Community and staff members at Foundation events

Grantmaking

Since our inception, the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg has awarded more than $31 million in grant funding to local organizations working to improve health and racial equity in our community.

2023 & 2024 Grantmaking

The Foundation has partnered with Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital to jointly award $4.8 million to 30 organizations for the 2023 and 2024 funding cycles. Grants support work in the zip codes of the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area (33705, 33711, 33712) in our priority focus areas of Mental Health and Wellness for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and Economic Equity and Justice.

Award funding categories include:

  • capacity building (up to $10,000)
  • professional development/training (up to $100,000)
  • programmatic operations (up to $250,000)
  • multi-sector collaboration (up to $500,000)

Funded projects all consider the impact of systems change in their work and tie into at least one of the three priority areas identified in the Bayfront Health St. Petersburg 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), which include access to health and social services; mental health; and exercise, nutrition and weight.

Please read the full RFP for details on our process, requirements, and priorities.

For more information on our 2023 and 2024 funded partners, click the button below.

Funded Partners

Dr. Kanika Tomalin at grants opening

RELATED RESOURCES

The Foundation offered the following research resources and events in support of our RFP and grantmaking process.

 

DATA AND RESEARCH

BIPOC Mental Health and Wellness Scan

BIPOC Mental Health and Wellness Data Presentation

BIPOC Mental Health and Wellness Video Recording
Economic Equity and Justice Data Scan

Economic Equity and Justice Data Presentation

Economic Equity and Justice Video Recording

 

SUPPORTING EVENTS

Connection Days (August 22 and September 13)

Lunchtime connection and networking opportunities around the RFP

Think Out Louds (August and September)

Private 30-minute appointments with staff to get evaluation and technical assistance
Data Walks (May 9 and August 3)

Speakers Who Inspire: Dr. Jennifer Mullan (August 17)

TIMELINE AT A GLANCE

RFP Release Date

August 8, 2023

Intent to Apply Submission Due

August 25, 2023

Application Submission Due Date

October 6, 2023, by 5 PM EST

Award Notifications

2023: Week of December 4, 2023

2024: Week of January 8, 2024

 

NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

Grant Amounts

$10,000 to $500,000

Number of Applications

125 with more than $26M in requests

Number of Applications Funded

31 (30 unique organizations)

2023 and 2024 Grantmaking Focus Areas

Mental Health and Wellness for BIPOC

We fund work that helps create the ability for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color to be emotionally, socially, and psychologically healthy with equitable access to resources that create and promote wellness.

Economic Equity and Justice

In support of inclusive growth, we fund work that creates the conditions under which individuals can live fulfilling and sustainable lives free from concerns of meeting their basic needs, as well as challenging and transforming the systems that keep unjust economic conditions in place.

Community Q&A From Our Grant Application Period

Will acquisitions be funded? (e.g. a building/facility needed to do our programs) 

No, acquisitions of buildings or facilities are not an allowable expense; however, you may use funding to renovate an existing space to meet the needs of your proposed project.  

Will there be options for continued funding after the 3 years? 

At this time, we are allowing multi-year funding within the parameters of the RFP funding categories. There is no decision at this time regarding funding after the 3 years.  

I’m a member of a faith-based organization. We partner with a national organization, Faith Activity Nutrition (FAN). Is this a collaborative group to use for information? 

Yes, collaborative partners may be located anywhere as long as they impact your ability to serve residents in the designated zip codes: 33705, 33711, 33712. 

Can collaborators be for-profit providers as long as they aren’t the leading applicant? 

Yes, for-profit providers may serve as a collaborative partner in any funding category. 

Will a for-profit be able to collaborate as a partner with a nonprofit? 

Yes, for-profit providers may serve as a collaborative partner in any funding category. 

How can a literacy project fit into the funding process? 

Please sign up for a Think Out Loud session to talk about your project with Foundation team members and how it may align with the 2023 RFP. 

Will CHE publish a list of attendees to facilitate collaboration and help team formation?  

The Foundation for a Healthy St Petersburg will host Connection Days in our Center for Health Equity on August 22, 2023, and September 13, 2023, at which time attendees will be able to connect with other individuals/organizations seeking opportunities to collaborate. Please sign up to attend. 

Will you please share list of registered organizations and their contact information? 

The Foundation for a Healthy St Petersburg cannot share the list of registered attendees; however, to facilitate collaboration, Connection Days will provide the opportunity to meet individuals/organizations seeking opportunities to collaborate. Please sign up to attend. 

What systems are in place to have inclusion of organizations located in the CRA (Community Redevelopment Area)? How are we insuring that BIPOC organizations have equal opportunity? 

The RFP asks the applicant to describe their history and current relationship with the community they will be serving and what was the role of those with lived experience in influencing the proposed project. We are seeking to ensure equal opportunity for BIPOC organizations by asking information about organizational leadership, both staff and board members and providing multiple opportunities to engage with Foundation staff as well as multiple submission options. 

If you all see potential collaborations, would you encourage businesses to contact each other – share contract information? 

Yes, if an organization offers permission to share contact information with other organizations, Foundation team members will facilitate a connection. Information will only be shared with consent and will only contain contact information. We will not share ideas.  

As a lead agency, if we collaborate with other nonprofit partners on this RFP, are we required to only provide our annual budgets and not those of the collaborating partners? 

Yes, only the lead agency must provide budget information if they are eligible to apply. If a fiscal agent is used, the fiscal agent must provide budget information, not the lead applicant. 

Does cross-sector refer to public, nonprofit, and for-profit partners? Does a partnership of multiple 501(c)3 nonprofits qualify as cross-sector? 

Cross-sector refers to collaboration among various sectors, including faith-based organizations, government, media, community/individuals, nonprofit organizations, for-profit businesses, and philanthropy. A multi-sector collaboration will create a partnership(s) among one or more sectors beyond that of the lead applicant. A partnership of multiple nonprofit organizations does not qualify as cross-sector.  

Can we attend multiple Think Out Loud sessions? I’m imagining an initial session early, going back to work through metrics/impact, and then a second session to work through what we developed since the first session ahead of the application. 

We seek to provide the opportunity for everyone to have access to Think Out Loud sessions. As such, time and availability of Foundation team members may only afford each applicant one Think Out Loud session. We will do our best to accommodate needs and open more sessions if demand exceeds current availability. Currently, please plan for only one session. 

Who will be on the review team? Will review be public? 

Review team members include Harold Bryant, Dr. Bilan Joseph, and Julie Rocco from the Foundation and Sara Osborne and Jill Benford from Bayfront Health. The review process will not be public.  

Does Bayfront community grant funding impact eligibility for these RFPs with the Foundation? 

No. 

Is there an indirect cost rate requested budget? 

Yes, the indirect cost rate may not exceed 10% of the proposed budget request. 

Is there a limit/allowance for an indirect rate? 

Yes, the indirect cost rate may not exceed 10% of the proposed budget request. 

Because you are taking current, new, applicants, how do you ensure that the new ideas have an equal opportunity for funding? 

The rubric does not give an advantage to current or new applicants. Operational readiness is factored into the score, which may be showcased for both current and new applicants. 

The organizations that have been established will have all their paperwork and are used to applying for these proposals. What system do you have in place for the organizations that are new and need additional assistance? 

Foundation staff are available to assist with challenges that may arise relative to documentation requirements. Please, reach out to grants@healthystpete.founation with questions. 

We are a new 501(c)3. Would we only be eligible for $10,000 but would need more to meet the needs of our project? Is that when we should try and partner or attach to a lead? 

Yes, that is correct. If your nonprofit status is less than one year, you are only eligible to serve as the lead applicant for a capacity-building grant up to $10,000. To become eligible for additional funding, you will need to collaborate with a lead applicant that meets the eligibility requirements. 

For programmatic ops funding or multi-sector funding: 

  1. Can there be unrestricted funding in funding award? 

No, all proposed funding must be clearly identified with a justification for the expenditure. 

  1. If direct services are provided at public schools, how can we collect data for participating students? 

Please, participate in a Think Out Loud session so a member of the Foundation’s Research and Evaluation team may explore options and opportunities to collect and report data. 

Will you consider organizations in the marijuana industry? 

Please participate in a Think Out Loud session with members of the Foundation team so we may better understand your specific request and provide further guidance. 

Is there a cap for staff salaries and operations within the submission? 

No, a cap has not been established; however, budget justification will be considered as part of the scoring rubric. 

Are salaries an allowable expense? 

Yes, salaries are an allowable expense. 

Are salaries and administrative/operational expenses allowable in this grant budget? 

Yes, these expenses are allowed. Administrative/indirect cost should total no more than 10% of your total budget. 

Zip codes exclusive to 3 zip codes or inclusive of 3 zip codes? 

Proposed projects must target the zip codes identified in the RFP, 33705, 33711, and 33712, and the proposed budget must indicate the focus of expenditures in these zip codes; however, there is an understanding that your proposed project may also benefit individuals outside these zip codes.   

Does the entire project have to be in the 3 zip codes or can it have multiple locations that also include those 3 zip codes? 

Proposed projects must target the zip codes identified in the RFP, 33705, 33711, and 33712, and the proposed budget must indicate the focus of expenditures in these zip codes; however, there is an understanding that your proposed project may also benefit individuals outside these zip codes.   

My organization provides housing services. If the clients we are serving are located in the identified zip codes at the start of the grant, do they need to be continuously located in those zip codes to be eligible for these funds? That is to say, if our clients are about to become unhoused, must they be rehoused within the identified zip codes or are we able to expand the area to other parts of the city, county, or state? 

We understand the transient nature of individuals you may serve. We also understand the challenge of affordable housing in St Pete. As such, service provisions to individuals within these transient populations may need to occur beyond the targeted zip codes. The proposed project, and its supporting budget, must clearly delineate population served and related expenses which would account for your client services. 

What was meant “one application with multiple elements from funding categories?” 

The RFP provides 5 funding categories (capacity-building, research, professional development/training, programmatic operations, and multi-sector collaboration). There is a recognition that one application may have components from each funding category. For example, a multi-sector application may propose professional development/training, research, and capacity building along with programmatic operations. The lead applicant, when completing the grant application, will only select multi-sector collaboration as the funding category even though there are several additional components being requested from the other funding categories. When the proposed projects integrate more than one funding category type, please, select only one—the one you believe best fits the overall request.   

Population Information: will sexual orientation, gender identity be a demographic question? 

No, however, you may explicitly identify this population information in other areas of the application. 

For shared measurements, explain further—will 1 need to help measure one of the conditions of systems change and 1 need to measure one of the focus areas of Bayfront’s CHNA? 

Yes, these two shared measurements are both required as part of your application. Each measurement has options as to what specific targeted improvement your proposed project will impact. 

Can we make a mental health application and an economic equity and justice application? Or only one and include both ideas in that single application? 

Yes, an organization may submit an application for each funding focus area; therefore, a lead applicant may submit two applications (one for Mental Health and Wellness for BIPOC, one for Economic Equity and Justice).

How many times can an organization appear in the grant application process? Meaning, if we are planning on collaborating with a few different organizations for different proposals I there a cap in how many times our organization name can appear in the process? 

An organization may be a lead applicant for only one submission per each focus area; however, an organization may serve as a fiscal agent and/or collaborative partner for several proposed projects. A letter of commitment will outline the role of the organization as it relates to fiscal agent and/or collaborative partner. 

If our proposal fits in both categories, can we submit in both? 

Yes, an organization may submit an application for each funding focus area; therefore, a lead applicant may submit two applications. 

If we have a project that contributes to both BIPOC mental health and economic equity and justice, how should we choose one specific category to submit our proposal through? 

Please select the focus area that aligns with the impact measures you identify. If you have difficulty determining which focus area to select, please attend a Think Out Loud session. 

What was the logic of scoring weight evenly? Why not give more weight to racial equity than to lets say sustainability plan? 

The rubric is designed to focus on impact; therefore, each metric is scored separately. In regard to equal weight for racial equity and sustainability, both are critical to the understanding of the potential success of a project. The targeted focus of a project and the ability to maintain its impact beyond funding received from this RFP are both equally important.  

If you are still pending 501(c)3 determination with the IRS: 

  • Can you still apply for capacity-building funding? 

No, all lead applicants must submit an IRS determination letter with their application. Pending determination will not meet eligibility criteria. Please, consider partnering with an organization that meets the eligibility criteria. 

  • Can you still be a collaborative on other projects with established organizations? 

Yes. In order to identify potential collaborative partnerships, please attend our upcoming Connection Days and participate in a Think Out Loud session. Both opportunities will help facilitate collaboration.  

Where would food insecurity fit best in this RFP? 

Food insecurity has various opportunities within the construct of the RFP. Please, consider signing up for a Think Out Loud session to discuss your ideas with Foundation team members. 

Given the current challenges that we are experiencing in Florida (attacks on racial justice initiatives) are there any ideas or resources (example: for profit business who still stand with JUSTICE work) available for organizations who are getting defunded or ignored by for profit or other funding sources companies due to the social-political situation we are experiencing? Or recommendations for us to tap into? 

Organizations and/or individuals facing challenges and barriers in doing your work may attend a Connection Day where you may identify partners whose work you may seek to support as a collaborative partner. Please, also consider participating in a Think Out Loud session to talk about your challenges and explore opportunities to address them. 

Our organization seeks to engage and lift up stories and needs of a population/community that is hidden or intentionally silenced (undocumented and/or families of such; bilingual) and there is little to no data collected about these groups in Pinellas and these zip codes—any recommendations of where we can access this data or gather it? 

Research is an RFP funding category. Please, consider participating in a Think Out Loud session to explore opportunities to identify existing data as well as the creation of new data. Also, consider data more broadly. Data is quantitative and qualitative inclusive of informal data sources, storytelling, lived experience, etc.

Are there attachments that can be downloaded? 

Yes, attachments may be found on the grantmaking webpage as well as in the grants portal.  

 

Our national headquarters are out of state; however, we have a fully staffed Pinellas County office located in St Petersburg that serves the three relevant zip codes. Are we eligible to apply for the open RFP? 

Yes, you are eligible for funding within the current RFP as long as your work and corresponding expenses target the designated geographic area of 33705, 33711, and/or 33712. 

Our foundation was established in 2021, our IRS determination letter wasn’t received until January of 2023. Would only be eligible to apply for the Capacity Building Funding Category?   

Yes, that is correct. You are eligible to apply under the capacity-building funding category. Additionally, you may partner with another lead applicant which may extend your eligibility for additional funding categories. 

Once the Intent to Apply survey is completed, should the Letter of Intent be submitted via the grants portal or should it be emailed prior to submitting the grant application? 

The survey for Intent to Apply is optional, but strongly encouraged. A Letter of Intent is not part of the RFP process so no need to submit a Letter of Intent. The next step, after completing the optional Intent to Apply survey, is to register in the Foundation’s grants portal so you may complete and submit the application. You may register here:  https://healthystpete.fluxx.io/ 

If possible, can someone please send me a list of the Fiscal Agents in the area? 

We do not have a list of fiscal agents; however, you may sign up for a Think Out Loud session and share your proposed project idea with Foundation team members. They can then make suggestions on who you may want to consider in that role given the work you are proposing. 

 If your time allows, you may also want to attend a Connection Day. At the Connection Day, we will ask organizations to identify themselves as a potential fiscal agent, so you may discuss their potential role as a fiscal agent for your proposed project. 

You may visit our website at www.healthystpete.foundation to find the grantmaking page that includes links to register for both Think Out Loud sessions and Connection Days. 

Just planning ahead…After this year’s grant opportunities, will the Foundation be issuing another round of funding for next year. 

Currently, we are focused on the release of this RFP and the work necessary to review grant applications and subsequently issue grant awards. We will be moving into 2024 Strategic Planning later in the year. Upon its completion, we will have more information we may share regarding funding opportunities in 2024. 

I was informed that FHSP does not have interest in funding BIPOC behavioral health initiatives with the grant that just opened. Is that accurate? 

Behavioral health is an eligible targeted area of focus. We understand co-occurrence and the relationship between substance use and the two identified focus areas and impact measurements. The CHNA identifies substance use within the targeted area of behavioral health alongside mental health. 

Trying to find the video of the grant making session on the 8th. Is there a recording of that RFP session? 

You can find it on the grantmaking webpage in the first paragraph under current opportunities.  You may also access the recording here

I normally like to go through the fields on an online submission to see how the system works.  Are fields marked as “required” meaning if I go through the application it effectively creates “dummy” application?  My concern is that while I like to be prepared, if I go in to explore it, I may accidentally create a headache or problem for your team. 

Feel free to go into the system and do whatever you need to become comfortable with it. As long as you do not hit submit, we will not review it. You can also just not hit save after you check it out. Doing so will delete your content. If you accidentally perform a function in the grants portal and need help correcting it, please, reach out to grants@healthystpete.foundation or Julie Rocco at 727.440.7970. 

Does the Bayfront community grant funding impact eligibility for these RFP’s with the Foundation? 

If you have a current grant with Bayfront Health and wish to apply for the RFP, you will need to be up to date on reporting and meeting your goals to be eligible to apply for the RFP with the Foundation. 

Can Bayfront partner with a letter of commitment? 

Yes, Bayfront Health may submit a letter of commitment as a collaborative partner; however, the two reviewers from Bayfront Health will abstain from scoring the application to avoid a conflict of interest and/or a perception of favorable bias. 

Are your Think Out Loud sessions full? I am trying to sign up for a session, but I do not find an available time.

To provide equitable access to Think Out Loud sessions and as a result of their popularity, we are limiting the meeting time to 30-minutes and only one Think Out Loud session per organization and/or project proposal.

If I plan to submit my application using the in-person option, do I need to set up a time with the Foundation to do this?

Yes, you must sign up for a time between October 2nd – 6th. You may find the link to solidify your appointment time here:

We are excited about the opportunity to apply for the grants offered by The Healthy Foundation for St. Pete. However, I am writing to inform you that we have not yet received our login credentials to access the online portal for submitting our Letter of Intent (LOI) and grant application. Could you kindly assist us in resolving this matter? If possible, could you provide us with the necessary login information or guide us through the steps to obtain our credentials?

Please find information on the grantmaking page and in the RFP that will guide you to the appropriate links as well as video tutorials. Here are the links as well:

Grantmaking Website Page

Grants Portal Log-In

Video Tutorial for Grants Portal Log-In

Please let me know if you have additional technical questions. Happy to help.

We just noticed the language in the RFP saying “…if you are using a fiscal agent, both you and your fiscal agent must meet all the eligibility requirements.” This was confusing to us since a fiscal agent is typically used if an eligibility requirement isn’t able to be met by a lead applicant.

Yes, sorry about that. To be more specific, it is all other eligibility criteria except for the financials. Indeed, use of the fiscal agent helps create the infrastructure smaller organizations may not have to apply for larger grants.

As a lead agency, if we collaborate with other nonprofit partners on this RFP, are we required to only provide our annual budgets and not those of the collaborating partners? 

Yes, only the lead agency must provide budget information if they are eligible to apply. If a fiscal agent is used, the fiscal agent must provide budget information, not the lead applicant.

Can a lead organization who meets all eligibility requirements except operating budget requirement submit an application as the lead organization and utilize a fiscal agent?

Yes.

For ‘consulting costs’ in the budget, there’s a 15% restriction for third-party evaluation. Is that only for research and evaluation? Can you please clarify evaluation? 

If a project is using a third-party evaluator to assess the impact of their proposed project, only15% of the total budget may be allocated for this purpose. It will show up in the budget template under consultant costs/contract services.

We are looking to run a lot of our program on contracted services given we are a small organization with low overhead. We plan to outsource our program delivery services such as curriculum development and video recording for our online content. We anticipate this exceeding 15%. I understand third-party evaluation to be more of consulting services to inform a program but wanted to clarify before I develop a budget around my assumptions.

There is no established ceiling or budget limit for contracting services directly related to the development and implementation of your proposed project. We understand proposed projects may require contracting for specialized services and/or contracting with those organizations with whom you are creating a collaboration.

We’re planning on applying for a multi-year grant. Is there a specific multi-year budget template with budget columns for Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3? If not, can we use Columns D-Z to delineate the years?

Yes, please expand the budget columns to align with the year of expenditures, as you have suggested.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we have a federally negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) that is higher than the allowable rate indicated on the attached budget template.  Are we permitted to use our NICRA rate instead of 10% if we submit appropriate documentation?

To maintain consistency with our fund distribution framework, we allow no more than 10% of the total budget to be allocated to indirect costs, irrespective of other negotiated rates with local, state, and/or federal entities.

The budget template indicates that rent and utilities are considered part of the indirect rate.  Are we permitted to treat rent and utilities as a direct expense rather than as part of the indirect rate if the rent in question is specific to the program for which we would be applying? 

Indirect costs are inclusive of organizational expenses incurred across the organizational infrastructure such as human resources, finance/bookkeeping, phones, and/or rent and utilities. Costs directly related to programmatic expenses are considered operating expenses and may include rent and utilities. To decide, ask yourself this question: Would we be absorbing these costs if we were not running the specific program we are proposing? If the answer is yes, please, consider the expense an indirect cost which can total no more than 10% of your total budget. If the answer is no, please, consider the expense a programmatic operating expense which may vary based on your funding category and program design. Your budget justification must showcase how the expense(s) directly supports your proposed program.

Does my fiscal agent have to be a local nonprofit, or can it be an organization in another state that I’ve worked with for over a decade?

Yes, you may use a fiscal agent out of state as long as they meet the eligibility requirements and no more than 10% of the total budget is allocated to fund their fiscal agent role.

Can any grant funds be used for staffing / indirect costs?

Funds may be used for staffing costs relative to direct personnel assigned to conduct the activities for the proposed project. Indirect costs are allowed up to 10% of the total budget.

Is a fiscal agent also a collaborative partner for a grant?

A fiscal agent may serve solely as the financial and administrative infrastructure for the proposed project. In this role, the fiscal agent will be only responsible for administration of the grant, not project activities related to outcomes. The fiscal agent fee may be no more than 10% of the total budget. A fiscal agent may also serve as a collaborative partner in the delivery of services and/or activities associated with project deliverables. In either case, a letter of commitment must be submitted that clearly outlines the role of the fiscal agent.

How many organizations can collaborate on a grant?

You may have as many collaborative partners as needed to fulfill the deliverables of the proposed project. A letter of commitment must be included in your grant application for each partner.

Do you have a list of fiscal agents?

The following organizations have stated they are willing to explore the role of fiscal agent for organizations seeking one. Please note, this is not an exhaustive list. We will add to this list as other organizations are identified:

Healthy Start Coalition of Pinellas

Pinellas County Urban League—Vonda Ford: 727.327.2081 x106

University of South Florida St Pete—Dr. LaSonya L Moore: 727.432.6225 or Dr.LaSonyaMoore@gmail.com or llmoore@usf.edu

Supportive Equity Connections – Esther Matthews: 727.900.1170

Pinellas Opportunity Council – Pattye Sawyer: 727.543.4173

I am writing to ask if our idea would be appropriate for multi-sector collaboration. We intend to apply for a collaborative, equity-focused project. We want to work with partners within our sector. According to my thoughts, this would be a $250,000 multi-year grant, but my team is wondering if this could be a multi-sector ask? All of the partners in the application are in the same sector. While the implications cross sectors, the initial research and impact is from our sector.

If all collaborative partners are within the same sector and, as such, your grant application will only include letters of commitment from the sector you operating in and the project activities will remain isolated to only these sector partners, the funding category most appropriate for your proposal is programmatic operations. If, however, your intent is to partner with other sectors to promote change in the inequities you are addressing as the issues become revealed and your letters of commitment are inclusive of this language and these types of opportunities unfolding within the context of the proposed work, the funding category of multi-sector is appropriate.

If I have a fiscal agent, do I still need to meet the minimum requirement of a 50k operating budget?

No—the fiscal agent must meet the eligibility criteria—longevity of nonprofit status of more than one year and operating budget at or above $50,000. The fiscal agent will need to submit their information so we may verify their information and eligibility. Also, a letter of commitment must be submitted with the grant application that outlines the role and responsibilities the fiscal agent is taking on. The fiscal agent may charge no more than 10% of the total proposed budget request.

What expenses are considered administrative costs and up to 10% of the budget? Are subcontracts and consultants part of the administrative costs?

Administrative costs are expenses such as human resources, finance, rent for offices not used for the programmatic services the grant is funding, phone services not used for the programmatic services the grant is funding, and other administrative expenses the organization typically pays for irrespective of receiving a grant award from the Foundation. The percentage cap of funds you can allocate is no more than 10% of the total budget.

Subcontractors and/or consultants are typically not part of the administrative costs unless they are serving as a fiscal agent. Subcontractors will likely be collaborative partners within the proposed project and their budgetary needs will be included in this line item. Consultants may be used to support the project with a specific subject matter expertise such as a trainer, strategic planner, facilitator, etc. There is no cap on the amount of funding that can go toward subcontractors and/or consultants, unless they are the fiscal agent which is a 10% cap for that specific role. Do keep in mind that the total budget cannot exceed the funding ceiling in the category to which you are applying, but there is no percentage cap.

There is one exception and that is a subcontracted evaluator. No more than 15% of the total budget may be allocated to pay for the evaluation and/or evaluator’s subcontract.

In summary:

No more than 10% of total budget for administrative costs

No more than 15% of total budget for evaluation costs

No percentage cap for costs allocated to subcontractors and/or consultants that are working outside the administrative role or evaluation role.

I continue to have challenges logging into the grants portal. Am I doing something wrong and can you assist me?

Please, remember your username is not your email. It is your first name_last name. For example, my username in the grants portal is: julie_rocco. You may use your username to change your password if you forget it. If you still need assistance, please, reach out to grants@healthystpete.foundation or julie@healhtystpete.foundation.

How are funds dispersed?

  • Monthly/quarterly? Funds are disbursed in installments with the intention of providing funded partners the monies needed to continually progress on their projects. The initial payment is made once the award agreement is fully executed and returned to the Foundation. Payments thereafter are based on the funding amount, the project timeline, and reporting associated with the project timeline. Typically, reporting and payments are made every 6 months.
  • Direct deposit/check/wire? Payments are made electronically. The Foundation’s Finance Department will assist with setting up electronic payments.
  • How are disbursement amounts determined? They are determined based on the project budget and project timeline with the desire to maintain a funding stream that keeps up with the project expenditures. The Foundation is not a reimbursement-based funder. You will have funds available immediately. You will receive additional payments upon receipt and approval of reports, typically every 6 months until the project period ends.

What if the non-profits I’m collaborating with do work across different sectors… Does this count as a cross-sector collaboration?

Yes.

Systems change takes a long time; how do I measure this within the grant period?

We recognize systems change takes time, however, we encourage you to use a systems lens in the development of your idea for the RFP. In other words, your application should articulate/explain how your idea contributes to long-term systems change and how you will be measuring these outcomes.

You may bring these types of questions up during a Think Out Loud session or the upcoming Connection Day on September 13, 2023.

The primer mentions a “community pulse team,” is this something that my organization needs to curate/build? What is a community pulse team?

You do not need to include anything about the Community Pulse Team in your application. The Foundation is responsible for the Community Pulse Team. As this portion of the grantmaking work unfolds, more information will be shared.

Is there now or in the future any intent to fund services outside of St. Petersburg but within Pinellas County?

At this time, funding will focus on the geographic area of South St Petersburg. We will use data to continue to inform our geographic areas of focus as it relates to our mission, “We achieve health equity through racial equity by listening humbly, learning fearlessly, and leading courageously to impact systems change” and origins.

We are headquartered in California, but we work wherever our sponsors are and everywhere in Florida. We are contacting you to see if there are any grant or sponsorship opportunities with your group or foundation.

Thank you for your email inquiry. You may review our currently open RFP to assess your alignment and eligibility. You may find it here: https://healthystpete.foundation/grantmaking/

How often will we be expected to report on the metrics we propose?

Most projects will have written reports due every six months. The reports will include progress toward your metrics.

I cannot attend my Think Out Loud session in-person anymore and want to know if I can reschedule it or attend virtually. Can you please assist me with this matter?

If you need to reschedule your Think Out Loud session, please, reach out to Dr. Susie Paterson at susie@healthystpete.foundation or Kyandra Darling at kyandra@healthystpete.foundation . You may also reach out should you want to switch from one meeting modality to another—from virtual to in-person or vice versa.

Are fiscal agents considered the lead org on proposals since we are using their budgets and incorporation year? If so, are we limiting the amount of projects fiscal agents can support per focus area or are they only limited by their own budgets?

As long as the fiscal agent can show they have the capacity to support a project or projects, they may serve in this capacity. They are not the lead applicant. There is a question on the grant application that asks the lead applicant to share if they are using a fiscal agent: yes or no. If the applicant selects yes, then the fiscal agent information must be shared as a required field. They will also need to provide a letter of commitment from the fiscal agent outlining their role as such. The fiscal agent will also need to provide the lead applicant their budget information and IRS determination letter.

It is the responsibility of the fiscal agent not to overextend themselves and, if they do, it will show up in the due diligence the Foundation conducts as well as the reviews of the grant applications, potentially with the consequence of not being funded. The fiscal agent’s capacity and operational readiness will be scored within the rubric.

If you are a lead applicant, you may want to consider asking your potential fiscal agent if they are serving in this capacity for other organizations on other applications.

Beyond the required attachments outlined in the RFP, how many additional documents can I upload into the grants portal?

The RFP requires the following documents to be uploaded as attachments:

  1. Required: Timeline (no more than 3 pages)
  1. Required: Proposed Project Budget (use budget template provided)
  1. Required if a collaborative: Letters of Commitment (each partner must have a letter of commitment)
  1. Required: IRS Determination Letter or Organizational Status Verification
  1. Required; Current Year to Date Operating Budget (Lead organization and, if used, fiscal agent)
  1. Required: Prior Year Operating Budget (Lead organization and, if used, fiscal agent)
  1. Required: List of Board of Directors
  2. Optional: Appendix / Other Documents – Please, seek to limit supporting documents to only those needed to help the reviewers better understand what you seek to improve, purchase, or do. For example, a photo of land, a building, or a vehicle may help reviewers envision your project. Curriculum outline, overview of a technology platform, or a service provider workflow may help reviewers better understand what you are proposing. We do not want newspaper articles, flyers, fund development packets, video testimonials, etc. They will not be reviewed and/or used to inform a funding decision.

Please do not include documents that simply seek to extend the word/character count beyond the limitations established in the RFP and grants portal. The word/character counts available for each section provide ample space to answer the question(s). The reviewers will be able to use the scoring rubric based on the information provided in each section of the RFP.

We are proposing a 3-year project. Do we need to create a budget for all 3 years or just the first year?

The budget should reflect all expenses related to your request. If you have a 3-year project, then the budget should reflect 3 years of expenditures with an allocation to what the expense is paying for. Please, use the template and expand the columns to align with your project period.

Do we need to include a separate budget narrative:

No. Please just use the notes section in the budget template to describe project expenses.

We are proposing a project that will require a 3-year budget. Does the budget have to be equal for all 3 years or can it vary based on the needs of the project?

We understand that expenses may be different for each year of the project. As such, we do not expect to see a budget that is the same for every year. We do expect your budget to show where all requested funds will be spent.

If we submit an application for $500,000 as a multi-sector collaboration, but it is determined that our proposal really only has collaborative partners from one sector, will you just reduce our budget to whatever funding category we are eligible for?

No. If you submit a proposal in any funding category you are not eligible to apply for, your application will be deemed ineligible for review. The reviewers will not see or score your application. We will not negotiate the creation of a new budget and application. You will receive a notification that your application contains a fatal flaw and will not be reviewed.

We are hopeful this will not happen to any applicants. To help avoid this scenario as best as possible, please, email: grants@healthystpete.foundation or set up a time for a Think Out Loud session to help determine which funding category and budget ceiling aligns with your proposed project.

I do not see schools listed as a sector in the grants portal. Where should a school be listed?

You may list a school as a governmental or nonprofit organization, whichever you believe best identifies the IRS status of the organization.

Would a partnership of nonprofits be considered multi-sector if we each provide and perform different services?

No, this is not multi-sector. This would be considered a collaboration with multiple partners working within the same sector. Even if the nonprofit partners specialize in different areas within the sector such as a housing nonprofit, a legal aid nonprofit, a food security nonprofit, and a childcare nonprofit, the project only collaborates with nonprofit organizations. This application would not be eligible to apply for a multi-sector collaboration.

Research on impact and sustainability reveals an increase in both when collaboratives are comprised of multi-sector organizations.

Would a partnership with churches within the zip codes that are a priority meet the qualifications of the grant or do we need to survey the individual members of the congregations to show that they are living in the zip code to qualify?

A partnership with churches within the eligible zip codes may enhance the ability to meet community needs via improvements in the assets (in this case churches) within the geographic target area. As such, although members of the congregation may reside outside the targeted zip codes, the building is an asset within the neighborhood and residents may attend and/or be served by the church.

The RFP designates a word count, but the grants portal has a character count limit. Which should I use?

The word count from the RFP was converted into a character count in the grants portal. We researched the conversion of number of words to number of characters as well as number of minutes. Doing so maintains equal opportunity to share your proposed project rather in-person, video, or in writing.

On behalf of our 501(c)3, I thought I was registering to state our intention to apply, but it appears that I only registered for the event this Wednesday (Sept. 13). Does this oversight prevent us from applying under the capacity building category? Is there anything else we need to be aware of at this time regarding our intention to apply?

You are good to go. The Intent to Apply survey was optional. No names were captured as part of the Intent to Apply survey. All is well. You are still eligible to apply.

The rubric states in the budget justification that the evaluation costs do not exceed 10% but the budget template states up to 15% of the budget may be allocated toward the evaluation. Will you please address this discrepancy?

The correct answer is: No more than 15% of the total project budget may be allocated toward an evaluation. Please, see the most recently updated rubric here: https://healthystpete.foundation/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/FHSP-RFP-Rubric-2023-extracted-REV-091323.pdf

Will you be considering the cost per participant as part of the application scoring?

Budget justification is part of the scoring rubric. We do not ask for a cost per participate rate; however, we will be giving consideration to your budget request as it relates to impact. Your SMART goals will help establish your impact.

Is a fiscal agent the same as an Administrative Services Organization (ASO)? 

No. The fiscal agent is only responsible for oversight of the financial role, receiving the funds from the Foundation and administering them within the terms of the grant award.

An ASO oversees other components of an organization’s infrastructure such as benefits and human resources. There are also instances where an ASO may be created to serve as administrator of direct service expenses, such as bus passes, auto repairs, electric deposit, that may be accessed by multiple service providers.

Do I have to have a letter of commitment from all partners listed in my grant application?

If the success of the project, as determined by meeting impact goals, relies on a partner(s) listed in the grant application, a letter of commitment must be included that outlines the role and responsibilities of the partner within the proposed project.

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Sep 13, 2023 @ 11:30 AM

Join us for lunch and grantmaking-focused networking. This month’s Connection Day event will focus on the Foundation’s 2023 grant-making priorities of Mental Health & Wellness for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and Economic Equity and Justice. Interested in connecting with other people doing this work? Sign up now. We’ll provide lunch and an […]

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