1. UWBA Overview
United Way Bay Area (UWBA) mobilizes the Bay Area to dismantle the root causes of poverty and build equitable pathways to prosperity. Through initiatives and policy change, we provide immediate support and long-term solutions for employment, housing, financial stability, and meeting basic needs.
We believe housing is a fundamental human right.A just housing society offers the assurance of safe, secure, and dignified living conditions that are affordable; where people have power and agency over how and where they live.
Historical disparities and inequitable access to housing, paired with the Bay Area’s immense racial wealth gap, have resulted in Black and Latinx residents being half as likely to own homes as white residents and twice as likely to live in poverty.The racial wealth gap has also resulted in historically marginalized communities experiencing homelessness disproportionally.In short, fighting for housing stability and affordability requires putting equity front and center.
2.Housing Justice grantmaking
UWBA launched our Housing Justice Initiative in 2021. Our goals are to increase access to stable and affordable housing, prevent homelessness, and address the racial wealth gap through programming, grantmaking, partnerships, and policy advocacy. We also plan to raise awareness of housing issues and solutions through a public will-building campaign.For more information, visit uwba.org/housing-justice.
UWBA Ambassadors are committed community members and clients of our various programs, including SparkPoint, Free Tax Help, 211, and Housing Justice among others. Ambassadors provide valuable feedback on UWBA programming, attend advocacy days, and speak to media and at fundraising events.
This RFP has been thoughtfully crafted by a group of UWBA Ambassadors who will also read, review, score, and make decisions on these grants.
There will be one virtual information session for this RFP on Thursday, February 20, from 1:00 – 2:00 pm. Please rsvp for this session by sending an email to housingjustice@uwba.org. You will receive a reply with the Zoom login information for the meeting.
3. Goal of this RFP
UWBA Ambassadors are currently accepting proposals from Bay Area organizations and programs that provide services to keep people housed. Organizations should serve vulnerable populations including seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and marginalized groups.
Our goal is to provide housing stability through actions and services that include:
- Rental Assistance and Tenant/Resident Support, such as emergency support and subsidies specifically for housing related expenses including rent and utility assistance
- Eviction prevention including legal aid and relocation support
- Housing stability including case management and counseling
- Affordable Housing including construction grants and reuse projects
- Policy & Advocacy such as rent stabilization and tenant/resident organizing
4. Geography
We are seeking proposals that advance housing justice in one or more of the following Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Solano.
5. Number of grantees and funding amounts
Grant amounts range from $5,000 – $15,000.Total amount of funding available: $150,000
6. Eligibility
Organizations must be a 501c3 community-based organization to apply.Organizations must serve one or more of the following Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Solano. The grant application will be open to all community-based organizations, including those who received UWBA funding in 2024.
7. Selection Criteria
All proposals that meet the requirements of this Request for Proposals and are submitted by the deadline will be considered based upon the materials provided.UWBA Ambassadors will make selections based on the criteria below and will select applicants who best fit the priorities outlined in Section 2 Goals.
Criteria:
- The proposal’s alignment with one or more of the 5 focus areas of the RFP (see item 2)
- The experience and expertise of the organization as it pertains to Housing Justice
- The project’s likelihood of achieving the desired outcome of the project with the budgeted costs
- The project’s ability to address disparities for vulnerable populations.
8. Application
The proposal should be submitted via this online application form by March 21, 2025, and should include the following:
- Contact Information. Provide your name, title, phone number, and email for the best contact person for follow up questions and/or to notify grant status. Also provide your organization name, EIN#, website, address, most recent organizational budget, and the name and contact information of your Executive Director or Organization Leader who is authorized to sign on behalf of the agency.
- Organization Summary & History. Provide a summary of your organization and an example of a recent success story. You can use a pseudonym for your story. What are the results of the individuals your organization has helped?
- Program Description and Plan. Describe the project for which you seek funding and detail your plan for how you would use the funds by responding to the following: What is your vision for this project? How will you use the funds? What steps or measures will you implement to realize your vision?
- If you are requesting rental assistance funding for clients, share your process for determining awards and disbursement and how you will allocate the funds.
Note: Rental Assistance must be payable directly to the landlord or property management.
- Impact and Results. Describe the outcomes you hope to achieve and how your organization will keep families housed this year.
- Budget and Costs. Provide a breakdown of anticipated program and project expenses. Indirect costs will be capped at 20%.
- IRS 501c3 determination letter and IRS Form 990 if this is the first time you are applying for funding from UWBA.
9. Deliverables and Reporting
Organizations awarded an Ambassador Housing grant must use the funds for housing-related activities to help individuals and families. At the end of the grant term, UWBA will provide a template for a final report that includes responses to the following questions:
- How did the funding benefit families? Please also share stories or testimonies from individuals or families who benefited from the funding.
- How was the funding used? Please submit expenses incurred to date.
- How many people did you serve? Provide numbers of families and individuals served and other demographic information if collected.
- What outcomes were achieved? How does it compare to your original plans?
- Share any challenges experienced during the process.
- Organizations may be asked to present to Ambassadors at the end of the grant year on those who benefited from the project.
10. Timeline
- February 10: RFP released and posted on website
- February 20: Informational FAQ Session for potential grantees from 1-2 pm. Please email housingjustice@uwba.org to rsvp for the info session. You will receive a reply with the Zoom login information
- March 21: Proposals are due to UWBA. Proposals will be accepted until 11:59 PM PST on March 21. All proposals should be sent via the online form. Any proposals received after this date and time will not be considered.
- March 26: Ambassador meeting to review and score applications. Ambassador grant committee and staff review and assess grants. Terms and conditions will be negotiated upon selection of the proposals and subject to review by United Way Bay Area, including scope, costs, timeline, and anything else applicable to the project.
- April 7: Notification of grantees. Applicants that were not selected will be notified by April 11, 2025.
- Grant period: The grant period for selected projects/organizations will be June1, 2025 through May 30, 2026.
11. How to apply
Click here to access the online application, or go to https://uwba.org/what-we-do/housing-justice/ for more information.
For any questions about this RFP, please contact Karen Nemsick, Director Housing Justice, knemsick@uwba.org.