Notice: Attendance at a Grant Technical Assistance session and submission of a Notice of Intent to Apply is required in order to be eligible to apply for funding.

Summary: The DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation (The Trust) is a public-private partnership chartered by the District to help a wide variety of organizations improve the quality, quantity and accessibility of services and opportunities for every child in the city. The Trust works to increase resources and invest in the people, programs, and systems that serve children, youth, and their families in the District of Columbia.

The Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) is the District of Columbia cabinet-level agency established to lead the reform of the District’s juvenile justice system by coordinating the collaborative efforts of government agencies, contracted providers, labor, and community leaders to improve the security, supervision, and rehabilitation services provided to committed and detained juvenile offenders and Persons in Need of Supervision (“PINS”).

DYRS and the Trust worked together to establish DC YouthLink, a coalition of community-based organizations united in providing a network of resources, services, and support to enhance the community’s capacity to respond to the needs of DYRS youth and families and provide a system to successfully reintegrate DYRS youth back into their community. DC YouthLink’s two lead agencies provide coordination and oversight of community-based services through their Regional Service Coalitions. The lead agencies serve as a care coordinating entity, a funder and monitor of the providers in their Regional Service Coalitions, and an engagement vehicle for increasing and diversifying community-based services for DYRS youth. For additional information on DC YouthLink, please visit DC YouthLink.

The Trust announces the availability of a funding opportunity as part of the DC YouthLink initiative and invites qualified applicants to submit proposals to provide high quality services to DYRS youth in the District of Columbia during Fiscal Year 2013. Specifically, DC YouthLink seeks to support the delivery of a variety of high quality programs that will provide purposeful and developmentally appropriate opportunities to help DYRS youth thrive and achieve positive outcomes. Applicant organizations must employ a positive youth justice philosophy in its approach and program design. Proposals will be funded in four (4) categories:

• Education Services:
  • Academic Support, GED, Adult Basic Education, and/or Tutoring
  • Vocation Training Leading to a Credential
• Workforce Development Services
  • Job Readiness Training, Job Placement Assistance, and Retention Services
• Health Services:
  • Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment, or Recovery Support, Mental Health, Individual Counseling, and/or Physical Health
• Healthy Relationship Services
  • Evidence-Based Mentoring, Family Support and Counseling, and/or Civic Engagement

Criteria for eligible applicants: Eligible applicants are for-profit or not-for-profit entities. Not-for-Profit organizations must have 501(c) (3) tax-exempt status, been incorporated to operate in the District of Columbia, and been providing direct services since October 1, 2010; must be organized under the District of Columbia Non-profit Corporation Act (DC Code, sec.29-501 et seq.); must be a community-based organization, defined as: non-profit agency with a board of directors that is reflective of the community of population served; organization’s primary vision and program focus must be on serving children, youth, and/or families within the District of Columbia. An organization described in Section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. 501(c) (4), that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to apply, serve as a host site for members, or act in any type of supervisory role in the program. For profit organizations must have been providing direct services since October 2010 and have a mission and vision statement focused on serving children and youth within the District of Columbia. All organizations must submit a variety of documents including Basic Business License Clean Hands Form from the Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs and be in good financial standing with the DC Office of Tax and Revenue and the Internal Revenue Service. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

All eligible applicants must meet all of the applicable requirements contained in the proposal guidelines and instructions. The Request for Proposal (RFP) will be released on Monday, June 18, 2012. The RFP will be available for download on the Trust’s website at www.cyitc.org. The deadline for submission to the Trust is Monday, July 16, 2012 at 4 pm. All applications must be submitted in person.

The Trust will hold (3) Grant Technical Assistance (GTA) Sessions. In order to be eligible for this grant, attendance at one of the GTA sessions is mandatory for all applicants. The sessions will convene on the following dates at these locations (please note that these dates are subject to change):

Thursday, June 21, 2012 from 6 pm – 8 pm
Location TBA

Monday, June 25, 2012 from 10 am – 12 noon
Location TBA

Wednesday, June 27, 2012 from 10 am – 12 noon
Location TBA

IMPORTANT! All prospective applicants must submit a Notice of Intent to Apply to the Trust. The Notice of Intent to Apply form should be returned to the Trust by Friday, June 29, 2012 by 4 pm. Submittal of a Notice of Intent to Apply does not commit an agency to apply. However, failure to submit a Notice of Intent to Apply in a timely manner will disqualify an applicant. Any supplemental written information related to this RFP will be provided only to those organizations that have filed a Notice of Intent to Apply. A Notice of Intent to Apply should be submitted via online at www.cyitc.org/grants/nofa.asp or via email to [email protected].

Questions must be submitted in person at the Grant Technical Assistance Session or via e-mail at [email protected] on or before Friday, June 29, 2012 at 4 pm. All written questions concerning this RFP will be posted on the Trust’s website at www.cyitc.org. If you have any additional inquiries, please contact Kim Paymaster, Program Officer, via phone at (202) 478-8025 or via email at [email protected].

DC YouthLINK Application Process

Step 1: Participate in Grant Technical Assistance Session (GTA)

• June 21 - 6 pm
• June 25 – 10 am
• June 27 – 10 am

Step 2: Submit Notice of Intent to Apply (NOIA)

• June 29 at 4 pm

Step 3: Apply for Funding

• July 16, 2012 at 4 pm
• No late applications will be accepted