We’re looking for committed and trusted faith–based and community organizations like you to reach the Black New Yorkers you serve who are hesitant to get vaccinated
On July 27, 2021, the State of New York announced the allocation of $15 million to promote vaccination in communities across the state that were hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. FPWA received a portion of this funding to support vaccine education outreach among underrepresented populations, specifically persons of the African Diaspora across New York State.
The goal of this effort is to support faith and community-based efforts across New York State and New York City to assess, create and disseminate information that promote vaccine confidence and uptake among vaccine eligible individuals in communities of color, particularly Black communities. Grant recipients will undertake outreach and engagement activities to effectively listen to community concerns and address misinformation to promote uptake and reduce access barriers that leave Black New Yorkers vulnerable to the life-threatening impact of COVID-19.
Grant funded grassroots groups leveraging their local knowledge, trust, and relationships to build cohorts of trained and trusted community leaders, conduct local outreach, distribute educational materials, and leverage local media opportunities.
Grant Application Structure & Timeline
Across New York City, 40-60 grants will be offered in $5k, $10k, $15K, and $20k increments depending on the application and potential for impact. Grants will be made in two application cohorts to allow for organizations that may require additional time and support to complete an application. The first application cohort is intended for those organizations who are already on the ground and/or able to start the work quickly.
We welcome all to apply and propose strategies that leverage their extensive networks, community partnerships and creative solutions to addressing vaccine hesitancy.
Cohort 1 [CLOSED]: Aug 2 Release / Aug 16 RFP Deadline / Sept 1 grant award and start
Cohort 2: Sep 1 Release / Sep 16 RFP Deadline / Oct 1 grant award and start
Applications for the second cohort are due via the form on the next page, by 11:59 pm on Thursday, September 16th, 2021.
What’s New About the Application
Those organizations who were not funded in the first round are welcome to re-apply to this round. Be sure to include as many details as possible about your outreach plan, strategy, network, and corresponding budget.
We are now accepting applications from Upstate and Downstate organizations, with interest from the following:
- Upstate
- Albany/Schenectady/Troy
- Buffalo
- Poughkeepsie/Newburgh/Middletown
- Rochester
- Rockland/Spring Valley
- Westchester
- White Plains
- Utica
- Downstate
- Bronx
- Eastchester/Co-op City (10466, 10475)
- Parkchester/Castle Hill/Clason Point/Union Port (10462, 10472, 10473)
- Brooklyn
- Bushwick/Ridgewood (11206, 11221, 11237, 11385)
- Coney Island (11224)
- Crown Heights (11213, 11225)
- East New York/Cypress Hills (11207, 11208)
- Flatbush/East Flatbush (11226,11203)
- Flatlands/Bergen/Canarsie (11234, 11236)
- Queens
- Jamaica/ Cedar Manor (11433, 11435, 11436)
- Springfield Garden/ Laurelton (11413)
- St. Albans, Cambria Heights, Hollis (11412, 11411, 11429)
- Rosedale (11422)
- Staten Island
- Mariners Harbor/Port Richmond/St. George (10303, 10302, 10310, 10301, 10304)
- Bronx
- Long Island
- Copiague (11726)
- Elmont/Valley Stream (11003, 11580)
- Freeport/Hempstead (11550, 11510, 11575)
- West Babylon (11798)
- Suffolk (11953, 11776, 11784, 11980)
- Riverhead (11933, 11901)
Applicants can now upload a video correspondence as a supplement to their application materials. We hope this video option will support those who prefer to describe their outreach plans verbally and in writing.
To accommodate for Labor Day, we have extended the application deadline by one day to September 16th at 11:59pm.
Questions
Please review our detailed Question and Answer section below. If you still have questions, you can direct them to Min. Yolanda Richard at yrichard@fpwa.org.
About FPWA and Project
FPWA, with more than 170 faith-based and community-based organizations, has a proven history managing robust and complex grassroots communications campaigns, and doing so in ways that are both cost-effective and measurably impactful. FPWA’s long-standing work successfully organizing and engaging Black community members will be harnessed to structure its outreach efforts for vaccine equity and education. In contemplation of the urgency required to reach community members effectively and quickly, FPWA partners in this effort with three other leading organizations which have been equally at the forefront of vaccine equity and education in the state’s Black communities: state and local chapters of the NAACP; the National Urban League and the National Action Network.
RFP Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can I make a correction to our submitted application?
If there is a change you need to make on your application, you can contact us via email at yrichard@fpwa.org to submit the revised changed and we can append it to your application. Changes must be received by the RFP response deadline to be considered alongside the application.
2. Is there funding available for other communities under this grant? Should we apply or is the funding strictly for organizations and institutions service Black communities? We serve multiple ethnic and demographic groups included the Black community and diaspora.
This grant opportunity is focused on Black communities, but many other partners around the state are focusing their programs on other populations (e.g., Hispanic Federation). We recognize that many organizations may serve a diverse, multi-ethnic and multi-racial population and encourage you to apply if you engage with and serve Black and African Diaspora communities. FPWA will be reviewing the scope and reach of applicants for our target community as part of making grant determinations.
Alternatively, Hispanic Federation (HF) is issuing a request for proposals (RFP) to member agencies and allies for the implementation of a targeted campaign to address the disproportionate and devastating toll COVID-19 has had on Latino and other BIPOC communities in New York State. Selected agencies may apply for a grant under the following service areas: COVID Vaccine Education and Awareness, COVID Vaccination Case Management, or Establishment of COVID-19 Community Vaccination and Education Sites. The deadline to apply is Friday, August 20, 2021. (https://www.fpwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Hispanic-Federations-NYS-COVID-Vaccine-and-Distribution-RFP.pdf)
3. Is the funding opportunity focused on the five boroughs of NYC or the entire state of New York?
At this time, this first funding phase is centered on the five boroughs of NYC. FPWA will be evaluating extending the funding opportunity to organizations and institutions working outside of NYC in the second phase that will open for application on Sept, 1st.
4. Are there specific guidelines for how the funds can be used? May we use the funds to support staff salaries, related outreach expenses, stipends/incentives to other partner groups?
At this time, we welcome proposals that utilize the resources being made available to support both staff time on conducting the work as well as implementing strategies like stipends to engage other members of your outreach network. As with all expenses related to this opportunity, all receipts and records of expenditures made must be maintained and in accordance with requirements of the award.
5. Would this award be considered a government contract?
This grant award would not be considered a government contract. That said, organizations and institutions receiving an award under this opportunity would be obligated to abide by certain requirements set forth in the grant award letter and pass-through the support and funding of the New York State Department of Health.
6. Are applicant organizations required to have 501(c)3 status to apply?
Funds granted by this project will be to qualified, 501(c)3 organizations. Applicants should provide the tax identification number for their 501(c)3 organization at the time of application. FPWA will be reviewing tax determination status for all applicants as part of its review process. 7. We are preparing our application and would like to know if there are special considerations or qualification for the $20k grant amount. We noticed that the Funding Standards & Expectations are based on $10k funding, what would the expectations be for $20k?
The Funding Standards and Expectations were presented as an example of the scale and reach that may be expected in receipt of a $10,000 grant award. Expectations for grant amounts will scale in accordance with the anticipated reach of activities including trainings and community contacts, and focuses on unique populations. There are not separate operational expectations (e.g. reporting) for $20k rather than $10k grants, just higher expectations around goals, results, and work accomplished.