Frequently Asked Questions: Fostering Social Connections for Youth RFP

There are several things to consider as you determine which type of grant is the best fit for your organization at this time. Because the focus of this funding is on co-creating with youth, an initial consideration is the organization’s readiness to partner with youth as co-creators and decision-makers. A self-assessment tool, such as The 3 A’s of Public Life or the YPAR Readiness Assessment, may provide helpful questions for the organization to assess its readiness to partner with youth. Hart’s Ladder of Youth Participation may also be a helpful resource for reflection.

Other considerations include: the extent to which the organization has a plan for engaging youth in project design; if the organization has already identified a potential community space; and if relationships exist with desired partners. If some of these elements are not already in place – and the organization could benefit from time and resources to plan its approach to engaging youth – a planning grant may be most appropriate. If the organization has a clear plan and pathway for engaging youth, has identified community space and has begun building key partnerships, an implementation grant may be most appropriate. 

Co-creating with youth means they are engaged as valuable participants, active leaders, decision makers and advocates. Adults serve as mentors and work alongside youth, providing guidance and training. Some helpful resources to learn more about youth engagement and co-creation include: Elevating Youth Voices: The Power of Youth-Led Prevention and Unlocking Potential: The Power of Youth Co-Creation. 

Centering a population means designing a program or approach to address the specific needs of the identified population by listening and responding to their lived experience and engaging them in program design. This does not mean that other populations will not be included or served through this work.

Eligible proposals and projects must have an intentional focus on at least one of the identified populations. The population(s) of focus should be the primary service population of this project or work. This does not mean that other populations will not be included or served through this work. Feel free to reach out to us if you would like to discuss your proposal further.

Youth engaged with HEY! Cincinnati have developed the Safe and Supportive Spaces Rubric which defines the characteristics of a safe space. Youth have also defined the characteristics of a safe and trusted adult, which is an essential component of a safe space. 

Yes, the HEY! Cincinnati Needs Assessment highlighted that youth do not have access to safe, supportive, community spaces outside of home or school. Youth also noted that they want to be consulted on what a nurturing space would look like and how it could foster social connection. Grant funding (up to 35% of an implementation grant) can support the creation of new spaces or the re-imagining of existing spaces to support these goals.

bi3 expects that both planning and implementation grants will engage youth in the planning and co-creation process. For implementation projects, the general expectation is that the number of youth to be impacted should align with the size of the grant being requested (e.g. more funding = more youth served). Applicants are encouraged (in the full application) to clearly communicate how the proposed budget will support the goals of the project and the impact (including the number of youth) it aims to achieve. 

Ineligible organizations and activities include:   

• Individuals seeking grants and/or for-profit organizations
• Colleges or universities
• Organizations that publicly advocate for and/or provide access to abortion 
• Activities intended to intervene in any election or support or oppose any political party or candidate for public office or engage in any lobbying not permitted by 501(c)(3) regulations
• Organizations that have not previously worked in and engaged with populations within bi3’s geographic focus area (Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren Counties in Ohio)

bi3 generally does not fund:   

• One-time events or trainings (training can be included as part of a broader strategy)
• Organizations and work outside of bi3’s geographic focus area (Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren Counties)
• Organizations with less than one year of operating history
• Organizations currently running multi-year operational deficits

No, applicants are not required to be current members of HEY! Cincinnati. However, this RFP aligns with the priorities of HEY! and we plan to support the projects funded under the RFP in creating connections and sharing learning with HEY!.  

bi3 will consider proposals from public and faith-based entities with a 501(c)(3) status. We encourage governmental agencies to be clear about how private philanthropic dollars from bi3 will fill gaps or address barriers that cannot be addressed with public funding. Under this RFP, bi3 will not consider proposals from schools, colleges and universities. A school, college or university may be a project partner but cannot act as the lead applicant. 

If an organization is currently running more than a two-year deficit, now might not be the right time for a bi3 partnership. For organizations operating a 1-2 year deficit (with the expectation that year 3 will not be a deficit), they should be prepared to share more about the financial health of the organization and capacity to carry out the project as proposed during the full application stage. 

In order to be considered for a grant, either the organization, or the organization’s fiscal sponsor must have 501(c)(3) status. bi3 will consider fiscally sponsored proposals and projects on a case-by-case basis. Any group planning to use a fiscal sponsor should contact Jennifer Zimmerman (Jennifer_Zimmerman@bi3.org or 513-569-6673) before starting the application to vet basic alignment.  

A fiscal sponsorship is a partnership between a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization (the sponsoring organization) and a charitable project that does not have tax-exempt status (the executing organization). Fiscally sponsored projects will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Any group looking to leverage a fiscal sponsor should contact Jennifer Zimmerman at bi3 before starting the application to vet basic alignment. 

No, applying organizations must be located in bi3’s service area. Under this RFP, funds must support individuals and work within the bi3 geographic focus area. If a significant proportion of youth served and/or the work being supported are outside of the region, the organization/project would not be eligible for this grant opportunity.

Yes. One organization would need to serve as the primary applicant, contact and recipient of the grant funds. Within the Letter of Intent, we ask for applicants to share any key partnerships. Please see the ‘Support/Technical Assistance’ section of this FAQ for details on how to add a collaborator to an application so that they may also review and support completion (if desired).  

There is no limit to the number of LOIs an organization can submit. It is very unlikely, however, that bi3 will support multiple grants to one organization under the same RFP. 

Yes, grant funding can be used to support both existing and new initiatives. However, the project must engage youth in the co-creation and design of a safe space and the supports and resources offered in the space.  

Newer organizations with at least one year of operating and financial history are welcome to apply. While the Letter of Intent phase of the process will not require submission of financial documents, all applicants invited to submit a detailed application will be required to submit documents providing insight on the overall financial condition of the organization. bi3 will request:  

• The organization’s most recent IRS form 990 to review net revenue, current assets, current liabilities, and unrestricted net assets.
• Audited financials (if available) and/or financial statements (income and balance sheet) to review assets, diversity of funding streams, liabilities, unrestricted net assets, cash on hand, any audited notes, and net position (surplus or deficit).   

These financial documents, in addition to a project budget, will contribute to our evaluation of the adequacy and appropriateness of the budget and the organization’s capacity to support the proposed scope of work.   

Please note: If the organization is currently in a multi-year deficit, this may not be the right time for a partnership.  

In some instances, yes. Please reach out with your specific situation, but if the project is fully a sub–granting process and the organization is essentially redistributing funds it would likely not be eligible. If instead, the organization is looking to serve as a fiscal agent for another organization, please reach out to discuss the project. 

The only requirement is that the applying organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (or fiscally sponsored by one). Who the applying organization chooses to partner and contract with is at their discretion.  

While we do not have an organizational budget minimum to be considered for funding, we will consider how the requested grant funding compares to the overall project and organizational budget. In instances where the amount of the grant requested would result in a significant increase in organizational resources, applying organizations should share how they plan to manage such an increase – both in terms of finances and organizational capacity – and any considerations for the sustainability of the project after the grant period ends. For example, if grant funding is used to substantially grow the organization’s staff, how might those positions be supported after the grant ends? 

Generally speaking, bi3 aims to support and leverage opportunities for innovation and does not fund organizations and programming beyond an initial multi-year investment. We recommend that work is scoped without expectation of funding renewal or additional investment from bi3. Thus, when asking about sustainability, bi3 is looking to understand what the funding makes possible/unlocks for your organization longer term. For projects that aim to continue beyond the defined grant period, we would be looking to understand the organization’s considerations for covering the costs of the project longer term. If the proposed project is only aiming to operate during the grant term, we would want to understand how it informs and shifts operations of the organization overall even if the project does not seek to continue. Additionally, if the project does not seek to continue beyond the grant period, we would want to understand (in the full application) how the organization is thinking about smoothly sunsetting any project work. 

Most of our grants will fall within the $100,000 – $250,000 for planning grants and $750,000 – $1,500,000 for implementation grants. bi3 will not award grants outside of these ranges. When deciding on the size of the grant request, organizations should consider if the amount of the grant requested would result in a significant increase in organizational resources and, if so, the impact on organizational capacity.

Please see the question above: Are you looking for organizations of a certain size to apply.  

bi3 trusts that applying organizations know best what it will take to carry out their proposed work. Funds cannot be used for capital campaigns (as a primary focus – implementation projects may include 35% capital requests in service of project goals); partisan political work and lobbying beyond what’s permissible under 501(c)(3) regulations; endowments; or grants to individuals (not inclusive of stipends to support youth participation in co-design). Outside of those ineligible uses, funds can go toward supporting direct costs of the project (or costs the organization would not otherwise incur if the project or initiative did not exist) along with indirect costs (up to 20-30% of the requested grant amount, depending on organizational budget size). bi3 has developed Indirect Cost Rate Guidance – Learn More.  

Yes, under this RFP, up to 35% of an implementation grant may be used for capital expenses to support the creation or re-imagining of safe community spaces for youth. Capital projects must directly respond to the ideas, desires and plans of youth engaged in the co-creation process. 

While there is not a limit on the percentage of the budget that can be used for staffing costs, we encourage applicants to consider how they will sustain these staff positions after the grant period ends.  

No, there are no rules or restrictions on what percentage of a project’s budget is covered by bi3 funds. As with the answer above related to staffing costs, we encourage applicants to be prepared to address how the project might be sustained after the grant period ends. 

Funds should be used to support people within the bi3 service region.  

Currently funded bi3 grantee partners may apply for funding under this RFP so long as the proposal or project differs from what is being currently funded through existing bi3 grants.  

Find the full list of questions here.

Please note that all Letters of Intent must be submitted through our online grants management system, Foundant, to be considered for funding.  

The Letter of Intent is meant to be a concise introduction to your organization and project, not a comprehensive grant application. Aligned to our trust-based philanthropy practices, we aim to save applicants from spending time on unnecessary paperwork in the early vetting stages. If, however, character limits become a challenge to sharing your idea, please contact grants manager Marian Black (marian_black@bi3.org). 

As you write your LOI, please consider if you are using any jargon, acronyms or other language that would be unfamiliar to a youth reviewer. Consider the reading level of the narrative you submit and how you might make it clear and easy to read and digest (e.g. bullet points). Generally, this should make the LOI easier to read and understand for all audiences.

bi3’s vision is that all people in Greater Cincinnati have a fair and just opportunity to achieve their best health. Local, state, and national data show that certain groups face greater barriers in making that vision a reality. 

This information, along with the characteristics of the organization, will not be used for funding decisions but will inform bi3’s understanding of the makeup of our applicant pools and funded organizations and the extent to which these are reflective of the demographics of our region. 

bi3 defines a health equity lens as an approach that explicitly considers race, ethnicity, and the social drivers of health when analyzing issues, designing solutions, and defining success. This lens helps organizations tailor services or approaches to different groups of people in specific, sensitive ways to address the issues, practices and conditions that contribute to health disparities.  

We understand that organizations may be at different phases of their health equity journey. Organizations that have not considered health equity at any level will likely not be competitive proposals in the funding process. 

The Meet & Greet is an optional, informal opportunity for interested organizations to meet and network. The purpose of this meeting is for potential applicants to talk with one another and explore possibilities for collaboration and partnership. bi3 staff will be on hand to support logistics but will not be available to answer questions about the RFP or potential projects. 

Of course! In addition to reviewing this FAQ, there are multiple ways applicants can get support from our team:  

Attend or review the recording of the informational workshop. See the RFP webpage for details.  

Contact us: For general questions and inquiries, please contact Jennifer Zimmerman, Vice President at jennifer_zimmerman@bi3.org or (513) 569-6673. For questions about the grants management system, Foundant, please contact Marian Black, Grants Manager, at Marian_Black@bi3.org.  

Book time during office hours: Want dedicated time for a more in-depth conversation? Book a 20-minute slot.  

Note: all LOIs and applications must be submitted through the online grants management system (Foundant). Due to our limited staff capacity, we are unable to make exceptions to this rule or submit applications through the system on your behalf.  

Once you save the LOI in the system the first time (it can be completely blank), you will see a “collaborate” button appear in the top right corner of your Foundant screen. If you click on that button, you will be able to invite individuals using their email address to work on the form with you. Please see this article for step-by-step review of the process. 

This is an up-to-three-year grant opportunity. bi3 does not currently have plans to issue a similar Request for Proposal in the future. bi3 will issue other Requests for Proposals that are aligned with our funding focus areas.  

Yes! Please visit the “Our Partners” page on our website to learn more about our current and past work and partners.  

Feedback will be included in decision-letters at both phases of the process. Due to the capacity of our staff we will not be able to meet individually with organizations that are declined at the LOI stage. 

bi3 believes that youth know best what types of community spaces, relationships, supports and resources they need to build social connections and belonging. Youth will provide unique perspectives and insights on the types of projects that are most interesting and have the potential to impact youth mental health and wellbeing.  

The goal of the evaluation is capture and elevate the impact and learning of the portfolio of grants to contribute to the field of knowledge, inform policy and systems change and advance the mental health and wellbeing of our region’s youth. The evaluation process has not been finalized as we aim to engage grantees as co-designers of the evaluation questions, learning strategies and metrics. Grantees will be asked to support data collection and participate in grantee convenings and shared learning opportunities. To support grantees’ participation in the learning and evaluation process, bi3 will provide $10,000 per year in addition to the grant funding.