Strategic Partnership Grant Program Last updated or reviewed on March 21, 2023 Happening Now – Applications Open! Strategic Partnership Grant Application Cycle – Now Open The City of Asheville will begin accepting applications from qualified organizations working to eliminate the opportunity gap in Asheville for school-age youth from low- to moderate-income households. The deadline for submission of project applications is Friday, March 31, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. Links to the application and supporting documents are below. Application: FY24 Strategic Partnership Grant Application – Google Form Virtual Applicant Presentation Session: Applicants will be asked to present their proposals at a virtual presentation session on April 13, 2023, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. Applicants will be asked to provide a verbal presentation only. Applicants will not have the option to pull up slides or other electronic visuals as part of their respective presentations. Presentations will be limited to three (3) minutes. Starting April 3, City staff will reach out to the primary contact noted on the application to schedule their respective time to present. If interpretation services are needed for applicant agencies, please provide as much advance notice as possible to City staff so that staff can make necessary arrangements. Supporting Materials: Grant Guideline FY24 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Example Budget Narrative Example Budget Spreadsheet – PDF Example Budget Spreadsheet – Google Sheet Scoring Criteria Example Strategic Partnership Grant Performance Agreement FY24 Example Certificate of Insurance Example Communications and Invoice Process Please review the documents above including the grant guidelines, FAQ, and Scoring Criteria, and contact City staff with any additional questions about the application or program as needed. Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend one information session. The information sessions will be virtual and a recording of the information sessions will be posted on this webpage. FY24 Application Process Timeline February 22, 2023 Grant application period opens. March 3, 2023 Virtual information session 1 (Recording) March 8, 2023 Virtual information session 2 (Recording) March 24, 2023 Final updates to FAQ March 31, 2023 Application period closes April 13, 2023 Virtual applicant presentation session from 1:00-3:00 April 1 – April 13, 2023 Evaluation panel reviews applications April 18, 2023 Staff present funding recommendations to Equity and Engagement Committee for approval April 25, 2023 Staff present funding recommendations to City Council for approval April 26, 2023 Award notices are sent to all applicants May 1 – June 30, 2023 Staff work with recipients to develop and execute agreements Background What is the Strategic Partnership Grant Program (SPG)? The Strategic Partnership Grant program is a City of Asheville grant locally paid from the City’s general fund. The program provides funding for nonprofit organizations that serve Asheville residents. Available funding and priorities are determined by the Asheville City Council. The current scope of the SPG program is to address the impacts of the opportunity gap by supporting school-aged children from low- to moderate-income households in and outside of the classroom. The Equity and Engagement Committee makes its funding recommendations to City Council. 2022 Strategic Partnership Grant Pilot & Program Relaunch The Strategic Partnership Grant (SPG) has provided funding for nonprofit organizations that serve Asheville residents linked to City Council Strategic Priorities. After a three-year pause in funding, the grant program was relaunched in June 2022. Through feedback from the Housing & Community Development Committee (HCD), community members, and staff from multiple departments, the program pilot refined the scope of the SPG program to address the impacts of the opportunity gap by supporting school-aged children in and outside of the classroom. In an effort to test recommendations prior to finalizing the comprehensive restructuring of the SPG program, the City of Asheville implemented an SPG pilot in Fiscal Year 2022-2023. This pilot provided much-needed financial resources to the community at the start of the July 2022 – June 2023 budget year while providing necessary data to finalize long-term program refinement. Find more information about the pilot program here. Contact Information Rachel Taylor, Economic Development Specialist