The County of Santa Cruz (County) invites sealed Proposals for the Collective of Results and Evidence-based (CORE) Investments funding opportunity. This opportunity aims to uncover and address the root causes of inequities to advance the CORE Conditions of Health and Well-Being for all county residents. Proposals will be accepted from non-profit 501(c)(3) entities, federally recognized Tribal entities, and tax-exempt education entities. A non-profit 501(c)(3) acting as fiscal sponsors or a lead fiscal agency are eligible to apply for the program(s) for which they provide fiscal oversight.
CORE Investments is a funding model and a movement to achieve equitable health and well-being using a collective impact, results-based approach that is responsive to community needs. CORE Investments funds are largely derived from the County’s General Fund, with a portion of the CORE funding also being allocated from the City of Santa Cruz (City). The City will focus their funding on programs serving primarily City residents. CORE Investments funding will be awarded to local, eligible agencies that provide a variety of services for individuals who are most impacted by systemic inequities such as racism and poverty. Applicants are to review the entirety of the Request for Proposal (RFP) which can be found on the HSD CORE website. The summary points below provide a brief overview:
- Who is eligible? Proposals will be accepted from non-profit 501(c)(3) entities, federally recognized Tribal entities, and tax-exempt education entities. A non-profit 501(c)(3) acting as fiscal sponsors or a lead fiscal agency are eligible to apply for the program(s) for which they provide fiscal oversight.
- How will funds be distributed? CORE awards will be divided into CORE Conditions of Well-Being and funding tiers as shown:
- How will the County and City partner together? Staff from both the County and City will be involved in the process of reviewing submissions and recommending awards. The City will focus their funding on programs serving primarily City residents.
- Are there any parameters in the Proposal or awards to consider? Applicants are encouraged to review specifications about parameters outlined in the RFP which include:
- If an agency’s total revenue (as per the agency’s Statement of Activities or Statement of Revenues and Expenses or other similar documentation) exceeds $7.5 million, the agency may not apply for the Tier 3 funding category.
- No one Respondent Agency can apply for more than 25% of total CORE RFP funding available.
- CORE funding must be utilized to serve County residents.
- How do I submit a Proposal? Proposals will be submitted through the online portal link located here: https://my.reviewr.com/site/ core_investments_rfp2024.
- How do I learn more and ask questions about the RFP? The County will host a virtual Applicant Conference on June 21, 2024 @10am-12pm PST. To register for the event, visit:https://bit.ly/CORE-RFP-06-21-2024. Questions regarding the RFP can be submitted to COREFunding@santacruzcountyca.gov, with the deadline for submitting questions being July 1, 2024 @ 5:00 pm PST . Training and Assistance (TA) on the concepts in the RFP will be available throughout the Proposal-submission period. More information on the (TA) registration and the CORE RFP can be found on the HSD CORE website or by emailing COREFunding@santacruzcountyca.gov.
- When is the Proposal deadline? The Proposal must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on August 2, 2024.