Field Empowerment Fund

Applications are closed.
Award announcements are expected in late October 2024.

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The Field Empowerment Fund (FEF) empowers NCRC network members to level up established service lines through a catalytic injection of grant funding that bridges the financial delta. The purpose of the grant is to build on an existing program or service area so as to concretely upgrade the organization’s baseline for service delivery in a way that allows the improved community benefit to be sustained beyond the grant period.

FEF projects will move the needle on:

Racial Wealth Building
Community Health & Wellness
Environmental Justice

Through the avenues of:

Housing
Small Business
Workforce Development

For:

BIPOC and LMI Communities in NCRC Target Geographies

Grantees may receive up to $200,000 in grant funding to implement their FEF project over a 18-month performance period.

Honorable Mentions will receive a personalized consultation and data analysis through the NCRC Research Department.

Eligibility Criteria

1. Be an active NCRC 501(c)3 member. Join here.

2. Members with offices located in the following target geographies will be prioritized. Limited funding is available for members located outside these geographies.

Birmingham, AL
Arizona
Oakland, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Sacramento, CA
San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metro Area
Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT Metro Area
New Haven, CT
Washington DC

Tampa, FL
Baltimore, MD
Detroit, MI
Jackson, MS
Buffalo, NY
New York City, NY
New Mexico
Cincinnati, OH
Philadelphia, PA

Pittsburgh, PA
Portland, OR
Nashville, TN
Austin, TX
Utah
Richmond, VA
Seattle, WA
Tacoma, WA
Milwaukee, WI

SELECTION PROCESS:

An internal NCRC team of interdisciplinary professionals will rank applications based upon proposal strength in the following categories:

Demonstrated impact of existing service area/program
Financial stability of existing service area /program
Current stage of proposed FEF project
Applicant’s research into viability of proposed FEF project
Success metrics and target outcomes for direct community benefit
Project description and impact of proposed FEF project on existing service area
Realistic implementation timeline within 18 months
Qualification of key personnel
Realistic and specific budget, with budget narrative
Plan for future financial stability outside of and after FEF grant period
Alignment with equitable and strategic vision of FEF program

GRANTEE BENEFITS:

Highest-ranking awardees may receive up to $200,000 in grant funding to implement their FEF project over a 18-month performance period.
Social media coverage across NCRC’s national platforms spotlighting Grantees organizations

HONORABLE MENTION BENEFITS:

Applicants that score competitively may be selected as Honorable Mentions. Valued at $5,000, these awardees are eligible to receive a personalized consultation, data analysis, and data report through the NCRC Research Department and Communications Department.
- Data reports may include data maps, visualizations, and/or graphics to dynamically illustrate analysis findings.
- The analysis topic area is not limited to the proposed FEF project.
Social media coverage across NCRC’s national platforms spotlighting Honorable Mention organizations

ESTIMATED TIMELINE:

July 29, 2024 – September 13, 2024: Application Period
October 2024: Announcement of Awardees
November 2024 – May 2026: Performance Period

The application period for the 2024 round of the Field Empowerment Fund closed on 9/13/24.
Award announcements are expected in late October 2024.

FaQ

My organization is not located in one of the target cities. Are we able to apply for this grant?

Applicants that have offices located in the exact geographies will be prioritized in selection. We will consider applications from organizations located in the immediate metro area of the target cities.

My organization serves some individuals from a target city, but we do not have an office located in the geography or the immediate metro area. Are we eligible?

Unfortunately, your organization will not be eligible for the 2024 FEF cohort.

Our program is based in the target geography, however we service the whole country with this program. Is that okay?

We are looking for the project to provide concrete benefit to the target geography community. If there is additional benefit nationwide, that will be viewed positively as well.

Is this service area something we need to only deliver in the target geography? Our organization does work in many of your target jurisdictions. Do we need to just choose one?

We are looking for the project to provide benefit to at least one target geography community.

One option is to focus your FEF project on leveling up service to one specific target geography within your larger footprint.

If you prefer to focus on multiple geographies, you could select a primary target geography to fill out the drop-down question in the application, and then specify the other geographies you will impact via this project in the narrative.

Please note that you will be asked to set quantitative targets for success, and we will be prioritizing programs that have significant impact on the target geography(ies). If your project would have significant impact on multiple target geographies, please consider listing concrete targets for success in each geography to strengthen your answer.

What are permitted uses of funds?

FEF funds can be used towards direct costs of the FEF project and up to 15% in indirect costs. For example, direct costs could include the portion of an employee’s salary that is expected to cover the time spent working specifically on the FEF project (i.e. 50% of Project Manager’s annual salary, if they are expected to allocate half their time to the FEF project). Please see the line items in the Budget Template included in the application for additional direct cost examples. Indirect costs are costs not readily identified with a specific project or organizational activity, but that are necessary for the organization to function (i.e. administrative personnel salaries such as receptionist or accountant, utilities, rent).