Request for Grant Proposals (RFP)
BCAAN Community Grants to benefit the Greater Penn North Community
Apply to receive $15,000-$25,000 to impact Greater Penn North. 501c3 Organizations encouraged to apply.
Program Overview / Background
Baltimore Communities Assisting and Advancing Neighbors (BCAAN)1 is committed to building a healthier and stronger Greater Penn North Community focusing on the following neighborhoods: Penn North, Reservoir Hill, Auchentoroly Terrace, Whittier-Monroe, Greater Mondawmin, Druid Heights and Woodbrook/Parkview.
BCAAN is passionate that ideas / programs to build a thriving Greater Penn North must come from the community and be for the community. An Advisory Council of residents and 20 community organizations designed what they would like to see: a resurrection of hope; steppingstones for economic growth; lifting up leaders from within the community; carrying out programs and investments in ways that respect community members; better access to resources and opportunities; access to healthy and nutritious food; and a reduction in violence to make Greater Penn North a safer place for all community members. The solutions are in the community.
The BCAAN project seeks to respond to these community-identified needs by: 1) providing better bridges to resources, 2) training community leaders through the Leadership Training Institute, and 3) providing community grants to fund projects and ideas. BCAAN seeks to enhance mobility in the Greater Penn North neighborhoods by incorporating the following mobility constructs: 1) economic success, 2) power and autonomy, and 3) being valued in the community By supporting residents to access economic and social pathways and gain leadership and advocacy skills, then residents will be able to co-create new solutions to sustainably lift themselves and their neighbors out of poverty and create a pipeline of nextgeneration leaders of local community-based organizations.
1 BCAAN is made possible with generous support from the Robin Hood Foundation, the Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF), and the Center for Urban Families (CFUF).
According to the US Partnership on Mobility from Poverty, although measures of economic success such as income and assets are foundational to upward mobility, they do not fully capture people’s experiences. Just as important as material wealth are power and autonomy people’s sense of control over the trajectory of their lives and being valued in community their sense of belonging. Thus, the Partnership’s definition of mobility comprises three core principles: economic success, power and autonomy, and being valued in community.
Purpose of Community Grants
The request for proposals for Community Grants will further provide social and economic mobility programming to the Greater Penn North Community. BCAAN will seek to fund community-based organizations, ($25,000 for organizations with a BCAAN MOU in place and $15,000 each for organizations without a BCAAN MOU in place), to expand social and economic mobility programming. Grant funds can support any existing or new ideas, programs and/or solutions for positive economic and social change in the Greater Penn North Communities with priority areas to include entrepreneurship, civic/community engagement, violence prevention, quality outside-of-school-time activities, and access to healthy food.
Who Can Apply
To apply, you must:
• Be a non-profit organization whose 501c3 status is in good standing
• Provide services or resources to residents in the Greater Penn North Community that leads to mobility out of poverty and is congruent with the three BCAAN social and economic mobility constructs.
• Be able to submit a proposal including a detailed budget explaining how the money will be used and proposal narrative that describes the expected impact on the residents of Greater Penn North.
*Priority will be given to those who are currently part of BCAAN partnership, with an active MOU in place prior to submission of their grant application*
Proposal Guidelines
• Grant Applicants must include: Narrative Proposal (no more than 5 pages)
• Project Budget
• IRS Tax Exemption Letter of Determination
• Certificate of Good Standing from the Maryland Department of Assessment and Taxation
Organization Information
Please include the organization name, EIN number, and location, as well as the number of individuals and/or families served annually along with the point of contact (name, email, and phone number).
Abstract
Provide a short summary of your proposal, including an overview of the project for which you are seeking funding
Statement of Needs
Explain the problem, issue, concern, or situation that your proposal will address, including any supporting evidence. This should focus on an issue that relates to at least one (1) BCAAN mobility construct
Description of the Project
Describe the overall project being undertaken. Include the community need this project addresses, why grant funds are needed, and whether this is a new service, or the continuation or expansion of existing services. Be sure to include how your project will impact residents of the Greater Penn North community.
Goals to be Achieved
Identify the short and long-term goals of the project - all goals should be reasonable, measurable, and include the amount of time needed to accomplish them. For each goal, explain how you plan to achieve that goal and what the effects will be.
Plan of Action
Explain, step-by-step, how the project will be implemented, including a proposed timeline showing all activities associated with the project.
Evaluation
Explain how you will know if the project is succeeding.
Project Budget
Please share the total cost for your overall project. If the total cost is higher than the amount of the grant request, please detail your funding plan for the remaining costs. Any tables detailing the budget will not count against the 5-page narrative limit.
Eligible Uses of Grant Funds / Grant Reporting
Use of Funding. Funding may not be used for improvements to physical property or rental or purchase of real estate. The awardee will be responsible for retaining all invoices and receipts associated with grant funds Examples of approved usage of funding include costs associated with personnel, supplies, consultant fees, client stipends, and/or marketing and advertising.
Grant Reporting. Awardees will be asked to submit one narrative and financial report at the end of the granting period, which indicates how the project went and how the funding was spent. The narrative report should be no longer than 5 pages and there will be an interim check in 6 months into the grant period to discuss progress, challenges and any changes from the original proposal. The narrative report can be supplemented by including pictures and/or videos relevant to the work associated with the grant.
Timeline for RFP Process
● Applications accepted June 15, 2023 through June 30, 2023
● Awardees will be notified within 30 days of application closing date
● Grant Period: August 1, 2023- to July 31, 2024
● Grant Report Due: 45 days after the grant period ends
Applications / Submission
Please submit your request by emailing BCAAN@cfuf.org.