The Strategic Alliance Partnership Grant Guidelines

Introduction
Effective nonprofit organizations are vital to the healthy development and quality of life in the community. Problems and opportunities for growth are diverse, complex and often best addressed through multi-disciplinary and/or multi-organizational approaches.

Changes in community needs, shifts in policy, resource deployment and interests of constituencies create challenges for all segments of the nonprofit sector (i.e. human services, health, arts/culture, education, the environment and neighborhood concerns).

Toledo Community Foundation, The Stranahan Foundation and United Way of Greater Toledo have formed an alliance to challenge themselves, as well as community institutions, to find ways to work together in order to meet the challenges of today's environment.

The Strategic Alliance Partnership's mission is to support strategic alliances that will enable Toledo area nonprofits to enhance program delivery and/or achieve more effective and efficient use of financial and human resources.

Forging new or different partnerships can be awkward and full of questions and unknowns. Our hope is to provide incentives that enable partnerships to develop that will benefit both nonprofit organizations and the community.

The Strategic Alliance Partnership Fund has been created as a tool to support the exploration and formation of such alliances. Further, it is our hope that those projects approved for funding can be utilized as models to inform and assist other nonprofit organizations.

Funding Guidelines
Funds will be made available for non-recurring costs (related specifically to forming/implementing alliances) such as:

• Feasibility studies
• Professional consulting and/or technical assistance fees
• Staff/board training

The Strategic Alliance Partnership Fund will place priority on alliances that will result in one or more of the following:

• Create economies of scale, resulting in cost savings and/or service enhancements (including shared administrative services, shared staff to serve common constituencies, costs related to mergers)
• Strengthen the infrastructure, management capacity or service delivery systems of the partners
• Create new or improved strategies for solutions to community problems (which can be documented and replicated by others)
• Stimulate partnerships among organizations that may not typically work together

Applicant organizations should have:

• A demonstrated track record in providing quality services locally
• The organizational capacity to carry out the proposed project successfully
• Board support (from each participating organization) for the alliance
• Board leadership in helping the organizations achieve the project objectives
• A clear commitment to the project by the CEO and other managerial staff

Desired outcomes which may result from proposed alliances include:

• New/improved service delivery systems (such as managed care)
• Shared "back office" operations (e.g. financial systems, payroll)
• Shared benefit packages, policies/procedures and other human resources costs
• Coordinated communications, public education and advocacy strategies
• Shared fundraising and development, including automated systems
• Common purchase of services
• Mergers and/or consolidations of two or more organizations
• Combined staff/board development/training
• Shared program services (e.g. clinical services)

Activities NOT eligible for support through this initiative include:

• Projects designed to replace staff lines in individual organizations which have received funding cuts
• Projects designed to strengthen the management capacity of individual organizations in isolation
• New/start-up programs for individual organizations

Contents Of A Proposal
The written proposal should be in narrative form and limited to six typewritten pages. Please do not bind the proposal (other than stapling one corner).

Proposals shall:

• Summarize the project for which funds are being requested.
• Describe the specific problem/issue the proposed alliance is intended to resolve.
• State the goals and objectives (i.e. desired outcomes) of the proposed alliance.
• Include documentation of how the proposed alliance will accomplish some or all of the following:
  • Allow the requesting organizations to function more effectively or efficiently through collaboration;
  • Serve to maintain and/or improve services for consumers, both in the short-term and beyond the funding period;
  • Result in cost savings (in the near-term and/or over the long-term) and how savings will be used to maintain or improve services.
• Summarize the plans and time frame for implementation of the project (including a viable plan for how grant funds will be utilized to accomplish the stated goals/objectives).
• If applicable, indicate how the project will serve as a model for replication.
• Identify the organizations participating in the alliance and the organization/individuals who will be responsible for overseeing the project.
• Indicate how the project will be governed and managed.
• Include a description of the procedure that will be used to evaluate the success of the proposed alliance. Relate this evaluation to the project's desired outcomes.
• In addition to the information contained in the narrative, provide a detailed budget consistent with proposed activities. Project budgets shall include: all projected income and expenses; all sources of projected income (both solicited and received); the amount being requested from the Strategic Alliance Partnership; and the period (beginning and ending dates) for which funds are being requested.

Attachments
The following attachments must be included with all proposals:

• Name, address and telephone number of the person(s) to be contacted regarding the proposal.
• For the lead (applicant) organization, please include:
  • Copy of most recently audited financial statements
  • Current year operating budget
  • Annual report or other printed materials describing the organization's purpose and programs
  • Copy of IRS tax exemption letter
• For each organization participating in the alliance, please include:
  • The names/affiliations of current Board members
  • A summary of each participating organization's mission
  • A written statement from each participating organization - signed by the President of the Board of Trustees - indicating that the Board approves and supports the proposed initiative.

Grant Application Process
There are two cycles during which proposals will be considered each year. The two deadline dates for receipt of proposals are: FEBRUARY 15 and SEPTEMBER 15 . Proposals must be received in the Toledo Community Foundation office by 5:00 p.m. (or postmarked) by the due date. When a deadline falls on a Saturday or Sunday, proposals and supplemental materials are due in the office on the preceding Friday by 5:00 p.m.

Proposals should be forwarded to:

Strategic Alliance Partnership
c/o Toledo Community Foundation, Inc.
300 Madison Avenue, Suite 1300
Toledo, Ohio 43604

Requests will be carefully reviewed by a Steering Committee comprised of Board representatives from the Toledo Community Foundation, Stranahan Foundation, and United Way. The Steering Committee is supported by staff members from Toledo Community Foundation. Staff will talk via telephone with representatives of requesting organizations or conduct site visits to obtain any needed information beyond that which is presented in the written proposal.

In general, applicant organizations will be notified, in writing, of approval or denial of funding requests within 60 days following the deadline date for receipt of proposals. The partnership reserves the right to delay action on any request in the event that additional information is required in order for a final decision to be made.

Grant funds cannot be used to cover project expenses incurred by an applicant organization prior to the Foundation's receipt of the signed and dated grant agreement or subsequent to the grant expiration date.

If you have questions regarding the Funding Guidelines, Contents of a Proposal or Grant Application Process, please call:

Ms. Angela Kwallek Evans
Program Officer
Toledo Community Foundation
419.241.5049

For answers to additional questions, please consult our Nonprofit FAQ.