2008 NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION PROGRAM REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
DEADLINE: THURSDAY, JULY 24th, 2008 BY 4:00 P.M.
NO FAXED OR E-MAILED PROPOSALS WILL BE ACCEPTED
Since 1978, the Trust's Neighborhood Revitalization Program has awarded $12,868,000 in grants to groups working in low-income communities, engaging residents in projects that improve their neighborhoods. Last year, we funded 10 of the 24 proposals received: 5 from Brooklyn; 3 from Manhattan; and 2 from Queens. Most of the funded projects addressed the housing needs of immigrant constituents, a theme of our Request for Proposals for the past three years.
This year, in addition to accepting requests for renewal support, we encourage proposals that respond to the poor economic outlook for the near future. Our years of budget surpluses have come to an end, with the Independent Budget Office and others predicting a significant loss of financial sector and real estate-related tax revenues. However you feel about Wall Street, it is a fact that when profits drop in the financial sector, City tax revenues take a hit. City agency commissioners are being asked to cut their budgets for the coming fiscal year, and budget cuts at the State level are already filtering down to neighborhoods, most immediately impacting local schools. Economic crises are nothing new to community development organizations –their constituents are always in a recession. We are hoping that this year’s NRP grants will help neighborhood-directed groups expand their efforts to help residents cope with economic hardship. Possible projects include helping homeowners at risk of foreclosure, preserving affordable rental housing, helping low-wage workers get Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) and other income supports, providing financial and employment counseling that directs people towards living wage jobs, and helping public housing residents improve their living conditions.
On another note, a lot has changed in the community development field since the Neighborhood Revitalization Program was created in 1978. Some community development corporations have expanded their traditional geographic boundaries in search of new sites and even new constituents. Others see themselves as serving an ethnic constituency rather than a specific neighborhood. Community development credit unions that once grappled with redlining now grapple with ever-evolving types of predatory economic services that push working families deeper into debt. Given these and other changes, it seems like a good time to do an assessment of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program. Later this year, we plan to convene individual and group discussions with community development practitioners and funders as a part of this process. We hope that you will help us explore NRP’s future direction.
Patricia Swann
June 2008
Please see the reverse side for specific instructions regarding proposal submissions.
ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS: Applicant organizations must demonstrate in their proposal that they meet the following program criteria:
• At least one year of work in community-based housing or economic development work;
• Evidence of the successful completion of a project that improved conditions in your neighborhood;
• Strong neighborhood base, including community resident participation on your board of directors; and
• The ability to work with other organizations and constituencies in your community, such as community boards or other nonprofit organizations.
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS: Please submit the following items as part of a proposal:
1. A statement no longer than 2 pages discussing the community context for your proposal.
2. A statement no longer than 5 pages describing project activities and the specific objectives to be met. List expected outcomes or accomplishments that will be realized with a grant and how the work will be supported after the grant expires.
3. A detailed one-year project budget including other sources (if any) that are committed to covering project costs.
4. The organizational budget for the current fiscal year and proposed budget for the next fiscal year, if available, showing sources of revenue and itemized expenses.
5. Your most recent audited financial statement.
6. A completed copy of our Proposal Cover Sheet, which can be downloaded from The New York Community Trust Web site at www.nycommunitytrust.org. [Hard copies of the Proposal Cover Sheet are available upon request; see contact information below.]
Please submit two copies of items #1, 2, and 3 and one copy of items #4, 5, and 6. Do not use folders.
Proposals must be postmarked or hand delivered by 4 P.M. on Thursday, July 24th, 2008. Our office location is 909 Third Avenue (between 54th and 55th Streets). Hand delivered proposals should be dropped off at the message center at 909 Third Avenue by 4 p.m. on Thursday July 24th. Due to building policy, you will not be permitted to deliver proposals directly to NYCT offices on the 22nd floor.
Grants will be announced in December 2008. Please call Patricia Swann at 212-686-0010 ext. 530 if you have any questions.
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