New Human Services Partnership 

New Human Services Partnership 

After 10 years, the Washtenaw Coordinated Funding Partnership ended. We are proud of the work done by Coordinated Funding (or COFU), and also excited for the opportunity to re-envision Human Services partnership in service of equity, and focused on addressing racism, poverty and trauma. As we work through this process, we want to make information and resources available to partners and community to provide access to information, as well as opportunities to engage and inform the process.

This webpage will evolve as the process evolves, so please check regularly for updates including ways to participate. Last updated December 2022.

Main Goals with New Human Services Partners:

  • Incorporate Equity into the process
  • Focus on addressing racism, poverty, and trauma
  • Incorporate lessons learned from COVID-19 response
  • Ease of process – for applicants and staff

Community Reviewers are still needed for the High Impact and Mini-Grant funding rounds. We are looking for Community Reviewers to represent the diversity of Washtenaw County and the racial and geographic diversity of the first group of community reviewers and hope to broaden the gender, income, and age diversity in the next group of reviewers. We encourage you to apply to participate in the Mini-Grant funding round community review process using the Community Reviewer Application.

Quick Links:

NHSP Meetings and Convenings  |   Human Services Partnership Timeline  |  Equity Framework and Resources  |  County Publications, Data, and Related Resources | Meetings and Convenings | Safety Net Grants | Mini-Grants

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.

High Impact Grants Pre-Bid Meeting

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.

Timeline

Timeline for High Impact Grants

Date

Office Hours

Monday, November 28 – Tuesday, December 16, 2022

Release RFP

Thursday, December 22, 2022

High Impact RFP Information Session

Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 1-2pm

Proposals Due

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Eligibility Review and Reviewer Deliberation

March 2023

Reviewer Deliberation

April 2023

Board and Council Approval

May 2023

Grant and Contracting to Begin

July 2023


High Impact Grant Office Hours

Office hours were 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 before the funding round began.

Mini-Grant Funding Update

On December 7, 2022, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners passed Resolution 22-244: A Resolution Approving the Final Recommendation of Award Recipients for RFP 8358 "2022 New Human Services Partnership Mini-Grants", approving one-year mini-grants for the following organizations: 

  • A Brighter Way ($40,000)
  • Black Men Read ($40,000)
  • Buenos Vecinos ($40,000)
  • Coalition for Re-envisioning Our Safety/Care Based Safety ($40,000)
  • Community Resource Center, Inc. ($40,000)
  • Fair Housing Center ($40,000)
  • FedUp Ministries ($40,000)
  • Michigan Itinerant Shelter System Interdependent Out of Necessity - MISSION ($40,000)
  • Peer Support Network ($40,000)
  • Washtenaw Housing Alliance ($40,000)

Thank you to our community reviewers for assisting in the Mini-Grant funding round review process: 

  • Alice Seipelt
  • Alison Foreman
  • Charlotte Chloe
  • Grace Wu 
  • Jennifer Harrold
  • Jordan Greene
  • Kathleen O'Connor
  • Lana Valentine
  • Rachel Waite 
  • Rebecca Yaciuk

Learn more about the mini-grant funding round here.­­­