REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

Grantee Focus Groups

The application deadline has passed. Please view the RFP information below for reference only.

Release Date: December 8, 2021

bi3 is seeking qualified applicants to facilitate focus groups with its grantees to gather feedback to help improve our practices, better support our grantees and better leverage a Trust-Based Philanthropy approach. Our hope is that grantees can provide insights as to how bi3 could utilize its assets (financial and non-financial) to create a greater impact in the community.

The submission deadline is January 10, 2020.

PROJECT SUMMARY

The Center for Effective Philanthropy has identified assessment and learning as a measure of effectiveness particularly as it is supported by regular feedback from grantees. One of the six principles of Trust-Based Philanthropy is soliciting and acting on feedback in order to:

• Gather insight to better serve grantees
• Encourage mutual trust and authenticity
• Improve funding practices and policies
• Build opportunities to be more inclusive and equitable

bi3 would like to engage our grantee partners to inform how we might improve our processes and approach to grantee relationships.

Project Structure:

bi3 would like to host two focus groups of 8-10 individuals.  These individuals would represent our community grantee organizations including our strategic partners (multi-year community grants) and Capacity Building grantees. Key areas of inquiry could include:

• Grant processes: Application, reporting, support beyond the check
• Relationship with bi3: Trust, communication, responsiveness
• bi3’s understanding of the community, pressing issues/challenges, organizations/partners
• bi3’s impact on grantees, racial and health inequities, health and healthcare, the community
• Opportunities for improvement in any of the above 

Proposed Timeline:

Below is a proposed timeline for the project.  The timeline will be finalized in partnership with the consultant(s). bi3 aims to complete the project by June 2022 so that the findings can help inform its work plan for the next fiscal year.

* Applicants not selected will also be notified

bi3 may request that the consultant(s) present the findings to the bi3 Committee (May) and/or the Board of Directors (June).

bi3 may also employ a communications consultant to work in partnership with the project consultant(s) on the presentation and dissemination of the findings.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Submissions must include the following:

• Provide the name(s) of the submitter(s) and point of contact information. Teams should list all teammates and point of contact information for each (mailing address, e-mail, telephone).
• A brief overview of experience with leading focus groups and reporting findings
• A preliminary plan outlining how the consultant(s) for this project will approach the activities and deliverables to be completed
• A proposed budget including all project expenses
• A list of two references
• Please attach the CV or resume of the individual(s) that will be working on the evaluation

Small, Women, Veteran and/or Minority‐Owned Business: Efforts will be made by bi3 to utilize small, women, veteran, and/or minority‐owned businesses, with the consideration that the primary threshold is the most favorable return to bi3. A Vendor qualifies as a small business firm if it meets the definition of “small business” as established by the Small Business Administration (13 CFR 121.201) 

DEADLINE & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

The proposal is due no later than 11:59 p.m. on January 10, 2022 (EST).

Please submit your proposal via email to jennifer_zimmerman@bi3.org with the subject line: Grantee Focus Group RFP.

Please contact Jennifer Zimmerman, Vice President, Evaluation and Impact, at 513.569.6631 with any questions.

ABOUT bi3

bi3 is on a mission to transform health for all people in Greater Cincinnati by fueling innovation and health equity through grantmaking. bi3 leverages its strategic partnership with TriHealth to spark and scale new approaches to healthcare and partners with community-based organizations to fuel new solutions to deep-seated community health issues.

bi3 envisions a day when every person has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible — a day when a person’s health can no longer be predicted by race, ethnicity, ability or zip code. bi3 partners with organizations that apply a racial equity lens to their work, reduce health disparities, have diverse leadership, and listen to and engage with community members in priority setting and decision making.

bi3 is a philanthropic initiative created by Bethesda Inc. to drive innovation in healthcare and improve community health outcomes. The name bi3 reflects our Bethesda heritage along with three core pillars that underlie our work — ideas, investments and innovation. Since 2010, bi3 has awarded more than $56 million in grants to TriHealth and community-based organizations. This funding has helped attract new grants and resources to the region, enabling bi3 partners to achieve even greater scale and impact.

For more information about bi3: www.bi3.org