The 80x3 application is now closed! Thank you to all interested applicants, and please see the timeline below for next steps!
80x3: Resilient from the Start, is a five-year, region-wide initiative to increase capacity of the Early Childhood sector to deliver trauma-sensitive and culturally responsive care by increasing caregiver retention, providing sustainable caregiver training and support, and supporting expanded parent engagement and navigation.
With 80 percent of brain growth occurring before a child’s third birthday, our youngest neighbors and their caregivers are at a crucial time for positive brain development that can steer the trajectory of a life. Evidence shows that early childhood education is a critical solution to healthy brain, body and social development for young children. However, a history of underfunding and access to opportunity for growth has meant the field has little time, resources and infrastructure to address and mitigate the effects of trauma in children and their families. Our public and private systems now recognize how important trauma-sensitive care is for young children but have not removed the systemic barriers necessary to make it happen. 80x3 is launching at a moment of clear solutions and growing public recognition; 80x3 has the potential to accelerate the changes that are needed.
80x3 partners with the Early Childhood sector to improve trauma-sensitive and culturally responsive knowledge and skills among caregivers, trauma-sensitive policies and procedures within Early Childhood Education organizations, and new resources to support families.
Funding Opportunity Overview
This opportunity will bring together a cohort of organizations that support Early Childhood direct service providers (I.e., teachers, childcare centers, preschools, etc.) with a goal of increasing the field’s capacity to deliver trauma-sensitive and culturally responsive care to the Early Childhood sector.
Organizations eligible for this opportunity must be focused on providing Early Childhood higher education, training and/or technical assistance for the Early Childhood field.
The cohort will participate in a 12-month program with United Way and its partner, national nonprofit, Embracing Equity, to implement anti-bias, anti-racist organizational change. The program will begin in August 2023.
RFP Guidelines
Before beginning an application, organizations interested in applying must carefully review the RFP guidelines:
80x3 RFP Guidelines_Final.pdf
Organizations and partnerships must meet these requirements in order to apply:
- Your organization is a 501c3 nonprofit organization or has a fiscal sponsor who is a 501c3.
- Your organization is focused on higher education, training and/or technical assistance for Minnesota’s early childhood sector.
- Your organization designs and provides services specifically for early childhood education and care organizations, educators and/or leaders.
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Important Note on Financial Review: Your organization must meet the financial standards for Greater Twin Cities United Way funded partners based on a review of financial documents such as your most recent financial statements, form 990, and audit (if your organization is required by law to complete an audit) in order to receive funding. Organizations required to complete an audit MUST have a “clean” (unqualified) audit opinion with no going concerns in order to be eligible for funding under this RFP. You will be asked to upload financial documents as part of the application. Please note that organizations are only eligible to receive a maximum grant size of up to 20% of their overall organizational budget.
For any special considerations related to these criteria, please contact us at rfp@gtcuw.org to determine your eligibility.
These criteria are not required, but your application will be scored based on how well it meets these criteria. Organizations that score highest will be most competitive for funding.
- Your organization seeks to evolve toward a strong vision, commitment and passion for developing solutions for trauma-sensitive, culturally responsive services in the early childhood landscape.
- Your organization has the capacity and willingness to develop new and/or expand existing trauma sensitive and culturally responsive services for those your organization serves.
- Your organization currently holds the organizational capacity and readiness to send a team of up to three leadership-level staff to participate in a 12-month leadership and organizational change cohort. Specifically, your organization is ready and willing to assess their culture, practices, and policies and commit to all aspects of the program.
- Your organization is committed to setting goals and taking action toward system-level change for the people you support and is open to or is currently participating in systems change work through coalitions, advocacy or other activities.
- Your organization uses information to understand its impact, learn and make changes internally and is excited to collaborate and share information and learnings with peers, systems leaders and other stakeholders to create systemic change.
Key Dates for Applicants
Application
Opens | April 25, 2023 at 9am
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Applications
Due | May 16, 2023 at 4 pm |
Applicants
Notified of Grant Decisions | June 2023 |
Grant
Term Begins | August 2023
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