SR-300-002-1
F:\HSD\SHARE\CD PROGRAM-PROGRAM AREAS\Requests for Proposal (RFP)\strepfunding03.doc
City Council Meeting: January 28, 2003 Santa Monica, CA
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Approval of Funding Guidelines and Selection Criteria, and Authorization
to Release a Request for Proposals for the FY 2003-06 Community
Development Grant Program
Introduction
This report recommends that the City Council approve funding guidelines and selection
criteria, and authorize staff to release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the FY 2003-
06 Community Development Grant Program (CD Program).
Background
The CD Program offers operating and capital grants to nonprofit human service
agencies that assist Santa Monica residents. It is administered through the Human
Services Division and structured in three-year cycles to provide predictability of
resources and allow longer range planning on the part of funded agencies. Currently,
the CD Program provides funding support of $8.1 million annually to approximately 31
nonprofit human service and housing development organizations supporting over 62
different programs. This funding is comprised of General Fund (69%), Federal
entitlement grants – CDBG, HOME, HUD Supportive Housing, HUD Housing Authority
(26%), and other local revenues – Prop. A, L.A. County, Redevelopment Agency (RDA)
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(5%). Programs serve children, youth, teens, families, seniors, people with disabilities,
low income and homeless people.
Funding from the Community Development Grant Program has been a stable resource
for well-performing local organizations for years, and in some cases, several decades.
By providing stable funding, the City helps organizations provide uninterrupted,
continuous services and focus on program development and implementation. Through
their own efforts and in response to City funding requirements, these agencies
continually refine and improve their service delivery to meet emerging needs.
In FY 1999-2000, staff engaged in an exhaustive community planning process,
Community Voices. Through Community Voices, staff developed a profile of the Santa
Monica community; determined the range of human service needs; and with the
participation of residents, services providers and the business community, determined
priorities for the three-year cycle of grant funding that began in FY 2000-01. In the fall
of 2002, in response to City Council direction, staff launched the 2002 Community
Voices Human Services Planning Project to: (1) update data and identify new human
service needs and trends; (2) update the community profile using Census 2000 data;
and, (3) take a special look at the needs of youth and young adults ages 11–23.
Information gathered through Community Voices will provide a framework for reviewing
applicant proposals and making funding decisions about human services for the 3-year
cycle beginning July 1, 2003. These decisions will be both important and difficult given
the economic realities facing the City.
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Discussion
The City’s anticipated budget deficit may require that the CD program be reduced by
2% to 5% of the current funding level. Given this financial context, it is unrealistic for
the City to invite proposals from new agencies. Therefore, in February of 2003, staff
proposes to release the CD Program RFP to currently funded nonprofit organizations
only. Staff will hold a workshop to provide applicants with an orientation to the
application process, including an overview of the minimum eligibility requirements and
selection criteria outlined in Attachment I.
Planning for the three-year CD Program funding cycle will include identification of
efficiencies in service delivery or opportunities for reallocating grant funds to best meet
priority community needs through the existing network of over 30 local agencies.
Primary themes and priorities that emerge through the Community Voices project will
inform the final funding recommendations presented for Council consideration in June
2003.
As in the previous funding cycles, staff proposes a three-year term. Grant
recommendations, approved for FY 2003-04, will be renewed the following two years
contingent upon the organizations’ ability to meet all funding requirements, the
availability of adequate funds, and annual City Council approval. Funding will be made
in the context of the City’s overall budget and forecasting process each year.
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Attachment I provides the minimum eligibility requirements and selection criteria to
guide proposal assessments and funding recommendations for FY 2003-04. With an
economic decline and shrinking resources, funding support will be recommended only
for those organizations that propose to address clearly documented needs as identified
through the 2002 Community Voices project and that have strong histories of program,
fiscal and administrative performance.
Budget/Financial Impact
There are no immediate budget impacts proposed in this report. Given the economic
climate, planning for the next three-year CD Program funding cycle may include a
reduction in the total CD Program budget. Staff will return for City Council approval with
specific fund allocation recommendations in the FY 2003-04 Proposed Budget to be
released in May of 2003.
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council approve minimum eligibility requirements and
selection criteria, and authorize staff to release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the
FY 2003-06 Community Development Grant Program (CD Program).
Prepared by: Barbara Stinchfield, Director, Community and Cultural Services
Julie Rusk, Manager, Human Services
Tracy Scruggs, Supervisor, Human Services
Susan Lai, Senior Administrative Analyst, Human Services
Attachment I:
MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
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Attachment I
MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Applicants are eligible to apply for grant funding through the City’s Community Development
Program (CD Program) if they meet the following minimum eligibility requirements:
? The applicant is an educational institution, hospital or nonprofit organization with tax-exempt
status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code or Section 23701(d) of
the California State Franchise Tax Code.
? The applicant is in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VIII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968 (as amended), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as
amended), Age Discrimination Act of 1974, Title I of the Housing and Community
Development Act of 1974 (as amended), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of
1990. The applicant does not discriminate in the hiring of staff or provision of services on
the basis of race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disabilities, HIV status, political affiliation
or beliefs, or sexual preference.
? The applicant has an active board of directors or governing board and receives formal
approval of its board of directors or governing body to submit a proposal for City funding.
? The applicant maintains an accounting system that is in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles (GAAP). Further, the applicant has an agency audit performed
annually by an outside independent Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
? The applicant targets services to residents of the City of Santa Monica.
? The applicant is currently funded by the City’s CD Program.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Applications for the City’s Community Development Program will be reviewed according to how
effectively applicants demonstrate that the proposed program meets the following selection
criteria:
? Addresses a clearly documented need in Santa Monica as identified through Community
Voices;
? Demonstrates a strong history of program, fiscal and administrative performance;
? Involves a broad range of partners including health and social service providers, schools,
neighborhood groups, the business community, the faith community, law enforcement, Los
Angeles County services, residents and program participants;
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? Provides a plan for participation in a collaborative planning process with relevant
community-based organizations and both private and public-sector resources, with the goal
of improving service delivery in a specific service area (homelessness, school-based youth
services, senior or disability services) and supporting a continuum of care;
? Provides access to services through information to residents and other service providers
regarding service availability, appropriate geographic location, responsive hours of operation
outside of a traditional 9-5 weekday schedule, physical accessibility, bilingual capacity and
cultural relevance;
? Implements useful outcome indicators to measure program effectiveness and specifies a
procedure for continually evaluating program effectiveness;
? Promotes a prevention approach to service delivery;
? Provides training for staff to develop skills, develops opportunities for cross training between
agencies representing various disciplines that are relevant to the program, and maintains
competitive salaries for direct service positions;
? Promotes principles of self-help and leadership, with client participation as an integral part of
the decision-making process in program development, operation and evaluation;
? Provides a minimum of 25% of the total budget for the Santa Monica program from non-City
cash sources, and provides a cost-effective budget that is consistent with the amount of
service provided to persons living in Santa Monica;
? Demonstrates financial stability, program oversight and administrative accountability; and
? Demonstrates knowledge of and qualifications to serve the targeted community and
promotes public awareness about its needs.
? For affordable housing development organizations, demonstrates strong, proven track
record in developing and maintaining a wide range of affordable housing types (special
funding consideration will be given to organizations meeting HUD’s Community Housing
Development Organization (CHDO) criteria).
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