FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Alliance for Children is focused on equipping young children for success by advocating and investing in efforts that strengthen their health, education, and emotional development; contributing to Union County’s sustained economic vitality in a globally competitive world. Programs funded through our annual allocation and bid process provide vital services to children aged prenatal - 5 years (not yet in kindergarten), their families living in Union County and their caregivers.

Alliance for Children is now accepting proposals from individuals, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private businesses to provide evidence-based and/or evidence-informed services in Union County for Fiscal Year 2026-27. 

III.  INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Main Application: Applicant Information, Program Description & Smart Solutions Selected

Use the form provided to provide your applicant contact info & application request summary.

The Program Description should align with the logic model that follows with attention to the following:

A.  Statement of Need: Please make a brief statement about the current need to be addressed by this activity - 50 word limit. (Please note your Logic Model Needs Statement will overlap with this but must include recent county level information, statistics and/or current research to support the issue(s) being addressed by this activity.)                        

B. List all Smart Solutions being proposed for funding that identify the model and/or curriculum being utilized. At least ONE Smart Solution is REQUIRED.

C. Description of Services: (one page limit)  Please address the following in detail:

• Service delivery details - frequency, duration, for each specific service(s)/ Smart Solution(s) offered, including any changes for FY2026-27 (if continuing from FY 2025-26)

• target population to be served, including recruitment strategies and define eligibility criteria

• how the activity fits into the local service continuum and does not represent a duplication of effort

• activity’s major successes and challenges. (if continuing programs: How have you used lessons learned to enhance your program’s goal attainment?)

D. Agency Capacity and qualifications, expertise, training of direct service provider

& Logic Model 

• Enter proposed activity info at the top. Use the Purpose Service Code (PSC) indicated in the Smart Solution(s) selected.

• Need Statement (If this condition exists)  Include statements for each Smart Solution:

• Local Data: 

  • 1. 1. • Share relevant findings, from your most recent needs assessment, that led to the selection of this Smart Solution. 

          • Use data to describe the identified gaps, needs, inequities, priorities, and strengths in your community(ies) to be addressed by the specific Smart Solution.  

          • How does this program address the root causes of the needs described above? 

• Ensure that you have considered and identified any service duplication to avoid supplantation. (For example:  Are other agencies offering the same or similar services?)

• Cite any specific sources used to capture your need statement along with dates the data was collected. For young child demographic data and child care data by county, try these sources: 

  1. 1. 1. • NC CCR&R: www.ncchildcaredata.com 

           • NC Child: HERE under the Union Card 

           • NC ECE Data Repository: check out this site. 

• Describe specific community collaborations, feedback from the population to be served by the program, local factors and decisions that impacted your selection of the Smart Solution?

• Priority Population (For this Population)  Include priorities for each Smart Solution:

• • 1. • Describe the priority population receiving the program or activity elements. The targeted population should have the need(s) described in the Need Statement column.  

       • Prioritization criteria may include:

         1. • Age (Child, Parent) 

            • Geographic Location (ie, zip code, neighborhood, census track)

            • Race/Ethnicity

            • Income, Medicaid or Free/Reduced Lunch eligibility

            • Child Care Star Rating Level, Subsidy eligibility, Etc.

Note: Be specific about those who will benefit the most from the Smart Solution. Describe your referral process if, for example, your targeted participants will be referred from other activities, DSS, or other agencies in your community. Describe your population-based, specific approach to this Smart Solution.

• Program or Activity Elements (Inputs) (And we implement these strategies)  Include elements for each Smart Solution

• Describe the various strategies or core components for the Smart Solution(s). If this activity involves more than one Smart Solution, please highlight how they will interact with each other. 

• Describe any strategies you have incorporated to complement the core components of Smart Solutions. For example, you may have created and continued to support a Facebook group for the participating parents so they can connect between group meetings.

• What are the specific cultural, social, or geographic factors that shape your implementation of the core components?

• What elements will you offer to address potential barriers or challenges in implementing services that may arise? (For example:  day/time of services being available to families, transportation to/from services, location, etc.)

• Outputs - Participation (This many times, for these individuals)  Include outputs for each Smart Solution.

  • Outputs should tie directly to your target population.

  • Include the projected number of participants (children, parents, teachers, child care programs, etc.) you will serve, sessions you will offer, visits you will complete, etc. 

  • Include the individual participant level data that aligns with the Smart Solution. This data will provide information such as dosage. This requested data is available in Contracting and Data Management System (CDMS) and the  Smart Solution(s) Catalog.

  • These should include but NOT be limited to the outputs to be shared with NCPC during a given fiscal year.

  • What data would help you get a better understanding of the Activity's reach?

• OUTCOMES: Short Term Goals– Desired Change (We expect this short-term change)

  • Include outcomes for each Smart Solution. 

  • Describe what knowledge, skills, or dispositions will improve as a result of implementing the Smart Solution(s). The outcome is typically a measure of change in behavior, skills, knowledge, or attitude. How will the participant impact be measured? 

  • How does the participant level impact connect to the community level need and goals for long-term community impact?  Describe how these program goals align with the goals of your strategic plan. 

  • Include:

    • Name of survey, assessment tool(s), or other data source for the outcome.

    • Numbers with percentages.  Example: "90% (9/10) of participants.... "

  • Completion dates will be noted as being the end of the fiscal year, unless otherwise described.

  • These should include but NOT be limited to the outcome data to be shared with NCPC during a given fiscal year.

  • Your needs statement should be linked to the expected impact in Smart Solution(s). 

• OUTCOMES: Long-term Impact and relation to Community Level Indicator(s) (And we expect this outcome to impact the overall county)

  • Include responses for each Smart Solution.

  • Forecast how outcomes are intended to lead to positive changes in population-level outcomes as defined in Smart Start Priority Indicators or other Community Indicators.

  • Can forecast out for 3-5 years, if appropriate.

  • Building off the expected impacts in Smart Solutions and connecting with Community Level Data ncsmartstart.shinyapps.io/community_indicators/

  • What are your plans for sharing about participant level and community level impacts with partners?

2. Budget Narrative / Personnel Listing

• Allow the formulas built into the spreadsheets (in gray cells) to calculate the appropriate totals for you - do NOT edit. 

• Expenditures must be in accordance with Smart Start Cost Principles and as described in the Chart of Accounts provided by the North Carolina Partnership for Children. 

• In the narrative tab of the Budget spreadsheet, when completing the two columns, ‘In-Kind Funds’ and ‘Cash Amount Funds’, on the spreadsheet, please include the legislatively-mandated 19% cash and in-kind contribution requirement for Smart Start state-wide.

• Personnel Listing (second workbook tab in budget spreadsheet file) - List all personnel, and their FTE allocation associated with the Smart Start funded program where 1 FTE is full-time. Attach job descriptions for each position.

3. Supporting Documentation

• Include only one copy of the supporting documents with the original, signed copy of your proposal documents.

• Based on your organizational structure, various documents are required - see chart below:

a. Verification that the entity has received official notification of tax-exempt status (i.e., IRS determination letter)

b. Verification that the entity has received official corporate status (i.e., Secretary of State Certificate of Incorporation)

c. Verification of the entity’s federal tax identification or social security number and legal name (i.e., IRS Form W-9)

d. Name and title of the person authorized to sign the contract, including formal authorization for this individual to enter into a contract binding the entity (i.e., bylaws, board minutes, etc.)

e. Name and title of the person authorized to sign financial status reports, if different from the individual in item “d” above, including formal authorization

f. Name, working title, mailing address (including street address, city, state, and zip code), telephone number, and fax number of the contract administrator

g. Name and address of the person and the location where the payments should be mailed, if different from above

h. Proof of insurance showing current insurance coverage as follows:

1)  Fidelity Bond policy in an amount of at least 50% of the total grant funds provided by Alliance for Children, providing certificate holder status and proof of coverage and naming Alliance for Children as an additional insured or joint loss payee

2)  Workers’ Compensation

3)  Commercial General Liability

4)  Automobile Liability

5)  Other Insurance as applicable:  (e.g., Professional Liability, Special Events)

Please note that Alliance for Children reserves the right to re-issue a Request for Applications should the Board of Directors deem the applicant pool insufficient.  

Funding is contingent upon approval by the North Carolina Partnership for Children and the Alliance for Children Board of Directors, as well as the continued availability of Smart Start funding from the North Carolina General Assembly.