LMF: Housing & Youth Workforce Development RFP

Overview

Liberty Mutual Foundation

Established in 2003, Liberty Mutual Foundation supports the communities in which Liberty Mutual employees live and work. In conjunction with our nonprofit partners, our common purpose is to invest in the expertise, leadership and financial strength of Liberty Mutual Insurance and our employees to advance security and build resiliency for people and communities in vulnerable situations. To further this purpose, we are launching Climate Resiliency as a new priority area of funding. Building on its efforts to strengthen communities, Liberty Mutual Foundation believes philanthropy can play an important role in increasing climate resiliency in vulnerable communities. These efforts can bridge the divide between mitigation and adaptation approaches to climate change. Philanthropy can support innovative solutions, scale-proven strategies, support nature-based climate solutions, strengthen grassroots efforts, and more.

Housing & Youth Workforce Development RFP

This Request for Proposals (RFP) seeks proposals that address (1) Housing Stability and/or (2) Youth and Young Adult Workforce Development. Building on its efforts to advance security for vulnerable individuals and families, and to expand educational opportunities for vulnerable youth, Liberty Mutual Foundation seeks to:

* Increase housing stability in Boston by supporting direct services and other efforts that strengthen pathways to stable housing and programmatic services across a range of individual circumstances, with access for individuals and families throughout the housing continuum, ranging from homelessness to affordable home ownership.
* Enhance workforce development opportunities for youth and young adults in Boston by preparing disconnected youth for post-secondary and career success.

Housing Stability: Goals and Sample Metrics

Liberty Mutual Foundation seeks to expand access to a full range of housing-related supports and programs that enable low-income families and individuals to find and remain in housing that is safe, affordable, and fits their needs and aspirations. Priority will be given to organizations serving extremely low-income to low-income residents in Boston, as defined below, and to organizations serving youth and young adults experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

Extremely low-income to low-income residents are defined by HUD as follows:

* Extremely low-income: Families whose incomes do not exceed the higher of the Federal poverty level or 30% of Area Median Income (AMI)
* Low-income: Families that earn up to 80% of the AMI

Organizations responding to this RFP are asked to propose metrics that they are prepared to measure and report on, and to identify those metrics that most strongly support the proposal’s goals. Examples of metrics for housing stability are provided below. Grant applicants may have metrics that are different from these examples and more closely aligned with proposed goals.

* Increase in number of individuals and families with significant challenges who gain access to one or more housing stability supports or interventions (e.g. wrap-around services, financial empowerment training, asset-building, first-time homebuyer classes, other programming)
* Increase in number of placements/movement along the housing continuum – e.g., temporary shelter to long-term supportive housing placements
* Increase in number of community members served who are able to avoid eviction or displacement and stay in their homes with the help of direct services and supports

Youth and Young Adult Workforce Development: Goals and Sample Metrics

The Liberty Mutual Foundation seeks to prepare disconnected youth and young adults for post-secondary and career success.

Priorities are to:

* Enhance services and supports for disconnected youth with the greatest needs;
* Build and strengthen capabilities and partnerships among nonprofit organizations that will improve opportunities for targeted youth, and that can be sustained and expanded over time; and
* Leverage government and other investments in youth and young adult workforce development.

Priority populations for Youth and Young Adult Workforce Development grants are:

* Youth and young adults experiencing homelessness
* Youth and young adults with disabilities
* Youth aging out of foster care
* Youth and young adults who are English Language Learners (ELL)
* Low-income youth and young adults

Organizations responding to this RFP are asked to propose metrics that they are prepared to measure and report on, and to identify those metrics that most strongly support the proposal’s goals. Examples of metrics for youth and young adult workforce development strategies are provided below. Grant applicants may have metrics that are different from these examples and more closely aligned with proposed goals.

* Increase in number of young people enrolled in workforce development services
* Among youth experiencing homelessness, youth with disabilities, or other vulnerable populations:
* Increase in number and percentage who enroll in and complete workforce development programs
* Increase in number who earn an industry-recognized credential
* Increase in number and percentage who enroll in and complete post-secondary education programs
* Increase in number of young people who are employed as percentage of total who complete services
* Increase in number and percentage of young people who are retained in employment 6 months or longer
* Development or expansion of proven models of service delivery that combine the best of population-specific services and workforce development services

Grant Types & Funding

Organizations responding to this RFP may submit one application, which may be for a discrete program or as part of a collaboration. The Foundation will consider proposals from nonprofit organizations in the City of Boston (city limits) or those with a compelling case for expanding or launching programs in Boston, and will consider two types of applications:

* Planning – a 12-month grant in the range of $25,000 to $75,000 to support planning activities to build partnerships and capacity to launch, expand, or leverage a longer-term initiative – e.g., to develop the capacity to apply for an implementation grant from government, private or philanthropic sources, including but not limited to the Liberty Mutual Foundation.
* Implementation – a 12-month grant of up to $100,000 for a discrete program or up to $200,000 for a collaborative project designed to achieve measurable outcomes. For collaborations, the applicant should be the lead partner.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* Liberty Mutual will award grants through this initiative to organizations that:
* Seek support for discrete programs within their organization or for collaborative initiatives to support the goals described in this RFP.
* Collaborative initiatives should have clear measures of success and may include efforts to build capacity, improve quality and impact, or scale up efforts targeting low-income populations or neighborhoods;
* Have relevant experience with housing stability, youth and young adult workforce development, or both;
* Currently operate in the city of Boston or have demonstrated support/relationships in Boston and a compelling case for expanding into Boston; and
* Are designated by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.