RAINIER VALLEY CORPS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Background: The Rainier Valley is a place where communities of color have historically attended school, created places of worship, established businesses, and supported one another in the effort to improve the quality of life for all members in the community. Although these communities represent a powerful force for lasting change, they are often not included in policy-related discussions that directly pertain to their lives. Leaders of color in every community struggle to make their voices heard on important community issues, including equal access to education, economic development, environmental stewardship, and access to transportation. As a result, critical policy and investment decisions that directly impact these communities are too often shaped and implemented without consulting the very people most affected by them. This is an issue that the Rainier Valley Corps seeks to rectify by empowering leaders in nonprofit organizations to directly represent their constituents.

Community leaders working in nonprofit organizations that directly address issues affecting communities of color are an invaluable resource: they understand how policy implementation plays out on the ground and can effectively lead grassroots efforts. Too often, however, they are overworked and provided with grossly inadequate resources. As a result, we see promising nonprofit leaders leave the field, taking their talent, know-how and experience with them. This failure to recognize and empower leaders in nonprofit organizations calls for developing a new kind of support network, one that will benefit existing leaders as well as allow nonprofits to train and encourage the next generation of leaders. Until now, there has beenlittle to no work done to develop this kind of support system-- this is the purpose of the Rainier Valley Corps Fellowship program.

Community-based organizations (CBOs) working in communities of color face a sort of Catch-22: they need resources to secure capable staff, but in order to secure these resources, they need staff capable of writing grants or campaigning in the community. Success then lies in finding ways to incentivize working in nonprofits in order to attract and retain capable staff. Without some form of support network, CBOswill remain unable to fully engage inthe systems-change efforts that are so desperately needed in their respective communities.

The traditional capacity-building model tends to be top-down, not driven by the affected communities of color. Consequently, this model has not been effective in altering the core issues that most CBOs face. Without a stronger network for nonprofits that work to enact this bottom-up change, nonprofits will be increasingly unable to meet the needs of those they serve. The failure of such capacity building approaches as one-off workshops and small grants for organizations with little or no staffing available, attest to this. These are palliative measures that, although they can provide short-term relief, have not proved capable of contributing to structural change.Instead, these organizations needresources that enable them to achieve a level of sustainability and scale to meetthe needs of their communities.

The most critical missing component for these hard working, under-resourced CBOs is professional staff, particularly staff with relevant skills and an interest in devoting a significant amount of time totheir nonprofit. Without sufficient investment in professional staff that fulfills these qualifications, and in the training and support necessary to retain those staff, these CBOs will remain mired in the current inefficient model, and will continue to lack the ability to participate in advocacy and systems change initiatives.

Goals:The overarching goals of RVC are as follows:

  1. To ensure that communities of color are better served by organizations within their communities.
  2. To guarantee that these communities are equally represented, engaged and influential in broader shared efforts, particularly those that address systems change, e.g., education equity and economic development in their neighborhoods, cities, counties and state.
  3. To support a strong and sustained leadership in communities of color.
  4. To work closely and collaboratively in partnership to share resources and advocate together effectively.

PURPOSE OF THIS APPLICATION

The purpose of this application is to recruit and engage organizations based in communities of color to be CBO Partners with Rainier Valley Corps in orderto form the first cohort of RVC’s leadership program. CBO Partners will host RVC Fellows, who will be placed to work full-time for one or more years. Fellows will focus on developing CBO partners’ organizational capacity and their ability to work closely together. RVC Fellows’ capacity and community building efforts are intended to build the long-term sustainability of the CBO Partners' organizations so they thrive beyond the RVC’s involvement.

During the participation, RVC Fellows will receive ongoing training, support, and mentorship to further develop their leadership capacity, knowledge of non-profit management, capacity building, advocacy, and community dynamics. CBO Partners will benefit from central coordination, technical assistance, and ongoing training tailored to their needs, including critical skill-building areas such as board development, fundraising, strategic planning, and advocacy. In this way, the organizational capacity and impact of CBOs from communities of color is strengthened while leadership from within these communities is deepened and supported for the long term.

RVC will select 8 to 10 CBO Partners for this first group of cohort.

PARTNERSHIP PERIOD AND CONTINGENCY

CBO Partners will actively host Fellows from September 2015 to August 2016. Depending on the needs of the organization and the progress being made in developing capacity, funding availability, and the mutual agreement between both parties, this partnership may be renewed the following year.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

CBO Partners share in the cost of the RVC Fellow(s), and are required to provide adequate workspace, supervision and project planning support. Interested CBOs should present a plan to show how they will utilize the RVC Fellow(s)effectively.

Most CBO Partners will host one RVC Fellow, but CBOs may apply for up to two Fellows. If requesting two Fellows, complete one application, specifying details and providing justification for both positions.

REQUIREMENTS OF CBO PARTNERS

If selected as a CBO Partner, your organization is expected to:

  • Attend a mandatory CBO Partner orientation in May 2015
  • Work with RVC to recruit and train Fellows
  • Work with RVC to develop training schedule and work plan for Fellows
  • Provide meaningful ongoing (at least weekly) in-person supervision to Fellows
  • Provide Fellows with consistent physical work space and access to a computer, phone, and other basic equipment and supplies
  • Release Fellows from organizational responsibilities to attend team-wide trainings
  • Provide a cash match per Fellow per year, depending on your organization’s operating budget, as follows:

Up to - $100,000 in operating budget size = $2,500 per RVC Fellow per year
$100,001 - $200,000 in operation budget size = $5,000 per RVC Fellow per year
$200,001 - $300,000 in operation budget size = $7,500 per RVC Fellow per year
$300,001 - $500,000 in operation budget size = $10,000 per RVC Fellow per year

  • Commit to sending at least one staff and one board member each month to a four-hour gathering. These gatherings will be opportunities for CBOs to share best practices and participate in trainings on fundraising, proposal writing, board development, staff development, communication, advocacy, evaluation, financial management, program design, and other areas identified by RVC and CBO Partners as important to organizations’ effectiveness. These gatherings are also opportunities for CBOs to work together around common system-level challenges.
  • Participate in implementation of evaluation and other activities as they relate to the project. This includes collecting demographic data on clients and on your programs’ effectiveness, and conduct assessments on Fellows’ impact on your organizations’ capacity before and after being placed at your site.
  • Participate and encourage others to participate in RVC events, such as the Quarterly Gatherings to share lessons learned
  • Collaborate with RVC and other participating CBOs to ensure the success of this program. This includes knowledge sharing, being mutually supportive of other CBO partners, and working together to strategize around system change.

ELIGIBILITY TO BE A CBO PARTNER:

Geography of Office & Services: The CBO’s physical office should be located within the Rainier Valley area, which for this purpose is designated as South of I-90, East of MLK Jr. Way South, North of South Henderson Street. The CBO must serve communities of color residing in the defined Rainier Valley area.

Budget: CBO Partners must have an annual operatingbudget of up to $500,000. This does not include assets such as buildings, vans, etc.

Organizational Status: CBO Partners must have 501(c)(3) status or be under the fiscal sponsorship of an organization that has 501(c)(3) status.

Services & Focus: CBO Partners must be a stand-alone organization focused on serving communities of color. At this point, we are not accepting coalitions or umbrella organizations as partners. CBO Partners must be led by communities of color, as indicated by half or more of CBO Partners’ Board of Directors or Steering Committee being from communities of color.

EVALUATION AND SCORING PROCESS:

A panel consisting RVC staff, steering committee, and community members will review all applications and select CBO partners. Applications will be evaluated based on:

  • fit with RVC's mission, vision, and values;
  • demonstrated community need for this project;
  • readiness to host and provide a meaningful experience to the RVC Fellow;
  • commitment to collaborate with RVC and other CBO Partners to build organizational capacity and work together to better the Rainier Valley community.

RVC FELLOW ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

If your organization is selected to be a CBO Partner, RVC will work with you to recruit a qualified Fellow to be placed at your organization. There will be a competitive application to select these Fellows. Tentative details, subject to change as RVC develops the program, include those listed below.

Applicants to be an RVC Fellow must meet the following minimum standards of eligibility:

  • Culturally and linguistically reflect the community in which they will be working
  • Have passion for community work and intention to stay and advance in the nonprofit field
  • Have a college degree or at least four years of full-time work experience. There is no upper age limit.
  • Be legally able to work in the U.S.
  • Be in a position to work full-time (40+ hours per week) at a CBO Partner organization from September 2015 to August 2016.

Fellow Compensation & Benefits Provided by Rainier Valley Corps

  • Living allowance of $20,800 per year
  • Health benefits or stipends for health benefits
  • Educational bonus of up to $4,000 upon completion of the one-year program. This bonus can be used for further education or to pay back student loans.
  • 20 days of paid time off

APPLICATION TIMELINE

Community Based Organizations

February 11CBO application release

February 18Information session (optional)[1]

February 25Information session (optional)[2]

March 11 CBO applications due

March & AprilConversations with potential CBO partners

April 29Decisions announced

MayCBO meetings, trainings

RVC Fellows (tentative)

June 3RVC Fellows application release

JuneInformation Sessions

July 1RVC Fellows applications due

JulyInterviews

August 5Decisions announced

September 8RVC Fellows start work at CBO partner organizations

CBO APPLICATION

All completed application and attachments submitted via email () or hard copy (5623 Rainier Ave S., Seattle WA 98118) must be received by RVC by March 11, 2015 at 5pm. If mailing, completed application must be postdated on or before March 11.

  1. ORGANIZATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Organization
Address
Phone number
Website
Contact person
Contact person’s title
Contact’s phone number
Contact’s email address
  1. MISSION

State your organization’s mission
  1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Please give a brief description of your programs
Approximately how many people do you serve each year, and how did you calculate this number?
Please highlight a few program accomplishments
What other organizations are you currently partnering with and in what capacity?
  1. COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS

What are the greatest needs and areas of opportunities for the community or communities you serve?
What are the greatest needs and areas of opportunities for your organization?
How would partnering with RVC help you become more effective?
  1. PLACEMENT AND USE OF RVC FELLOW

What would RVC Fellow(s) do at your organization?
What skills or areas of expertise can you and your organization (staff, volunteers, board, etc.) provide to the Fellow?
How would you ensure that the Fellow(s) has a positive learning experience at your organization?
Who would be responsible for supervising the Fellow(s) at your organization?
  1. STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Please describe your organization’s leadership structure.
Please list all Board of Directors/Steering Committee or other governing body members and their professional affiliations, if any.
Please list all staff and their roles and responsibilities.
Please state approximately how many volunteer hours your organization collects each year. Describe how your organization engages volunteers.
  1. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

What is your organization’s annual operating budget?
Please describe where your current funding comes from.
  1. MISCELLANEOUS (OPTIONAL)

Do you have anything else you would like to share about your organization or work with RVC?
If you could have anyone (real of fictional, past or present) working at your org, who would it be and why?

ATTACHMENTS

Please attach the following documents to your application:

  • Your organization’s budget for the current fiscal year
  • Your organization’s budget for the next fiscal year, if you have already created it
  • Your organization’s latest 990 tax return
  • Resume of the person who will be supervising the Fellow placed at your organization

[1] February 18 from 2-3:30pm at Vietnamese Friendship Association, 3829B S. Edmund St, 98118

[2] February 25 from 6-7:30pm at Hillman City Collaboratory, 5623 Rainier Ave S., 98108