Title
Resolution to Adopt FY 2018-2020 Human Services Funding Process
Memorandum
Attached for your consideration is a resolution to approve the use of the public-private Coordinated Funding Model for determining FY 2018 - 2020 General Fund allocations for human services, the administration of these funds by the Office of Community and Economic Development, and the signature of the City Administrator on the 2018-2020 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 (UWWC), the Washtenaw Urban County, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF), and the St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor (SJMAA). 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.
The process for the FY 2018-2020 funding cycle begin will begin with the Request for Information (RFI) process in October 2017. That process will be completed in December 2017. The second process is the Request for Proposals for Program Operations funding, which will commence in January 2018 and conclude with board approvals of funding recommendations in May of 2018.
At its meeting on October 12, 2017, 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 with the four priority investment areas previously agreed to by all partners (Aging, Housing & Homelessness, Cradle to Career (Early Childhood & School-Aged Youth), and Safety Net Health & Nutrition). Further, the HHSAB recommends City Council again designate their authority to select reviewers for the Coordinated Funding RFP review process to the HHSAB with support from OCED staff. 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
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. As was reinforced as successful in the 2017 outcomes evaluation by TCC Group, all program operations investments will continue to be aligned with existing community-level outcomes, though further attention will be paid to capacity for measurement within grantees as well as to identifying intermediary outcomes in those priority areas where the community-level change is expected to take multiple years to achieve.
Funding for Capacity Building
The AAACF, UWWC, and SJMAA will co-develop criteria and recommendations to their governing boards to direct the capacity building investments. Though the City has not committed direct funding to this area, the Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) will continue to be an active participant in informing and shaping capacity-building investments, as they will impact the City's investments in human service programs. Capacity building investments will continue to be aligned with community-level outcomes.
Funding for Sector Leadership
The AAACF, UWWC, OCED (on behalf of Washtenaw County only), and SJMAA will co-develop criteria and recommendations to their governing boards to direct the funding of the sector leadership entities. Though the City has not committed direct funding to this area, the OCED will continue to be an active participant in shaping decisions about the work of sector leadership entities, as they will impact the City's investments in human service programs.
TCC findings indicate a need to evaluate the sector leadership structure and provide greater clarity around the role of sector leadership entities relative to the Coordinated Funding model.
As part of the annual sector leadership contracting and work plan development for FY 17, Coordinated Funding staff engaged in an intensive process with sector leaders to co-develop annual work plans, in service of getting to greater clarity around sector leader roles and expected deliverables. Staff intend to build on the early successes of the shift in our engagement approach throughout the next fiscal year.
Allocation & Review 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.
The funding process and decisions will continue to align with City Council priorities and data-defined priority populations; 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 are linked directly to the four priority areas and have been determined through sector leadership recommendations and other evidence-based resources. The sector leadership entity body for each priority area has engaged key stakeholders, especially service providing-agencies, to identify community- and program-level outcomes.
The City’s human services funding (along with all other program operations funding) will continue to focus on critical services for Housing & Homelessness; Safety Net Health & Nutrition; Aging; and Cradle to Career (Early Childhood & School-Aged Youth). Under the FY2018-2020 process, program operations funding will not necessarily be allocated to these four priority areas in proportional amounts or consistent with historic trends. Allocations to these four priority areas will be based on a combination of the following: alignment with identified community-level outcomes, adherence to the strategies that support outcome achievement, how each sector prioritizes those strategies, extent to which an applicant is serving priority population(s) within the sector, demand for funds from applicants, and overall funding availability.
The review committee will make its recommendations to City Council - via the Community and Economic Development Director and the City Administrator - in May 2018, for funding to commence on July 1, 2018.
The attached memorandum of understanding, which is included to provide necessary context, is in draft form as has yet to be signed by all required signatories. The partners will sign as their boards approve the MOU over the next several months.
Staff
Prepared by: Andrea Plevek, Community and Economic Development Director
Reviewed by: Derek Delacourt, Community Services Area Administrator
Approved by: Howard Lazarus, City 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), and 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, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation (AAACF), and the St. Joseph Mercy Health Ann Arbor;
Whereas, By continuing this coordinated public-private funding process, the City will multiply its impact by leveraging the investment it makes in local non-profits; 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 outcomes, 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 Cradle to Career (Early Childhood & School-Aged Youth), with allocations to these four priority areas based on a combination of the following: alignment with identified community-level outcomes, adherence to the strategies that support outcome achievement, how each sector prioritizes those strategies, extent to which an applicant is serving priority population(s) within the sector, demand for funds from applicants, and overall funding availability; 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, and historically, City Council has requested that the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board provide the City of Ann Arbor designees to represent the City;
RESOLVED, That the City will utilize the public-private Coordinated Funding Model for FY 2018-2020 General Fund allocations for human services;
RESOLVED, That the following priority investment areas will be utilized for FY 2018-2020 General Fund human service funding: Housing & Homelessness; Safety Net Health & Nutrition; Aging; and Cradle to Career (Early Childhood & School-Aged Youth);
RESOLVED, That the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board shall provide review committee members for the Coordinated Funding Model, who shall be supported by OCED staff; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator is authorized to sign the Memorandum of Understanding for the continuation of the Washtenaw Coordinated Funders partnership through FY 2020, and to take all necessary administrative actions to implement this Resolution.