web | HALOawards.org

phone | 310-453-0055 ext.6

email |

PURPOSE

A capacity building effort to strengthen and sustain nonprofit volunteer programs and to recognize and reward volunteers doing exemplary work in their communities.

INSPIRATION

The Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation is inspired by angels in the community, both the volunteers who go above and beyond to promote the betterment of their communities and the nonprofit organizations whose work motivates and supports volunteers. The Foundation finds the special partnership between volunteers and nonprofits compelling. It is the Foundation’s desire that the HALO Award will 1) Strengthen the volunteer landscape in Los Angeles County, 2) Inspire more community members to make a difference through long-term volunteer commitments, and 3) Engage the philanthropic community to support the capacity of volunteer programs.

DESIGN

The HALO Award is awarded to volunteer-nonprofit pairs. Applicant nonprofit organizations will describe both their volunteer program and the contributions of a single, outstanding volunteer. The organization receives a one-time HALO Award, which includes:

  • Capacity building support designed to build or enhance organizational capacity around volunteerism. Support includes mandatory peer learning sessions, involving guided activities and discussions, and one-on-one coaching, supporting the development and implementation of the volunteer management plan. Participation by at least two representatives is required. Expected time commitment is approximately 3-4 hours per month over the course of the awarded year.
  • A $20,000 grant for the nonprofit to strengthen, implement, and sustain the efforts of its volunteer program. This grant acknowledges a clear and thoughtfully written strategy to build the capacity and sustainability of the volunteer program (e.g., increased outreach, improved systems, retention methods, volunteer mentors, volunteer coordinator, etc.). Deliverables include interim & final reports and a volunteer management plan.
  • A $5,000 award for the volunteer, distributed by the nominating nonprofit organization. This award honors outstanding volunteers, with the funds used at the discretion of the volunteers.

The Foundation will host a celebratory event for the 2017 volunteer and nonprofit recipients to honor their efforts and partnerships.

REVIEW PROCESS

A HALO Award Selection Committee, comprised of nonprofit and foundation leaders, selects the winners of the award. Strong applications articulate:

  • A strategic, detailed vision for building the capacity of your organization by improving and sustaining volunteer program efforts, and
  • Institutionalization of volunteer management in your organization’s operations and strategic plans. We expect that every applicant organization has an extraordinary volunteer to nominate, so specifically highlighting how the volunteer has impacted the organization strengthens your application.

Please be clear and specific in your writing. Bulleted lists are acceptable. Award decisions are based solely on the application. Foundation staff will not perform additional due diligence for application clarification, nor is the Committee required to review organization websites. Winners will be notified by November 2017.

To learn more about the HALO Award, including past recipients and frequently asked questions, please visit our website

ELIGIBILTY

  • For HALO Award consideration, your organization must be:
  • A 501c3 nonprofit working with volunteers,
  • In and serving Los Angeles County, and
  • Mission-aligned with at least one of the Foundation’s program areas, as listed below:

May 2017HALO AwardApplication - Page 1 of 4

web | HALOawards.org

phone | 310-453-0055 ext.6

email |

Arts Education

Career & College Access & Retention

Early Childhood Education

Foster Youth

Homelessness Prevention

Health & Mental Health

Workforce Development

Veterans

May 2017HALO AwardApplication - Page 1 of 4

web |HALOawards.org

phone |310-453-0055 ext.6

email |

  • One nomination will be accepted per nonprofit organization for any active and unpaid individual volunteer not serving as a board member
  • Past winners are not eligible to apply for a second HALO Award

SCORING CRITERIA

The Selection Committee will score your application based on the criteria set forth below. The criteria directly correlate to the narrative questions outlined on page 3 of the application.

Question / Criteria / % Weight
Organization Application Section / 1 / Thoughtful Engagement: Regardless of current capacity, does the organization understand the benefits of utilizing and incorporating volunteers efficiently throughout the organization, as well as the importance of showing its appreciation? Is the organization self -reflective, recognizing areas of strength and needed growth? / 20
2 / Impact: Does the application present a thoughtful and strategic plan to strengthen the capacity of the volunteer program and organization? Does the application present a full-organization approach to volunteer management? Will the capacity building services and $20,000 grant support the goals of the volunteer program? / 25
3 / Sustainability: Does the application present a thoughtful approach to how the capacity building services and $20,000 grant support the sustainability of the volunteer program and proposed plans? Is the proposed strategy sustainable beyond the one-time grant? / 25
4 / Creativity: Does the acknowledgement plan highlight the volunteer, volunteer program, and volunteerism in a creative and unique way? / 5
Volunteer Nomination Section / 5 / Commitment: How committed is the nominee to the organization? / 10
6 / Added Value: Does the nominee go "above and beyond" the expectations of a typical volunteer and have a positive impact on the organization? / 15
Total / 100

DEADLINE

All application materials must be submitted via email to no later than Thursday,

July 13, 2017 (11:59pm PST).

*See page 3 for detailed submission instructions.

NARRATIVE INSTRUCTIONS

Please submit a narrative responding to the following questions. We advise you to copy the questions into a word processing document and respond to each of the 6 questions directly by section. While writing your narrative, refer to the scoring criteria on page 2 to understand how the Selection Committee will assess and weigh your responses in determining the awardees.

The narrative should not exceed 4 pages. Font should be Times New Roman, size should be minimum 11 points, with minimum 0.75-inch page margins.

Organization Application Section (recommended 3-page maximum)

  1. Thoughtful Engagement: Please describe your organization’s current volunteer program, highlighting efforts around recruitment, retention, and recognition of volunteers. Please address areas of strength and desired improvement to the existing program.
  2. Impact: How will the capacity building services and $20,000 grant support development of a more strategic approachto volunteer engagement andintegration and strengthening of volunteer management into the daily operations and strategic plans to drive organizational growth? What are the strategies and/or questions you would like to address through the capacity building support services of the program?
  3. Sustainability: How do your plans support the volunteer program’s sustainability, both financially and organizationally? Please articulate the value of investing in volunteer management. Please explain how your organization views and defines sustainability and how your plan supports the volunteer program’s sustainability.
  4. Creativity: How will your organization publicly and creatively acknowledge or “shine a light” on your nominee and volunteerism, should s/he receive the award? Please note we are looking for more than website and newsletter announcements.

Volunteer Nomination Section (recommended 1-page maximum)

  1. Commitment: Please provide a brief description of the nominee and how s/he was introduced to the organization. Include details on how the nominee has been working with your organization.
  2. Added Value: Please describe how the volunteer has gone “above and beyond” in volunteering? Describe how the nominee has had a positive impact on your organization through his/her unique contributions (e.g. nominee motivates others to volunteer or promotes the organization’s mission in an innovative way?).

APPLICATION SUBMISSION

The application must be sent as a single PDF via email to with the following subject line:HALO Award 2017 – [your organization’s name]. Check the boxes to make sure you include all required documents for a complete application. Applications must include in the following order:

Application Form and Narrative(required form available at haloawards.org/application)

Organizational Budget with line-itemed projected revenues and expenses

Proposed Budget for the $20,000 volunteer program grant

Copy of your organizationor fiscal sponsor’s 501(c)(3) Determination Letter

Statement of Authorization signed by Executive Director (required form available at haloawards.org/application)

All application materials must be submitted via email to no later than

July 13, 2017 (11:59pm PST).

(Form should not exceed 1 page)

ORGANIZATION INFORMATION

Organization Legal Name: Fiscal Sponsor Name, if applicable:

Year Founded:Tax ID Number (EIN): (fiscal sponsor, if applicable)

Address:

Website:

Phone Number:Fax Number:

No. Full Time Staff:No. Part Time Staff: No. Volunteers:

Do you have a designated volunteer coordinator?

If yes, Name: Title: Email:

Mission:
(300 Character Max)
Geographic
Service Area(s):
(300 Character Max)
Target
Population(s):
(300 Character Max)
Program(s):
(300 Character Max)

Have you applied for the HALO Award in the past?

How did you hear about the HALO Award?

Is your organization certified by the California Volunteers Service Enterprise Initiative?

With what other programs have you been involved with related to volunteer capacity building?

Primary Contact Information, Select Applicable:Executive DirectorPresidentCEO

Name: Phone: Email:

Secondary Contact Information

Name:Title:

Phone: Email:

Nominated Volunteer Information

Name: Email:

# of continuous years volunteering with your organization:

Approximate # of hours volunteering with your organization per year:

May 2017HALO Award Application - Page 1 of 4