Request for Proposals Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency (MWVCAA)

Request for Proposal for Grant Writing Services

Please direct your inquiries and submit proposals to:

Ashley Hamilton, Deputy Executive Officer

MWVCAA

ashley.hamilton@MWVCAA.org

MWVCAA’s Mission:

Empowering people to change their lives and exit poverty by providing vital services and community leadership.

MWVCAA’s Vision:

All people are respected for their infinite worth and are supported to envision and reach a positive future.

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, Inc. (503) 585-6232 2475 Center St NE, Salem, OR 97301 www.MWVCAA.org

General Information A. Purpose

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency (MWVCAA) is seeking proposals from qualified contractors for non-profit grant writing services.

In early 2025, Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is expected to launch a highly competitive process to select regional funding administrators, or "Hubs," which will play a critical role in providing homeless services and distributing housing and shelter funds across designated regions. MWVCAA is eager to be considered for this pivotal role, which would help advance our mission and ensure sustainability for the regional housing and shelter initiatives.

Currently, MWVCAA employs 568 residents of Marion and Polk counties, who work to serve nearly 60,000 low-income Oregonians. In October 2024 alone, our ARCHES Day Center in downtown Salem facilitated 3,038 visits by members of the unhoused population. Over the past year, our four shelters served 440 individuals, with 115 transitioning into permanent housing—well above the national average. Through our housing programs, MWVCAA prevented 946 evictions and re-housed 346 households (791 individuals) following their experience with homelessness. This underscores the critical importance of sheltering and housing initiatives to meet the ongoing needs of vulnerable populations and highlights the pivotal role MWVCAA plays in this service continuum.

Our agency has been serving the community's needs for nearly 60 years. MWVCAA’s strong reputation enables us to foster and maintain hundreds of partnerships with local governments and other nonprofit organizations. This includes providing technical assistance and sub-grantee awards to dozens of local service providers. MWVCAA’s aptitude for compliance and fiscal management, combined with our commitment to serving the community, makes us an ideal choice for selection as a regional ‘hub’ for the distribution of funds for housing and shelter needs

MWVCAA would like to engage a grant writer whose sole focus would be to help us secure this contract with OHCS.

B. Agency History and Background

Founded in 1967, MWVCAA is a nonprofit organization that serves multiple counties across Oregon with our primary service district being Marion and Polk counties. MWVCAA has over 56 years of experience administering programs designed to address the root cause of poverty, while helping families to achieve self -sufficiency. To accomplish this goal, MWVCAA administers a spectrum of programs across our three divisions of Housing and Homeless Services, Early Learning and Child Care, as well as Energy and Weatherization.

Programs which make up MWVCAA are as follows:

Division – Energy and Weatherization:

● Energy Services: Offers eligible households financial assistance to help with their home energy and heating bills.

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, Inc. (503) 585-6232

● Weatherization: Repair and renovation of qualifying homes in order to increase their energy efficiency and preserve their life span as part of the local housing stock.

Division – Early Learning and Childcare:

● Child Care Resource & Referral: Provides professional development, technical assistance, coaching and supportive services to child care providers in order to increase the quality and availability of child care in our communities.

● Nutrition First: Promotes healthy, nutritious meal planning and technical assistance of in-home child care providers. A sponsoring organization for the Child and Adult Care Food Programs (FDCH CACFP) administered by Oregon Department of Education, providing family child care providers with enrollment and oversight that allows them to participate in the nutrition program providing reimbursement for food costs.

● Head Start: Operates early learning classroom, and home-base programs, focused on children ages birth to five, and expectant mothers. Includes early learning, nutrition, health, mental health, disability, transportation and family services — with the ultimate goal of strengthening child-parent relationships and helping children to be ready to enter kindergarten.

Division - Housing and Homeless Services

● ARCHES Project: Navigating clients from homelessness to stable housing through provider referrals, shelter access, housing placements, and basic need services.

● Home Youth Services: Programs administered for at-risk and unaccompanied youth including a day shelter with basic need and resource navigation services, as well as overnight emergency shelters locations in Salem and Polk County.

● Demuniz Resource Center: Eases the transition from incarceration back into the community. Connects clients with vital needs, including employment, education, housing, therapy, and transportation.

MWVCAA is a private, nonprofit corporation and has been determined to be exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is governed by a tripartite member volunteer Board of Directors. Administrative offices and all records are located at 2475 Center St NE in Salem, Oregon. Other administrative and program offices are located throughout Marion and Polk Counties.

MWVCAA is intentionally promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within our agency and championing for change within the communities we serve. We aim to foster belonging among employees; nurturing personal and collective identities while developing empathy and respect for all people. MWVCAA strives to prioritize equitable access to services and resources for all communities whom we serve.

● For more information about MWVCAA, access our website at: MWVCAA.org

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, Inc. (503) 585-6232 2475 Center St NE, Salem, OR 97301 www.MWVCAA.org http://mwvcaa.org

Scope of Work MWVCAA is seeking proposals for grant writing services to help MWVCAA apply and secure grant funding from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS). The initial contract term for these services will be approximately 6 months (through June 30, 2025) with renewal options to be considered, if necessary. At minimum, the contractor shall demonstrate ability, expertise, and experience in the following areas:

Grant Proposal Development: MWVCAA is looking for a contractor to assist with grant application development, submission, and follow-through.

● In close partnership with our team, the contractor will lead the writing and submission process of the grant application.

● The contractor shall ensure the application narrative is responsive to the RFP, aligns with MWVCAA values and standards, and the entire application package meets the rigorous standards laid out by the funding agency.

● Contractor is responsible for the completion and submission of the full grant material packet, which may include but is not limited to: answering questions from OHCS, providing a proposed budget, and submitting any and all required documents and coordinating appendixes.

● Following application submission, the Contractor will be responsible for answering any follow up questions from OHCS, as well as supplying any follow up materials or documents they require.

● Contractor is expected to work with MWVCAA staff to gather material and information necessary for a strong proposal. This may include interpreting guidelines, drafting narratives and other required proposal components.

● Contractor must attend in person or virtual meetings, as necessary, to accomplish the required work.

● Contractor is expected to meet any and all grant deadlines.

Proposal Expectations A. Proposal Inclusions:

At a minimum, submissions should include:

1. Approach & Methodology: Generally, detail the involvement of MWVCAA staff and resources in the grant writing process. Describe, in detail, the process you would utilize to prepare the grant application, including timelines, deliverables, and communication protocols.

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, Inc. (503) 585-6232

2. Experience: Description of the background, experience and qualifications of the contractor (or contractors) that may be used to perform work, as well as similar information from any proposed subcontractors or strategic partners.

Please include:

● Length of time in business providing services to non-profit organizations

● Any experience working with other Community Action Agencies

● Total number of current active clients

● Total number of nonprofit (501(c)(3) clients

3. Examples: A list of various grant awards that the contractor has secured for other similarly situated non-profit agencies. A full description of your experience servicing non-profit organizations is expected. A sample of a successful grant application created by the contractor is a requirement for this proposal.

4. Fee Structure: Describe in detail your fee structure. MWVCAA will use the fee information as a part of the selection process and reserves the right to negotiate the final fee structure. The budget for this project is to be negotiated. The contractor will be required to provide a not-to-exceed estimate, to be subsequently approved by MWVCAA prior to work commencing.

B. Proposal Instructions

Who May Apply:

Qualified applicants, individuals or firms, with proven experience providing research and writing services on grant applications with non-profit entities or local government agencies.

Closing submission date:

Proposals must be submitted no later than 5:00pm on Friday, December 27th, 2024, PST (Pacific Standard Time)

Inquiries:

Inquiries concerning this RFP should be directed to ashley.hamilton@MWVCAA.org .

Conditions of proposal:

All costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal responding to this RFP will be the responsibility of the proposer.

Submission Instructions:

Your proposal should be addressed to MWVCAA as follows:

● Name: Ashley Hamilton, Executive Deputy Officer

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, Inc. (503) 585-6232

● Entity: MWVCAA

Electronic copy submissions required: Proposals are to be submitted electronically via PDF to the following email address:

ashley.hamilton@MWVCAA.org by the closing submission date noted above. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal is received by MWVCAA by the date and time specified above.

Late proposals will not be considered.

Required Documents:

● Completed Proposal Cover Sheet (Attachment A)

● Detailed Proposal & Resume

● Sample of Successful Grant Application

● IRS Form W 9

Right to reject: MWVCAA reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received in response to this RFP. A contract for the accepted proposal will be based on the factors described in this RFP.

Proposal Timeline:

● RFP Release Date: December 4th, 2024

● Proposal submissions deadline: December 27th, 2024

● Evaluations of proposals will begin on: December 30th, 2024

● Notice of Intent to Award sent on or before January 10th, 2025

● Completion of final contract on or before January 31st, 2025

Proposal Evaluation A. Non Responsive Proposals

Proposals may be judged nonresponsive and removed from further consideration if any of the following occur:

● The proposal is not received in a timely manner in accordance with the terms of this RFP.

● The proposal is not adequate to form a judgment by the reviewers that the proposed undertaking would comply with requested work.

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, Inc. (503) 585-6232 2475 Center St NE, Salem, OR 97301 www.MWVCAA.org mailto:ashley.hamilton@MWVCAA.org

B. Proposal Evaluation

A point rating system will be used to evaluate the proposals. See Attachment B - Scoresheet.

Evaluation of each proposal will be scored on the following factors:

● Approach and Methodology

● Applicable Experience with Non-Profit Grant Writing

● Pricing / Fee Structure

● Satisfaction of Clients (Reference Checks)

● Full and responsive completion of this RFP, including all attachments and requested documents.

C. Review Process

Each responsive proposal will be evaluated by a review committee established for this purpose. MWVCAA intends to select the proposal that is most advantageous to itself.

The MWVCAA may, at its discretion, request presentations by or meetings with any, all or none of the proposers to clarify or negotiate modifications to the proposers’ proposals.

MWVCAA reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposals submitted. Therefore, proposals should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms, from both technical and price standpoints.

MWVCAA contemplates awarding the contract to the proposal with the best over-all value to the agency.

Terms & Conditions

MWVCAA is authorized to obtain, by contract, services necessary to conduct its operation.

Terms and conditions listed below will be included in the final contract.

Assignment.

Neither party shall assign, sublet or transfer any interest in or duty under this agreement without the written consent of the other, and no assignment shall be of any force or affect whatsoever unless and until the other party has so consented.

Laws and Regulations.

MWVCAA and Contractor agree to comply with all Federal and State law, rules and regulations relating to Contractor's performance of services under this Agreement.

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, Inc. (503) 585-6232

Conflict of lnterest.

Contractor covenants that it presently has no interest and shall not acquire any interest, direct or indirect, which would conflict in any manner or degree with the performance of its services.Contractor further covenants that in the performance of this contract no person having any such interest shall be employed.

Payments/Consideration.

MWVCAA shall pay Contractor pursuant to the following terms and conditions:

● Invoices will be paid within 30 days of being received.

● Unless another method is mutually agreed upon, payment for services will be made by check and sent by mail.

Withholding payments; liquidated damages.

Notwithstanding any other payment provision of this Agreement, if the contractor fails to perform or document the performance of contracted services, MWVCAA may immediately withhold payments under this Agreement.

Independent Contractor.

Contractor is engaged as an Independent Contractor. Contractor will be solely responsible for payment of any Federal or State taxes required as a result of this Agreement.

● This Agreement is not intended to entitle Contractor to any benefits generally granted to MWVCAA employees. By way of illustration, but without limitation, the benefits which are not intended to be extended by this Agreement to the Contractor are vacation, holiday and sick leave, other leaves with pay, tenure, medical and dental coverage, life and disability insurance, overtime, Social Security, Workers’ Compensation, unemployment compensation or retirement benefits.

● Contractor is an Independent Contractor for purposes of the Workers Compensation Law (ORS Chapter 656) and is solely liable for any Workers’ Compensation coverage under this Agreement. If Contractor has the assistance of other persons in the performance of this Agreement, Contractor shall qualify and remain qualified for the term of this Agreement as an insured employer under ORS 656.407. If Contractor performs this Agreement without the assistance of any other person, Contractor shall execute a Joint Declaration with MWVCAA Compensation carrier absolving MWVCAA of any and all liability as provided in ORS 656.029.

Delegation and Reports.

Contractor shall not delegate the responsibility for providing services under this Agreement to any other individual or agency, and shall provide MWVCAA with periodic reports, if applicable, at the frequency and with the information required by MWVCAA.

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, Inc. (503) 585-6232

Hold Harmless.

Contractor warrants that all of its work will be performed in accordance with generally accepted professional practices and standards as well as the requirements of applicable federal, state,and local laws, it being understood that acceptance of Contractor’s work by MWVCAA shall not operate as a waiver or release. Contractor is responsible for injury to persons or property caused directly or indirectly by reason of activities by Contractor, its subcontractor or the employees of either, in the performance of this Agreement. Contractor further agrees to indemnify, save harmless and defend MWVCAA, its officers, agents and employees from and against all claims, suits, actions, damages, costs, attorney's fees, losses and expenses in any manner resulting from, arising out of, or connected with any such damage and/or injury that may be asserted by any person or entity in connection with the performance of work described in this contract, except liability arising out of the sole negligence of the MWVCAA and its employees.

Such indemnification shall also cover claims brought against MWVCAA under state or federal workers compensation laws. If any aspect of this indemnity provision shall be found to be illegal or invalid for any reason whatsoever, such illegality or invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remainder of this provision.

Settlement of Disputes.

Differences between a Contractor and MWVCAA, or between contractors, will be resolved when possible at appropriate management levels. MWVCAA has ultimate responsibility and authority for resolution of disagreements among subcontract agencies.

Non-discrimination.

Contractor agrees that no person, on grounds of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, marital status or age, will suffer discrimination in the performance of this Agreement when employed by Contractor.

Attorney Fees.

If an action, suit or proceeding, including appeal therefrom, is brought for failure to observe any terms of this Agreement, each party is responsible for its own attorney's fees, expenses, costs and disbursements for the action, suit, proceeding or appeal.

Captions.

The headings or captions in this Agreement are solely for convenience of the reader, and do not have legal effect.

Choice of Law.

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Oregon.

Venue.

Venue relating to this agreement shall be in the district or circuit courts of the State of Oregon for Marion County, located in Salem, Oregon.

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, Inc. (503) 585-6232

Severability.

If any provision of this Agreement is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct and independent provision and such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions hereof.

Termination.

Either party to this contract may terminate this contract by giving a 30-day written notice to the other party.

Termination for Default.

Either party to this contract may terminate this contract for violation to the provisions of the contract by either party.

Confidentiality.

Confidential information (the "Confidential Information") refers to any data or information relating to the Client, whether business or personal, which would reasonably be considered to be private or proprietary to the Client and that is not generally known and where the release of that Confidential Information could reasonably be expected to cause harm to the Client.

● The Contractor agrees that it will not disclose, divulge, reveal, report or use, for any purpose, any Confidential Information which the Contractor has obtained, except as authorized by the Client. This obligation will survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement.

● All written and oral information and materials disclosed or provided by the Client to the Contractor under this Agreement is Confidential Information, regardless of whether it was provided before or after the date of this Agreement or how it was provided to the Contractor.

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, Inc. (503) 585-6232

Attachment A

PROPOSAL COVER SHEET

Organization Name:

Primary Contact Person: Title:

Address: City/State/Zip:

Phone # Fax # Email:

Federal Tax ID # MWESB Certification: Yes □ No □ #

Name and title of the person(s) authorized to represent the Proposer in any negotiations and sign any Personal Services Contract that may result:

Name Title:

Provide at least three references with telephone numbers (please verify numbers). References must be able to verify the quality of your previous work in the proposed area of work.

REFERENCE #1

Organization Name:

Contact Person/Title:

Contact Phone Number:

REFERENCE #2

Organization Name:

Contact Person/Title:

Contact Phone Number:

REFERENCE #3

Organization Name:

Contact Person/Title:

Contact Phone Number:

By signing this page and submitting a Proposal, Proposer certifies that the following statements are true:

1. Proposer, acting through its authorized representative, has read and understands all RFP instructions, specifications, and terms and conditions contained within this RFP and addenda, if any.

2. Proposer certifies that its Proposal has been arrived at independently and has been submitted without any collusion designed to limit independent proposals or competition.

3. Proposer does not discriminate in its employment practices with regard to race, creed, age, religious affiliation, sex, disability, sexual orientation or national origin; Proposer has not and will not discriminate against a subcontractor in the awarding of a subcontract because the subcontractor is a minority, women or emerging small business enterprise certified under ORS 200.055.

4. If awarded the agreement, Proposer will be authorized to do business in the State of Oregon at the time of award and will be and remain in compliance with all applicable State of Oregon professional registrations and licensure requirements.

5. The statements contained in this Proposal are true and complete to the best of the Proposer’s knowledge; Proposer accepts as a condition of the agreement the obligation to comply with the applicable state and federal requirements, policies, standards, and regulations. The undersigned recognizes that this is a public document and open to public inspection.

6. The Proposer acknowledges receipt of all addenda issued under this RFP if applicable.

Signature: Date:

(Official Authorized to Bind Proposer)

Attachment B

MWVCAA Proposal Scoresheet Point Range

Points Earned

APPROACH & METHODOLOGY 0-30

Proposer's detailed approach to submitting successful grant applications

Details on the proposer's research methods and grant writing strategies

Understanding of MWVCAA's mission, vision, and project goals

Clear professionalism and proven ability to meet deadlines

APPLICABLE EXPERIENCE 0-20

Description of history, background, experience, and qualifications

Prior experience providing grant writing services to nonprofits

List of previous grant awards secured for other organizations

Excellent writing skills, as seen in submitted grant application example

PRICING / FEE STRUCTURE

0-20

Proposal includes a "not to exceed" estimate $ amount

Satisfaction of Previous Clients (Reference Checks) 0-15

Complete Proposal 0 or 10Proposal has all information and documents requested

Business Registration 0 or 5Registration through the State of Oregon or COBID as small business, minority-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned, or disabled owner business

0-100Total Points