RFP Overview

Born Learning Overview

United Way of Portage County serves as the backbone organization for the Born Learning initiative.

United Way of Portage County, along with our public/private partners, envision a vibrant community built on opportunity for everyone and is committed to sparking breakthrough community action that elevates every child and family to a brighter future.

Mission

Born Learning is a public/private partnership working collectively to build a community system that creates and invests in opportunities for children to realize lifelong success.

Vision

All Portage County children will be safe, healthy, and ready for kindergarten.

Community Outcomes

  • Improve child health
  • Promote optimal child development
  • All Children are cared for and safe
  • Strengthen Families

Research shows that quality home visitation programming for children and families, is highly effective when using an evidence based model. The home visitation model that has been chosen by our Gateway Partner Action Team for this RFP is Parents as Teachers. We intend to use a two-generational approach through this home visitation model, recognizing that parents are their child’s first and primary teachers. Research indicates that when evidence based home visitation models are implemented with fidelity, they greatly impact family stability, increase child safety,improve access to regular healthcare and boost academic achievement.

Born Learning has made a commitment to the following:

  • Work will be informed by research, driven by data, confirmed by community voice;
  • Goal achievement will be accomplished in cross-sector partnershipsand by using the principles of collective impact;
  • We will support and build a culture of continuous learning from our mistakes, as well as celebrating our successes.
  • By working collaboratively with partners towards shared goals, and specifically using the principles of collective impact, we will change the trajectory for the children and families most in need throughout our community.

Purpose of Funding

The available funding is intended to seed, build capacity and/or expandhome visitation programmingto achieve significant progress towards increasing kindergarten readiness, improving child health, insuring children are safe and well cared for, and strengthening families.

The Born Learning Initiative embraces the concept of collective impact as structured cross-sector coalition(s), including the five defined conditions of collective impact:

The Five Conditions of Collective Impact
Common Agenda / All participants have a shared vision for change including a common understanding of the problem and a joint approach to solving it through agreed upon actions.
Shared Measurement / Collecting data and measuring results consistently across all participants ensures efforts remain aligned and participants hold each other accountable.
Mutually Reinforcing Activities / Participant activities must be differentiated while still being coordinated through a mutually reinforcing plan of action.
Continuous Communication / Consistent and open communication is needed across the many players to build trust, assure mutual objectives, and create common motivation.
Backbone Support / Creating and managing collective impact requires dedicated staff facilitators with a specific set of skills to serve as the backbone for the entire initiative and coordinate participating organizations and agencies.

Born Learning values collaboration to achieve community change at all levels, and funding will provide support to efforts along the entire developmental continuum.

Expectations of Funded Entities

If awarded, your agency/entity will be asked to:

  • Participate in on-going evaluation of the design and implementation of your home visitation program.
  • Develop outcomes logic model
  • Submit on-going qualitative and quantitative performance reports related to your goals, outcomes and indicators
  • Provide meaningful individual or group target population volunteer opportunities (as appropriate)
  • Assist in development of a sustainability plan to ensure on-going funding
  • Consistently identify your partnership with Born Learning/United Way of Portage County by making use of our current logo and name in print materials, on your website, and public forums/media presentations.
  • Training requirement for home visitors/supervisors in ACES, Resiliency, Trauma informed Care, Cultural Sensitivity, Ethics, Genograms, Communication Skills, early childhood development and other.
  • Meet monthly with Born Learning Engagement Specialist for the first 6 months of grant period, then quarterly after, for continuous quality improvement.
  • Education level of home visitors will ensure at least 50% of visitors have a bachelor’s degree in a field related to home visitation. (Health, social services, education)

Eligibility

First preference will be to nonprofit organizations falling under the federal tax code 501c(3) or 590(a) (1), (2) or (3), schools and religion organizations. These organizations will be required to maintain a Board of Directors with a minimum of five independent members that meet at least quarterly. We typically require a minimum annual budget of $100,000 (as reported in the form 990), although smaller budgets may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

AWARD AMOUNTS

There is a maximum per calendar year of$200,000 available and funding will be based on campaign results each year. Award(s) will be based on 2 year cycles, all beginning January 1, 2017. Contracts will be performance based with the potential opportunity to reapply for additional funding at the end of the grant cycle, depending on performance and funds available.

Highest proposers may be asked for best and final offers.

2017APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS, PROCESS, AND TIMELINE

This will be a competitive process, and Born Learning/United Way of Portage County staff may seek clarifications during the review process. Born Learning reserves the right to award contracts to applicants that are determined to be most advantageous to and in the best interest of the community, are cost effective, and other factors considered as appropriate.

Press announcement of funding opportunity and RFP release: October 19, 2016

Letter of Intent due (commitment you intend to apply)November 1, 2016

Application due: November 30, 2016

Final decisions and notification: December 9, 2016

Program Services to families beginFebruary 1, 2017

Your application may be submitted electronically to o later than 4pm on November 15, 2016.There is not a page or character limit for this proposal, but preference will be given to applications that are concise and succinct.

All questions may be submitted by e-mail to