Request for Proposals
EconomicCheckUp Outreach & Screening Project
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is seeking highly qualified agencies to explore an integrated service delivery approach using EconomicCheckUp (ECU), community resource mapping, and financial education with seniors to identify resources to improve their economic security. Selected agencies for this work will receive small grants ($10K) from NCOA and all of the necessary tools and technical assistance required to integrate the effort into their activities.
Background
The economic crisis in this country is dramatically affecting the lives of millions of older people. Daily, more and more older people with low incomes are calling on community agencies asking for help. Agencies are reporting that they can be overwhelmed with a greater-than-ever number of requests for the assistance provided by their agency plus requests for different types of assistance. In most communities, there are a variety of possible resources that, in the right combination, may help alleviate economic needs of many seniors. Some of these resources include: aging services, public benefits counseling and enrollment assistance, emergency assistance for housing, fuel, food, weatherization, etc., job training and placement, credit counseling, debt mitigation, financial literacy education, consumer protection services, pre-lender reverse mortgage counseling, foreclosure counseling, home repair programs, housing options counseling, and health insurance counseling.
In 2009, NCOA launched the Economic Security Initiative (ESI) in recognition that helping seniors access public and charitable benefits was not enough. A comprehensive economic casework approach to helping financially strapped seniors makes a significant difference—on average, freeing up $250 per month or $3,000 per year. For the typical older woman living on Social Security alone (about $12,000/year), this provides a 25% increase in annual income. The core strategy is to help seniors make better use of all available resources, both private and public, that can improve their finances. The ESI sites consider all of a senior’s financial needs and develop a comprehensive set of “solutions” that often includes helping them:
Reduce credit card debt, avoid foreclosure, and develop better money management skills by linking them to credit counseling, debt mitigation, housing counseling, and budgeting assistance.
Get jobs by connecting them to one-stop jobs centers and the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).
Reduce out-of-pocket health care expenses by making better decisions about Medicare drug coverage and supplemental insurance with guidance from public and private health insurance counseling programs.
Make more strategic use of their home equity by linking them to reverse mortgage counseling and NCOA’s online tool, Home Equity Advisor.
Identify public and charitable benefits and services through the online service EconomicCheckUp®.
NCOA recognized that the most cost-effective way to bring this program to scale nationwide would be to create online services and interactive tools that make it much easier for older
adults, their caregivers, and professionals who help them to get a personalized assessment and roadmap to the public and private supports available to improve their economic situation. EconomicCheckUp (ECU – www.economiccheckup.org) is a one-stop shop to help older adults who are struggling financially. ECU combines and streamlines the financial, employment, and benefits screening processes to holistically improve the economic security of older adults. The comprehensive help available through ECU includes money management, housing, health, employment, and debt and credit management. Not only does this tool bring together these vital components of assessment, but it also provides results and recommendations that are tailored to the individual and his/her community.
Goals, Expected Outcomes, and Desired Impact of the Partnership
With NCOA’s support, selected agencies will explore an integrated service delivery approach using ECU, conduct community resource mapping work to identify resources to improve their elder economic security, and host financial literacy workshops using Savvy Saving Seniors®: Becoming ResoureFULL with the Help of Benefits & Peace of Mind Savings, Savvy Saving Seniors®: Steps to Avoiding Scams, and Savvy Saving Seniors®: It’s in the Cards.
NCOA Services and Support
Assistance from NCOA will include, but is not limited to, the following:
A grant of $10,000 for participation in the project;
Opportunities for peer support among local and national partners through conference calls and webinars;
Technical assistance and training for utilizing tools;
Savvy Saving Seniors toolkits for education and outreach;
Technical assistance and facilitation support for community mapping; and
EconomicCheckUp® for holistic economic assessment.
Partner Responsibilities
Selected agencies will work collaboratively with NCOA to establish a partner referral system and screen 100 seniors using ECU. Partners will help seniors tap into these services through
partnering with organizations that provide the services. Specifically, selected community leads will be expected to:
Screen at least 100 low-income older adults using ECU (individuals 55+ with income below 250% of the federal poverty level);
Designate a coordinator who will take primary responsibility for working with NCOA on initiative components including the design, implementation, and evaluation of the project;
Develop a local assessment of community resources including aging and family services, financial, and housing-related assistance services;
Engage local Bank of America representatives as volunteers in the project through Savvy Saving Seniors educational events (each selected site must host at least one It’s in the Cards
workshop);
Share best practices and lessons learned; and
Participate in monthly meetings, webinars, and evaluations.
Applicant Eligibility
Commitment to implementing economic security programming
Adequate technology hardware and software, including internet access
Agency must serve one of the following areas: Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles/Ventura County, California; Houston, Texas; Buffalo, New York; Tampa, Florida; Boston, Massachussetts; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Applicant Criteria
NCOA will draw on the following criteria in selecting the sites, but does not necessarily expect each site to meet all of the criteria set forth below. With that in mind, applications should demonstrate the following:
Passion for implementing holistic, person-centered individual assessment to redress the losses during the economic crisis among older Americans.
Proven understanding of the specific challenges faced by seniors due to the current economic crisis in the respective community.
Track record of successfully developing, implementing, and sustaining innovative community services for older people.
Successful experience working with people age 55+ with low incomes and/or experiencing economic distress.
Capacity to assist at least 100 community seniors within defined target populations over the project timeline. All program participants will meet the following criteria: income will be at or below 250% of the federal poverty guidelines and the individual will be 55 years or older.
Project Timeline
July 13, 2015: RFP is released
August 24, 2015, 5 p.m. ET: Deadline for Submission October 1, 2015: Project Starts
June 30, 2016: Project Complete July 15, 2016: Final Report Due
APPLICATION
Any questions regarding the application or instructions should be addressed to Andrea Schimmoeller via email, andrea.schimmoeller@ncoa.org, or phone, 571-527-4012. Please submit your application online at http://ncoa.tfaforms.net/373779
All character counts include spaces.
1.1 Applicant information
Organization Name
Preferred Acronym (if applicable)
Street Address
City/State /Zip
Telephone
Website
1.2 & 1.3 ask for the contact details of the:
Primary Contact (i.e., the person who will receive emails and updates during the application process)
Executive Director
Proposed Economic Security Initiative
2.1 Does your organization currently provide benefits or economic screening to older adults? Please describe. (Character Limit: 2,000)
2.2 Identify the specific geographic area(s) your proposed project will serve – a city, county (or multiple counties), or your entire state. (Character Limit: 500)
2.3 How would this project make an impactful contribution in your proposed target area.
(Character Limit: 1,500)
2.4 Describe your outreach approach (or combination of approaches) to find and screen older adults using ECU. (Character Limit: 1,000)
2.5 Describe how your agency currently coordinates with other relevant organizations/agencies in your community/state. Do you currently have relationships with a variety of service providers, including but not limited to aging services, public benefits counseling and enrollment assistance, emergency assistance for housing, fuel, food, weatherization, etc., job training and placement, credit counseling, debt mitigation, financial literacy education, consumer protection services, pre-lender reverse mortgage counseling, foreclosure counseling, home repair programs, housing options counseling, and health insurance counseling? If you don’t yet have these relationships, how do you plan to create them? (Character Limit: 2,500)
2.6 Please describe a past initiative or program that demonstrates your capacity to execute a similar initiative with firm quantitative goals. (Character Limit: 1,000)
2.7 ESI Project Program Director’s contact details and brief bio 2.8 Other key staff’s contact details and brief bios
2.9 Has your agency applied for funding from NCOA in the past 5 years? If so, please list previous programs.
Savvy Saving Seniors Workshops
3.1 NCOA is interested in projects that can utilize local Bank of America representatives as volunteers. After connecting with your local representative, please describe how you will coordinate efforts to improve economic security for seniors. Please see below for your local market manager’s contact information. Activities can include Savvy Saving Seniors educational events, EconomicCheckUp screengings, or other applicable activities. Each site must commit to host at least one workshop utilizing the Savvy Saving Seniors:It’s in the Cards toolkit.
Bank of America Market Managers Boston Alicia Verity Alicia.verity@bankofamerica.com 617.434.6766 Buffalo Laura Dolan Laura.dolan@bankofamerica.com 716.847.7245 Chicago Julie Chavez Julie.chavez@bankofamerica.com 312.992.5073 Cleveland Jennifer Hurd Jennifer.hurd@bankofamerica.com 216.766.6428 Houston David Ruiz David.e.ruiz@bankofamerica.com 713.247.7570
Los Angeles Garrett Gin Garrett.gin@bankofamerica.com 213.621.3681 Oklahoma
Susan San Martin
Susan.san_martin@bankofamerica.com 210.270.5616 Tampa Ann Shaler Ann.shaler@bankofamerica.com 813.225.8671
