NOT-FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES INCLUDING COMMUNITY-BASED PUBLIC OR PRIVATE NON-PROFIT HOLDING A 501(C)(3) TAX EXEMPTION STATUS: PUBLIC OR PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES OR HOSPITALS, DISABLITY-SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, CONSORTIA, GROUPS OR PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE ABOVE ORGANIZATIONS

One grant of up to $1,250,000 for up to 5 years ($250,000 per 12 month period) will be funded by the DDPC to administer and conduct the Partners-in-Policymaking® training and graduate at least 70 people per year. The purpose of this (single) grant is to continue the current interactive distance learning format training offered in New York State.

Partners-in-Policymaking (Partners) is an innovative international model of leadership training for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), parents and family members. Over the past 25 years, the Partners program has educated almost 1500 New Yorkers who have gone on to successfully advocate at all levels of government. In 2010, the DDPC contracted to have an online, blended learning format of the training program developed. The new program has been successfully implemented and the DDPC would like to continue to deliver the training in this format. The DDPC is seeking grantees who will continue the online, blended learning training and annually graduate 70+ individuals with I/DD and their family members. The DDPC would also encourage an exploration of delivering the training on a fee-for-service basis to entities other than the DDPC and consideration of other funding sources to augment the program and offset administrative costs.

Partners was developed in the 1980s by the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities to be conducted in a face-to-face format (see attachment B). The NYSDDPC began conducting the Partners Program in the late 1980s. In 2010, the DDPC issued a Request-for-Proposal which modified the format to an online, blended learning design. This was done for a variety of reasons including the increasing cost of travel and lodging and the program’s inaccessibility for people with scheduling restrictions and travel limitations. In addition, it was believed that the cost savings from a more web-based program could be used to increase the annual graduation rate. The program that was designed and implemented over the past 5 years has fulfilled these goals.

A by-product of the success of the program is that the grantee has received inquiries from other states, agencies and organizations. The DDPC views this as an encouraging opportunity and would like the grantee to explore and evaluate the possibility of offering the training to other entities on a fee-for-service basis. As a result, the DDPC requests that the grantee explore the possibility of offering this course on a fee-for-service basis and submit a report on their findings at the end of the 1st year. In addition, there may be opportunities for augmenting the program with other funding sources which would complement the training and offset the cost of the program’s administration. For example, the current Partners grantee offered scholarships to a group of 10 Partners participant’s using another funding source to attend the EDI Online NY Makes Work Pay - Work Incentives Benefits Planning Certificate course. The DDPC also requests that the grantee explore the possibility of augmenting the program with other sources of funding and/or training and submit their findings to the DDPC at the end of the 1st year.

Also over the course of the current grant, the DDPC received inquiries from individuals and entities seeking Partners graduates to fill leadership voids in agencies or be the “next generation” of advocates. The DDPC views this as a great opportunity as well and would like the grantee to develop a system to explore participant’s advocacy preferences (while in the training) and improve their connections upon graduation. The DDPC will work collaboratively with the grantee to fulfill this objective.

The DDPC is issuing this Request-For-Proposal (RFP) to identify a grantee to conduct the Partners-in-Policymaking training based on the Minnesota model as implemented using the blended learning format in New York State.

The successful RFP application must include the following components:

• A plan for the implementation of the eight Partners-in-Policymaking ® training modules based on the Minnesota model as implemented in New York State in an Interactive Distance Learning format (minimum 400 participants over 5 years);

• A plan for establishing the necessary infrastructure to conduct the Partners training in the first three months of Year 1;

• A plan for inclusion of Partners graduates to assist in the Interactive Distance Learning programs as well as an ongoing continuing education program (in an electronic format as well) for Partners graduates;

• A plan for evaluating completion rates of individual sessions and the entire curriculum by all participants; a cumulative evaluation plan and report is also required;

• A plan for completing a report on the feasibility of offering the Partners Program to entities (other than the DDPC) on a fee-for-service basis and augmenting the program with other funding sources which would complement the training and offset the cost of administering the program (Year 1).

The full RFP can be downloaded from www.ddpc.ny.gov. All interested applicants are required to submit a one page letter of intent by May 16, 2014 to [email protected]. Letters of intent are required for applications to be accepted for this RFP.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to check the DDPC website periodically for any amendments to the RFP. All changes will be posted by May 30, 2014 at www.ddpc.ny.gov. No other notifications will be given.

All final grant applications should be sent to the address listed above and to the attention of Sheila Carey, Executive Director, and must be delivered to the DDPC office by (3:00 pm) on June 13, 2014. No applications will be accepted after this deadline.

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THE NEW YORK CITY URBAN AREA

Description:

Request for Applications (RFA) for up to $75,000 in federal Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funding made available by the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency. There is a total of $13 million nationally in funding available under this grant program and funds will be awarded competitively based on the submission of applications by eligible nonprofit organizations located within the New York City Urban Area.

Funding will be awarded to support target hardening activities to nonprofit organizations (as described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code) that are at high risk of terrorist attack due to their ideology, beliefs, or mission and are located within the New York City Urban Area (includes the Cities of New York and Yonkers and the Counties of Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk). The program seeks to integrate nonprofit preparedness activities with broader state and local preparedness efforts. It is also designed to promote coordination and collaboration in emergency preparedness activities among public and private community representatives, as well as State and local government agencies.

Due to the competitive nature of this program, funding preference will be given to nonprofit organizations that have not received prior years funding.

Applications will be accepted only through May 9, 2014, through New York State’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (NYS-DHSES) electronic grants management system (E-Grants).

For Application and Instructions, please contact: Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Valerie Bloomer, 1220 Washington Ave., State Office Campus, Bldg. 7A, Albany, NY 12242, [email protected], 1-866-837-9133