This grant is made possible by funding from the Minnesota Department of Health.

MOFAS Community Grant Program
Improving Adaptive Functioning Skills for Individuals with an FASD
Background
Purpose of RFP
Grant Requirements
Evaluation
Eligibility
Disbursement of Grant Amount
Review and Selection Process
Instructions for Preparing & Submitting Application
Application Timeline
Application Check List
Reference Face Sheet
Anti-Discrimination Agreement
Application Narrative
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MOFAS Community Grant Program
Improving Adaptive Functioning Skills for Individuals with an FASD
Background
Since its inception in 1998, The Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (MOFAS) has dedicated itself to the prevention, intervention and support of individuals and families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorders (FASD). The Minnesota Department of Health contracts with MOFAS to work collaboratively within communities and support statewide activities for FASD in Minnesota. One component of this statewide initiative is the community grant program. This program was developed to build the capacity of communities to better leverage their resources to implement programs focused on FASD. The grants are awarded to communities and organizations in Minnesota that are dedicated to changing the ways in which their communities recognize and respond to prenatal alcohol exposure.
Purpose of RFP
Although FASD is a life-long disability, early support can significantly improve the lives of individuals impacted by prenatal alcohol exposure. The goal of this community grant is to build the capacity of community based agencies to serve individuals impacted by FASD by helping them improve their adaptive functioning skills. FASD can make it challenging to accomplish some daily tasks and social interactions that are imperative for someone to function in everyday situations. However, there is a lack of services that address these challenges as they pertain specifically to individuals with an FASD. These grant funds are available to help agencies create new opportunities for individuals with an FASD to develop their adaptive functioning skills and improve their quality of life.
The three broad domains of adaptive functioning defined by the American Association of Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities are practical skills, social skills, and conceptual skills. Examples of these include the following:
Practical Skills

Personal care (feeding, bathing, dressing, cooking, laundry)

Safety

Healthcare

Follow schedules

Navigational skills (transportation)

Occupational skills
Social Skills

Interpersonal skills

Social responsibility

Social problem solving

Decision making
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
Self-esteem

Ability to understand and follow social rules and obey laws

Detecting the motivations of others in order to avoid victimization
Conceptual Skills

Language and literacy

Numbers

Financial literacy

Time

Planning and organizing

Self-direction
This description of adaptive functioning skills is only a framework to be used as a reference point and is not an exhaustive list.
Social skills training in particular can benefit individuals with an FASD because they may experience a lack of understanding social cues, leading to socially inappropriate behavior, social isolation, and loneliness. What may seem like implicit social cues to some, such as eye contact, intonation, and appropriate emotional reactions, are not always understood by some individuals with an FASD without additional guidance. They may not detect unspoken messages, like when to change the subject or when to start or end a conversation, which can result in frustrating social interactions. In addition, an individual with an FASD may find it challenging to generalize social skills to a variety of situations and real-life settings. Social skills training can help these individuals understand the verbal and nonverbal behaviors involved in social interactions. Improving one’s social skills can improve their ability to function in everyday social situations. Many aspects of daily living are impacted, from maintaining employment to developing interpersonal relationships. It can also lead to higher self-esteem and an increased likelihood that others will respond favorably to them.
This grant will support the creation and implementation of a program that addresses adaptive functioning skills for a variety of ages of individuals with an FASD. However, studies have found that social skills trainings in particular are most effective for middle school and high school-age students. A meta-analysis
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examined 55 single-subject design studies on school-based social skills interventions for children and adolescents with
Autism Spectrum Disorder. The meta-analysis found that the students in the middle and high school age group showed the highest intervention effects and were better at maintaining and generalizing what they learned in social skills training than students in elementary school. This information may be useful for those intending to use this grant to implement a social skills group.
Grant Requirements
The aim of this grant is to provide funding to enhance an agency’s current scope of work in a way that will help individuals with an FASD improve their adaptive functioning skills. This could involve making the necessary
1 Bellini, S., Peters, J., Benner, L., & Hopf, A. (2007). A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Social Skills Interventions for Children
With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Remedial and Special Education, 28 (3), 153-162.
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modifications to current programming, or it could be the creation of a new program. If the grant is applied to the creation of a new program, there will be limited start up funds available. The applicant must describe what their current scope of work is, what adaptive functioning skills they plan to address, how they will address them, and what is required in order to meet their goal. More detail is provided in the narrative guidelines.
This grant will fund supportive programming for individuals with an FASD who reside in Minnesota. It is important to ensure that the programs that are funded by this grant are actually serving individuals with an
FASD. Applicants will be required to explain how this will be determined. The organizations may have knowledge that the participants have a diagnosis of an FASD, they may rely on self-identification if the participants are adults, or they may strongly suspect that the individuals they are supporting have an FASD. If the applicant is only relying on suspected FASD, they must expound on their reasoning for suspecting FASD.
By presenting this grant opportunity, it is intended that the grant funded program will be provided at no cost to participants during the grant period. If the applicant would like to bill for the provision of the adaptive functioning skills program, they are encouraged to consider billing as a way to create sustainability when the grant period ends.
By becoming a community grantee, an agency enters into a collaborative relationship with MOFAS. This collaboration requires commitments from both the grantee and from MOFAS. As a grantee, it is expected that the agency will:
 participate in conference calls and site visits;
 attend grantee meetings;
 participate in the evaluation process; and
 submit reports.
MOFAS will
 facilitate grantee meetings;
 conduct conference calls;
 carry out site visits;
 provide feedback on reports; and
 provide technical assistance.
Evaluation
We are committed to learning about effective ways that community based agencies can support individuals with an FASD. To ensure that individuals are benefiting from the supportive services provided by the grantees, this program requires an evaluation plan. Each applicant will be required to submit an evaluation plan in their proposal that will describe how they intend to measure the impact of their program. The evaluation plan should reflect each of the objectives in the proposal, and can be a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures.
Grantees are encouraged to use validated instruments to assess improvement in participants’ adaptive functioning, such as the Vineland Scales-II, the Diagnostic Adaptive Behavior Scale (DABS), or the Supports
Intensity Scale (SIS).
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Eligibility
Community based agencies that serve individuals in Minnesota can apply, as long as they meet legal qualifications for receiving grants. These agencies can be from a variety of settings and geographical locations across Minnesota. Agencies that are past or current grantees of MOFAS are eligible to apply. Our preference is lead organizations that are 501(C)3 non-profit organizations, government agencies, tribal governments, schools, or educational institutes. Applicants who can demonstrate leveraged funding will receive additional consideration. Joint proposals must identify a lead fiscal agent.
Disbursement of Grant Amount
Grants will be awarded in amounts that range from $10,000 to $20,000 per agency, with the majority of them being $10,000 to $15,000. The grants will be 12 months long for the period of January 1 – December 31, 2015.
There will be approximately 5-7 grants awarded. Payment will be by reimbursement only. Funds will be distributed promptly after review and approval of the grantee’s submission of progress reports and invoices showing implementation activities and acceptance of these reports by the MOFAS authorized representative.
MOFAS may refuse payment in the event such reports are not submitted, inaccurate, or incomplete.
Review and Selection Process
Completed applications will be read by members of the review committee, which will each assign a score to the application. Members of the review committee will include staff from MOFAS, the Minnesota Department of
Health, professionals from community based agencies, individuals with an FASD and their family members to represent a broad range of stakeholders. After reading the applications individually, reviewers will meet as a group to discuss their individual scores. MOFAS reserves the right to conduct follow-up interviews with applicants to discuss the grant proposals and any areas that require clarification. The final selection of grantees will be made based on the review committee scores and feedback. Ahead of funding, applicants will be asked to submit their curriculum to MOFAS for review and approval.
Instructions for Preparing & Submitting Application
Applications must be in the MOFAS office by Monday October 20 th , 2014 at 5:00 PM . There are two methods of submission, electronic or hard copy. To submit electronically, email the proposal to kendra@mofas.org
. Make sure to include all items listed in the proposal check list. If some documents are very large, the grant application can be sent using multiple emails and/or compressed zip files. To submit hard copies, mail or hand-deliver four copies of the proposal to the MOFAS office at the address listed below.
MOFAS
Attn: Kendra Gludt
2233 University Ave. West, Suite 395
Saint Paul, MN 55114
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We welcome your questions regarding the application process. Any questions can be sent to Kendra Gludt at kendra@mofas.org
or by calling the MOFAS office at 651-917-2370. The answers to frequently asked questions will be posted on the MOFAS website ( http://www.mofas.org/for-professionals/grants/apply/ ) and will be updated throughout the application process. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions during a pre-proposal meeting; details on how to participate and register will also be on the same MOFAS website page.
Grant Application Timeline:
Grant application due
Review committee
Announce grant recipients
Grant period
Monday October 20 th
Wednesday November 5 th
December
January 1 st
- December 31 st
2015
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Cover letter from the project director
2.
Reference face sheet
3.
Anti-discrimination agreement
4.
Narrative (sections 1-7), not to exceed 10 pages
5.
Budget work sheet (fill out both tabs on the Excel workbook)
6.
Letter of support from agency director (if different from the project director)
7.
Proof of tax exempt status, if applicable
8.
Most recent board-reviewed financial statements
9.
Most recent tax return (example: Form 990)
10.
Most recent certified audit (only if annual income is over $750,000)
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Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
2014 Community Grant Application Form
Legal Name of Lead Organization:
Address:
County:
Telephone:
Federal Tax ID Number:
Website:
State Tax ID Number:
Name of Project Director:
Title:
Address:
Telephone: E-mail:
Name of Financial Officer:
Title, Name of Organization:
Address:
Telephone: E-mail:
Include tax information if different from “Lead Organization”. Federal Tax ID Number:
Name of person authorized to sign contracts:
Title:
Telephone:
Checks would be made payable to, and mailed to:
Name:
Address:
Dollar Amount Requested from MOFAS:
E-mail:
State Tax ID Number:
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Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
2014 Community Grant Application Form
Grantee/Contractor agrees that they are committed to compliance with all applicable anti-discrimination laws
Title
Date and do not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, familial status, status with regard to public assistance, or other legally protected category or characteristic, in their employment, programs or activities.
Signature
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Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
2014 Community Grant Application Form
Please prepare your narrative using these headers. The document should be formatted with 1” margins with text in 12-point Times New Roman font. The total maximum page limit for the narrative portion of the application
(section 1-7) is 10 pages.
1.
Applicant Background

Describe the lead agency and its current scope of work.

Describe the geographical region and population served by the agency.

Include any history of working on FASD prevention, diagnosis, intervention, or support activities.
2.
Population Served

Describe the target population served by this program, including age range and approximately how many people will be served during the grant period.

Explain how it will be determined that members of the target population do have an FASD (diagnosed, self-identified, or suspected). If an FASD is only suspected, provide the reasoning used to conclude suspected FASD.

Explain how you intend to recruit members of your target population to participate in your program.
3.
Capacity and Readiness
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Explain your capacity to implement the work required by this grant. Provide reasons why your agency is able to incorporate this program into your standard provision of services.

Describe your motivations and commitment to supporting individuals with an FASD.
4.
Description of Program

Present the goal of your program and objectives required to reach this goal.

Provide a timeline and explain the rationale behind the length of time allowed for each activity.

Describe what adaptive functioning skills this program will address.
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Describe the curriculum you will implement or adapt, or indicate if you will be creating your own curriculum.
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Specify if the format of the curriculum will be individual, group, or both.
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State if the program will include a parent/caregiver training component
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Describe the intake and discharge process.
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Present prospects for sustainability after the grant ends.
5.
Evaluation

List the measurable outcomes you will use to evaluate the success of the program.

Describe the methods used to measure these outcomes.
6.
Leadership, Roles, and Staffing

Describe the key personnel involved in carrying out this grant. Include staff qualifications, any licenses, and prior experience supporting individuals with developmental disabilities.
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Explain how the grant-funded work will be staffed, with particular attention to leadership and accountability.
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Designate which personnel will be designated to implement the evaluation.
7.
Anticipated Challenges and Possible Solutions

Reflect on any challenges you anticipate in implementing your proposed program.

Include possible solutions to these challenges.
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