Title
Resolution to Adopt FY 2016-18 Human Services Funding Process
Memorandum
Attached for your consideration is a resolution to approve FY 2017 - 2018 General Fund allocations for human services, the administration of these funds by the Office of Community and Economic Development using the public-private Coordinated Funding Model, and the signature of the City Administrator on the 2016-18 MOU.
The Coordinated Funding process, used by the City to distribute its human services funds since 2011, will continue to coordinate funding priorities, non-profit applications and interventions, and proposal reviews between the City of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, the United Way of Washtenaw County, the Washtenaw Urban County, and the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF). The sixth funder, the RNR Foundation, will fund an outcomes evaluation of the Coordinated Funding Model during the FY2016-18 period. Additionally, a seventh funder - St. Joseph Mercy Health Ann Arbor will join the Washtenaw Coordinated Funders. Decision-making authority will remain separate, with City Council maintaining authority over City Funds, and the governing boards for each of the other funding bodies maintaining authority over their respective funds.
This process builds on the human services Coordinated Funding Model previously adopted by the City of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, United Way of Washtenaw County, the Washtenaw Urban County, and the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF) by incorporating additional refinements to the model, including a shift to a single process for all potential grantees to access program operations and capacity building funding. One goal of this shift is to provide capacity building support to more agencies, particularly those serving areas of greatest need in the county (48197/98 zip codes, marginalized populations, and/or minority-led/minority-serving agencies). No City funds are provided for capacity building activities. The partnership enables the funders to collaboratively maintain safety net services throughout the community, while maintaining the appropriate connection of resources and geography.
The process for the FY2016-18 funding cycle began with the Request for Information (RFI) process in September 2015. That process was completed in November 2015 and was followed by the Capacity Building process, which concluded in December 2015. The next process is the Request for Proposals for Program Operations funding, which will commence in January 2016 and conclude with board approvals of funding recommendations in May of 2016.
At its meeting on January 14, 2016, the City's Housing and Human Services Advisory Board voted to recommend that City Council approve this continuation of the public-private Coordinated Funding process and the five priority investment areas previously agreed to by all partners. Additional details about this process, priority investment areas, and the methodology used to determine funding proportions for each priority follow.
BACKGROUND
In 2010, Washtenaw County, the City of Ann Arbor, the United Way of Washtenaw County, the Washtenaw Urban County, and the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation adopted the human services Coordinated Funding Model. The proposed continuation of the Coordinated Funding Model will incorporate the following elements:
Funding for Program Operations & Capacity Building
The Office of Community and Economic Development - working under the authority of the County, City of Ann Arbor and Urban County, the United Way of Washtenaw County, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, and St. Joseph Mercy Health-Ann Arbor will use a shared process to determine each funder's allocation of funds for program operations. While City of Ann Arbor funds are solely invested in program operations, all the partners will work closely to evaluate how capacity building decisions by the private funders can support impactful program operations in the overall funding process. This reflects the further implementation of the TCC evaluation results which recommended better alignment of the capacity building funding with the community outcomes. This component will continue to employ:
• A single overall set of guidelines describing the funds available from all funders;
• A single deadline to simultaneously request funds from all funders;
• A single review process, with representatives from each funding partner participating in the review;
• A single set of funding recommendations brought back separately to the governing board of each funding entity; and
• For funded programs, a single, shared monitoring and reporting process.
The City, along with all participating entities, will continue to have full and complete autonomy over its own funding decisions. Decisions will continue to be made with the knowledge of what other funders are doing, and with the reassurance that dollars are being invested to maximum effect because they have been coordinated and leveraged with the other operating dollars.
Funding for Planning & Coordination
The AAACF and UWWC will continue to jointly develop criteria and recommendations to their governing boards to direct the funding of the planning and coordinating bodies.
Though the City has not committed direct funding to this area, the Office of Community and Economic Development will continue to be an active participant in shaping decisions about the work of planning and coordinating bodies, as they will impact the City's investments in human service programs.
Allocation & Review Process
The funding process and decisions will continue to align with City Council priorities and human services community plans; continue to emphasize “best-practice” proposals with clear and measurable program outcomes; and continue to encourage proposals that leverage additional funding and collaborate with other agencies.
The process will also continue to use a community impact model where program strategies must align with identified community-level outcomes in order to receive program operations funding. Community-level outcomes will be determined through planning and coordinating body recommendations and other evidence-based resources. The planning and coordinating body for each priority area has engaged key stakeholders, especially including service providing agencies, to identify community- and program-level outcomes.
The County’s Human Services and Children’s Well-being funding will continue to focus on critical services for Housing & Homelessness; Safety Net Health & Nutrition; Aging; and Early Childhood & School-Aged Youth. Under this proposal, this funding will not necessarily be allocated to these five priority areas in proportional amounts consistent with historic trends. Allocations to these five priority areas will be based on identified community-level outcomes, the strategies that align with them, and how each are prioritized.
Previously, City Council has delegated the selection of volunteer proposal reviewers to the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board. These volunteers will join those designated by other partners to form a review committee, who will make recommendations to City Council - via the Community and Economic Development Director and the Community Services Area Administrator - in May 2016, for funding to commence on July 1, 2016.
Staff
Prepared by: Brett Lenart, Interim Director, Office of Community and Economic Development
Reviewed by: Larry Collins, Interim Community Services Administrator
Body
whereas, the process to distribute human service funds will continue to coordinate funding priorities, non-profit applications and interventions, and proposal reviews between the City of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, the United Way of Washtenaw County, the Washtenaw Urban County, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF); while adding another significant local funding partner in St. Joseph Mercy Health Ann Arbor;
Whereas, decision-making authority will remain separate, with City Council maintaining authority over City Funds, and the governing boards for each of the other funding bodies maintaining authority over their respective funds;
Whereas, This process continues the human services Coordinated Funding Model previously adopted by the City of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, the United Way of Washtenaw County, the Washtenaw Urban County, and the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF);
Whereas, By continuing this coordinated public-private funding process, City funds will leverage the investment it makes in local non-profits by at least fivefold; minimize duplicative work and effort for non-profits applying for funding; reduce overlap and redundancies between funding entities; and maximize the effectiveness of City funds invested in targeted critical human services for the growing number of citizens struggling to meet basic needs;
Whereas, City Human Service funds will continue to be invested in program operations, and decisions for program operations funds will continue to align with the City's commitment to supporting the human services safety net;
Whereas, The Coordinated Funding Model will continue to emphasize sound practices with clear and measurable program outputs, while adopting a community impact model where program strategies must align with identified community-level outcomes;
Whereas, the Coordinated Funding Model will continue to encourage proposals that leverage additional funding and foster collaboration between agencies;
Whereas, Human Service funding will focus on critical services for Housing & Homelessness; Safety Net Health & Nutrition; Aging; and Early Childhood & School-Aged Youth. Allocations to these five priority areas will be based on identified community-level outcomes, the strategies that align with them, and how each are prioritized;
Whereas, The application pre-screening process will be broadened to better accommodate smaller nonprofit organizations; and
Whereas, The proposed reviewers for program operations funding applications will include designees of the City Council, the County Board of Commissioners, the Board of the United Way of Washtenaw County, and the Urban County Executive Committee, along with Community and Economic Development and United Way staff. Historically, City Council has requested that the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board appoint members to represent the City;
RESOLVED, That the City will utilize the public-private Coordinated Funding Model for FY 2016-17 General Fund allocations for human services;
RESOLVED, That the following priority investment areas will be utilized for FY 2016-17 General Fund human service program operation funding: Housing & Homelessness; Safety Net Health & Nutrition; Aging; and Early Childhood & School-Aged Youth; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator be authorized to sign the Memorandum of Understanding for the continuation of the Washtenaw Coordinated Funders partnership through FY2018.