Now accepting applications – Capacity Building Support RFQ

The Capacity Building Support RFQ is now open! This funding opportunity invites proposals from skilled capacity building organizations and individuals who can be a team to work with Best Starts for Kids leadership to create and implement a complete strategy for providing effective and efficient capacity building activities. This team will concurrently work with program managers to provide needs assessments and co-create with Best Starts staff a strategy for providing capacity building supports for organizations who need support with the basic pillars of a resilient community based organization.

Click here to view the RFQ and apply on ZoomGrants. This link will take you a ZoomGrants page. Create a log-in to view the RFQ and apply.

What is capacity building support?

For the purpose of this RFQ, capacity building is a process through which individuals, programs, organizations, and systems obtain resources and/or strengthen assets and capabilities to effectively and equitably provide services to children, youth, families and communities. Capacity Building Support is the provision and co-creation of information, tools, and resources on best practices along with the individualized, responsive, and ongoing coaching and support to strengthen programs, organizations, and systems capabilities.

Capacity building strategy

The Capacity Building Team organized through this RFQ will help shape and operationalize a vision of a three-part support system to support organizations as they grow, including helping them access knowledge and services to sustain the programs and services they are providing. These three parts include:

Capacity Building Team (this RFQ): Organizations and or individuals who can provide strategic planning and capacity building services to CBOs are eligible to submit a proposal to be part of a larger team. They would offer needs assessments that lead to learning opportunities through trainings, workshops, or clinics, facilitate peer learning opportunities, and possibly provide individualized coaching to BSK-funded CBOs.
Strategy-Specific Learning Circles (current, ongoing, funded through strategies): These are professional development and peer learning opportunities that will be offered to organizations funded within a specific strategy, such as Youth Development or Child Care Health Consultation.
Mini-Grants (to begin in Q4 2019): Funded through a separate, future application, these mini-grants of $10,000 or less will be eligible for BSK-funded CBOs to support specific projects that they identify as a capacity-building need (for example: purchase financial software, hire someone to write a human resources manual, etc).

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to not-for-profit organizations, community-based organizations, tribes and tribal organizations, schools and school districts, and public or governmental agencies serving communities in King County, as well as private consultants with expertise in the needs of young children, families, communities, and the systems that serve them. Small non-profits and community-based organizations are encouraged to submit proposals.

Timeline

RFQ release date	November 27, 2018
Informational webinar	December 12, 2018 10:00-11:00 am (see below)
Final day to ask questions via Zoomgrants	January 3, 2019
Applications due	January 7, 2019
Interviews with applicants (if necessary)	January 8-11, 2019 (Interviews can also occur after responses are rated and reviewed)
Responses Rated and Reviewed	January 11 -18, 2019
Notice of selected and non-selected applications	February 1, 2019