Neighborhood Voices: Belonging in Oakland

NEIGHBORHOOD VOICES: Belonging in Oakland ("VOICES")


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PURPOSE
Neighborhood Voices (VOICES) is a pilot grant program seeking to lift up seldom-heard voices of Oakland’s neighborhoods by supporting the expression, recognition, and understanding of the array of diverse communities that make Oakland unique, vibrant, and resilient. This program is part of the launch of Belonging in Oakland, the City of Oakland’s new cultural development plan that aims to promote cultural equity, belonging, and well-being for all the communities of Oakland.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
VOICES is designed to highlight and support community-based cultural expressions, stories, histories, and heritage of the many communities in Oakland’s neighborhoods—particularly ones that historically have not received equitable investments of resources or recognition.

VOICES seeks applications from culture-centered partnerships between community builders and cultural practitioners that are focused on building neighborhood vibrancy and community cohesion.

Examples of community builders: social service organizations, civic/neighborhood/family associations, community development agencies, youth groups, senior centers, or community groups.

Examples of cultural practitioners: traditional culture bearers, artists/artivists, storytellers, community historians, cultural centers, visual and performing arts spaces, or others who are knowledgeable of culturally-specific practices, history, or heritage. Applicants must have non-profit status and can be an arts or non-arts organization, but projects must involve cultural practitioners rooted in the community.

Partnership projects to be supported may include, for example:

• Activities that lift up the cultural identity of a people or the historical significance of a place such as a street festival, a walking or virtual tour, a folk life activity, or a civic art project.
• Community-centered participatory research into the history of a neighborhood, ethnic-specific enclave, or particular cultural tradition (including oral histories, audio/video/photo documentation and production, story cloths, etc.)
• Programming that fosters understanding of cultural practices that are not widely recognized or well understood in Oakland (cross-community and inter-generational activities, cultural education series)
• Apprenticeships in a traditional art form or cultural practice
• Traditional and cross-cultural community-building activities that foster empathy and connection.
• Educational programs in culturally-specific practices related to stewardship of natural world, food ways, and health and well-being.
Applications from the following are encouraged:

• Cultural groups that have received little or no support from the City of Oakland;
• Racial/ethnic-specific communities or other types of communities that are under-recognized or lack visibility in Oakland generally;
• Neighborhoods with few formal cultural resources (such as, cultural centers, performance venues, art galleries, cultural education programs, etc.);
• Partners who are deeply grounded and engaged in the neighborhood where the project is based.
Eligibility
Please carefully review the following eligibility requirements. If you have questions regarding eligibility, please contact the Cultural Funding Coordinator Denise Pate at (510) 238-7561 or email her at dpate@oaklandca.gov.


• The Lead Applicant Organization (applicants applying on behalf of their partnership and not as a fiscal sponsor) must be Oakland-based; be a federal tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; be a registered nonprofit in good standing with the State of California; and have a functioning board of directors. Lead Applicants may be arts or non-arts organizations. Individuals and for-profit entities are not eligible to apply.
• Only one application to this category is allowed annually per organization and per project.
• Applicants must work in partnership on culture-centered projects. Partnerships must include cultural practitioners and neighborhood-based community builders. (See examples under “Program Description.”) A Lead Applicant Organization must be designated by the partnership to submit the application on behalf of the partnership and will be responsible for administering the grant contract with the City of Oakland.
• Organizations currently receiving two (2) Cultural Funding awards at the time of the application are not eligible to act as a Lead Organizations but may work in partnership with a Lead Applicant Organization on a pro
• Organizations that wish to be the Lead Applicant Organization of their partnership but do not have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status must be Oakland-based and apply through a fiscal sponsor. Fiscal sponsors must have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and be located within the state of California, but may be based outside of Oakland.
Lead Applicant Organizations and Lead Organizations who are fiscally-sponsored must submit pr oof of Oakland residency. This requirement may be satisfied by submitting a copy of one of the following with an Oakland-based address (not a P.O. Box):

▪ Utility bill ▪ Bank Statement ▪ Rental Agreement

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Requirements of Fiscal Sponsors  
If a grant is awarded, the fiscal sponsor becomes the grant recipient and is the organization that contracts with the City of Oakland and is legally liable for all aspects of the contract including program implementation, fiscal management, and communication with the City regarding subcontractor or fiscal partner activities. The fiscal sponsor is authorized to oversee all aspects of the contract including finances; to monitor program activities of subcontracting or partner entities; to terminate contracts with subcontracting or fiscal partner entities with the approval of the City, if necessary; and to assume full fiscal responsibility for the contract, subcontracts, and fiscal partnership.

Fiscal sponsors for Oakland-based organizations without nonprofit status must meet the following criteria:

1.  A fiscal sponsor must be a federal tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and a registered nonprofit in good standing with the State of California.

2.  A fiscal sponsor may be arts or non-arts organization, but must have a mission that is in alignment with its sponsored organization.

3.  Submit a comprehensive, written, and co-signed “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) between the fiscal sponsor and the sponsored organization that must accompany the application. The MOU should include the following:

• Description of the exact nature of the services to be provided by the fiscal sponsor, outlining responsibility of fiscal sponsor in terms of financial arrangement, application preparation and reporting/grant compliance, and fiscal sponsorship fee;
• Insurance coverage arrangements that will satisfy the City of Oakland requirement;
• Qualifications/resume and contact information of the fiscal sponsor staff person who will serve as the primary liaison with the non-501(c)(3) organization lead project person. Note: If awarded, Grant documents will be mailed to the Fiscal Sponsor and must be completed by and reflective of the Fiscal Sponsor; these include the Cultural Arts Grant Agreement, schedule documents, insurance, financial and tax information.

REQUEST AMOUNT


• Grant awards are $10,000 per project
• There is no match required for this grant program
Neighborhood Voice grant funds must be used in accordance with the following:


• Artistic/cultural and administrative personnel salaries, wages, and/or fees
• Office, rehearsal or necessary rental space
• General office supplies
• Meeting expenses
• Marketing, promotion, and publicity expenses
• Insurance and employee/payroll taxes
• Program expenses (for example, artistic materials, instruments, documentation, printing, small equipment, refreshments)
• Consultant/advisor fees
Ineligible Expenses:

• Activities occurring outside of Oakland
• Fundraising events
• Out-of-state travel
• Operating expenses for commercial facilities
• Major equipment purchases ($750 and above)
• Capital construction and/or acquisitions
• Activities with a political or religious purpose

REVIEW CRITERIA
The following areas will be used to evaluate the application submissions, work samples, and other supporting materials.

1. Clarity of Project & Purpose (30 points maximum)


• Clear articulation of whose voice needs to be heard and why
• Strength and appropriateness of the partnership
• Potential of project to empower the neighborhood(s)/community(s) addressed
• Potential of project to strengthen a sense of belonging




2. Cultural/Programmatic Quality (30 points maximum)



• Understanding of and history with the neighborhood(s)/community(s) addressed
  

• Quality and appropriateness of activities (Do they enhance understanding of and respect for cultural practices and heritages?)
  Qualifications of key cultural personnel
  


3. Community Engagement (20 points maximum)


• Partnership’s ability and commitment to engaging historically under-served communities

• Ability to foster cross-community engagement

• Quality and depth of engagement plans
  

• Evidence of community support (volunteers, donations
  


4. Finance and Management (20 points maximum)



• Clarity and appropriateness of project budget
  

• Clarity and appropriateness of partner roles and responsibilities
  

• Qualifications of key administrative personnel
  




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Scoring

A Panel Evaluation Instrument is used by Review Panelists to assess the level to which an applicant meets each criterion. A score of 100 points is possible.



Criterion rating: Depending on the total points allocated to any given criterion (20 or 30), the criterion ratings and point spreads are as follows


Not Competitive


Improvement Needed


Satisfactory


Excellent


20-point spread:



1-5


6-10


11-15


16-20


Criterion rating:


Not Competitive


Improvement Needed


Satisfactory


Excellent


30-point spread:


1-7


8-15


16-23


24-30


Definitions of criterion ratings:

Not Competitive: The application is extremely marginal in quality and not competitive. Applications scoring Not Competitive for any review criterion will not be recommended for funding.





Improvement Needed: The application has some merit, but does not meet the criterion in a strong way.





Satisfactory: The application meets above-average standards of the criterion, however some improvement or development is needed to reach “model” status.





Excellent: The application meets the criterion to a very high degree and demonstrates a level of excellence that qualifies it as a “model.”

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DEADLINES, WORKSHOPS & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

SEE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) IN THE ATTACHMENT BELOW

APPLICATION DEADLINE:


Monday, January 7, 2019- 5:00pm

Applications must be received by the application deadline and must be submitted via the online Screendoor site:

LATE APPLICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS MAY BE DEEMED INELIGIBLE.

HOW-TO-APPLY WORKSHOPS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD VOICES APPLICANTS

• Monday, November 26, 2018; 12 noon (Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza; Hearing room 2)
• Saturday, December 8, 2018; 12 noon (East Oakland Youth Development Center. 8200 International Blvd. Oakland)
  
• Monday, December 10, 2018; 12 noon (Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Hearing room 2)
Cultural Funding Program Technical Assistance
If you are unable to attend the Neighborhood Voices application workshop or desire a one-on-one meeting, staff is available to provide technical assistance on an individual basis up to two weeks before the application deadline. Staff may also be able to review the draft of your grant application and offer feedback no later than three weeks before the deadline. Call (510) 238-7561 or email dpate@oaklandca.gov to make an individual appointment.

GRANT PROGRAM TIMELINE

Application Workshops:

Application Deadline:

Review Panels: subject to change

Funding Advisory Committee Recommendations Approval:

Life Enrichment Committee Approval:

Oakland City Council Approval:

Award Notifications:

APPLY USING OUR ONLINE APPLICATION


After reviewing the guidelines, begin your application by clicking the "Submit Response" button at top right. The application is formatted in web-based forms, and as you input your work it will be auto-saved by Screendoor.


• Project Budget
  
• Work Sample(s): Video OR Audio sample, up to 5 minutes in length, OR a Literary Sample of 10 pages or less, OR up to 10 image files
• Resumes of key artistic and administrative project personnel. Please combine these into one document
• A list of Art Activities that you or your cultural partner produced within the last three years, including name and location, if available
• One-page Letters of Commitment from Key Collaborating Partners
  
• A scanned Proof of Residency for Lead Applicant Organization; for example, a Utility Bill, Bank Statement, Rental Agreement or Voter Registration
• A scanned Proof of Residency for Key Collaborating Organization
  
• Fiscal Sponsor Memorandum of Understanding, if applicable
  
• Projected Organizational Budget for LEAD Applicant Organization
  
• Financial Statements for LEAD Applicant Organization
  

PLEASE NOTE: By submitting a grant application to the City of Oakland Cultural Funding Program through this website, you acknowledge and accept that your application materials will become public records of the City of Oakland.

If you have any questions about the grant guidelines or eligibility, please contact Cultural Funding Coordinator Denise Pate at dpate@oakland.net.com or call (510) 238-7561. For any technical questions about the online application form, click on the Contact Support button at right, or email support@dobt.co.