Transforming Safety and Grant Application Overview
The Colorado General Assembly created the Transforming Safety program through legislation in 2017 and expanded it in 2021 to include Grand Junction. The Transforming Safety program supports community development through a grant and small business loan program. The program uses a new safety framework that focuses on preventing crime in the first place by:
- Focusing on community and economic development in specific neighborhoods more impacted by crime and justice system involvement,
- Empowering local community members to identify priorities and solutions,
- Providing funding to the community and,
- Using a private sector approach that braids both nonprofit and for-profit strengths.
The community will receive a total of $579,830 each year in grant funds for up to two years. Funding for subsequent years will be determined by the Colorado General Assembly. It is expected that a minimum of three and maximum of four grant awards will be made with an expected grant of $144,957 per award.
Grant Program Areas
The Transforming Safety legislation created four broad areas for the grant program. These were based on research about how to make communities safer.
- Academic Achievement
- Community-Based Direct Services
- Neighborhood Connections
- Increasing the Safety and Usability of Common Outdoor Spaces
Local Planning Teams
The legislation also called for the creation of a Local Planning Team (LPT) in Grand Junction. The LPT had two tasks:
- Define the boundaries for Grand Junction Transforming Safety grant program
- Create specific grant priorities based on at least one of the four grant program areas noted above
The LPT met five times in early 2022. Team members looked at information and community needs. They brought their knowledge and experience as community members.
Geographic Boundaries for Grand Junction
The Grand Junction LPT chose to define the boundary as: “the City of Grand Junction and any unincorporated areas of Mesa County.”
Proposers must work in this area to apply for a Transforming Safety grant and the Transforming Safety funds can only be used for the work within the boundary, serving those that reside in the boundary. The LPT created four specific grant priority areas. Only groups that advance these priorities can apply for grants.
Grant Areas for Grand Junction
The LPT identified the following grant priority areas, each of which falls into at least one of the grant program areas noted above. The RFP will provide details concerning program eligibility and outcome(s) measures for each priority area.
- Decrease adult recidivism through employment, housing support, basic needs and mental health support.
- Increase access to services and opportunities to support academic engagement, educational achievement, and post-secondary/vocational training to decrease youth involvement with the criminal justice system.
- Help youth (up to age 25) develop the skills and resilience to avoid, reduce, or stop high-risk behavior by increasing access to services that address root causes of involvement with the criminal justice system.
- Improve community-based supports to reduce violence and neglect in families.
The Role of The Latino Coalition for Community Leadership
The LCCL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Through a competitive RFP process, the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) selected the LCCL as the “third-party administrator” for the Grand Junction Transforming Safety project. The LCCL has been providing technical assistance, capacity building and data evaluation for the current Transforming Safety project since 2017. All grant applications will come to the LCCL. The LCCL will review all of the applications along with one local Grand Junction community member. The LCCL will make grant recommendations to the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and they will make final grant decisions.
Which Groups Will Be Funded?
The Transforming Safety grants program will be very competitive. Not all groups that advance the program’s priorities will be funded. The program takes into equal consideration established groups as well as new groups with new ideas. A group’s connection to its community will be very important, so will the ability to quickly implement the program and demonstrating progress towards outcomes.
Program Performance and Data Collection
All successful grantees will receive help evaluating their work. Coaching will also be available to help grantees to track and report on program activities, services and outcomes of the target population served. If grantees need a customized data system to track data it will be provided by the LCCL at no additional cost for up to 5 users. Groups that show strong performance may be able to continue funding in future years. Grantees will be required to work closely with the LCCL both individually and as part of a group of grantees.
Transforming Safety seeks to show how investing in communities instead of the prison system can accomplish two goals: (1) Preventing crime; and (2) Reducing recidivism (reducing the chance that people who have already been involved in the criminal justice system will get involved again). Evaluation of grantees will focus on how they are accomplishing at least one performance measure of the chosen priority area that positively contributes to at least one of these goals.
Proposal Planning Tips
When you apply for a Transforming Safety grant, you should explain as clearly as possible how you the program activities and/or services you propose will accomplish the goals and outcomes associated with the chosen priority area. After you have chosen the priority (we strongly recommend focusing on only one) begin considering the following questions:
- Who specifically will you serve? Describe those who will participate in your program in detail. Include applicable details such as age, race, socioeconomic background, incarceration status, if they are a member of a vulnerable group or a group at risk of criminal justice involvement, etc.
- What specifically will you do? Describe the activities, services and/ or supports the program you propose intends to provide, and how those efforts will advance the priority area you have chosen to address. For example, if you are going to reduce recidivism, explain in detail how your program will accomplish that. If you are going to help youth develop the skills to avoid, reduce, or stop high risk behaviors, describe what specific skills you will help them develop and the specific high risk behaviors that will be addressed.
- How will you measure the outcome(s) associated with the priority area you chose? Include specific estimates of the number of people you will help, what successful help will look like, and how you will determine if you have been successful. Do you have a data system to track this information of will you need one customized for this project?
- How will you include directly affected community members living in the area where your program operates? How will you conduct outreach and recruitment to ensure you can effectively enroll the people you wish to serve?
- What budget and cash flow considerations do you need to think about for this program?
- What accounting system and fiscal controls are in place and where might they need to be improved to account for state grant funds.
- Please look at the Request for Proposal document for the technical requirements regarding insurance. This is required by the State and is an allowable expense under the grant. Please make sure to account for it in your budget.
Proposer’s Conference
The LCCL hosted via Zoom webinar two Proposer’s conferences on Monday, February 28, 2022 so that interested parties and applicants could learn more about Transforming Safety and the RFP process as well as ask questions.
Request for Proposal Documents
The documents below provide the guidance and requirements for submitting a proposal to be considered for WAGEES grant funding. The LCCL highly recommends downloading the latest free version of Adobe Reader DC which can be found at the bottom of this page. The recent versions of Adobe Reader DC allow Proposers to enter and save information into the proposal form provided below.
Transforming Safety_GJ RFP Guidance
Transforming Safety_GJ RFP Worksheet
TS-GJ Budget and Narrative Worksheet
If you have any issues downloading these documents, please try using a different internet browser other than Google Chrome (we recommend Firefox or Safari), or contact Mason Morales, Program Coordinator, for assistance.
Deadline for Submission of Proposals
In order to be considered for funding, the proposal, budget and budget narrative must be electronically submitted through Submittable (instructions follow) no later than 4:00 p.m. MT, on April 6, 2022. Submission of proposal documents via email is not acceptable and will be rejected.
Submittable:
- Create an account (email required) at www.latinocoalition.submittable.com
- Search for “Transforming Safety Grand Junction RFP” or click on the button below.
- Complete all required fields in the grant application. Submittable automatically saves your work to return later. The completed form must be submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. MT on April 6, 2022.
Free Adobe Reader DC Download Link