SDPP Calls for Proposals 2005 - Request for Letters of Intent

NOTE: The SDPP Request for Letters of Intent is now CLOSED.

SUPPORTING PLACE-BASED APPROACHES
TO REDUCE POVERTY
Request for Letters of Intent (RFLI)

Objective of this funding:

The objective of this Request for Letters of Intent (RFLI) is to solicit expressions of interest for funding that will support national learning on pre-established innovative approaches to community-driven collaborations to reduce poverty.

These approaches should involve pre-existing cross-sectoral collaborations, involving non-profit and voluntary sector organizations, the private sector, governments and citizens in efforts aimed at reducing poverty within a comprehensive, holistic multi-community framework.

Social Development Canada (SDC) is interested in supporting community-based social innovation and promoting the sharing of learning nationally. The goal of this Request for Letters of Intent is to support excellence in community-initiated and locally-driven social innovation and of how local actors (governmental, non-profit and voluntary sector, private sector, and citizens) and their broad networks work together to create more sustainable community action to reduce poverty and improve social well-being. SDC is particularly interested in learning more about the ways and means local networks work to improve social and economic conditions for their most vulnerable residents, and to develop a knowledge base that can be shared nationally to benefit other communities, and to enhance public policy development across Canada.

Funding and General Information:

• Deadline for the Letters of Intent is July 29, 2005, 4 p.m. EST.
• Five (5) paper copies of your organization's Letter of Intent AND one (1) electronic version (on disk or CD) must be received by Social Development Canada by 4:00 pm EST, July 29, 2005.
• The maximum per project will be $500,000 per fiscal year.
• Those organizations with Letters of Intent deemed to be the most innovative and consistent with the Request will be invited to submit full proposals.
• Organizations with successful Letters of Intent will be notified by early September and invited to submit a full proposal.
• Full proposals will then undergo an internal and external review to select those to be recommended for funding.
• Funding may commence as late as January 2006.
• Funding will normally have a maximum duration of 3 years.
• The sponsoring organization must be non-profit and voluntary, and be already engaged in poverty reduction work in at least three communities.
• A Letter of Intent must not exceed four (4) pages in length in 12 point font. Any text that exceeds this maximum will not be considered.

Factors to be assessed:

All Letters of Intent will be assessed and ranked on the following nine factors; thus all factors must be addressed in your Letter. The assessment of factors on a scale of 1 to 5 will focus on the viability and innovativeness of each one. Preference will also be given to projects with a pan-Canadian reach.

Letters of Intent must:

1. Provide information on the site locations of the poverty reduction work as well as evidence that the collaboration is community-initiated and locally-driven and that it has already been in place for at least two years.
2. Demonstrate that innovative approaches are being employed to reduce poverty and communicate what is innovative about the approaches. Innovativeness is characterized by approaches that are comprehensive, community-driven, lead by multi/cross-sectoral partnerships, and informed by research.
3. Explain how the concept is connected to locally-initiated networks that are working to reduce poverty within their communities, and how the networks bring together residents and partners in the non-profit and voluntary, private, and government sectors.
4. Explain the mechanism that is used to connect communities, and to share research findings and learnings on the local processes on a pan-Canadian basis.
5. Explain the approach to establish and measure progress in network formation and poverty reduction.
6. Explain the sources and amounts of other funding already committed to the initiative. Preference will be given to projects that have diverse funding and, in particular, non-governmental funding sources.
7. Indicate the approximate duration and amount of funding from Social Development Canada which would be needed. Explain how this funding will be used. Funding will be delivered through the Social Development Partnerships Program. SDPP cannot support the delivery of social services. To see SDPP's list of eligible activities, please review the Program's Terms and Conditions.
8. Explain the past and current work of the sponsoring non-profit organization to address the needs of persons living in poverty.
9. Explain the potential impact on communities.

Background:

Canada's communities play a vital role in determining the social and economic well-being of Canadians. Communities can build a better quality of life and provide real opportunities for their own residents.

Canadians seek housing, safety, education, employment, recreational spaces, friendships, social services and a sense of belonging in the place they live. All of these aspects of life contribute to individual well-being.

In turn, communities help individuals and families to meet these needs. Many communities have successfully identified their own unique approach to helping their residents. Within communities, different sectors work together - residents, governments, business, non-profit organizations and volunteers. They take responsibility for a problem and build a community-wide vision to address their challenges.

But as Canadian society becomes more complex, diverse and urban, with multi-faceted problems, it is even more important to find new approaches to address new challenges. The pace of demographic, economic, institutional and social change is affecting all communities. Larger communities are experiencing increased urbanization, high levels of poverty, and homelessness. Smaller communities are often vulnerable to sudden economic shifts, out-migration, and shortages of resources.

While some communities are experiencing significant successes in addressing their challenges, others are finding it more difficult to identify innovative solutions. Some factors that may influence the capacity of communities to innovate include local leadership, bottom-up approaches that reflect the real needs of a community, willing networks of partners, social capital, natural resources, financial capacity, accurate data and information about local needs and assets, and capacity for strategic planning and mobilization. Therefore, it is important to learn more about what is working, and to share information on effective strategies and learnings about place-based approaches with others.

Under this Request for Letters of Intent, Social Development Canada is seeking project concepts that have innovative mechanisms that will ensure that communities can "learn" from each other's comprehensive, cross-sectoral local efforts, assess the strengths and weaknesses of different strategies, and can effectively share the knowledge nationally with other communities, and ultimately influence policy and program development.

You must submit five (5) paper copies of your organization's Letter of Intent AND one (1) electronic version (on disk or CD) to be received by Social Development Canada by 4:00 pm EST, July 29, 2005. The electronic version must be on a disk or CD, enclosed with the paper copies. E-mailed or faxed copies WILL NOT be accepted. It is preferable that the electronic version of the proposal be submitted in Rich Text (RTF) format.

Please ensure that one of the five paper copies is the original version signed by designated authorities of your organization.

The five paper copies of your organization's Letter of Intent, plus the CD or disk, must be sent to:

Flor Chavarria
Community Development and Partnerships Directorate
Social Development Canada
5th Floor, Phase IV, Place du Portage, Box 501
140 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 0J9