Request for Proposal
Metro Nashville’s Community Safety Partnership Fund (CSPF) is offering community safety grants for non-profit organizations working to promote community safety in South Nashville, with a priority focus on the Antioch-Glencliff Area (within several square miles of I24 and Haywood Lane). This area of town has been demonstrated as having a high concentration of violent crime in the recent past.
This Request for Proposal has been developed using learnings from previous submissions for Letters of Intent to gauge the interest and scope of organizations in that area of the city. Organizations that previously submitted a Letter of Intent must apply to this full Request for Proposal.
The Mayor’s Office of Community Safety (OCS) is committed to improving community safety through strategic investments in local community organizations. According to a Harvard University study (Sharkey, 2017), community-based organizations play a critical role in reducing violence in urban neighborhoods by providing positive opportunities for youth, building social networks, and fostering social cohesion. Our proposed plan includes providing grant funding to these organizations to help them expand their capacity to provide services and support to individuals and families affected by violence. By investing in these organizations, we believe we can leverage their expertise and experience to have a greater impact on reducing violence in the community. The Harvard study estimates that investing in community-based organizations can result in a reduction of up to 30% in violent crime in high-poverty neighborhoods.
The available pool of funding is $400,000, and we anticipate awarding funds to at least eight organizations. Proposals may be submitted for up to $48,000. The Community Safety Partnership Fund may choose to partially fund proposals. Please keep these figures in mind when drafting your proposal.
- South Nashville Community Safety Grant Application
- South Nashville Community Safety Grant Scoring Rubric
Assistance With Applying
Technical Assistance Meetings will be held by the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety:
Applications will be closed on February 28, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
Eligible nonprofit organizations may be able to get grant writing assistance from the Center for Nonprofit Management free-of-cost.
Eligible program types (defined in appendix):
- Group Violence Intervention Programs
- Violence Interruption Programs
- Improving the Physical Environment of high crime areas
- Strengthening Anti-Violence Social Norms and Peer Relationships
- Engaging and Supporting Youth
- Programs that provide peer support and therapy
- Mitigating Financial Stress
What the Community Safety Partnership Fund is Looking for in Applications
A study conducted by the Urban Institute found that collaboration among CBOs leads to increased capacity, shared resources, and improved coordination, ultimately resulting in more effective and efficient violence prevention efforts. This is why we propose a funding strategy that not only supports individual CBOs, but also encourages collaboration and partnerships among these organizations to maximize their impact in addressing community safety issues.
The Community Safety Partnership Fund seeks proposals that provide evidence of effective and innovative programs that address community safety in the Antioch-Glencliff Area.
Priority will be given to programs:
- Detail collaboration with multiple organizations. As few as 8 projects will be funded. Submitting with other organizations will make selection more likely
- Methods have been proven to reduce violence.
- Have a clear plan for sustainability.
Submission Requirements
- Completed Request for Proposal must be completed online with all required fields completed and attachments provided.
If multiple submissions are received for one proposal, the last submission received will be the one considered (the Community Safety Partnership Fund will not consolidate partially complete applications). - Proposal must be reasonably defined as “responsive” (see appendix).
- Organizations must have verification of non-profit status with the IRS and TN Secretary of State.
IRS status must be available
Secretary of State Status must be available - Organizations will be required to submit financial statements based on the tiered system below.
- Spending plan for use of all funds using the standardized spending lines defined by Metro.
- A copy of organization charter and/or instruments of organization
- Must be registered as a Metro Vendor in iSupplier.
- Two (2) letters of support from community members who have been served by this organization.
- Memorandums of Understanding confirming partnership between any other 501(c)(3)s included in the proposal for this particular project.
Agreement to Metro Grant Compliance:
- Organizations must agree to use the funds in accordance with the approved proposal and must provide documentation of the use of funds to Metro Nashville at any time after the execution of the contract.
- Organizations must adhere to the latest version of the Metro Grants manual throughout the duration of their grant contract, through to their submissions of a final program report.
- Submission of an interim grant report.
- Recipients may be required to attend an 8-hour workshop on Metro Grant Compliance (at no cost to the organization).
- Organizations must agree to the consequences of misusing or not keeping proper records of metro Nashville grant funds, which may include (but is not limited to): Repayment of misused funds, Disqualification from future grant funding, and/or Legal action, including fines and penalties.
Financial Statement Requirements
| Annual Revenue or Grant Amount Received | Financial Statement Required |
|---|---|
| $500,000 or more in total revenue | Annual audit conducted by an independent Certified Public Accountant in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards |
| $250,000 to $500,000 in total revenue | Review of financial statements conducted by an independent Certified Public Accountant |
| $50,000 to $250,000 in total revenue | Compilation of financial statements prepared by an independent Certified Public Accountant |
| $50,000 or less in total revenue | Internally prepared financial statements |
Please note that these ranges are under the assumption that the recipient is not receiving in excess of $50,000 of funds from Metro in the same fiscal year as this grant. If that is not the case, the requirements are as described in the ordinance BL2021-1049 found here: Ordinance BL2021-1049
Timeline of Grant Selection Process
| Stage | Date or Range of Days |
|---|---|
| Technical Advisement Meetings | Technical Advisement Meeting, February 6, 2023, 12:30 p.m. Central Time Technical Advisement Meeting, February 10, 2023, 3:30 p.m. Central Time |
| Close of Applications | February 28, 11:59 p.m. Central Ttime |
| Community Safety Partnership Fund Advisory Board Review Complete | March 15, 2023 |
| Community Safety Partnership Fund Approval Notification | March 17, 2023 |
| Submission to Nashville City Council (Estimated) | March 22, 2023 |
| Nashville City Council Approval (estimated) | April 4, 2023 |
| Contract Execution | April 4, 2023 |
| Funding Distribution | At least 15% of proposal funds can be provided up-front at time of execution, additional funds delivered on a regular basis as defined in the contract |
| Documentation of Funds | Available to Metro Nashville at any time during or after the contract period |