· web view2021. 1. 15. · in infant mortality by 2033. infant mortality describes the number...

FLOURISH Community Mobilization & Innovation Request for Proposals

FLOURISH St. Louis, a collective impact initiative powered by Generate Health, works to eliminate racial disparities in infant mortality by 2033. Infant mortality describes the number of babies who die before their first birthday. Black babies are three times more likely to die before the age of one than White babies. In St. Louis, the number of Black babies who die each year would fill eight kindergarten classrooms. When we achieve our vision, 81 more Black babies will celebrate their first birthday every year and our community will be a place where all families can flourish. We are bringing together people and organizations from all parts of our region to fix the systems that impact the health of Black families.

What is Community Mobilization & Innovation?

FLOURISH understands that community participation is an important part of the work to eliminate racial disparities in infant mortality. It is not enough to include the community in the work, but a model must be created where community leads the work. Part of moving to a community-led model is empowering the community to take action in addressing opportunities in their own neighborhoods. This funding opportunity was developed to be grassroots in nature and is reserved for neighborhood and community groups to implement new and existing community engagement efforts that promote maternal and infant vitality, provide social support and healing, and/or build community in priority zip codes where infant mortality is at its worst.

Applications will be accepted and awarded on a quarterly basis. Grants awarded will range between a minimum amount of $1,000 and maximum amount of $25,000. Successful applicants will be notified approximately four (4) weeks after the grant cycle closes. Funded partners will have one (1) year from their project start date to complete their work with the awarded funds.

All funded partners must comply with Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19 as well as orders enforced by local and state government.

2021 CMI Grant Application Cycles

Application Due Date/Cycle Close Anticipated Project Start DateFebruary 19th, 2021 April 1st, 2021

June, August, November deadlines to be determined.

In order for your application to be considered for a cycle, it must be submitted by the due date. For example, applications submitted by February 19th will be reviewed so that applicants can be awarded funds to begin projects April 1st, 2020. Applications submitted after the due date will be reviewed for the subsequent funding cycle.

Words in bold italics are defined in the glossary

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

https://generatehealthstl.org/

https://www.flourishstlouis.org/

Eligibility Requirements

Community Mobilization funds are designed to foster innovation in St. Louis neighborhoods at greatest risk of maternal and infant mortality, and support groups who are not the traditional recipients of grant funds. Applicants must meet the following requirements:

Neighborhood groups comprised of community members and/or community-based non-profit organizations wanting to make a positive impact on the lives of Black women and families in the target population;

Non-profit organizations must ensure that the proposed project will be community-led. Community-led implies that members of the community the project intends to impact are involved in the design, implementation, or oversight of the project;

Non-profit organizations must operate under an annual budget that does not exceed $500,000; The target population served must be located within one or more of the priority zip codes:

63104, 63106, 63107, 63111, 63112, 63113, 63115, 63118, 63120, 63121, 63133, 63135, 63136, 63140, 63144, and 63147;

Groups applying for funding must have a fiscal sponsor or be registered to conduct business and in good standing with the state of Missouri as a non-profit 501(c)(3). A fiscal sponsor is a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) designation that performs administrative management and oversight including contract management and monitoring, financial oversight, and funds distribution in the interest of a group that is not registered as a 501(c)(3) organization. If applicants are not registered as a 501(c)(3), they must apply with a fiscal sponsor that is in good standing with the state of Missouri. FLOURISH will support you in securing a fiscal sponsor if your group needs that level of assistance;

Applicants must not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status either through employment practices or policies and procedures concerning access to services.

Faith-based approaches are welcomed for this grant opportunity. Proposed projects must be inclusive of all people and not require participants to join a church, convert or adhere to a specific set of beliefs.

Note: If funded, the fiscal sponsor and applicant group will be responsible for all terms and conditions of the Grant Award Agreement for the duration of the grant. For purposes of the grant application, financial information is required from both the applicant and the fiscal sponsor.

For questions regarding eligibility of your organization to apply for Community Mobilization and Innovation funding, contact Senior Manager of Planning and Partnerships, Laura Horwitz at [email protected] or 314-624-0551.

FLOURISH requires that all funded partners will:

Comply with Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19 as well as orders enforced by local and state government.

Use all grant funds for the project for which they have been requested



mailto:[email protected]

Use racial equity as the focus of the work to promote maternal and infant vitality, provide social support and healing, and/or build community in a priority zip code(s)

Adhere to the project evaluation requirements and provide the necessary information for timely reporting. See page 3 for more details

Include FLOURISH and Generate Health branding in all marketing and communications used for the project being funded

Funded partners can expect FLOURISH to:

Provide technical assistance during the application process. This assistance comes in the form of helping groups find fiscal sponsors and grant writing support

Provide evaluation training shortly after your group has been funded Provide referrals to consultants that can assist your group with detailed aspects of your project

work (ex. marketing, web design, event planning, organizing, etc.) Include your group in FLOURISH’s network of community partners

Review Criteria

A FLOURISH Review Committee comprised of community members and professionals with prior grant-making experience will review all completed applications. Applications will be selected based upon eligibility, availability of funding, how well the proposed project aligns with the purpose of Community Mobilization and Innovation, and how well applicants respond to the following criteria outlined in the Application Requirements section:

Proposal Summary (15 points) Group Background (6 points) Project Detail (25 points) Community Mobilization & Innovation Project Budget Request (4 points)

Total points possible = 50

Project Evaluation Process

Once a grant is awarded, granted partners will be expected to attend one evaluation training within the first two weeks of receiving funding and there will be a final evaluation touchpoint at the end of your project. An additional evaluation touchpoint technical assistance may be provided at the mid-point of your project, that will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Date and time for training will be agreed upon between the granted partner and the FLOURISH staff member. At the end of the project, all final evaluation components will be submitted to Generate Health. More information can be found on the FLOURISH website.

How to Apply

Applications are currently being accepted. Submissions must be completed by 11:59pm on the due date to be considered for that given cycle. Please note that FLOURISH or MFH staff will not be available after 4:00pm on those days to answer any questions or resolve issues.


https://www.flourishstlouis.org/community-mobilization-funds/

https://www.flourishstlouis.org/community-mobilization-funds/

FLOURISH will hold informational sessions for interested applicants throughout the application period. Dates and locations for informational sessions can be found on the FLOURISH website.

To start a new online application, click here.

To return to an online application in progress, log in to your account .

Our office is currently working remotely. If you wish to submit a paper application, we ask that you please mail or hand in your application five (5) business days before the deadline. If you choose to mail or drop off your application, please coordinate with Laura Horwitz ([email protected]).

FLOURISH Grant Funding Request Proposal Format

Application Requirements

Applications that do not contain all of the required documentation or are not in the correct format will not be reviewed unless prior approval has been obtained from Generate Health. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Responses should be placed on the templates that begin on page 8. All responses must be uploaded as double-spaced typed or handwritten attachments Typed responses should be in 11-point Calibri or Times New Roman font Responses should not exceed five (5) pages Attachments must be submitted in Word, Excel, JPEG, or Adobe PDF formats Please do not include any materials other than those specifically requested at this time

Cover Sheet: Complete the cover sheet on pages 8 and 9.

MFH Conflict of Interest Disclosure: Complete the disclosure form. Click on the link to access the COI disclosure form.

Application Narrative: This should include the Project Summary, Group Background, and Project Detail. All three pieces will need to be on the same attachment but separated by headings.

1. Proposal Summary (15 points): one page maximum. Briefly, yet clearly, explain: Why is your group requesting this grant and how will the project addresses racial

equity? Please describe how this work is community-led. What zip code(s) will your project impact and what is the project’s connection to the zip

code(s)? What would success look like with this project?

2. Group Background (10 points): one page maximum. Tell us about your group, addressing each of the following: When did your group begin and what motivated the formation? What is the mission or purpose of your group? What are your group’s goals?


https://mffh.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/MFH-COI-Disclosure-Grant.pdf


https://www.grantrequest.com/SID_1036/?SA=AM

https://www.grantrequest.com/SID_1036/?SA=SNA&FID=35176

https://www.flourishstlouis.org/events/

Are you aware of other groups carrying out projects to your project? What makes your group uniquely qualified to do this work?

3. Project Detail (25 points total): three pages maximum. Provide detail on your proposed project, who it will benefit, how you plan to carry it out, and what impact you intend to make. Proposed Project (15 points) – Tell us about your project:

How will your project promote maternal and infant vitality for Black moms and babies, provide social support and healing, and/or build community?

How will community members be engaged in the design, implementation, or oversight of the project?

Has your group done a project like this before? If so, was it successful? Why or why not?

What outcomes does your group hope to achieve? How will you reach the target population? How will your group use the funds if a grant is awarded? Describe how your group will abide by the CDC guidelines and local

government on social distancing and preventing the spread of COVID-19. Partners and Staff (10 points) – Who will be involved in the project:

List any organizations or groups that will contribute to your project and explain how they will contribute to the success of your project. Describe why they are qualified to carry out the work.

Please list the staff members that will contribute to this work and detail why they are best suited to contribute? How many volunteers will be utilized?

Project Budget (4 points): Provide the expected necessary expense for each item in your project budget. Please describe how costs were determined and how each line item is will contribute to the success of your project. Be sure that the details in the description align with what was described in the project detail.

Financial Documents: Please label all attachments to correspond to the bold-faced, capitalized items below. If your group does not have the items below, it must upload a brief explanation as to why for each document. If using a fiscal sponsor, applicants can either request these documents from the sponsor or complete the application with the sponsor. Please provide the dates that each document covers.

Annual Budget: Provide your or the fiscal sponsor’s annual budget for the current year. Income and expenses should be aligned side by side on the same page.

Most Recent IRS Form 990 or Audit Report: Provide your or the fiscal sponsor’s most recent IRS Form 990 or audit report.

For Questions and/or Issues



If you have questions about the goals or content of this RFP please contact Laura Horwitz, Senior Manager of Planning at Partnerships, at (314) 624-0551 or [email protected].

If you have questions related to the project budget or the online application system, contact Steve Frisbee, Project Analyst, at (314) 345-5587 or [email protected].




GLOSSARY OF TERMS

501(c)(3) – The portion of the US Internal Revenue Code that allows for federal tax exemption of non-profit organizations, specifically those that are considered public charities, private foundations or private operating foundations.

Collective Impact – The commitment of a group of organizations and individuals from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem, using a structured form of partnership. The concept of collective impact depends on the idea that in order for organizations to create lasting solutions to social problems on a large-scale, they need to coordinate their efforts and work together around a clearly defined goal.

Community – Community members that represent the priority zip codes that will directly benefit from the work set forth by the proposed projects.

Community Members – An individual who is the resident in one of FLOURISH’s priority zip codes that either would be at risk for adverse birth outcomes or has a vested interest in the reduction of infant mortality in the St. Louis region.

Community-led – Individuals from the targeted zip codes are involved in the design, implementation, or oversight of the project.

Fiscal Sponsor – An organization that is recognized by the state as a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is in good standing. This organization acts in the interest of another party performing various financial duties. For the CMI funding opportunity, community groups will need to find a fiscal sponsor that can manage the grant funds for them. If you need help identifying a fiscal sponsor, contact Brian Washington.

Grants – Generally an allocation from foundations, corporations, or government for special projects or general operating. May be multi-year or annual.

Outcomes – The changes in (or benefits achieved by) clients due to their participation in program activities. This may include changes to participants’ knowledge, skills, values, behavior, or condition of status.

Program – An organized set of services designed to achieve specific outcomes for a specified population that will continue beyond the grant period.

Project – A planned undertaking or organized set of services designed to achieve specific outcomes that begins and ends within the grant period. (A successful project may become an ongoing program.)

Project Budget – An estimate of income and expenditure for a set period of time for a project.

Racial Disparities – A difference in how racial groups experience something due to the discrimination of one race. This unequal treatment creates a gap in health outcomes.

Vitality – The state of being strong and active.


Cover Sheet Instructions:

All spaces must be completed for grant consideration Please submit only one application per group per funding cycle Please type or clearly handwrite the application Please do not include any materials other than those specifically requested at this time

Part A – Applicant Information

Date of application (mm/dd/yyyy): __________________

Name of group: ______________________________________________________

Is your group an IRS designated 501(c)(3) non-profit? (yes or no): ________________. If yes, please provide the IRS Tax ID number: _______________. If no, have your 501(c)(3) designated fiscal sponsor complete Part B:

Purpose of grant (one sentence): __________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Project title: ____________________________________________

Address of applicant: ___________________________________________________________________

______________________________________

Telephone number: _______________ Fax: _______________

Contact person and title: ________________________________________________________________

E-mail: ____________________________

How did you hear about this funding opportunity? ____________________________________________

Request amount: $_________________

Total project budget (This is the total amount your group will need to complete your project which should include funds you are requesting from FLOURISH as well as from other funding sources.) $__________________________

Duration of project (mm/dd/yyyy – mm/dd/yyyy): _____________________________

Sign this form to affirm the organization(s) to indicate acknowledgment of the application being submitted to the Flourish.

Executive director/CEO name: ______________________________________________________

Executive director/CEO signature: ______________________________________________________


Part B – Fiscal Sponsor Information (if applicable)

Name of fiscal sponsor organization to which grant would be paid. Please list exact legal name:

________________________________________________________________

IRS Tax ID number: ______________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Telephone number: _______________Fax: _______________

Contact person and title: _________________________________________________

E-mail: _____________________________

Sign this form to affirm the organization(s) to indicate acknowledgment of the application being submitted to the Flourish.

Executive director/CEO name: ______________________________________________________

Executive director/CEO signature: ______________________________________________________


Proposal Summary Describe the purpose of the project (2 Sentences):

Describe how the project will address racial equity (3-4 Sentences):

What Zip Codes Will Be Impacted (circle or highlight all that apply):

63104 63112 63120 63136

63106 63113 63121 63140

63107 63115 63133 63144

63111 63118 63135 63147

Describe Your Project’s Connection to High Impact Zip Codes (3-4 Sentences):

Describe what success would look like with this project (3-5 Sentences)


Group Background Date Group Formed:

Explain the motivation behind the formation of the group (2-4 Sentences):

Describe the group’s mission/purpose (2 Sentences):

Describe the group’s goals (3-5 Sentences):

Explain your understanding of other groups doing similar projects. Describe what makes your group uniquely qualified to do this work (4-6 Sentences):


Project Detail Describe how your project will do each of the following (8-12 Sentences):

Promote Black maternal and infant vitality

Provide social support and healing

Build community

Describe how this work is community-led and how community members will be involved in the following parts of the project (8-10 Sentences):

Part of the Project Community Member Involvement Design

Implementation

Oversight


Has your group done a project like this before? If so, was it successful? Why or why it was not (4-6 Sentences):

Describe the project’s main outcomes (Add additional numbers if necessary):

1.

2.

3.

Describe how you will reach the target population (3-6 Sentences):

Describe how the grant funds will be spent if your group is awarded (4-6 Sentences):

Describe how your group will abide by the CDC guidelines and local government on social distancing and preventing the spread of COVID-19 (4-6 Sentences):



List other organizations involved in the project and their contribution:

Organization Project Role

List individuals that will assist with the project describe their role:

Project Staff/Volunteer Project Role


Project Budget Adjust and/or add expense types as necessary. Be sure that your calculations are correct and that the total accurately sums up all of the estimated expenses.

Expense Type Description Estimated Expense

Compensation/Staff (aligns with section 4.)

$

Contracted Services (include contractors names)

$

Equipment (Examples) $

Printing Supplies (Examples)

$

Food $

Travel $

Additional Items $

TOTAL $


Financial DocumentsPlease label all attachments to correspond to the bold-faced, capitalized items below. If your group does not have the items below, it must upload a brief explanation as to why for each document. If using a fiscal sponsor, applicants can either request these documents from the sponsor or complete the application with the sponsor. Please provide the dates that each document covers.

Annual Budget: Provide your or the fiscal sponsor’s annual budget for the current year. Income and expenses should be aligned side by side on the same page.

Most Recent IRS Form 990 or Audit Report: Provide your or the fiscal sponsor’s most recent IRS Form 990 or audit report.
