviews were held with twenty-four individuals in one-on-one and group interviews conducted in person, over the phone, and via Zoom.
Community Surveys and Focus Groups
• Based upon the insights shared by community members resulting from interviews, combined with extensive research on demographic, economic, and other data related to Richmond and its residents, Public Works developed, distributed, and administered a 14-question community survey made available in English and Spanish. A survey link was sent via email to 33 community organizations to distribute among their constituencies generating 200 completed surveys over a two-month period. The survey received over 300 open-ended comments in addition to the multiple-choice questions they answered. • Ten focus groups were held involving 104 participants representing priority youth populations identified in the City of Richmond Charter Article 15, as detailed on the previous page. In addition to the youth groups, two others were held: one with parent and caregivers and the other with school counselors and teachers. These sessions were designed to give young people a chance to speak directly about their needs and those of their friends and family, how they view living in Richmond, what their goals are and what type of support they need to reach them.
The participants were referred by 33 community organizations serving Richmond’s children and youth. Most were held in-person at community centers; each participant received dinner and a stipend in appreciation for their time. Youth also discussed the types of activities and programs they attend and shared perspectives on obstacles they face in accessing youth-oriented programs and services that are most valuable to them. 78 10 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
4. METHODOLOGY OF COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Public Visioning Event
After gathering and analyzing insights on children and
youth needs from over 300 community members, the
consulting team partnered with RFCY leaders to co-
design and present a public “visioning” event. The
event held at the Richmond Auditorium provided
dinner while diverse groups of participants were seated at round tables for break-out discussions following
5-minute Ted-Talk type “briefings” covering three
topics: Mental & Behavioral Health Needs, Learning
Needs and Safety, and Community and Belonging
during the two-hour event. Participants spent break-
out sessions at their tables generating ideas on how
to address each of the three topics and then reported
on their ideas to the entire group. The event created
a highly interactive, social opportunity for members of the Richmond community to share their experiences,
insights and perspectives on the needs of children and
youth and offer experienced and innovative ideas on
how to address them. Nearly fifty ideas were generated
and will become part of the research in developing the
Strategic Investment Plan, the second component to the
Community Needs Assessment.
The “Visioning” event drew more than 70 community
members (both adult and youth) with representatives
from 17 organizations. An interactive feature of the
evening was the live illustration of the ideas that
participants reported at the plenary sessions. An artist (Graphic Recorder) drew these ideas on a large white
board in real-time creating an eight-foot mural shown
at the end of this report. This method is highly useful in revealing key ideas, highlighting diverse perspectives, and creating an engaging record of participants’
collective input. Using this type of creative, dynamic, visual record has proven especially helpful in sparking input from younger participants – as shown by a group
of youth taking selfies and pictures in front of the mural at the end of the event.
Data Analysis
• All responses and comments gleaned from surveys,
interviews, focus groups and community forums
were collected and analyzed. The consulting team’s
research drew from a wide range of validated
sources, including: the U.S. Census and its American
Community Survey, local, regional, and state
governmental reports, and whitepapers published
by foundations and nonprofit organizations.
Dashboards, Scorecards and Data Depositories, Bills
and Legislative Documents, Surveys (e.g. Juvenile
Detention Profile Survey; CA Healthy Kids Survey),
Child Opportunity Index by DiversityDataKids.org
and GIS Mapping were also reviewed as part of the
secondary research component of the Community
Needs Assessment.
• The consulting team has looked for patterns across
all elements of its data analysis enlightened and
informed by over 400 voices heard through the
community engagement process. The needs and
priorities laid out in this document represent careful
validation and synthesis of community voices
supported by independent data and research.
(Section of mural from Visioning Event)
79 11 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
5. IMPACTS OF POVERTY ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Impacts of Poverty on Children
and Youth
In its simplest terms, poverty is an economic state in
which an individual’s or family’s income cannot cover
the basic needs of everyday life. They struggle to pay
for necessities such as housing, food utilities, child-care and transportation. The fear of losing their housing as they struggle between paying rent/mortgage versus
medications, food, a child’s school supplies, clothing or an unexpected repair bill, all lead to high stress levels for the entire family unit. The state of experiencing
poverty both causes and worsens hardships.
Poverty can be situational, due to a life event such as a death of a main income earner, job loss, divorce,
health condition, recession or pandemic that throws
one into poverty. Sometimes it is chronic when at least two generations have been born into poverty and there
is no wealth to share among family members during
difficult times or hand down. Eight determinants that
interconnect, cause and sustain poverty are shown in
this graphic to illustrate the multiple factors that impact families, children and youth who must contend with
poverty every day.
Concentrated Poverty
Many children live in concentrated poverty in which high numbers of people living in a neighborhood or census tract are poor. A common benchmark used to determine a concentrated poverty area is generally 30% or more of the residents living in poverty.1 Richmond has five such census tracts ranging from 29% to 47% of children living at or below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) within their neighborhood.2 1 https://www.aecf.org/topics/concentrated-poverty
2 ACS 5-Year Estimates. Census Tracts 3740.00,3760.00,3820.00,3810.00, 3770.00 80 12 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
5. IMPACTS OF POVERTY ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Children and adults living in highly disadvantaged neighborhoods face poorer health, food insecurity, lack of access to quality health care, attend schools that are resource challenged and underperforming and are often exposed to crime and environmental pollution. 3 Most often, People of Color are overly represented within such communities which holds true for the five highly concentrated tracts in Richmond just referenced. This speaks to the consequences of structural racism when laws, rules, regulations and practices in society unfairly treat certain racial groups differently. This kind of racism is essentially “built into” the systems that run or oversee, for example, schools, workplaces, housing, local governments, and healthcare resulting in perpetuating racial disparities.
Research shows that, “children who experience the disadvantages of growing up in and surrounded by poverty will continue to bear the burden of those disadvantages into adulthood. 4
Measuring Poverty. How poverty is defined and measured has a powerful impact on how a community marshals its resources (or not) to address and prevent it. The measure draws the line as to who is eligible for services, who must wait and who will be turned away. The current Federal Poverty Level (FPL) was created sixty years ago and significantly underestimates the true costs of meeting basic needs of everyday life in today’s economy. Most federal and state programs use 150% to 200% of FPL as a marker of need for eligibility of services. As was recommended in RFCY’s 2020 Community Needs Assessment, we also recommend that RFCY use a threshold of twice the FPL (200%) to determine the numbers of children living in poverty within Richmond in need of services.
Currently, more than one-third (37%) of youth and children under the age of 18 years in Richmond are below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level while 35% of adults are below this threshold.5 This means that a family of four in 2024, for example, lives on an income of $5,200 per month and an individual at $2,510 per month. 6 Most of these individuals and families are cost-burdened by paying more than thirty percent of their income ($1,560) towards their monthly rent. This leaves the remaining $3,640 dollars to cover all expenses for a family of four.
Housing costs are significantly impacting middle income families, as well. Richmond, where median household income is $88,594,7 is the second most housing cost-burdened city in the Bay area, with 42% of residents paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs. Over half (54%) of all renters and 38% of homeowners in Richmond are housing cost burdened.8 Access to affordable and secure housing has been consistently identified as a community need impacting health in Richmond.9
37% of
Richmond
youth
living in
poverty.
Half of Richmond
renters are
cost-burdened.
3 https://www.aecf.org/topics/concentrated-poverty
4 https://www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/11-3-15hous2.pdf 5 https://data.census.gov/table?q=s1701%20Richmond,%20Californi 6 https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines 7 U.S. Census Bureau. “Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars).”American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S1901, 2022, https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.
S1901?q=median household income&g=160XX00US0616000,0660620,0681666. Accessed on March 9, 2024. 8 https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/housing-costs-rent-mortgage-18535110.php 9 https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/content/dam/kp/mykp/documents/reports/community-health/Richmond- CHNA-2019.pdf, https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/content/dam/kp/mykp/documents/reports/community-health/ richmond-chna-2022.pdf
81 13 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
5. IMPACTS OF POVERTY ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Beyond Poverty: Geography & Opportunity. We’ve applied a tool known as the Childhood Opportunity Index (COI) to assess the level and breadth of need among Richmond’s children and youth. This index is based on the premise that a neighborhood’s resources and conditions matter and that children growing up in neighborhoods with “quality schools, safe housing, access to healthy food, parks, clean air and economic opportunities are more likely to grow into healthy, productive adults than children who do not have access to these resources.”10 Using a set of 44 indicators in the domains of Education, Health and Environment, and Social and Economic, the COI measures and maps the quality of resources and conditions in the neighborhoods where children and youth live. The COI groups all neighborhoods via census tracts into five Opportunity levels: Very Low, Low, Moderate, High, and Very High-opportunity neighborhoods.
Children living in “low opportunity” neighborhoods experience few of the conditions necessary to thrive as compared to their counterparts living in “High Opportunity” communities. Black, Hispanic and Native American children are especially likely to live in very low-opportunity neighborhoods. A complete listing of all 44 indicators is provided in Appendix A. The table below shows the three domains of the Child Opportunity Index and the sub-domains of indicators assessed by each.
10 https://www.diversitydatakids.org/child-opportunity-index
EDUCATION SOCIAL & ECONOMICHEALTH & ENVIRONMENT
Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Secondary & Post-
secondary Education
Educational Resources
Pollution
Healthy Environment
Safety Related Resources
Health Resources
Socioeconomic Inequity
Housing Resources
Social Resources
Wealth
Employment
Economic Resources
Table of Childhood Opportunity Index Neighborhood Indicator Domains and Sub-domains
82 14 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
5. IMPACTS OF POVERTY ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH
11 https://www.diversitydatakids.org/child-opportunity-index The graphic chart above shows the percentage
of census tracts distributed among the five Child
Opportunity Index levels and cites the census tracts
below each level. This illustrates that nearly half
(45%) of Richmond’s neighborhoods show “Very Low”
and “Low” opportunities for children and youth to
thrive. In contrast, thirty-eight percent experience
High and Very High Opportunities while seventeen
percent fall between them.
While the COI incorporates income and non-income-
based factors, a correlation can be seen between
Richmond census tracts with higher levels of child
poverty and lower COI scores. Like poverty rates, there is a wide disparity in COI across the different census tracts in Richmond, ranging from Very Low to Very High Opportunity.
And like national trends, there is a stark disproportionate number of Black and Hispanic children living in the low COI neighborhoods.
If you are interested in learning more about the Child
Opportunity Index and using their dashboard, go to Diversity Data Kids by going to https://www.diversitydatakids.org/child- opportunity-index.
Percentage of COI Ratings Among Richmond Census Tracts on Education, Health & Environment, Social & Economic Indicators Percentage of COI Ratings Among Richmond Census Tracts on Education, Health & Environment, Social & Economic Indicators 17%28%17%28%10%0% 100%%
379000
373000
377000
381000
376000
367200
367100
375000
365002
382000
374000
360200
371000
372000
369002
365003
370000
378000
362000
363000
364002
360101
361000…
384000
360102
356002
Very Low
17%
Low
28%
Moderate
17%
High
28%
Very
High
10%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
%
83 15 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
5. IMPACTS OF POVERTY ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH
The following map shows
the Child Opportunity
Index (COI) level and the
number of children and
youth residing within
each of the twenty-
six census tracts and
their corresponding
neighborhoods as they
geographically appear on a
census map of Richmond.
2,147
1,203
1,308
934 482
428
1,015
689
670
948
810
843
1,454
2,798
1,450
943
1,523
1,790
1,714
341
1,417
1,092
866
1,838
2,340
3,906
794
1,758
1,110
1,113
VERY HIGH
CHILD OPPORTUNITY INDEX
HIGH
MODERATE
LOW
VERY LOW
KEY:
1 mi © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors
Zip Codes Percent Families at < 200% of Poverty
Source: Census
Year: 2018-2022
Insufficient Data
9.57% or less
9.58% - 17.35%
17.36% - 26.37%
26.38% - 39.44%
39.45% or greater
Shaded by: Census Tract, 2022
Estimated percent of families at less than 200% of poverty, between 2018-2022.
CHILD OPPORTUNITY
INDEX (COI) LEVELS
AND CHILD/YOUTH
POPULATION
DISTRIBUTION IN
RICHMOND CENSUS
TRACTS
ESTIMATED PERCENT
OF FAMILIES LIVING
AT LESS THAN 200%
FPL – RICHMOND
(2018-2022)
84 16 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
Five core needs emerged that significantly impact
children and youth in Richmond resulting from
interviews, focus groups, surveys and research. This
section of the needs assessment reviews each of the
five: Mental & Behavioral Health, Physical Health,
Learning, Safety, Belonging & Community and
Connective Supportive Services.
A. MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH SECTION
What do we mean by Mental and Behavioral Health?
Mental health involves our emotional, psychological
and social well-being affecting how we think, feel, and act. It influences how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Biological and environmental factors, family history and life experiences play significant roles in maintaining one’s mental health. Behavioral Health,
on the other hand, involves how our actions influence
our health and well-being. Engaging in unhealthy
behaviors such as smoking, vaping, drinking, abusing
substances, or consuming a diet of largely fast-foods will negatively impact mental health and well-being.
Among all categories of needs impacting children and
youth, mental and behavioral health rose to the top.
Youth, parents, grandparents, caregivers and those
working with children and youth all agree that young
people are facing high levels of stress that negatively affect their mental well-being. Richmond youth are
struggling with poverty, bullying, racial discrimination, safety concerns in neighborhood and schools, trauma
and stress associated with exposure to violence which are taking a serious toll on Richmond’s children and youth.
Depression and Anxiety. Most youth in focus groups
commented that the two most common mental health
issues facing young people -- even grade schoolers -- are depression and anxiety. They report experiencing growing levels of anxiety and depression exacerbated by the loss of learning and social isolation due to the pandemic’s
closure of schools, cancellation of socio-recreational
activities and the practice of social-distancing.
The Impact of COVID-19 Continues. Many children and
teens missed out on vital opportunities to develop social skills that would aid them in peer interactions, ability to work in teams, and leadership development. Due to the
need for masking, young children missed out in learning how to interpret body language, facial expressions and
social ques. Focus group youth shared that the pandemic also set the stage for excessive use of “screen time”
influenced by the shift from in-person teaching to remote learning. Beyond hearing these concerns from over one-
hundred youth participating in focus groups, two-hundred respondents to the RFCY Community Needs Assessment
Survey echoed similar views as shown below.
Impact to Children and Youth
How much do the following impact children
and youth in Richmond?
RFCY awarded $1,045,923 in grants
addressing Mental & Behavioral
Health to 10 organizations during
2021-2023.”
85 17 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
Overall, three out of four survey respondents rated
the following 5 impacts as having “Very High and
High” degree of impact on children and youth’s mental
wellbeing: poverty (86%), bullying (80%), learning
loss (79%), general anxiety (78%), racial and ethnic
discrimination (76%).
California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS). Data
collected by the California Department of Education
through the CHKS among students in 5th, 7th, 9th and
11th grades validate the sentiments expressed during
the community engagement process of this needs
assessment. The table below shows the results of three
key mental health measures among West Contra Costa
County Unified School District students.
One of the more concerning trends revealed by this
table, is among fifth graders. In the school year when fifth graders were first asked about feelings of sadness:
one in five (20%) of fifth graders reported being “sad
most or all of the time.” Today, one in four (25%) of
ten-to-eleven-year-olds in fifth grade say they feel
sad “most or all of the time.” Nearly 40% of eleventh
graders frequently say they feel sad, as do at least
one-third of 7th and 9th graders. On average, 30%
– nearly one-third -- of 7th through 11th graders are
experiencing “social and emotional” distress and on
average 15% have considered suicide.
1California Department of Education. California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS). https://calschls.org/my-surveys/4954886f-dbfa-469b-ad47-9452d4e2efda/ and https://calschls.org/my-surveys/f882f1e2- dfc0-4448-b90b-f49cef6e6d3f/. Accessed on February 22, 2024.
Chronic Sadness
Mental Health Measure Percent
2022 | 2023
5th Graders
Percent
2022 | 2023
7th Graders
Percent
2022 | 2023
9th Graders
Percent
2022 | 2023
11th Graders
Socio-Emotional Distress
Considered Suicide
21% 36% 34% 39%
30% 29% 31%
15% 17% 15%
25% 33% 35% 39%
27% 26% 35%
14% 14% 13%
Not Asked on
Survey
Not Asked on
Survey
California Healthy Kids Survey (2022-2023) on Mental Health Measures Among West Contra Costa County Unified School District 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th Graders.1
Today, one in four (25%) of ten-to-eleven-year-
olds in fifth grade say they feel sad most or
all of the time.
86 18 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
2 CHKS, Percent of youth under age 19 years insured by Medi-Cal (2022) 3 Kaiser Permanente Medical Center 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment.
Two Key Areas of Need Identified. Among the
hundreds of comments offered on mental and
behavioral health, two major challenges emerge:
• Need for Increased Awareness and Education.
Parents, grandparents, teachers, and caring adults
report needing support and education regarding
how to recognize the signs of mental and behavioral
health needs, how to respond to someone who
needs help, assistance with accessing mental
behavioral health resources, and how to respond
to the youth or child experiencing these issues in a
sensitive and culturally-appropriate manner.
• Lack of Access to Mental Health Resources. Even
though 96.5 % of children and youth are insured
in Richmond through Medi-Cal 2 ; focus group
participants, key informant interviewees and survey
respondents report long wait times associated with
scheduling appointments for mental and behavioral
health services. There is also a mental health
provider workforce shortage.3 Schools often lack
sufficient mental health professionals to adequately
address the mental and behavioral health needs of
students.
When survey respondents were asked whether they
think the mental health needs of children and youth are being met in Richmond, more than half (52%) felt “Not
So Well or Not Well at All.”
Mental Health Needs
Overall, how well do you think the mental health needs of youth are being met in Richmond? Addressing Needs
Another way of assessing needs is asking youth,
community members and key informant interviewees
what types of programs and initiatives they believe
are needed to address the impacts on the mental and
behavioral health of children and youth.
The top three programs and services to address
mental and behavioral health needs among survey
respondents and community visioning event attendees
were:
• Affordable 1:1 Mental Health Counseling
(In-person or Virtual)
• Access to Behavioral Health Services (e.g.
anger management)
• Programs that address youth trauma and
exposure to violence (later addressed in the
Safety Section of this report).
Overall, mental and behavioral health needs were front
and center throughout the community engagement
process. Efforts and strategies to address mental and
behavioral health needs will remain a priority in the
next phase of this project: the development of the
RFCY Strategic Investment Plan.
87 19 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
B: PHYSICAL HEALTH &
WELLNESS SECTION
The physical well-being of children and youth is strongly influenced by what public health experts refer to as
social determinants of health (SDOH). These are “the
conditions in the environments where people are born,
live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life
outcomes and risks.”1 Access to quality health care, a
living wage job, good schools, safe neighborhoods,
affordable quality housing and living in a welcoming
and thriving community – all make up the social
determinants that impact one’s health.
If children grow-up in neighborhoods where they
witness or hear gun shots, are exposed to lead or mold
in run-down housing or exposure to pollution from
traffic or industrial sites near dense neighborhoods,
don’t have playgrounds or open space to safely play
or exercise, lack access to dental and primary health
care, or live in “food deserts” with limited access to
affordable, healthy foods often over-populated with fast food paving a path towards obesity, their health will
suffer. Living under these conditions fuels a constant
state of stress that robs children and youth of physical well-being vital to their growing bodies and cognitive
development.
Through focus groups with youth, parents and
caregivers, school counselors and a general public
survey, we explored whether or not children and
youth are being impacted by these types of social
determinants of health.
Childhood Opportunities Index (COI) and Health
Indicators. As shown in the “Poverty and Childhood
Opportunities Index” section of this report, 45%
of children and youth live in neighborhoods of
concentrated poverty. The overall rate of children and
youth at 200% of FPL accounts for 37% impacted by
poverty which is a social determinant of health.
The COI measures physical health and health care
access among four categories: Pollution, Healthy
Environment, Safety Related Resources and Health
Resources. Within these categories, the index includes
measuring factors such as air pollution, living near
hazardous waste sites, how many fast-food chains vs.
fresh produce, meats, fish grocery stores are in the
neighborhood, walkability and open spaces, vacant
housing, health care resources provided by non-profits
and health insurance. Thus, those neighborhoods
rated by the COI as “Very Low and Low” indicate low
opportunities to foster and achieve physical well-being resulting from the high incidence of negative outcomes
among the factors analyzed by the index.
Barries to Access: Findings on
Shortages
A consistent theme among the 400 voices we listened
to during our community engagement, centered on
access. Youth, parents, school counselors and survey
respondents raised the need for better access to health care services and resources. And it’s no wonder. Beyond COI indicators verifying Richmond faces four shortage
areas in health care that clearly explains why access
to health care and health resources is significantly
inadequate and is negatively impacting thousands of
children and youth in Richmond. It also speaks as to
why the “Resource Needs” described in this report is
so wide when it comes to meeting the physical health
needs of children and youth.2
1 https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health 2 https://www.transparentrichmond.org/stories/s/Quality-and-Accessible-Health-Homes- Services/y8gx-ywn5
Richmond’s Four
Designated Professional
Health Shortage Areas
• Medically Under-served Area (MUA)
• Primary Care Health Professional
Shortage
• Mental Health Professional Shortage
• Dental Health Professional Shortage
RFCY awarded $218,000 in grants
addressing Basic Needs to 4
organizations during 2021-2023.
Source: CA Statewide Office of Health Planning & Development, 2024. 88 20 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
One youth shared how her
mother was forced to hold-
off getting her an x-ray for an
injured foot until she received
her paycheck a week later.
Two Resounding Themes. Among the hundreds of
comments shared through the community engagement
process and responses to multiple-choice questions
exploring specific social determinants of health, two
essential areas of needs related to physical health and access emerged.
(1) Healthy Food Access, Fitness & Nutrition
Programs. There is a strong interest within the
Richmond community in finding ways to live more
healthily. Ninety percent of survey respondents rate the need for access to affordable healthy foods as “Very
High and High,” while eight out of ten rate the need for Food Banks and Food Vouchers at the same levels.
Eighty-six percent feel there’s a “Very High or High
Need” for fitness and nutrition programs for youth
while 84% feel the same way towards providing children
and youth outdoor activities such as hiking, gardening
and camping. Youth focus group participants voiced
these same sentiments towards the high need for
these types of healthy lifestyle programs. Youth want
to be more active outside and socialize in open spaces
but are hesitant because they are not feeling safe in
many neighborhoods. Parents and grandparents report
keeping young children at home for the same concerns.
This is discussed in more detail in the Safety, Community and Belonging section of this report.
(2) Access to Clinics, Urgent Care and Drug Awareness
and Treatment Programs.
As with Mental and Behavioral Health, children and youth are mostly insured through Medi-Cal, however, the wait
to getting into seeing a specialist can be long. Receiving 89 21 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
care at an Urgent Care Center can require a co-pay
that a low-income individual or family can ill-afford.
Overall, those responding to the survey expressed a
“Very High and High” need for easily accessible free
clinics and walk-in centers (86%) without long wait
times. Focus group participants also felt the same while older youth favored the idea of being able to seek
services and education on their own. Urgent Care was
seen as a preferable way of receiving care without the
necessity of going to an Emergency Department. Some
respondents, however, express concerns that their
insurance does not cover co-pays which they felt were
rather high and pose a barrier to seeking urgent care.
One of the more concerning physical health issues
facing children and youth, as cited by focus group
youth and survey respondents, is the growing incidence
of substance abuse, especially related to drugs. They
raised concerns about the fentanyl crisis; Contra Costa County reported 181deaths due to the drug, accounting
for 15.6 deaths per 100,000 population in the past
twelve months.3 Though this rate is low compared
to other communities throughout the state, news
reports about the dangers of this drug were alarming.
It may explain why 85% of survey respondents, rate
85% rate drug prevention &
education as a High Priority.
2024 RFCY Community Needs Assessment Survey
3 Data is preliminary for the last 12 months, as of 2023 Q1. County is based on place of residence. https://calmatters.org/explainers/california-opioid-crisis/#1ceb3f93-f2a1-44fc-a556- 4c039bd4861b
4 https://calschls.org/my-surveys/f882f1e2-dfc0-4448-b90b-f49cef6e6d3f/ “preventive education and awareness of drug usage (e.g. vaping)” as a “Very High or High Need.”
Not just older adults raised concerns about the growing use of vaping, but so did youth who were beginning to
question, “if it’s really that safe” despite all the hype that it’s much better than smoking a cigarette. According to California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys, 11% of eleventh graders report electronic cigarette/vaping and 14% are using marijuana in Contra Costa County. 4
Overall, the most overarching need raised by community
members is addressing the multiple barriers to accessing health-related care and resources that will better enhance the physical well-being of Richmond’s children and youth.
And that includes living in healthy neighborhoods.
90 22 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
C. LEARNING NEEDS SECTION
Understanding Learning Needs. The scope of learning
reviewed in preparation for this Community Needs Assessment spans a wide spectrum from pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school to post-secondary education through youth 24 years of age. The learning needs of children and youth were also a leading discussion topic among focus
group participants, survey respondents, key informants and Community Visioning event attendees.
Key learning benchmarks were identified and reviewed along this spectrum to assess whether children and youth are falling behind indicating a “learning need” to address. Needs were discussed along this learning spectrum providing deeper, lived- experience insights to the data and benchmarks reviewed.
The following information, data, benchmarks and insights from community members provide a fuller understanding as to the learning needs of Richmond’s children and youth.
Richmond’s Diverse Student Population. The West Contra
Costa School District (WCCUSD) consists of 54 schools and serves a student population of 26,312 students.1 Families in the school district speak more than 50 different languages2; 36% of students are English Language Learners. The
district’s minority enrollment is 90% and 31% of students are economically disadvantaged.3
Pandemic-Related Learning Loss. Among over 100 youth attending focus groups, many shared how they’ve experienced learning loss and have found it challenging to make up for lost time. Nearly 80% of survey respondents feel the learning loss due to COVID-19 is having a “Very High or High Impact” upon children and youth in Richmond.
Access to Quality Childcare. Richmond has the largest number of children in Contra Costa County; more than half (53%) of the preschool-aged children countywide are income-eligible for subsidized preschool programs. Childcare providers, that receive funding for state and federally-subsidized childcare programs, served 40% of eligible preschool- aged children, leaving the childcare and pre-school needs of 60% of eligible children unmet.4 This unmet need is significantly greater than the 47% of unmet need cited in 2017. 1 https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/california/districts/west-contra-costa-unified-104246 2 https://www.wccusd.net/domain/2594
3 https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/california/districts/west-contra-costa-unified-104246#:~:text=Students%20at%20West%20Contra%20 Costa,Hawaiian%20or%20other%20Pacific%20Islander.
4 https://cdnsm5-ss16.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_1077313/File/Final%20Contra%20Costa%20County%20Child%20Care%20Needs%20 Assessment%202022%20Report.pdf p.10
Hispanic/Latino
54%
Multiracial
2%
Asian
10%
African American
18%
Filipino
6%
White
10%
91 23 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
Readiness for Kindergarten. A School Readiness
Assessment by the West County First Five Center, a non- profit family resource center for 0-5 year old children, found that only 29% of WCCUSD kindergartners are prepared for school.5 Forty-four percent of kindergarteners are partially ready, and 27% are not ready for school. This is the most recent school readiness assessment available, but this
data has not been updated since 2018. Notably, children born between September 2, 2019 and June 2, 2020 will
be eligible for Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) , a new grade level preceding kindergarten that all children in California will be eligible for.6
Chronic Absenteeism. Chronic absenteeism is defined
as the percentage of students who are absent more than
10% of instructional days they are enrolled. WCCUSD has a chronic absenteeism rate of 32% (2022-23). This is a
marked improvement from the year prior (2021-2022) which was at 42% and influenced by the pandemic. However, the 2021-2022 rate was nearly double that of 2017-2018 (17%), suggesting that chronic absenteeism has not returned to pre- pandemic levels. Chronic absenteeism is highest among the following groups7 :
5 April 2018. Applied Survey Research. Ready or Not Here We Come: An Assessment of Kindergarten Readiness in Contra Costa County. 6 https://cauniversalprek.org/families/
7 blob:https://caschooldashboard.org/7cfd0219-5919-4418-807a-39b9d6a72320 0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
Foster Youth (35%)
Hispanic Students (40%)
African American Students (44%)
American Indian Students (49%)
Students Experiencing Homelessness (59%)
CHRONIC ABSENTEE RATES
92 24 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
English Language Learners. Over one third (36%) of
WCCUSD students are English Language Learners (ELL).8
The majority of ELL students speak Spanish (83%), however approximately 50 languages are represented among ELL
students. About 40% made progress (increasing one level) on the English Language Proficiency exam in 2023 (down from 44% in 2022). 9
Predictors of Future Success in School.Third grade literacy and eighth grade math proficiency are benchmarks used to predict how well a child will do throughout their school years.
Both of these current benchmarks are below pre-pandemic levels in Richmond. In 2023, less than a third (29%) of third graders met or exceeded grade-level reading standards -- down from 32% in 2018-2019. A mere 14% of 8th graders
met or exceeded grade-level math standards.10
Disparities in Learning. There are significant disparities in academic achievement across student racial/ethnic groups in WCCUSD.
• In 2022-2023 only 20% of African American students and 21% of Hispanic students met or exceeded English Language Arts standards.
• Only 9% of African American students and 12% of Hispanic students met or exceeded mathematics standards.12
Prepared to Graduate. Nearly half of the graduating class of WCCUSD in 2023 (48 %) was NOT considered prepared for college or a career, according to the College/Career Indicator (CCI), one of several indicators used by the California Department of Education. Just over a third (34 %) were “prepared” and nearly one in five (18%) were “approaching prepared.” 13 14
8 https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/california/districts/west-contra-costa-unified-104246#:~:text=Students%20at%20West%20Contra%20Costa,Hawaiian%20or%20other%20Pacific%20Islander. 9 https://www.caschooldashboard.org/reports/07617960000000/2023/academic-performance#english-learner-progress 10 Ibid, 8th Grade Math Scores
11 https://webutil.csac.ca.gov/Dashboard/
12 https://www.ed-data.org/district/Contra-Costa/West-Contra-Costa-Unified 13 https://www.caschooldashboard.org/reports/07617960000000/2023/academic-performance#college-career 14 The College/Career Indicator (CCI) is one of several state indicators that the California Department of Education (CDE) reports on the California School Dashboard. It represents the percentage of high school graduates who are prepared for college or a career. This indicator is reported for any local educational agency (LEA) and high school that enrolls students in grade twelve. 71% OF 3RD GRADERS
ARE NOT READING AT
GRADE LEVEL,11 AND 86%
of 8th GRADERS ARE
BELOW THE STANDARD
LEVELS IN MATH.
HALF OF HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS ARE NOT
PREPARED FOR COLLEGE OR CAREER.
93 25 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
Graduation Rate. Graduation rates at WCCUSD have been
relatively steady (84 - 86%) since 2018 except for the 2020- 2021 school year during the pandemic.15 The graduation rate among students who attended high school together (cohort rate) was 85% in the 2022-2023 school year according to Ed Data Education Data Partnership 16
Groups of students at risk of not graduating with their high-school classmates are: Foster Care Youth (40%), Youth Experiencing Homelessness (26%), Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Youth (19%), English Language Learners (29%) and Students with Disabilities (43%).
Racial/Ethnic Breakdown - Students
Not Graduating Within 5 Years of
Entering Ninth Grade17
College/Career
The percent of students in the
Class of 2023 that qualify as Not
Prepared, Approaching Prepared,
and Prepared.
15 https://www.ed-data.org/district/Contra-Costa/West-Contra-Costa-Unified 16 https://www.ed-data.org/district/Contra-Costa/West-Contra-Costa-Unified 17 https://www.caschooldashboard.org/reports/07617960000000/2023/academic-engagement#graduation-rate 0 20
40 60
80 100
34.1%
17.7%
48.2%
Not Prepared
Approaching Prepared
Prepared
Class of 2023
0 5 10 15 20
Percent Did Not GraduateRace/Ethnicity
African American 17.9%
Asian 11.2%
Hispanic/Latino 19.7%
Two or More Races 13.5%
Two or More Races 11.5%
94 26 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
Student Aid for College. In the West Contra Costa
Unified School District, 65% of graduating high school
seniors in 2023 submitted a FAFSA and 59% applied for
Cal Grants.18 The percent of students that applied for
CalGrants in WCCYSD is significantly lower than the 70% of WCCUSD students that applied for it a decade ago.19
Overall, 40% of students are not applying for financial aid. Most of those who aren’t applying for financial
aid fall into the category of the Priority Populations
that RFCY addresses. These students have a high
likelihood of qualifying for financial aid if they apply.
This is a lost opportunity for these students who could receive assistance to attend college. This speaks to the fact that 85% of survey respondents cited a “Very
High or High” need for “College and Career Prep
Assistance.”
Key Areas of Need Identified. Overall, the learning
needs of children and youth in Richmond are significant as demonstrated not only by facts and figures, but also through the more than 400 individuals who participated
in this needs assessment and voiced their ideas and
concerns regarding theirse needs.
Among the hundreds of responses and comments
related to learning needs, these two areas surfaced:
(1) High Need for Career and College Preparation.
Schools were seen as under-resourced in helping
students explore careers, learn how to prepare for
those careers, and acquire training after graduating
from high school. Youth interested in college, reported needing access to college preparatory courses and 1:1
guidance that assists them in searching for and applying to colleges along with finding financial aid. High-speed broadband for all ages was seen as strongly needed to
support learning at home.
(2) High Need for Mentors, Parental Support, After
School Programs, Summer Jobs and Camps. Nine out
of ten survey respondents felt that each of these types of programs and initiatives are vital to support learning.
Caring adult mentors, especially those who can relate
and “look like me” were seen as crucial, for youth of
color, Justice-Impacted Youth and LGBTQIA+ youth.
Ninety percent of survey respondents cite educating
parents/caregivers on how to support children’s
learning needs as “Highly Needed.” Teachers also
felt that aiding parents in methods to further their child’s learning is an extremely valuable partnership to form and skill to impart to parents and caring adults. Youth and adults would like to see additional after-school programs, summer camps and summer jobs for teens.
18 https://webutil.csac.ca.gov/Dashboard/
19 https://webutil.csac.ca.gov/Dashboard/
85 percent of survey
respondents cited a
“Very High or High” need
for “College and Career
Prep Assistance.”
RFCY awarded $1,136,150 in grants addressing
Education, Employment, Training to 13
organizations during 2021-2023.”
95 27 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
D. SAFETY, BELONGING AND
COMMUNITY SECTION
A recurrent theme among those interviewed, focus group
participants, and hundreds of survey respondents was
that residents are proud to live in Richmond. While they embrace its diversity, sense of community, and believe in its promise, they are also aware of their city’s challenges and are willing to roll up their sleeves to take them on.
Safety
Concerns about safety is one of the most pressing
challenges raised by all groups engaged in this needs
assessment. Youth made it very clear that they long for a community where everyone can feel safe everywhere in
Richmond. When asked, “How much do you think youth
worry about their safety in their neighborhoods,” nearly all respondents believe youth are worried (95%) about
safety.
Three out of four respondents believe that the “fear for safety,” among children and youth is having a “Very High or High” impact on their well-being. It explains why 92% of respondents rate “Creating safe and quality spaces for 13-year plus age group” as a “Very High or High Need.”
Major themes arising from open-ended survey comments
and focus groups with youth include: varying levels
of safety by neighborhoods, with some considered
dangerous; youth viewing violence as normal due to their daily experiences; the urgent need to address the lack
of safe, public spaces; inadequate safety in and around schools; and the need for community policing to deter
crime. They cautioned, however, against profiling racial and ethnic populations or justice-impacted youth.
In West Contra Costa County Unified School District
fewer than half of high school students perceive
their school as “safe” or “very safe,” according to
the 2023 California Healthy Kids Survey1 (Only 43%
of 9th graders, 38% of 10th graders, 42% of 11th
graders, and 44 % of 12th graders said they felt safe
at school.) While in 2023 the number of homicides
in Richmond reached its lowest point in a generation,
evidence also suggests that many youth in Richmond
have experienced cumulative exposure to violence,
specifically gun-violence over the past decade. Of the
2,300 gunshots fired in Richmond since 2013, 41% took
place within a half-mile of a school, and 81% of those
took place near an elementary school.
1 https://www.caschooldashboard.org/reports/07617960000000/2023/conditions-and- climate#priority6
65 % say youth are “Extremely or Very Worried” about
safety in their neighborhoods.
RFCY awarded $339,625 in grants addressing
Youth Violence Prevention to 5 organizations
during 2021-2023.
— RFCY Community Needs Assessment Survey 2024.
96 28 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
The campuses with the most incidents nearby were those
in neighborhoods with lower median incomes than the
rest of the city, census data showed. One elementary
school has seen an average of six nearby shootings per
year over the past decade.2
According to the 2021 National Community Survey (NCS)
73% of people in Richmond say they feel safe in their
neighborhood during the day and 43% say they feel safe
in the commercial/downtown area during the day. Fewer
people report feeling safe in their Richmond community
than 99% of communities surveyed nationally.
Crime Trends in Richmond
Richmond recorded eight homicides in 2023, — the
fewest since officials started keeping track in 1971.
This represents a 64% reduction from the 22 homicides
the city recorded in 2020 and a 56 % reduction from
the 18 logged each during both 2021 and 2022. This
is consistent with nationwide trends, with major U.S.
metro areas reporting a roughly 12% decrease in 2023.3
Four types of crimes that increased over the last year
are: burglaries at 30%; vehicle theft at 18%; robberies and aggravated assault each at 10%. Decrease in types
of crime were seen in Larceny Theft (29 %) and sexual
assault (12%) while the remaining crimes showed slight
decreases.
2 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/26/children-gun-violence-schools-bay-area- ptsd-richmond-california
3 AH Datalytics. https://www.ahdatalytics.com/dashboards/ytd-murder-comparison/ 4 https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/4010/Crime-Statistics-Reports There have been many
incidents involving
gang disputes, physical
altercations, and drug
sales around and even
within my school campus.
Just recently, there had
been a shooting in front
of my school campus
which had left many
of my fellow students
appalled.
— Youth Survey Respondent, RFCY
Community Needs Assessment Survey 2024
YEAR OVER YEAR 2021 20232022
Crime Trends in Richmond
2021-2023
4 Homicide
Sexual Assault
Robbery
Aggravated Assault
Larceny-Theft
Arson
Burglary
Vehicle Theft
Index Crime Totals
Year Over Year Crime Statistics
Source: Richmond Police Department
18 18 8
86 86 100
243 258 298
832 857 941
1,849 1,993 1,696
44 34 30
311 262 343
1,044 1,068 1,258
4,471 4,604 4,674
97 29 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
Police Use of Force
Justice-impacted youth and young adults between the
ages of 18-24 years are considered Priority Populations by the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth. Justice-
impacted youth are those who “are at risk of being
incarcerated or have been formally incarcerated, have
had a sibling, parent or extended family member
impacted by the justice system, or have been arrested,
convicted or involved in the juvenile justice system. All too often, they have “been affected by law enforcement
to the point where such an involvement has altered their life.”5
Justice-impacted youth are also more at-risk of
experiencing encounters with police, especially those
living in poor communities and are youth of color.6 In a focus group with justice-impacted youth for this needs
assessment, participants expressed concerns over
interactions with police that had or could evolve into
use of force.
From 2018 to 2022 the number of annual arrests made
by Richmond Police Department fell by 58% from 2,376
arrests to 999 arrests and use of force fell by 23%. In 2021 and 2022 the use of force rate per one hundred
arrests averaged about 10%, a significant increase from the two years prior that averaged six percent.7
Three demographic groups (gender, race, and age)
made up half of all use of force subjects: Black and
Hispanic males between 18 and 39 years of age.
Insights from Justice-Impacted
Youth Focus Group
In a focus group of 22 justice-impacted youth,
participants shared experiences of being unfairly
targeted by law enforcement. They believe race factors
into why they are pulled over for traffic stops and that they are treated differently due to their involvement with the justice system. They shared that they value programs that support them in moving away from or steering clear of gang culture in Richmond. Mentors that have “walked
in their shoes” are extremely important to them. They
are concerned about limited job opportunities, low
wages and the need for more vocational training and
employment. They feel that there’s a need for greater
community collaboration to ensure safe communities,
foster unity and reduce violence. Access to education, social services, and mental health counseling focused on helping them cope with the amount of violence they’ve
experienced; substance abuse counseling and treatment
are all vitally needed. They would also like to know their rights when approached by police officers.
5 https://www.csusb.edu/educational-opportunity-center/information-resources/justice- impacted-students
6 https://www.lsac.org/data-research/research/justice-impacted-individuals-pipeline-national- exploration-law-school
7 https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/65620/Second-Summary-Use-of-Force- Report---Richmond-PD---April-2023?bidId=
GENDER AGERACE %
OF FORCE
INCIDENTS
NUMBER
OF
SUBJECTS
Most Common Characteristics
of Use of Force Subjects
2018 – 2022
Male Black
HispanicMale
All Other Demographic
Groups & Unknown
Total
Source: Richmond Police Department
18-39 161 26%
18-39
18-39
147 24%
302 50%
610 100%
PTSD is one of the
biggest causes of stress
for us.
— Focus Group Participant
98 30 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
Belonging
Children and youth thrive from a feeling of belonging
among their family and friends, their neighborhoods,
schools, and community. A true sense of belonging
requires appreciation for who someone is and not
being seen through a lens of harmful stereotypes. As
one justice-impacted youth, who wasn’t made to feel
like he belonged, put it: “The way they see me is how
they treat me.”
Article 15 tasks RFCY with identifying and addressing
the needs of vulnerable priority populations among
children and youth in Richmond. To better understand
their needs, sense of belonging and perspectives, focus groups were held with priority populations youth and
one survey question asked, “How well do you think the
needs of the following groups of youth are being met?”
The chart below shows seven such groups illustrating
that 50% of over 200 survey respondents felt that
Justice-Impacted and LGTBQIA+ youth’s needs are
not being met. (Not so Well and Not Well at All) as are the needs of African-American youth (44%), Immigrant
Family Youth (33%) and Latinx, Asian and Second
Language Youth at (30%).
All priority population groups face the five categories of needs presented in this report, each struggling with their unique challenges and often navigating them
alone.
Priority Youth Populations
How well do you think the needs of the following groups of Youth are being met? As one justice-impacted
youth, who wasn’t made
to feel like he belonged,
put it: “The way they
see me is how they treat
me.”
99 31 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
Two Other Populations in Need of
Belonging & Support
Two vulnerable populations are discussed throughout the 2024 Community Needs Assessment:
Disconnected Youth are defined as youth between 18
and 24 years of age who are out of school, are on their own without jobs or support and/or have transitioned
out of the Foster Care System. These youth require a
great deal of support as they transition into adulthood.
One of the most highly needed services they require is
training and job placement along with support in gaining a secondary education should they want to pursue it.
They also need assistance in securing stable housing,
mentoring and support from a caring adult.
Youth Experiencing Homelessness are those without
a stable sleeping/living arrangement or living in
shelters. This includes what is referred to as “hidden
homelessness,” for example, when a single mom and
her children repeatedly live for short stays at friends or relatives; often disrupting where the children attend
school.
The most current count of people experiencing
homelessness in Contra Costa County is 2,843 persons,
marking an increase from 2,372 persons in 2023. Among
those numbers, Richmond shows a decrease from the
year prior while the East County accounts for most of the increases. This number is a result of the Point in Time (PIT) Count taken of people experiencing homelessness
on a given night in the County. This count is a nationwide initiative of the federal Housing and Urban Development agency.
As illustrated below, 14% of the homeless population
were under the age of 24, and half of these individuals (7%) were under the age of 18.8 The number of younger
persons experiencing homelessness has increased by 2%
since 2023.
Students who are experiencing homelessness are at
greater risk of underperforming in school largely due to high rates of chronic absenteeism. Nearly sixty percent (59%) of unhoused students in 2023 attending WCCUSD
were chronically absent placing them at significant risk of not graduating or moving up to the next grade-level.9 In a focus group to gather insights from youth and
families experiencing homelessness, several needs
were identified: accessing basic necessities such as
transportation, laundry services, clothing and food;
mental health support for youth struggling with
depression and anxiety due to being without a stable
homelife and the stigma of being unhoused; loss of
access to school activities and remaining with their
peers when they’ve moved out of the school district;
and the impact of their family’s loss of income due to
COVID-19.
Source: West Contra Costa Point in Time Count 2024
8 West Contra Costa County Point in Time Count 2024, https://www.cchealth.org/home/ showpublisheddocument/30271/638525089151900000
9 https://www.cde.ca.gov/homelessyouth.asp
100
32 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
6. RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE CORE NEEDS
Building Community
One of the most popular types of programs that youth
and parents view as valuable in both fostering child
and youth development and building “community” are
neighborhood and community centers that offer multiple
enrichment programs (performing arts, music, STEM
programs) along with social, sports and recreational
activities. They envision these centers also offering
programs and resources for parents and families that
uplift the whole family, often times intergenerational
families, in raising their children and youth.
These would include services to help parents navigate
social and health care services, parenting classes, or
teach caring adults how to help children with homework.
Youth in focus groups spoke highly of the multi-purpose neighborhood centers that exist in Richmond but say
waiting lists and transportation issues prevent youth from participating. Affordable after-school programs, summer camps and summer jobs for youth also rate high in need.
At the Community Needs Assessment Visioning Event
involving over 70 community members and youth, there
was high interest in creating community events with
residents and families throughout the year and in using locations throughout the city to build a stronger sense of community all over Richmond.
85% rate the need for
neighborhood centers as
“Very High or High Need.”
RFCY awarded $1,361,200 in grants addressing
After School Sports, & Enrichment to 18
organizations during 2021-2023
101
33 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
7. RESOURCE NEEDS: CURRENT STATE
E. CONNECTIVE SUPPORTIVE
SERVICES SECTION
Throughout the entire community engagement process
with over 400 individuals sharing insights on needs of
Richmond’s children and youth, three connective and over- arching needs stand out:
1. Transportation. The need for transportation to connect families and individuals to jobs, schools, childcare, job training, education, health care and after-school programs that enrich their children is central to moving beyond
poverty. Most low-income individuals and families can’t afford reliable transportation and if they do, can’t afford costly car repairs. Public transportation isn’t conducive to schedules when juggling getting to childcare, jobs and
after-school programs. This may explain why only 10% of workers in Richmond use public transportation to get to their jobs while 63% drive alone.1 Youth often cited that there are neighborhood centers and programs they’d love to attend but there’s no reliable source of transportation that allows them to get there from school and then back home. As a result, they simply don’t have access to these valuable resources that could enrich their lives.
2. Navigation Support. There is a need to assist families and individuals in navigating social services, housing, educational services and health care delivery systems that could connect them to resources needed to address the
numerous challenges they face. Parents and grandparents who attended the “Parent and Caregiver” focus group
raised this as a very high need. They find that the eligibility criteria and application process to receive services is complex and overwhelming with every organization
demanding its own set of requirements. It is a time-
consuming task to track down much-needed resources,
determine whether you’re eligible and then provide the
documents required to apply. This is why participants
at the Community Needs Assessment Visioning event
viewed the idea of “Developing a city-wide universal
application for health and social services” as a high
priority.
3. It Takes Two Generations. There is a need for
children and youth service providers and organizations
to embrace a multi-generational approach (2-GEN) to
support children and youth. This approach is based
on the premise that if they uplift parents, they uplift children. Two-generation (2Gen) approaches “build
family well-being by intentionally and simultaneously
working with children and the adults in their lives
together. 2Gen begins with the mindset that by
designing pathways to educational and economic
success that support children and families together,
the resulting structure is stronger and better for both generations.”2 For example, if a center offers teens
socio-recreational activities and homework help, they
could arrange for assistance with resume writing, job-
hunting or financial literacy to their parents to ensure the whole family’s economic security. The 2Gen approach
engages all organizations working with children to think of offering services that promote a family’s well-being which secures the well-being of every member in it and
community as a whole. This 2-Gen approach includes
grandparents raising grandchildren, as well.
1 U.S. Census Bureau. “Selected Economic Characteristics.” American Community Survey, ACS 5-Year Estimates Data Profiles, Table DP03, 2022, https://data.census.gov/table/ ACSDP5Y2022.DP03?g=040XX00US06_160XX00US0660620. Accessed on March 16, 2024. 2 https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Ascend_ FactSheet_2Gen_1.18.2024.pdf
CONNECTIVE
SUPPORTIVE
SERVICES
Transportation
Navigating Services
2Gen Approach
RFCY awarded $300,000 in grants addressing
Information, Guidance, & Case Management to 5
organizations during 2021-2023
102
34 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
7. RESOURCE NEEDS: CURRENT STATE
Child and Youth Community-Based
Services in Richmond: The Current State
The City of Richmond seeks to ensure that all children
and youth within the community are given the resources
and opportunities they need to thrive, prosper, and
grow within their vibrant and diverse hometown. One
way of addressing those needs is through organizations
from the public, private, non-profit, education and faith- based sectors offering a wide-range of quality services to children, youth and their families.
The 2022 Resource Guide that the Richmond
Department of Children and Youth (RDCY) developed
following the 2020 Community Needs Assessment and
the Strategic Investment Plan for Fiscal Years 2021-2024, provides a framework of what the community-based
services delivery system for children and youth looks like in Richmond. This is especially relevant to RFCY’s focus on providing funds to community-based organizations
seeking to enhance the lives of children and youth.
The goal of the guide is in response to community
members needing a centralized list of organizations
to easily find basic information on what resources
and services are available to address their needs.
Organizations have also found it useful as an “Information & Referral” guide for the youth and families they serve and as a means of learning about other organizations with which they can partner and collaborate to better serve
their constituencies.
The 2022 RDCY Resource Guide identified 52
organizations that offer services to Richmond children and youth and their families. The Resource Guide provides
the following information for each listed organization:
name, address, phone number, description of services,
age group, and link to its website. Among the 52
organizations listed in the Resource Guide, one-third are in the Health and Well Being Category and nearly one-
quarter in the Education and Job Training Category while about ten percent are in each of the remaining Category.
CATEGORY PERCENT OF ORGANIZATIONSNUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS The 2022 RDCY Resource Guide
Health and Well Being
Education and Job Training
Media, Arts, and Culture
Youth & Family Leadership/Organizing and
Civic Engagement
Parent and Guardian Support
Outdoor Education and Recreation
TOTAL
A list of the 52 organizations in the Resource Guide by Priority Area is shown in Appendix C. 17 32.7%
12 23.1%
6 11.5%
5 9.6%
7 13.5%
5 9.6%
52 100%
103
35 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
7. RESOURCE NEEDS: CURRENT STATE
RFCY COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS
In response to the needs identified by RFCY in its
previous 2020 Community Needs Assessment, the Fund
has invested nearly 4.5 million dollars into services,
programs and activities within Richmond. These have
been delivered through non-profit community-based
organizations to address needs identified by the
community and cited in Article XV among the following
six priority areas: School Time, After School, Sports & Enrichment; Employment/Training Support; Behavioral
Health, Mental Health and Wellness; Youth Violence
Prevention; Information, Guidance & Case Management;
and Access to Basic Needs.
In the three years following the 2020 Community Needs
Assessment and the development of the Strategic
Investment Plan, RFCY has awarded 55 grants to
community organizations ranging from $15,000 to
$150,000. The largest number of grants was awarded
in the areas of: School Time, After School, Sports &
Enrichment (18); Employment/Training Support (13); and
Behavioral Health, Mental Health and Wellness (10). The remaining three areas were awarded four to five grants
over the past three years: Youth Violence Prevention (5); Information, Guidance & Case Management (5); and
Access to Basic Needs (4).
$4.5 million dollars
invested in children
& youth programs.
RFCY DISTRIBUTION OF GRANTS
2021-2023
Number Of Grants & Range: 55 Grants $15k – 150k
Total Amount: $4,400,902
Percent Of Total Funds Awarded: 100%
Behavioral Health, Mental Health & Wellness:
Number Of Grants & Range: 10 Grants
Range: $41,000-$150,000 Total: $1,045,923
Education Support & Employment/Training Support:
Number Of Grants & Range: 13 Grants
Range: $22,000-$150,000 Total: $1,136,150
Out-Of-School Time, After School, Sports & Enrichment:
Number Of Grants & Range: 18 Grants Range: $15,000-
$150,000 Total: $1,361,200
Youth Violence Prevention: Number Of Grants & Range: 5 Grants Range: $35,000-$100,000 Total: $339,625
Basic Needs: Number Of Grants & Range: 4 Grants
Range: $25,000-$75,000 Total: $218,004
Info, Guidance, Case Management: Number Of Grants &
Range: 5 Grants Range: $20,000-$110,000
Total: $300,000
104
36 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
7. RESOURCE NEEDS: CURRENT STATE
To appreciate the breadth and type of organizations receiving funds from RFCY to address the multi-faceted needs of Richmond’s children and youth, the following table presents the names of organizations receiving grants from RFCY by Priority Area and Year. It was very common to hear youth and survey respondents identify their participation in programs offered by these organizations and they did so in a very positive light.
RFCY GRANTEE ORGANIZATIONS
PRIORITY
AREA 2021 2022 2023
1. Behavioral Health,
Mental Health and
Wellness
2. Education Support
& Employment/
Training Support
3. Out-of-School
Time, After
School, Sports &
Enrichment
4. Youth
Violence
Prevention
6. Information,
Guidance & Case
Management
5. Access to Basic
Needs
Familias Unidas Mindful Life Project West County Mandarin School; Early Childhood Mental Health Program New Life Movement Greater Richmond Interfaith Group (GRIP) Bridges from School to Work; College is Real (CIR) Richmond Art Center Seneca Family of Agencies
None
Richmond Promise
Community Violence Solutions
Rosie the Riveter Trust D.R.E.A.M. Financial Academy Envisioneers Inc.
East Bay Center for the Performing Arts Aim High for High School ABLE Community Development Foundation
Child Abuse Prevention Council of CCC
Community Services Department
Recreation
Oshiana Unique Thompkins Foundation Community Education Partnerships RYSE Rosie the Riveter Trust Community Services-Recreation Project Avery
West County Digs Pogo Park Easter Hill United Methodist Church Youth Code Now The Practice Space Social Progress Inc. (SPI) 18 Reasons
Contra Costa Youth Service Bureau
Greater Richmond Interfaith Program
(GRIP)
Fresh Approach
Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY)
Youth Finance Institute of America (YFIA);
None
Richmond Police Activities League
Bay Service Area Community Services Richmond Community Foundation (RCF) Improve Your TomorrowUrban Tilth The Watershed Project
Bay Area Community Resources;
Healthy Contra CostaRichmond Build Things That Creep
City of Richmond Employment & TrainingRichmond Promise
Richmond Public Library Black Fighters Association (BFA) 105
37 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
7. RESOURCE NEEDS: CURRENT STATE
Resource Gaps: Current State
Overall, the Richmond community offers a wide array of
programs and services focused on strengthening and
enhancing children, youth and their families. Centers that offer comprehensive enrichment, recreational, sports and performing arts programs are highly regarded by parents and youth, alike. So are the many programs listed in the Resource Guide featuring what 52 community-based
organizations offer in the community.
Yet, despite all the good works and initiatives being
provided, community members feel there’s substantial
work that remains in meeting the needs identified and
reviewed in this 2024 Community Needs Assessment.
Overall Rating on Meeting Needs of Children and
Youth. Survey respondents were asked using a five-star
rating with five as best and one as least, “Overall, how many stars would you give the Richmond community in
meeting the needs of children and youth?” Nearly 40%
gave a 1or 2 star rating, while an equal number gave a 3 star rating. Nineteen percent chose a 4 or 5 star rating.
The weighted average among all ratings yielded 3 stars.
Source: 2022 RDCY Resource Guide.
Source: COI – Child Opportunity Index for Richmond Census Tracts. *Health & Wellness has 11 Richmond-based organizations; however, one of them only has a mailbox for an address; no census tract was identified for this organization. **The census tract list cites 3690.02.
Ratings
Overall, how many stars would you give the Richmond community in meeting the needs of children and youth? (One star being the lowest and five the highest).
(2.7)
106
38 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
7. RESOURCE NEEDS: CURRENT STATE
Many of the open-ended comments throughout the
survey suggest that community members and youth
participating in focus groups find the services that
are available helpful and believe there’s a genuine
commitment among organizations and civic leaders
to meet the needs of children and youth. The
problem is that the needs of children and youth are
significant, escalating and remain unmet because
the demand for services and resources exceeds the
supply. The stark number of “Very Low” and “Low”
Childhood Opportunity Index neighborhoods, the high
concentration of poverty census tracts, a near 40%
poverty rate (200% FPL) among children and youth, and
Richmond’s four separate designations as Medically
Under-served Area (MUA), Primary Care Health
Professional, Dental Health Professional, and Mental
Health Professional shortage areas are all indicative as to why demand for services is so difficult to meet.1 This is especially true among the two core areas of Mental & Behavioral Health Needs and Physical Health & Access
Needs.
This overall “Resource Gap” impacts all five of the
Core Categories of Needs identified in this report.
Addressing them will require– not one program or
category at a time – but a systemic community-wide
level to create a collective impact.
What does this mean? The Richmond Fund for
Children and Youth in its role as a catalyst and convener, could bring together community-based organizations,
anchor institutions like medical centers, major
employers, and the school district along with fellow
City departments to identify how they can find ways to
collaborate to maximize the resources each brings to
bear on the Five Core Needs.
To close the Resource Gap, it will be vital to collectively strategize, invest, and develop ways to stretch dollars and find new sources of funding through collaborative
efforts such as grant writing and partnerships.
Addressing the core need of “Connective Supportive
Services” is also essential. Additionally, solving the
1 CA Office of Statewide Health Planning & Development: https://www.transparentrichmond.org/ stories/s/Quality-and-Accessible-Health-Homes-Services/y8gx-ywn5
RICHMOND CHILDREN AND YOUTH FIVE
CORE NEEDS
access barrier posed by lack of transportation, which
prevents youth from attending after-school programs,
summer camps, clubs, sports, STEM, music, and arts
programs, will require a systemic response to achieve a community-wide impact.
The City of Richmond recognizes that needs persist and are substantial and require continuous investment. The next phase of this project is to develop a Strategic Investment Plan that will explore, analyze and recommend steps in
achieving collective impact through prudently investing in programs, services and systemic solutions that reduce the Resource Gap and Five Core Needs described throughout
this Community Needs Assessment.
FIVE
CORE
NEEDS
Mental/Behavioral
Health & Wellness
Physical Health &
Wellness
Learning Needs
Safety
Belonging
Community
Connective
Supportive Services
107
39 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
8. ENVISIONING IDEAS TO ADDRESS NEEDS: NEXT STEPS
The energy, commitment, resilience and innovative
ideas generated from community members and youth
participating at the Community Visioning Event, gives
every indication that community members are up for
the challenge in addressing the core needs reviewed in
this Community Needs Assessment. And they believe
in the promise and aspirations of Richmond’s children
and youth despite the resource gaps in the community.
The mural below is a testament to the innovative and
thoughtful ideas generated by over 70 community
members to change the course of the resource gap
impacting children and youth in Richmond.
During the next phase of this project, RFCY will engage the consulting team of Public Works LLC to facilitate the development of a Strategic Investment Plan to address
the needs assessed in this report, including those
that involve the connectivity issues of navigation of
services, transportation and “2generational” programs
that holistically uplift families as a means of supporting children. The plan will also identify benchmarks and
outcomes to guide the application and award process
of RFCY grant-making to assure that the programs it
chooses to fund realizes a return-on-investment worthy
of Richmond’s most treasured resource – its children and youth.
108
40 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
9. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Richmond Department of Children and Youth deeply values the participation of Richmond community members and interest holders in the collaborative creation of the 2020 Community Needs Assessment Report. Special thanks go to the youth, parents, guardians, and service providers who contributed their insights. Their input was crucial in shaping a vision where children, youth, and families in Richmond and North Richmond are equipped with the opportunities and resources they need to thrive.
Richmond Department of Children and Youth Staff
LaShonda White
Patrick Seals
Guadalupe Morales
Nicholas Delgado
Abdul Black
Richmond Fund for Children and Youth Oversight Board
Members
Khalieghya Dandie-Evans
Guadalupe Enllana
Teyona Galloway
Carol Hegstrom
Zeonta Johnson
Katherine Lee
Stephanie Sequeira
Geselle Alvarado
Madiha Qader
Public Works LLC Team
Eric Schnurer
Ester Smith
Jenni Wall
Jeanette Sanchez
Linda Rhodes
Kristi Guillory Reid
Elizabeth Austin
Community Needs Assessment Partners
City of Richmond West Contra Costa Unified School District Department
Fresh Lifelines for Youth
Contra Costa Youth Service Bureau
The Practice Space
Community Health For Asian Americans (CHAA)
West County DIGS - Mira Vista School
City of Richmond YouthWORKS
West Coast Chess Alliance
Things That Creep
YES Parent Fellows
Love Your Block
Mira Vista School of Art
Park Plaza Neighborhood Council
The Watershed Project
Literacy for Every Adult Program (LEAP)
College is Real
Social Progress Inc
Richmond Fire Youth Academy
The Berkeley Baby Book Project
Science Adventures for Girls
Mindful Life Project
Fierce Advocates
Seneca Family of Agencies
RYSE
Yes Nature to Neighborhoods
East Bay Center of the Performing Arts
West Contra Costa Public Education Fund (WestEd Fund)
New Life Movement
Familias Unidas
Greater Richmond Interfaith Program (GRIP)
Early Childhood Mental Health Program
Latina Center
Family Justice Center
Richmond Police Activities League
City of Richmond Office of Neighborhood Safety
Life-Long Medical Center
POGO Park
Bay Area Rescue Mission
Fresh Approach
18 Reasons
City of Richmond Library Department
NIAD
Men & Women of Valor
GroundWork Richmond
Urban Tilth
Contra Costa County Independent Living Skills Program
Richmond City Council
Mayor Eduardo Martinez
Vice Mayor Claudia Jimenez
Council Member Soheila Bana
Council Member Gayle McLaughlin
Council Member Doria Robinson
Council Member Melvin Willis
Council Member Cesar Zepeda
109
41 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
APPENDIX
Child Opportunity Index (COI) by Domain, Subdomain, Indicators
EDUCATION
SUBDOMAIN (4) INDICATOR (12) INDICATOR (13) INDICATOR (19)SUBDOMAIN (4) SUBDOMAIN (6)
SOCIAL & ECONOMICHEALTH & ENVIRONMENT
Early childhood
education
Pollution
Socioeconomic
inequity
Wealth
Healthy
environment
Healthy
environment
Health resources
Housing
resources
Social resources
Employment
Employment
Elementary
education
Secondary and
post-secondary
education
Educational
resources
Private pre-K enrollment Airborne microparticles
Adults with advanced
degrees
Homeownership rate
Fast food restaurant
density
Employment Rate
Median household
income
Reading and math test
scores
Advanced Placement
course enrollment
Adult education
attainment
Industrial pollutants in
air, water or soil
Adults without high
school degrees
Aggregate capital
income
Extreme heat exposure
Full-time year-round
earnings
Public assistance rate
Poverty-adjusted
reading and math test
scores
High school graduation
rate
Teacher experience
Eligible for Free/
Reduced Lunches
Public pre-K enrollment Ozone concentration
Very-high income
households
Aggregate home values
Healthy food retailer
density
Community safety-
related non-profits
Health-related non-
profits
Broadband access
Mobility-enhancing
friendship networks
Crowded housing
Single-parent families
Non-profit organizations
Vacant housing
Health insurance
coverage
High-skill employment
rate
Poverty rate
Reading and math test
score growth
College enrollment in
nearby institutions
Child enrichment-related
non-profits
Hazardous waste dump
sites
Very-low income
households
Aggregate real estate
taxes
Source: Diversity Data Kids.Org To learn about the Child Opportunity Domains, Subdomains, Indicators and their definitions, please go to https://www.diversitydatakids.org/research-library/child-opportunity-index-30-indicators Access to Open Spaces
Walkability
Appendix A:
110
42 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
APPENDIX
Appendix B: Community Engagement Learnings
1. Summary and Survey Results
2. RFCY Survey Template
Source: 2022 RDCY Resource Guide.
Appendix C: 2022 RDCY Resource Guide List of Organizations by Priority Areas/ Domains
Health and Well Being
18 Reasons
Brighter Beginnings
Child Abuse Prevention Council of Contra Costa County
(CABC)
Multicultural Institute
Project Marc
Rotacare Bay Area
Rubicon Programs Inc. (Reentry Success Center)
Ryse Center
Shelter Inc.
The Latina Center
The Pinkney Foundation
Urban Tilth
West County Digs
West County Digs (Earth Island Institute)
YMCA of the East Bay
James Morehouse Project
Greater Richmond Interfaith Program (GRIP)
Media, Arts and Culture
Big Picture Anthems
East Bay Center for the Performing Arts
The Quinan Street Project
Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy
Maya’s Music Therapy Fund
Rosie the Riveter Trust
Outdoor Education and Recreation
Wheelhouse Academy of Baseball
Hercules Running Rebels
It Takes A Village Resource Center
Lead2Play
Mira Vista (elementary) PTA
Education and Job Training
10,000 Degrees
After-School All Stars Bay Area
Bay Area Community Resources (BACR)
Bright Future Growth and Development Center
Calculus Roundtable
City of Richmond- Library and Cultural Services
City of Richmond - Youth Works
Coco Kids, Inc.
College is Real, Inc.
Desarrollo Familias Unidas
Girls, Inc. Of West Contra Costa
Go Public Schools
Youth & Family Leadership/Organizing and Civic
Engagement
Fierce Advocates (Formerly, BBK)
Healthy Richmond Schools and Neighborhoods Action Team (SNAT) Raising Youth Resilience
Richmond Community Foundation (SPARKPOINT)
Safe Return Project
Parent and Guardian Support
Contra Costa County First Five: Richmond Center
Contra Costa Family Justice Center
Dreamcatchers Empowerment Network
Rich City Rides
Tandem, Partners in Early Learning
West Contra Costa Public Education Fund (West County Reads) West Contra Costa Unified School District - Expanded Learning 111
43 | COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
APPENDIX
Source: 2022 RDCY Resource Guide.
Source: COI – Child Opportunity Index for Richmond Census Tracts. *Health & Wellness has 11 Richmond-based organizations; however, one of them only has a mailbox for an address; no census tract was identified for this organization.
**The census tract list cites 3690.02.
Appendix D: Richmond Based Community Organizations Census Tract Analysis by Priority Area
CENSUS
TRACTS
COI
LEVEL BY
CENSUS TRACT
PERCENT OF
CHILDREN IN
POVERTY
PARENT &
GUARDIAN
SUPPORT
(4)
OUTDOOR
EDUCATION &
RECREATION
(4)
YOUTH &
FAMILY
LEADERSHIP
AND CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT
(3)
MEDIA. ARTS,
CULTURE &
TECHNOLOGY
(2)
EDUCATION &
JOB TRAINING
(6)
HEALTH &
WELLNESS
(11)*
NUMBER OF
ORGANIZATIONS
BY
CENSUS
TRACT
3620
3780
3630
3790
3650.02
3800.02
3690.01**
3810
3710
3770
3700
3820
3740
TOTAL
2.4% 1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 High
7.0% 1High
19.3% 3 1
1 2
Low
9.7% 1 1
1 Low
8.0% 1 1Moderate
28.7% 4 1
2.0% 2
25.0% 3 2
2 21.9% 1 1
1 29.4% 6 3
29.8% 2
2 29 10 6 2 3 4 4
Very Low
High
Very Low
NA
Very Low
Low
0.0% 1 1High
46.6% 3 1Low
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1 | RFCY STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PLAN
RFCY 2025 -2028
STRATEGIC
INVESTMENT PLAN
113
2 | RFCY STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PLAN
1. Executive Summary
2. Current State: Grants Awarded, Application & Allocation Process
3. Current State: Children and Youth Community Needs
4. Proposed Components of the RFCY Funding Applications Protocol I. Mental and Behavioral Health & Wellness
II. Physical Health & Wellness
III. Learning Needs
IV. Safety, Community, & Belonging
V. Connective Supportive Services
5. The RFP Application Process: Program Narrative Questions
6. The RFP Application Process: Grant Application Evaluation Criteria
7. Proposed Investment Allocation Percentages
8. Promising Practices to Consider Going Forward as a City Children and Youth Dedicated Fund
9. Overview and Methodology of Developing the SIP
10. Richmond Fund for Children and Youth
Appendix A: Pre and Post -Program Questions for Youth and Parents -Caregivers Appendix B: RFCY Priority Populations Checklist
Appendix C: The 5 Guiding Principles of 2Gen
Appendix D: Child Opportunity Index (COI)
Appendix E: Oakland Fund For Children & Youth (OFCY) Request for Proposal Equity Guidance TABLE OF CONTENTS | ORDER OF REPORT
03 05
10 16
19 23
27 33
38 42
47 52
54 61
63 65
71 72
73 75
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3 | RFCY STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PLAN
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In the three years following the 2020 Community Needs Assessment (CNA), the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (RFCY) allocated $8,816,926 across 56 grants to community organizations addressing the identified needs of Richmond's children and youth.
In 2024, RFCY partnered with Public Works LLC to facilitate a second CNA and develop the 2025-2028 Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) to guide grantmaking. The 2024 CNA revealed that while the needs identified in 2020 remained consistent, several have intensified, particularly in mental health support, educational assistance, access to basic needs, and safe recreational spaces. As one community member noted, “We really like what’s being done for our children and youth, but we just need more of it.”
Five Core Needs Identified
The 2025-2028 SIP, informed by the 2024 CNA, outlines five core needs that serve as a framework for investment decisions. Insights from nearly 400 community members, youth, policymakers, and service providers informed these needs.
1. Mental & Behavioral Health: High levels of anxiety and depression among youth, exacerbated by poverty, bullying, and limited access to counseling.
2. Physical Health & Wellness: Need for safe parks, healthy food, and accessible healthcare in a medically underserved community.
3. Learning Needs: Addressing pandemic-induced learning loss, career and college preparation,
and school resources.
4. Safety, Community & Belonging: Creating safe spaces, reducing youth violence, and fostering inclusive
environments.
5. Connective Supportive Services: Ensuring transportation access, navigation support for services, and a two-
generation approach to
uplift both children and parents.
Community Visioning Event
A Visioning Event with over 70 community members,
including youth, parents, policymakers, and service
providers, generated nearly fifty ideas for addressing these needs. The event featured live illustration by
a graphic recorder, capturing the collective input in
a mural that's featured on the cover of this report.
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4 | RFCY STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PLAN
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2025-2028 SIP Enhancements
The new SIP includes several enhancements:
• Increased Funding Allocation: Prioritization of Mental & Behavioral Health and Learning Needs. • Enhanced Evaluation Criteria: Additional points for serving children and youth in high-poverty areas, transportation support, and 2Gen activities.
• Expanded Application Narrative: More detailed questions centered on the Five Core Needs. • Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Surveys: Examples of KPIs and pre-and-post participant surveys for youth and parents to help organizations measure success and outcomes of programs and activities offered.
Promising Practices and Innovations
The SIP incorporates promising practices, including:
• Live Resource Guide Development: Interactive online resource guide for up-to-date information on services and programs.
• Universal Social/Community-Based Services Application: Streamlined access tool for social and community services.
• Peer Navigator Training Program: Training for Peer Navigators to assist in accessing social services. • Children & Youth Grant Officer Position: Dedicated officer for securing additional funding. • Capacity-Building and Innovation Grants: Support for non-profits in grant writing and KPI development.
• Deepened Partnerships with School Districts: Strengthened collaboration for comprehensive after- school programming.
Moving Forward
Overall, the 2025-2028 Strategic Investment Plan aims to enhance and sustain all the good works and initiatives that the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth’s equitable, responsive, and effective funding framework addresses as they seek to fulfill their mission of ensuring bright futures of Richmond’s most treasured resource -- its children and youth.
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5 | RFCY STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PLAN
2. CURRENT STATE: GRANTS AWARDED, APPLICATION & ALLOCATION PROCESS I. Grants Awarded
Priority Area Percent
Behavioral Health, Mental Health and Wellness 20%
Education Support and Employment/Training Support 20%
Out of School Time, Afterschool, Sports and Enrichment 20% Youth Violence Prevention 20%
Access to Basic Needs 10%
Information, Guidance and Case Management 10%
In the three years following the 2020 Community Needs
Assessment and the development of the Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) FY2021- FY2024, the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (RFCY) has awarded 56 grants to community organizations for a total of $8,816,926, addressing the needs of children and youth described in the 2020 Community Needs Assessment
(CNA).
Six Priority Areas were identified through an analysis of the Community Needs Assessment by the Department of Children and Youth in line with areas of needs identified in Article 15 derived from the Richmond Kids Initiative resulting from (Measures E and K, 2018).
The Strategic Investment Plan of (2021-2024) adopted six Priority Areas to guide funding that would address the most urgent needs of children and youth identified through the Community Needs Assessment. Percentages were assigned regarding the amount of funds to distribute withineach area for grant awards.
The six Priority Areasdesignated by the 2020 Community Needs Assessment and the Strategic Investment Plan’s suggested distribution of funds by percentages within each Priority Area is shown below:
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6 | RFCY STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PLAN
Organizational Categories
2. CURRENT STATE: GRANTS AWARDED, APPLICATION & ALLOCATION PROCESS The RFCY identified three categories of organizations
eligible to apply for grants: Single Agency,
Collaborative Applicants, and Small and Emerging
Applicants.
The largest number of collaboration and small and
emerging grants (13; 56.5%) were awarded in the
Priority Area of Out-of-School Time, After-School,
Sports & Enrichment, followed by the Education
Support & Employment/Training Support area (6;
26.1%), expanding the overall number of organizations
providing services to children and youth.
RFCY awarded
15 collaboration grants(26.8%)
9 grants (6.1%) to small & emerging
community organizations,
32 grants to a single
agency/organization (57.1%).
Table 1: RFCY Grants Awarded FY 2021 – FY 2024 by Organizational Category Priority Area Single Agency/
Organization Collaboration Small &
Emerging Totals
Behavioral Health: Mental Health &
Wellness 8 1 1 10
Education Support &
Employment/Training Support 6 4 2 12
Out-of-School Time, After-School,
Sports & Enrichment 6 8 6 20
Youth Violence Prevention 5 - - 5
Access to Basic Needs 3 1 - 4
Information, Guidance & Case
Management 4 1 - 5
Totals (n | percent) (32 | 57.1%) (15 | 26.8%) (9 | 16.1%) 56 118
7 | RFCY STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PLAN
2. CURRENT STATE: GRANTS AWARDED, APPLICATION & ALLOCATION PROCESS The illustration to the left shows that between
seventeen and twenty grants have been awarded
annually since the 2020 Community Needs
Assessment. The grants range from $15,000 to
$150,000.
The largest number of grants awarded is in the
Priority Areas: Out-of-School Time and After-School
Programs and Sports & Enrichment (19) amounting to
$2,927,657; Education Support and
Employment/Training Support (13) amounting to
$1,901,500; and Behavioral Health, Mental Health
and Wellness (10) amounting to $2,025,511.
The remaining three areas awarded four to five
grants over the past three years: Youth Violence
Prevention (5) amounting to $806,250; Information,
Guidance & Case Management (5) amounting to
$620,000 and Access to Basic Needs (4) amounting to
$536,008.
RFCY DISTRIBUTION OF GRANTS
2021-2024
Behavioral Health, Mental Health & Wellness:
Number Of Grants & Range: 10 Grants
Range: $41,000-$150,000 Total: $2,025,511
Education Support & Employment/Training Support: Number Of Grants & Range: 13 Grants
Range: $22,000-$150,000 Total: $1,901,500
Out-Of-School Time, After School, Sports & Enrichment:Number Of Grants & Range: 18 Grants Range: $15,000-$150,000 Total:
$2,927,657
Youth Violence Prevention:Number Of Grants & Range: 5 Grants Range: $35,000-$100,000 Total: $806,250
Basic Needs:Number Of Grants & Range: 4 Grants
Range: $25,000-$75,000 Total: $536,008
Info, Guidance, Case Management: Number Of Grants & Range: 5 Grants Range: $20,000-$110,000
Total: $620,000
Number Of Grants & Range: 56 Grants $15k – 150k
Total Amount: $8,816,926
Percent Of Total Funds Awarded: 100%
17.9%
23.2%
33.9%
8.9%
8.9%
7.1%
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8 | RFCY STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PLAN
2. CURRENT STATE: GRANTS AWARDED, APPLICATION & ALLOCATION PROCESS The table below identifies organizations awarded funds to address the needs of children and youth by Priority Area and Year.
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9 | RFCY STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PLAN
2. CURRENT STATE: GRANTS AWARDED, APPLICATION & ALLOCATION PROCESS II. Application and Award Process
Since 2021, Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (RFCY) has annually released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for direct services among the six Priority Areas cited. The RFP provides an overview of RFCY, a description of the Fund’s goals and guiding principles, the roles of RFCY and a summary of the projected allocations made available for grant awards among the Priority Areas. Also included are the 2020 Community Needs Assessment’s guiding principles.
The RFP follows a standard RFP structure. It informs applicants about the application process, eligibility, funding amounts and pre-proposal meetings, training and technical assistance in applying. It includes, for each of the six funding Priority Areas, a summary of relevant findings from the 2020 Community Needs Assessment and three separate lists citing: “Options for Supported Programming, Priority Populations, and Desired Results.”
The RFP specifies a required five-part structure for the “Program Narrative grant proposal starting with (1) Program Summary section that is not scored followed by, (2) Agency History and Capacity, (3) Program Design, (4) Outcomes and Impact, and (5) Required Resources and Budget. Each section cites questions or directions for the applicant to answer as part of their Program Narrative. Overall, among all five sections, fifteen topics are queried. Applicants are aware of the potential points that may be awarded by evaluators for each section that can culminate into 100 points.
Applicants are also required to complete a proposal template, a demographic projections table, an activity and operations table and a budget template.
The RFP also specifies the required documents the applicants must submit, the process of submission, and the proposal evaluation process, including evaluation criteria, contract negotiations and contract award.
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluators apply an average of five criteria for each of the four Program Narrative Sections that cover the applicant’s: Agency History and Capacity (20 points), Program Design (35 points), Outcomes and Impact (25 points), and Required Resources and Budget (20 points). The Evaluator can award the maximum points specified in the RFP and Program Narrative for each specific section. Each of the Evaluator’s score sheets are tallied to determine an overall score and subsequent ranking for each applicant.
The Oversight Board reviews the overall rankings and, in addition, may consider service “location, services to priority populations, strategic alignment, past program performance and agency capacity and reasonableness of budget” to make their final decisions on awarding grants.1 1 chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclef indmkaj/https://www . ci.richmond. ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/56732/RFCY-FY-2021-24-Request-for-Proposals-RFP 121
10 | RFCY STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PLAN
3. CURRENT STATE: CHILDREN AND YOUTH COMMUNITY NEEDS
Based on feedback from nearly 400 community
members, service providers, policymakers and
youth, and thorough research on the extent and
impact of children's and youth needs in the
Richmond community, five core needs form the
foundational basis for a categorical funding
framework. These core needs are described
more comprehensively in the 2024 Community
Needs Assessment and Secondary Data Analysis
Report.
I. Overview of Five Core Needs:
2024 Community Needs Assessment
PHYSICAL HEALTH, WELLNESS & ACCESS NEEDS
The need for safe parks, open spaces, and access to healthy foods, nutrition, and fitness programs is high. Concerns over healthcare access were repeatedly cited, with Richmond designated as a Medically Underserved Area, lacking the adequate number of primary care physicians, mental health professionals, and dentists. There is a high demand for drug awareness, prevention, and treatment programs.
MENTAL & BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDS
Stressors from living in poverty, bullying, discrimination, and safety concerns were repetitive themes. Youth report high levels of anxiety and depression among their peers and a lack of access to counselingand therapy sessions. Parents/caregivers seek guidance on recognizing mental health issues and supporting their children. Social isolation from the pandemic remains a significant issue.
The core need areas are highlighted below
and will be further described and applied
to the proposed “Funding Allocations
Protocol” being presented in the next
section of this SIP.
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3. CURRENT STATE: CHILDREN AND YOUTH COMMUNITY NEEDS
These five core needs align closely with the “Priority Areas” identified in the previous Strategic Investment Plan and highlighted in the RFCY Request for Proposals as "priority areas for investment."2 We refer to them as categorical needs that form the foundation of an allocation framework. 1 Behavioral Health: Mental Health & Wellness
2 Out of School Time, After-School, and Enrichment
3 Access to Basic Needs
4 Education Support & Employment/Training Support
5 Youth Violence Prevention
6 Information, Guidance, and Case Management
For reference the Six Priority Areas cited in the previous Strategic Investment Plan are shown below:
SAFETY, COMMUNITY & BELONGING NEEDS
Fear of lack of safety is extremely high among youth, with violence becoming normalized. Priority populations report harmful stereotypes and isolation. Justice-impacted youth and LGBTQIA+ groups particularly report feeling othered along with black and brown populations. Community members report a need for more activities and initiatives that nurture safe and friendly neighborhoods.
LEARNING NEEDS
Learning loss from the pandemic continues to impact students, with third grade reading levels and other benchmarks negatively affected. There is a significant need for career and college preparation, one-on-one mentoring, and guidance. Schools are seen as under-resourced, with high demand for homework assistance, after-school programs, and quality early childhood education. 2 https://library . municode.com/ca/richmond/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeI d=CH_A R TXVR IF UCHYO
CONNECTIVE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES NEEDS
Navigation of available services is challenging, and many families lack transportation to access after- school programs and other activities. Youth organizations would benefit from connecting with the whole family to support and uplift children and youth.
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3. CURRENT STATE: CHILDREN AND YOUTH COMMUNITY NEEDS
The following table gives a breakdown of the Five Core Needs with sub-headings of where the programs funded by RFCY over the past three years would fit going forward.
Five Core Needs of Children and Youth and Programmatic Strategies and Activities Core Need Category Program Subcategories Addressing Core Needs Mental & Behavioral
Health
• Individual & Group Counseling/Therapy Sessions
• Mindfulness & Emotional Wellness Programs
• Mental Health/Wellness Support Groups
• Behavioral Health/ Positive Behavior Intervention Programs • Violence and Trauma Recovery Programs
• Trauma Informed Training for staff, teachers, first-responders Physical Health
& Wellness
• Community Health Center & Clinic Services
• Drug Education & Prevention Programs
• Healthy Eating & Nutrition Programs
• Gardening, Sustainability & Food Justice Programs
• Outdoor & Youth Adventure Programs
• Environmental Health Awareness & Services
• Shelter & Food Services Addressing Basic Needs
• Sports Programs and Recreation Leagues
• Healthy Lifestyle Programs (e.g. yoga, walking clubs, aerobics) • Summer Camps
Learning Needs • Parent/Caring Adult “how-to” workshops on helping children learn • Early Childhood developmental programs for children 5 years & under • Literacy Programs on reading from birth through high school • STEM Education programs, activities and clubs
• Tutoring and Homework Assistance
• Access to high-speed broadband & technology (hardware/software) • Life-skills, Communication, Leadership Training & Workshops • Middle School Career Explorer/Awareness Programs
• College-prep and college-application mentoring & assistance • Career Tech Training, internships, jobs for High School Students • Employment & On the Job Training for youth 16 to 24 years • Youth entrepreneurship programs and activities
• Music, Performing Arts and Arts Programs
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3. CURRENT STATE: CHILDREN AND YOUTH COMMUNITY NEEDS
Core Need Category Program Subcategories Addressing Core Needs Safety, Community, &
Belonging
• Restorative Justice Programs focused on reconciliation • Programs mentoring, supporting Justice-Impacted Youth & families • Mentoring and Life-Coach Programs
• Prevention programs on domestic violence, child abuse, & sexual violence. • Police and Community Relations Activities & Programs
• Neighborhood-based safety initiatives by Police and/or Community Members • Cross-cultural activities and spaces that foster community • Youth Safe Spaces that provide a welcoming space to “chill,” socialize and enjoy activities to learn, grow, explore, create, and heal
Connective Supportive
Services
• Navigational and informational support to access services addressing the Five Core Needs.
• Transportation initiatives and services that ensure children and youth have access to programs addressing the Five Core Needs.
• 2Gen programs and initiatives that ensure parents/grandparents or caring adults have the resources & support required to help their children thrive. 125
14 | RFCY STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PLAN
3. CURRENT STATE: CHILDREN AND YOUTH COMMUNITY NEEDS
Guiding Principles in Allocation Funds
II. Prioritizing Needs and Investment Decision-Making
The Goals of the Richmond Fund for Children & Youth serve as a guide for the types of programs, services and activities they have funded over the course of the past three years. The goals will continue to guide funding decisions during the next three years and serve as an integral part of this Strategic Investment Plan. The goals of RFCY are:3
• 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 parents/guardians, families and the communities in which they live by preventing problems and enhancing the strengths of children, youth, young adults and their families;
• To ensure young people are provided with gender responsive, trauma-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;
• To ensure an equitable distribution of resources to
all of Richmond’s young people in recognition of the importance of investment in their futures from birth through young adulthood; and
• To fill gaps in services and leverage other resources whenever feasible.
In response to these goals, the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth “aims to support 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.”4 3Ibid p.11
4Ibid p.11
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3. CURRENT STATE: CHILDREN AND YOUTH COMMUNITY NEEDS
Children and Youth Priority Populations
As cited by the Article 15 charter amendment
creating the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth,
the Fund is to address the needs of priority
populations of children and youth among them (but
not limited to):
• 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; • LGBTQIA+ 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 who are involved in or transitioning from the foster care, juvenile/ criminal justice, or special education systems.
As part of the Community Needs Assessment and to inform this Strategic Investment Plan, over 100 youth from these population groups attended focus groups. They identified the challenges they face in daily life and within the Richmond community and provided feedback on the types of services they consider most necessary and desired.
The Fund prioritizes Richmond
and North Richmond
Children (birth 0-12)
Youth (ages 13 to 17)
Transitional Age Youth (ages 18-24)
who are most impacted by harm, inequity and
lack of access to support services.
The priority populations include, but are not limited
to:
• Justice-impacted youth;
• Young people who have been
pushed out of school;
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Making decisions to strategically invest funds that effectively address the needs of children and youth by providing grants to community organizations dedicated to rectifying those needs, requires collecting data that measures outcomes, and provides evaluative feedback from youth and parents receiving services that RFCY funds. We’re recommending that the following components constitute the infrastructure to support the Request for Proposal, Application Evaluation and Quarterly Progress Report grantmaking process of RFCY.
This process contains the following components:
A brief 500-word description of a Core Need Overview that organizations applying for funds would identify as the primary need their program would address.
A set of suggested Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) relevant to measuring the outcome and impact that the grantee program addressing the Core Need is intended to yield. The KPIs included were identified through research focused on progress, outcomes and impact measures associated with social service programs for children and youth. These key performance indicators will create a data collection and analysis infrastructure that all grantees will be asked to use throughout the grant period to assess the outcomes and impact of their respective grant. This data and analysis system will not only help individual grantees but also create a consistent framework for all grants.
It will allow RFCY to build a database to compare outcomes and impacts across different grants, including using Return on Investment (ROI) analyses.
Pre-and Post Evaluation Surveys of youth participants and their parents/caregivers. This enhanced process also includes sample questions that grantees would adapt and use as a deliverable to RFCY as part of their Quarterly Progress Reports to the Fund. One of the most valuable ways that community-based organizations can measure whether the programs and activities they provide are succeeding in addressing the needs of the children and youth they serve is by asking both them and their parents or caregivers, if the intended effect of the services rendered has been achieved.
A guide as to the type of questions to ask that can inform service providers as to their progress in achieving the goals, objectives and intended impact of their services and/or activities is shown in Appendix A. It will help organizations know how well they are succeeding and how to continually enhance their efforts. And it further provides insights for new programming to address previously unidentified needs that children, youth and their families face.
I. Strategic Investment Framework
for RFCY Funding Applications
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Priority Populations Checklist among youth and children is also included as part of the Funding Application Protocol for the Grant Applicant to identify as being addressed by their proposed program. This is based on the premise that all population groups generally benefit from these programs and are affected by the Five Core Needs. The degree to which they are impacted, and the unique needs and programming designed to assist them in addressing and coping with those needs should be described by the Grant Applicant and tailored to the youth accordingly. This is provided in Appendix B.
A bulleted list of frequently cited “Visioning Ideas” resulting from the “Community Visioning Event,” Youth Focus Groups and survey respondents will replace the “Desired Results” used in the Strategic Investment Plan Fiscal Year 2021-2024 and will be addressed via measurable Key Performance Indicators.
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL I. Mental and Behavioral Health & Wellness
A. Core Need Overview
B. Key Performance Indicators
C. Visioning Ideas for Children and Youth Programs
II. Physical Health & Wellness
A. Core Need Overview
B. Key Performance Indicators
C. Visioning Ideas for Children and Youth Programs
III. Learning Needs
A. Core Need Overview
B. Key Performance Indicators
C. Visioning Ideas for Children and Youth Programs
IV. Safety, Community & Belonging
A. Core Need Overview
B. Key Performance Indicators
C. Visioning Ideas for Children and Youth Programs
V. Connective Supportive Services
A. Core Need Overview
B. Key Performance Indicators
C. Visioning Ideas for Children and Youth Programs
This section covers the Five Core Needs, providing snapshots of the needsexplained in further detail in the Community Needs Assessment (CNA). It also lists Key Performance Indicators for agencies to evaluate their programs for children and youth, and introduces Visioning Ideas unique to each core need developed from feedback by 72 community members who participated in the RFCY Visioning Session. 130
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Mental and Behavioral Health & Wellness
A. Core Need Overview
Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well- being, affecting how we think, feel, and act. It plays a role in managing stress, relating to others, and making decisions. Factors
like biology, environment, family history, and life experiences influence mental health. Behavioral health involves how our actions impact our overall well- being. Engaging in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, vaping, drinking, substance abuse, or poor diet negatively affects mental health. Mental & behavioral health needs were a central focus throughout the community engagement process expressed by youth, parents, community members and service providers.
Mental and behavioral health rose as a top concern for Richmond's children and youth evidenced by their shared insights and stories told in focus groups involving nearly 100 youth participants. High levels of stress due to poverty, bullying, racial discrimination, safety concerns, and exposure to violence and trauma significantly impact their mental well-being. Depression and anxiety are prevalent, exacerbated by the pandemic’s impact on learning and social interactions. The pandemic intensified mental health issues, causing social isolation and increased screen time. Children missed opportunities to develop social skills, affecting their ability to interpret body language and facial expressions while teens lost out on socializing with their peers as schools shut down. Social Isolation was repeatedly echoed by focus group participants and 200 survey respondents, with three out of four rating the negative impact of COVID-19 as "Very High and High." Other key impacts revealed by survey results show “Very High and High” rates resulting from poverty (86%), bullying (80%), learning loss (79%), general anxiety (78%), and racial discrimination (76%).
The 2024 California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) validates the findings from the Community Needs Assessment. A notable trend is the increase in fifth graders feeling "sad most of the time," at 25%. Nearly 40% of 11th graders and one-third of 7th and 9th graders frequently feel sad, with 15% considering suicide.5 Two major challenges emerged: increased awareness and education about mental health, and lack of access to mental health resources. Despite insurance coverage through Medi-Cal; children and youth face long wait times to get an appointment with a provider fueled by the shortage of mental health providers in the Richmond area. Over half of the survey respondents feel that the mental health needs of Richmond’s children and youth are not being adequately met, most of which is influenced by lack of resources to meet the high demand. Survey respondents and Visioning Community Event attendees highlighted three priority services: (1) Affordable 1:1 Mental Health Counseling (In-person or Virtual), (2) Access to Behavioral Health Services (e.g., anger management), (3) Programs addressing youth trauma and exposure to violence. 52024 RFCY CommunityNeeds Assessment, p.17
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL B. Key Performance Indicators
The following Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are related to measuring performance and impact among Mental/Behavioral Health & Wellness programs, services and activities. The suggested KPIs serve as a guide for Applicants and subsequent Grantees who would be asked to identify which KPI’s they’ll be using to measure progress, outcomes and impact of their program. Grant applicants will be asked to include in their application data from their current programs that render similar information as described by the KPIs below.
Mental and Behavioral Health & Wellness Key Performance Indicators Category Performance Measure Indicator Aim
Access to
Behavioral Health
Services
Average wait time for an initial
appointment;
Access to Insurance
Reduction in wait time from
referral to first
appointment; number of
families being served that
have insurance and number
of people assisted in
obtaining insurance
Fewer than # days specified
in indicator; ensure % of
families being served have
insurance and assist at least
# families annually in
obtaining insurance to
access services
Service Quality &
Effectiveness
Client satisfaction score;
Percentage reduction in
symptoms
Average satisfaction rating
from surveys;
Reduction in symptoms of
anxiety, depression, etc.
Rating of # or higher;
% of clients report reduction
in symptoms
Parental and
Caregiver
Support
Number of workshops offered Increase in workshop
attendance and
participation
# workshops annually with
% attendance
Service Efficiency Session attendance rate Percentage of scheduled sessions attended by youth
Maintain an attendance rate
of % or higher
Service Efficiency
and Community
Impact
Number of children and youth
enrolled from priority
populations & high poverty
neighborhoods
Percentage increase in
program enrollment
% annual increase in
enrollment
Community
Partnerships
Number of partnerships with
schools and community
organizations
Increase in collaborative
projects and referral
networks
Establish or strengthen at
least # partnerships annually
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Category Performance Measure Indicator Aim
Engagement and
Retention
Engagement Rates;
Retention Rates
Percentage of youth actively
engaged over a period;
Percentage of youth who
remain for the intended
duration
Specific target to increase
engagement; Maintain or
increase retention rates
Addressing
Mental Health
Stressors (Cite
stressors the
service addresses
e.g. sadness,
depression,
anxiety).
Poverty-Related Stress;
Bullying and Discrimination
Number of families receiving
assistance;
Number of anti-bullying
programs implemented
Increase in financial aid
applications and approvals;
Reduction in reported
bullying incidents
Pre-and-Post Participant and Parent Evaluative Surveys
The Key Performance Indicators are informed and measured by the evaluations of youth who have participated in a program or activity and their parent or caregiver evaluation of the impact the program or activity has had on their child/youth. These evaluations include a pre-survey gathering information and expectations of the youth prior to participating in the program and a post-survey as to how helpful they found the program and the difference it has made. The same is asked of parents or caregivers. Examples of pre and post evaluative surveys for youth and parent or caregivers are presented in Appendix A. 133
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL C. Visioning Ideas for Children and Youth Programs
Ideas evolved from the “Community Visioning Session” with over 70 community members participating that included youth, parents, grandparents and caregivers along with service providers focusing on three major areas of: Mental/Behavioral Health, Learning Needs, Safety, Community & Belonging. Ideas were also gathered from survey respondents and Key Informant Interviews. The table below categorizes the kinds of services that community members feel are or would be helpful to address mental and behavioral health needs of children and youth.
Mental and Behavioral Health and Wellness Programs
Envisioned by Community Members
Category Service Description
Increased
Collaboration with
Schools
Collaboration with Schools Community members want increased collaboration between community organizations and schools to
provide mental health and supportive services,
particularly to increase support and improve
treatment of LGBTQIA+ students.
Therapy Services Individual, Group, and Virtual
Therapy;
Parent Education and
Behavioral Health Training
Community members would like access to individual
therapy, group therapy, and free virtual therapy
sessions to support their mental health needs inside
and outside of school;
Community members are interested in education,
classes, and training for parents on behavioral health
to better support their children.
Trauma-Informed and
Culturally Competent
Therapy
Trauma-Informed and
Culturally Competent Therapy
Community members would like therapy that is
trauma-informed and culturally competent,
addressing issues such as self-harm and the impact of
stereotypes, both inside and outside of school.
Incentives for Programs
and Services
Incentives for Participation Community members would like incentives to encourage participation in mental health programs
and services.
All Priority Populations who participated in the community engagement process highlighted the need for more programs promoting mental and behavioral health, especially access to 1:1 counseling or therapy sessions.
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Physical Health & Wellness
A. Core Need Overview
The physical well-being of children and youth in Richmond is significantly influenced by sSocial Determinants of Health (SDOH). These determinants include the conditions in which people live, learn, work, and play, which impact a wide range of health outcomes. Access to quality healthcare, safe and healthy outdoors, safe neighborhoods, and healthy food is vital for maintaining good health. In Richmond, many children grow up in neighborhoods facing significant challenges such as exposure to gun violence, pollutants, and a lack of safe recreational spaces. These adverse conditions fuel constant stress that subsequently affects physical development and cognitive growth.
The Childhood Opportunities Index (COI) highlighted in the 2024 Community Needs Assessment reveals that 45% of children and youth live in areas of concentrated poverty, and 37% live at 200% below the federal poverty level. Poverty is a significant social determinant of health. The COI measures various factors affecting health, including pollution, healthy environment, safety-related resources, and healthcare access.
Neighborhoods with "Very Low and Low" COI ratings indicate poor opportunities for achieving physical well-being shown by high incidences of negative health outcomes.
Community engagement through the CNA process demonstrated a significant need for better access to healthcare services and resources. Richmond is designated by the state Department of Health as a Medically Underserved Area (MSU) with shortages in primary health, mental health, and dental health professions. It further validates why access to services that treat and foster physical health is identified as a high need among the 400 voices heard throughout the community needs assessment process.
Two major areas of need emerged in the community feedback.
Firstly, there is a strong interest within the Richmond community in finding ways to live more healthily. 90% of survey respondents rate the need for affordable healthy foods as very high, and 8% indicate a high need for food banks and vouchers. Additionally, 86% felt there was a very high need for fitness and nutrition programs for youth, and 84 % expressed a need for outdoor activities like hiking, gardening, and camping. Youth expressed a desire to be more active outside but often feel unsafe in their neighborhoods, a concern shared by parents, grandparents, caregivers and service providers.
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL B. Key Performance Indicators
The following Key Performance Indicators are related to measuring performance, outcomes and impact for Physical Health & Wellness programs, services and activities. These KPIs serve as a guide for Applicants and subsequent Grantees in identifying which KPI’s they’ll be using to measure progress, outcomes and impact for their program. If data from current programs render similar information as described by the KPIs below, applicants will be able to submit the data as part of their grant application.
Physical Health & Wellness Programs Key Performance Indicators Category Performance Measure Indicator Aim
Nutritional
Education and
Food Justice
Improvement in Eating Habits
and Food Security
Improvement in
participants' nutrition
knowledge and percentage
of households reporting
food security
% of participants
demonstrate improved
knowledge; Achieve % food
security in participating
households
Community
Health Access
Healthcare Access and
Reduction in Barriers;
Access to Insurance
Increase in healthcare
services accessed by target
populations in high poverty
neighborhoods; and
decrease in transportation,
language, and access
barriers;
Number of families being
served that have insurance
and number of people
assisted in obtaining
insurance
Increase the #of services
accessed by target
populations in high poverty
neighborhoods by % in three
years; Reduce barriers by %
within three years;
Ensure % of families being
served have insurance and
assist at least # families
annually in obtaining
insurance to access services
Secondly, access to clinics, urgent care, and drug awareness programs, especially those centered on the rise in vaping and the concerns over the fentanyl crisis, was of significant concern. Although most children and youth are insured through Medi-Cal, there are long waits to see specialists. Co-pays for urgent care are often unaffordable for low-income families. 86% of survey respondents expressed a very high need for accessible free clinics and walk-in centers without long wait times. Older youth favor the idea of being able to independently seek services and physical health-related activities on their own.
Overall, the Richmond community emphasized the importance of addressing physical health needs through improved access to resources and services. In addition, they hope to see the many physical health-oriented programs currently being offered by RFCY Grantees both continue and increase, especially at the neighborhood level.
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Category Performance Measure Indicator Aim
Outdoor
Activities
Access outdoor activities in
healthy environments.
Number of programs
offered;
Number of participants in
outdoor activities;
Retention rates of
participants completing
programs requiring more
than one session
Increase in programs
offered by % annually.
Increase in participants by %
annually.
Increase in completion rates
by %
Sports,
Recreation,
Summer Camps
Physical Activity and
Participation Levels
Increase in physical activity
among participants &
number of participants in
programs;
Retention rates of
participants completing
programs requiring more
than one session
Increase physical activity by
% annually; Increase sports
participation by % annually
Increase in completion rates
by %
Basic Needs
Fulfillment
Fulfillment of Basic Needs Percentage of clients
reporting basic needs (e.g.,
shelter, food, rent, utilities)
& receiving Information &
Referrals
# of clients reporting basic
needs & % of clients
receiving Information &
Referral to address needs
# services provided to
address needs
Chronic Disease
Prevention
Enrollment in Chronic Disease
Prevention
Number of programs
offered;
Number of participants in
prevention programs
Increase enrollment by %
and retention by % annually
Healthy
Lifestyles: Food,
Nutrition, Drug
Prevention &
Awareness
Enrollment in Healthy Lifestyle
Programs.
Number of programs
offered;
Number of participants in
programs and activities;
Retention rates of
participants completing
programs requiring more
than one session
Increase in programs
offered by % annually
Increase in participants by %
annually.
Increase in completion rates
by %
Holistic Physical
Health and
Wellness
Overall Health Outcomes Improvement in key health
metrics (e.g., BMI, blood
pressure, weight loss)
Improve each health metric
by % annually
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Pre-and-Post Participant and Parent Evaluative Surveys
The Key Performance Indicators are informed and measured by the evaluations of youth who have participated in a program or activity and their parent or caregiver evaluation of the impact the program or activity has had on their child/youth. These evaluations include a pre-survey gathering information and expectations of the youth prior to participating in the program and a post-survey as to how helpful they found the program and the difference it has made. The same is asked of parents or caregivers. Examples of pre and post evaluative surveys for youth and parent or caregivers are presented in Appendix A.
C. Visioning Ideas for Children and Youth Programs
Physical health and wellness ideas for suggested services and programs that emerged from the “Community Visioning Session” that had over 70 community members including youth, parents, grandparents and caregivers along with service providers are presented in the table below.
Physical Health and Wellness Programs Envisioned by Community Members Category Service Description
Drug Awareness,
Education, and
Prevention
Public Awareness Campaigns;
Reducing Drug Outlets
Warning labels and public awareness campaigns on
fentanyl and vaping;
Minimizing the number of tobacco/drug outlets in the
external environment
Parent Education and
Training
Support and Training Parent education, classes, and training on how to talk to their children about drugs and support children
who are using drugs
Sports and
Extracurricular Activities
Affordable Sports Leagues;
Social Clubs
Community members want to reduce costs for youth
to belong to sports leagues and pay for travel costs;
Community members desire promotion of hobby
clubs such as cooking, gardening, and knitting
Housing and Financial
Security
Housing Security;
Universal Basic Income (UBI)
Safe, accessible, and secure housing for families;
Provide Universal Basic Income (UBI)
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Learning Needs
A. Core Need Overview
The scope of learning considered for the Community Needs Assessment spans from: early childhood, pre- kindergarten to post-secondary education and youth up to 24 years of age. Discussions about learning needs were prominent among focus group participants, survey respondents, key informants, and Community Visioning event attendees. Key learning benchmarks along this continuum were identified to assess whether children and youth are falling behind, indicating specific learning needs.
The West Contra Costa School District (WCCUSD) serves a diverse student population of 26,312 students across 54 schools. Families in the district speak more than 50 different languages, with 36% of students being English Language Learners (ELL). The district's minority enrollment is 90%, and 31% of students are economically disadvantaged.
Pandemic-related learning loss is a significant issue, with nearly 80% of CNA survey respondents indicating that COVID-19 has had a "Very High or High Impact" on children and youth in Richmond. Many youth attending focus groups shared their struggles with making up for lost time. Additionally, Richmond has the largest number of children in Contra Costa County, with more than half of preschool-aged children eligible for subsidized programs. However, childcare providers serve only 40% of eligible children, leaving 60% of needs for childcare being unmet.
A School Readiness Assessment by the West County First Five Center found that only 29% of WCCUSD kindergartners are prepared for school, with 44% partially ready and 27% not ready. This data, last updated in 2018, underscores the need for Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) to prepare children for school.
Chronic absenteeism, defined as students missing more than 10% of instructional days, remains a challenge. In the 2022-2023 school year, WCCUSD had a chronic absenteeism rate of 32%, an improvement from the previous year's 42%, but still higher than the pre-pandemic rate of 17%.
English Language Learners (ELL) constitute 36% of WCCUSD students, with the majority speaking Spanish.
However, only about 40% made progress on the English Language Proficiency exam in 2023, down from 44% in 2022. Third-grade literacy and eighth-grade math proficiency are key benchmarks predicting future success, but both are below pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, less than a third (29%) of third graders met grade-level reading standards, and only 14% of eighth graders met grade-level math standards. 139
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Significant disparities in academic achievement exist across racial/ethnic groups in WCCUSD. Only 20% of African American and 21% of Hispanic students met English Language Arts standards in 2022-2023, with just 9% and 12%, respectively meeting mathematics standards. Nearly half of the graduating class in 2023 was not considered prepared for college or a career, according to the College/Career Indicator (CCI).
In 2023, 65% of WCCUSD graduating seniors submitted a FAFSA, and 59% applied for Cal Grants, significantly lower than a decade ago. This highlights a lost opportunity for financial aid, particularly among the Priority Populations addressed by RFCY.
Graduation rates at WCCUSD have remained steady at 84-86% since 2018, except during the 2020-2021 pandemic year. However, groups at risk of not graduating with their peers include Foster Care Youth (40%), Youth Experiencing Homelessness (26%), Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Youth (19%), English Language Learners (29%), and Students with Disabilities (43%).
Overall, the learning needs of Richmond's children and youth are significant as demonstrated by the data and insights from over 400 individuals who participated in this needs assessment. Key areas of need emerged:
early childhood care and Pre-K programs, career and college preparation for high school students, the need for year-round programs with mentors, parental coaching, after and out-of-school programs, exposure to music, performing arts and art that advance learning, life-skills and provide homework support, summer jobs for youth and internships that expose youth to career opportunities. 90% of survey respondents cited educating parents on supporting children's learning needs as highly needed. 140
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL B. Key Performance Indicators
The following Key Performance Indicators are related to measuring performance and impact among programs, services and activities addressing Learning Needs. This serves as a guide for Applicants and subsequent Grantees that would be asked to identify which KPI’s they’ll be using to measure outcomes and progress with their program. If applicants have data from current programs that render similar information as described by the Key Performance Indicators below, they would be requested to share this information as part of their grant application.
Learning Needs Programs Key Performance Indicators
Category Performance Measure Indicator Aim
Cultural
Relevance &
Accessibility
Multilingual Programs &
Translation Services
Numbers of programs
serving multilingual families;
Access to translation at
events & programs
Launch or expand # new
programs annually;
# of translation services
provided
Educational
Outcomes
Academic Performance and
Engagement
Percentage of students
meeting grade-level
benchmarks and regular
school attendance
% annual improvement in
performance; increase
attendance by % among
educational programs &
activities.
Parental Learning
& Support
Parent How-To Workshops and
Support Services.
Number and types of
programs offered;
Attendance rates in parent
workshops and events
Host # workshops per year
with % attendance;
Completion rates of multi-
session programs
College
Readiness
College Enrollment in prep programs
and rate of financial aid
application;
Number of programs
offered in career exploration
& readiness. Participation
and completion rates.
% increase in prep program
enrollment per year;
% of eligible students apply
for financial aid by (year);
Completion rates of multi-
session programs.
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Category Performance Measure Indicator Aim
College
Readiness
College Enrollment in prep programs
and rate of financial aid
application;
Number of programs
offered in career exploration
& readiness. Participation
and completion rates
% increase in prep program
enrollment per year;
% of eligible students apply
for financial aid by (year);
Completion rates of multi-
session programs
Career Readiness
& Jobs
Youth Mentorship, Internships,
and Employment
Number of programs &
youth with mentors;
Number of programs &
youth in internships;
Number of programs &
youth who secure jobs
Increase #s of programs &
enrollment by % annually;
# of youth attending & %
completing internships;
# of youth acquiring jobs & #
months employed
Early Childhood
Development
Early Childhood Program
Enrollment
Number of children enrolled
in early childhood programs
and number of families
participating in Universal
PreK (UPK) or aware of
services
Increase enrollment by %
annually and ensure % of
families are aware of or
participating in UPK services
Literacy
Programs
Programs in Reading & Writing. Number and types of
programs offered across all
ages to 24 years;
Attendance rates among
programs
Increase #s of programs &
enrollment/ participation by
% annually;
% of youth completing
multi-session programs
Community
Partnerships &
Volunteers
Partnerships with schools and
community organizations
Increase in collaborative
projects, volunteer tutors,
mentors and referrals to
learning resources
Establish and/or strengthen
# of partnerships
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Category Performance Measure Indicator Aim
STEM (Science,
Technology,
Engineering &
Math) &
Entrepreneur-
ship Programs
Programs, activities and clubs in
STEM & Entrepreneurship fields.
Number of programs
offered. Attendance,
participation and
completion rates
Increase #s of programs &
enrollment/participation by
% annually;
% of youth completing
multi-session programs
Music,
Performing Arts
& Arts Programs
Programs, activities and clubs in
music, performing arts and art
programs.
Number of programs
offered. Attendance,
participation and
completion rates;
Number of events
showcasing talent (concerts,
plays, art shows)
Increase #s of programs &
enrollment/participation by
% annually;
% of youth completing
multi-session programs
Pre-and-Post Participant and Parent Evaluative Surveys
The Key Performance Indicators are informed and
measured by the evaluations of youth who have
participated in a program or activity and their parent or caregiver evaluation of the impact the program or
activity has had on their child/youth. These evaluations include a pre-survey gathering information and
expectations of the youth prior to participating in the program and a post-survey as to how helpful they found
the program and the difference it has made. The same
is asked of parents or caregivers. Examples of pre and
post evaluative surveys for youth and parent or
caregivers are presented in Appendix A.
C. Visioning Ideas for Children and Youth Programs
Ideas for suggested services and programs associated with Learning that emerged from the “Community Visioning Session” that had over 70 community members, including youth, parents, grandparents and caregivers along with service providers are presented in the table below. 143
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Learning Programs & Initiatives Envisioned by Community Members Category Service Description
Life Skills Workshops Financial Literacy,
Entrepreneurship, Legal Rights
Life skills workshops on financial literacy ,
entrepreneurship, and understanding rights and laws
Parenting Workshops Reading Support, Coping Skills,
Learning Needs
Workshops to teach parents how to help their
children read, learn, cope with bullying and screen
time, and address unique learning needs or special
support
After-School Programs Socialization, Snacks, Mentors,
Homework Help
After-school programs that offer socialization, snacks, mentorship, and homework assistance
Youth Employment and
Career Preparation
Internships, Job Opportunities,
Career Exposure
Create internships with City departments, job and
internship opportunities for justice-impacted youth,
career exposure for middle and high school students,
job shadowing, stipends for internships and job
training, and jobs for people experiencing
homelessness
Educational
Enhancement and
College Preparation
College Prep, STEM Programs,
Tutoring
College prep classes, guidance for career plans, more
STEM programs, academically centered
extracurricular activities, free tutoring, and promotion of the school pipeline
Community Schools and
Partnerships
Full-Service Community
Schools
Establish more full-service community schools
CBO and School
Collaboration
Partnerships with Schools More partnerships between community-based organizations and schools
Mentorship and
Leadership Development
Mentors, Leadership
Opportunities
Mentors for high school students and leadership
opportunities for youth
Environmental and
Nature Programs
Nature Engagement, Service
Learning
Programs to connect with nature and sponsor service
learning
Student Well-Being and
School Schedule
School Start Time, Internet
Access, Learning Styles
Later school start times for high school students,
availability of high-speed internet, and teaching to
different learning styles
Diversity and Inclusion in
Schools
Multi-Cultural Staff More multicultural staff at schools 144
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Safety, Community & Belonging
A. Core Need Overview
Residents of Richmond express pride in their city, embracing its diversity and community spirit, while also recognizing its challenges. Safety is a significant concern, with 95% of survey respondents believing that youth worry about their safety in their neighborhoods. 75% think this fear has a high impact on their well- being, and 92% see a critical need for creating safe, quality spaces for youth aged 13 and older. Youth highlight varying safety levels across neighborhoods, the normalization of violence, a lack of safe public spaces, inadequate school safety, and the need for community policing without profiling.
In West Contra Costa County Unified School District, fewer than half of high school students feel safe at school. Despite a decrease in homicides to the lowest level in a generation, cumulative exposure to violence, particularly gun violence, remains high. Since 2013, 41% of the 2,300 gunshots fired in Richmond occurred within a half-mile of a school, mostly near elementary schools. Neighborhoods with lower median incomes experience more incidents, with some schools averaging six nearby shootings per year.
The 2021 National Community Survey indicates that while 73% of Richmond residents feel safe in their neighborhoods during the day, only 43% feel safe in commercial areas. This is lower than safety perceptions in 99% of communities surveyed nationwide. These perceptions are likely influenced by the fact that burglaries, vehicle thefts, robberies, and aggravated assaults have increased. Larceny theft and sexual assaults, however, have decreased.
Justice-impacted youth, defined as those at risk of or previously incarcerated, are a priority population for the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth. These youth, often from poor communities and disproportionately youth of color, report negative interactions with police, including concerns over the use of force. From 2018 to 2022, arrests by Richmond Police decreased by 58%, and use of force incidents fell by 23%. However, the use of force rate per 100 arrests has increased, particularly affecting Black and Hispanic males aged 18-39.
Belonging is crucial for children and youth, requiring appreciation for their identity without harmful stereotypes. Focus groups revealed that justice-impacted and LGBTQIA+ youth feel their needs are not adequately met. Disconnected youth (18-24 years old out of school and work) and youth experiencing homelessness face significant challenges. Richmond's unhoused population has increased from the past year of whom 14% are under 24 years of age. Students experiencing homelessness in WCCUSD are reported to have high rates of chronic absenteeism that hinder their academic performance. 145
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Community centers offering enrichment programs and resources for parents are highly valued for fostering child and youth development. However, issues like waiting lists and transportation barriers limit participation. Affordable after-school programs, summer camps, and jobs for youth are also in high demand. At a Community Needs Assessment Visioning Event, participants expressed a desire for community events throughout the year to build a stronger sense of community across Richmond.
B. Key Performance Indicators
The following Key Performance Indicators are related to measuring performance and impact among programs, services & activities addressing Safety, Community, and Belonging. This serves as a guide for Applicants and subsequent Grantees that would be asked to identify which KPI’s they’ll be using to measure outcomes & progress with their program. If applicants have data from current programs that render similar information as described by the Key Performance Indicators below, they would be requested to share this information as part of their grant application.
Safety, Community, & Belonging Programs Key Performance Indicators Category Performance Measure Indicator Aim
Cross-Cultural
Relationships and
Community
Resilience
Community and Youth
Engagement
Number of initiatives
promoting cross-cultural
relationships within
neighborhoods or
community at-large;
Number of attendees
Implement # of initiatives
and achieve # attendance;
Create annual events that
draw % increase
Restorative
Justice & Justice
Impacted Youth
Programs
Justice Impacted Youth
Engagement
Number of Restorative
Justice programs offered;
Number of outreach efforts
& incentives to recruit
justice impacted youth &
families;
Number of attendees
# attending programs
% of completion rates of
multi-session programs
Creation &
Maintenance of
Safe Spaces for
Socializing
Safe Spaces for Youth to
Socialize
Number of safe spaces
created/maintained;
Number of hours & times
available
# of youth socializing at
center
# of youth among priority
populations attending (e.g.
multi-racial, cultural,
LGTBQ+AI, unhoused youth)
% of repeat visitors
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Category Performance Measure Indicator Aim
Community
Policing and
Safety Programs
Safety and Community Policing Number of community
policing initiatives in
neighborhoods;
Number of police
relationship-building
activities;
Number of police initiatives
to make neighborhoods
safe;
Number of outdoor spaces
viewed as safe by
community members;
Number of community
member activities to
increase neighborhood
safety
# of initiatives in each area
and by neighborhoods;
# of attendees at
events/activities including
those sponsored by
Richmond Police
Department;
% change in perception of
youth feeling safe from
program evaluation surveys
and public surveys
Social Isolation
and Community
Engagement
Support Groups and Social
Activities
Number of activities &
support groups organized;
Number of attendees among
priority populations
# activities and participants
and % of priority populations
attending;
# of members of support
groups & % of retention
Bullying and
Violence
Prevention
Bullying Incidence Reduction
Activities & Support Groups
Number of reported bullying
and violence incidents in
schools and community
programs;
Number of programs and
activities to address bullying
including support groups;
Number of participants.
# activities and participants
and % of priority populations
attending;
# youth who report feeling
empowered as a result of
attending a support group;
Reduction of bullying and
violence incidents reported
by schools & youth
participants
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Pre-and-Post Participant and Parent Evaluative Surveys
The Key Performance Indicators are informed and measured by the evaluations of youth who have participated in a program or activity and their parent or caregiver evaluation of the impact the program or activity has had on their child/youth. These evaluations include a pre-survey gathering information and expectations of the youth prior to participating in the program and a post-survey as to how helpful they found the program and the difference it has made. The same is asked of parents or caregivers. Examples of pre and post evaluative surveys for youth and parent or caregivers are presented in Appendix A.
C. Visioning Ideas for Children and Youth Programs
Ideas for suggested services and programs associated with Safety, Community and Belonging that emerged from the “Community Visioning Session” that had over 70 community members including youth, parents, grandparents and caregivers along with service providers are presented in the table below.
Safety, Community, & Belonging Programs & Initiatives
Envisioned by Community Members
Category Service Description
Police and Community
Relationships
Conversations, Workshops, and
Relationship-Building Programs
Community members want to have conversations
with police, hold workshops, and participate in
programs for relationship-building with police
Peer and Community
Leadership
Peer Leader Groups;
Home-Owner Associations
(HOA)
Community members want to create peer leader
groups and/or youth neighborhood councils and
involve youth in decision-making;
Community members want to create Home-Owner
Associations to promote safe neighborhoods
Safety for Students and
Community
Safe Routes Community members seek to provide walking-to- school safety and safe routes to get to activities to
and from school
Community Events and
Gathering Spaces
Community Events Community members desire more community events like National Night Out and family gatherings and
seasonal events to foster family traditions
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Category Service Description
Community Events and
Gathering Spaces
Community and Recreation
Centers;
Sports Facilities
Community members want to increase the number of
community and recreation centers in neighborhoods;
Community members desire more sports facilities
with a focus on providing activities specifically for
girls. Additionally, they want to create designated
areas for girls' sports.
Recreational and Green
Spaces
Safe Gathering and Green
Spaces;
Walking and Biking Promotion;
Youth Connection Spaces
Community members desire more green spaces. They
also want to establish safe areas where youth and
families can gather;
Community members want to promote walking,
biking, and safe sidewalks;
Community members desire more spaces specifically
for youth to connect throughout various
neighborhoods to hang out and enjoy events
together.
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Connective Supportive Services
A. Core Need Overview
Throughout the community engagement process, involving over 400 individuals, 3 overarching needs emerged: transportation, navigation support, and a two-generation approach to services.
Transportation is a critical issue for moving beyond poverty in Richmond. Many low-income families cannot afford reliable transportation or the costly repairs that come with car ownership. Public transportation schedules are often not conducive to balancing the demands of childcare, jobs, and after-school programs.
This may explain why only 10% of workers in Richmond use public transportation, while 63% drive alone.
Youth frequently mentioned that there are neighborhood centers and programs they would like to attend, but without reliable transportation, they cannot access these valuable resources. As a result, their opportunities for enrichment and personal development are limited.
Navigation Support is essential for helping families and individuals access social services, housing, education, and healthcare. Parents and grandparents highlighted the complexity and overwhelming nature of the eligibility criteria and application processes required to receive services. Each organization has its own set of requirements, making it a time-consuming task to track down necessary resources, determine eligibility, and provide the required documents. Participants at the Community Needs Assessment Visioning event emphasized the need for a city-wide universal application for health and social services to simplify this process and make it more accessible.
Two-Generation Approach (2Gen) involves supporting both children and their parents simultaneously to build family well-being. This approach is based on the premise that uplifting parents also uplifts children.
Two-generation strategies aim to build family well-being by intentionally working with children and the adults in their lives together. For instance, a center that offers socio-recreational activities and homework help for teens could also provide resume writing, job-hunting assistance, and financial literacy programs for parents. This holistic approach ensures the economic security of the entire family and promotes the well- being of every member. The 2Gen approach also includes support for grandparents raising grandchildren, recognizing the diverse family structures within the community. The “Five Guiding Principles of 2Gen” can be found in Appendix C.
When survey respondents were asked to rate how well Richmond is meeting the needs of its children and youth on a five-star scale, nearly 40% gave a one or two-star rating, while an equal number gave a three- star rating. 19% awarded four or five stars, resulting in an overall weighted average of three stars (2.7). This mixed response highlights the perception that while some progress has been made, significant gaps remain.
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Community members emphasized the importance of
addressing these gaps through improved access to
transportation, simplified navigation of social services, and a holistic, multi-generational approach to programs and services. By focusing on these key areas, Richmond
can better support its children, youth, and families,
ensuring they have the resources and opportunities
needed to thrive.
B. Key Performance Indicators
The following Key Performance Indicators are related to measuring performance & impact among programs, services and activities addressing Connective Supportive Services. This serves as a guide for Applicants and subsequent Grantees that would be asked to identify which KPI’s they’ll be using to measure outcomes and progress with their program. If applicants have data from current programs that render similar information as described by the Key Performance Indicators below, they would be requested to share this information as part of their grant application.
Connective Supportive Services Programs Key Performance Indicators Category Performance Measure Indicator Aim
Navigation Service Utilization and
Navigation Success;
Accessibility of Services
Development of a live,
interactive Resource Guide
that CBO’s can populate.
Includes a dashboard and
apps for ease of use;
Number of Individuals
accessing services and
successful connections to
needed services;
Simplification of applications
for community based social
services;
Number of CBO volunteering
to offer the universal
application.
Number of individuals using
the application
Develop within 1 year.
Increase utilization rates &
successful connections by %
annually;
Create a task force of
Service Providers to identify
core application elements
among social services for a
“universal application” to
identify basic eligibility of
programs & services;
# of persons completing the
universal app;
# CBOs receiving
applications;
# and % of positive
outcomes;
Produce in 6 months
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL Category Performance Measure Indicator Aim
Transportation Transportation Support
Programs
Number of transportation
supports/programs available
for youth that enable them
to participate in youth
programs, services &
activities;
Number of youth &
parents/caregivers who
report transportation needs;
Number and type of barriers
to transportation to youth
activities, events, programs
Create a Transportation
Work Group; identify &
assess all transportation
available for youth;
Identify barriers & ways to
increase access. Consider
funding ride-share vouchers;
Develop plan within 6
months to rectify barriers &
increase access
2Gen
Services/ Programming
Family Engagement &
Support
Number of programs that
uplift & support
parents/caregivers
economically;
Number of programs that
promote the health & well-
being of parents/caregivers;
Number of inter-
generational programs.
Number of parenting and
life-coach programs
# of attendees & recipients
of services that are
parents/caregivers of youth
participants;
% of attendees reporting
positive feedback on
evaluative surveys
Pre-and-Post Participant and Parent Evaluative Surveys
The Key Performance Indicators are informed and measured by the evaluations of youth who have participated in a program or activity and their parent or caregiver evaluation of the impact the program or activity has had on their child/youth. These evaluations include a pre-survey gathering information and expectations of the youth prior to participating in the program and a post-survey as to how helpful they found the program and the difference it has made. The same is asked of parents or caregivers. Examples of pre and post evaluative surveys for youth and parent or caregivers are presented in Appendix A. 152
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4. PROPOSED COMPONENTS OF THE RFCY FUNDING APPLICATIONS PROTOCOL C. Visioning Ideas for Children and Youth Programs
Ideas for suggested services and programs associated with Connective Supportive Services that emerged from the “Community Visioning Session” that had over 70 community members including youth, parents, grandparents and caregivers along with service providers are presented in the table below.
Connective Supportive Services Envisioned by Community Members Category Service Description
Navigation Services Navigation Assistance More help with navigation, including dashboards and social service navigators, to better understand where
to get assistance
Transportation Transportation Support Identified high need for transporting youth to and from jobs, sports programs, activities, events;
especially after-school. Proposed the idea of free ride- share vouchers for after-school activities, and more
accessible public transit.
2Gen Approach Parent/Caregiver Support and
Intergenerational Programs
Grandparents expressed the need for more support in
either raising or assisting parents with raising
grandchildren.
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5. THE RFP APPLICATION PROCESS: PROGRAM NARRATIVE QUESTIONS Following the 2020 Community Needs Assessment and the Development of the Strategic Investment Plan Fiscal Years 2021-2024, the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) on January 1, 2021 for Direct Services in six Priority Areas. The RFP included guidance for organizations/agencies seeking to submit a grant application in the form of 15 questions/statements, templates and appendices.
The application narrative, in the form of questions/statements included in the January 2021 RFP is listed in the left column of the following table by each application component. The right column presents a suggested updated version of the application narrative. The updated version includes added application questions/statements, changes to the FY 2021 questions/statements, or the deletion of a question/statement. Please note that some of the FY 2021 questions/statements continue to be used in FY 2025 and going forward without any changes or modifications.
The left column cites the current RFCY Request For Proposals (RFP) process and the right column of the table includes a proposed updated and expanded version of the 2021 evaluation criteria. The changes and updates include:
• Terminology changes, such as “Organization” instead of “Agency,” as most applicants are not agencies but organizations. Use of “population your program serves” instead of “target population.” • Expanded several FY 2021 guidelines by asking for additional information. For example, added requirement for a description of the staff and partner diversity and any cultural competency training they have taken.
• Added suggested appendices for the 2025 RFP.
• Changed order of questions. For example, moved question 7 to the Background section, as partnership issues are addressed also in earlier questions.
• Deleted Question 8 in the Program Narrative dealing with Covid-19 as it is no longer necessary. • Changed dates for the Required Resources and Budget section. • Renumbered the questions.
I. Grant Application Narrative
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5. THE RFP APPLICATION PROCESS: PROGRAM NARRATIVE QUESTIONS FY2021-24 RFP For Direct Services in Following Priority Areas January 1, 2021
Proposal Narrative
Strategic Investment Plan
FY 2025-28
Agency History and Capacity
Background 1a. Year Founded, Location, Annual Budget, Number of FTE Staff.
1b. Type of Grant: Single Organization, Collaboration,
Small & Emerging.
1. Briefly describe your agency. 2. Briefly describe your organization.
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 partnerships or
collaboration with other organizations or systems of
care.
3. Describe your organization'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 partnerships or
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.
4. 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.
Consider Adding: Describe the diversity among the
staff assigned to the grant program and any cultural
competency training they have taken.
Consider Adding: Describe the diversity among your
partner(s) staff assigned to the grant program and
any cultural competency training they have taken.
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5. THE RFP APPLICATION PROCESS: PROGRAM NARRATIVE QUESTIONS Program Design
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. 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.
Consider adding an Appendix that asks applicants
to answer: What percent of the participants reside
in concentrated poverty neighborhoods? (Consider
using Appendix Dof the SIP Report as source
documents showing Very Low to High COI areas by
census tracts in Richmond and a GIS Map that shows
high poverty neighborhoods).
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.
6. 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.
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. 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 partners that will support the
program? Identify the roles, responsibilities and
functions of each partnership.
Moved question to the Background section, as
partnership issues are addressed also in earlier
questions (numbered as 1c).
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 address those issues so
that the program can continue to be offered?
Deleted. The question dealing with Covid-19 is not
relevant any longer.
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5. THE RFP APPLICATION PROCESS: PROGRAM NARRATIVE QUESTIONS Outcomes and Impact
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?
8. What are the needs that your proposed program is
designed to address (provide data)?
How will the population your program serves directly
benefit from the proposed services?
Rephrased question listed above.
Consider adding another section to Appendix C that
asks applicants to identify the Core Need their
program primarily addresses—more than 50%—as
outlined in the Five Core Needs of the Community
Needs Assessment and the Strategic Investment Plan.
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?
9. 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?
Consider adding an Appendix that combines all of the
Key Performance Indicators cited in the SIP among all
Five Core Needs as an example of KPIs that RFCY
suggests applicants consider and-or adapt to their
program.
11. List your program’s annual outcomes and performance for the past 1 to 3 years. Explain any fluctuations in
outcome and performance year-to-year .
10. List your program’s annual outcomes and performance for the past 1 to 3 years. Explain any fluctuations in
outcome and performance year-to-year .
Outcomes and Impact
12. What are the total proposed annual program expenses for the 2021-2022 fiscal year? What were the total
program expenses in the most recently completed
calendar or fiscal year? What is changing?
11. What are the total proposed annual program expenses for the 2025 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.
12. 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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5. THE RFP APPLICATION PROCESS: PROGRAM NARRATIVE QUESTIONS
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.
13. 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 T emplate as referenced in Step
3 found in Appendix D.
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 2021-2022 (July 1, 2021 to June
30, 2022).
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
Narrative section and your proposed Activities.
14. In addition to responding to all the prompt(s), also complete the Budget T emplate as referenced in Step
3 found in Appendix D.
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 2024-2025 (July 1, 2024 to June
30, 2025).
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
Narrative section and your proposed Activities.
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6. THE RFP APPLICATION PROCESS: GRANT APPLICATION EVALUATION CRITERIA Following the 2020 Community Needs Assessment and the Development of the Strategic Investment Plan Fiscal years 2021-2024, the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth issues on January 1, 2021, a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Direct Services in six Priority Areas. The RFP included guidance for organizations/agencies seeking a grant application and criteria for evaluating the applications (proposals) submitted. The evaluation criteria included in the January 2021 RFP are listed in the left column of the following table by each component of the application, along with the maximum points an applicant can receive for the respective component. The right column of the table includes an updated and expanded version of the 2021 evaluation criteria. The changes include:
• Terminology changes such as “Organization” instead of “Agency,” as most applicants are not agencies but organizations.
• Additional evaluation criteria providing context and important differentiation among the 3 types of grants, as listed in the Organization History and Capacity. • Adding information to evaluation criteria that is significant, such as whether the applicant has had an RFCY grant (which was not applicable when the 2021 RFP was issued) or the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to the Outcome and Impact evaluation criterion addressing the demonstration of the ability to reasonably account for/track outcomes.
• Adding a Program Design criterion to ensure that the Proposal specified which of the Programming Strategies listed under each Core Needs area are implemented by the applicant’s program. • More consistency in positioning the applicant; for example, using “application” instead of applicant, organization, etc.
• Inserting references to partner(s) where applicable.
I. Application Evaluation Criteria
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FY 2021-24 RFP For Direct Services in Following Priority Areas
January 1, 2021
Strategic Investment Plan FY 2025-28
Grant Application Evaluation Criteria Grant Application Suggested Updated Criteria Agency History and Capacity (20 points) Organization History and Capacity (20 Points unless a Small & Emerging applicant)
Year Founded, Location, Annual Budget, Number of FTE
Staff.
Type of Grant: Single Organization, Collaboration, Small & Emerging.
If the application is for a collaboration grant, describe role, responsibilities and functions of each partner.
If the application is from a Small & Emerging
organization, points for this section of the application should be 5, and the total for such organizations should be 85 (instead of 100).
Past, recently completed, or on-going projects to
substantiate experience.
Past, recently completed, or on-going projects to
substantiate experience. Include any RFCY grants.
Demonstration of ability and experience in working with diverse communities & youth.
Application demonstrates ability and experience in
working with diverse communities & youth.
Agency has achieved success and accomplishments
demonstrate capacity for effective delivery of proposed services.
Organization’s accomplishments demonstrate capacity
for effective delivery of proposed services.
Professional background and qualifications of team
members proposed to deliver direct services and
manage the program are included and relevant and
show that members are qualified.
Application identifies and describes proposed project
manager and staff professional background and relevant
experience, includes resumes, demonstrating
qualifications.
If application is for a collaboration grant, application includes a description of each partner’s role and staff qualifications.
Racial, ethnic, cultural, linguistic characteristics and or lived experience of staff reflect communities proposed
to be served.
Racial, ethnic, cultural, linguistic characteristics and or lived experience of staff (of organization and partner, if applicable) reflect communities proposed to be served.
6. THE RFP APPLICATION PROCESS: GRANT APPLICATION EVALUATION CRITERIA 160
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Program Design (35 points) 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.
A clear and detailed description 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.
The proposed program, strategy or initiative is included in the Core Needs and Programming Strategies table.
Outreach and engagement strategies that are effective
and culturally relevant.
Application demonstrates the use of outreach,
recruitment 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.
Application clearly demonstrates how youth voice,
perspective, and input is included in the program
development, design, outreach, recruitment and/or
implementation.
Responses show an awareness of the community and
target population.
Application includes information showing 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 partnerships and subgrantees.
Special resources and capacities the team offers that are relevant to the successful completion of the project,
including partnerships and subgrantees.
Outcomes and Impact (25 Points) Outcomes and Impact (25 Points) Applicant describes how program will contribute to
equity among children, youth and their families in
Richmond and North Richmond.
Application describes how the program will contribute to equity among children, youth and their families in
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.
Application 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.
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Outcomes and Impact (25 Points) Outcomes and Impact (25 Points) 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.
Application identifies outcomes that have been achieved through the proposed services before and is able to link projected outcomes to intended impacts identified in
the core need areas/funding strategies.
Applicant demonstrates the ability to reasonably
account for/track outcomes.
Application demonstrates ability to reasonably account
for/track outcomes and to use the Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs) suggested by RFCY.
Required Resources and Budget Request
(20 Points)
Required Resources and Budget Request
(20 Points)
Program provides a clear budget that describes staffing and associated direct costs required for successful
program implementation.
Application 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.
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.
Application identifies additional resources to support the program and includes a 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.
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 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.
6. THE RFP APPLICATION PROCESS: GRANT APPLICATION EVALUATION CRITERIA 162
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6. THE RFP APPLICATION PROCESS: GRANT APPLICATION EVALUATION CRITERIA The 2021 RFP for Direct Services specified maximum points for each part of the grant application, adding to 100 points.
As shown in the table below, the following points were
allocated to:
• Agency History and Capacity: 20 points
• Program Design: 35 points
• Outcomes and Impact: 25 points
• Required Resources and Budget Request: 20 points
The analysis conducted as part of the 2024 Community
Needs Assessment and the review- and updating of- the
2021 evaluation criteria pointed to the need to revise the scoring system by adding criteria and allocating a specific number of points to each added criterion.
This can be accommodated by increasing the total number of points to more than 100. Each of the added criteria will get a maximum of 5 points.
Suggested added evaluation criteria include:
• Applicant provides services in Low and Very Low COI
census tracts
• Applicant provides transportation services to program participants
• Applicant offers 2Gen activities and services as part of the grant program
• Adding these evaluation criteria will increase the
maximum number of points to 115
II. Application Scoring
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7. PROPOSED INVESTMENT ALLOCATION PERCENTAGES
One of the key components of the Strategic Investment Plan is the specification of the funding allocation across the areas identified in the 2020 Community Needs Assessment Report and in the Strategic Investment Plan Fiscal Years 20021-2024 as Priority Areas (based on Article XV) and in the 2024 Community Needs Assessment as Core Need areas.
I. Current Allocation Process
The 2020 Community Needs Assessment Report and the Strategic Investment Plan Fiscal Years 20021 -2024 identified six Priority Areas. The funding allocation across these six Priority Areas is shown below.
Priority Area Percent
Behavioral Health, Mental Health and Wellness 20%
Education Support and Employment/Training Support 20%
Out of School Time, Afterschool, Sports and Enrichment 20% Youth Violence Prevention 20%
Access to Basic Needs 10%
Information, Guidance and Case Management 10%
According to the Strategic Investment Plan Fiscal Years 20021-2024, the percent allocation was based on “considerations of the urgency of the need and potential for equity impact.” 6 6 chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclef indmkaj/https://www . ci.richmond. ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/56807/RFCY-2021-2024-Strategic-Investment-Plan 164
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7. PROPOSED INVESTMENT ALLOCATION PERCENTAGES
The 2024 Community Needs Assessment identified Five Core Need Areas based on feedback from nearly 400 community members, service providers, policymakers and youth. Feedback was provided through interviews, surveys, focus groups, a Visioning Event and a Strategic Investment Plan Insight session. It supported thorough research on the extent- and impact of- the needs of children and youth in the Richmond community.
While all five areas were considered of high need, the Learning Needs area and the Mental & Behavioral Health Needs areas stood out in the urgency, scope and depth of the need. The following table allocates the highest shares to these two areas.
II. Proposed Allocation Process
Core Need Area Percent allocation
Mental & Behavioral Health Needs 25%
Physical Health, Wellness & Access 20%
Learning Needs 25%
Safety, Community & Belonging Needs 20%
Connective Supportive Services: Navigation, Transportation, 2Gen 10% 165
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1. Live Resource Guide Development
I. Enhancing Access to Resources
Fund the creation of a dynamic resource guide, dashboard, and apps to provide up-to-date information on services like pop-up food pantries, schedules of community events, and other resources. This will ensure community members have easy access to essential services and events in their area. Additionally, it enhances community engagement and resource utilization, reduces the time and effort needed to find help, and ensures that those in need can quickly locate and benefit from available services. The platform of this live guide would enable RFCY grantees to populate the content of the guide in real time.
2. Universal Social/Community-Based Services Application Develop an application similar to BenefitsCheckUp , where community members can enter eligibility related data to identify services they qualify for, with direct links to application websites and resources. This tool reduces barriers for those searching and applying for various social and community services, making it easier for individuals and families to access the help they need. It also reduces the complexity of navigating multiple systems, increases service utilization, and ensures that more people receive the support they are eligible for.
3. Peer Navigator Training Program
II. Building Capacity and Providing Training
Allocate funds to create a training program for
Peer Navigators who can assist community
members in accessing services. This includes
guiding individuals through processes such as
obtaining mental health services via Medi-Cal,
ensuring that those in need can navigate complex
systems and access necessary services. This
support can lead to better mental health
outcomes, increased service utilization, and a
stronger sense of community support. Trained
navigators can also help reduce the stigma
associated with seeking help and ensure that
individuals receive timely and appropriate care.
8. PROMISING PRACTICES TO CONSIDER GOING FORWARD
AS A CITY CHILDREN AND YOUTH DEDICATED FUND
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8. PROMISING PRACTICES TO CONSIDER GOING FORWARD
AS A CITY CHILDREN AND YOUTH DEDICATED FUND
4. Children & Youth Grant Officer Position
Establish a position for a Grant Officer to identify Request for Proposals from federal, state, and foundation grants that non-profits and collaboratives within Richmond qualify for and apply to draw down more funding to address children and youth needs. This officer would assist in notifying non-profits of available grants, provide support and city data to substantiate needs in their proposals. The Officer could also offer workshops to build internal capacity among RFCY Grantees and non-profits on writing and applying for grants. The Officer would also be responsible for identifying federal and state funds that the City itself could apply for to augment the Richmond Fund for Children & Youth and/or relevant City Departments. Potential grants to highlight include:
SAMHSA's Children's Mental Health Initiative:7
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides grants to expand and sustain comprehensive community mental health services for children with serious emotional disturbances (SED). This program aims to improve mental health outcomes for children and youth at risk for or with SED by supporting the implementation and integration of the System of Care (SOC) approach, creating sustainable infrastructure and services.
Department of Labor Grants:8
The U.S. Department of Labor provides several funding opportunities aimed at supporting youth through different programs. The YouthBuild grants offer financial support to organizations that provide pre- apprenticeship services, including education, skills training, and employment assistance, for young people aged 16 to 24. These grants help youth engage in meaningful community service while preparing for careers in various sectors, especially in infrastructure. YouthBuild grants also fund additional support services like mentoring, trauma-informed care, personal counseling, transportation assistance, and employment preparation, which are essential for addressing community violence. Furthermore, the Workforce Pathways for Youth demonstration grants are designed for national out-of-school time organizations that serve historically underserved and marginalized youth between the ages of 14 and 21. These grants focus on enhancing workforce readiness by offering programs that develop soft skills, provide career exploration, job readiness training, certification, and work-based learning opportunities such as summer jobs, year-round employment, and apprenticeships.
Youth Community Access Grant Program:9
The program was recently launched by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) through the Resources Agency Project Tracking and Reporting (RAPTR) System. Funded by the Youth Education, Prevention, Early Intervention and Treatment Account (YEPEITA), this program aims to enhance youth access to natural and cultural resources, focusing on low-income and disadvantaged communities. 7 https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/grants/pdf/fy-2024-cmhi- nofo.pdf#:~:text=URL%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.samhsa.gov%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fgrants%2Fpdf%2Ffy 8 https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants/apply/find -opportunities 9 https://resources.ca.gov/grants/youth
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5. Capacity-Building Grants
Provide grants to strengthen the non-profit sector by supporting activities such as grant-writing, creation of dashboards, navigation of community services, training for Board Members, and designing Key Performance Indicators. These grants will enhance the ability of non-profits to serve the community effectively.
6. Innovation & Community-Building Grants
Support rapid-response funding opportunities for urgent issues and provide mini-grants to neighborhood groups to hold family and community multicultural events that enhance safety, belonging, and community within neighborhoods.
7. Deepen Partnerships with School Districts
III. Strengthening Education and School Support
Strengthen collaborations at the ground level between school counselors, teachers, McKinney-Vento Liaisons, who provide support for students who are experiencing homelessness, and after-school programs.
For example, school home liaisons working directly with volunteer tutors at a local center who, in turn, coordinates with teachers of the student to provide feedback on homework assignments. Focus on supporting learning, college preparation, and scholarship applications to provide comprehensive support to students. Enhanced partnerships with school districts ensure that students receive comprehensive support for their academic and personal development. This can lead to improved educational outcomes, higher graduation rates, and increased access to higher education opportunities. By providing a network of support, students are more likely to succeed academically and develop the skills necessary for future success.
8. Support for Comprehensive After-School Programming
RFCY should consider a partnership with specific school districts to provide comprehensive after-school programming for elementary and middle school students. For example, the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth (OFCY) leverages matching funds from federal and state sources to maximize impact. OFCY collaborates with the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) to provide thousands of low-income students with free, high-quality after-school programs. Each year, OFCY and OUSD co-fund community-based organizations that act as lead agencies at school sites, offering direct services and enriching after-school activities. This partnership model not only maximizes resources but also ensures the programs are well- integrated into the community, providing consistent support and opportunities for students.
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9. Reinstitute Service Provider Network
IV. Improving Network and Coordination
Facilitate the reinstatement of the Service Provider Network and create a Youth Engagement Council of youth leaders to advise on needs and services. Consider funding a part-time manager for the network to ensure effective coordination and communication among service providers. Reinstating the Service Provider Network and establishing a Youth Engagement Council ensures that services are well-coordinated and responsive to the community's needs. This leads to more effective and efficient service delivery, reduced duplication of efforts, and a better understanding of the community's needs. A part-time manager would help maintain communication and collaboration among providers, ensuring that services are aligned and addressing the most pressing issues facing youth and families.
10. Cross-Departmental Coordination
Enhance coordination of youth services across departments such as Police, Fire, and Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment. Richmond can draw inspiration from Sacramento’s approach to fostering cross- departmental collaboration. Sacramento’s Citywide Youth Development Campaign Plan, implemented in December 2017, exemplifies how coordinated efforts across multiple departments can create a safer & more supportive environment for youth. By promoting preventive programs that address stable housing, early childhood supports, quality education, and community spaces, Sacramento has successfully reduced youth-related violence and enhanced community well-being. This comprehensive approach not only improves public safety but also reduces the need for reactive services from police and fire departments.
Implementing similar strategies in Richmond can ensure a holistic approach to youth well-being, leveraging the strengths of various departments to address the multifaceted needs of young people.
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11. Transportation Work Group
Create a group to identify transportation barriers and opportunities for children and youth to access and participate in out-of-school activities. This includes initiatives like Richmond Rides Share and transportation services for youth experiencing homelessness or unstable housing, ensuring that all youth can participate in beneficial programs.
VI. Securing and Managing Funding
12. Exploring Additional Funding Opportunities
Explore other ways for the city to increase funding for the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (RFCY) beyond the current 3% of general funds. Look into successful models from other programs to identify new funding streams and sustainable financial practices.
13. Funding Source and Eligibility Expansion
Similar to the City of Santa Cruz’s Children’s Fund and the Sacramento Children’s fund, Richmond could allocate a percentage of the city’s marijuana business tax revenue to fund youth and early childhood development programs and services. Richmond could focus on programs that prevent youth-related violence and support comprehensive youth development plans, addressing the root causes of youth violence and providing holistic support. In Santa Cruz, the funding is available to 501(c)3 and 501(c)6 organizations, childcare providers, and governmental bodies. Childcare providers with current licenses in good standing with the Community Care Licensing Division of the California Department of Social Services are eligible.
14. Funding Cycles and Investment
Implement a two-year funding cycle to enable larger and more impactful investments. All grants should have a minimum $50,000 award with no set limits on the amount requested, like the City of Santa Cruz’s Children’s Fund. This approach encourages substantial investments and allows for the strategic planning and execution of long-term projects. The stability provided by a two-year funding cycle ensures sustained support for critical initiatives, enabling organizations to plan effectively and implement comprehensive programs that can significantly benefit the community. By setting a minimum award of $50,000, Richmond can attract high-quality proposals and support impactful projects that address the diverse needs of its youth population.
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V. Transportation Needs
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15. Equity Guidance
VII. Fostering Equity and Effective Evaluation
Assuring that funds and resources are equitably distributed, an Equity Lens is a valuable tool to adopt. For example, The Oakland Fund for Children and Youth (OFCY) offers a good example of such a lens that would be helpful in the evaluation process of the RFP (Appendix E). RFCY can adopt a similar Equity Lens to address place-based neighborhood disparities, racial disparities, and socio-economic inequities by directing resources to areas identified by the Child Opportunity Index (COI). According to the COI data for Richmond, nearly half (45%) of the neighborhoods show “Very Low” and “Low” opportunities for children and youth to thrive, with significant disparities in child poverty rates and COI scores across different census tracts. The COI incorporates both income and non-income-based factors, highlighting that neighborhoods with higher levels of child poverty tend to have lower COI scores. This is particularly true for Black and Hispanic children, who are disproportionately represented in low COI neighborhoods.
By using the COI as a guiding tool, RFCY can strategically target funding to neighborhoods that fall within the "Very Low" and "Low" opportunity levels. This approach will ensure that resources are allocated to the most underserved and high-need areas, promoting equity and addressing the root causes of disparities. For instance, programs aimed at early childhood development, mental health support, and youth employment can be prioritized in these low-opportunity neighborhoods to uplift and provide critical support to the children and youth who need it most.
In practice, RFCY can map out the census tracts with the lowest COI scores and support specific initiatives to support these areas. This could include partnerships with local organizations to provide comprehensive services such as after-school programs, mentoring, health services, and community engagement activities.
Additionally, by regularly reviewing COI data, RFCY can adapt its strategies to evolving community needs, ensuring that funding continues to address the most pressing issues and supports the long-term well-being of Richmond's youth.
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16. Partnership with Violence Prevention and Workforce Development VIII. Promoting Youth Development and Safety
Support initiatives that re-engage disconnected youth into supportive programs in collaboration with the City’s Department of Violence Prevention and Workforce Development Board. For example, the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth (OFCY) and the Oakland Workforce Development Board (OWDB) issued a joint Request for Proposals (RFP) for a cohesive program model to expand summer job opportunities for youth.
This initiative reduced administrative burdens, strengthened system-wide collaboration, and increased participation in subsidized summer jobs programs, providing meaningful employment and skill-building opportunities for disconnected youth.
17. Youth Development Campaign Plan
Develop and implement a citywide Youth Development Campaign Plan that emphasizes safety, equity, justice, and accountability. This plan should aim to create a safe environment for youth both physically and emotionally, reflecting the needs and perspectives of young people in all policies and programs. Inspired by Sacramento’s Citywide Youth Development Campaign Plan, Richmond can promote equity and justice through coordinated prevention services. Sacramento’s plan involves active participation from youth, under the guiding principle “Nothing about us without us,” ensuring that youth voices are central in the planning and decision-making processes.10 The plan’s initiatives, such as stable housing, early childhood supports, quality education, and community spaces, help foster safer and healthier communities. By adopting a similar plan, Richmond can provide comprehensive support to its youth, creating an environment where they feel safe and valued, thereby improving overall community well-being. 10https://www.fundingthenextgeneration.org/nextgenwp/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Sacramento-_Resolution_to_Redefine_Public_Safety_PDF-955_KB- 002.pdf
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9. OVERVIEW AND METHODOLOGY OF DEVELOPING THE SIP
The foundation of the Strategic Investment Plan is the 2024 Community Needs Assessment that identified Five Core Needs of Richmond’s Children and Youth. The needs assessment involved four major components:
Community Engagement listening to almost 400 voices among youth, community members, service providers and policy makers through Key Informant Interviews, Focus Groups of over 100 youth, a survey of over 200 respondents and a Visioning Event generating ideas of community members going forward to address the needs. Their voices were validated through comprehensive study and analysis of secondary data acquired from reports, U.S. Census data, and GIS mapping on poverty, food access and a Child Opportunity Index measuring degrees of access to 44 indicators of opportunity that enable children to thrive among Richmond neighborhoods.
The public visioning event was a core component of the Strategic Investment Plan of engaging the community as to their ideas on what RFCY would do well to consider in addressing the Five Core Needs.
Held at the Richmond Auditorium, the event provided dinner and featured break-out discussions at round tables. Participants engaged in these discussions after listening to 5-minute "Ted-Talk" style briefings covering three main topics: Mental & Behavioral Health Needs, Learning Needs, and Safety, and Community and Belonging.
During the two-hour event, participants generated ideas on addressing each topic in their break-out sessions and then shared their ideas with the entire group. This interactive event allowed Richmond community members to share their experiences, insights, and perspectives on the needs of children and youth, offering innovative solutions. Nearly fifty ideas were generated and are presented in this plan.
The visioning event drew over 70 community members, including adults and youth, with representatives from 17 organizations. A unique feature of the evening was the live illustration of participants' ideas by a graphic recorder. This artist created an eight-foot mural in real-time, capturing the collective input of the attendees. This visual representation proved particularly engaging, especially for younger participants who were seen taking selfies and pictures in front of the mural at the event's conclusion. 173
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9. OVERVIEW AND METHODOLOGY OF DEVELOPING THE SIP
The mural is presented below:
Beyond community engagement and the development of the Community Needs Assessment (CNA), the consulting group then reviewed RFCY’s current protocol on how decisions are made to strategically invest in the wide array of worthy community-based organizations that are dedicated to addressing the needs of children and youth cited in the CNA. The Request for Proposal (RFP) process serves as a comprehensive guide on making those strategic decisions on who, what and how to invest the Funds of RFCY. As a result, the Application, Evaluation, Scoring and Allocation of Funds processes were analyzed and reviewed in light of the Five Core Needs identified. The consulting team researched similar city-funded Children and Youth Funds for promising practices in their decision-making and grant award processes as well as a review of the literature and standards of practice in developing Key Performance Indicators and Pre-and-Post Youth Participant and Parent/Caregiver Evaluation Surveys.
As a result, this Strategic Investment Plan serves to provide RFCY with the infrastructure to guide their decision-making for the years to come and yield the return on investment they and the youth and children they serve seek and deserve.
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10. RICHMOND FUND FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
A. History
The Richmond Fund for Children and Youth (RFCY) was established following the approval of Measure E and Measure K by Richmond voters on June 5, 2018. This initiative, known as the Richmond Kids First Initiative, led to the amendment of the City of Richmond Charter (Article XV) and authorized the creation of the Richmond Department and Fund for Children and Youth. The primary aim of RFCY is to provide increased and dedicated funding for services benefiting children, youth, and young adults under 24 years of age in Richmond. This move was driven by the city’s commitment to addressing the substantial and persistent needs of its young population.
B. Article XV
Article XV of the City of Richmond Charter mandates the allocation of 3% of the City’s General Fund to the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth each fiscal year, starting from FY 2023-24 through FY 2027-28. This dedicated funding supports the ongoing needs of the department and the fund, ensuring a consistent financial commitment to youth services. The article also established a 15-member Oversight Board and required the department to conduct a Community Needs Assessment (CNA) every three years to guide the development of a Strategic Investment Plan. The CNA engages community members, including youth, agencies, and organizations, to identify and prioritize the needs of Richmond’s children and youth.
C. Vision
The vision of the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth is to create a community where every child, youth, and young adult in Richmond can thrive. This involves ensuring that they are physically, emotionally, mentally, and socially healthy, successful in school, and live in stable, safe, and supportive families and communities. The vision reflects the community’s aspirations for its young population and underscores the city’s commitment to investing in their futures.
D. Mission
The mission of the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth is to enhance the quality of life for Richmond’s children, youth, and young adults by providing equitable and sustainable funding for programs and services that address their needs. The mission focuses on promoting safety, health, education, and well-being through a collaborative approach that involves public agencies, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders. By leveraging resources and fostering partnerships, RFCY aims to create an environment where young people can achieve their full potential.
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10. RICHMOND FUND FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
E. Guiding Principles
The Richmond Fund for Children and Youth operates under a set of guiding principles that reflect its core values and commitment to the community:
1. Community-Centered:
Richmond residents are considered experts in their lived experiences. Their insights and needs are central to the planning and decision-making processes.
2. Equity and Inclusion:
RFCY emphasizes the importance of addressing racial and economic disparities. Programs and services are designed to be inclusive of all ages, races, ethnicities, gender expressions, languages, and abilities/disabilities.
3. Collaboration and Shared Ownership:
RFCY values collaboration among public agencies, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders. Shared outcomes and collective efforts are key to achieving the fund’s goals.
4. Transparency and Accountability:
RFCY is committed to being transparent in its operations and accountable to the community it serves.
Open communication and regular reporting on progress are integral to maintaining trust and credibility.
5. Innovation and Flexibility:
RFCY encourages innovative approaches to address the evolving needs of children and youth. Flexibility in program design and implementation is essential to responding effectively to emerging challenges.
6. Youth Engagement:
The principle of “Nothing About Me, Without Me” emphasizes the importance of youth voice and engagement. Young people are actively involved in the planning, decision-making, and evaluation processes to ensure their needs and perspectives are reflected.
By adhering to these guiding principles, RFCY aims to create a supportive, equitable, and thriving environment for Richmond’s children and youth, paving the way for a brighter and more inclusive future. 176
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Appendix A: Pre and Post-Program Questions for
Youth and Parents-Caregivers
Pre and Post-Program Questions for Parents -Caregivers
Category Pre-Program Questions Post-Program Questions
Child's Information What is your child's age and grade level? What is your child's age and grade level? What zip code do you reside in? What zip code do you reside in? Which school does your child attend? Which school does your child attend? What is your race/ethnicity? (e.g., Black,
Latinx, White/Caucasian, Asian,
Multiracial, etc.)?
Household Information What is your current housing situation? (Stable housing, temporary housing,
experiencing homelessness)
If you do not have stable housing, where
do you live? (e.g., homeless shelter, with
relatives, etc.)
Has your housing situation changed since
the beginning of the program? (Stable
housing, temporary housing, experiencing
homelessness)
How many people live in your household?
Do you live with parents, legal guardian,
grandparents, or other relatives?
Has the program provided any resources
or support that has positively impacted
your household's stability? (Yes/No, and
please explain)
Mental and Behavioral
Health
Has your child been diagnosed with any
mental health conditions? (Yes/No)
Did you notice any improvement in your
child's mental health and well-being?
(Yes/No)
Does your child currently receive any
mental health services? (Yes/No)
Did the program help your child develop
coping skills and manage stress better?
(Yes/No)
Learning Needs Does your child struggle with reading,
math, or other academic subjects?
(Yes/No)
Did you see an improvement in your child's
academic performance? (Yes/No)
Does your child need help completing
homework regularly? (Yes/No)
Has your child become more confident in
completing homework assignments?
(Yes/No)
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Category Pre-Program Questions Post-Program Questions
Program Participation How did you hear about our program? How many hours per week did your child participate in the program?
Has your child participated in any after-
school programs or extracurricular
activities in the past year? (Yes/No)
Are you interested in enrolling your child in
programs related to mental health, arts,
music, science, or sports? (Yes/No)
Were there any barriers that affected your
child's regular attendance? (Yes/No)
Engagement and
Retention
How many hours per week can your child
commit to participating in the program?
How would you rate your overall
satisfaction with the program? (Scale of 1-
10)
Are there any barriers that might prevent
your child from regularly attending the
program? (Transportation, scheduling
conflicts, etc.)
Would you recommend this program to
other parents? (Yes/No)
Parental Involvement Are you interested in attending workshops or meetings related to your child's
education and well-being? (Yes/No)
Did you attend any workshops or meetings
related to the program? (Yes/No)
How often can you commit to participating
in program-related events or workshops?
(Monthly, quarterly , etc.)
How often did you participate in program-
related events or workshops? (Monthly,
quarterly, etc.)
Transportation Does your child have reliable
transportation to and from the program?
(Yes/No)
Did your child have reliable transportation
to and from the program? (Yes/No)
Do you need assistance with
transportation for your child to attend the
program? (Yes/No)
Did you receive any assistance with
transportation for your child to attend the
program? (Yes/No)
Resource Utilization Are you aware of any community
resources or services available to support
your child's education and well-being?
(Yes/No)
Were you able to access community
resources or services through the
program? (Yes/No)
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Category Pre-Program Questions Post-Program Questions
Resource Utilization Have you used any community resources or services in the past year? (Yes/No)
Did you find the community resources or
services provided helpful? (Yes/No)
Safety and Community
Spaces
Does your child feel safe in your
neighborhood and at school? (Yes/No)
Did your child feel safe in the program
environment? (Yes/No)
Are there safe spaces in your community
where your child can spend time and
engage in activities? (Yes/No)
Did the program provide safe spaces for
your child to engage in activities? (Yes/No)
Cultural Competency Does your child have access to culturally relevant programs and activities? (Yes/No)
Was the program culturally relevant and
sensitive to your child's needs? (Yes/No)
Are there specific cultural or linguistic
needs your family has that we should be
aware of? (Yes/No)
Did the program meet your family's
specific cultural or linguistic needs?
(Yes/No)
Employment and
Financial Support
Do you need assistance with finding
employment or financial support for your
family? (Yes/No)
Did you receive any assistance with finding
employment or financial support through
the program? (Yes/No)
Are you interested in learning about
programs that offer financial aid or other
types of economic support? (Yes/No)
Did you learn about programs that offer
financial aid or other types of economic
support? (Yes/No)
Digital Accessibility Does your child have access to a computer and high-speed internet at home?
(Yes/No)
Did your child have access to a computer
and high-speed internet to participate in
the program? (Yes/No)
Would you prefer to receive program
information and updates online or in
person? (Online/In person)
How did you prefer to receive program
information and updates? (Online/In
person)
Feedback and
Suggestions
What are your primary goals for your child
participating in this program? (Open-
ended)
Did the program meet your primary goals
for your child? (Yes/No)
How would you rate your overall
satisfaction with the program? (Scale of 1-
10)
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Pre and Post-Program Questions for Youth Participants
Category Pre-Program Questions Post-Program Questions
Demographic
Information
How old are you? How old are you now?
What grade are you in at school? What grade are you in now? What is your home zip code? Has your home zip code changed since you started the program? (Yes/No)
What is your race/ethnicity? (e.g., Black,
Latinx, White/Caucasian, Asian,
Multiracial, etc.)
Housing Status Do you have a stable place to live?
(Options: Yes, temporary housing,
homeless)
If you don't have a stable home, where do
you live? (Examples: with relatives, in a
homeless shelter, etc.)
Has your housing situation changed since
you started the program? (Yes/No)
If your housing situation was unstable
before, has it improved after participating
in the program? (Yes/No)
How many people live with you at home?
Do you live with your parents, a legal
guardian, grandparents, or other relatives?
Has the number of people living in your
home changed since you started the
program? (Yes/No)
Have there been any changes in who you
live with? (Yes/No)
Mental and Behavioral
Health
Are you experiencing anxiety or
depression? (Yes/No)
Did you notice any improvement in your
mental health and well-being? (Yes/No)
Have you sought treatment for these
issues? (Yes/No)
Did the program help you develop coping
skills and manage stress better? (Yes/No)
Would you like to receive resources or
services on how to address these issues?
(Yes/No)
Did you receive resources or services on
how to address your mental health issues?
(Yes/No)
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Category Pre-Program Questions Post-Program Questions
Learning Needs Do you feel you need additional support in reading or math? (Yes/No)
How have your reading and math skills
improved since participating in the
program? (Much improved, improved, no
change, worsened)
Do you need support in developing skills
such as teamwork, communication, and
problem-solving? (Yes/No)
How have your teamwork, communication,
and problem-solving skills improved?
(Much improved, improved, no change,
worsened)
Career and College
Preparation
Are you interested in college prep or
career training programs? (Yes/No)
Did you participate in college prep or
career training programs during the
program? (Yes/No)
Transportation Needs Will access to transportation affect your participation in this program? (Yes/No)
Was transportation a barrier to your
attendance? (Yes/No)
What type of transportation did you use to
come to this program? (Parent drop-off,
public transport, etc.)
Did the program assist you with
transportation needs? (Yes/No)
Food Insecurity Do you experience hunger? If so, how
often are you hungry? (some days, most
days, etc.)
Did the program help you with food
security? (Yes/No)
Safety Do you feel safe in your neighborhood?
(Yes/No)
Do you feel safe at school? (Yes/No)
Do you feel safer in your neighborhood
after participating in the program?
(Yes/No)
Do you feel safer at school after
participating in the program? (Yes/No)
How often do you spend time in
community spaces like parks, marinas, or
friends' houses? (Rarely , Sometimes,
Often)
Did your time spent in community spaces
like parks, marinas, or friends' houses
increase? (Yes/No)
Social Activities Are you interested in participating in after- school programs or clubs? (Yes/No)
How have your social interactions and
relationships with peers and mentors
improved? (Much improved, improved, no
change, worsened)
Are you interested in participating in
support groups or social activities?
(Yes/No)
How has your self-esteem & emotional
resilience improved? (Much improved,
improved, no change, worsened).
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Category Pre-Program Questions Post-Program Questions
Health and Nutrition Would you like to participate in health and nutrition programs? (Yes/No)
How have your eating habits and nutrition
knowledge improved? (Much improved,
improved, no change, worsened)
Engagement and
Retention
How many hours per week can you
commit to participating in the program?
How often did you attend the program
sessions? (All sessions, most sessions,
some sessions, few sessions)
Have you had trouble attending programs
regularly in the past? (Yes/No)
What kept you motivated to continue
attending the program?
Program Satisfaction How did you find out about this program? (Community event, word of mouth, social
media, etc.)
How satisfied are you with the program
you attended? (Scale of 1-10)
What did you like most about the
program?
What did you like least about the
program?
Community Impact Are you aware of any community
resources or services available to support
your education and well-being? (Yes/No)
Did the program help you become more
aware of community resources and
services? (Yes/No)
Parental and Family
Support
Do your parents or guardians participate in
your school or extracurricular activities?
(Yes/No)
Did your parents or guardians become
more involved in your education and
activities? (Yes/No)
How did the program help your family?
Future Participation Would you recommend this program to others? (Yes/No)
What additional programs or services
would you like to see offered?
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AppendixB: RFCY PriorityPopulations Checklist
RFCY Priority Populations
The Fund prioritizes Richmond and North Richmond
children, youth, and transitional age youth who are
most impacted by harm, inequity, and lack of access
to support services.
• Children (birth-12)
• Youth (ages 13 to 17)
• Transitional age youth (ages 18-24)
The priority populations include, but are not limited to:
• Justice-impacted youth;
• Young people who have been pushed out of school;
• Young people who themselves are experiencing homeless, or whose families are unhoused or threatened by homelessness;
• Young people living in poverty; immigrant and undocumented children, youth, and families; • LGBTQIA+ 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 who are involved in or transitioning from the foster care, juvenile/ criminal justice, or special education systems.
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AppendixC: The 5 Guiding Principles of 2Gen
These principles are foundational values embedded in
two-generation (2Gen) approaches
Measure and account for outcomes for both children and the adults in their lives. While subsequent principles are important for all strategies, the distinguishing factor of the 2Gen approach is the focus on whole families. Programs and policies should measure outcomes at multiple levels – for individuals, key family relationships (parent-child, co-parents), and families as a whole – to yield a complete picture of how families are faring and the effectiveness of 2Gen approaches. It’s important we learn more about interim outcomes (like client trust and hope) and the effects of interim outcomes on long-term outcomes (like a child’s education progress or a family’s income).
Engage and listen to the voices of families
Parents/adult caregivers are the experts when it comes to what their families need to thrive and the ways in which 2Gen approaches may or may not be meeting those needs. Their perspectives and experiential wisdom should be embedded in the design of 2Gen approaches, in their implementation, and in the generation of evidence for those approaches.
Ensure racial, gender, and economic equity
2Gen approaches prioritize equity so that all children and all families can thrive and have the same opportunity to reach their potential. These strategies should evaluate and fix structural problems that create gender and/or racial and ethnic disparities in all aspects – from programs and services to day-to- day operations to relationships with families.
Foster innovation and evidence together
Tap insights from prior evidence-based research and build a deliberate pipeline to ensure innovation.
Policies and organizational cultures should encourage the integration of innovation into emerging evidence and evaluations of effectiveness.
Align and link systems and funding streams
Rarely will single funding streams fully address all the needs of children, parents, and families. Programs will need to blend and coordinate funds to deliver two-generation services. Aligning and linking systems at the state and community level — eligibility standards, performance benchmarks, and coordinated administrative structures — while simultaneously pursuing improved outcomes for both parents and children will lead to 2Gen success.
Source: https://ascend.aspeninstitute.org/two-generation/the-5-guiding-principles-of-2gen/
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Appendix D: Child Opportunity Index (COI)
The graphic chart above shows the percentage of census tracts distributed among the five Child Opportunity Index levels and cites the census tracts below each level. This illustrates that nearly half (45%) of Richmond’s neighborhoods show “Very Low” and “Low” opportunities for children and youth to thrive. In contrast, thirty -eight percent experience High and Very High Opportunities while seventeen percent fall between them.
While the COI incorporates income and non -income based factors, a correlation can be seen between Richmond census tracts with higher levels of child poverty and lower COI scores. Like poverty rates, there is a wide disparity in COI across the different census tracts in Richmond, ranging from Very Low to Very High Opportunity. And like national trends, there is a stark disproportionate number of Black and Hispanic children living in the low COI Neighborhoods.
If you are interested in learning more about the Child Opportunity Index and using their dashboard, go to Diversity Data Kids by going to https://www.diversitydatakids.org/child -opportunity -index Percentage of COI Ratings Among Richmond Census Tracts on Education, Health & Environment, Social and Economic Indicators
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Child Opportunity Index (COI) Levels
And Child/Youth Population Distribution in
Richmond Census Tracts
The following map shows the Child Opportunity Index (COI) level and the number of children and youth residing within each of the twenty six census tracts and their corresponding neighborhoods as they geographically appear on a census map of Richmond.
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Appendix E: Oakland Fund for Children and Youth (OFCY) Request for Proposal Equity Guidance
OFCY’s funding allocation decisions reflect its focus on equity. Its most recent Request for Proposals details these priorities for prospective grantees:
“The OFCY prioritizes services and programs for those with the most need and least access. OFCY works toward an equitable city by funding strategies designed to support more equitable outcomes.
Equity Guidance
1. OFCY will focus funding to address the needs of Black and Latinx youth and families who bear the most disproportionate burdens and face the most compounding stressors.
2. Funding will serve low-income children and youth, ensuring that investments reach specific communities of color, including Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans. OFCY will support culturally responsive approaches to services.
3. OFCY will target funding by place. Given the dramatic disparities that exist between different neighborhoods, a place-based approach is crucial to ensure that resources are reaching the target populations. Investments should be directed into the neighborhoods and schools where these youth live and attend. The Human Services Department (HSD) stressor map is used to identify gaps and needs in a graphic manner which helps communities prioritize funding for direct services to communities in East, Central, and West Oakland.
4. OFCY recognizes the need to channel funds to youth facing multiple barriers that often intersect and heighten risk and drive inequitable outcomes. Funding approaches should support the specific needs and experiences of youth – especially those facing the most egregious challenges.
These include:
• Transition-Age Youth disconnected from both school and work. • Foster Youth
• Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness
• Newcomer and Immigrant Children, Youth, and Their Families. • LGBTQ+ Children and Youth.
• Children and Youth with Disabilities.
• Commercially-Sexually Exploited Children and Youth (CSEC).” Source: https://www.ofcy.org/assets/Uploads/OFCY-RFP-FY2022-2025-Combined.pdf 187