Notice of Funds Available (RFP) Print Apply for this Grant

Specifications

Posted	Applications Due	Start Date	End Date	Amount	Match	Poverty Match	Council Staff
	May 18, 2018	Oct 01, 2018	Sep 30, 2022	$135,000.00	$45,000.00	$15,000.00	Joanna Cordry

Introduction

The Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities (TCDD) approved funds for one project lasting up to four years to establish at least 30 Next Chapter Book Clubs in Texas. Projects funded under this Request for Proposals (RFP) may receive up to:

• $135,000 for the first year
• $110,000 for the second year
• $ 60,000 for the third year
• $ 40,000 for the fourth year

Requesting less than the full amount will reduce the amount of match you must provide.

Funding for this project is dependent on TCDD's finalization of a contract with Chapters Ahead, the entity that provides training and technical assistance to start Next Chapter Book Clubs. Projects that do not use approved training and technical assistance will not be funded. TCDD does not automatically continue funding each year and may terminate funds prior to the ending date in this RFP.

TCDD was established by federal and state law and is funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in accordance with the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000. TCDD’s mission is to create change so that all people with disabilities are fully included in their communities and exercise control over their own lives. TCDD supports projects by organizations that share the Council’s vision and values and meet the Goals and Objectives in the TCDD FY 2017-2021 State Plan. You may read the State Plan on the TCDD website.

Who May Apply

Public agencies, private not-for-profit agencies, private for-profit organizations, universities, colleges, or other organizations are eligible to apply if they have the capacity to implement this project. Applicants must be able to provide the administrative functions for the grant; complete forms correctly and on time; and receive, disburse, and account for grant funds. Individuals are not eligible.

Important Dates

TCDD must receive your application by 5 PM on May 18, 2018. TCDD does not consider late applications. You will not receive an exception to the deadline if you fail to submit your application on time because of a user error. If you have questions about DD Suite and cannot find answers in the DD Suite Guide and Application Instructions attached to this RFP, email Joanna.Cordry@TCDD.Texas.Gov or call 512-437-5410. This should be done as early in the process as possible.

TCDD will hold one bidders' conference to provide more information about this RFP and TCDD's review and grant award process. You are not required to attend in order to apply. The bidders' conference will be held April 19, 2018, from 12 noon to 1:00 PM Central Time. To participate:

• Dial 1-877-820-7831
• Enter participant Passcode 649944#

Submit all questions about the RFP or application to Joanna.Cordry@tcdd.texas.gov by 5:00 PM Central Time on April 26, 2018. TCDD will not answer questions about the RFP or application after that date and time. TCDD will post questions and answers on DD Suite as an attachment to this RFP by 5:00 PM Central Time April 30, 2018.

TCDD will notify proposers of decisions about proposals by August 31, 2018. TCDD anticipates the earliest start date will be October 1, 2018, although this may be delayed.

How to Apply

To submit your application:

1. Complete all required sections of the application in DD Suite. Applications will only be considered for funding if all sections of the application are complete.
2. Complete all sections of the Supplemental Forms packet that is attached to this RFP. The forms must be fully completed, including all sections of the budget and all sections of the budget justification. The budget justification section must be detailed enough to show how calculations were made. Any zeros in the Fringe Benefits Section must be explained in the budget justification. The application will only be considered for funding if all sections of the Supplemental Forms packet are complete.
3. Upload the Supplemental Forms packet and other required documents to DD Suite as attachments to your proposal by the due date. Documents received by fax, email, hand delivery, or mail will not be considered.
4. If you have Letters of Support or letters from other entities or individuals that state they will partner with you on the project, upload them to DD Suite as an attachment to your application. Letters will not be accepted by fax, email, hand delivery, or mail.
5. Submit all attachments through DD Suite by the due date and time.

Background

Next Chapter Book Clubs (NCBC) are community-based book clubs for adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities who meet for one hour a week in book stores, libraries, cafes, or other public spaces to read books aloud and discuss them together. Clubs have four to eight members who are supported by trained volunteer facilitators. Individuals do not need to be able to read to be active participants. Other book club members and the facilitator provide support as desired. Club members may also choose to discuss other topics and spend time both during and outside of the meeting socializing with each other and people who are at the place where the club meets. Book club meetings may not be held in places that are segregated or exist primarily for people with disabilities.

The Next Chapter Book Club model was created by Dr. Thomas Fish from the Nisonger Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities in 2002, and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization named “Chapters Ahead” was established to manage the expansion of Next Chapter Book Club. Detailed information about the club is available on the Next Chapter Book Club website at https://nextchapterbookclub.org/.

Project Description

At least 30 Next Chapter Book Clubs will be established in five areas around the state by the end of the grant. At least four clubs must be in a language or languages other than English, and at least two clubs must be in rural areas. The applicant must choose and define the areas. TCDD will give preference to projects that spread out the selected areas across the state.

TCDD will contract with NCBC to work with the selected grantee. The start of this grant project will be dependent upon a signed contract, and finalization of the contract will be announced as soon as possible.

NCBC will provide the grantee with: a license for each of the five affiliates that allows for the creation of up to six book clubs in the area served by that affiliate; access to private forums and registry in the Customer Relationship Management system for ongoing publicity and recruitment; copies of the Lucky Dog starter book that was written specifically for Next Chapter Book Club; training to start and run clubs using the NCBC model; online tools that include strategies, activities, evaluation instruments and protocols; and membership in the NCBC community. They may visit other book clubs to observe best practices.

The grantee will:

• Recruit and support a statewide NCBC Coordinator to oversee the work of all five affiliates; guarantee compliance with the evaluation plan; submit reports; and ensure that the affiliates have the necessary resources, including books in the appropriate language, to conduct club activities. The Lucky Dog starter book provided by NCBC typically takes clubs about three months to work through the book. The purchase of all other books will be the responsibility of the grantee.
• Ensure staff from the grantee organization and and at least two staff from each affiliate have funding for travel to a central location for initial training.
• Coordinate between the NCBC contractor and potential affiliates.
• Assist affiliates to conduct culturally and linguistically competent outreach and marketing activities to develop interest in the program by individuals and potential partners.
• Ensure affiliates establish the required number of Next Chapter Book Clubs, each of which have a minimum of four and a maximum of eight members, and maintain fidelity with the NCBC model.
• Support affiliates to establish sustainability.

Outputs and Outcomes

By the end of this project:

• At least 30 book clubs will be established in various areas of the state by the end of the grant. Each will maintain model fidelity, and the name of each club must start with "Next Chapter Book Club" (for example, "Next Chapter Book Club Brownsville").
• At least four book clubs in languages other than English will be established.
• At least two book clubs in rural areas will be established.
• Satisfaction surveys will indicate that at least 90% of participants are satisfied with the clubs.

Terms

Applicants must agree to the following terms:

• Applicants must disclose any conflicts of interest between themselves and TCDD council members, employees or their immediate families.
• Applicants must use People First Language or Identity-First Language (where appropriate) in all materials.
• All printed materials must be available in Spanish and in an appropriate accessible format — including electronic, tagged PDF, or large print. Funding for this should be included in the budget.
• Videos, DVDs and teleconferencing and distance learning activities produced by this project must be fully accessible. Any videos or DVDs must be captioned.
• TCDD will retain rights to all products created using funding awarded through this RFP. The grantee will retain rights to materials that were created prior to receiving the grant and the rights to materials created without using funds that are associated with this project.
• TCDD reserves the right not to fund any proposal under this announcement.
• Proposals received by TCDD are subject to release consistent with provisions of the Texas Public Information Act.

See "Assurances" in the attached Supplemental Forms for all terms relating to this grant.

Match Requirement

Grantees must provide a matching contribution each year. This may include funding from non-federal sources, volunteer hours, or other "in-kind" donations, such as office space and utilities. Other federal funds may not be used as match. Items or funds that are used for match for another federally-funded project may not be used as match. TCDD prefers that the amount of match increase each year of the project.

Project activities located in counties not designated as federal poverty areas require matching resources equal to at least 25 percent of total project costs. Project activities located in counties designated as federal poverty counties require matching resources equal to at least 10 percent of the total project costs. The front page of this RFP provides the amount of match expected for non-poverty areas and for poverty areas if you request the full amount. Requesting less than the full amount will reduce the amount of match you must provide.

Poverty counties are counties in which at least 20% of the people in the county live in poverty. The attachments to this RFP includes a list of counties that has poverty counties highlighted.

The Review Process

Your proposal will be reviewed based only on what is in your application, supplemental forms, other required attachments, and optional letters of support and/or letters from organizations committing to partnering with you. You will not have the opportunity to provide additional information or to clarify questions about your proposal.

Evaluation Criteria include, but are not limited to: program quality, costs, financial ability to perform services, regional needs and priorities, improved access for underserved and unserved areas and/or groups of individuals; ability to continue services at the conclusion of grant funding, and past performance and compliance with previous grant awards.

Staff review proposals upon submission for compliance with the requirements of the RFP and ensure that all sections are complete. Incomplete applications and applications that do not meet the requirements of the RFP will be disqualified. If you have received a grant in the last five years, staff document your performance on that project and provide that to the Executive Committee.

Proposals that meet the initial requirements will be reviewed by three to five people with expertise related to the RFP. Their review focuses on the quality of the proposed plan, the feasibility of completing the plan, and how well the proposed project may move TCDD closer to meeting the State Plan Goals and Objectives. Reviewers will consider only the information specifically allowed by the RFP and the application instructions. Reviewers also consider only the information included in the submitted proposal.

The TCDD Executive Committee reviews the above information and makes the final funding decisions.

TCDD may give priority to proposals that address the needs of people who are unserved or underserved. This may include, but is not limited to, people living in rural areas; people living in poverty; people of color; and people with limited English proficiency.

Continuation Funding

TCDD does not automatically provide continuation funding and may choose not to award continuation grants. Continuation proposals are generally due approximately three months before the end of the grant year. Grants staff will inform grantees of the due dates.

Continuation funding is based on the project's accomplishments, progress towards stated goals and objectives, financial management of funds, compliance with reporting requirements, review of the most recent program audit, review of findings of TCDD's onsite reviews, development of alternative funding, and the availability of TCDD funds.

Proposals for continuation years shall not request funding that exceeds the maximum funding amount stated in the RFP.

Expectations of All Grantees

Grantees must submit progress reports each quarter and must required financial documents, including reimbursement requests, at least quarterly. Grantees must also provide required evaluation data, annual continuation proposals, and a final report. Failure to meet reporting and spending requirements may impact continuation or future grant awards.

Grantees may be asked to provide information about public policy implications and sustainability in their continuation proposal. Grantees also may be asked to develop an advisory committee.

TCDD will serve as a resource to support grantees to be successful throughout their project. Throughout the project period, grantees may be asked to participate in grants management training as needed. Grantees may also expect calls from TCDD staff about outcome and performance measures, public policy issues that relate to your project, products produced, and project events (if applicable). Grantees may be asked to present their progress at quarterly Council meetings. TCDD may share opportunities for grantees to present at state and/or national conferences.