(RFP) Dear Nonprofit Community Partner: Thank you for your interest in partnering with Golden 1 Credit Union. Like you, we re committed to removing barriers, increasing opportunities, and contributing to a high quality of life in the communities where our employees and members live, work, and raise their families. Through our grants program, we will invest more than $500,000 to fund programs in communities that have invested in us since 1933. Our fourth-annual grants program will fund nonprofit organizations in the Central Valley (Fresno, Kings, and Madera counties) and the Sacramento Valley (Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, and El Dorado counties). This year, our grant awards will cover 18 months of program support (January 2017 - June 2018) and be paid in two payments; the first by year-end 2016 and the second in the fall of 2017, after successful completion of a mid-grant cycle review. During this cycle of grant making, we will fund programs that are working to address the needs of children and young adults in two categories: 1. Literacy: Programs that help children and young people, grades K-12, learn to read, improve their reading comprehension, and assist them in improving school performance thanks to better reading skills. 2. Aging-Out Foster Youth: Programs that serve to provide or bridge services, assistance, and opportunities for young people between the ages of 16 and 24 years who are or have been in foster care. We look forward to working with you to meet critical needs for children and young people in the Central Valley and Sacramento Valley markets. Thank you for all you do. Sincerely, Donna Bland President & CEO Erica L. Taylor VP, Communications & Community Relations 1
At-A-Glance Golden 1 Credit Union priority needs are: 1. Literacy: Programs that help children and young people, grades K-12, learn to read, improve their reading comprehension, and assist them in improving school performance thanks to better reading skills. 2. Aging-Out Foster Youth: Programs that serve to provide or bridge services, assistance, and opportunities for young people between the ages of 16 and 24 years who are or have been in foster care. It is the goal of Golden 1 Credit Union to reduce unmet needs within the Central Valley (Fresno, Kings, and Madera Counties) and the Sacramento Valley (Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, and El Dorado Counties), with priority consideration given to programs that impact at-risk populations in the areas we serve. Components of RFP Packet and Access to Individual Templates Within this RFP packet, you are provided instructions as well as specific forms to complete. To fill in the Cover Sheet and Budget form, you may access these file templates at the Golden 1 website at www.golden1.com/communitygrants. Download and prepare your proposal from them. Proposal Submission Instructions Incomplete proposals will not be considered for funding. To be considered a complete proposal, you must include the documents provided in this RFP packet. These instructions, along with the Microsoft Word and Excel files can be downloaded from the Golden 1 website at www.golden1.com/communitygrants. Do not send additional attachments, as they will not be reviewed. Email your proposal, including all attachments, under one submission to: communitygrants@golden1.com, to be received no later than midnight on Friday, September 30, 2016. Format of your proposal must be: 1 margins on all sides 11-point Arial font Headers to reflect your organization name; footers to reflect page number Proposal Deadline, Award Announcement, and Award Schedule Proposals Due: Friday, September 30, 2016 by midnight Award Announcements: Monday, December 5, 2016 (RFP) Grant Cycle: January 2017 - June 2018 2
Award Payment: Awards will be paid in two payments. Payment 1 will be awarded by December 31, 2016. Payment 2 will be awarded in November of 2017, contingent upon completion of a mid-grant cycle review. The mid-grant cycle evaluation report is due October 1, 2017. Proposal Cover Sheet Name of Organization (Lead Agency): Executive Director Name: Program Contact Name: Organization s Mailing Address: Fax: Website URL: Proposed Project Title: For collaborative applicants only, list additional partners who will share responsibility for implementation of these grant dollars: Organization: Point of Contact: Organization: Point of Contact: Amount Requested: Counties Served: Fresno Kings Madera Sacramento Yolo Placer El Dorado Program Focus: Literacy Foster Youth Number of unduplicated clients to be served: Your proposal must contain: Cover Sheet (1 page) Project Narrative (not to exceed 6 pages) Project Budget (1-page spreadsheet + narrative) List of Board members: name, position on board, and business / community affiliation If a collaborative funding proposal, include the MOU and a Board list for each organization The information provided in this proposal is accurate and complete. I am responsible for the implementation of activities proposed in this funding request and am a key point of contact for questions about this proposal: Signature Printed Name 3
Proposal Narrative Instructions Problem Identification & Organizational Capacity (1 page maximum) 1. What is the problem your organization is trying to solve? 2. How does your organization approach solving this problem? 3. How is your organization uniquely positioned to implement this approach? How are other organizations approaching this problem? Are you working with or complimenting their services? Program Activities, Outcomes, Impact, and Evaluation (2 pages maximum) 1. Describe the activities you will accomplish to address the problem. What population will you target? If working with collaborative partners, who will be responsible for each activity? 2. Once accomplished, what evidence will these activities produce of service delivery? 3. If accomplished, what changes/outcomes will these activities lead to in the short-term (1-3 years)? 4. If accomplished, what changes/outcomes will these activities lead to in the long-term (4-6 years)? 5. If accomplished, what will be the ultimate impact of these activities (7-10 years)? 6. How will you know whether or not your program has been successful in addressing the problem? What systems will you have in place to evaluate your impact? Sustainability (1 page maximum) 1. How will your organization sustain this program beyond 2017? What other funding sources or revenue streams will you utilize? 2. How does your organization continuously learn about and evolve with community issues? 4
Project Budget and Budget Narrative Please complete the Excel file budget form provided for download at: www.golden1.com/communitygrants The budget form requires the following information: Organizational Name: Project Name: I. Personnel Last Year's Project Budget (if applicable) Total Proposed Project Budget Additional Support for this Project Total Amount Requested from Golden 1 Cash Source: In-Kind Source: Subtotal Personnel II. Operating Expenses Cash Source: In-Kind Source: Subtotal Operating Expenses % of indirect costs (not to exceed 10% of your grant request total) III. Total Project Costs Budget Narrative: Explain any exceptional items listed in the budget above, as well as clarify the meaning of various line items if it will help you make a compelling case for support. Be sure to explain any additional resources being applied to this program (e.g., the source of other funding, in-kind services). Tell us what you think we should know to illustrate why this is a good investment for Golden 1 Credit Union and the community. What is your total agency budget, with % of revenue sources? Either listed below or by insertion of a graph into your Excel document, tell us about your organizational budget. Total annual budget 2016: $ Percentage of total in: Grants Corporate Sponsorships Fee for Service Individual Financial Gifts Other (define) Total: 100% 5
Helpful Hints and FAQ Golden 1 Credit Union will review proposals. Applicant organizations are not guaranteed to receive the funding amount requested. All funding decisions are final and there is no appeals process for this grant program. To best ensure your proposal is competitive, consider these questions: Is this proposal clearly aligned with one of the stated priority need topics? Do you plan to provide your program within either the Central Valley or Sacramento Valley, and serve at-risk populations? Does your proposal include measurable goals that are clear and achievable? Is it clear what success will look like, and how it will be measured? If you are requesting funding for a program already in place, do you discuss results achieved or challenges encountered to date? Have you explained all acronyms? If a collaborative request, are all partner roles clearly identified and described in your proposal? Is the budget reasonable to accomplish the stated outcome? Does the budget and budget narrative clearly demonstrate any in-kind resources or matching funds? How does this funding opportunity apply to public schools? Public schools are eligible to apply if their proposed project meets one of the defined priority needs described in this RFP packet. Can an organization submit more than one proposal? Yes. Pick your best programs or programmatic concepts and submit compelling proposals. Is there a certain amount of money allocated? In this grant cycle, Golden 1 Credit Union has committed more than $500,000 to be allocated. Individual grant awards will take into consideration the breadth, depth, and effectiveness of your programs as well as the number of requests we receive. Is sustainability a factor? Absolutely. Proposals should include a discussion of how you plan to secure funding to keep your program in place after this grant cycle. During the review process, specific plans will be ranked higher than general plans. 6
Helpful Hints and FAQ, continued We are a fiscal sponsor for several different programs. Can we apply on behalf of more than one program? Yes. Golden 1 applauds cost-saving collaborations and welcomes proposals from more than one program being provided support by a fiscal sponsor. How much information are you looking for about our board members? Name, position on the Board, and name of their business / community affiliation. What is meant by indirect cost, and what is allowed? There is a 10% indirect cost amount allowed per proposed project. Indirect costs are the operating costs necessary to run the organization (rent, utilities, etc.). Is there a minimum amount to apply for? No. But Golden 1 Credit Union appreciates thoughtful budgets. Is there a particular timeline for the grant period? Yes. This grant cycle funds activity January 2017 - June 2018. Please note this is an 18-month grant cycle. Grant applications should request support for programing that spans the January 2017 - June 2018 period. Are MOUs required for collaborative partners? Yes, Board approved and signed by the Board chairs. Does my agency headquarters have to be in the Central Valley or Sacramento Valley? No. The programs you offer must be located in one of these regions, as defined in this RFP, and must be serving the residents of the counties listed. Please clarify collaboration and duplication of services to help us prepare our proposal. If you are collaborating as part of this proposal, tell us each partner s distinct role. If you provide a service that is provided by others in your local county, tell us whether or not you collaborate with those organizations; and regardless, how you are unique in providing the service(s). Failure to do so will beg the question, Why fund you vs. someone else doing this work? We are an agency that is required to bring in matching dollars for our federal grant. What is Golden 1 Credit Union s position on this in terms of our proposal? Golden 1 Credit Union funds can be used as matching funds. Describe this in your narrative and reflect it in your proposed budget. 7