Match General Operating Support for Recipients of Government Grants – People, Power and Policy RFP

The Match General Operating Support program by The Chicago Community Trust aims to assist community-serving organizations managing government grants by providing essential funding to cover administrative costs. This initiative is crucial for ensuring that federal aid reaches historically disinvested communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. With a focus on equitable recovery, the program supports organizations that prioritize community investment, safety, and workforce development, thereby enhancing the overall impact of government funding.

Match General Operating Support for Recipients of Government Grants – People, Power and Policy RFP
This funding opportunity provides general operating support to community-serving organizations currently managing government grants to help them adequately cover the true administrative and compliance costs.
Background
Congress has appropriated $4.5 trillion in relief and recovery aid to address the public health emergency and the economic hardship provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The final pandemic recovery bill, the American Rescue Plan Act, included a historic and unprecedented appropriation of $350 billion for State and Local Fiscal Recovery – discretionary funds to state and local governments to respond to their communities’ unique economic and public health needs, including emergency rental assistance, support for small businesses, and piloting innovative programs like guaranteed income. The approximately $11 billion the State of Illinois, City of Chicago, and Cook County received from this package must be fully obligated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.
While a robust infusion of resources was and continues to be necessary to meet the immediate needs of those dealing with the economic impact of COVID-19, it is imperative to ensure these funds reach the communities and households suffering from historic disinvestment and the greatest financial hardship. Community-based organizations are crucial to ensuring federal funds reach theses communities. However, applying for, deploying, or meeting compliance requirements of government grants can be challenging for smaller, less-resourced organizations.
Goals & Outcomes
In addition to ensuring organizations can overcome barriers and challenges to managing government funds in the short term, the Trust’s longer-term goal is to advocate for reforms in government grantmaking and procurement processes to dismantle these barriers and challenges altogether.
Priority Strategies & Activities
Since the Trust began grantmaking under the Equitable and Inclusive Economic Recovery strategy, we have learned that the challenges organizations face when managing government grants and contracts are not unique to ARPA or other pandemic response and recovery appropriations but rather reflective of systemic barriers and challenges associated with government grants in general, regardless of the government level which funds originate. As such, the Trust will not restrict eligibility to organizations managing ARPA-funded grants but will prioritize organizations managing these one-time funds.
Priority will be given to organizations managing government grants that fund programmatic activities that align with the following issue areas:
Community Investment: Grants that enable economic and community development, support small businesses, or invest in infrastructure projects.Community Safety: Such grants fund organizations to engage in or promote alternative emergency response, provide support to people who have experienced violence, support returning citizens, engage in violence prevention, or reform the criminal justice system.Household Supportive Services: These grants enable organizations to provide human services to individuals and households who need assistance meeting their basic needs, or promote access to public benefits, including direct cash assistance.Housing: Grants enabling organizations to provide or connect residents in need to housing resources such as affordable rental housing, assistance for homeowners, rental assistance, shelter, or other supports for people experiencing or at risk of being unhoused.Workforce Development: Grants that support organizations to connect people to employment opportunities, assist people with wraparound support to sustain employment, or provide job training. Such grants may also fund organizations to provide employment opportunities for youth.
Funding
Grant awards will equal 10 percent of the total amount of the government grant for which match general operating support is requested, up to $50,000. While organizations may receive multiple government grants, match support will only be granted toward one government grant. This grant is not eligible for renewal.