Cooperative Agreement AM220200XXXXC001

IN SEPTEMBER 2021, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA),AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (AMS) ANNOUNCED THE CREATION OF GRANTS TOPROVIDE RELIEF TO FARM AND FOOD WORKERS IMPACTED BY COVID-19. THEDEPARTMENT WILL PROVIDE $700 MILLION IN COMPETITIVE GRANT FUNDING,PUBLISHING A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS DURING THE FALL OF 2021. THEPROGRAM WILL PROVIDE RELIEF TO FARMWORKERS, MEATPACKING WORKERS, ANDFRONT-LINE GROCERY WORKERS FOR EXPENSES INCURRED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.FUNDS WILL BE AWARDED THROUGH GRANTS TO STATE AGENCIES, TRIBAL ENTITIES,AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS SERVING FARMWORKERS AND MEATPACKING WORKERSRANGING FROM $5,000,000 TO $50,000,000. USDA IS SETTING ASIDE $20MILLION FOR AT LEAST ONE PILOT TO PROVIDE TARGETED SUPPORT TO FRONT-LINEGROCERY WORKERS. ELIGIBLE ENTITIES MUST DEMONSTRATE THE CAPACITY TOREIMBURSE FARMWORKERS AND MEATPACKING WORKERS FOR UP TO $600 FOREXPENSES INCURRED DUE TO THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS 2019 (COVID-19) PANDEMIC.AMS AIMS TO PROVIDE OUTREACH, TRAINING, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON FARMAND FOOD WORKER RELIEF (FFWR) GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ELIGIBLE GRANTAPPLICANTS AND GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS. AMS RECOGNIZES THATORGANIZATIONS WITH SUFFICIENT STAFFING AND FISCAL CONTROLS TO MANAGEMULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR GRANTS MAY NOT HAVE THE COMMUNITY-LEVEL NETWORKSAVAILABLE TO SMALLER, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS. IN ADDITION, LIKELYGRANT APPLICANTS SUCH AS STATE-LEVEL SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES ANDFOUNDATIONS RELATED TO LABOR UNIONS HAVE NOT TRADITIONALLY PARTNEREDWITH AMS THROUGH FEDERAL GRANTS. THE UFW FOUNDATION IS SUBMITTING ACOOPERATIVE AGREEMENT PROPOSAL TO FOCUS ON PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR FARMWORKER SERVING ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL BE APPLYING FOR THE FFWR PROGRAM.AS SUCH, THE ORGANIZATION IS PROPOSING TO DO THE FOLLOWING DURING PHASEI, THE APPLICATION PERIOD: 1) CONDUCT OUTREACH AND EDUCATION EFFORTS TOINFORM FARM WORKER ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT THE FFWR PROGRAM DURING THE 60DAY APPLICATION PERIOD AND SUPPORT EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY AND RECRUITREVIEW PANELISTS, 2) PROVIDE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO FARMWORKER ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN APPLICATION THROUGHSUBCONTRACTORS, MICHAEL BROWNING AND FARMWORKER JUSTICE. DURING PHASE IIOF THE PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION, THE UFW FOUNDATION WILL: 1) DEVELOP ACLEARINGHOUSE OF OUTREACH AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS THAT CAN BE USED BYFFWR PROGRAM GRANTEES AND OTHER PARTNERS AROUND THE COUNTRY TO ENSURECONSISTENCY IN MESSAGING AND INCREASE FARM WORKER PARTICIPATION IN THEPROGRAM AND 2) PROVIDE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING TECHNICALASSISTANCE THROUGH THE DURATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FFWRPROGRAM.