A request for proposals (RFP) for New England organizations supporting civil rights.
In addition to awarding direct grants through its 2018 Special Initiative, Barr invited organizations to apply for funding through an open Request for Proposals (RFP) for the New England Civil Rights Fund, prioritizing work beyond Greater Boston. Through this Fund, Barr awarded 14 grants totaling $1.26 million to organizations working in support of, and in partnership with, immigrants and refugees, Muslims, communities of color, and LGBTQ communities to support civil rights protections and strengthen community capacity to respond to new challenges.
The grants announcement made on August 23 is available here. In our review of proposals, we considered the stated criteria in the RFP, which were:
A track record of effectiveness in the area of work proposed
An understanding of and history of involvement with the communities whom the organization intends to partner with and serve
A clear plan of action and sound approach for measuring progress
Staff capacity to implement the proposed plan of action
Evidence of strong networks and partnerships with others in the field
We also considered:
Geographic region of work, given the RFP’s stated priority of supporting efforts beyond Greater Boston
Scope of impact
Organization’s role in the context of others within the same geography
Population(s) served in the context of other Special Initiatives grants
