Request for Information (RFI)
Race Equity and Inclusion Training Providers for the Baltimore Summer Funding Collaborative
Overview:
The Baltimore Summer Funding Collaborative (SFC or the Collaborative), a partnership of more than 10 public, private, and nonprofit organizations, is seeking an experienced Race Equity and Inclusion (REI) training provider to offer trainings for Collaborative members and staff members of Baltimore’s Promise (BP), the organization serving as the SFC’s administrative backbone. The objectives of the SFC are to expand access to high-quality summer opportunities for children and youth, utilize a shared application and review to streamline the grantmaking process for summer program providers, and cultivate a sustainable summer program landscape through central data collection. In addition, the SFC identifies equity as a core value and seeks to uphold this value in its operational practices.
The REI training provider should be interested in and willing to work with the SFC over the course of at least six months to develop and facilitate a robust training schedule that will enable the Collaborative to better identify opportunities for and enact process changes that yield more equitable funding practices. The trainings will be attended by approximately 25 people, including representatives from the SFC’s member organizations and BP staff members. The provider should anticipate facilitating approximately 10-12 hours of live training sessions divided into 2-4 hour engagements. Trainings should be tailored to the SFC’s work as a collective and as philanthropic practitioners. They should result in a shared understanding of foundational terms related to REI that inform the development of the SFC’s definition of “equity” and a deep understanding of Baltimore’s history of racial inequity and its impact on youth and youth-serving entities.
The deadline to submit proposals is Monday, November 8th, at 5:00 PM. All materials must be submitted online via Formstack. The Baltimore Summer Funding Collaborative will consider proposals budgeted up to $30,000. REI training providers will begin working with Baltimore’s Promise and the SFC Equity Workgroup to plan the REI training schedule as early as December 1, 2021 and no later than January 15, 2022. Providers will be expected to conclude trainings and produce all deliverables by July 1, 2022.
Background and Rationale for Training
The Baltimore Summer Funding Collaborative was established in 2015 between the three largest philanthropic organizations in Baltimore City to reduce the application burden on summer enrichment providers by establishing a shared application and review process. Shortly thereafter, the murder of Freddie Gray and the subsequent Baltimore Uprising catalyzed a groundswell of philanthropic interest in youth engagement during the summer months. Since 2016, the SFC has consistently maintained at least 10 member funders that envision a sustainable summer program landscape in Baltimore that provides a range of choices, including enrichment, academic support, youth work opportunities, and safe places for youth to spend their time.
Since its inception, the Collaborative has awarded $19.8 million in support of summer enrichment opportunities to expand learning, recreation, and college and career readiness opportunities in the city. When children are disengaged from learning and enrichment over the summer months, they can lose up to three months of knowledge and skills gained during the previous school year. High-quality summer programming has been proven to help reduce this learning loss or “summer slide.” In supporting more than 5,000 program seats every summer, the Collaborative hopes that Baltimore City youth can access programs that allow them to learn and grow during the summer months.
Today, the SFC consists of 13 organizations that fund high-quality summer programs serving children and young adults from low-income families in Baltimore City. While funders make grant awards in response to their foundation’s specific funding priorities, SFC members share a commitment to expanding access to high-quality summer opportunities and streamlining the process by which providers can access private grant dollars. To be considered for funding, summer programs must promote academic, job readiness, social and/or emotional growth in children and youth and, where applicable, be inclusive of students of all abilities. Applicants must primarily serve children and youth from low-income families who live in Baltimore City and, if operating for four or more hours per day, must have a plan to serve healthy meals to program participants.
In addition, SFC funders have committed to a core value of equity. Historically, the Collaborative has operationalized this value by holding an open Request for Proposals process with access to free technical assistance, distributing funding across the neighborhoods and youth populations with the greatest need, ensuring that a diverse range of programs is available to youth ages 0-24, and by coordinating funding decisions to maximize the fulfillment of whole program budgets.
To ensure that the SFC’s practices meet the needs of summer program providers and the youth they support, especially those who are disproportionately impacted by race-based disparities, we must apply a consistent race equity lens that allows us to better understand the barriers and the challenges faced by our Black stakeholders and stakeholders of color, and the communities in which they live and serve. These REI trainings are a first and intentional step in constructing a more expansive definition of “equity” through shared language and shared understanding about issues of racial equity that impact SFC stakeholders, along with rigorous measures for implementation and accountability.
Following these trainings, the SFC plans to apply what has been learned to its current practices and future process development. Ultimately, the knowledge, insight, and shared understanding gained through these trainings will enable the SFC to better shape equitable practices that meet the specific needs of its stakeholders.
Desired Skills and Experience
Desired Results
Cost of Proposal
Baltimore’s Promise and the Summer Funding Collaborative will not pay any costs incurred by applicants associated with proposal preparation.
Timeline
The Summer Funding Collaborative will aim to complete the selection process within four weeks of the proposal deadline. Applicants selected as finalists may be invited to participate in a short conversation with the SFC as part of the hiring process. REI training providers will begin working with Baltimore’s Promise and the SFC Equity Workgroup to plan the REI training schedule as early as December 1, 2021 and no later than January 15, 2022. Providers will be expected to conclude trainings and produce all deliverables by July 1, 2022.
Compensation and Payment
The Baltimore Summer Funding Collaborative will consider proposals budgeted up to $30,000. Applicants should provide a line-item budget inclusive of hourly fees for relevant staff or another fee structure that shows how resources will be used for preparation and facilitation, inclusive of necessary pre- and post-meetings and planning time. The selected training provider can invoice as frequently as bi-weekly, and a narrative description of work related to the amount invoiced will be required with each invoice submission. Baltimore’s Promise does not reimburse for out-of-pocket expenses. Bids should consider all costs of providing services, including collaborations with external partners to provide content-specific trainings that supplement the expertise of the primary training provider.
Location and Performance of Services
Trainings may be conducted remotely or in-person depending on current recommendations from the Baltimore City Health Department related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in-person meeting policies of the training provider and Summer Funding Collaborative partners, and the location of the training provider. All other work performed by the training provider will be conducted remotely.
Proposal Description
The proposal should be no longer than 10 pages and include the following information:
Cover Page (Name, Business Name, Contact Information)
Letter of intent, including but not limited to the following:
Three professional references
Estimated hours and project budget
Q&A
Baltimore’s Promise held a virtual bidders’ conference on Thursday, October 14th, from 3-4 PM on Zoom. Please click here to watch the bidders' conference if you were unable to attend. The PPT for the bidders' conference is linked here. BP will answer substantive questions about the RFI until 12:00 PM on Friday, November 5th. All substantive questions will be answered in written form and posted online at bmoresfc.org. The Q&A section will be updated by 5:00 PM on November 5th.
Submission Instructions
The deadline to submit proposals is Monday, November 8th, at 5:00 PM. Prospective applicants may submit proposals as individuals or collaboratively with other applicants. All materials must be submitted online via Formstack using this link.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Baltimore’s Promise is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity and race equity and inclusion. It is our policy to recruit, hire, train, and promote individuals, as well as administer all personnel actions, without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin or ancestry, status as an individual with a disability who is otherwise qualified to perform the essential functions of his or her position, or any other protected characteristic in accordance with applicable laws. Baltimore’s Promise will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination, and any such conduct is prohibited.
Overview:
The Baltimore Summer Funding Collaborative (SFC or the Collaborative), a partnership of more than 10 public, private, and nonprofit organizations, is seeking an experienced Race Equity and Inclusion (REI) training provider to offer trainings for Collaborative members and staff members of Baltimore’s Promise (BP), the organization serving as the SFC’s administrative backbone. The objectives of the SFC are to expand access to high-quality summer opportunities for children and youth, utilize a shared application and review to streamline the grantmaking process for summer program providers, and cultivate a sustainable summer program landscape through central data collection. In addition, the SFC identifies equity as a core value and seeks to uphold this value in its operational practices.
The REI training provider should be interested in and willing to work with the SFC over the course of at least six months to develop and facilitate a robust training schedule that will enable the Collaborative to better identify opportunities for and enact process changes that yield more equitable funding practices. The trainings will be attended by approximately 25 people, including representatives from the SFC’s member organizations and BP staff members. The provider should anticipate facilitating approximately 10-12 hours of live training sessions divided into 2-4 hour engagements. Trainings should be tailored to the SFC’s work as a collective and as philanthropic practitioners. They should result in a shared understanding of foundational terms related to REI that inform the development of the SFC’s definition of “equity” and a deep understanding of Baltimore’s history of racial inequity and its impact on youth and youth-serving entities.
The deadline to submit proposals is Monday, November 8th, at 5:00 PM. All materials must be submitted online via Formstack. The Baltimore Summer Funding Collaborative will consider proposals budgeted up to $30,000. REI training providers will begin working with Baltimore’s Promise and the SFC Equity Workgroup to plan the REI training schedule as early as December 1, 2021 and no later than January 15, 2022. Providers will be expected to conclude trainings and produce all deliverables by July 1, 2022.
Background and Rationale for Training
The Baltimore Summer Funding Collaborative was established in 2015 between the three largest philanthropic organizations in Baltimore City to reduce the application burden on summer enrichment providers by establishing a shared application and review process. Shortly thereafter, the murder of Freddie Gray and the subsequent Baltimore Uprising catalyzed a groundswell of philanthropic interest in youth engagement during the summer months. Since 2016, the SFC has consistently maintained at least 10 member funders that envision a sustainable summer program landscape in Baltimore that provides a range of choices, including enrichment, academic support, youth work opportunities, and safe places for youth to spend their time.
Since its inception, the Collaborative has awarded $19.8 million in support of summer enrichment opportunities to expand learning, recreation, and college and career readiness opportunities in the city. When children are disengaged from learning and enrichment over the summer months, they can lose up to three months of knowledge and skills gained during the previous school year. High-quality summer programming has been proven to help reduce this learning loss or “summer slide.” In supporting more than 5,000 program seats every summer, the Collaborative hopes that Baltimore City youth can access programs that allow them to learn and grow during the summer months.
Today, the SFC consists of 13 organizations that fund high-quality summer programs serving children and young adults from low-income families in Baltimore City. While funders make grant awards in response to their foundation’s specific funding priorities, SFC members share a commitment to expanding access to high-quality summer opportunities and streamlining the process by which providers can access private grant dollars. To be considered for funding, summer programs must promote academic, job readiness, social and/or emotional growth in children and youth and, where applicable, be inclusive of students of all abilities. Applicants must primarily serve children and youth from low-income families who live in Baltimore City and, if operating for four or more hours per day, must have a plan to serve healthy meals to program participants.
In addition, SFC funders have committed to a core value of equity. Historically, the Collaborative has operationalized this value by holding an open Request for Proposals process with access to free technical assistance, distributing funding across the neighborhoods and youth populations with the greatest need, ensuring that a diverse range of programs is available to youth ages 0-24, and by coordinating funding decisions to maximize the fulfillment of whole program budgets.
To ensure that the SFC’s practices meet the needs of summer program providers and the youth they support, especially those who are disproportionately impacted by race-based disparities, we must apply a consistent race equity lens that allows us to better understand the barriers and the challenges faced by our Black stakeholders and stakeholders of color, and the communities in which they live and serve. These REI trainings are a first and intentional step in constructing a more expansive definition of “equity” through shared language and shared understanding about issues of racial equity that impact SFC stakeholders, along with rigorous measures for implementation and accountability.
Following these trainings, the SFC plans to apply what has been learned to its current practices and future process development. Ultimately, the knowledge, insight, and shared understanding gained through these trainings will enable the SFC to better shape equitable practices that meet the specific needs of its stakeholders.
Desired Skills and Experience
- Previous experience facilitating team-building exercises that cultivate open, productive, transformative relationships
- Previous experience working with organizations to build a clear and shared understanding of key concepts including but not limited to racial equity, types of racism (structural, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized), implicit bias, privilege, and oppression
- Previous experience facilitating REI trainings with individuals with a range of prior exposure to REI work
- Understanding of the local historical and current context of Baltimore City and how issues of racial inequity persist locally, particularly issues impacting youth and youth-serving entities
- Understanding of philanthropic practices and previous experience supporting foundations through practice and/or organizational change
- Previous experience working with collaborative entities where participants represent a range of institutions
- Previous experience facilitating effective REI trainings in-person and in remote/virtual settings
Desired Results
- Establish a shared understanding of foundational terms related to REI that inform the SFC’s definition of “equity” and approach to addressing equity considerations within the Collaborative’s work
- Learn about Baltimore’s history of racial inequity and its impact on youth and youth-serving entities
- Understand causes and manifestations of systemic bias within philanthropic institutions and learn about best practices for grantmaking with a racial justice lens
- Complement REI trainings being conducted at the individual and foundational level with trainings that are specific to our work as a collective and as philanthropic practitioners focused on supporting the summer enrichment landscape for youth ages 0-24
Cost of Proposal
Baltimore’s Promise and the Summer Funding Collaborative will not pay any costs incurred by applicants associated with proposal preparation.
Timeline
The Summer Funding Collaborative will aim to complete the selection process within four weeks of the proposal deadline. Applicants selected as finalists may be invited to participate in a short conversation with the SFC as part of the hiring process. REI training providers will begin working with Baltimore’s Promise and the SFC Equity Workgroup to plan the REI training schedule as early as December 1, 2021 and no later than January 15, 2022. Providers will be expected to conclude trainings and produce all deliverables by July 1, 2022.
Compensation and Payment
The Baltimore Summer Funding Collaborative will consider proposals budgeted up to $30,000. Applicants should provide a line-item budget inclusive of hourly fees for relevant staff or another fee structure that shows how resources will be used for preparation and facilitation, inclusive of necessary pre- and post-meetings and planning time. The selected training provider can invoice as frequently as bi-weekly, and a narrative description of work related to the amount invoiced will be required with each invoice submission. Baltimore’s Promise does not reimburse for out-of-pocket expenses. Bids should consider all costs of providing services, including collaborations with external partners to provide content-specific trainings that supplement the expertise of the primary training provider.
Location and Performance of Services
Trainings may be conducted remotely or in-person depending on current recommendations from the Baltimore City Health Department related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in-person meeting policies of the training provider and Summer Funding Collaborative partners, and the location of the training provider. All other work performed by the training provider will be conducted remotely.
Proposal Description
The proposal should be no longer than 10 pages and include the following information:
Cover Page (Name, Business Name, Contact Information)
Letter of intent, including but not limited to the following:
- Description of guiding principles or values that shape approach to REI trainings
- Description of proposed training series including desired outcomes and tentative training schedule/agenda
- Description of facilitation style and approach to adapting trainings to participants’ specific priorities
- Description of similar work performed including at least three examples of past clients, particularly those operate in the philanthropic sphere or organizations with a focus on youth development, with a short description of the nature of the training provided
- Description of experience with and adaptation to virtual facilitation
Three professional references
Estimated hours and project budget
Q&A
Baltimore’s Promise held a virtual bidders’ conference on Thursday, October 14th, from 3-4 PM on Zoom. Please click here to watch the bidders' conference if you were unable to attend. The PPT for the bidders' conference is linked here. BP will answer substantive questions about the RFI until 12:00 PM on Friday, November 5th. All substantive questions will be answered in written form and posted online at bmoresfc.org. The Q&A section will be updated by 5:00 PM on November 5th.
Submission Instructions
The deadline to submit proposals is Monday, November 8th, at 5:00 PM. Prospective applicants may submit proposals as individuals or collaboratively with other applicants. All materials must be submitted online via Formstack using this link.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Baltimore’s Promise is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity and race equity and inclusion. It is our policy to recruit, hire, train, and promote individuals, as well as administer all personnel actions, without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin or ancestry, status as an individual with a disability who is otherwise qualified to perform the essential functions of his or her position, or any other protected characteristic in accordance with applicable laws. Baltimore’s Promise will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination, and any such conduct is prohibited.
DEADLINE: The deadline for submission is Monday, November 8, 2021, at 5:00 pm.
Please note that the SFC will not accept late applications or applications by email or postal mail. Plan to submit your application a few days ahead of time in case you need help of have problems submitting your application.
You can apply online via Formstack by clicking here.
Please note that the SFC will not accept late applications or applications by email or postal mail. Plan to submit your application a few days ahead of time in case you need help of have problems submitting your application.
You can apply online via Formstack by clicking here.
Please direct any questions to rfps (at) baltimorespromise.org. For more information, please click here to watch a recording of the bidders' conference on October 14th. The PPT for the bidders' conference is linked here.
Q&A (Updated 10/18)
Will you hire more than one training provider?
The SFC hopes to work with one REI training provider (individual or organization) that is able to provide continuity in facilitation across multiple sessions. However, the SFC welcomes collaborative submissions or submissions that identify a specific partner/contractor who will support the primary facilitator. Please note that all expenses, including additional facilitation fees, should be accounted for in your proposed budget.
Who will be participating in the rei training sessions?
The trainings will be attended by approximately 25 people, including representatives from the SFC’s member organizations and Baltimore's Promise staff members. Because the SFC includes a range of philanthropic organizations, representatives from SFC member organizations may range from Program Officers to Executive Directors. All attendees will be people whose work is directly related to the SFC funding cycle. The audience for all training sessions should remain relatively consistent.
What is the incentive for members of the SFC to attend these trainings?
The SFC has collectively agreed to budget for and actively seek training providers that will support the Collaborative through a foundational REI training process. Participation in training sessions is an expectation for all members, and especially those who seek to inform the strategic direction of the Collaborative.
what are you hoping for by the end of this process?
The SFC acknowledges that deep learning around race equity and inclusion requires a substantial commitment of time and resources. At this time, members of the SFC have a range of prior learning experiences with REI, conducted individually or at the institutional level. We believe that by participating together in a robust set of foundational REI trainings, developing a shared vocabulary and understanding of important REI concepts, the Collaborative will be better able to identify opportunities for and enact process changes that yield more equitable funding practices. After engaging in foundational trainings, the SFC will continue this important work by developing and enacting an action plan with relevant accountability measures. REI providers are welcome to include suggested next steps and/or accountability measures beyond these initial trainings in their proposal descriptions.
SFC |