Unlocking America's Potential Project Request for Proposal
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INTENT OF PROPOSAL
AVANCE, Inc. is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) from interested, qualified, non-profit organizations serving low-income, high-need Hispanic families to enter into a re-grant agreement with AVANCE to implement the AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program (PCEP) model in its entirety in the selected organizations' communities.
GENERAL INFORMATION
AVANCE, Inc. is one of the oldest and largest parent and early childhood education programs in the country. Since 1973, AVANCE has provided innovative education and family support services to predominantly Hispanic families in low-income, high-need communities, primarily in Texas. The comprehensive Parent-Child Education Program promotes community economic development, positive parenting skills and behaviors, school readiness, parental school involvment, adult education, and civic engagement for a simultaneous impact on both the parent and the child. The program has had a strong impact on Latino families by providing the tools and support to break the cycle of poverty.
On May 1, 2010, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Michigan awarded a $12.6 million grant to fund the "Unlocking America's Potential Project" (UAPP). The purpose of this project is to expand AVANCE's evidence-based Parent-Child Education Program across the United States through two (2) methods. The first method is to partner with qualified organizations serving three (3) distinct ethnic communities (African-American, American Indian, and Hispanic non-Mexican) in a research capacity to culturally adapt the program to suit the needs of these communities more specifically.
The second method provides the opportunity for AVANCE to re-grant funds from the original W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant to twelve (12) qualified organizations over a three year period: four (4) new partners each year for 2011, 2012, and 2013. The UAPP grant allows for a one-time payment of $50,000 to the selected organizations to help with initial setup costs. AVANCE will also provide training and guidance to all new partners. This RFP pertains exclusively to the re-granting of funds to qualified organizations serving a low-income, high-need Hispanic community. Four (4) organizations will be selected via this RFP.
FINANCIAL/ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
Re-grant Partners selected via this RFP will receive a one-time grant of $50,000 to help offset initial program start-up costs. Selected partners must commit to continuing the AVANCE program for 2 following years as a licensee. The benefits received as a Re-grant Partner include the one-time $50,000 grant, the complete AVANCE curriculum both in English and Spanish, intensive training of staff to deliver the PCEP (2-3 weeks), technical and program support, and 2 monitoring sessions/evaluations to provide guidance and ensure fidelity to the AVANCE model. Beyond the first year, the cost to continue the program would be no more than $20,000 per year. The approximation is mainly due to the fluctuation of travel expenses. The actual cost could be less depending on market conditions.
Below is a list of all items and costs associated with each year's renewal:
Licensing fee - $5000
Recertification of Parent Educators and Home Educators (4 days) - $4000
Technical assistance (ongoing) - $2500
Program Evaluation (instruments, data entry, analysis and reporting) for up to 100 families - $2500
Program monitoring and observation for implementation fidelity and quality ( 1 visit at 3 days) - approximately $1800 (cost may vary due to travel expense)
Travel expenses for training and program monitoring - approximately $2000 (cost may vary due to location and timing)
Also, there are certain types and amounts of insurance coverage required from each selected Re-grant Partner.
REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS
1. Proof of 501(c)3 status per IRS guidelines for nonprofit organizations. Attach a copy of your 501(c)3 with your submission email.
2. Must be able to meet insurance requirements as listed in the Financial/Administrative section. The insurance company must have at least an A rating.
3. Must be able to serve a minimum of 25 families. Class size must be capped at 15, thus at least 2 sessions a week will be needed to reach all 25 families. A make-up class day must also be offered. More families may be served if your organization has the financial capacity to support the number proposed. Class sessions must be conducted in the families' preferred language, thus an English and a Spanish class may need to be offered. The child development activities must take place in the same building as the parenting classes.
4. Statement of certification that your organization does not have any outstanding judgments, liens, legal claims, or lawsuits filed against either the organization or employees within the scope of their employment.
5. Statement of agreement to implement the AVANCE model in its entirety. No modification or integration with another program is allowed as the PCEP curriculum is copyrighted. Refer to "The AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program" on page 8 for full details of the AVANCE program components.
6. Statement of agreement for training by AVANCE personnel to facilitate the start-up of the program.
7. Statement of agreement for monitoring and evaluation by AVANCE representatives at defined intervals to ensure fidelity of the program.
8. All necessary contact information, to include address, phone number(s), and email.
9. History of the organization to include mission, vision, values, etc.
10. Services currently provided by the organization, to include demographics of families served and description of facilities/space available for use with the AVANCE program. Include how many rooms are available and how they will be used for the AVANCE program.
11. Description of the child development center or facility. Include how the children are grouped and what services are provided for them. A licensed Child Development Center is highly preferred.
12. Plan for transportation of the participating families to the site where the PCEP will be implemented. It is understood that transportation will vary somewhat according to location.
13. Plan for how meals and snacks will be provided to the families per program guidelines.
14. Identify and describe community support partnerships currently in place. Include how long the partnerships have been in place and what specifically has been accomplished with these partnerships.
15. Evidence of the impact your organization has made in your community. Specific, measured outcomes are required. A third-party validation study is not requiredh however, if you do have outcome data from such a research study, include the study's results.
16. Description of how the AVANCE model fits with your current organizational structure and philosophy. Include how you envision the AVANCE model impacting your community.
17. Detailed sustainability plan, including funding resources in order to demonstrate current financial strength and long term viability (i.e., how you plan on sustaining the program after the grant).
18. List of all personnel currently employed by your organization who will be involved in the delivery of the PCEP along with a current resume. Resumes must be submitted via a separate attachment and combined into one PDF document.
19. Examples of significant obstacles your organization has encountered and how they were successfully overcome. Include lessons learned and changes made, if any.
20. Other information about your organization, such as achievements, awards, endorsements, etc., that would be pertinent to the qualifications for this RFP. Provide a description in the main narrative and attach letters, awards, etc. as needed. It is highly recommended that letters of support be individualized.
FORMATTING GUIDELINES
Proposals are to be written in narrative style and must use Calibri font size 12 for the main body of the text. Headings must be no larger than font size 14.
The narrative should be divided into sections that correlate to the list of requirements and qualifications starting with requirement #4.
Proof of 501(c)3 status must be submitted as a separate PDF file.
The proposal must be no more than 40 pages in total. There is no page restriction to sections within the document.
Separate attachments such as the proof of 501(c)3 status, letters of support, or personnel resumes do NOT count towards the 40 page limit.
SELECTION CRITERIA SUMMARY
The following selection criteria will be used in the selection process. Each proposal submitted will be reviewed and ranked according to the criteria below:
MISSION ALIGNMENT AND LEVEL OF COMMITMENT 30 Points
Fits with AVANCE mission of strengthening families in low-income, high-need Hispanic communities through effective parent education and support programs
Level of innovation and creativity as evidenced by solutions to obstacles encountered
Services provided to predominantly low-income Hispanic families with children ages 0-3
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE/CAPACITY 45 Points
Financial sustainability plan as evidenced by strong financial position, limited debt, and no pending litigation
Experience of personnel - years of experience in field, level of education attained, certifications, etc.
Adequate facility/space available to accommodate a room for toy-making and parent education, and classrooms for children by appropriate age per guidelines in the "AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program" section
Strength of community partnerships to include how long partnerships have been in place and what specifically has been accomplished through these partnerships
EVIDENCE OF IMPACT 15 Points
Detailed, statistically significant outcome data to demonstrate the impact of the organization within the community to include: # of families served, % increase in reading skills, academic gains, and/or other appropriate measures
Recruitment potential from target communities - demographic evidence of number of potential participants in your community
Retention rate of children/families participating in current services
ACCREDIDATIONS/AWARDS/ENDORSEMENTS, ETC. 10 Points
TOTAL 100 Points
SUBMISSION DEADLINE
Proposals must be received by email only in PDF format no later than 5:00 PM CST, October 15, 2012 at [email protected]. Any submission received after the stated deadline will not be considered. NOTE: If your organization is not located in the Central Standard Time zone, you will need to compensate for the time zone difference accordingly.
All questions/inquiries should be sent to the email address listed above. The RFP email account will be monitored regularly. All submissions will be acknowledged promptly and inquiries will be answered within 48 hours.
Please monitor www.avance.org for any updates and announcements. Information can be found under the "In the News" tab on the home page. Once there, click on the "press releases" link. All announcements are in chronological order from newest to oldest. You can also connect with us at facebook.com/AVANCEinc , twitter.com/AVANCEinc , and youtube.com/avancenational.
Important Dates
April 30, 2012 RFP released
May 1, 2012 - Oct 15, 2012 Proposals Accepted
Oct 15, 2012, 5:00 PM CST Deadline for Proposal Submission
Oct 16, 2012 - Dec 7, 2012 Review of Proposals and Selection of Candidates
Dec 10, 2012 Announcement of Winning Proposals
THE AVANCE PARENT-CHILD EDUCATION PROGRAM
REQUIRED PROGRAM ELEMENTS
The AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program consists of the following required program elements:
1) The 11 unit AVANCE Parenting Education Curriculum and related materials.
2) The Program length is approximately 9 months.
3) Parents meet weekly for three-hour class that includes: Toy Making, Parenting Class, and a Third Hour Community Resource Speaker.
4) Children of parents attending class are cared for in an age appropriate, safe and educationally stimulating environment.
5) Parents enrolled in the program are visited at their home at least once a month, starting in month two of the program cycle.
6) At least three times in the program year, home visits are video-taped, giving parents an opportunity to view themselves both individually and in the classroom setting.
7) Social support services are made available when parents need or request them [primarily through referrals and partnerships].
8) Nutritious meals are provided to childrenh snacks are provided to mothers.
9) Transportation is provided/offered to those who need the service.
10) Recruitment is conducted primarily through "door to door" canvassing to assure those "most in need" are served.
11) Eligibility for participation is a parent/caregiver of a child under three years of age.
12) An end-of-year ceremony/graduation is held to recognize the accomplishments of the parents [75% class completion is required].
13) Parents complete 12 hours of volunteer work during the program year.
14) Classes are conducted in the preferred language of the participants.
15) Parent Educator is a degreed professional and has completed training required by the AVANCE National Office. The program is staffed with adequate and qualified personnel.
16) All positions must be trained in First Aid/CPR. All employees are subject to pre-employment background checks.
17) The AVANCE Parenting Questionnaire is administered at Pre/Post time and made available to the National Office for analysis.
18) The program/services/classes are located/offered in the community being served.
19) Special events and holidays are celebrated with the families [Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc.]
20) Parents are exposed to a variety of family literacy opportunities (for example a book distribution, visiting the library on a regular basis and obtaining a library card, making books in addition to the three in the toy making manual).
21) Graduates of AVANCE are given an opportunity to become employees.
22) Follows the AVANCE philosophy.
23) Serves low income, high need Hispanic families.
24) Community partnerships are developed.
