2007 United Way Request for Proposal
Helping Teens and Young Adults Succeed
BACKGROUND
Background
United Way of Allegheny County (UWAC) has undertaken a multi-year effort to redesign the process of allocating
unrestricted dollars from its Impact Fund in order to:
 Identify and address critical needs in our region
 Invest in agency partners – both current and new - that can best meet these needs
 Grow the Impact Fund to provide additional resources to our partners
 Help more people in need.
UWAC believes the objective assessment of community needs is an important enhancement to our current agency
allocation process. In 2006, as an early step in the redesign of the allocation process, UWAC assembled the Needs
Assessment Task Team consisting of community stakeholders to make recommendations on priority areas that
present both urgent needs and opportunities for significant impact by UWAC within Allegheny County.
UWAC worked with the Office of Child Development (OCD), Division of Applied Research and Evaluation of the
University of Pittsburgh to conduct a Community Needs Assessment to provide this task team with the necessary
data to inform its recommendations on priority needs. The full Needs Assessment Report can be viewed on the
UWAC web site:
http://www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org/uploadedFiles/Find_Help/NeedsAssess06-07.pdf
The 2007 Request for Proposals (RFP) is a pilot for the total allocation redesign. A generous donor has provided
funds to be used in support of agencies that are not current UWAC partners. UWAC will be providing up to two
years of funding to address a community priority identified by the Needs Assessment Task Team - Helping Teens
and Young Adults Succeed. Additional critical needs will be addressed through funding priorities in subsequent
years.
Participants will be required to provide feedback throughout this pilot RFP process. This feedback will help UWAC
to refine and improve the allocation and RFP process as we move forward.
www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org
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2007 United Way Request for Proposal
Helping Teens and Young Adults Succeed
BACKGROUND
Proposal Process
A total of approximately $236,600 is planned for distribution in each of the next two years. Awards of up to
$100,000, or no greater than 15 percent of an agency’s total budget, will be provided to agencies selected. Funding
is for general operating support to assist agencies in producing outcomes in the priority need area. UWAC expects
to make up to three awards from among the proposals received.
The RFP involves a three-part process. Training and technical assistance will be available to assist applicants in the
process.
STEP 1: Due July 23, 2007
Applicants will email a Proposal Summary, and preliminary documentation including:
a. Proposal Summary Form (three page maximum including the cover page).
b. Evaluation Plan Form for the program / service for which funding is requested (two page maximum).
c. Organizational Eligibility Form.
d. Supporting documentation – IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter.
STEP 2: Due September 13, 2007
By Invitation Only
Applicants selected through Step 1 will be invited to email a Full Proposal, including:
a. Detailed program description (five page maximum)
b. Logic Model Form for the program /service for which funding is requested (two page maximum)
c. Agency Budget Form
d. Agency Self Assessment of Capacity
e. Supporting documentation including:
- audit(s) covering two years;
- most recent IRS Form 990;
- Board list
f.
The applicant may choose to submit a revised evaluation plan at this time, but it is not required.
STEP 3: Target Dates – October 10 – October 24
Finalists in the selection process will participate in a Site Visit. The site visit, conducted by a multidisciplinary
review team including community and corporate volunteers and UWAC staff, will focus both on the proposed
service for which funding is requested, and a more in-depth exploration of the agency’s capacity.
Applicants who are awarded funding will make a commitment to participate in capacity building and training as a
condition of the grant. Year Two funding will be contingent on Year One performance.
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2007 United Way Request for Proposal
Helping Teens and Young Adults Succeed
BACKGROUND
Eligibility
Applications may be submitted by a single agency or a collaborative of multiple agencies, providing that at least the
lead agency meets the following criteria:
 501(c)(3) organization located and providing a health or human service in Allegheny County and not
currently a UWAC Partner agency
 In full compliance with all federal, state, county and local requirements and laws pertaining to non-profits,
including the USA Patriot Act and other counterterrorism laws
 Meets the requirements of the Solicitations of Funds for Charitable Purposes Act passed by the
Pennsylvania General Assembly in December, 1990
 Is able to provide all documentation as noted in Step 1 and Step 2
Timeframe for Applicants
2007
June 22
RFP forms and information available on UWAC web site
July 11
Information and training session for potential applicants
June 22 - July 23
Technical Assistance available on preparation of Proposal Summary
July 23
Step 1: Proposal Summary and related documents due
August 13
Invitations to submit full proposals issued
Aug 14 - Sept 13
Technical assistance available on full proposal preparation
September 13
Step 2: Full proposals and related documents due
October 3
Candidates for site visits notified
October 10 - 24
Site visits completed
October 26
Funding recommendations made by review teams to Impact Cabinet
December 12
Funding approved by Board
December 14
Agencies notified of funding decisions
2008
January 1
First year funding available
www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org
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2007 United Way Request for Proposal
Helping Teens and Young Adults Succeed
BACKGROUND
Benefits for Applicants and the United Way
UWAC recognizes that this pilot application process will require an investment of time and effort. Applicants will
benefit from participation in this pilot RFP in several ways, whether they are eventually funded or not. Specific
benefits to all applicants include:
 Completion of the Organizational Eligibility Tool will inform applicants of any areas where they may be
potentially out of compliance with federal or state regulations, or where they might not be engaging in
widely recognized “best practices” for nonprofits. This will enable agencies to take corrective action if
needed.
 Completion of the Logic Model and Evaluation Plan will provide applicants the opportunity to be sure that
their program activities are leading to measurable, positive results for participants. It will provide a basis
for effective program evaluation, an important tool for future fund raising efforts.
 Completion of the Agency Self Assessment is useful for agency executives, board members and staff to
assist with planning for future growth and increased capacity for the agency.
 All applicants will be invited to participate in training and technical assistance to learn to use these tools
and to apply them for their own strategic planning.
UWAC will also benefit from the use of this pilot in two ways.
 It will help us identify and fund high performing agencies that are not current partners
 It will help us to evaluate and improve the process that is planned for future allocations
UWAC will seek feedback from participants to enhance the process for future applicants and reviewers. All
applicants must make a commitment to completing brief surveys evaluating the RFP process.
www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org
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2007 United Way Request for Proposal
Helping Teens and Young Adults Succeed
BACKGROUND
Funding Priorities
Statement of Need
The number of youth ages 15 to 24 has been increasing in Allegheny County, both in absolute numbers and as a
percentage of the total population. While this is a promising trend in terms of the demographics of the county,
there are critical needs to be addressed in this age group. There has been a 23 percent increase in the number of
youth living in poverty since 1999. Among 20 to 24 year olds, the unemployment rate was ten percent in 2005 –
markedly higher than the six to seven percent rate for the general labor force in the county during the same time
period. Poverty rates and unemployment rates are even higher among African American teens and young adults.
The overall unemployment rates for African Americans in 2005 were 10.3 percent, a 30 percent increase over five
years.
Academic proficiency, key to long term employment, is also a concern for this age group. Over 43 percent of the
county’s 11th grade students do not meet PSSA proficiency standards in math. Over 31 percent are not proficient in
reading. For youth in distressed areas of the county, the concerns are especially serious. A recent RAND study of
the Pittsburgh Public Schools estimated that 35 percent of total students drop out during the entire course of high
school, compared to the statewide estimated rate of 26 percent (Pennsylvania Department of Education). While the
number of youth between the ages of 16 to 19 who are neither in school nor employed has declined in the county
and statewide, it has risen sharply in the City of Pittsburgh. The paired problems of academic failure and high
unemployment are taking a disproportionate toll among teens and young adults in other distressed areas of the
county as well where fewer programs are available to address these needs.
The ripple effects and co-occurring problems related to economic and academic problems faced by young people,
especially in areas of the county with high poverty rates, are readily apparent. The rate of involvement in the
juvenile justice system has increased sharply, and is especially high among African American youth. The youth
death rate has risen sharply since the late 1990s, with homicide as a major cause. The 2005 Pennsylvania Youth
Survey of 12th graders showed binge drinking, smoking and use of drugs to be above the national average. Mothers
in this age group face a higher risk of not accessing prenatal care, having low birth weight babies, and raising their
children in poverty, which in turn puts their children at risk for a host of long term health and developmental
problems.
The UWAC’s goal in addressing such serious community needs is to invest funds strategically, focusing on those
areas where the investment can have far reaching positive effects. Through the 2007 RFP process we are looking
for new nonprofit partners that can help us:
 Address academic failure and unemployment for youth ages 15 to 24 years
 Achieve the community and program outcomes outlined below
Required Outcomes
Proposals chosen for funding will focus on achieving and providing a comprehensive plan for measuring at least
one of the following outcomes:
 Out of school youth return to school and graduate with proficiency, or complete a GED
 At risk youth stay in school and graduate with proficiency
 At risk or out of school youth engage in post-secondary training or secure employment appropriate to skill
level with career advancement opportunities
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2007 United Way Request for Proposal
Helping Teens and Young Adults Succeed
BACKGROUND
Target Populations
Proposed programs must serve one or more of the following target populations
 Youth who are not in school and not working
 Youth with poor school attendance or other risk factors for dropping out
 Youth with low grade point averages and low scores on standardized measures of academic proficiency
 Youth in areas of the city or county with high rates of poverty and low rates of high school graduation
Proposals will be given priority when the programs also focus on one or more of the following groups:
 African American youth
 Single mothers
 Youth in areas without existing or sufficient neighborhood-based programs
 Youth with prior involvement in the juvenile, criminal justice or child welfare system
 Youth with drug and/or alcohol problems
Scoring Criteria
Proposals will be rated according to the following criteria:
Priority Fit
Does the program align with the United Way’s funding priorities? Does the program serve the target
population? Does it serve targeted subpopulations? Is a high need neighborhood being served? (20 percent)
Impact
Is the program likely to meet the outcomes identified in the RFP for a significant number of participants? (20
percent)
Agency Record and Experience
What is the agency’s history serving the target population, delivering similar programs and/or achieving the
desired outcomes? (15 percent)
Program Model
Is the model evidence based? Is there a process for continuous improvement? Does the program increase
access to existing services? Can the group demonstrate a commitment to cultural competency? (20 percent)
Comprehensive Approach
Does the program design include partners and work across systems? Are the services designed to prevent the
development of problems in the future? Are other relevant service providers clearly involved? Is a formal
collaboration proposed? What is the agency’s experience with collaboration? (15 percent)
Use of Funds / Leveraging
What is the program’s budget, basis for sustainability and ability to leverage other dollars? (10 percent)
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2007 United Way Request for Proposal
Helping Teens and Young Adults Succeed
BACKGROUND
Examples of service strategies are listed below. Note this is not a comprehensive list and other strategies
/approaches are welcome.
 Case management and family support to address multiple issues preventing school attendance and
employment retention
 After-school programs that coordinate with the school’s curriculum so that participants attain proficiency
 Training/mentoring programs that teach/reinforce skills and workforce readiness
 Partnerships with child care providers so teen mothers may obtain training and employment & secure child
development.
www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org
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