Preparation Worksheet for Online Application

Preparation Worksheet for Online Application Request for Proposals to Increase Voter Engagement – 2017 Elections

The purpose of this RFP is to increase voter engagement and turnout during the 2017 elections, especially in populations with historically low turnout.

This worksheet is a preview of the online application, which can be accessed through our website. There may be slight differences in the final online application. This document is intended to help organizations prepare and present a request in a concise format that will address our questions. Applicants often prefer to copy and paste narrative answers from this Microsoft Word document into the online application. This will allow you to have a back-up should you experience technical difficulties with the online application.

The online application will be accessible starting on Monday, Feb. 6. It will remain open until the deadline at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27, 2017.

Applications submitted after 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27 will not be accepted. The Foundation’s online application system automatically locks at 4:30 p.m. That means the system will not allow you to complete the application, even if it was started before 4:30 p.m. Please plan accordingly to allow for technical difficulties. We do not accept applications submitted via email.

You will be asked to upload documents to accompany your online application, including a project budget, current organization budget, and your most recent audited financial statement. Applicants who are not current grantees should also provide a list and summary describing the diversity of your senior leadership staff and board of trustees. Please note: Consistent with the equity framework adopted by The Minneapolis Foundation, we will prioritize partnering with organizations led by people who share the cultural or racial identity of those that they serve.

For a successful proposal, previous voter engagement experience is not necessary. The Minneapolis Foundation is especially interested in proposals that include a commitment to track outcomes of actual voter turnout and voter engagement work. To help grantees track outcomes and know whether those engaged actually voted, Minnesota Voice will provide technical support and leadership during the grant period. Grantees will be required to allow a staff person to participate in the cohort led by Minnesota Voice.

We welcome your calls and emails. If you have any questions or concerns about our requirement that each grantee participate in the Minnesota Voice cohort, or if you would like to discuss your proposal before applying, please contact Catherine Gray, Director of Impact Strategy, Civic Engagement, at [email protected] or 612-672-3876 or Jesse Ross, Policy Associate – Ron McKinley Fellow, at [email protected] or 612-672-3862.

Overview

Title of request: 1 Dollar amount of request: Provide a summary of your request (330 character limit, including spaces):

Organization Information

Legal name of organization: Year organization was established: Employer Identification Number: Organization address: Organization phone number: Organization website: Type of organization:

501(c)(3) ____ 501(c)(4) ____

 501(c)(4) organizations must agree that all grant funds will be used solely for charitable purposes (described in Section 170 (c) (2) (B) of the Internal Revenue Code). These funds must not, under any circumstances, be used to cover fundraising expenses or to support partisan political activities.

OTHER _____

If not a public agency or unit of the government, please list the following for your fiscal agent:

Legal name: Address: Contact email:

Contact Information

Contact person for this application: Title: Work phone: Cell phone: Email:

Head of the organization: Title: Work phone: Cell phone: 2 Email:

About Your Organization

Brief mission statement of your organization (500 character limit, including spaces):

Briefly describe your organization’s major programs and activities (1500 character limit, including spaces):

Describe the people you serve in terms of age, race, ethnicity, and income:

Approximately what percentage of the total number of people you serve live in Minneapolis?

Approximately how many of the people you serve live in Minneapolis?

Financial Information

Total amount of this request:

Total projected cost of the project for which you seek funding:

Annual organization budget:

Start date of your current fiscal year:

Has your organization ever received financial support from The Minneapolis Foundation? Y/N

If yes, please list the three most recent grant ID number(s) with the year and the amount of support for each grant received.

Organization History with Voter Engagement

Since 2012, has your organization engaged in any voter engagement work? Y/N If yes, please describe your organization’s history with voter engagement work since 2012, along with key outcomes from each year. (1500 character limit, including spaces) If yes, what quantitative data did you collect to assess results? If yes, what qualitative data did you collect to assess results? Has your organization engaged with any Minnesota Voice programs, leadership development or voter engagement efforts? Y/N

If yes, please describe. (1000 character limit, including spaces)

3 About This Project

Please note: All grant recipients will be required to participate in a grantee cohort led by Minnesota Voice. We will ask that one representative be present at all of the cohort meetings. Minnesota Voice will require participation in a week-long training for the person responsible for the implementation of the voter engagement work. Is your organization willing to commit staff time for participation in the voter engagement cohort and week-long training hosted by Minnesota Voice? Y/N If not, please explain.

The summary of request: (autopopulate from above)

List up to five intended outcomes of the project for which you seek funding. Please also detail how you will measure results for each intended outcome.

Intended Outcome How Results Will Be Measured Example: 50% of XX eligible voters in our client base vote Example: Submit XX voter pledge cards collected during in 2017. intake process to MN Voice and track their voting through Voter Activation Network (VAN)

Example: 75% of our client base is informed about Count number of constituents who attend jointly sponsored candidates and prepared to vote. candidate forums.

Report number of conversations with constituents that occur through GOTV phone banking.

Summarize your project timeline, with key activities listed (1500 character limit, including spaces):

Will you target specific neighborhoods or wards? Y/N If yes, which ones?

Will you target specific demographic populations? Y/N If yes, which ones?

Will you be able to report how many Minneapolis residents engaged by your organization actually vote in 2017? Y/N If yes, please enter your targeted amount here.

4 Will you be able to report how many Minneapolis residents engaged by your organization voted for the first time in 2017? Y/N If yes, please enter your targeted amount here.

Who at your organization will lead the work for which you seek funding?

Is this project a collaborative effort? Y/N If yes, please list the names and role of your partners.

In what other way(s) does your organization cultivate civic participation among your constituents between election cycles? (1000 character limit)

Are there specific public policies that your organization and constituents would like to impact? Y/N If yes, please describe them. (1000 character limit)

How does your organization use civic engagement activities to develop leadership within your constituencies and organization? (1000 character limit)

Are you seeking other funding support for this project? Y/N If yes, please list amounts, names of other funders, and whether it is support you have secured or are seeking.

Tips for Navigating the Online Application

The first time through the online application, you must start in the section called “Organization Information.”

As you move through the application, please note that any questions in bold must be answered to save a page before you are allowed to advance.

If you click the "Next" button, your answers will be automatically saved if you have answered the questions in bold. You will then move to the next page.

If you press the "Save & Resume Later" button, you will be taken back to the "Applications in Process" table. From there, you can return to your application by clicking the edit button in the row for your application.

If you would like to stop working on your application, please click the "Save Application" button. 5 When you press “Submit” on your online application, your application will move to the application history table, where you can upload required documents.

WARNING: Once you press “Submit,” you will no longer be able to edit or add to your online application form. You will have to start over if you want to make more edits. Please notify Andrea Porter, Grants Administrator, if you want to start over.

Further Assistance

Please direct any technical questions about the application process to Andrea Porter, Grants Administrator, at [email protected] or 612-672-8663.

If you have questions about your project proposal, please contact Catherine Gray, Director of Impact Strategy, Civic Engagement, at [email protected] or 612-672-3876.