Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Request for Continuation Proposal (RFCP) Instructions ~ FY15 VAWA STOP SERVICES
PROPOSAL
DUE DATE AND TIME
Tuesday, April 15, 2014 – 4:00pm CST
Email one copy of the complete proposal to [email protected]
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WEBINARS
Your agency is required to participate in
one of the following technical assistance webinars. Registration emails
were sent on Thursday, January 30, 2014. Please contact
[email protected] if you need the registration links.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Wednesday, March 12, 2014 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Friday, March 14, 2014 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Monday, March 17, 2014 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
GENERAL INFORMATION ..........................................................................................................2
Eligible Programs ...................................................................................................................... 2
Funded Services of This Project ...............................................................................................3
Allowable Costs ..........................................................................................................................3
Donor Match Requirements .......................................................................................................3
Reporting Requirements ............................................................................................................3
Other Requirements ...................................................................................................................4
PROPOSAL CONTENT CHECKLIST AND INSTRUCTIONS .....................................................5
Cover Page, Certification Forms, and General Agency Description Table ........................................5
Proposal Narrative ...................................................................................................................6
1. SUMMARY OF PROJECT .................................................................................................................6
2. REVIEW OF PROGRESS MADE .......................................................................................................6
3. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM.............................................................................................................7
4. PROJECT RESPONSE .......................................................................................................................7
5. EVALUATION..................................................................................................................................8
Budget Detail and Budget Narrative ...........................................................................................9
Job Description ........................................................................................................................9
REVIEW CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES .................................................................................10
For Further Information ........................................................................................................... 11
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Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Request for Continuation Proposal (RFCP) Instructions ~ FY15 VAWA STOP SERVICES
GENERAL INFORMATION
Proposals must be submitted via e-mail and received no later than Tuesday, April 15, 2014 – 4:00pm CST. ICADV Policies
and Procedures for Grant Administration state that, “Programs submitting applications up to 48 hours late will be fined
$500. Applications received in the ICADV office 48 hours after the deadline will not be accepted”. Proposals that do not
meet the assurances or do not follow the directions will not be read.
Since FY96, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (the Authority) has entered into contractual agreements with
ICADV to administer funds for services to domestic violence victims under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) STOP
grant program. These grants have been awarded to agencies which target services to unserved or underserved populations:
Latina victims; rural victims; and victims with chemical dependency problems.
These funds are a portion of a federal grant awarded by the Office On Violence Against Women from the U.S. Department of
Justice to the Authority for direct client services to crime victims. Contracts resulting from this RFCP are subject to laws,
regulations and guidelines applicable to the VAWA program.
Your agency’s maximum VAWA STOP FY15 request for funds is determined by your FY14 award amount.
If you received this amount
Then you may request up
Then your FY15 Match
under your FY14 agreement to this amount in FY15…
Amount is…
#612001….
$32,467
$30,428
$10,143
$32,958
$30,887
$10,296
$40,795
$38,238
$12,746
$65,907
$61,766
$20,589
Grant awards for FY15 are contingent upon ICADV receiving VAWA monies from the Authority, the amount of VAWA money
available, and the number of requests that are funded. The FY15 grant is a twelve-month grant, beginning July 1, 2014 and
ending June 30, 2015. This grant may be renewed for up to one (1) additional year (through FY16). Future funding depends
upon satisfactory program performance and the availability of funds.
Eligible Programs
Programs in good standing that are currently receiving funds from ICADV are eligible for funding. Funded programs are
considered in good standing if they meet the deadline for proposal submission, they submit reports on time, they accomplish
their goals, objectives, and service projections, and they fulfill all other contractual obligations and assurances.
All programs must meet the assurances requirements. These forms have been forwarded electronically with this RFCP to
your program for signature. A current, signed, hard copy of these certifications and assurances must be on file in the ICADV
office before a program is considered eligible for funding.
To be eligible for funding, your agency must have a representative participate in one of the technical assistance webinars
scheduled by ICADV. Dates and times of these calls may be found on page 1 of these instructions. Webinar registration
emails were sent to programs on Thursday, January 30, 2014. Please contact [email protected] if you need that email sent
to you.
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Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Request for Continuation Proposal (RFCP) Instructions ~ FY15 VAWA STOP SERVICES
Funded Services of This Project
Services to unserved and underserved victims of domestic violence include advocacy, 24 hour telephone crisis assistance,
access to emergency shelter, information about the dynamics of domestic violence, assistance with safety planning, group
and individual counseling and assistance with accessing community resources. Activities that improve services to domestic
violence victims, reduce systemic barriers, and increase awareness about family violence are also allowable. These activities
include institutional advocacy, trainings for professionals who provide services to victims, and community education.
Underserved populations are those victims who are Latina, who are from rural areas, or who have chemical dependency
issues.
Allowable Costs
VAWA funds may not be used to supplant existing resources. Allowable costs are those that are directly related to providing
direct services, such as staff salaries and benefits. Other allowable project costs are those that are necessary and essential to
providing direct services, including transportation costs, pro-rated rent and telephone expenses. A small amount of
supervision time is allowable. A maximum of 10% of your VAWA grant plus Match dollars for that grant is allowed for
supervising a VAWA funded staff person or volunteer.
VAWA funds may not be used for administrative expenses, with the exception of audit costs. Up to 2% of the VAWA award
may be used for audit costs as provided by federal guidelines. These funds may only support audit costs if your agency
receives more than $500,000 in federal funds and is required to complete an A-133 Circular Audit.
Donor Match Requirements
A matching contribution of 25% (cash or in-kind) of the total cost of the VAWA project is required and must be derived from
non-federal sources. For every $3 in VAWA funds, you must provide $1 in match funds from non-federal sources. (The total
cost is the VAWA allocation plus non-federal match, eg. $30,000 VAWA + $10,000 match = $40,000.) Match funds are
restricted to the same uses as the VAWA funds, must be related to the funded project, and must be expended within the
grant period.
Reporting Requirements
Programs will be required to use the ICJIA data collection system for all data reporting. Programs must also submit monthly
financial reports. Please refer to the ICADV Policies and Procedures for Grant Administration for policies related to late data
and fiscal reports.
If turnover in a VAWA designated position occurs, the program must provide to ICADV, as part of the financial reporting form
for the VAWA project, an explanation of how service is being provided. If the position is not filled within 75 days, a written
justification for continued funding must be submitted to the ICADV office.
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Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Request for Continuation Proposal (RFCP) Instructions ~ FY15 VAWA STOP SERVICES
Other Requirements
Grantees must provide assurances that the project will have a designated position(s) on staff to provide the funded services.
It is expected that services will be provided over a 12-month period with funds from this grant. Programs must also agree to
participate in any project evaluation sponsored by ICADV or ICJIA.
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Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Request for Continuation Proposal (RFCP) Instructions ~ FY15 VAWA STOP SERVICES
PROPOSAL CONTENT CHECKLIST AND INSTRUCTIONS
To be accepted for consideration, proposals must meet the requirements set forth in this RFCP.
Applicants must submit one (1) copy of the proposal via e-mail by the indicated due date. Proposal format
must include the following in the order indicated.
Use the following check lists to outline your proposal. This will ensure that you are including all required
components in your proposal.
Points will be deducted for missing information.
SECTION I
Cover Page, Certification Forms, and General Agency Description Table

Cover Page (attached);



Board Authorization Form;








State of Illinois Drug Free Workplace Act;
ICADV Assurances/Agreements;
VOCA Eligibility Requirements;
Federal Debarment Certification;
Illinois Debarment Certification;
Equal Employment Opportunity Plan Certification;
Civil Rights Compliance Certification;
Faith Based Organization and Self Report;
Victim Compensation Awareness Certification;
Table: General Description Of Service Area/Agency (attached).
*These forms have been forwarded electronically with this RFCP to your program for signature. An original, signed,
hard copy of each of these forms must be received in the ICADV office no later than Tuesday, April 15, 2014 for this
proposal to be considered complete.
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Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Request for Continuation Proposal (RFCP) Instructions ~ FY15 VAWA STOP SERVICES
SECTION II
Proposal Narrative
1. SUMMARY OF PROJECT
 Provide a brief summary of your agency’s current VAWA project that includes a summary of all of the services
provided to underserved populations. This question refers to your agency as a whole, not your funded program.
 Provide a summary description of your funded project and what it seeks to achieve. Include summary for the
specific underserved population that your agency will serve with these grant funds.
 Tell us what staff position(s) and volunteer(s) will be supported by the grant.
 Tell us the hours of operation for each funded project.
 Tell us where the funded services will be provided.
2. REVIEW OF PROGRESS MADE
 Progress on your Service Objectives for July through December will be included Section II Proposal Narrative, #4
Project Response, Service Objective Tables, Review of Progress Made columns so that readers have a clear picture
of what you have accomplished thus far in FY14 and what you plan to accomplish in FY15—side by side in the
tables. However, you should also provide a brief general narrative describing accomplishments of the funded
project, types of service provided, etc. This narrative will help put the measurable service objective
accomplishments into context for the reader.
 Provide a summary of your agency’s current progress on the funded project’s Outcome Objective for FY14.
o What are your accomplishments in each project’s Outcome Objective in July through December of
this fiscal year?
o State the Outcome Objective; description of how your agency is collecting information to measure
progress on this Outcome Objective; and state the current progress on this Outcome Objective in July
through December of the fiscal year.
 If you are NOT meeting your Service and/or Outcome objective(s), how are you addressing this? If you have revised
your original objectives, please explain why.
 Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the funded project. Share information about the funded project’s
successes or outstanding accomplishments. Also describe the project’s challenges or areas of potential
improvement. Please address your program’s weaknesses as opposed to outside weaknesses such as funding,
challenging judges, etc… Answers including references to funding will lose points.
 Explain how the funded project will address any weaknesses during the upcoming grant period.
 If appropriate, briefly describe other recent accomplishments of your organization in the area of serving this
underserved population. For example, “24 hours per day we have a bilingual, bicultural shelter staff person
available to provide services to Latinas”.
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Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Request for Continuation Proposal (RFCP) Instructions ~ FY15 VAWA STOP SERVICES
SECTION II
Proposal Narrative
3. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
 Describe the problems faced by underserved victims of domestic violence in your service area who will be
targeted with these grant funds. This should support your argument of why your agency needs this continued
funding.
o Identify the specific types of problems faced by victims in your service area.
o Include data and other information that substantiate the existence of the problem(s).
o Include data and other information that justify the need for continued funding of these services.
4. PROJECT RESPONSE
 Explain how the funded project will reduce or eliminate the problems(s) you listed in the Statement of Problem
section.
 Be sure to specifically address how the program will reduce the problems.
 Problems addressed here must be the same problems addressed in the previous section.
 Explain what the funded position(s) will do to reach the service objectives that you entered in the Direct Client
Services. Clearly describe both the day to day activities and any special projects of the funded position(s). Also
inform the reader about how you reach the population(s) you want to serve, and provide examples of the types of
interventions you make that benefit the survivor.
 Be sure to specify the position completing these day to day activities and special projects so the reader
fully understands the separation of the types of services.
 Describe your plans for community presentations, if applicable and funded by the VAWA project. What
organizations will you target and why did you select them? This information should correspond to the objectives
you entered in the Community Presentations table.
 Describe how this VAWA-funded project fits into your larger adult services program within your agency.
 Describe your project’s working relationship with other providers or groups: (e.g. local law enforcement, legal aid,
substance abuse treatment center, Latino services task force, state’s attorney, court personnel, community
leaders, etc.).
 Complete the Service Objectives Tables (Direct Client Services Table and, if applicable, the Orders of Protection
Table, and the Community Presentations Table.). These are your annual objectives for clients served, service
hours, orders of protection, and presentations.
 Review of Progress Made Columns: The tables request information about your accomplishments in the
first six months of FY14. These accomplishment data should include services supported by agreement
612001.
 We suggest that you complete these tables before writing the narrative of your Project Response.
 Only complete the service categories that apply to your funded project components.
 Your project should be devoted to serving unserved/underserved populations.
 You may provide hours in other direct client services categories on a limited, as needed basis.
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Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Request for Continuation Proposal (RFCP) Instructions ~ FY15 VAWA STOP SERVICES
SECTION II
Proposal Narrative
 Add one Outcome Objective for the funded project. An outcome objective describes the impact that the services
you provide have on clients. (i.e., “85% attending group sessions will be able to identify three safety strategies and
resources for help.”). Your outcome objective should be measurable in some way and should describe what you
will do to achieve the objective. You may use one of your current Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)
Outcome Measures for this Objective.
 Include the Outcome Objective that is measurable—What do you hope your client’s will get out of the
service provided under the funded project?
 What service is the Outcome Objective related to?
 Who is responsible for providing that service?
5. EVALUATION
Service Objectives
You should demonstrate that you understand how to use InfoNet reports and other tools to monitor progress on your
service objectives for the funded project. Describe:
 Who is responsible for monitoring the project’s progress on its Service Objectives?
 What specific InfoNet reports will be run and what specific service categories will be reviewed to monitor project’s
progress? Remember you should monitor each component of the project separately.
 Who is responsible for updating and maintaining accurate Funding for Staff Statements to ensure accurate service
data is reported throughout the year? Who will take on that responsibility if that person cannot perform those
duties?
 How often will these reports be generated, reviewed and compared to annual Service Objectives to monitor the
project’s progress?
Outcome Objectives
Describe how you will measure your Outcome Objective(s).
o NOTE: Most outcome objectives are NOT measurable by collecting the numbers of clients served or
hours of service provided. Progress on most outcome objectives must be measured in some other way
(e.g. survivor surveys, pre/post tests, etc).
 Who is responsible for measuring progress on each Outcome Objective?
 What steps will be taken to ensure that monitoring takes place throughout the year?
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Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Request for Continuation Proposal (RFCP) Instructions ~ FY15 VAWA STOP SERVICES
SECTION III
Budget Detail and Budget Narrative
PROPOSED BUDGET (attached in MS Excel file—*.xls format).
 Provide a budget and budget narrative that identifies the funds needed to implement your project.
 Explain how costs were calculated in narrative form.
 Costs must relate directly to the proposed project.
 To help you complete this section, instructions and a sample budget and budget narrative are included with this
packet.
SECTION IV
Job Description
JOB DESCRIPTION(S). Provide a job description for each position supported by these grant funds. Job descriptions
should include duties and qualifications.
Note: Proposals that do not include Sections I, II, III and IV will not be considered for funding. Make sure that all four of
these sections (Section I, II, III and IV) are complete.
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Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Request for Continuation Proposal (RFCP) Instructions ~ FY15 VAWA STOP SERVICES
REVIEW CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES
Proposal selection will be made using the following criteria:
1. Summary of Project: maximum of 5 points.
 The summary clearly describes the agency’s services program to the unserved or underserved population.
 The summary clearly describes the proposed project and what each it seeks to achieve.
 The staffing for the funded services is clear and appropriate.
 Where, when, and how services will be delivered and who will deliver services is clear and appropriate.
2.
Review of Progress Made: maximum of 30 points.
 The project demonstrates an ability to successfully implement its plans, as indicated by its accomplishments and
progress toward objectives for each currently funded component.
 The project demonstrates an ability to successfully implement its plans as indicated by service data from InfoNet.
 The project self-monitors and evaluates its work.
 The project adjusts its activities to improve progress if necessary.
3.
Statement of Problem: maximum of 20 points.
 The narrative clearly identifies the specific types of problems facing the underserved or unserved victims in the
service area.
 The narrative clearly identifies the need for services.
 Data and other information substantiate the problem and the need for services.
4.
Project Response, including Service Objectives: maximum of 25 points.
 The narrative clearly addresses problems identified in the Statement of Problem section.
 The narrative clearly explains how the Service Objectives will be reached: it explains the day-to-day service
activities, how the target populations will be reached, and provides examples of the types of interventions that
benefit survivors. The services and examples are appropriate for the grant.
 The project is well designed to reach unserved or underserved victims who need services.
 The community presentations fit the grant guidelines and the selection of targeted groups makes sense.
 The narrative clearly explains how the project fits into the larger program for the unserved or underserved victims.
 The narrative describes appropriate working relationships with other providers.
 The Service Objectives for each component are appropriate and achievable.
 The Outcome Objective for each component is appropriate and achievable.
5.
Evaluation: maximum of 5 points.
 The narrative clearly addresses who will be responsible for evaluating the progress on the project.
 The narrative clearly addresses the appropriate specific data elements and/or reports that will be used periodically
by the agency to monitor progress on the project.
 The narrative clearly and appropriately addresses how frequently the agency will monitor progress.
 The narrative clearly and appropriately addresses who is primarily responsible for updating InfoNet’s Funding for
Staff Statement.
 The narrative clearly and appropriately addresses a secondary person/position responsible for updating InfoNet’s
Funding for Staff Statement.
6.
Adequacy of Budget/Financial Support: maximum of 10 points.
 The proposed program costs are reasonable for the implementation of the program.
 The budget narrative provides adequate detail for each proposed expenditure.
7.
Response to RFCP: maximum of 5 points.
 The narrative fully and accurately addresses all of the parts of the RFCP.
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Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Request for Continuation Proposal (RFCP) Instructions ~ FY15 VAWA STOP SERVICES
Note: Proposals that do not meet the assurances, certifications and compliance statements or do not follow the
directions will not be reviewed.
A panel of ICADV Program Council members, staff and other individuals with expertise in services to victims of domestic
violence will read proposals. Their recommendations will be provided to the ICADV Program Council and sent to the ICADV
Board of Directors for approval, and ultimately to ICJIA for final determination. A preliminary award decision will be made
and applicants will be notified of the decision at the earliest possible date. ICADV reserves the right to reject proposals if it is
determined that submissions are not satisfactory. ICADV may request that applicants amend their proposals.
If ICADV rejects a proposal for funding or funds a proposal at a reduced level, the domestic violence program may request
reconsideration of the funding decision by following Section VII: Reconsideration Policy of ICADV’s Policies and Procedures
for Grant Administration, which can be obtained from ICADV upon request by the domestic violence program and can be
found on our website.
Proposals must be received by Tuesday, April 15, 2014 – 4:00pm CST. ICADV Policies and Procedures for Grant
Administration state that, “Programs submitting applications up to 48 hours late will be fined $500. Applications received
in the ICADV office 48 hours after the deadline will not be accepted”. E-mail proposals to the ICADV Office at:
[email protected]. Neither fax copies nor hard copies will be accepted.
For Further Information
If you have questions or need further clarification about the information required, please contact Andrea Wilson at 217-7892830 or [email protected].
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