Medicaid Infrastructure Grant
Request For Funding
Financial Stability / Asset-Building Coalitions
Enhancing the Participation of Persons with Disabilities in
Asset Development and Financial Literacy
Response Due by: July 15th, 2010
The Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG) ASSET DEVELOPMENT Leadership Committee is excited to announce a new opportunity for financial stability coalitions in Indiana. The MIG ASSET Development Leadership Committee is composed of representatives from Vocational Rehabilitation Services; the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Indiana Association of United Ways (IaUW); the Indiana Department of Housing and Community Development (IHCDA); representation from Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRP’s) and Community Mental Health Centers; Independent Living Centers; other disability organizations; and the Center on Community Living and Careers (CCLC) at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (IIDC) at Indiana University.
The Request for Proposal will provide up to 5 existing coalitions with $10,000 and up to 2 new or emerging coalitions with $15,000 in financial support for startup and ongoing activities as clearly outlined in their proposal and consistent with the parameters outlined in this RFF. Funding is provided from September 1, 2010 through December 31, 2011.
This Request for Proposal seeks proposals that will:
· Increase the participation of individuals with disabilities, their families and advocates in economic activities that build and preserve assets; and
· Increase collaboration among the financial stability partners, including organizations that serve persons with disabilities.
Coalitions responding to this proposal must agree to:
· Participate in monthly project meetings with Project Coordinator (phone or in person).
· Designate a lead person from the coalition for interfacing with project staff.
· Work together with project partners to develop and adapt training materials that address disability related topics and issues.
· Work together with coalition partners to promote increased awareness of the importance of Asset Development and Financial Literacy to individuals, families and organizations.
· Work together with coalition partners to increase the number of individuals with disabilities, their families and advocates in Asset Development and Financial Literacy education and training activities services, with the ultimate goal of decreasing poverty and, increasing and preserving the assets of individuals with disabilities.
· Collect and provide data on the participation of individuals with disabilities, their families and advocates in Asset Development and Financial Literacy services and coalitions.
· Collect and provide data on the increasing number of coalition partnerships with organizations that provide services to individuals with disabilities.
· Commit the necessary staff time and participation.
· Participate in project-related technical assistance activities. At least one coalition member and one or more of the coalition partners must participate in the July 15 symposium and regional trainings.
· Access to work incentives planning for beneficiaries of Social Security.
Instructions for Applicants
If your Financial Coalition is interested in increasing the participation of individuals with disabilities, their families and advocates in economic activities that develop and preserve assets and in increasing collaboration, submit your application materials as outlined below by June 30, 2010. To be considered for funding, proposal packets must include:
þ Completed Application Form / Cover Sheet (1-2 page) will include
· Complete contact information (name, organization, address, phone number, e-mail) for representatives currently involved your financial stability coalition; and include disability agencies in which you will partner in serving individuals with disabilities. Emerging, and existing coalitions must include at least four potential partners that have discussed creation of a coalition and a list of other organizations targeted for participation.
· Baseline info about coalition and activities.
þ Project Proposal (no more than 4 pages) -The proposal must include the following elements and not exceed 4 pages):
· Description of your Coalition: Who is involved in your Coalition? How long has the Coalition been in existence? In what activities has your Coalition engaged? If there is no formal coalition in your local community, discuss who will be involved and the proposed activities. Who would/will you add to your coalition to provide the comprehensive services needed to increase the self sufficiency of persons with disabilities?
· Description of Needs and Project Objectives: What outcomes will your project focus on as primary activities? What needs will your project address? How do you know these are needs?
· Description of your specific activities to achieve outcomes: What specific activities will you engage in? With what partners? What are your targets for grant timeline?
· Description of Measurements: How will you measure success of your Coalition to meet the objectives? Describe both process and outcome measures.
· Description of Resources: What coalition members or other participating agencies are committing to the project? Plan should also include how the coalition will sustain the long term participation of individuals with disabilities, their families and advocates.
· Sustainability: How do you plan to continue the partnership/relationship that has helped to achieve these outcomes once the grant period is over?
þ Completed and Signed Commitment Form (refer to page 7 of this RFF) –documenting individuals and organizations that are committed to completing the work outlined in this proposal, if awarded. Documentation may include an attendance sign-in sheet from the meeting at which time the proposal is discussed, a letter of certification that “the following members have reviewed and approved this proposal via e-mail” or comparable documentation.
þ Submit proposal electronically double-spaced using 12 point font, double spaced.
Proposals should be submitted via postal e-mail and must include a header or footer with the County/Region and page number (x of y).
For questions about the project or to discuss further your questions, contact Ron Smith. Submit proposal electronically no later than July 15, 2010 to:
Ron Smith, Project Coordinator
Center on Community Living and Careers
Indiana Institute on Disability and Community
2853 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, IN 47408-2696
812-855-6508, or
Project Selection & Evaluation Criteria
Application deadline is July 15, 2010.
· Eligible participants include:
o Existing financial stability coalitions that collaborate to ensure the range of asset building and financial literacy education and training activities.
o New and emerging financial stability coalitions whose organizing purpose is to provide asset building and financial literacy education and training. New and emerging are defined as a newly formed coalition within the last 12 months.
· Coalition applicants must ensure financial stability / asset-building services are provided to individuals with disabilities, their families and advocates. For the purposes of this project, “advocates” mean unpaid or paid individuals or organizations acting on behalf of individuals with disabilities. This may include agencies such as Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRP’s), Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC’s); Independent Living Centers; or financial stability coalitions.
· Consideration will be given to the geographic representation of coalitions.
· Consideration will be given to the diversity of the applicant coalition in terms of size and the scope of supports and services provided.
· Up to 5 existing coalitions will be selected to participate in the project.
· Up to 2 new or emerging coalitions will be selected to participate in the project.
PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCEDURE
The Project has selected a group of representative personnel to evaluate proposals using the criteria stated below. The procedure for evaluating the proposals criteria will be as follows:
· Each proposal will be evaluated on the basis of the categories included below. A point score has been established for each category.
· Proposals that are incomplete or otherwise do not conform to proposal submission requirements may be eliminated from consideration.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Criteria / Points1. Completed Application / Cover Sheet / Baseline info / 25 points
2. Project Proposal (Business and Technical Proposal)
Needs and Project Objectives (15)
Specific Activities (15)
Measurements (10)
Resources/Sustainability (15) / 55 points
3. Coalition member participation / 20 points
Total / 100
Coalition Application / Cover Sheet
Coalition Overview:
Please include the following info about your Financial Stability/Asset-building Coalition. This data should describe current coalition activities.
According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, a coalition is defined “as a temporary alliance of distinct parties, persons, or states for joint action”. Coalitions may be a formal or informal gathering of different organizations for a united purpose.
Coalition Name:
Geographic Service Area of coalition (not individual partners):
Type of Coalition:
· Formal / Staffed (meet regularly; meeting notes; at least part-time paid staff—even if housed in a partner org—to help carry out work of coalition)
· Formal / Unstaffed (meet regularly; meeting notes; no paid staff; organizations carry out work)
· Informal or Loose Coalition / Unstaffed (may meet regularly; may or may not have documentation of activities; no paid staff)
· New or emerging (must have been meeting less than 12 months)
Coalition Mission Statement/Purpose, if applicable:
Applicant Organization/Fiscal Agent:
Address:
City/State/Zip
Phone / Cell:
Fax: / E-mail:
Activities, Involvement and Barriers specific to people with disabilities
1) Which of the following activities is your Coalition (or partners) actively engaged? Where data is available, please provide number of services provided in last calendar year? (Mark NA where info is not available.) Delete all that does not apply to make a shorter application.
¨ Financial literacy sessions (# _____ total sessions / # ____ total participants / # ____ w/disabilities)
¨ Second-chance Checking/Savings Accounts (# ____ total participants / # ____ w/disabilities)
¨ Debt and Credit Counseling opportunities (# ____ total participants / # ____ w/disabilities)
¨ Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), Educational Development Accounts (EDAs) and other matched savings accounts (# ____accounts / # ____ total participants / # ____ w/disabilities)
¨ Money Smart Program – FDIC sessions (#___ sessions / # ____ total participants / # ____ w/disabilities)
¨ Work incentives benefits counseling
¨ Number of referrals to Indiana Works work incentives planning and assistance
¨ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) (___ sites / total #____ participants / # ____ sites/participants w/disabilities)
¨ Debt counseling, debt consolidation and/or credit repair (# ____ total participants / # ____ w/disabilities)
¨ Other (describe) ______(# ____ total participants / # ____ w/disabilities)
2) What activities has the coalition conducted in the last year to promote/market specifically to individual with disabilities, their families, advocates and disability service providers, if at all?
3) What do you see as your 3 biggest needs or barriers in increasing the number of individuals with disabilities, their families and/or advocates accessing the services you provide?
Coalition Partners:
How many coalition partners do you have? ____
How many of the organizational partners are organizations whose primary mission is to serve people with disabilities? ____
For every organizational member of the coalition, please include the following information:
Organization/business name
Primary staff contact info (e-mail and phone)
Address
City/State Zip
Phone
Organization’s involvement: If known, role in financial stability work (i.e. IDAs, bank providing accounts, financial literacy classes, VITA site, VITA volunteers, financial counseling, etc.)
Note: If an organization has been invited but has not participated regularly, please note.
Coalition Commitment Form
(Must include with proposal)
We understand that the benefits of participating in this project include the following:
· An opportunity to help improve the self-determination/self sufficiency opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
· An opportunity to shape and participate in an improved economic future for individuals with disabilities.
· Support in expanding the outreach of financial stability coalitions to an underserved population.
· Agreement to participate and receive technical assistance to overcome barriers to recruitment and retention.
· Access to project products, services and tools such as Work Incentives Planning and Assistance through Indiana Works; the realistic job preview video, marketing toolkit, and on-line training for direct support professionals and frontline supervisors.
If selected to participate in the MIG Mini-Grants for Financial Stability/Asset-Building Coalitions, we agree to:
· Participate in monthly project meetings with Project Coordinator (phone or in person).
· Designate a lead person from the coalition for interfacing with project staff.
· Work together with coalition partners to promote increased awareness of the importance of Asset Building and Financial Literacy to individuals, families and organizations.
· Work together with coalition partners to increase the number of individuals with disabilities, their families and advocates in Asset Building and Financial Literacy services.
· Work together with coalition partners to increase and preserve the assets of individuals with disabilities.
· Collect and provide data on the participation of individuals with disabilities, their families and advocates in Asset Building and Financial Literacy services and coalitions.
· Collect and provide data on the increasing number of coalition partnerships with organizations that provide services to individuals with disabilities.
· Commit the necessary staff time and participation.
· Participate in project-related technical assistance activities. (At least one coalition member and one or more of the coalition partners must participate in regional trainings.)
· And continue to sustain these activities in the future to the best of our collective abilities.
We affirm that coalition partners have been involved in the development of and/or have reviewed this proposal. We affirm that are committed to completing the work as outlined in our proposal and sustaining the grant goals related to participation by people with disabilities in asset-building activities and collaboration in our coalition beyond the grant period.
Signature Coalition Chair Name Date
Signature Lead Organization/Fiscal Agent Date
MIG Asset-Building Mini-Grant Request for Proposal Page 7 of 8