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Living RFP – Public Safety

2021 Living RFP – Public Safety

AdobeStock_112235575.jpegCommunities Foundation of Texas is interested in promoting safety in neighborhoods in Dallas County that have been most affected by the recent rise in crime by supporting community-driven approaches to public safety. CFT is also interested in supporting programs that aim to break the cycle of incarceration for those who have had contact with the criminal legal system.

CFT is seeking applications from organizations that combine deep community relationships, evidence-informed practice, and strategic public and/or private partnerships to drive transformational change.

Given the difficulty of tracking impacts in this area, we expect to add an evaluation and learning component, and are seeking applicants who can demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement and are willing to share implementation experiences with the broader field.

Funding Priorities

CFT is seeking applications from organizations and/or collaborations in one of the following funding priority areas:

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Nonprofit organizations that focus on reducing crime and improving community life play a critical role in increasing public safety (Sharkey, Torrats-Espinosa, Takyar, 2017). CFT is seeking applications focused on accelerating community-based collaboratives that are working towards transformational change at the neighborhood level using resources from the social and private sector.  The lead applicant must be a nonprofit that works within a defined neighborhood boundary that has been marked by higher crime, including those where the City of Dallas is targeting crime reduction strategies (or be adjacent). 
 
The proposed project must be accomplished in partnership with (at a minimum) a public institution such as a hospital, school, or police department, and/or a private business. Preference will be given to organizations that actively engage and empower residents recognizing their critical role in sustaining positive community change. Projects can be focused on youth as well as adults.

About 65,000 Texans are released from imprisonment each year. These formerly incarcerated individuals join the almost 1/3 of adults who have a criminal record, and who face multiple barriers to full participation in society. The goal of this funding priority is to support the successful reintegration of justice-involved individuals through employment and training programs that build lasting economic security. These programs must be designed with justice-involved individuals in mind and demonstrate how they meet the multifaceted needs of participants during the program while working with employers to find job placements at completion. We also encourage applications from organizations that provide legal services and advocacy to cancel or reduce court-related fines and fees since they can be a significant economic burden to the formerly incarcerated. 
 
Applicants need to demonstrate that 80% or more of their clients served annually are recently or formerly incarcerated. Programs can focus on justice-involved youth as well as adults.

 

Funding Levels

To provide adequate time to observe meaningful change, funding requests for up to $1M for up to five (5) years will be considered.  This funding limit covers the entire grant period and is not an annual amount. Applicants may also apply for amounts less than the $1M up to five (5) year maximum, according to what is needed.
 
For each proposal, grantees must provide: (1) a project budget, and (2) a corresponding budget narrative that clearly outlines and describes the total costs.
 
CFT permits grantees to request funding for direct costs associated with the project, as well as for reasonable indirect costs. Institutions of higher education, including community colleges and universities, may receive an indirect cost rate of 10% of total direct project costs. Full-time employees at institutions of higher education whose salaries are covered by the institution may not include salary support in the project budget without a detailed justification.
 
This effort will initially focus on Dallas County and may expand into other communities in future cycles.
 

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Eligibility and Selection Criteria

See below for our eligibility requirements.

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To apply, applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
 
  • Have a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt designation from the Internal Revenue Service that has been active for at least two years as of September 1, 2019 (which has or an affiliation with an established organization), and not be in violation of any applicable state, local or federal law, ordinance or regulation.
  • This effort will initially focus on Dallas County and may expand into other communities in future cycles.  Applicants will need to demonstrate that the majority of clients to be served, as well as services and programming delivered, are in Dallas County.
  • Preference will be given to programs that support underrepresented and/or economically disadvantaged populations and/or neighborhoods.
  • Preference will be given to applicants that can demonstrate a track record of effective, evidence-informed, data-driven practice, and whose grant would have impact beyond a single entity or institution.
  • Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement and a willingness to share implementation experiences with the broader field.
  • Preference will be given to applicants who can demonstrate additional funder commitments for the proposed work.

  • Individuals
  • For-Profit Businesses
  • Agencies/programs provided outside of Dallas County
  • Non-US based organizations
  • Church and religious organizations’ programs that are focused on evangelism

How do I submit my proposal?

You can submit your proposal through our online submission form, here or by clicking the button below. We recommend using the downloadable version of the application when drafting your responses before uploading them into the online submission form, as there are limits to word counts for each question and the online form does not allow applicants to save work and return to it. Final answers must be submitted through the online application. Download the application here or under Resources on the right side of the page.

submit your proposal

Submissions will be accepted through Friday, November 19.


Accessing the online form to submit your proposal:

  • Visit our online application portal: CFTgrants.org
  • Select “Create a New Account” (or Log On if you already have an account) and follow the prompts
  • To access the online form, select the green “Apply” link in the top left-hand corner
  • Read the summary of the opportunity, click the blue “Apply” button, fill out the online form, and then click “Submit Application” at the bottom of the page
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