First 5 LA Community Opportunities Fund

Cycle 2

Information Session

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• About First 5 LA• Community Opportunities Fund

– Types of grants– Long-term impact

• Application Information– Eligibility– Application process– Review criteria

• Q&A• Project planning

Agenda

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About First 5 LA

First 5 LA is committed to creating a future throughout Los Angeles' diverse communities where all young children are born healthy and raised in a

nurturing environment so that they grow up healthy, are eager to learn and reach their full potential.

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What We Do

• Educate and support parents and caregivers

• Provide health insurance coverage for children, prenatal to age five

• Increase access to preschool• Research issues that affect

young children and their families

• Invest in and collaborate with community organizations

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What is the Community Opportunities

Fund?Based on a responsive grantmaking philosophy. Awards two different types

of grants intended to produce long-term impact on outcomes related to supportive parents and caregivers, good health, and prevention of

unintentional injuries that are sustainable beyond the funding term.

1. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING

2. POLICY AND ADVOCACY

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Types of Grants

What is organizational capacity building?

Organizational development activities that build and sustain growth and effectiveness of an organization or collaborative with the intention of impacting a long-term outcome.

Maximum amount: $150,000Maximum duration: 3 years

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Capacity Building Project Examples

ProgrammaticDeveloping cultural competency of staffStaff adoption of new knowledge or skill setOperational Strategic planningBoard developmentDeveloping staff retention planPolicy and AdvocacyCoalition buildingAdvocacy 101Learning best practices in mobilizing

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Types of Grants

What is policy and advocacy?Advocacy is the effort to raise public

awareness and influence public policy through various forms of persuasive communication and education.

Policy is a plan of action to guide decisions and actions.

Maximum amount: $500,000Maximum duration: 5 years

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Policy and Advocacy Project Examples

Conduct asset mapping and use it to inform policymakers of community needs

Write white paper to inform policymakers of a policy issue important to your community

Mobilize community around a policy issue

Work with policymakers or public institutions to draft policy or changes in policy

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What do We Want to Achieve?

Capacity building to what end?

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What do We Want to Achieve?

Policy and advocacy to what end?

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What do We Want to Achieve?

Supportive Parents and Caregivers Good Health

Prevention of Unintentional

Injuries

1.CAPACITY BUILDING2.POLICY AND ADVOCACY

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Supportive Parents and Caregivers

Long-Term Outcomes• Community residents, including parents

and caregivers, socialize regularly and have strong relationships

• Parents and caregivers have knowledge of parenting and developmental milestones

• Communities provide parents and caregivers with concrete support in times of need

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Good Health

Long-Term Outcomes: Nutrition• Children consume the recommended daily

intake of nutrients• Children and families have access to fruits

and vegetables within their community

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Good Health

Long-Term Outcomes: Physical Activity

• Children and families have access to appropriate locations and opportunities for physical activity

• Children participate in age-appropriate physical activity

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Good Health

Long-Term Outomes: Oral Health• Families have access to appropriate oral

health care resources• Parents are aware of early childhood oral

health needs and milestones

• Families utilize preventative and

therapeutic dental health services

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Prevention of Unintentional Injuries

Long-Term Outcomes• Parents and caregivers are aware of how to

keep children safe at every stage of development

• Child safety is regulated (i.e. the use of car seats, pedestrian safety laws, product safety requirements, etc.)

• Communities provide a safe environment where young children can grow and thrive (i.e. pedestrian safety, safe play equipment at parks, etc.)

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The Whole Picture

Organizational Capacity BuildingFirst 5 LA

GrantPolicy and

Advocacy

Improved organizational effectiveness

Policy change

Sustainableoutcomes forchildren and

Families

1. Supportive Parents and Caregivers

2. Good Health

3. Unintentional Injuries

TYPE OF GRANT

EXPECTED CHANGE BY CLOSE OF GRANT

EXPECTED CHANGE IN THE LONG-TERM

Community Opportunities Fund

Application Information

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Eligibility Requirements

• Policy and Advocacy grants: Applicants may be a nonprofit organization OR a public agency

• Capacity building grants: Only private nonprofit organizations may apply (public entities are not eligible)

• Applicant organization must reside within and serve residents of Los Angeles County; and

• Proposed project activities must benefit children age prenatal through five years old.

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Agencies New to First 5 LA

In order to diversify First 5 LA funding, a portion of second cycle funding will be granted only to:

1. Applicants without a prior grant from First 5 LA.

2. Past and current First 5 LA grantees partnering with an agency new to First 5 LA.

In cycles 3 and 4, past and current grantees will not be eligible for COF grants without partnering with an agency new to First 5 LA.

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Restricted Activities

• Direct services• Political campaigns, voter registration drives, and

lobbying• Capital improvements• Salaries for new or existing staff to provide direct

services • Curricula to be used for direct services• Endowments or other fundraising events• Support solely for existing operations• Activities with religious purposes• Grants to individuals• Operating deficits or retirement of debt

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Application Process

Stage 1: Letter Of Intent (LOI)All applicants are required to complete and

submit a LOI online. The form can be accessed at the First 5 LA website www.first5la.org/cof

Due Monday, July 28 by 5:00 p.m.

Stage 2: Proposal Selected applicants will receive an email

requesting they submit a proposal using the online application

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Letter of Intent

Online Letter of Intent• Complete online form• Attach Letter of Intent

Additional Required Documents• IRS Tax Status Determination Letter (nonprofits

only)• One of the following:

Audited Financial Statement (preferred) IRS Form 990

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LOI Questions

1. Describe the proposed Capacity Building or Policy/Advocacy project.

2. How does the long-term outcome relate to your organization’s ongoing work?

3. Who will benefit in the long-term from the project?

4. Policy Only: Who/what will the policy target be?

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LOI Review Criteria

• Alignment with the COF definition of capacity building or policy and advocacy

• Impact on 0 – 5 year olds• Viability of achieving project goal, impacting the

long-term outcome, the organization’s effectiveness, and the community’s needs

• Engagement of organization’s leadership in the project

• Demonstrated engagement with the target community

• Alignment of project with Policy AgendaPolicy and advocacy applicants only

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Additional Considerations

• Target the prenatal through age three population• Impact on all (or large sections) of LA County• Impact on target communities• Distribution of funding throughout LA County• Distribution of funding across Funding Priority

areas and long-term outcomes

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Proposal Preview

Proposal will include:• Development of a logic model• Evaluation plan• Submission of project budget and budget

narrative

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Key Dates

LOI Due Date Monday, July 28 5:00 p.m.

LOI Notification August 18

Proposal Workshop (for selected applicants only)Week of August 25

Proposal Due Date September 19

Funding NotificationNovember, 2008

Expected Grant Start DateMarch, 2009

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Questions & Answers

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Contact Information

First 5 LA750 N. Alameda St, Suite 300Los Angeles, CA 90012(213) 482-5902www.First5LA.org/cof

Aleece KellyCOF@first5la.org