Capacity Building Application HousingASAP

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1 Capacity Building Application HousingASAP For HousingASAP Network Members BACKGROUND HousingASAP emerges from a landscape characterized by pressing community needs and changes in policy and funding priorities that focus on housing homeless families and individuals. HousingASAP includes eight providers who operate an emergency and/or transitional shelter serving families defined as a household with at least one adult and one minor child under the age of 18 who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. The network is aligned with the federal, state, and local government goal of improving the system charged with ending family homelessness by The goal of HousingASAP is to move more homeless families into permanent housing faster, and keep them there. The HousingASAP program embraces the following principles: The Housing First framework is a proven and viable way to move families into permanent housing Interventions that are client-centered lead quickly to permanent housing if they do not impose preconditions and barriers Supportive services are key to maximize housing stability and prevent returns to homelessness A network of effective organizations that shares the same values and goals amplifies the voices and impact of the individual member organizations acting alone Up until now the network has focused on building its identity and a shared understanding of its vision, culture, practices, values, and commitment to each other. This funding opportunity supports qualified projects from member organizations as they undertake targeted capacity building consistent with what each has learned through the organizational self-assessment (OSA) on the Core 4 : evaluative and data practices; service design and delivery; leadership; and network/collaboration. Applicants must focus their projects on building capacity of the Core 4 assessed in their OSAs in order to enhance their ability to adapt to sector changes, build more effective organizations, and remain relevant to serve the changing needs of families. PURPOSE The purpose of these capacity building grants is to increase the applicant s effectiveness in achieving HousingASAP s goal of moving more families facing homelessness into permanent housing, serve them quicker, and ensure their continuation in permanent housing over the long-term. Capacity building is defined as any intentional work of an organization that gives it an increased ability to achieve its mission and strives for sustained effectiveness in the face of changing environments. Within the context of HousingASAP, capacity building for member organizations means undertaking activities that align with the Housing First framework and HousingASAP goal. Funded projects will also be an opportunity for organizations to leverage resources and tools to promote strategies such as coordinated entry and assessment, data and information sharing, evaluative practices, data-driven planning, and decision-making. This grant will measure success against the HousingASAP goal. Utilizing its OSA, each organization should focus its capacity building efforts on moving forward on the Core 4, which are: Evaluative and data practices An organization s ability to demonstrate through its staff capacity and formal systems, structures, and practices how to use data and information to understand and inform design and actions. This includes data collection, data quality, analysis and use of data to shape programs, process, and policy. Service design and delivery An organization s understanding of client context, conditions, and current and future need. Data and information collected and utilized throughout the service design and delivery pathway inform service conditions and delivery, and ensure quality and effective supports. This includes client-centered programming and organizational policies. Selected programming and strategies have a clear rationale based on client feedback and progress. 1

2 Leadership An individual or group of executive level individuals that embody a type of reflective practice that fully integrates systematic questioning, data, analysis, and action. This practice permeates organizational structures and processes from hiring and professional development, to governance to financial management. The practice focuses on alignment and use of data and information that supports progress toward outcomes. Network/Collaboration An organization s connectedness and interdependence with others and its understanding of how this is important to its mission and effectiveness. This mindset and way of being is an organizational commitment seen in the behaviors and values from the board of directors to volunteers. There is also attention and action related to public policies that have impact upon but may not seem directly related to the organizational mission but support others in the network. ELIGIBILITY Only organizations that are members of the Hawai i Community Foundation s HousingASAP network are eligible to apply. GRANT RANGE Capacity Building grants may be as high as $75,000, over a month period. However, we anticipate the average grant to be between $35,000 and $50,000. Grant amounts will vary depending on scope of the project and potential for significant impact and movement toward the goal of HousingASAP. CRITERIA FOR PROPOSAL The strongest proposals will be those that meet the following criteria: Readiness to Build Capacity Organization demonstrates awareness of its assets and areas for improvement as highlighted in the OSA Project design is based on the findings of the OSA and other relevant data, and is linked specifically to at least two elements of the Core 4 Project(s) timing is relevant and realistic to the organization s stage of development and resources available Board and senior staff are supportive and are engaged in the development and implementation of the project(s) Strategic and Impactful Project(s) Project(s) balances elements of the Core 4 and demonstrates how the organization will improve its ability to achieve the HousingASAP goal of ending family homelessness as measured by placing more families into permanent housing, faster, and for the long-term Project(s) supports organization in making the necessary transition to align with the Housing First framework, which underscores returning people to stable, permanent housing as quickly as possible and connecting families to resources needed to sustain that housing Project(s) identifies clear plan to monitor and measure progress on building capacity and meeting identified HousingASAP goal, including targets that address: o Increasing the number of families being permanently housed by a minimum of 20% improvement over the previous year o Reducing the time it takes for families to be placed in permanent housing by a minimum of 20% improvement over the previous year o Reducing the recidivism by a minimum of 20% in comparison to the previous year Applicant has identified resources and consultants that are appropriate to the project(s) Project(s) budget is adequate, relates to the project(s) narrative, and costs are reasonable Project(s) proposes leverage of resources and tools to promote values shared by the network Potential for Long-term Impact of the Project(s) Project(s) will build new capacity within the organization that is directly aligned with increasing progress on HousingASAP goal of placing more families into permanent housing, faster, and for the long-term Project(s) demonstrates realistic and lasting impact on its community beyond the grant period Organization has a thoughtful and realistic plan to sustain changes and new capacity 2

3 EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITIES THAT THE HousingASAP CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT MAY FUND INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO Procurement of consultation services or sub-contractor assistance System improvements (e.g., coordinated assessment modules) Computer software and hardware that contribute to evaluative capacity, but not more than 25% of the total grant amount Activities that directly support organizations deploying programs within the Housing First framework (e.g., shallow rent subsidies, utilities assistance, and security deposits), but not more than 25% of the total grant amount Activities that benefit the whole network and/or other providers and external partners in addition to the applicant (e.g., technical assistance, training opportunities, facilitated sessions around Homeless Management Information System [HMIS]) Activities that build the leadership and organization s evaluative and data practice capacity, but not more than 25% of total grant amount may be provided by any member of the HousingASAP facilitation, capacity building, and evaluation team (Culick Coaching and Consulting, LLC; Foresight Leadership Development; jdcpartnership; and SMS Consulting/SMS Research) *Please note HCF does not endorse nor discourage the use of the members of the HousingASAP facilitation, capacity, and evaluation team. Members of this team reserve the right to accept or decline work. HousingASAP CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS MAY NOT FUND THE FOLLOWING General operating expenses (e.g., rent expenses, financial audits, and recurrent staff training) Ongoing accreditation expenses Endowments For the benefit of specific individuals Major capital improvements, including capital campaigns, construction, or renovations Activities that promote religious beliefs As a general rule, grants may not fund salaries unless accompanied by a firm plan for committing organizational resources to sustaining positions once HCF funds are depleted APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS Applications must be submitted online at: (Or click on NONPROFIT GATEWAY at the top of the HCF homepage). Only complete applications will be accepted. The online application has fillable boxes with character limits. The character counts in MS Word do not match the character counts in the application. If you cut and paste your work into the application, please be sure your text fits the space provided. We recommend pasting in unformatted text (you can strip text of all formatting by FIRST pasting text into Notepad or similar text editing program). We recognize the significance of diacritical markings in written Hawaiian as pronunciation guides; however, the online application system is unable to accept diacriticals. Please do not include these in your narrative it may cause errors in the way the online system processes your proposal. NARRATIVE SUBMISSION The following character counts are approximate to the specified page lengths based on single-spacing in Arial 12-point font with 1 inch margins. Executive Summary (not to exceed ½ page = max 2,000 characters) A concise summary of the project(s) that includes: The project(s) title, grant amount requested, and duration of plan 3

4 A description and brief explanation of the Core 4 elements you selected, and the major activities and elements of the project(s) A description on how this project(s) will contribute to your organization s ability to accomplish its mission Project(s) Description Targets (not to exceed ¼ page = 1,000 characters) A narrative, including numerical targets, describing your intended progress on the HousingASAP goal of placing more families into permanent housing, faster, and for the long-term: What are the targets of your plan that address the following minimum goals: o Increasing the number of families being permanently housed by a minimum of 20% improvement over the previous year o Reducing the time it takes for families to be placed in permanent housing by a minimum of 20% improvement over the previous year o Reducing the recidivism by a minimum of 20% in comparison to the previous year Reflection (not to exceed ½ page = max 2,000 characters) A narrative based on your organizational self-assessment (OSA) regarding the current state of your organization and service delivery components, which addresses the following: What are your key lessons from the OSA and sense making session, specifically to the Core 4? Describe how your current service design/program delivery and services decisions are consistent with the Housing First framework? What is aligned? What are the areas for further development? What areas do you think are most important and ready for action? What else is happening that might support action in these areas? What might challenge it? Prioritization (not to exceed ½ page = max 2,000 characters) A narrative describing the priorities of your organization that will guide your plan for an envisioned future state of your organization and service delivery components, which addresses the following: Given your understanding of the goal of HousingASAP, and where your organization is currently, what is your focus for the capacity building work? Given your understanding of the Core 4, which of these 4 elements will your plan highlight to best position your organization to deploy programs that support the Housing First framework and empower your organization to place more families into permanent housing, faster, and for the long-term. Capacity Building Plan and Impact (not to exceed 1 page = max 4,000 characters) A narrative describing your capacity building plan and the difference and impact your plan will have on the goal of HousingASAP that address the following: Objectives o Reflecting on your responses in the Prioritization section, what are the key objectives for the capacity building priorities you identified above? o What do you expect the post-grant impact to your organization will be? Work plan o What values and principles underlie or frame your capacity building plan? o o What forms of information and data were used to develop the project(s)? Reflecting on your completed Project Matrix, address the following: For each objective, what is its importance and relevance to your organization s capacity? What is necessary to occur or be completed in order to realize indicators of progress? Who is the key staff leading each objective, and what is his/her title and role in the project? Why is this individual ideal to facilitate and manage this objective? Are there any others supporting this objective, including any board members? What are their titles and roles in the project? What other resources are dedicated to supporting each objective? 4

5 o How will your organization s capacity building plan increase its effectiveness to make progress on the targets identified above? o How will you ensure these changes are sustainable beyond the grant award and grant period? Progress monitoring and measurement o How will you monitor and measure progress towards the Core 4? o How will you monitor and measure progress towards the targets identified above, including process indicators (e.g., staff behavior aligned with the Housing First framework), and outcome indicators (e.g., increase in the number of families who secure employment)? o What challenges, if any, do you anticipate in the course of the project? How will you address them? Project Budget Narrative (not to exceed ½ page = max 2,000 characters) Describe and justify your proposed budget addressing included budget categories. ADDITIONAL MATERIALS TO BE SUBMITTED Signed Funding Request Cover Sheet by executive director and chair of the board of directors (download form) Provide Project Budget showing income and expense for the project(s), including budget categories such as administrative costs, equipment, and supplies Project Matrix (download template) If you are working with a consultant, provide a copy of the consultant s proposed work plan and budget File Naming Format for Uploaded Files Please use the following descriptive file name format when uploading your files: Application ID_Your Org Name_Name of File (for example, 145_HCF_Budget.pdf or 145_HCF_Board of Directors.doc ) Do not use apostrophes, #, or parentheses in your file name; Each file must have a unique file name; and Each file size should be kept below 5000 KB. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES REQUIRED Schedule and meet with Hawaii Community Foundation to discuss plans for Capacity Building Application prior to submission Prepare a ten (10) minute presentation to share the key elements of your capacity building plan (OSA lessons, priorities, and action plan) at the HousingASAP Session 5 (date of presentation: Thursday, May 14, 2015). You will receive more specific information and guidance in advance of the May Session. DEADLINE Submit your application by clicking the Submit button at the end of the application no later than 4:00 p.m. HST, on Friday, May 29, QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS APPLICATION Please visit the HousingASAP website for more information on this program. If you have additional questions about these guidelines or the HousingASAP Capacity Building Application, you may contact: Cecilia Fong, Program Officer, at or cfong@hcf-hawaii.org. Neighbor Islands may call our toll-free number at For technical issues, you may contact: Aimee Shinsato, Program Assistant, at or ashinsato@hcf-hawaii.org. 5