Capital Resources for Early Educators Fund



City of Boston | |

|Capital Resources for Early Educators Fund |

|Application and Guidelines |

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|Proposal Due Date and Time: |

|October 24, 2013, 4:00 pm |

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Application and Guidelines

Background

In his State of the City address in January 2013, Mayor Menino announced the creation of a new capital fund to invest in quality improvements to Boston’s early education and care facilities. This new capital fund builds on his career-long commitment to education and his efforts to expand and improve access to quality early education, through the citywide school readiness initiative, Thrive in 5. Thrive in 5 supports parent leadership and community capacity building in five Boston neighborhoods, supports universal child development screening and invests in improving the skills of early educators.

The City of Boston has contracted with the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley (United Way) to administer the Capital Resources for Early Educators Fund.

Goals

The goals for the Capital Resources for Early Educators Fund are to:

• Provide safe, high quality early education environments for children in Boston, and

• Connect fund recipients to resources available to them through the City of Boston, including Thrive in 5, the Boston Public Health Commission and ReadBoston.

Eligible Applicants

To be eligible for the Capital Resources for Early Educators Fund, a program must meet all of the eligibility requirements outlined below:

1. Currently provide early care and education to children ages 0 to 5 years old at a site, or sites, located within the City of Boston, including any of its neighborhoods. Only Boston sites will be considered for funding.

Located Within Boston: Includes sites located in any of the following neighborhoods: Allston, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Brighton, Charlestown, Chinatown, Downtown, Dorchester, East Boston, Fenway/Kenmore, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Mission Hill, Roslindale, Roxbury, South Boston, South End, West Roxbury. Sites in Brookline, Cambridge and other surrounding communities are not eligible to apply. If a provider has multiple sites in Massachusetts, only those sites located in Boston are eligible for funding.

2. Have a current state license, or license-exempt status, to provide early education and care, issued by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, and be in good licensing and fiscal standing with the state.

This includes center-based programs, family child care, and license-exempt private schools. Providers which only offer after school programming are not eligible to apply. Programs operated by Boston Public Schools and in-district charter schools are not eligible to apply.

Licensed or License-Exempt: Holds a current license issued by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. The licensee or program name on the license must match the name on the application. License-exempt sites must provide documentation that they are in compliance with state licensing standards.

3. Currently be serving at least one child receiving financial assistance or who demonstrates significant financial need.

For the purposes of this grant, children receiving financial assistance are defined as those:

• Accessing education and care through Massachusetts state contracts or vouchers

• Accessing education and care funded with Head Start dollars

• Receiving private subsidies

• With total family household income at or below 50% of the state median income (2013: 50% of the state median income for a family of 2 = $2912/month, Family of 3 = $3597 a month, Family of 4 = $4282/month, Family of 5 = $4967/month.)

4. Programs must complete all grant submission requirements including:

a. Online grant application to be submitted by 4:00 pm on October 24, 2013

b. Submit required documents by mail with a postmark of no later than October 24, 2013. (See Required Grant Components section below for further details. See page 7.)

Additional criteria

Lead Agency Grant Application Support

Lead agencies, including family child care systems, are eligible to apply on behalf of their programs.

Lead Agency: Family Child Care Systems, as well as established public or private corporate entities with demonstrated experience providing administration and grant management for more than one early education program which the entity owns or is affiliated with.

Affiliated programs may choose to submit an application on their own. If a program applies individually, the program cannot be included in the Lead Agency application.

Preference will be given to proposals that consider the unique needs of each program. ; The use of identical templates to create multiple proposals from a Lead Agency / Family Child Care System is not allowed, and these applications may be disqualified.

A Lead Agency applying on behalf of a program may not retain more than 8% of the total grant to cover administrative costs. The Lead Agency must remit funds or associated goods directly to the provider within four weeks of receiving funds from the United Way.

A Lead Agency may apply on behalf of up to 15 sites.

Future Grant Rounds

The City of Boston may choose to issue a second round of funding for the Capital Resources for Early Educators Fund. Applicants may apply in Round 2, if they are denied in Round 1. Applicants who are awarded funds in Round 1 may not apply for Round 2. All providers are eligible to apply to any subsequent funding rounds, beyond Round 2, that may by created by the City of Boston in future years.

Funding

Grant Amounts

Applicants may apply for up to the following dollar amounts, based upon the number of children currently enrolled per site. The number used to determine eligibility is the number of children under the age of 6 currently enrolled children, not the program’s licensed capacity.

|Number of children |Maximum Fund Amount Per Site |

|under age 6 currently enrolled per site | |

|20 or Fewer |$3,000 |

|21 to 99 |$6,000 |

|100 or more |$10,000 |

Programs may submit requests for lesser amounts.

Eligible Uses

Funds may only be used for specific capital investments that improve the quality of the indoor or outdoor environments where young children are engaged in early care and education.

There are five categories of eligible uses. The following items are eligible for purchase with these grant funds.

|Category of Eligible Use |Eligible items |

|Health and Nutrition |Portable sink with running water |

| |Cribs and cots, including bassinets and porta-cribs |

| |Changing tables |

| |Air conditioner |

| |HEPA or ionic air purifier (does not include ozone generators) |

| |HEPA vacuum |

| |Bottle sanitizer |

|Play and Storage |Playground equipment |

| |Water or sand tables |

| |Child-size tables and chairs |

| |Bookshelves or storage containers |

|Safety |Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors |

| |Electrical outlet covers |

| |Window guards |

| |Emergency exit alarms |

| |Safety gates |

| |Ramp for wheelchair or stroller access |

| |Outdoor fencing |

| |Multiple seat stroller |

|Capital Improvements |Interior surfacing, including floors, area carpets, mats |

| |Exterior surfacing, including turf, paving, mats |

|Other |Other. Requests must fit the definition of “furniture, furnishings or equipment” and fit |

| |in one of the categories of Health and Nutrition, Play and Storage, Safety, or Capital |

| |Improvements. Requests are subject to review and approval is at the discretion of United |

| |Way and City of Boston. Item(s) must cost more than $100. |

| |Overhead – no more than 8% of total grant request |

Applicants may apply for multiple items from multiple categories, provided the total estimated cost is under the maximum threshold. Where multiple items are requested, United Way, and/or City of Boston, reserves the right to award funding for some, or all, of the items requested.

Ineligible uses

Funds from this grant may not be spent on the following items:

• Training, professional development or substitute educators

• Televisions, DVD players, Tablet e.g. IPad or other computer equipment

• Out of state travel

• Consumables for the learning environment (e.g. craft supplies, ink cartridges, etc.)

• Purchase of any one-time activity that does not support capital improvements to the facility

• To support electioneering or campaigning in support of any individual political candidates or political parties or any partisan activity

• To support religious services or to encourage conversion to a specific religion

Additional Fund Use for Lead Agencies

• Lead agencies may not charge more than 8% of individual grants for administrative costs.

Vendors

All goods and services purchased with these grant funds must be purchased on the following basis:

• Grantees should get estimates from three vendors or retailers for their purchases in order to ensure the best value and fit.

• Grantees must maintain the estimates from the three vendors in their files and make them available to United Way or the City of Boston upon request.

• If an item is unique and not available from more than one vendor in Massachusetts, grantees must maintain the quote from the single vendor and a written statement to that effect in their files and make this available to United Way or the City of Boston upon request.

Application Process

General Information

1. There are two components to this grant application. One is an online application. The second is a set of required documents, which must be printed, signed and mailed to United Way. The online application must be completed and submitted by 4:00 pm on October 24, 2013. Mailed documents must be postmarked by October 24, 2013. Applicants must complete the online application and submit the required documents to have a complete application.

2. Proposals for funding that meet all the grant eligibility requirements will be evaluated. Submission of an application does not guarantee that your program will be awarded a grant.

3. United Way will not review any application that is missing the required information.

4. The grant application must be completed online. Applicants who only submit signed copies of required documents by mail without completing the on-line application will not be considered for funding.

5. Programs may only submit ONE application for grant funding. Programs may not apply both individually and as an affiliate of a Lead Agency.

6. United Way will accept questions to which they will respond on an ongoing basis until October 16, 2013. All questions regarding this grant application must be submitted in writing to capitalfund@ by 4:00 pm on October 16, 2013 with “Capital Resources for Early Educators Fund Question” in the subject line. United Way will post periodic Question and Answer documents at .

7. Dates and locations for the Applicant Technical Assistance and Support Meetings will be posted on .

8. All funds from this grant must be spent and products/services received by grantees, on or before May 31, 2014.

Timeline

|Dates |Activities |

|September 26, 2013 |Request for Proposals released – Round 1 |

|On or about September 26, 2013 |Online application Opens |

|Dates TBD |Training and Technical Assistance Sessions |

|October 24, 2013 4:00 pm |Online application closes. |

|October 24, 2013 |All mailed documents must be postmarked by this date. |

|October 31, 2013 |All mailed documents must be received by this date |

|On or about Nov 25, 2013 |List of grant recipients posted |

|December 10, 2013 |Required Orientation Meetings for Grantees (All grantees must attend one meeting.) |

|December 12, 2013 | |

|May 31, 2014 |All funds from this grant must be expended, and products/services received by grantees on or before |

| |this date. |

|June 15, 2014 |Final grant report due |

Required Grant Components

Online Grant Application

1. To apply for this grant, programs must complete an application. Information about accessing the online application may be found at the following link: . The link to the online grant application will be available on or about September 26, 2013.

2. Programs can expect to find the following questions in the application:

a. Program Contact Information

b. Lead Agency Contact Information (if applicable)

c. Number of children under the age of six enrolled. Number of children receiving financial assistance.

d. Description, cost and rationale for capital goods that the program proposes to purchase

e. Budget form – estimated price and vendor or retailer for goods and services the program is proposing to purchase

3. United Way reserves the right to add additional questions. At this time United Way does not expect programs to complete extensive narrative questions for this application.

Required Paper Documents

The following documents are required as part of this grant application. All required documents must be completed, signed and mailed to United Way. Links to the forms are available at .

Print, complete, and sign the following documents for each site that a grant application is being submitted for.

1. Completed Document Check List

2. Copy of a valid EEC License or signed Acknowledgement of Meeting EEC Licensing Standards (required for license-exempt programs)

3. Completed and signed W-9 form for each site

4. If applicable, Lead Agents must submit a signed W-9 for the Lead Agent’s organization

Mail the completed documents to:

Attn: “Capital Resources for Early Educators Fund”

United Way of Mass Bay and Merrimack Valley

51 Sleeper Street

Boston, MA 02110

Documents must be postmarked by October 24, 2013 and received at United Way by October 31, 2013.

Additional required documents for funded grantees:

A terms and conditions document will be made available to grantees at the time they receive their grant check.

For programs receiving grant funding, a Final Grant Report is due June 15, 2014. This report will capture information about capital improvements made through this grant. Further information about grant reporting requirements will be released after the grants are awarded.

Photo Documentation

United Way and the City of Boston may select a set of grantees to participate in a photo documentation project. Sites will be engaged to document their “before” and “after” views of the projects or improvements they are undertaking. Programs will be contacted about this after grantees are selected.

Evaluation and Award Process

Evaluation

United Way will ensure funds are allocated in a manner that reflects the diversity of providers and Boston neighborhoods. Evaluators will consider location in awarding funds, along with applicant need. United Way reserves the right to prioritize sites that care for a higher proportion of children receiving financial assistance. This is a competitive grant. Not all applicants will be awarded funding.

Applications will be scored according to the following criteria:

a. All documentation has been provided

b. Proposed expenditures are on the list of permitted items

c. Rationale for proposed expenditures is reasonable

d. Costs associated with proposed expenditures are reasonable, including referenced vendors

e. Timeline and plan for implementation is reasonable

Receiving Funds

Grant funds will be provided in a one-time payment, after notification, contingent upon attendance at an Orientation Session and acceptance of the Terms of Use.

Orientation: The Orientation Meeting is required for providers who have been awarded grant funding. Lead agencies must send representatives from each of the sites that are receiving funding. The Orientation Meeting will include the following:

• A review of resources available through the City of Boston and its partners, including Thrive in 5, the Boston Public Health Commission, Countdown to Kindergarten, ReadBoston and others

• A summary of the Terms of Use associated with the grant funds

Additional Questions

Questions regarding the Capital Resources for Early Educators Fund should be directed to United Way at capitalfund@ or 617-624-8203.

Appendix A: Suggested Resources for Identifying Your Program’s Capital Needs

Programs are encouraged to reflect on the program’s specific need to improve quality before completing a grant application.

1. If participating in QRIS:

- Review the QRIS Standards:

- Complete a QRIS Self-Assessment or, if completed, review current QRIS Self-Assessment.

- Review your QRIS Self-Assessment and consider where the program could spend funds most effectively to support the advancement on the QRIS.

2. If program is participating in Thrive in 5’s Boston K1DS or Ready Educators pilots:

- Review your program improvement plan and identify any needs that match this funding opportunity.

3. If program is participating in a capital improvement project with Children’s Investment Fund:

- Review your program improvement plan and identify any needs that match this funding opportunity.

4. If participating in none of the above, review your current program improvement plan. Identify needs that match this funding opportunity.

Appendix B: Accounting Practices and Procedures

United Way and the City of Boston must ensure that funds are used solely for the authorized purposes and any instances of fraud, waste, abuse or error are properly mitigated.

All grantees and institutions receiving City of Boston grant funds are required to develop an internal control framework that addresses accountability and ensures data quality, completeness, accuracy and timely reporting of all amounts funded by United Way and the City of Boston.

1. Correct transactions must:

• Reflect the actual values involved

• Contain sufficient detail for proper identification and classification

• Be posted in a timely manner in the proper period

• Be stored securely

• Be readily retrievable for inquiry or reporting, and

• Be safeguarded against improper alteration

2. Source documents are important because they establish the authenticity of and provide evidence to support transactions.

3. Upon receipt of an approved award of Capital Resources for Early Educators Fund grant funds, and prior to recording transactions relating to the grant, the program must make provisions to track grant funds separately; these funds may not be intermingled with money from other funding sources.

4. The program must maintain separate documentation of grant fund awards and activities.

5. All programs receiving Capital Resources for Early Educators Fund grant funds must be ready to provide whatever documentation is necessary for United Way and the City of Boston to provide the necessary reports and to document compliance with any City of Boston or United Way grant requirements, including all documentation related to obligations and expenditures.

6. Upon reasonable notice and at all times hereafter, United Way and the City of Boston shall have the right to audit or to have audited and to copy the books and records of Grantee which in any way relate to this Grant. When requested by United Way (after reasonable advance notice), Grantee shall provide United Way's auditors with access to all property and records and the cooperation of United Way and personnel, if any, necessary to effectuate the audit or audits hereunder. United Way's auditors shall have the right to copy any or all documentation relating to the performance under this Grant. Grantee shall retain all records in accordance with federal, state and other Regulatory agencies, as applicable after the termination of this Grant. Grantee shall include identical audit provisions in its agreements with subgrantees, if any, and, upon request of United Way, shall secure equivalent rights and information from any or all subgrantees.

All purchases should be made in accordance with the entity's capitalization policy. A capitalization policy is used by an entity to set a threshold, above which qualifying expenditures are recorded as fixed assets, and below which they are charged to expense.  Other factors may need to be considered, including the type and useful life of the item purchased.

Appendix C: Terms, Grant Expenditures, Termination, Recoupment of Funds and Relevant Law

Grant Payment

The grant payment will be distributed during the Orientation Session. Attendance at the Orientation Session is required. All grant recipients must use the grant monies in accordance with the terms and requirements set forth in this Grant Application, in addition to applicable United Way and the City of Boston policies, regulations and/or state or federal laws. United Way and the City of Boston reserve the right to recoup any and all monies which are not spent in accordance with such terms, conditions, policies, regulations and/or laws. United Way and the City of Boston further reserve the right to recoup grant funding from any recipient who violated any of the grant terms, requirements and/or conditions which are incorporated into this Grant Application. United Way and the City of Boston have the right to suspend, amend, and/or terminate the grant funding in the event of a budget reduction from the originating source.

Amendments Not Affecting Funding Changes

If during the project, either United Way or a Grantee would like to request a change in the required services, deliverables, or timeline which do not affect funding, United Way or the Grantee may propose such changes to the other. The parties must mutually agree to such change(s) in writing. A written memorandum may be used to memorialize such changes; a formal grant amendment will not be required.

Programmatic Budget Adjustments

If during the project, a Grantee would like to request a change in the planned purchasing or in the timeline for such purchases from the original approved budget, the Grantee may propose such changes to United Way, which reserves the right to approve or decline to approve such changes. Proposed changes are to be submitted using a Budget Adjustment Request Form. This form is available through the online grant application. A completed online Budget Adjustment Request Form is required to be submitted 30 days in advance of proposed changes. In any case where the original budget line is changed by more than 10%, the online Budget Adjustment Form must be submitted to United Way, who, in collaboration with the City of Boston, reserves the right to approve or deny any proposed changes.

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