The Technical Assistance Program (TAP) is a project of Humboldt Area Foundation’s Rooney Resource Center.As with other Resource Center services, TAP is available to organizations and community groupsserving Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity counties. Most governmentagencies are not eligible for TAP.

TAP is a small grant program which provides organizations with one-on-one technical assistance with a consultant of their choice. TAP grants focus on organizational development and capacity building. In some circumstances, awards may also be used for trainingor software.Organizations may receive up to one TAP grant per year.

Grants may include,but are not limited to working with a consultant on:

●Strategic Planning / ●Board Development / ●Fundraising Planning
●Operational Assessments / Building or increasing effectiveness of Partnerships & Collaborations / ●Executive Coaching
●Personnel Issues / ●Financial Management / ●Succession Planning
●Increasing Organizational Diversity / ●Community Organizing Training / ●Mergers or Dissolution
Involving those you serve in program planning, development and evaluation

Application Process:

We encourage applicants to discuss their technical assistance needs with Resource Center staff, Amy Jester, before submitting a proposal. Prior to applying for TAP, organizations should also contact the consultant of their choice to discuss their needs. We encourage you to contact the consultant’s former clients for references. If you need a list of localconsultants, please ask Resource Center staff. Please submit a proposal from the consultant you plan to work with including expected hours, fee and scope of work.We will not consider consultant fees greater than $200/hour.Grant awards will be paid directly to the consultant.

Priority will be given to requests from organizations that:

  • Involve those they serve in planning, implementation and evaluation of their programs and services
  • Provide safety net services, including services to vulnerable populations
  • Impact large numbers of people locally and address pressing community issues
  • Address the needs of historically excluded people and groups
  • Participate in collaborative partnerships with community groups, other nonprofits or agencies
  • Develop community leadership
  • Are at or near crisis point in their sustainability

Getting Started with Consultants

As you plan for your TAP consultation, please consider these suggestions.
Step 1: Clarify Your Needs and Expectations
Consultants are typically sought to help solve a problem or accomplish a specific task. Before contacting any potential consultants, you should be able to answer these questions –
What are your specific needs or issues?
What specific tasks do you want to accomplish?
What outcomes are you looking for, or what should bedifferent at the end of the consultation?
Who will be involved in the consultation – board, staff, committees?
Consultants will also want to know how much you expect to spend, why you are seeking outside help, and any internal politics around the project.
Consultants can bring skills, experience, tools, time, energy, inspiration and perspective to help you solve your problems but they will not do all the work for you nor will they do it alone. You (your board/staff) should plan on working closely with the consultant throughout the process. The more involved you are the happier you will be with the results.
Step 2: Find The Right Consultant
Consultants can be found through the Rooney Resource Center, your colleagues, your funders, friends, other consultants you’ve used, nonprofit publications, professional organizations and the phone book. But, this is the easy part; the hard part is assessing skills, experience and working styles to identify the right consultant for you. Some questions for the candidate include:
Who have you worked for and what did you do forthem?
Have you worked on projects/problems similar to ours?
How much experience do you have as a consultant?
How would you describe your working style (howwould we work together)? / Questions for the consultant’s former clients/references may include:
Would you hire him/her again and is there anything Ishould know about when considering a contract with him/her?
Was the work completed on time, within budget?
Did he/she understand your needs and “get up to speed” quickly?
Did he/she communicate clearly, easily?
How did he/she work with staff and or board members? Did board and/or staff like and respect the consultant?
One way of assessing and comparing consultants for larger projects is to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Qualifications (RFQ). Typically, these documents describe the project or need and request the submission of a work plan, qualifications and cost estimate (RFP) or the submission of qualifications and fee schedules (RFQ). Contact the Center for help and guidelines on RFPs and RFQs.

Step 3: Put it in Writing

Once you have found the right person, commit your agreement to paper and have both parties sign it. This can be a simple “letter of agreement” or a detailed contract. Either way, it should include the following elements.
The work plan or “scope of work,” including adescription of all products or “deliverables” and their due dates. This is often an attachment.
The amount of the contract and/or any payment arrangements and/or amounts.
Mediation and contract termination stipulations.
If appropriate, copyright and ownership stipulations.
The Rooney Resource Center has a variety of tools available to assist in preparing you for working with consultants, including publications, sample contract letters, requests for proposals and other materials on how to make the most of your experience with consultants.
Contact the Rooney Resource Center at (707) 442-2993 for more information on how to find and work with consultants.

Please submit a proposal from the consultant you plan to work with including expected hours, fee structure and scope of work. If you are requesting support for a workshop, manual or software, please attach detailed information about the event or product.

Organization/ Applicant: / Date:
Contact Person: / Amount Requested:
Amount your organization is able to contribute to this project:
Mailing Address:
City: / Zip:
Phone: / Email:
Tax ID Number: / Website:
Please respond to questions 1 – 6 in an attachment (3 page maximum):
  1. Briefly describe your organization, including the nature your work, communities or populations you serve, and the role you play in the community.
  2. Describe your organization’s need for assistance, including what it would mean for your organization and the community if you weren’t able to do this work. What steps has your organization already taken to tackle this issue on your own? How have key staff and/or the board demonstrated a commitment to working on this issue?
  3. TAP funding is limited and reserved for organizations that do not have the ability to cover critical services or tools on their own. Please include the full project budget, share why it is necessary for an external grant to support this effort, and whether you are seeking additional grants from other funders to make the project happen.
  4. Describe how you will use TAP funds and how you will utilize the consultant or other resources being requested. Please be specific and attach your consultant’s proposal or product/event information. Please describe:
  • Who will participate in and benefit from the process (List specific staff titles, board members)
  • Steps your organization has already taken to prepare for work with the consultant (or other resources being requested)
  • Outcomes you hope to achieve in working with the consultant (or other resource being requested)
  1. How this assistance relates to your strategic plan or organizational goals. Please be brief. Please describe your process for choosing this consultant.
  2. What steps will your board and staff take to continue to work on these issues after the TAP grant has ended?

HAF Office Use Only:
Program Manager: / Committee: / Fund ID
Review Date: / Action: / Profile #
Grant Date: / Amount / Grant #
Batch #
Award Package (letter, grant report, photo release & folder):
Special Instructions:
Program Area: / ANML COMM ARTS ENV HEAL TA YUTH