Deadline: 15-Jan-2025
The Hawaii Community Foundation is pleased to announce its call for the Victoria S. and Bradley L. Geist Foundation: Capacity Building to support foster children, their caregivers, and transitioning foster youth.
The Foundation recognizes that the strength and capacity of the nonprofit organizations and programs serving foster children, their families, and youth are key to the healthy development of foster children and transitioning youth. The Foundation offers this funding opportunity to provide meaningful support that enables nonprofit organizations and programs to strengthen and grow their capacity to serve foster children, their caregivers, and transitioning foster youth.
Priorities
- The Foundation seeks to support projects that will increase the capacity of the organization, the program, or the system in the community to deliver quality services to the clientele described under Eligibility Requirements.
- Capacity building efforts may address:
- Governance and leadership;
- Strategic relationships;
- Evaluation and impact;
- Resource development;
- Internal operations and management;
- Program design, delivery, and evaluation;
- Executive and key staff transitions;
- Staff training
Funding Information
- Grants generally range from $5,000 to $40,000 and may be multi-year commitments, based on submission of satisfactory progress reports.
Eligibility Criteria
- Tax-exempt Hawaii organizations are eligible to apply. Organizations may be either 501(c)(3) or religious organizations. Units of government and public schools are not eligible for this funding opportunity. Fiscal sponsorships are not permissible.
- The majority percentage of the organization’s or program’s clientele or project beneficiaries must be:
- Children in the foster custody of a Hawai`i state government agency;
- Children placed by a Hawai`i state government agency in therapeutic foster placement or in kinship, foster, respite, guardianship, permanent custody, or adoptive families;
- Their caregivers;
- Current foster youth or young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who have aged out of the state child welfare or mental health systems.
Application Requirements
- The application consists of 4 tabs. Information needed to complete your application includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Program Overview: Provide general information and characteristics about the program including program title, duration, area of interest, program location(s), ages and genders served, and the CHANGE sector(s) your program most closely aligns with.
- Program Information:
- Organization Description: Describe the organization or program. What is the organization’s mission and history, geographic reach, and volunteer and/or paid staff size? What is the organization’s experience implementing this program and staff capabilities to conduct the proposed work? Briefly describe the organization’s place in the child welfare or mental health field and in this community. (Maximum 2,500 characters = ¾ page).
- Executive Summary: Provide a brief but concise summary of the applicant’s proposed program. This executive summary may be used for different purposes, including external communications, to describe the program should a grant be awarded. (Maximum 2,500 characters = ¾ page).
- Problem or Opportunity: Describe the need or opportunity you are trying to address and why this is critical. Why have you chosen to do this project now? What have you done internally to prepare for this project? For example, discussions with the management team, involved the appropriate stakeholders, consulted with the board, etc. (Reference both internal and external factors.) (Maximum 3,000 characters = ¾ page).
- Program Activities: Describe what you plan to do, including desired outcomes. Who will provide leadership for this project, and why? (Maximum 3,500 characters = 1 page) o Expected Results: Describe what you hope to achieve and how you will measure the effectiveness of your program. When will you begin to see that impact? Beyond the project outputs, how will this project contribute to your organization’s ability to accomplish its mission to benefit foster children, their caregivers, and transitioning foster youth? (Maximum 3,500 characters = 1 page).
- Consultant: For requests that include a consultant or other external contractor, please answer the following (Maximum 2,000 character count single-spaced): How did you select this individual/organization? What capacity (knowledge and skills) will your organization acquire as a result of their work?
- Important note: While you may describe the role and work of the consultant/contractor in the proposal, do not integrate their work plan and statement of qualifications in the project description. The consultant/contractor’s work plan and statement of qualifications must be uploaded as a separate document
- Budget: Provide your total program budget and the amount requested through this application, and upload a copy of your program’s budget, showing income and expenses, indicating sources of income that are pending and secured. In addition, to Geist grant resources, what other resources, both financial and non-financial, will you need for this project? For instance, how much staff time, what types of information, etc.
- Support Documents & Certification: Upload any additional required documents as listed in the application guidelines:
- Project Tracking Matrix: Clearly articulate the impact and outputs expected from this project by using the Project Tracking Matrix to submit proposed results for the program year. Organizations selected for awards will use the same document to track actual results and related measurement methods. See online application to download a template.
- Optional: If the project includes hiring new staff, upload the job description and discuss how the position will be sustained beyond the grant period.
For more information, visit Hawaii Community Foundation.