Request for Proposals Home Repair Accelerator Grant Program

Request for Proposals

Home Repair Accelerator Grant Program

Deadline for Letter of Inquiry: August 17, 2012

I.

Introduction

AARP Foundation is working to win back opportunity for struggling Americans 50+ by being a force for

change on the most serious issues they face today: hunger, income, housing and isolation. By

coordinating responses to these issues on all four fronts at once, and supporting them with vigorous legal

advocacy, the Foundation serves the unique needs of the 50+. As a grant maker, AARP Foundation

supports and partners with local organizations and nationwide programs to reach more people, work

more efficiently and make resources go further.

AARP Foundation believes that those 50 and older should have the opportunity to secure affordable, accessible, and safe housing and the support necessary to live independently as long as possible. Yet a number of older Americans ? 13 million ? do not have access to adequate housing and many are not able to find housing that meets their fixed budgets.

One reason for the significant level of housing inadequacy is the disrepair of aging housing stock. As of 2009, the median age of a home was over 34 years with many basic appliances and housing components having reached their life expectancy. These older homes with aging components require greater amounts of repair and maintenance, both of which can be a costly expense, particularly for lowincome households. Unfortunately, 40 percent of 65+ households have very low-incomes - less than half the local area median income (AMI). In addition, persons aged 65 and over are more likely to own older homes and to spend significantly less money on routine maintenance, alterations and repairs than younger households. This combination of low-incomes and aging homes can lead to physically inadequate dwellings, increasing health and safety risks and the chance that older residents can become financially burdened by even the smallest of maintenance costs.

The combination of a growing population of older Americans, the majority of whom wish to age in their homes, and low levels of new home construction and sales in the current economy suggest that these problems will only become more prevalent as we look toward the future. There is a pressing need for self-sustaining models of home repair assistance to meet the demands of the ever-increasing number of older Americans and their homes.

Unfortunately, assistance for low-income individuals in this area is limited. Government assistance primarily focuses on supporting home purchases, and federal loan and grant programs for home

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improvement are few and far between. And, the few government programs that do exist have undergone significant budget cuts.

II. Funding Opportunity AARP Foundation seeks to improve access to safe and affordable housing for the struggling 50+ population, including their ability to maintain their current homes as safe places to live and age. AARP Foundation wants to help organizations pilot new operational models of home repair that promise to provide sustained increases in the number of households served. We will award grants to qualified organizations with a demonstrated track record of providing home-repair assistance to households on a nationwide or large regional level. These grants will be awarded through a competitive RFP process to qualified organizations in the United States (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands); grant amounts will range from $50,000 to $300,000. The awardees will be announced in December 2012.

The goal of this funding opportunity is to markedly increase the number of vulnerable 50+ people served by home repair organizations, in a way that can be sustained in perpetuity. By pinpointing one or more models of sustainability, it is also hoped that this intervention will have an impact on the industry as a whole, highlighting the increasing need of home repair services as well as best practices for their future implementation and management.

Interested organizations will be asked to submit initiatives that will lead to a sustained increase in the number of households served. Examples of initiatives might include those that support increasing operational efficiency to the piloting of a cost-recovery model. Grant funds may be used to develop and implement strategies that provide a material and sustained increase in the number of low-income 50+ households receiving home-repair assistance or services. The grant period for projects will be limited to 12 months. For more information on the application process, see Attachment A.

Critical Dates

Letter of Inquiry Deadline RFP Deadline

Review and Selection Awards announced

August 17, 2012 September 21, 2012 September - November 2012

December 2012

III. Funding Criteria AARP Foundation is seeking to fund organizations that have the capacity to execute on projects that can be scaled significantly. In addition, the organizations' proposals should demonstrate a clear alignment with the Foundation's housing strategy as described in the introduction.

Proposals to be considered for funding should address the following themes:

? Provide repair services for a significant number of households annually (minimum 500+); ? Serve low-income (up to 80% of Area Median Income) 50+ households;

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? Replicate or scale proposed strategies on a nationwide level, either internally or through partner organizations and affiliates; and

? Present a strategy that increases the number of households served in a sustained way through the use of methods such as cost recovery or an increase in operational efficiency.

Organization must be willing and able to collect and report quarterly on quantitative and qualitative measures, as they apply to the proposed project. The measurements may include, but are not limited to:

? Number of labor hours (paid and volunteer) ? Total cost of project ? Number of low-income 50+ households served ? Anecdotal impact of program based upon pre- and post-project interviews IV. Applying All letters of inquiries must be submitted online at foundationgrants. For details on applying, please refer to Attachment A or visit foundationgrants. Questions about this grant opportunity and the application process can be emailed to FoundationGrants@.

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ATTACHMENT A: SUBMISSION PROCESS

I.

SUBMISSION PROCESS AND DEADLINES

All components of the submission process must be made online at foundationgrants.

There are two components: letter of inquiry and grant proposal. The submission of a proposal does not

guarantee funding. Any questions you may have about the process can be submitted to

FoundationGrants@.

1. Letter of Inquiry (LOI) ? Deadline: August 17, 2012 by 11:59 PM ET The LOI will require basic information about the organization and the proposed project. Submissions will be evaluated by their impact on the number of low-income 50+ households served, their alignment with AARP Foundation goals, their ability to be sustained indefinitely, and their ability to be scaled both within the organization and to others on a national level.

Prior to or by August 24, 2012, all organizations will be notified if their projects are declined or if they are invited to submit full proposals.

2. Grant Proposal ? Deadline: September 21, 2012 by 11:59 PM ET Only those organizations invited to submit full proposals may do so. Invitations will include a link for organizations to submit the full proposal online. Organizations will be notified by December 2012 regarding AARP Foundation funding decision outcomes.

II. RESPONDING TO THE RFP Organizations invited by AARP Foundation to submit a full proposal must do so by 11:59 PM ET on September 21, 2012. All proposal information will be entered directly online with the exception of financial information, which should be uploaded.

In addition to basic project and organization information, the online proposal will request information for the fields listed below. Each field has a 2,000 character limit (including spaces). Proposals must include a focus on scalability and replication and a plan to track and document the full implementation and results of the project. Proposals must show in detail how a sustained increase in the number of households served will be achieved, but are not limited to any specific form of measurement or evaluation. Organizations are encouraged to be innovative in their approaches to this issue and associated metrics.

? Project Description: (Brief overview of project.) ? Statement of Problem: (What is the issue facing the community?)

? Objective: (What is the objective of the project to address the problem?)

? Approach and Methods: (How will the project and organization address the problem? What is the project's approach towards scalability and replication?)

? Evaluation Methodology: (How will the organization evaluate the effectiveness of the project? What is the process for collecting data?)

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? Project's Measurable Outputs and Outcomes: (What are the outputs and outcomes to measure the impact of the project, including number of households to be served?)

? Project Management and Organizational Capacity: (How will the organization manage the project? How does the project fit within the organization's core competencies, including evidence of the organization's current home-repair activities?)

? Plan for Project Sustainability: (How will the project continue in the long term?)

? Timeline: (What are the dates related to the key milestones? Is the timeline realistic?)

? Community Engagement Plan: (How do you plan on engaging your community ? particularly as it relates to participation and communication of activities?)

? Strategic Partnerships: (Who are the key partners ? particularly direct and in-kind funders ? of the project, and how do they add value to the project and contribute to its sustainability and scalability? Include letters of commitment from partners, if applicable.)

? Geographic Area(s) and Demographics to be served: (What are the specific, areas ? neighborhoods, cities, regions, states, etc. ? and household demographics that the project will serve?)

? Budget Narrative and Budget: (Please enclose a separate budget in Excel that highlights expenses paid by the organization and expenses proposed to be paid by AARP Foundation. Budget narrative should explain line items and should not be more than one page. Both the budget narrative and budget will be uploaded online.)

III. CRITERIA FOR PROPOSAL REVIEW Proposals will be reviewed by the following criteria. Please note some criteria are weighted more heavily than others.

? The strength of the project's purpose, rationale and justification (10%). How well does the organization state the need in its community and explain why it is the ideal organization to address that need?

? The clarity, relevance and feasibility of the project objectives and the quality of the methodologies proposed to carry out project activities (20%). How well does the organization detail its implementation plan, particularly within the timeframe it proposes?

? The impact the project will have on the target population and service area, and the contribution it will make to increasing home repair services for the low-income 50+ population (20%). Is the organization targeting the appropriate communities that are not currently being served by another organization or partnering with existing organizations that are serving the target population?

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? The degree to which the proposal addresses plans for sustainability of the project (including but not limited to scaling and replication of the project within the organization and with outside partners) (20%). How well does the organization explain the project's continuation ? particularly with regard to partners and new funding?

? Appropriateness of the budget given the project objectives and activities (15%). Based upon the budget and its narrative, do the costs seem appropriate for the scope of work and projected outcomes?

? Qualifications of the applicant(s) to carry out the proposed project (15%). Does the organization have the capacity to execute on the project? Does the organization have prior experience? Is the project's scale in line with the organization's operations?

IV. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Eligible applicants should be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations that currently provide home repair assistance on a national or regional level (at least 500+ repairs completed annually preferred) with a focus on the 50+. This includes, but is not limited to the following:

? National nonprofits; ? State or local level nonprofits; ? Community-based organizations; and ? Faith-based organizations. In addition, organizations invited to submit a full proposal will be required to provide: ? A copy of the IRS Determination Letter, /Form 990 or proof of application for exempt status under

Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; ? A list of their Board of Directors, if applicable; and ? Their most recent audited financial statements signed by the CFO or the Treasurer of the Board.

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