New Human Services Partnership 

Mini-Grant Funding Update

Community reviewers recommended 10 mini-grant proposals to the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners (BOC) and the Ann Arbor City Council. The resolution for final recommendations was approved at the BOC meeting on November 16, 2022 and will move to the December 7, 2022 meting for final reading. The City Council of Ann Arbor will vote on November 21, 2022. The 10 mini-grant recommendations include:

• Washtenaw Housing Alliance
• Coalition for Re-envisioning Our Safety 
• FedUp Ministries
• Buenos Vecinos
• Peet Support Network
• A Brighter Way
• Black Men Read
• Michigan Itinerant Shelter System Interdependent Out of Necessity (MISSION)
• Community Resource Center, Inc. 
• Fair Housing Center

Learn more about the mini-grant funding round here.­­­

Current Funding Round - High Impact Grants

The New Human Services Partnership High Impact funding round will provide 5-years of funding to human service organizations working to scale existing human services initiatives. High Impact Grants are intended to provide resources to “change the conditions” for those experiencing systemic oppressions of racism, trauma, or poverty in Washtenaw County. 

While we are seeking a partnership with organizations in hopes of providing system changing human services initiatives in Washtenaw County, this is not an opportunity to experiment on vulnerable populations but to expound and improve upon the services, systems, and practices already in place. For this reason, we see High Impact Organizations as those that are aimed at identifying and changing systems to address the root causes of systemic oppression: Racism, Poverty, and Trauma.

Eligibility

To be eligible for systems change, high impact funding, organizations must prove that they have: 

• Existing equity processes embedded throughout the organization and related programming and/or proposed initiative. This can be demonstrated through the following:
  1. Previous and/or ongoing equity assessment and strategic plan
  2. Equity driven policies and board practices as described in the organization’s Policy and Board manual/handbooks
  3. Stakeholder assessment and proof and adaptation of findings
• Proven long-standing history of providing quality community-based service:
  1. State and/or federal funding monitoring results
  2. At least 10 years of service in the community, providing annual reports as supporting documentation
  3. Letters of support from partner agencies
  4. Stakeholder engagement and proof of adaptation
• Play a significant role in a human services system:
  1. Can clearly articulate services provided and current outcomes
  2. Can clearly articulate barriers to providing current services

To learn more about the High Impact Grant funding round, see the High Impact Grant framework here.

High Impact Grant Office Hours

Office hours will be offered to organizations for an opportunity to meet with OCED leadership to discuss specific proposal ideas, seek clarity on the funding process, and learn more about funding expectations. Please note: each office hour session is limited to FIVE agencies. While only ONE representative from your agency should register, we are allowing multiple agency leadership/staff attend the session, if desired. It is the agency’s responsibility to share meeting (e.g. Zoom link) amongst themselves once registration is confirmed.

1. Wednesday, November 30, 1-2pm 
   • Register here  https://washtenawcounty.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtcuyhrj0rHN1u7KgwWvZl8YaHxDgr4hfF
2. Thursday, December 1, 10-11am 
   • In person – Washtenaw County Learning Resource Center, Huron Room 
   • Register here https://forms.gle/yTP2JvQFLkpP2jFS7 
3. Wednesday, December 7, 1-2pm 
   •  https://washtenawcounty.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkc-uprDsiHN3kKVxMiLMJiU7-GIJh1UOm
4. Tuesday, December 13, 11am-12pm (in person at LRC)
   • In person – Washtenaw County Learning Resource Center, Huron Room 
   • Register here https://forms.gle/51APvti5ynW4rJUU9  

Timeline