St. Petersburg Social Services Hubs

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Pinellas Community Foundation, in collaboration with the City of St. Petersburg, is launching an initiative to support the mental health and well-being of St. Petersburg residents through community support hubs.

This project is federally funded under the American Rescue Plan Act SLFRF awarded to the City of St. Petersburg as a direct recipient with application ID SLT-2055, by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Grant Portal

The Lead Nonprofit application is live until 5/5/23.

Procurement

View documents related to selection of Lead Nonprofit and Nonprofit Incubator.

Accountability

View updates on community progress.

If you plan to apply, please be sure to review this page in its entirety.

Application Resources

PCF will be hosting both in-person and virtual technical assistance sessions. This will be an opportunity to workshop and receive feedback on application material. This is not for assistance with grant writing, but to give feedback on material you have written and help ensure you craft strong responses. You are welcome to use the Technical Assistance Request Form to request assistance outside of these sessions.

Technical Assistance

Group meeting

PCF is offering in-person technical assistance both in-person and virtually. Use the link below to see locations and register.

Webinar

Sketch of video conference on laptop.

A pre-recorded webinar reviewing the Hubs application and process will be available on Wednesday, March 29.

Guiding Principles

PCF will exhibit transparency with all transactions from this fund while providing an opportunity for the community to observe and participate in our collective efforts.

PCF will share accountability with our grantees for the outcomes of this project and provide an opportunity to learn from both success and failure.

PCF will act with urgency to ensure funds are deployed to organizations in a responsible yet rapid fashion to meet critical needs without unnecessary delay.

PCF will ensure accessibility to nonprofits of a variety of sizes and abilities to ensure funds reach deeply into the community to provide the necessary support.

PCF will apply a lens of equity to deliberations and decisions to ensure the needs of our most vulnerable community members are addressed.

This process is different from other programs that PCF operates. It is a vendor procurement process than a grantmaking program. PCF encourages you to thoroughly read through this webpage to determine if your organization is a good fit for this opportunity.

Overview

Who: Pinellas Community Foundation, in collaboration with the City of St. Petersburg, is launching an initiative to support residents of St. Petersburg and local nonprofits’ ability to serve them. This project is being supported by federal funding under ARPA SLFRF awarded to the City of St. Petersburg as a direct recipient with application ID SLT-2055, by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

What: This initiative has two parts: 1) Community Support Hubs (“Hubs”) to address the need for mental healthcare and other services in St. Pete neighborhood(s), and 2) a Nonprofit Incubator, which will support small nonprofits with administrative and other needs.

  1. One organization (“the Lead Nonprofit”) will be chosen to operate the Hubs. The Hubs will have three main functions: licensed care from therapists, neighborhood outreach, and resource navigation/case management. Hubs will have access to emergency funds to quickly alleviate crisis situations in order to stabilize the individual or family.
  2. A second organization will be chosen to operate the Nonprofit Incubator, which will provide administrative support, evaluation and research services, and other assistance as needed to help build the capacity of the Lead Nonprofit and the local nonprofit community.

Why: COVID-19 increased financial and social stress on our community and has led to an increased need for mental health support. Neighborhood-based social services provided in a comfortable, trusted environment will help address these concerns in the St. Petersburg community. In addition, the local nonprofit community has repeatedly expressed the need to increase their administrative capacity in order to better deliver their services.

Where: This initiative will take place within the City of St. Petersburg.

When: This initiative will begin in early 2023 and last through the end of 2026. For specific dates, please see the process timeline.

Selection Process

Two agencies will be selected to collaborate closely for the success of this initiative.

Hub Provider Selection

PCF will select a local nonprofit organization to lead and design Community Support Hubs.

Each Hub will provide, at minimum, trauma informed therapy, case management, and outreach.

Depending on additional needs of the neighborhood where the respective Hubs are located, the Lead Nonprofit will contract with other community nonprofits to provide additional services. All providers will be co-located.

The Lead Nonprofit should have experience, or have a proposed collaborative partner that has experience, providing mental health care to under-resourced communities, including communities of color and communities that have experienced trauma (including but not limited to violence and abuse, disasters, adverse childhood experiences, crime, interactions with the criminal/legal system, etc.). In additional to mental healthcare, Hubs are meant to provide two other core services: case management and outreach. Applicants may apply with up to two partners that would strengthen their proposal in these core areas. However, partnerships are not required. Please see the FAQs section for more information.

The Hubs will roll out one by one, with the first Hub opening this summer. The process is meant to evolve over time; the Lead Nonprofit will learn from the rollout of the first Hub before opening the second.

The locations and total number of Hubs is yet to be determined. Selecting locations for Hubs is a collaborative process. Factors for consideration include data, community identification of high need neighborhoods, and the Lead Nonprofit’s input. Nevertheless, PCF and the City of St. Petersburg reserve the right to prescribe Hub locations to the provider.

The Nonprofit Incubator (detailed below) and PCF will lead program evaluation of the Lead Nonprofit to demonstrate improvement in the lives of those served.

The anticipated allocation for the Lead Nonprofit is $5,136,200. In addition to providing Hub services, this amount includes funding to be used for emergency financial assistance, as well as  infrastructure or capital improvement needs if absolutely necessary.

There is no guarantee of a continuation of funding at the end of the ARPA spending period in 2026. The selected Lead Nonprofit will be expected to contribute to a sustainability plan.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply and potentially be selected as the Lead Nonprofit, an organization must:

  • Be a 501(c)(3) public charity and have had such status for at least two years prior to the application launch date (3/24/23)
  • Be able to apply under its own tax-exempt EIN
  • Have a history OR have a proposed collaborative partner with a history of providing mental health services for at least two years prior to 3/24/23
  • Demonstrate a readiness to implement the Hub concept
  • Have experience providing care to a variety of demographics reflective of St. Petersburg’s population, including Black and Hispanic residents
  • Be an expert in trauma-informed services and support
  • Be embedded in the neighborhoods most in need of service, including South St. Petersburg
  • Demonstrate the ability to manage vicarious trauma for providers of the Hub services
  • Employ licensed mental health providers

Selection Criteria and Process

Organizations interested in serving as the Lead Nonprofit must complete a detailed application, which will then be reviewed by a committee of St. Pete residents and expert professionals. The committee meeting will be publicly live-streamed, and applicants will be able to attend the meeting. Applicants will also be able to answer questions posed by committee members. The Committee will make a recommendation for a Hub provider to be approved by PCF.

Organizations interested in serving as the Lead Nonprofit must demonstrate experience providing mental healthcare services to people in St. Petersburg, or have a collaborative partner that has this experience. Specifically, organizations will be evaluated on the depth of their connection to the St. Pete community, including experience providing care to underserved residents. This includes residents who belong to racial and ethnic minorities, low-income residents, and residents who speak English as a second language.

Finally, organizations must also demonstrate that they provide trauma-informed care. A trauma-informed approach to care acknowledges that care teams need to have a complete picture of a patient’s life situation — past and present — in order to provide effective and healing health care services (Source: Center for Health Care Strategies).

Shared Services Organization Selection

PCF will also select, through a competitive solicitation process, an Administrative Support/Shared Services Organization (Nonprofit Incubator). The Nonprofit Incubator will establish a network of administrative vendors to provide local nonprofits with support services. These services may include, and are not limited to:

  • Program design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation
  • Financial management including accounting and payroll
  • Grant writing
  • Communications and marketing
  • Technology, including general IT and database creation
  • Legal and other operational and administrative support
  • Leadership training for staff and board, including professional development

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply and potentially be selected as the Nonprofit Incubator Provider, an organization must:

  • Be able to apply under its own EIN
  • Have a history of providing effective support to nonprofits in St. Petersburg
  • Demonstrate a readiness to implement the Nonprofit Incubator concept
  • Have experience providing support to nonprofits that serve a variety of demographics reflective of St. Petersburg’s population, including Black and Hispanic residents
  • Have team members with experience evaluating a range of nonprofits, including those that receive state and federal grant money
  • Have team members (or proposed team members) with experience successfully writing and administering state, federal, and foundation grants
  • Have team members (or proposed team members) with experience consulting with nonprofits in areas of finances and management
  • Have demonstrated a commitment to allocating resources according to need

 

Selection Criteria and Process

Organizations interested in serving as the Nonprofit Incubator Lead must complete a detailed application. Organizations with high-scoring applications will be invited to participate in a live interview conducted by a committee of St. Petersburg residents. The review committee will make a recommendation to PCF.

Organizations will be asked to provide a detailed proposal of how they believe a successful Nonprofit Incubator would operate. This includes: services that should be offered to non-profits, the method of offering those services, ideas for marketing the Nonprofit Incubator to small or lower-capacity nonprofits, operational budget, etc.

In addition, organizations should be able to demonstrate an excellent understanding of nonprofit needs in St. Petersburg. Experience providing consulting to nonprofits is strongly preferred. Organizations will be asked to show evidence of positive outcomes in their past work with nonprofits, and should also have demonstrated their experience working with federal funding and/or an understanding of federal Uniform Guidance.

There is a total of $2,500,000 available for the Nonprofit Incubator to be used throughout the entire funding period. The Nonprofit Incubator will be expected to create a sustainability plan for operations beyond 2026. There is no guarantee of a continuation of funding at the end of the ARPA spending period in 2026.

 

Timeline

March 24 – May 5, 2023
Hub Provider application period
May 2023
Hub Provider live interview and selection
May – July 2023
Hub planning: identification of subcontractors, first Hub location, etc.
End of Summer 2023
Launch of First Hub

 

The Nonprofit Incubator timeline will be posted shortly.

Funding Requirements

The Lead Nonprofit and Nonprofit Incubator will be considered subrecipients of federal funding, and as such will be bound by Uniform Guidance for Federal Awards. Since the awards will exceed the $750,000 threshold of federal funding, both the Lead Nonprofit and Nonprofit Incubator will be subject to Federal Single Audits. The cost of these audits may be billed to this grant, and should be included as part of your application’s budget.

PCF will provide technical assistance to help ensure the Lead Nonprofit and Nonprofit Incubator comply with Uniform Guidance, but the responsibility of compliance is ultimately the responsibility of each entity. Both entities will also be subject to intermittent subrecipient monitoring by PCF to ensure that funds are being used appropriately, as well as to ensure there are sufficient internal controls in managing funds. This subrecipient monitoring will include site visits and fiscal training.

The Lead Nonprofit, Nonprofit Incubator, City of St. Petersburg, and PCF will collaborate on an annual report to keep the public informed as to the progress of this initiative. This report will be disseminated on the PCF website as well as to City of St. Petersburg officials.

 

Technical Assistance

If you need help developing your application, you can request such assistance below.

This form should not be used for bugs or issues using the grant portal. Those questions can be directly emailed to Jocelyn Howard, ARPA Senior Program Officer.

By entering data into this form, you are NOT subscribing to any mailing lists. Any information submitted that is not related to technical assistance for the application will not receive a response. Furthermore, any information submitted through this form may be subject to public record.

 

FAQs

What are Hubs?

Community Support Hubs are meant to provide neighborhood-based social services in a comfortable, trusted environment. Each Hub will provide, at minimum, trauma informed therapy, case management, and outreach. Hubs will also help connect residents to other resources.

Hubs will open one at a time. The location and total number of Hubs is yet to be determined.

Why don’t we know where or how many Hubs there will be?

The process is meant to evolve over time. The Lead Nonprofit will learn from the rollout of the first Hub before opening the second.

Also, selecting locations for Hubs is a collaborative process. Factors for consideration include data, community identification of high need neighborhoods, availability of space, and the Lead Nonprofit’s input. Pinellas Community Foundation and the City of St. Petersburg reserve the right to recommend locations.

Should my organization apply?

In addition, the Lead Nonprofit should have experience providing mental health care to under-resourced communities, including communities of color and communities that have experienced trauma – OR they should apply with a partner organization that has this experience.

What are core services?

These are services that each Hub will provide: case management, outreach, and mental health care.

Based on their locations, each Hub may also provide additional social services beyond these three core services. These additional services will be determined as neighborhood needs are assessed and will be a part of the Hub design process once a Lead Nonprofit is chosen.

Who selects the Lead Nonprofit?

A committee composed of qualified community members will review all proposals and make a recommendation. The committee meeting will be live-streamed, and organizations whose proposals are being reviewed by the committee will be invited to attend. Committee members may ask questions of applicant organizations, and organizations will have three minutes to respond to each question.

Where can I go for support and technical assistance?

We are holding several in-person as well as virtual technical assistance sessions. In addition, you can submit a support request on the website or contact ARPA team members directly.

Can or should I submit an application that proposes a collaborative partnership among multiple organizations?

Partnerships at the application stage are allowed, but not required. Given the variety of services to be offered at the Hubs and the specific expertise of different organizations, you may apply with up to two partner organizations. All collaborative partners must be 501c3 organizations and have had such status for at least two years as of 3/24/23.

In your proposal, you should make sure to demonstrate why the partnership strengthens the proposed Hub design, and as appropriate, you should indicate which partner’s expertise plays into a specific part of the Hub.

What the committee will be looking for is the best proposed Hub design according to the specifications of this RFP. You may show great strengths recruiting partners later down the line to fulfill Hub functions, or you may show established relationships now. There is no preference. It is the strength of the design and vision that matters in your proposal.

How will these funds be managed by PCF?

Pinellas Community Foundation has over 50 years of experience managing assets provided in trust by the community. The Funds will be held in trust and checking accounts for the sole purpose of distribution under the guidelines which established the fund. When organizations are contracted to provide services, funds will be provided after the organization signs a grant agreement certifying their compliance with various requirements. The funds will be transferred to the Lead Nonprofit and Nonprofit Incubator via check.

Where did the funds for this initiative come from?

These funds come from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The U.S. Congress designated a portion of funds go to local governments to help communities recover from the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of St. Petersburg then allocated a portion to support the creation of social support Hubs and selected Pinellas Community Foundation to administer this process.

How do individuals get help?

Pinellas Community Foundation is not providing social support directly. If you are in current need of financial assistance, please call 2-1-1 from your phone or visit 211tampabaycares.org.

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Jocelyn Howard

Jocelyn Howard

Senior Program Officer, ARPA

Apply as the Lead Nonprofit

The application to be selected as the Lead Nonprofit is open until 11:59 PM EDT on May 5, 2023. You can use the link below to create an account on the PCF grant portal and submit your request.

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Kids paint as part of the 2022 MLK Day activities in St. Petersburg.

MLK Family Fun Festival” by City of St Petersburg is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0 / Cropped from original and used as feature image with overlaid gradient and text.