Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative

Request for Proposals:

Accelerating Advancement Initiative

Program Objective: The Accelerating Advancement Initiative (AAI) will help low-income adults

acquire the skills and credentials they need to advance their careers and

wages. To this end, AAI will provide support for programs that help low-

income adults earn a post-secondary credential. AAI grantees will help

workers address barriers to post-secondary success and connect workers

to career pathways in key industries and occupations. “Credentials”

include noncredit and credit-bearing certificates and degrees offered by

accredited US higher education institutions.

Deadline to Apply: Proposals must be submitted via the Community Foundation’s online

application system no later than 4pm on April 13, 2012.

Applicant Information

Webinar:

An applicant information webinar will be held March 22nd at 10am.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to participate. To register, please

contact Benton Murphy at bmurphy@cfncr.org.

Eligible Applicants: Grants will be awarded to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations, including

post-secondary institutions.

Joint applications from multiple organizations (“partnerships”) are

encouraged. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization must serve as the lead

applicant and fiscal agent for each partnership.

Because this grant aims to help workers obtain a post-secondary

credential, at least one partner must be an accredited US higher

education institution.

The lead applicant for all proposals – by individual organizations or

partnerships – must have a physical location in the metropolitan

Washington region and have been operating in the metropolitan

Washington region for at least one year.

Grants Available:

Up to $350,000 will be awarded. Grants will range from $50,000 to

$150,000 and will last 24 months.

Awards Announced:

Awards will be announced by early July 2012.

Contact: Please direct all questions to Benton Murphy, Program Officer, at 202-

263-4765 or bmurphy@cfncr.org.

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The Accelerating Advancement Initiative

The Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative (“Workforce Collaborative”) invites

interested nonprofits to apply for funding through our new Accelerating Advancement Initiative (AAI).

AAI aims to help low-income adults acquire the skills and credentials they need to advance their

careers and wages. To this end, AAI will provide support for programs that help low-income adults

earn a post-secondary credential. AAI grantees will help workers address barriers to post-secondary

success and connect workers to career pathways in key industries and occupations.

An initiative of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, the Workforce

Collaborative is a coalition of philanthropic and business investors working to build a stronger

workforce development system for the metropolitan Washington region. The Workforce

Collaborative’s contributors include the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Consumer Health

Foundation, the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, the Herb Block Foundation, Kaiser

Permanente, Microsoft, the Moriah Fund, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the National

Fund for Workforce Solutions, the Northern Virginia Health Foundation, Patricia Weiss Fagen,

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, United Way of the National Capital Area, and the Washington Area

Women’s Foundation.

Through the generosity of the Workforce Collaborative’s contributors, up to $350,000 will be

awarded through the Accelerating Advancement Initiative in 2012. Grants will range from $50,000

to $150,000 and will last 24 months. Proposals must be submitted via the Community Foundation’s

online application system no later than 4pm on April 13, 2012.

Background

Many working adults in our region are employed full-time but struggle to make ends meet. Based on

Wider Opportunities for Women’s Family Economic Security calculations, a single adult worker with

no dependents would need to earn a minimum of $31,656 a year to achieve economic security in

our region.1 Yet, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010, more than 345,000 workers in

metropolitan Washington worked in occupations where the average annual earnings for full-time

workers fell below this level.2 Moreover, many of these workers are not single adults, but parents

and caregivers with additional family financial obligations. As shown in Table 1 below, the cost of

economic security is significantly higher for these workers.

1 The Basic Economic Security Tables™ are tabulated by Wider Opportunities for Women and the Center for

Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis as part of the National BEST Initiative led by WOW.

See http://www.wowonline.org/ourprograms/dc/dc_fess/documents/DCBESTReport.pdf 2 Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2010 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and

Wage Estimates Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV,

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_47900.htm

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Table 1. BEST Estimates for the Washington Metro Region by Family Type

In order to achieve family economic security, many low-income workers need to increase their skills

and credentials. Nearly half of today’s jobs are “middle-skill” occupations requiring more than high

school but less than a four-year college degree. Another third require a four-year degree. As a result,

nearly 8 in 10 jobs are beyond the reach of workers who lack a postsecondary credential.3 Moreover,

the potential earnings gap between low- and high-skilled workers has grown from 40 percent in

1980 to 74 percent today. If the current trend of demand continues, this gap is projected to increase

to 96 percent in 2025.4

Research has found that acquiring a post-secondary credential can be a “tipping-point” for low-

income workers on their path to family-sustaining employment. A study of Washington State

community college students found that students who took at least one year’s worth of college

courses and earned a credential earned significantly more than students who did not reach that

threshold.5

Unfortunately, many adults encounter barriers that delay or derail their pursuit of a post-secondary

credential. Academic readiness is a significant challenge for many adults: about 60 percent of

incoming community college students are referred to at least one developmental (remedial) course.6

Less than one quarter of community college students who enroll in developmental education

3 National Skills Coalition, Toward Ensuring America’s Workers and Industries the Skills to Compete (2009):

http://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/assets/reports-/toward-ensuring-americas.pdf 4 Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, The Undereducated American (2011):

http://www.agu.org/education/pdf/undereducated_american.pdf 5 Jenkins, Davis, Community College Research Center, A Short Guide to "Tipping Point" Analyses of Community

College Student Labor Market Outcomes (CCRC Research Tools No. 3 - April 2008):

http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/Publication.asp?uid=600 6 Bailey, Thomas, Community College Research Center, Challenge and Opportunity: Rethinking the Role and

Function of Developmental Education in Community College (Working Paper No. 14 - November 2008):

http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/Publication.asp?UID=658

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complete a degree or certificate within eight years of enrollment in college.7 Other workers struggle

to balance work with education, face personal challenges related to child care or transportation, or

aren’t sure which fields of study are most likely to lead to employment. AAI was developed to address

all of these challenges and put more workers on a path to family economic security.

The AAI Approach AAI will help low-income adults earn a post-secondary credential. AAI grantees will help workers

address barriers to post-secondary success and connect workers to career pathways in key

industries and occupations.

Eliminating Barriers to Post-Secondary Success

In recent years, a number of promising practices have emerged that help adult students with

barriers. Sometimes called “bridge programs,” these efforts help adults get the academic, work

readiness, and technical skills they need to enter and succeed in postsecondary education and

training.8 They help workers address personal barriers, accelerate learning, and allow them to “see

the meaning of what they are learning and how that moves them closer to their goals.”9 Examples

include:

The Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) approach popularized in

Washington State, which utilizes co-teaching by technical and basic skills (ABE/GED/ESL)

instructors to deliver curriculum that integrates basic skills competencies with technical skills

instruction.10

Community-college/nonprofit partnerships, such as those highlighted by the Aspen Institute’s

Courses to Employment project (see http://aspenwsi.org/WSIwork-HigherEd.asp), pair

community colleges’ training expertise with nonprofits’ expertise in helping low-income

workers address individual barriers.

“Contextualized” or “embedded” literacy approaches where Adult Basic Education (ABE) and

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course content is contextualized, usually

with an occupational focus, to help students learn more and faster.

Supplemental instruction approaches such as the Community College of Baltimore County’s

Accelerated Learning Program, where select students bypass traditional developmental

education and are “mainstreamed” into college-level courses then simultaneously enrolled in

7 Bailey, Thomas and Sung-Woo Cho, Community College Research Center, Developmental Education in

Community Colleges,http://www2.ed.gov/PDFDocs/college-completion/07-developmental-education-in-

community-colleges.pdf 8 Workforce Strategy Center, What Works: BridgeConnect Stories from the Field (August 2011):

http://www.workforcestrategy.org/what-works-bridgeconnect-stories-from-the-field-what-is-a-bridge-

program.html 9 Jobs for the Future: Breaking Through: Helping Low-Skilled Adults Enter and Succeed in College and Careers

(2004): http://www.breakingthroughcc.org/sites/default/files/BreakingThrough.pdf 10 See http://sbctc.edu/college/e_integratedbasiceducationandskillstraining.aspx and

http://flightline.highline.edu/ibest/

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a developmental companion course taught by the same instructor, allowing them to earn

post-secondary credits faster.11

Compressing material from multiple courses into the time requirements of a single course—

an approach sometimes called “accelerated learning.”

Modular approaches to instruction that break developmental courses into smaller chunks,

allowing students to take only the modules they need.

It is also worth noting that recent research has called into question the validity of some placement

exams and found that some students tracked into development coursework are, in fact, capable of

passing post-secondary coursework without remediation.12 These findings suggest that another

strategy to reduce barriers to academic success might be to utilize a broader range of placement

tools to identify those students who truly need developmental coursework vs. those who are likely to

succeed without it.

Traditional tutoring, peer supports, and cohort learning approaches may also help adult students

increase their success. Above and beyond academic readiness, the Aspen Institute Workforce

Strategies Initiative has identified several other noteworthy barriers to post-secondary success, as

well as promising solutions:13

Barrier Sample Traps Promising Solutions

Enrollment

and

Registration

Difficulty navigating/lack of familiarity

with process

Difficulty completing applications

correctly

Financial holds

Testing issues

High-touch enrollment

process/navigation assistance

Assistance with financial holds

Testing support (practice tests, etc.)

Financial

Aid Application process

Timing

Aid policies

High-touch application assistance

Advance financial planning

assistance

Supplemental assistance

Counseling College counseling is transactional –

student: counselor ratios very high,

no follow-up

Students face many non-academic

challenges – counselors not

equipped to help

College counseling set up for needs

of traditional transfer students

Specially trained, highly skilled

counselors provide extra counseling

for adults with barriers

Case management model- usually by

nonprofit.

Long-term, intensive relationships

with students

Assistance with supports (child care,

transportation, etc.)

11 See

http://faculty.ccbcmd.edu/~padams/ALP/Site%20Folder/Fall%202010/others/alpdescriptionOther.html 12 See Scott-Clayton, Judith, Community College Research Center, Do High-Stakes Placement Exams Predict

College Success? (2012): http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/Publication.asp?UID=1026 and Belfield, Clive & Peter

M. Crosta, Community College Research Center, Predicting Success in College: The Importance of Placement

Tests and High School Transcripts (2012): http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/Publication.asp?UID=1030. 13 Webinar (08/17/11): Overcoming Common College Traps: Strategies to Help Struggling Students Navigate

the College System

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Barrier Sample Traps Promising Solutions

Transition

to

Employment

College counselors lack industry

connections/knowledge

No opportunities for employer

networking

Students lack realistic employment

expectations

Training completion vs. employment

is traditional goal of colleges

Sector-specific training

Personalized career coaching

Job placement services

Meaningful employer engagement

Training in simulated work

environment

Internships

Post-graduation follow-up services

Connecting Workers to Career Pathways Career pathways - also referred to as “career ladders” or “career lattices” – are an approach to

workforce development that allows workers to continually advance their careers and wages within a

specific industry or occupation through sequential education, training, and work experience

activities. Career pathways link occupations with shared skills via “stackable” credentials. Table 2

provides an example of the basic framework for common career pathways:

Table 2. Basic Career Pathway Architecture

In the perfect world, workers would be able to take time off from work to focus on education and

training until they reached their ultimate career goal. This scenario simply doesn’t reflect the reality

for most workers, who often forego the long-term economic benefits of education and training to

take the first job that comes available so they can support their families. Career pathways attempt to

reconcile near-term economic needs with the longer-term goal of family-sustaining employment by

breaking education and training into chunks that can be completed over several years in shorter

timeframes and/or at the same time an individual is working to support their family.

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Career pathways help workers be aware of the career opportunities available to them and

understand the specific education, training, and work experience they need to advance their careers.

They also help to demonstrate how some entry-level jobs can be a stepping stone to more rewarding

opportunities in the future. Finally, they articulate and provide for smoother student transitions

across the education continuum, from pre-college developmental education to post-secondary

education and from training to employment.

When utilizing career pathways to assist workers, workforce providers typically engage in two

activities: pathway mapping and career coaching.

Career Pathway Mapping To assist workers in goal-setting, workforce providers work with employers to “map” selected

pathways. For example, a basic career pathway map for an individual pursuing a career in the retail

industry might look like Table 3:

Table 3. Sample Career Pathway: Retail

For many high-demand occupations, career pathways are already well-documented and may be

adapted from existing maps created by other organizations. In other instances, it may be necessary

to develop a new map by working with employers to understand the skills, credentials, and

experience they expect workers to acquire for specific occupations. The Kentucky Community and

Technical College System and KnowledgeWorks Foundation have created a guide that provides

helpful questions for workforce providers to consider when mapping a career pathway – see

http://bit.ly/zDxsKe.

Career pathways must target key regional industries and occupations. Career opportunities are,

ultimately, driven by employers’ skill needs. Post-secondary education and training programs that

Education Level:

High School Diploma

Work Experience:

0-2 years

Job:

Entry-Level Retail

Wages:

$7.25-12.50/hr

Education Level:

Retail Management Certificate

Work Experience:

2-5 years

Job:

Store Manager

Wages:

$10-25/hr

Education Level:

Business Management AA

Work Experience:

5+ years

Job:

Regional Manager

Wages:

$20+/hr

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target specific industries and occupations where there is a current or projected demand for workers

are more likely to produce positive wage and employment outcomes for their participants.14

To successfully target the right industries and occupations and ensure that education and training

programs are equipping workers with the right skills to take advantage of opportunities in those

fields, workforce providers need good data and meaningful relationships with employers. Data on

employment trends can be obtained via the Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov/), local

workforce investment boards, as well as industry associations and individual employers. Strategies

to build meaningful relationships with employers include:

Outreach to employers to understand their skill needs;

Engaging employers in the design of training curriculum;

Inviting employers to serve as guest speakers or provide training on specific skills;

Acquiring employer assistance in setting up a simulated work environment;

Identifying employers who can host on-site training;

Recruiting employers to serve as internship sponsors;

Securing contributions of financial support, materials, or equipment; and

Inviting employers to serve on boards or advisory committees.

Career Coaching Once mapping is completed, workforce providers use career pathway maps for career coaching (also

sometimes called “career counseling”). Career coaches work with workers to explore their career

interests, match their interests to targeted industries and occupations, set career goals, and develop

an individualized career development plan. Career coaches may also help workers address barriers

to work (e.g., child care, transportation), navigate college application and financial aid processes,

and/or troubleshoot soft skills challenges (e.g., habitual tardiness, disputes with co-workers).

As an example, an individualized career development plan for a worker interested in the retail career

pathway shown above might look like Table 4:

Table 4. Sample Individualized Career Development Plan for Retail

14 See Maguire, Sheila and Joshua Freely, Carol Clymer, Maureen Conway and Deena Schwartz, Tuning In to

Local Labor Markets: Findings From the Sectoral Employment Impact Study

(July 2010): http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/325_publication.pdf

Entry-Level Retail Work Experience +

Child Care Assistance

Retail Management Certificate + English for

Speakers of Other

Languages

Store Manager Work

Experience

Business Management

AA + Developmental

English

Regional Manager

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Grant Requirements AAI will provide support for programs that help low-income adults earn a post-secondary credential.

AAI grantees must help workers address barriers to post-secondary success and connect workers to

career pathways in key industries and occupations. Successful applicants will propose projects that

reflect one or more of the promising practices described above and will make a compelling case that

there is a current or projected demand for workers in the industries/occupations they wish to target.

Population to Be Served The target population for this grant is working poor adults who reside in the metropolitan Washington

region. Specifically, this includes:

Individuals who are 18 or older.

Individuals with less than a two-year credential. “Credentials” include noncredit and credit-

bearing certificates and degrees offered by accredited US higher education institutions.

Individuals whose families are not “economically secure” based on the definitions developed

by Wider Opportunities for Women’s Family Economic Security (FES) program.15

Individuals with at least one barrier to post-secondary success (e.g., English literacy,

academic readiness, etc.).

Individuals who reside in the District of Columbia, Suburban Maryland (Prince George’s

County + sub-jurisdictions; Montgomery County + sub-jurisdictions), and Northern Virginia

(Arlington County, the City of Alexandria, Loudoun County, and Fairfax County + sub-

jurisdictions).

Individuals who have some work experience but find themselves stagnating in low-wage

employment and wish to advance their careers and wages. This can include employed,

under-employed, and un-employed individuals.

How Success Will Be Evaluated AAI aims to help low-income adults acquire the skills and credentials they need to advance their

careers and wages. Specific performance measures will be customized for each grantee, but the

core measures for this initiative are as follows:

15 See http://www.wowonline.org/ourprograms/dc/dc_fess/index.asp

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Desired Outcome Indicators of Progress

Post-secondary readiness

Advancements in literacy, numeracy, and computer literacy

Post-secondary completion

Course credits earned

Documented skills acquisition

Advancing along a career pathway as evidenced by advancing

from one level of training to the next

Credentials earned

Sustained employment in the

targeted industry/occupation

Employment in the targeted industry/occupation

Job retention

Career Advancement

Establishing specific career goals associated with a career

pathway in a targeted industry/occupation

Relevant work experience

Wage gains

Promotions

Family Economic Security

Measurable progress towards Family Economic Security

wages (as defined by WOW)

This is a performance-based grant. Grantees who fail to demonstrate reasonable progress may have

their funding reduced or terminated.

Additional Program Requirements In addition to the programmatic requirements described above, applicants should also be aware of

the following requirements:

1. Data Collection. All grantees will be required to track demographic, activity, and outcomes

data for all program participants. Although grants are limited to 24 months or less, the

grantmakers recognize that some of the outcomes listed above may occur after the 24-

month grant period has ended. To ensure that the outcomes of this initiative are well

documented, each grantee will be asked to continue to monitor participant outcomes for one

year beyond their grant period (i.e., through June 2014). A small stipend will be provided to

cover data collection costs in the third year.

2. Peer Learning and Technical Assistance. This initiative has the dual goals of assisting

workers and helping to strengthen and grow the programs that serve them. Grantees will be

required to participate in a variety of technical assistance, training, and peer learning

activities.

AAI Grant Awards Process

Application Instructions Organizations interested in participating in AAI must complete the following steps:

1. Determine your eligibility to apply:

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a. Grants will be awarded to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations, including post-secondary

institutions.

b. Joint applications from multiple organizations (“partnerships”) are encouraged. A

501(c)3 nonprofit organization must serve as the lead applicant and fiscal agent for

each partnership.

c. Because this grant aims to help workers obtain a post-secondary credential, at least

one partner must be an accredited US higher education institution.

d. The lead applicant for all proposals must have a physical location in the metropolitan

Washington region and have been operating in the metropolitan Washington region

for at least one year.

2. Please follow the guidelines described in Appendix A: Grant Proposal Formatting

Requirements to develop your proposal.

3. All applications must be submitted via the Community Foundation’s online grants application

system. Please see Appendix B: How to Use the Community Foundation’s Online Grant

Application System for instructions on how to submit your application. Applications that are

incomplete or received after 4pm on April 13, 2012 will not be considered.

Review Process Applications will be reviewed by a committee comprised of Collaborative donors and workforce

development experts. Key criteria the review committee will use to evaluate and score each

application include:

1. Organizational capacity and fiscal fitness

2. Whether the proposed activities…

a. Will help low-income adults earn a post-secondary credential (“Credentials” include

noncredit and credit-bearing certificates and degrees offered by accredited US higher

education institutions)

b. Reflect promising practices in helping workers overcome barriers to post-secondary

success

c. Incorporate a focus on connecting workers to career pathways in key industries and

occupations

3. The breadth and quality of services each applicant is capable of providing

4. The number of individuals each organization anticipates it will be able to serve

5. Applicants’ ability to demonstrate a history of success in helping workers advance towards

and achieve:

a. Post-secondary readiness

b. Post-secondary completion

c. Sustained employment in the targeted industry/occupation

d. Career Advancement

e. Family Economic Security

6. Applicants’ ability to make a compelling case that there is a current or projected demand for

workers in the targeted industries/occupations

7. The strength of the proposed strategies for employer engagement

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8. Organizational capacity to use data to monitor outcomes and continuously improve service

delivery

In order to provide broad access to as many individuals as possible, the review committee will also

consider geographic distribution and expertise in serving specific populations when making awards.

Award Decisions Finalists will be notified by early May and contacted to schedule a site visit. Final award decisions will

be announced by early July 2012.

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Appendix A: Grant Proposal Formatting Requirements This section provides an overview of all the materials you must include in your application packet.

Incomplete proposals will not be considered. For your convenience, an application packet checklist is

included in Appendix C.

Please note that all items uploaded as part of your application package must be submitted in PDF

format. Please see Appendix B for a list of PDF creation resources. If you must use a document

scanner to create a PDF, please ensure that the resulting file is easy to read. Illegible applications

will not be considered.

I. Cover Page 1. Lead Organization Information. (Required for all applications) Please provide the following

information for your organization. If you are applying as a partnership, provide this

information for your partnership’s lead organization (fiscal agent).

a. Organization name and address and full contact info

b. Name of Executive Director and email/phone/fax

c. Name of main contact for this proposal, if other than Executive Director and

email/phone/fax

d. Tax exempt status/EIN Number

e. Organization’s mission [Limit: 75 words]

f. Total organizational budget (current year)

g. Fiscal year (MM/YYYY – MM/YYYY)

h. Geographic area(s) currently served

i. Population(s) currently served

2. Partner Information. (Required only for partnerships) If you are applying as a partnership,

please provide a list of your partners.

3. Proposal Summary. (Required for all applications) Limit to one page.

a. Total requested Amount

b. Purpose of Request [Limit: 75 words]

c. Geographic area(s) to be served

d. Population(s) to be served

II. Narrative Your narrative must not exceed 10 pages. Please use 11 pt font or larger and 1-inch margins.

Background The background section should introduce the review committee to the applicant(s). Please:

1. Describe your organization’s (or organizations’, for partnerships) mission, history, and key

programs.

a. If you are applying as a partnership, please note whether the partners have worked

together in the past and, if so, in what context.

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2. Discuss why you wish to participate in the Accelerating Advancement Initiative.

a. How does this project support your organization’s/organizations’ mission(s)?

b. What challenges will this opportunity help you address?

c. Is this a new project or a continuation/expansion of an existing effort?

3. Make the case that your organization/partnership has the capacity to help low-income adults

earn a post-secondary credential. What evidence can you provide that your organization (or

partnership) has a demonstrated track record of helping low-income adults achieve:

a. Post-secondary readiness?

b. Post-secondary completion?

c. Sustained employment in the targeted industry/occupation?

d. Career Advancement?

e. Family Economic Security?

Proposed Project Describe the activities you propose to carry out if selected for funding through the Accelerating

Advancement Initiative:

1. Program Design

a. Which industries or occupations will your project focus on? (choose one or more)

b. What evidence do you have to demonstrate that there is a demand for workers in this

field?

c. How are you currently and/or how will you engage employers from this field in your

project?

d. Which employers or employer groups, if any, have committed to working with you?

e. Are career pathways in the targeted industry or occupation already well documented?

If so, what steps will you take to adapt these career pathways to the local labor

market? If not, describe how you will go about mapping career pathways.

f. Which post-secondary credentials will you help participants earn?

g. Who are the workers you will serve?

h. How will you engage these workers?

i. What are their barriers to completing a post-secondary credential/advancing their

careers?

j. What services will you provide for workers?

k. How will the services you provide help eliminate their barriers?

2. Anticipated Outcomes

a. How many workers do you anticipate that you will be able to serve with this grant?

b. What specific outcomes do you anticipate that you will be able to accomplish if you

are selected to participate in this initiative? Please describe your anticipated

outcomes related to:

i. Post-secondary readiness

ii. Post-secondary completion

iii. Sustained employment in the targeted industry/occupation

iv. Career Advancement

v. Family Economic Security

c. Please describe the tools/processes you will use to track these outcomes.

3. Project Management

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a. Please include a brief timeline of all proposed grant activities.

b. If you are applying as a partnership, please briefly describe your strategy for

managing your efforts across multiple organizations.

III. Attachments 1. Lead Applicant Supporting Documents. (Required for all applications) Please provide the

following information for your organization. If you are applying as a partnership, provide this

information for your partnership’s lead organization (fiscal agent):

a. Site visit availability table. All finalists will be contacted in late April or early May to

schedule a site visit with the review committee. Using the table below, please identify

three dates/times when your organization (or partnership) is able to host a site visit

and hold these times on your calendars to ensure your availability. Site visits should

include senior staff from the lead applicant organization as well as any other key staff

(from the lead organization and/or their partners) and employer partners who will

work on the proposed project.

Time Tues

05/01

Weds

05/02

Thurs

05/03

Fri

05/04

Mon

05/07

Tues

05/08

Weds

05/09

10am-12pm

1pm-3pm

3pm-5pm

b. A one-page organizational chart. Indicate number of full-time and part-time

employees.

c. List of board members and board of directors with terms, occupations, and places of

employment and related racial/ethnic and gender demographic information and

describe your commitment to diversity of board and staff members.

d. Financial Documentation:

i. For current fiscal year:

1. Organizational budget v. actual, for both revenue and expenses.

2. List of major funders (indicate name of funder and amount of support

received). Include amounts and indicate whether these have been

received or are committed or projected.

ii. For previous fiscal year:

1. Organizational budget v. actual, for both revenue and expenses.

2. List of major funders (indicate name of funder and amount of support

received).

iii. If this application is being made during the last quarter of the organization’s

fiscal year, provide:

1. Organization’s projected/proposed draft budget for the next fiscal

year.

2. List of five major funders (indicate name of funder and amount of

projected funding).

iv. Comparative organizational balance sheet for January 2012 vs. January

2011 (or most recent month available)

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v. Most recent audited financial statements (include auditor’s management

letter). If you do not have an audit more recent than 2009, provide pages 1-6

of most recent IRS Form-990.

vi. Name and contact information for preparer of financial statements.

2. Key Staff Profiles. (Required for all applications) Please provide short biographies (no more

than 1/2 page each; not resumes) of all staff and volunteers essential to the success of this

request. For applications by partnerships, this should include key staff at the lead

organization and from each of the partnering organizations.

3. Partner Profiles. (Required only for partnerships) For each member of your partnership,

provide a one-page profile with the information listed below. Please note that it is not

necessary to provide a partner profile for the lead applicant since the lead applicant’s profile

is included in the cover page (as described above).

a. Organization name and address and full contact info

b. Name of Executive Director and email/phone/fax

c. Name of main contact for this proposal, if other than Executive Director and

email/phone/fax

d. Tax exempt status/EIN Number

e. Fiscal Agent Organization name, address, and Executive Director (when applicable)

f. Organization’s mission [Limit: 75 words]

g. Total organizational budget (current year)

h. Fiscal year (MM/YYYY – MM/YYYY)

i. Geographic area(s) currently served

j. Population(s) currently served

4. Memorandum of Understanding (Required only for partnerships) If you are submitting a joint

application in partnership with multiple organizations, please include a Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) outlining the roles, responsibilities, and deliverables of each partner

that will receive funding and/or provide services under this grant. Your MOU should be

signed by the Executive Director for each proposed partner.

5. Grant Budget (Required for all applications) All applications must include the following

budget information:

a. A detailed program budget that summarizes expenses for each year of the grant.

When applicable, please include information on other resources (cash or in-kind) that

will be leveraged to provide the services described in your proposal. You may use the

template shown below if you wish. (Required for all applications)

b. A 1-page budget narrative. Budgets accompanying applications from partnerships

should clearly state how much funding will be allocated to each partner. (Required for

all applications)

17

SAMPLE BUDGET TEMPLATE

Expenses FY2012 FY2013 FY2014

TO

TA

LS

AAI

Grant

Other

Grants

or

Contra

cts*

In-

Kind*

AAI

Grant

Other

Grants

or

Contra

cts*

In-

Kind*

AAI

Grant

Other

Grants

or

Contra

cts*

In-

Kind*

Personnel

Partner 1

Partner 2

Fringe Benefits

Partner 1

Partner 2

Materials and Supplies

Partner 1

Partner 2

Meetings and Local Travel

Partner 1

Partner 2

Overhead

Partner 1

Partner 2

TOTALS

* If applicable. Please describe sources in budget narrative.

TOTAL FUNDS REQUESTED: $_______________

Please note that you may modify or add to the Expense categories listed above as needed.

6. Addendum (Optional) You may include any other supporting materials you wish in your

addendum. However, your addendum should not exceed 10 pages. Letters of support from

current or prospective employer partners are encouraged.

18

Appendix B: How to Use the Community Foundation’s Online Grant

Application System

To start a new application, click on this link:

https://www.GrantRequest.com/SID_966?SA=SNA&FID=35051

Please note, if you already started an online application and wish to return to your account to view

and finish it, please click on the following link instead:

https://www.grantrequest.com/SID_966/?SA=AM

Application Process

1. Application Form. Click on the following link to access the online application form:

https://www.GrantRequest.com/SID_966?SA=SNA&FID=35051

2. Create an Account. Creating an account allows you to save and continue working on an

application. ALL new applicants must create an account. Only an email address is needed to

create an account. Please write down your password for future use.

3. Enter Data. Enter your organization’s contact information into the online application form.

4. Upload Proposal and Attachments. The next page of the online application system allows

you to upload the required proposal and attachments.

a. Each item on the checklist must be individually uploaded into the system and

properly labeled.

b. Documents will only be accepted in PDF file format.

5. Save & Finish Later. At the bottom of any page of the application, you can click Save &

Finish Later to save the data entered thus far and return later to complete the application

prior to the submission deadline. To access your account and finish your partially completed

application click here:

https://www.grantrequest.com/SID_966/?SA=AM

6. Submit your application. Carefully review your application for completeness. Click the submit

button to send your application to The Community Foundation. You will receive an email

confirming receipt of your application. Please check your spam filter then contact us if you do

not receive a confirmation.

System Requirements

Applicants must have a functioning Internet connection and one of the following browsers, with

cookies enabled:

Internet Explorer v7 or higher

FireFox v3 or higher

19

PDF Conversion Programs

Please note that all application materials must be submitted as PDF documents. The list below

contains some of the PDF generators available, many of which are free or very inexpensive. The

Community Foundation does not endorse any particular software.

If you must use a document scanner to create a PDF, please ensure that the resulting file is easy-to-

read. Illegible applications will not be considered.

When naming your file, please do not use special characters (such as /, *,% , etc.) or spaces in the

file names. Such files are unrecognizable as PDFs to some systems.

Adobe: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatstd/main.html

CutePDF: http://www.cutepdf.com

Google free PDF writer: www.google.com

Open office: http://download.openoffice.org

o Also includes Microsoft compatible Office apps – large download

Primopdf: www.primopdf.com/

PDF4free: www.pdfpdf.com/pdf4free.html

PDFcreator: http://docupub.com

20

Appendix C: Application Checklist

Cover Page (Required for all applications)

Lead Organization Information. (Required for all applications)

Partner Information. (Required only for partnerships)

Proposal Summary. (Required for all applications)

Narrative (Required for all applications)

Attachments (Required for all applications)

Lead Applicant Supporting Documents (Required for all applications)

Site visit availability table (Required for all applications)

A one-page organizational chart (Required for all applications)

List of board members (Required for all applications)

Financial Documentation (Required for all applications) – All of the following:

For current fiscal year:

Organizational budget v. actual, for both revenue and expenses.

List of major funders

For previous fiscal year:

Organizational budget v. actual, for both revenue and expenses.

List of major funders

If this application is being made during the last quarter of the organization’s fiscal year,

provide:

Organizational budget v. actual, for both revenue and expenses.

List of major funders

Comparative organizational balance sheet for January 2012 vs. January 2011 (or most

recent month available)

Most recent audited financial statements (include auditor’s management letter). If you do

not have an audit more recent than 2009, provide pages 1-6 of most recent IRS Form-990.

Name and contact information for preparer of financial statements.

Key Staff Profiles. (Required for all applications)

Partner Profiles. (Required only for partnerships)

Memorandum of Understanding (Required only for partnerships)

Grant Budget (Required for all applications)

A detailed program budget. (Required for all applications)

A 1-page budget narrative. (Required for all applications)

Addendum (Optional)