Overview

The NYC Civic Impact Funding will support nonprofit and community-based organization efforts to engage volunteers who help deliver essential services to residents throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Organizations across the city are on the front lines – along with their volunteers – supporting residents in a multitude of ways. Food distribution and support is a particularly high needs area, so this funding focuses support on food supplying and/or serving organizations and helping organizations strategically leverage volunteers to deliver essential services during (and after) this crisis, as well as strengthen community engagement and support at a time when it is desperately needed.

Requirements & Priorities

The Civic Impact Funding is open to all community serving organizations and nonprofits, but preference will be given to those that are food supplying and/or serving organizations that are engaging (or working to engage) volunteers to deliver services to communities. It also targets organizations in areas of the city lacking support from city agencies and/or other support networks.

In order to be eligible to apply, an organization must:

  • Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit  or have a fiscal sponsor 
  • Use funding exclusively to support NYC-based volunteer and civic engagement efforts. Organizations that also operate outside of NYC are eligible to apply, but must use this funding for their NYC programming.

Preference will be given to the organizations that:

  • are community-based
  • Supply food and/or serving organizations – particularly those lacking support from city agencies and/or other support networks
  • Engage (or working to engage) volunteers to deliver critical services (e.g. volunteer food distribution, meal preparation, logistical support, tracking data)
  • Serve and/or partner with poverty-affected communities
  • Demonstrate the greatest need and impact, relative to scale (based on organizational budget size, staff capacity, and project scope and budget)

Other Funding Details

Applicants may request one-time funding for up to $10,000 which must be used by June 30th, 2020. A successful application will demonstrate that funding will be used to support the implementation or expansion of volunteer efforts who help deliver essential services to residents throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

Funding recipients may propose funds to be used in other ways, as long as the request supports volunteer engagement efforts during the crisis. For further questions, please contact Jamaica Carter, NYC Service Capacity Building Coordinator, at jcarter@mofellow.nyc.gov. 

Funds May be Used for:

  • Permanent employees directly supporting or leading volunteer engagement efforts to deliver critical services
  • Temporary employees or consultants to help build capacity
  • Volunteer stipends (e.g. travel costs via metro card)
  • Volunteer training set up and/or materials
  • Supplies and/or food for volunteer support
  • Volunteer background checks and recruitment and/or outreach materials

Funds May Not be Used for:

  • Office furniture/equipment , general operating costs (e.g. rent, insurance, and/or utilities), and general administration fees

Recipient Expectations

Selected funding recipients must:

  • Submit a final report upon completion of the funding term
  • Submit timely receipts and invoices for services rendered within the funding agreement. All funds must be used by June 30th, 2020.
  • Coordinate with NYC Service to co-brand relevant projects and promote on external channels
  • Participate in a debrief session at the end of the funding term with NYC Service and other recipients

Next Steps & Application Instructions

The application deadline was May 14th at 3pm and is no longer accepting applications. Once the application has been started, responses cannot be saved until the application is complete. We recommended previewing the application to prepare responses before beginning the online application. The following steps must be completed and submitted together. The forms referenced must be uploaded to the online application.

  1. Complete the NYC Civic Impact Funding application. *The application is closed.
  2. Within the online application, complete and upload the projected budget table using the budget template.
  3. Within the online application, complete and upload the Doing Business Data Form. Read the Doing Business Data form Q&A.

Applicants will be informed of their application status no later than May 22nd. The funding term will begin on May 25th.