Key Proposal and Review Information

United Way of Olmsted County strives to cultivate relationships with community partners that are grounded in trust, open communication, and reciprocity. Our partnership processes draw from principles of trust-based philanthropy. The review process is expected to be interactive, with prospective partners and United Way representatives engaging in ongoing dialogue about the proposal.

Timeline

We will review proposals in two rounds of written proposals and program conversations. Round one will include a brief written proposal and a virtual meeting with United Way staff and volunteers to discuss the program being proposed. Round two will include a longer written proposal with additional program narrative and organizational documents (by invitation) and a virtual meeting with United Way staff and volunteers to discuss the program being proposed (also by invitation). Prospective partners will be notified after each proposal or conversation whether their program is advancing in the review process.

August 26 at 9:00 AM: Public Information Session

An optional public session held via Zoom. United Way staff will provide an overview of the investment opportunity, the program requirements, and the proposal and review process. There will be a brief time for questions and answers. The session will be recorded and posted on the United Way of Olmsted County website. Staff are also available for individual follow-up discussions upon request.

Recording of Zoom meeting.

October 8: Round 1 Proposals Due

All Round 1 Proposal Questions must be completed by 5 pm on October 8, 2021. Proposals are intended to be brief. Please reference our complete Housing Stability RFP Evaluation Rubric. All proposals should be submitted through UWOC’s online grants portal at www.uwolmsted.org/grants. For assistance with the online tool, please contact Zeni Aly at 507-287-7877 or ZeniA@uwolmsted.org. Applicants will be notified about the status of their proposal on or around October 13.

October 18-22: Round 1 Program Conversations

Prospective partners will be invited to have further dialogue with United Way’s review team. This meeting is intended to clarify any questions regarding your round 1 proposal our team has about your program and address any questions your organization has about partnership with United Way of Olmsted County. Available time slots tentatively include:

October 19, 8:30 – 11:15 AM (four 30-minute slots).
October 20, 1:00 – 3:45 PM (four 30-minute slots).
October 21, 8:30 – 11:15 AM (four 30-minute slots).
October 22, 12:30 – 2:30 PM (three 30-minute slots).

Applicants will be notified about the status of their proposal on or around October 26.

November 19: Round 2 Proposals Due (by invitation)

Programs invited to submit additional materials should submit their completed Round 2 Proposal Questions by 5 pm on November 19. The full proposal will request further details of your program design and impact. Please reference the Evaluation Rubric on our website.

At this time, we will also request organizational documents including financial documents and budgets. Budgets may be submitted in your own preferred format; if you do not have a budget template of your own, a sample can be found on our website at Budget Help Page. Applicants will be notified about the status of their proposal on or around December 3.

December 13-17: Round 2 Program Conversations (by invitation)

Prospective partners will be invited to have a second virtual conversation with United Way’s review team. This meeting is intended to clarify any questions regarding your round 2 proposal our team has about your program and address any questions your organization has about partnership with United Way of Olmsted County. Available time slots tentatively include:

December 15, 1:00 – 3:45 PM (four 30-minute slots).
December 16, 8:30 – 11:15 AM (four 30-minute slots).
December 17, 1:00 – 3:00 PM (three 30-minute slots).

Applicants will be notified about the status of their proposal on or around December 21. Final awards are subject to approval of the United Way Board of Directors.

January 2022: Development of Performance Measures

Finalists will work together with United Way staff to develop the performance measures to be reported during the funding cycle. These measurements will be co-created and specific to the program. United Way of Olmsted County uses the Results-Based Accountability (RBA) framework and will support programs in developing RBA measurement plans.

February 2022: Final Decisions Approved by UWOC Board of Directors

Partners can anticipate being notified of the final status of their request on or before February 28, 2022, after United Way’s Board of Directors has approved its final decision.

July 2022: Funding Begins

First disbursements of Housing Stability grants will be made in July 2022. Awards are disbursed in monthly installments. Prior to the first disbursement of funds, all partners must execute a funding agreement (Sample Partner Agreement).

RFP Questions and Attachments

Round 1 Proposal Questions - Round 1 proposals must be completed by 5 pm on October 8, 2021. All proposals should be submitted through UWOC’s online grants portal at www.uwolmsted.org/grants.
Round 2 Proposal Questions (by invitation) - Programs invited to submit additional materials should submit their completed round 2 proposal by 5 pm on November 19. All proposals should be submitted through UWOC’s online grants portal at www.uwolmsted.org/grants.
Evaluation Rubric - Please reference our complete Housing Stability RFP evaluation rubric, including examples. Proposals will be evaluated by a team of community volunteers, in coordination with United Way of Olmsted County staff. Reviewers will look for proposals that demonstrate:
- Alignment with the goals of the RFP
- Equity in program design
- Strong impact or potential for impact
- Effective partnership
- Sound budget
Sample Budget Template (PDF Version) - Budgets may be submitted in your own preferred format; if you do not have a budget template of your own, you may use this sample.