CORE Investments RFP
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The County and City of Santa Cruz, California invite applications based on the Collective of Results and Evidence-based (CORE) Investments model to impact the community’s equitable well-being as described in the CORE framework. Both the County and the City of Santa Cruz are investing significant local dollars, with the County intending to award approximately $4.8 million per year and the City of Santa Cruz to award approximately $1 million per year for three years. Funds are to focus on improving conditions of well-being for community members experiencing the greatest challenges and barriers in the County. Applicants are invited to use community data and community member perspectives to describe the nature of the challenges and who they consider most affected by these challenges. 

CORE funding will be distributed using a hybrid approach, in which most of the funds will support a broad base of direct service programs and a smaller portion of the funds directed to a single “Targeted Impact” model rooted in principles of collective impact. Applicants are to review the entirety of the RFP which can be found at the HSD Website. The summary points below provide a quick glance at the information articulated in the document. 

  • Who is eligible? Eligible applicants include Non-profit 501(c)(3), federally recognized tribal entities, and public education agencies. (Further specifications are detailed in section 3.1 Eligibility, page 4 of the RFP) 
  • How will funds be distributed? Funds will be distributed through a tiered framework., intended to better align the size of the grant award with the depth of information required. 
    • Most of the funds are for programs or projects that directly serve the community. 
      • Small: $5,000 - $25,000/year for 3 years (multiple awards) 
      • Medium: $25,001 - $150,000/year for 3 years (multiple awards)  
      • Large: $150,001 - $450,000/year for 3 years (multiple awards) 
      • One tier, titled Targeted Impact, is for one $795,000/year for 3 years grant. This grant is intended to achieve a deeper impact.  
  • How will the County and City partner together? County and City staff will partner in review and awards for all tiers. The City will focus their funding on programs serving primarily City residents. 
  • Are there any parameters in applications or awards to consider? Applicants are encouraged to review specifications about parameters outlined in the RFP. In summary, 
    • If funded, requested amounts will not be reduced by more than 10% from the original requested amount to preserve the integrity of the program or project design as much as possible.   
    • Agencies may submit multiple applications; however, they may not propose the same program or project in more than one tier (i.e., Small, Medium, large) or application. 
    • Agencies may not apply for more than 25% of the total funding available across all tiers.  
  • How do I apply? Applications are to be submitted on an online portal which will be available upon release. Support is available and detailed in the RFP. If needed, paper applications are also available. 
  • How do I learn more and ask questions about the RFP? The County and City will host an applicant conference and answer questions throughout the application period. Training and assistance on concepts in the RFP will also be available throughout the application period.  
  • When is the application due? Applications in response to the RFP must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on March 4, 2022.