Request for Proposals:
Capital Needs/Capacity Funding Grant Opportunity
Addressing Food Insecurity Related to COVID-19 
Due Date: Friday, November 6, 2020
Introduction:
The Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, with generous funding support from a prominent national foundation, announces an opportunity for Network U.S. member agencies in good standing to apply for funding to support capacity building and/or capital purchases/improvement to address the needs of those struggling with issues of food insecurity related to the impact of COVID-19. Target populations may include, but are not limited to, supporting the needs of individuals who have been furloughed or laid off due to COVID-19, as well as a range of vulnerable populations including older adults, Russian speaking elderly, Holocaust Survivors, single parents with school age children, persons with disabilities who have lost access to day programs or employment, refugees or asylum seekers and persons living in high conflict households characterized as such because of episodes of domestic violence.

The funding is available as a one year, 2:1, one-third challenge grant to increase the capacity of agencies to better address issues of food insecurity experienced by community members resulting from the impact of COVID-19. Funding will only be available to agencies whose client base for the requested program is at least 50% Jewish. Agencies will be required to either raise or provide two-thirds of the funding needed for the project to be eligible to receive the remaining one-third match. 
Match funding may come from internal agency resources or other funding sources. Grant requests may range from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $100,000
(in other words, the total program cost must be between $30,000 and $300,000).
Funding requests may address the following needs:
  • Purchase of equipment to increase capacity and scope (freezers, refrigerators, shelving or other capital purchases)
  • Purchase, installation or training for database systems to track client usage/food inventory.
  • Resources for new food products (establishing gardens for fresh fruit, vegetables, etc.).
  • Mobile food pantries (purchase of vehicle or other equipment needs)
  • Home delivered meals programs (purchase of vehicles or other equipment to address impact of COVID-19).
  • Other capital improvement needs to increase the capacity and scope of food services provided/number of clients served, etc.
Please note:  While this grant is meant to primarily provide support for the purchase of equipment, agencies may use up to 10% of the requested grant funds to support staffing expenses that are necessary in order to initially operate the program (for example, training of a staff member to operate a new database system). For purchases of equipment or other capital expenditures, agencies will be asked to document purchases with copies of paid receipts.
 
Agencies interested in applying should submit the online application by close of business on November 6, 2020. Here is the application (as a pdf) and program budget (as an excel sheet) both of which are included in the online application. Please use them for your convenience. Please note the application must be completed and submitted online. You will receive a confirmation of your submission. Grants will be announced by the end of December 2020. Grants will be paid in three installments according to the following schedule:
  • 50% in early 2021.
  • 40% after review and approval of a six-month report, which Agencies must submit by July 15, 2021.
  • 10% after review and approval of a final report, which Agencies must submit by January 15, 2022.
If the reports reflect that the actual costs of the program are less than had been anticipated in the program budget, the second and third installments may be reduced so that the Grant covers no more than one-third of the actual costs of the program.
 
Please contact Reuben Rotman, CEO at the Network, with any questions.