R
EQUEST FOR
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ROPOSALS
:
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INANCIAL
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APABILITY IN
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OCIAL
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ERVICE
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ELIVERY
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Are you providing affordable housing options to low- and moderate-income families?
Are you preparing out-of-work individuals to find and succeed in their next job?
Are you providing critical services and supports in times of emergency for families in crisis?
You and your organization are working hard to address the deep-rooted issues facing low-income households in America today, but perhaps the families you work with lack the financial knowledge and tools they need to become financially secure. As you consider the impact you have on your clients’ lives, do you wonder about questions like:
How can I help my clients improve their credit scores so that when I help them find
affordable housing or stable employment, their credit doesn’t limit the places that will accept their applications?
How do I help my clients open safe, affordable bank accounts so that when I place them in
jobs, they don’t lose a big portion of each paycheck to expensive check cashers?
What can I do to help families build an emergency savings account when they visit our food
pantry so that they are more prepared for future financial crises?
How do I teach my clients to follow a monthly budget so that they don’t fall behind on their
utility bills after I help them find stable housing?
How can I help my clients get out of debt so that they can start saving for the future instead
of moving from one financial crisis to the next?
How can I connect prospective college students with programs and resources to assist with
their financial needs?
CFED, in partnership w ith Bank of A merica Charitable Foundation, is soliciting applications from organizations interested in joining an
eighteen-month Intensive Learning Cluster to integrate financial capability into social service programs in the housing, workforce
development and emergency assistance (critical needs) sectors. A pplications are due Thursday, October 21, 2013.
Join CFED in an Intensive Learning Cluster that will take on these questions and more to help you integrate financial capability strategies into your organization’s service delivery model and strengthen your clients’ financial security.
Increasingly, social service providers like you are recognizing the intertwined, complex issues facing low-income households that do not fit neatly into the spectrum of services already provided. This experience is especially true when it comes to financial issues. A lack of financial capability among clients often erodes the ability of social service providers to be effective at helping people find and maintain stable housing, get and keep jobs, and alleviate hunger.
Over the past ten years, innovative social service providers in both the nonprofit and government sectors have embraced the idea of coordinating access to multiple types of services, including financial capability services, as a way to improve outcomes and enhance the economic well-being of their clients. For example, clients receiving homelessness prevention or workforce development services at New York City Financial Empowerment Centers achieved stronger results when financial
empowerment programs were integrated into the delivery of the primary social service.1
This eighteen-month Intensive Learning Cluster will expose participants to the frameworks, options and models for integrating financial capability services into housing, emergency assistance and workforce development programs. Through interactions with Learning Cluster peers and technical assistance from CFED, Learning Cluster members will identify specific opportunities to incorporate financial capability services, execute a pilot project and measure client progress over time.
1 M unicipal Financial Empowerment: A Supervitamin for Public Programs— Strategy #1: Integrating Professional Financial Financial capability services can help financially vulnerable families gain a foothold on the path to economic security and opportunity. Examples of these services include:
Connecting clients to financial education, counseling or coaching on a range of topics, such as debt reduction, managing credit scores, budgeting and choosing financial products.
Facilitating access to public benefits offered by federal, state and local governments through integration of benefit screening tools.
Coordinating free tax preparation assistance and access to the Earned Income Tax Credit. Connecting clients to mainstreamfinancial products such as basic savings or transactional
accounts through partnerships with banks, credit unions and/or Community Development Financial Institutions.
Referring clients to reputable credit counseling agencies to help them become credit-worthy for home or business loans, and to remove potential barriers to employment.
Accelerating savings by connecting clients to matched savings programs, such as Individual Development Account programs.
Connecting clients to foreclosure counseling and mitigation services to help at-risk homeowners protect their assets.
The Opportunity
With support from Bank of America Charitable Foundation, CFED will convene an eighteen-month Intensive Learning Cluster for 11 social service delivery programs seeking to increase the financial
security of the households they serve in the housing, emergency assistance (critical needs) and
workforce development sectors. The Learning Cluster is limited to organizations that provide services within one of the targeted markets (see the Appendix A for a full list). Organizations who are selected to participate will receive an $8,000 stipend. The Learning Cluster will be comprised of three smaller cohorts according to the types of services organizations offer:
Housing and Community Development. This cohort will focus on building the financial capability of clients in programs that help distressed individuals stay in their homes, prepare future homeowners and/or increase access to affordable housing.
Emergency Assistance (Critical Needs). This cohort will focus on integrating financial capability services into programs that help individuals and families at critical junctures by providing access to food supplies and services, emergency shelter and supportive housing, and/or access and referrals to benefits and resources.
Workforce Development. The third cohort will focus on integrating financial capability services into workforce development and education programs that help individuals obtain the training and education that lead to post-secondary completion and employment.
Learning Cluster members will have the opportunity to learn together in large and small group peer exchanges—both virtual and in-person. During these exchanges, members will learn about
implementation frameworks, share successes and problem-solve with their peers. CFED will work with each member of the Learning Cluster to design a program to integrate financial capability services into existing services, develop an outcomes framework, implement the program, and document and disseminate findings and lessons learned.
Expected Outcomes
The Learning Cluster will run from November 25, 2013, through May 31, 2015. During this time, we expect each member to pilot a project that incorporates financial capability strategies into existing services. Specifically, we expect that:
In partnership with CFED, each Learning Cluster member will not only design a pilot
project, but also launch the project in sufficient time to allow for outcome tracking to take place.
Each Learning Cluster member will track data and measure pilot project outcomes, then
share outcome information with CFED. We will work with each Learning Cluster member to document and disseminate lessons learned and project outcomes.
At the end of the Learning Cluster, each member will be responsible for outlining and
sharing with CFED the next steps for the continuation, modification or expansion of the pilot project.
Throughout the Learning Cluster, members will participate in both virtual and in-person
CFED will develop tools for the industry based on lessons learned by Learning Cluster members. These tools will be shared with the field so that other organizations can use them to incorporate financial capability services into their own programs.
Roles and Responsibilities
Members of the Intensive Learning Cluster will be responsible for:
Active participation in virtual and in-person group exchanges and one-on-one exchanges with CFED by the project manager and other organizational decision-makers as needed to move the project forward. Applicants chosen to participate in the Learning Cluster must
agree to participate in up to four in-person convenings, including one at CFED’s 2014 Assets
Learning Conference; to host CFED staff and/or consultants for 2 site visits (each lasting 1-2 days); and to attend virtual convenings (conference calls/webinars).
o CFED will convene four mandatory day-long in-person convenings of all Learning
Cluster members to discuss lessons, challenges, opportunities and solutions. Travel, meals and lodging for these convenings will be provided. In addition, full
scholarships will be provided to Learning Cluster members to attend the Assets Learning Conference. The estimated schedule of these in-person convenings is as follows, but may be subject to change:
January 15, 2014 in Washington, DC
May 2014, site TBD
September 16, 2014 in Washington, DC. Participants will then attend the
Assets Learning Conference, September 17-19, 2014.
March 2015, site TBD
o Estimated schedule of virtual convenings from January 2014 – May 2015, specific
dates TBD:
Monthly: 60-minute individual check-in calls with CFED
Bi-monthly: 90-minute conference calls with cohort
Quarterly: 90-minute conference calls with full Learning Cluster
o Estimated schedule of on-site visits, specific dates TBD:
Two full-day, on-site technical assistance visits by CFED and field experts to
assist with program design and implementation
Creation and execution of a specific project that further integrates a financial capability service into existing programs. Specifically:
o Design and launch a financial capability integration project
o Track and report outcomes from the project to CFED
o Provide a final written report to CFED outlining the impact of participating in the
Learning Cluster
o Agree to public dissemination of materials that document the project through CFED
and Bank of America channels
o Potential to incorporate volunteers and resources from Bank of America and other
partners to provide financial education (Budgeting, Understanding Credit, Savings, etc.) or in other ways assist with the implementation of the project
Participation in CFED’s Assets & Opportunity Network. Selection to participate in the Learning Cluster is an exclusive benefit to members of the Assets & Opportunity Network, a national, movement-oriented group of advocates, practitioners, policymakers and others working to expand the reach and deepen the impact of asset-based strategies. Applicants who are not already members of the A&O Network can join via this link:
http://assetsandopportunity.org/network/member/. CFED will be responsible for:
Providing relevant and timely technical assistance on program design and
implementation, partnership opportunities and outcomes evaluation. CFED will arrange for technical assistance—either through in-house experts or other consultants and expert practitioners in the field—to help Learning Cluster members achieve their learning goals and implement their projects. Examples of possible assistance include, but are not limited to:
o Advice on potential partnerships with other organizations in the asset-building
arena that may be able to help deliver financial empowerment services.
o Evaluation of potential financial education curricula and family engagement
strategies, including assessing the use of behavioral techniques to boost participation in financial capability services.
o Design of evaluation processes to track the effectiveness of financial capability
services in building financial security for low-income households.
Facilitation of virtual and in-person peer exchanges to ensure relevant and timely knowledge sharing and progress towards project goals.
Documentation and dissemination of lessons from the Intensive Learning Cluster via
posts on the Inclusive Economy blog on CFED’s website, implementation briefs, policy briefs
and a Replication Toolkit, among other avenues.
Providing a stipend for participation. CFED will provide an $8,000 stipend to each participating organization in the Intensive Learning Cluster, in addition to covering the travel and lodging costs to attend in-person meetings.
Eligibility
Applications may be submitted by any organization operating within one of the designated markets (see Appendix A for a full list) and in the housing, emergency assistance or workforce development sector that wishes to share knowledge and practice around strengthening the financial capability components of their work to serve low-income families. Institutions will need to specify with which
of the three sectors they identify. Examples of qualifying institutions2 and focus areas include, but
are not limited to:
Community Action Agencies
Community Development Corporations
Workforce development programs
Hunger relief organizations
2 Government agencies are not eligible to apply for this Intensive Learning Cluster , although nonprofit agencies may p rop ose a p roject w orking in partnership w ith a governm ent agency .
Emergency Shelter/Supportive Housing organizations
Benefit access organizations
Faith-based organizations
Community-based organizations
Housing counseling programs
United Way agencies that provide direct services
Several criteria will be considered in selecting program participants. These criteria are outlined in Appendix B and reflected in the Request for Proposals form on page 7. Applications are due by October 21, 2013, will be assessed by a team of reviewers and will be considered in their entirety. After you submit an application, CFED may follow up with you if there are additional questions. Notification of award will be sent on November 25, 2013.
About CFED
CFED empowers low- and moderate-income households to build and preserve assets by advancing policies and programs that help them achieve the American Dream, including buying a home, pursuing higher education, starting a business and saving for the future. As a leading source for data about household financial security and policy solutions, CFED understands what families need to succeed. We promote programs on the ground and invest in social enterprises that create
pathways to financial security and opportunity for millions of people. Established in 1979 as the Corporation for Enterprise Development, CFED works nationally and internationally through its offices in Washington, DC; Durham, North Carolina; and San Francisco, California.
About Bank of America Corporate Social Responsibility
Bank of America’s commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a strategic part of doing business globally. Our CSR efforts guide how we operate in a socially, economically, financially and environmentally responsible way around the world, to deliver for shareholders, customers, clients and employees. Our goal is to help create economically vibrant regions and communities through lending, investing and giving. By partnering with our stakeholders, we create value that empowers individuals and communities to thrive and contributes to the long-term success of our business. We have several core areas of focus for our CSR, including responsible business practices;
environmental sustainability; strengthening local communities with a focus on housing, hunger and jobs; investing in global leadership development; and engaging through arts and culture. As part of these efforts, employee volunteers across the company contribute their time, passion and expertise to address issues in communities where they live and work. Learn more
Request for Proposal
Proposals should be submitted by email to [email protected] by 5:00 pm EDT on Monday, October 21, 2013. Organization:
Primary Contact: Agency Head (if different from above): Address:
Telephone: E-mail:
Intensive Learning Cluster sector to which you are applying (housing, emergency assistance or workforce development): Market in which you operate (select from list in Appendix A):
Please answer the following questions. Your answers should be no longer than 5 pages. Please also
submit a letter of support from your agency leadership as an attachment to your proposal. 1. Organizational capacity and reach. Please describe your agency (type of organization,
history, target population, number of households served, services provided, community served, description of major funding sources, etc.).
2. Need and potential impact. What financial barriers are your clients facing? In your view, how would financial empowerment strategies help these clients and staff? What types of technical assistance do you feel would be necessary to implement your proposed project (e.g., initial diagnostics, program design and implementation, financial product integration, financial education curriculum, project evaluation, other)?
3. Vision for the project. Describe your potential project in as much detail as possible. Will you integrate the project within your current service offering or as a stand-alone service? How will integrating financial capability services improve your organizational outcomes? What do you hope to achieve by implementing this project and participating in the Learning Cluster? How do you plan to sustain this project beyond the eighteen-month Learning Cluster? If applicable, list potential opportunities for incorporating Bank of America and other volunteers to deliver financial education (budgeting, understanding credit, savings etc.).
4. Experience. How are you currently addressing the financial barriers facing your clients? Do you offer, partner to offer and/or refer families to providers of any financial empowerment services? Do you have prior experience with learning clusters or peer learning groups on other topics?
5. Ability to track outcomes and demonstrate impact. How do you currently measure and track participant progress in your programs? Could you track financial capability metrics in your current data management system to track outcomes for this project?
6. Sectoral influence. Is your organization a member of local, regional or national associations or networks? If so, which? What leadership role does your organization play in these associations or networks, if any?
7. Staff capacity. Which staff person(s) will be designing and implementing this project and participating in virtual and in-person meetings? Please provide a short bio of the key staff person(s) who will be involved in the financial capability work and project implementation. 8. Other. Is there anything else you'd like us to know about your organization or your interest
in applying for this program?
Questions and Information
For more information about this Request for Proposals, please contact Kori Hattemer at 202.207.0150 or [email protected].
Appendix A:
Market Listing (by state)
Arizona Phoenix Tucson Arkansas Central Arkansas Fayetteville Little Rock California Bakersfield Fresno/Central Valley Los Angeles Monterey
Napa, Marin and Sonoma Counties Orange County
Riverside (Inland Empire) Sacramento
San Diego
San Francisco/East Bay San Jose (Silicon Valley) San Luis Obispo
Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties Colorado Denver Connecticut Hartford Southern Connecticut Delaware Wilmington/Philadelphia, PA District of Columbia Greater Washington DC/VA/MD
Florida Daytona/Cocoa Beach Fort Lauderdale Jacksonville Miami Naples/Ft. Myers Orlando Sarasota/Manatee Tallahassee
Tampa Bay
Treasure Coast/Stuart West Palm Beach
Georgia Atlanta Augusta/Aiken, SC Savannah Idaho Boise Illinois Chicago Iowa Des Moines Kansas Central Kansas Western Kansas Wichita Maine Portland Maryland Baltimore Salisbury Massachusetts Boston Worcester Michigan Detroit Minnesota Minneapolis - St. Paul Missouri Kansas City Springfield St. Louis Nevada Las Vegas Reno New Hampshire Manchester New Jersey Newark Trenton
New Mexico Albuquerque Santa Fe New York Albany Buffalo Long Island New York City Rochester
Syracuse & Utica
North Carolina Asheville Charlotte Fayetteville Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem Jacksonville/Wilmington Raleigh/Chapel Hill/Durham Ohio Columbus Cleveland Oklahoma Oklahoma City Tulsa Oregon Eugene Portland/Vancouver, WA Pennsylvania Philadelphia/Wilmington, DE Rhode Island Providence South Carolina Charleston/Hilton Head Columbia Greenville/Spartanburg Greenwood Myrtle Beach Tennessee Knoxville Memphis Nashville
Texas Amarillo Austin Dallas/Fort Worth El Paso Houston San Antonio Virginia Charlottesville Virginia Beach/Norfolk Richmond Roanoke Suburban Washington, DC Washington Seattle/Tacoma Spokane
Appendix B: Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated by CFED and Bank of America Charitable Foundation based on the following criteria:
Organizational capacity and reach
Does the organization have sufficient resources to support the implementation of this
project?
Does the organization serve a meaningful number of low-income households in its
community? Vision for the project
In what ways does the organization demonstrate a clear vision for how integration of
financial capability services will help clients and improve outcomes?
In what ways does the organization articulate its commitment to increasing financial
capability for low-income families? Need and potential impact
How does the proposal make a compelling case for why the organization is interested in
applying for this program?
How clearly does the organization articulate specific programmatic goals and the technical
assistance necessary to achieve those goals? Experience with financial empowerment strategies
What prior experience does the organization have with asset building or financial capability?
Does the organization have prior experience with learning clusters or peer learning groups
on other topics?
Ability to track outcomes and demonstrate impact
Does the organization have a robust data collection system and the ability to evaluate data to
track outcomes for this project? Sectoral influence
In what ways does the organization have the potential to influence how other service
providers in the community, specifically those in the same sector, operate?
Is the organization a member of and/or have a leadership role in larger parent organizations
or other affiliations? If so, which? Staff capacity
Do the project manager and other staff members have the resources to design, implement
and evaluate this project? Can the project manager make decisions in a timely fashion to move the project forward quickly?
Do the project manager and decision-makers have time to attend virtual and in-person
Overall fit
How well does the proposal complement the others selected in terms of topic, approach,
population served, system (e.g., emergency assistance, workforce development or housing assistance) and geography?
