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

Specifications

Funding Opportunity Description

The Developmental Disabilities Council of the District of Columbia (DDC) is soliciting applications for FY23 Grant Awards. The purpose of these grants is to provide leadership and advocacy training for people with developmental disabilities and family members and facilitate innovative projects and activities on health and community living. The DDC supports creative ideas in DC that will build inclusive communities where people with and without disabilities thrive together. Project funds must be used to benefit DC residents.

The mission of the DDC is to strengthen the voice and presence of people with developmental disabilities and their families in DC in support of greater independence, inclusion, empowerment, and the pursuit of life as they choose. We strive to create change that eliminates discrimination and removes barriers to achieve full inclusion, diversity, and equity through our advocacy.

The DDC’s current Five-Year State Plan 2022-2026 focuses on the major goal areas of self-determination, advocacy, and leadership; employment; and community living, which includes education and health initiatives that touch multiple areas of life. The complete plan can be found here: https://ddc.dc.gov/page/2022-2026-state-plan

Strong applications will include the following:

1. A clear connection between the proposed project and the DDC mission and goals
2. New and innovative ideas for building community, creating inclusive educational opportunities, and generally supporting people with developmental disabilities and their families to live their best lives
3. Participation of Individuals with developmental disabilities and families culturally diverse 
4. Involvement of people with and without disabilities
5. Include people underrepresented and underserved, racial, ethnic, and diverse groups, such as LGBTQIA+, Latinx communities, Ethiopian communities, and other people with limited English proficiency. 
6. A plan for promoting cultural and linguistic competence within the program
7. A clear connection between the key activities and expected outcomes 
8. Collaborative initiatives with partners 
9. Sustainability strategy for the project
10. Promising or best practices focus capacity building, advocacy, and system changes

The DC Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC) is established and operates by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 - Public Law 106-402 (DD Act). The DDC consists of 23 community members and representatives of government and community entities appointed as council members by the Mayor's Office. The DDC is established in accordance with the mandates of the DD Act State Councils on Developmental Disabilities Program, and Mayor’s Order 2021-137. The Office of Disability Rights is the designated state agency that provide support services to the DDC. The federal funds grants through the DD Act are awarded accordance with the Administration for Community Living and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulations published at 45 CFR Part 75.

Award Information

The DDC mini-proposal grant award amount is approximately between $10,000 -$20,000. It is anticipated that the DDC will have funding available for approximately 5 to 7 new awards.  The total amount available for the Grant Awards FY 23 period is approximately $100,000. The Grant Awards will be made in early FY2023 and last through September 30, 2023. Additional information attached for the State Plan Specific Criteria for RFA: Grant Awards for FY 2023.

State Plan Specific Criteria

• FY 23.GR-1.1.2 Peer-to-Peer self-advocacy and leadership training 

• FY 23.GR-1.2.3 Train family members of people with DD from the Latina/o/x and Hispanic communities in leadership and advocacy.

• FY 23.GR-1.2.4 Expand parent support groups that facilitate learning about DD services and engage families from Latina/o/x communities.

• FY 23.GR-1.3.3 Support intensive leadership and advocacy training for families of people with DD, including those with diverse cultural identities.

• FY 23.GR-3.2.1 Support educational programs on interpersonal relationships, embrace healthy and safe practices, and contribute to a cultural acceptance and inclusion of people with DD and their families in the society.

Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Organizations: Public and private entities, nonprofit organizations, education institutions, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and fiscally sponsored unincorporated groups are all eligible to submit applications.

2. Cost Sharing or Match: Applicants must include a 25% match in their proposal, which may be provided as cash, in-kind contributions, volunteer hours, etc. 

3. Other: Applicants must be able to provide a Clean Hands Certificate if their proposal is chosen for funding. More information can be found here: https://otr.cfo.dc.gov/page/certificate-clean-hands

Application and Submission Information

1.There will be an informational meeting to share the purpose of the grants, explain the application procedure, and answer any questions on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, from 1:00-2:00pm on Zoom. Interested parties should register in advance at:   https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMscuGtqjksG9RKgdGj5VXfcU6rWs643yV8

2. To request reasonable accommodations to participate in the orientation call, please contact Luz Collazo, luz.collazo@dc.gov, 202-336-2539. The orientation will be recorded, and the video and transcript will be posted at Funding Opportunities | ddc

3. Application and Submission: The grant application can be found at FY 23 - Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) and RFA: DDC Grant Awards FY 2023 applications should be submitted through DD Suite -Grant Management System platform. Interested parties or grantees must have an account on DD Suite to apply for this grant. More information about how to get started on DD Suite can be found here: Create DD Suite Account

4. Submission Dates and Location: Applications must be received by 11:59 pm EST on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Applications received after this time will not be accepted. All application for the DDC Grant Awards FY 2023 requires use and access the DD Suite -Grant Management System platform.

5. Application and Project Work Plan: As part of the application, develop a Project Work Plan with objectives, activities, timelines, staff, demographic measures, and target performance measures. 

6. Application and Budget: As part of the application, detailed budget and a brief narrative including an explanation of how the 25% match will be obtained. Make sure to add the match in the application on the budget section. 

7. Funding Restrictions: Indirect costs should not make up more than 10% of the overall funds being requested. Indirect costs that exceed 10% of the overall budget may be counted toward the 25% match requirement. We will not consider applications for general operating costs.

Application Review Information

1. Evaluation Criteria - Applications will be rated on a 100-point scale with the following categories and possible points:
a. Connection to the DDC mission and goals - 20 possible points
b. Innovativeness - 20 possible points
c. Support for Inclusion - 20 possible points
d. Cultural and Linguistic Competence Elements - 10 possible points
e. Evaluation Plan Quality -10 possible points
f.  Budget Plan Quality and Feasibility - 10 possible points
g. Overall Quality of Application - 10 possible points

2. Review and Selection Process: Applications will be reviewed by a Grant Review Panel made up of not less than three people who are appointed members of the DDC. All Grant Review Panelists will be required to sign an affidavit stating that they have no conflicts of interest with the applicants. Grant Review Panelists will independently complete an evaluation for each application and submit these evaluations to DDC staff. The DDC staff will compile the information and average the scores of all panelists to determine the overall score. The Grant Review Panel and DDC staff will meet as a group to discuss the results. The Grant Review Panel will deliberate on final decisions and submit them to the consideration of the DDC Executive Committee for final approval. 

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates: Applications selected for funding are anticipated to be announced by Thursday, December 15, 2022. Funded applicants are anticipated to receive the initial grant amount in January 2023, according to availability of federal funds.

Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices: All applicants, including unsuccessful applicants, will be notified via email of the funding decision. Applicants that are chosen for funding can begin drawing down funds as soon as the grant agreement is fully approved in the DC government procurement system. It is anticipated that this will occur in January 2023.

2. Programmatic, Administrative, and National Policy Requirements: Successful applicants will be required to submit an affidavit indicating whether the entity has complied with the filing requirements of District of Columbia tax laws, and whether the entity has paid taxes due to the District of Columbia or is following any payment agreement with the Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR). The affidavit shall be in a form (Clean Hands Certificate) approved by the Director of the OTR and shall acknowledge the penalty provided by law for making false statements. Please see the following link for more details: https://otr.cfo.dc.gov/page/certificate-clean-hands

3. Grantees will also be required to obtain a Certificate of Good Standing from the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). Grantees will also be required to submit an affidavit indicating that they are current on all taxes, including Unemployment Insurance and Workers’ Compensation premiums and not be debarred from procurements by the federal government, the Government of the District of Columbia, or any governmental entity.

4. Reporting: The required Final Report template is attached to this RFA. A mid-way report will also be required and will contain the same questions as the Final Report to assess progress. There will be an informational meeting to explain reports procedure through DD Suite, monitoring process and answer any questions.

5. Payment: Upon approval of the grant agreement, grantees may draw down 90% of the grant award. Grantees may draw down the remaining 10% of the award upon completion of the project.

Pass-through Entity Contact (s)

Alison Whyte, Executive Director, DC Developmental Disabilities Council
441 4th Street NW, Suite 729N, Washington, DC 20001
https://ddc.dc.gov/

For additional information regarding this Grant Awards FY 2023 competition, including to request reasonable accommodations for the orientation conference call or technical assistance for the applications, please contact:
Luz Collazo, Administrative Support Specialist at luz.collazo@dc.gov or
Carla McCaskill, Program Support Specialist at carla.mccaskill@dc.gov
 

Key Dates: