Federal Financial Aid Advocacy Fund

Federal Financial Aid Advocacy Fund
Request for Proposals

Federal Financial Aid Advocacy Fund

Request for Proposals

May 2016

HCM Strategists (HCM) is seeking applications for the Federal Financial Aid Advocacy (FFAA) Fund, a grant program to support innovative, timely advocacy activities that activate diverse stakeholders and advance federal policymaking for financial aid programs.
Overview

Consensus is emerging around federal financial aid policy options that could increase college access and completion, such as simplification of the FAFSA and the current patchwork of loan programs and tax benefits. With a growing likelihood that an overarching reauthorization of the Higher Education Act will take time, but smaller pieces of legislation may move forward, a presidential election cycle that is anything but routine, and the likelihood of significant changes in the policymaking bench on the horizon, now is the time to cultivate strategic advocacy for federal financial aid changes. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s investment in Reimagining Aid Design and Delivery (RADD) yielded important policy development and seeded collaboration around federal financial aid improvement options. Such policy options must now be effectively communicated to the general public, a broad array of stakeholders, and policymakers. This will require bringing new voices to the higher education debate — and building coalitions of unlikely partners joined together to advocate for strategies to improve student success.

HCM Strategists has launched the Federal Financial Aid Advocacy (FFAA) Fund, a grant program that will award more than $1 million in short-term grants to support advocacy activities that engage new stakeholders and partners in federal policymaking for financial aid.

Project Scope

Governed by an expert Advisory Committee and managed by HCM, the Federal Financial Aid Advocacy (FFAA) Fund awards short-term grants to support innovative, timely advocacy activities that activate diverse stakeholders and advance federal policymaking for financial aid programs—helping those connected to higher education to harness the power of persuasion.

Beyond creating effective messaging, materials, events and campaigns, the FFAA Fund aims to:

·  Build unconventional partnerships of complementary skills and common purpose—uniting groups that may not have joined together in this way;

·  Activate, amplify and empower new voices often missing from the debate—for example, student leaders, working adults, employers, college trustees, coalitions of system reformers, state leaders, and others; and

·  Seed creative approaches to building will for change—thinking beyond traditional briefings and “Hill Day” visits.

Proposals must address one or more of the following strategies to improve the financial aid system’s ability to increase student access and success:

1)  FAFSA and program simplification — efforts to streamline the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and consolidate federal financial aid programs;

2)  Tax benefit simplification — efforts to streamline household-based tuition and fee tax credits and deductions;

3)  Institutional and student accountability — efforts to promote shared responsibility among institutions and students, or risk sharing, for degree and credential completion;

4)  Loan repayment — efforts to reduce student loan defaults by simplifying repayment, including through income-based repayment plans;

5)  State and federal partnership for aid — efforts to strengthen the federal government’s partnership with states by aligning completion incentives and increasing state investment.

Applicants may propose to focus on one topic in depth or address multiple topics. Depending on the mix of proposals initially funded, subsequent awards may prioritize topics that received less applicant interest.

Applicants wishing to address another topic (although all applications must address federal financial aid) or request flexibility on other terms must contact HCM Strategists prior to submitting an application, as the Advisory Committee may consider exceptions on a case by case basis depending on the applicant pool, timing and nature of the request.

Grants may support tactical, short-term advocacy activities or a package of related activities, such as: communications strategies and social marketing; coalition building and issue advocacy campaigns; stakeholder engagement; advocacy training; public opinion research; advising candidates or policy makers; or convenings and facilitation. Funds may NOT be used to attempt to influence specific legislation, to lobby, to influence the outcome of any election, or to register voters.

A strong application is one that presents an innovative advocacy strategy that aligns to a clear window of political opportunity and engages unconventional partners and new voices. New partnerships and coalition building will receive special consideration when applications are reviewed.

See Use of Funds and No Lobbying sections for more details.

Award Size and Grant Period

The FFAA Fund will support grants of up to $200,000 each until the initial fund is exhausted. The number of grants awarded depends on the funding levels of successful applications.

Round 2 applicants (those applying by June 24, 2016) must specify a project period no longer than 3 months.

Use of Funds

As noted above, permissible uses of funds include tactical, short-term advocacy activities or a package of related activities. All activities must be nonpartisan or bipartisan.

Allowable activities could include (but are not limited to):

·  Communication strategies and social marketing, such as:

o  Targeted digital ad outreach to build the constituency base;

o  Blog, op-ed and LTE placement in diverse geographic areas;

o  Twitter chats or other digital engagement with champions of policy reforms;

o  Educating reporters who may not typically cover higher education policy, such as K-12 reporters, political/campaign reporters, student reporters, personal finance reporters, and reporters in targeted states or districts; and

o  Partnerships with media outlets that reach target demographics;

·  Coalition building and developing issue advocacy campaigns, such as:

o  Creating partnerships that bring together disparate groups with unique perspectives and voices that benefits from financial aid;

o  Creating unique social media campaigns (such as Save Student Aid) that specifically target young adults preparing for college;

o  Creation of new, unique online and offline content (short videos, infographics, etc.) designed to illustrate the importance of financial aid;

o  Social media monitoring to engage and assist people discussing the issue of financial aid on social media; and

o  Online tools to facilitate offline action, such as local, in-person events;

·  Stakeholder engagement activities, including advocacy training such as:

o  Town hall meetings;

o  Educating stakeholders about various policy options;

o  Training stakeholders to engage directly with policymakers; and

o  Organizing and implementing campaigns supporting stakeholder outreach to policymakers on various policy options;

·  Public opinion research;

·  Convening and facilitation related to building knowledge, understanding and advancement of federal financial aid policy options, such as:

o  Peer learning engagements in specific policy areas;

o  Multi-party policy discussions to explore issues and approaches with peers and experts;

o  Meeting preparation and facilitation, including briefings, workshops and summits;

o  Direct meeting expenses; and

o  Creating advocacy resources (like websites and infographics);

·  Advising policymakers

o  Expert, non-partisan testimony to a bipartisan governmental body or committee upon written request;

o  Briefings for policymakers and their staffs; and

o  Election advocacy — providing non-partisan information to all Presidential campaigns.

Funds are not intended to support the hiring of new staff (though funding can support current staff time) and may not be used to attempt to influence specific legislation, to lobby, to influence the outcome of any election or to register voters. For example, launching a Twitter campaign around a specific topic is permitted, but launching a Twitter campaign that is targeted about that topic in terms of specific legislation (i.e. H.R. #) is not.

See the No Lobbying section for additional information.

Eligibility

Eligible entities include tax-exempt nonprofit organizations (501(c)3), public charities, and public systems of higher education via their 501(c)3 foundations.

Consortia are eligible and encouraged; one organization must serve as lead applicant and fiscal sponsor, identify all participating organizations, and explain why partners were chosen.

Funds may be requested as part of a multi-funded project. Existing projects may be eligible for funding, if the funds are used to expand or create a unique or new element to the project.

For-profit entities are not eligible to apply at this time, but may be a subcontractor to a non-profit organization applicant.

How to Apply

Application materials will be available for download on HCM Strategists’ website at www.hcmstrategists.com/FFAAFund

Applicants must submit an application, budget narrative and detailed project budget on the templates provided. Required supplemental documentation includes:

¨  IRS tax status determination letter (including Employer Identification Number)

¨  2015 balance sheets (2014 acceptable if application submitted before 2015 tax return)

¨  2015 federal tax return (2014 acceptable if application submitted before 2015 tax return)

¨  List of management and board of directors

Materials must be emailed to by the application deadline (see Timeline / Application Periods). Hard copies will not be accepted.

Timeline / Application Periods

HCM Strategists anticipates at least two primary rounds of competition as set forth below. Rolling applications may also be submitted to accommodate timely advocacy opportunities, depending on the number and quality of applications received during the primary rounds of competition.

RFP published:Early March 2016
Round 1 Application Deadline:March 23, 2016
Proposal Selection and Notification:Mid-April 2016
Anticipated Awards & Work Start:April/May 2016

Round 2 Application Deadline:June 24, 2016
Proposal Selection and Notification:August 2016

Anticipated Awards & Work Start:August/September 2016

Round 3 Application Deadline (if funding remains): Fall 2016

Anticipated Awards & Work Start: Fall/Winter 2016

Selection Process and Criteria

HCM Strategists assembled and chairs an Advisory Committee composed of bipartisan and nonpartisan experts in higher education and financial aid policy and advocacy to govern the FFAA Fund. The Advisory Committee oversees the FFAA Fund’s operating framework, and will review and vote on all applications received. Advisory Committee members will recuse themselves from voting on any proposals submitted by organizations with which they are affiliated.

The Advisory Committee will assess whether proposals:

·  Activate and elevate new voices and clearly articulate who those voices will be;

·  Build sustainable advocacy capacity of entity or partner organizations;

·  Adhere to the terms of the grant application;

·  Set a clear goal or set of goals articulated in the proposal;

·  Demonstrate knowledge of effective advocacy strategies;

·  Demonstrate knowledge of federal financial aid policies;

·  Clearly articulate a feasible advocacy plan, timeline and contingencies to achieve project goals;

·  Respond to a clear window of opportunity for policy change;

·  Align advocacy strategy and tactics with the political opportunity described and stakeholders to engage;

·  Clearly articulate expected impact and outcomes;

·  Show evidence of the ability to work persuasively with stakeholders and collaboratively with partners; and

·  If a consortium is proposed, demonstrate a clear division of responsibilities among participating organizations.

Transparency, Measurement and Evaluation

Brief summaries of grants awarded will be posted on the Fund website (www.hcmstrategists.com/FFAAFund).

The Advisory Committee will approve an evaluation approach that includes specific reporting guidelines for grantees. A written evaluation report will be required for each grant.

After grants are approved, HCM Strategists will prepare and publicly announce the grants on the FFAA Fund website. A summary of the funded activity, any subsequent materials and the final impact of the activity will be published upon completion of the work. This analysis will inform consideration of any future funding opportunities.

No Lobbying

The FFAA Fund allows for advocacy through a variety of education-related activities, but grants may NOT be used to lobby. The FFAA Fund is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As a 501(c)(3) organization, the Foundation’s funds cannot be used to lobby.

Lobbying, under federal tax law, is a specifically defined activity — acting to influence specific legislation. Legislation includes action:

·  By Congress, any state legislature, any local council, or similar governing body with respect to specific pieces of legislation (acts, bills, resolutions, or similar items, such as legislative confirmation of appointive office); or

·  By the public in referendum, ballot initiative, constitutional amendment, or similar procedure.

According to the IRS, an organization will be regarded as attempting to influence legislation if it:

·  Contacts, or urges the public to contact, members or employees of a legislative body for the purpose of proposing, supporting, or opposing specific legislation; or

·  Advocates the adoption or rejection of specific legislation.

Lobbying does not include actions by executive, judicial, or administrative bodies, nor does it include:

·  Educating policymakers and the public about broad social issues;

·  Encouraging people to register to vote, organizing communities, and educating voters about candidate positions;

·  Nonpartisan analysis, study or research, or examinations and discussions of broad social, economic and similar problems; or

·  Promoting and touting the success of a program.

In the context of the FFAA Fund, grantees may advocate for Higher Education Act reauthorization, but not a specific bill. All activities must be bipartisan or nonpartisan. When in doubt, seek permission first or use other resources to support the activities.

Questions

Questions about the FFAA Fund, its operations, or allowable uses of funds can be directed to:

Terrell Halaska ()
Kristin Conklin ()
202-547-2222

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About HCM Strategists

HCM is a public policy and advocacy consulting firm founded in 2008. We believe that sound public policy drives progress. We strive to align, advocate for and advance such policy to improve our nation's education and health. We pursue change through finding common ground, proposing specific solutions and forging strong alliances.

HCM is known nationally for its leadership on federal and state education policy, and its extensive list of education clients provide rich opportunities to align agendas and advance needed public policy change. Our work in higher education policy has included the following clients: Achieve, ACT, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Committee for Economic Development, Education Commission of the States, Institute for Higher Education Policy, Lumina Foundation, National Governors Association, National Math and Science Initiative, Rebuilding America’s Middle Class (a community college coalition), the State Higher Education Executive Officers, USA Funds, and numerous public systems and institutions.

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