1. Will programs supported through this RFP be required to serve all students enrolled in the partner school?
Programs supported through this RFP must be made available to each student in grades K to 8 enrolled in the partner school. However, programs should be carefully coordinated with any other program(s) operating within the school, and include this detail in their proposal. A typical program will serve between 150 and 200 students.
2. Will there be a separate RFP for programs that were part of the Trenton Afterschool Partnership, or other privately funded initiatives in FY10?
All FY10 program partner agencies that are interested in securing New Jersey After 3 support for FY11 must respond to this RFP, regardless of the source of the funding that supplemented New Jersey After 3 support in FY10 (example: PSEG, other private sources). There will not be a separate RFP issued for Trenton-based programs, or other privately supplemented programs.
3. Can an applicant submit more than one application for more than one school?
Yes. If your agency operated more than one New Jersey After 3 programs, you could apply for all of those programs. However, partners must submit one application per school. Partners should only apply for support in a school site where your agency operated a New Jersey After 3 supported program in FY 10. Example #1: If your agency managed ONE single school site contract and offered programming in only ONE school, your agency is eligible to apply for FY 11 support to return to that specific school site. Another existing New Jersey After 3 partner is not eligible to apply for New Jersey After 3 funding in a school in which they did not operate a New Jersey After 3 program in FY 10. Example#2: If you only had SEVERAL single school site contracts (i.e. three (3) individual contracts for three (3) stand alone school sites), you are eligible to submit one application for each school; submit three (3) separate applications.
4. If we have two or three schools in the same district interested in partnering, could we potentially submit two to three applications?
Support through this RFP can only apply to a school in which your agency operated programming in FY 10.
5. If we know for certain a provider is not going back to a school, does that mean we cannot go to that school as well?
Support through this RFP is limited to New Jersey After 3 partners serving a school in which you provided programming in FY 10.
6. The New Jersey After 3 RFP states –
Regular Attendance: Programs operate a minimum of three hours a day (generally from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.), each day school is in session, beginning in early October 2010. It is expected that enrolled children participate in program activities each day. New Jersey After 3 programs are not “drop-in” programs.
Question from Program Partner: "Following the mid-year budget cut, our program was re-designed to provide 4 days per week of direct service (Monday-Thursday) and 1 day per week of joint professional development with our school partners. We have found that this regular professional development opportunity greatly enhances the alignment of our model with the school and increases the academic outcomes of the students which we serve".
A core element of New Jersey After 3’s evidence-based model is that programs must serve children every day that school is open. We applaud any agency's efforts to strengthen school alignment, with a strong emphasis on professional development and encourage all partners to find innovative ways to meet both objectives (i.e. 5-day-a-week programming AND strong professional development with a focus on school alignment).
New Jersey After 3 recommends that Program Partners factor in enough funding to conduct regular staff meetings and quarterly in-service professional development days (i.e. budget for a full 180 days of wages so that you have the budget to pay staff for training on half-days or Saturday trainings).
7a. Is it is possible to submit a proposal for a single program serving two schools even though this does not necessarily meet the criteria outlined in the RFP.
We strongly encourage proposals to serve ONE school site. A program partner can, however, submit multiple proposals.
7b. Are multi-site proposals serving for 2 or more schools under one contract eligible for funding?
New Jersey After 3 is discouraging multi-site programs; however, there may be compelling circumstances in which an applicant might request support for a single program contract that serves multiple schools. The RFP lists a few examples of compelling reasons for submitting a multi-site application. However, there may be other unique school district and/or community factors that are compelling as well.
8. When submitting our proposal to New Jersey After 3 by e-mail, does the applicant have to submit all supporting documents including signature documents?
Please transmit Sections I-VII via e-mail (without signatures) to GrantProposal@njafter3.org before 5pm on August 20, 2010. Please refer to the Checklist on p. 48 for detailed clarification.
9. If an existing program partner (Agency X) had a subcontractor operating and managing afterschool program services during the FY 10 school year, can that subcontractor apply as the lead applicant if Agency X is not submitting a proposal in response to this RFP?
Only organizations with a direct contractual relationship with New Jersey After 3 during FY10 are eligible to apply for support. Subcontractors are not eligible to apply for support through this RFP.
10. The RFP articulates that you are looking for proposals for programs that serve a total 150 or more students. Will a proposal to serve less than 150 students, due to a smaller total district population, have a less competitive edge than those that propose to serve more students?
To achieve the size, quality and scale of the New Jersey After 3 model, programs must serve a critical mass of students (generally between 20% and 40% of the school population) in each school. However, all current partners are encouraged to apply regardless of school or district size, and to be creative about how your proposed program will achieve a critical mass of students.
11. Are proposed programs required to serve the entire school population, even if the school district already has an extended day program in place?
New Jersey After 3 programs must be open to every child enrolled in the school. If there are other afterschool programs at the school, please clearly articulate how programs work together to ensure universal enrollment within the School Profile Worksheet and in the RFP narrative. Also, please describe how other existing afterschool activities (clubs, etc) will be integrated into your proposed New Jersey After 3 program framework.
12. In section B, number 3 titled “Value of Anticipated Service Contract to Program Partners” (p13) it states, “New Jersey After 3 expects to award service contacts to Program Partners within the range of $35,000 to $100,000 per program.” Is the maximum applied per school or per contract? For example, a 5 school multi-site proposal could result in a single contract funding maximum New Jersey After 3 award cap of $500,000, as the New Jersey After 3 per child cost share stays within the $750 cap and total program per child cost stays within $1,500, or is it stating that a single contract will be awarded at $100,000 no matter the number of schools served?
The maximum New Jersey After 3 award is $100,000 per service contract that is awarded, not per school. A proposal may include a plan to serve more than one school under one contract. Multi-site programs are not encouraged, but allowable when compelling circumstances exist. (Please refer to page 5 of the RFP for specific guidance). Using the example above, the proposed five school, multi-site proposal would be eligible for a maximum total of $100,000, despite serving multiple schools.
A program partner may submit multiple, single site proposals if the program partner chooses to do so. Each single site proposal would be eligible to compete, statewide, for a maximum $100,000 service contract, provided each is within the $750/student/year New Jersey After 3 funding cap, and below the $1,500/student/year total program cost (outlined in detail on page 7 of the RFP).
13. For a 100 student program, can the site coordinator position and the certified teacher position be combined into one staff position?
New Jersey After 3 requires that a full-time site coordinator be assigned and allocated to each school site. The site coordinator’s sole responsibility is managing day-to-day program operations, staff, communication with school and district partners, and other administrative responsibilities. Non-managerial staff (in this case, certified teachers) are included in staff teams to provide instruction to enrolled participants. In order to ensure high levels of programmatic and administrative quality, site coordinators do not provide student supervision or instruction. Please refer to p. 16 of the RFP for further clarification.
14. Given that it’s August and our school administrative offices are pretty much a ghost town (not to mention our BOE only meeting once this month), is it ok to get the MOU from our school district post-app(lication)?
New Jersey After 3 will accept letters signed by a superintendent and principal stating that more time is required. In such instances, however, points may be deducted from your total score for not meeting outlined requirements.
It is important to also understand that applicants who do not meet with their superintendent and principal prior to drafting their proposal will have a difficult time properly articulating the vision, goals, design and collaborative structures of their proposed program, as outlined in Section IV, Part A of the application, beginning on p. 34 of the RFP.
15. Our two matching sources are from NJDCA and NJ Law & Public Safety. Can we furnish the award letter and approved contract and/or budget as documentation instead?
Applying partners are highly encouraged to provide any documentation that verifies committed matching funds, regardless of the source of such funds.
16 . Is the match requirement 1:1?
Yes. Specific information and guidance regarding match requirements is printed on page 12 of the RFP Document and throughout Section VII. Program Budget and Capacity to Ensure Matching Funds, starting on page 38.
17. Can in-kind services, such as the executive director salary be included as part of the organization’s match?
Administrative salaries can be included in the Administrative Cost section of your program budget. Please note that these percentages must correspond to the actual percentage of time administrative staff spend supporting or implementing the proposed afterschool program(s). Should your organization choose to provide that percentage of the executive director’s salary as an in-kind contribution towards the required match, it may be included in the budget. Agencies are required to describe the specific administrative functions that staff will fulfill in the Administrative Cost budget narrative section, and provide additional relevant information in sections of the narrative where they feel it will most compelling to proposal reviewers.
18. Is a statement from a board member sufficient to send in for the attachment required Board Resolution?
If the RFP submission timeline prevents your agency from submitting a signed board resolution with your application, a letter from the Executive Director and a Board Member explaining the circumstance may be considered. No contracts will be awarded to any Program Partner without receipt of an official resolution from your organization’s Board of Trustees. In such instances, however, points may be deducted from your total score for not meeting outlined requirements.
19. We have a contract with another agency that gives us subsidized after school child care slots. This year we may be able to use about 50 of these subsidized slots at the school, and then try to supplement them with a request to (New Jersey After 3) for another 100 slots. If I do it that way am I proposing a program with 150 students (only two-thirds of whom have to be paid for with After 3 funds or am I proposing a program for 100 students, all of whom are paid for with After 3 and community match?
New Jersey After 3’s resources support programs that serve 150 or more students per school in grades K-8. Proposals that demonstrate how New Jersey After 3 funds are being used to attract and secure additional revenues that support the program are encouraged and appropriately scored. Please refer to Section VII of the application, starting on page 38, for additional information and scoring.
20. If we cannot get our superintendent or principal to sign the MOU by the deadline, are we ineligible to apply?
Please refer to FAQ #14 above.
21. We are currently at three schools: one single school and two in the multi-site format. We are willing to submit three proposals and increase two of the schools from 100 to 150 participants. However, the third school will not support 150 participants because it is a small school of only 250 students. We would like to submit the proposal for this school at 100 participants.How would you suggest we handle this challenge?
While specific advice cannot be provided in shaping an applicant’s proposal, as outlined in the RFP: New Jersey After 3 expects that each applicant will propose a program that will enroll and serve approximately 150 students per school site during the 2010 – 2011 school year. Each application must propose one (1) program operating in one (1) existing partner school.
Multi-Site Program: New Jersey After 3 is discouraging multi-site programs; however, there may be compelling circumstances in which an applicant might request support for a single program contract serving multiple schools. For example, a multi-site program might be compelling if two small schools are in close proximity (i.e. same block); if there is an opportunity to serve an entire small district; or if the schools are extremely small in size (fewer than 400 students). In such cases, a multi-site program must serve a minimum of 100 students per school and the number of students should be roughly the same in each school to avoid any disparity between the quality of the program.
22. In the RFP’s Program Structure and Content section, you ask,“What are your program’s measurable goals for the upcoming year as they pertain to benefits for students? How will your program impact student achievement, youth development, and community engagement?” Can you clarify what is expected, i.e., are we to provide a total of 15 goals and methods of measurement (goal and measurement method for each of three areas (student achievement, youth development, community engagement) for each content area?
You are not expected to provide 15 goals and methods, but at least one quantifiable goal each for 1) student achievement, 2) youth development, and 3) community engagement; as well as outline how these goals were developed and the specific strategies that will be used by your agency to achieve and measure those outcomes. The point allocation for this question is 15 points, which may have created confusion.
23. Regarding the responses using double spaced, 12pt font in 1 inch margins, should the information in the 5 pages be divided and imbedded after each individual question in the body of the proposal or should the 5 pages be placed in total at the end of question 8?
Since many of the sections have a combination of check-off boxes and narrative questions, it us up the applicant’s discretion to include the full question text within their narrative. However, at a minimum the applicant should include the header and question numbers so the reviewer clearly understands which question you are answering.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to answer each question in a thoughtful, concise manner that adheres to the formatting guidelines.
24. Which particular sections (or what specific language or requirements) of the RFP were updated on August 4.
Please note that a minor change wasmade to the RFP document at 12:45PM on August 4, 2010 due to a typographical error.The error was discovered and corrected in the point allocation for Question #1 on p. 28 of the Request for Proposals. The point allocation as changed from 10 points to 3 points in this instance.
If you have already downloaded a copy of the RFP, please revisit the link below to download the updated version: http://www.njafter3.org/staff/staff.php.
25. Do the questions need to be included with the narrative responses?
Please refer to the response provided for question #23, above.
26. There are several maximum page limitation discrepancies within the body of the proposal in Section V. on p. 28 & p. 32 and VI p. 34 and the checklist page p.48
- Correction #1: Page 28 - Section V should be 8 pages, not 5 pages or less.
- Correction #2: Page 32 - Section C. Need & Demand maximum page limit should be 3 pages (as listed on the checklist p. 48), not the 2 page maximum stated on p. 32.
- Correction #3: Page 34 - Section VI Program Description should be 10 pages, not the 7 page maximum stated on p. 34.
27. If an organization is making more than one application, do you want 1 set of required documents under section IX covering all applications, or do you want 1 set for each application?
You are required to submit one (1) set of required documents for each application you submit. Each application is reviewed independently and should be completed as such.
28. On the transmittal form what kind of response are you looking for when you ask region?
Please indicate one of the following; southern, central or northern New Jersey. Please refer to map on the Program Partners tab on the New Jersey After 3 website to see how your program was classified during the 2009-2010 school year
29. Do you want TWO original signature pages, MOUs, statement of assurances and board resolution?
Yes.
30. We are having difficulty getting a hold of the information pertaining to other afterschool programs at the proposed school sites. Many programs were in flux given funding cuts. What level of emphasis would you suggest we place on securing this information, letters of support, etc?
New Jersey
After 3 asks all respondents to answer each question
within the RFP as thoroughly as possible. In
cases where circumstances impact the agency's ability
to fully articulate the answer and/or provide required
support documents associated with the question, please
provide an explanation of specific extenuating circumstances.
In such instances, however, points may be deducted
from your total score for not meeting outlined requirements.
31. The principal is on vacation until Monday and although the superintendent has signed the RFP. What do we do?
Please see answer to Questions #14 and #20 above.
32. (a) Some of the funding for the proposed program will come from the fundraising activities of our agency. (b) Should this be articulated as a letter from a funder?
(a) Within your agency's proposal, please outline in detail the proposed fundraising activities, being sure to articulate the success and track record of the proposed fundraising activities in a way that demonstrates that such trends will continue.
Respondents
should provide information that verifies matching
funds sources; and outline their contingency plans
in situations that include projected (non-committed)
revenues. Using fundraising events as an agency's
ONLY source of committed matching funds does not indicate
a stable, blended source of matching funds, and is
therefore not a recommended strategy. As with any
proposal, laying out the agency's sustainability plan
and organizational commitment to the proposed program
will factor into the selection process.
(b) Yes,
you should also articulate your internal fundraising
plan as a letter from a funder on your agency letterhead,
but only a letter from an external funder will satisfy
the required letter(s) of support outlined in the
RFP.
33. How many total hard copies are you requiring? Is it five or eight? The RFP states five and three additional copies.
Please submit five hard copies of the proposal.
34. We give our staff AmeriCorps scholarships because we are an Education Award site. How can I factor this into the budget to show it as matching funds? My thought is to divide the scholarship amount by the number of hours worked in the year and add that cost to the hourly rate (and show the total value of all of the scholarships as match on that line). This would be most accurate, however, since our actual payroll costs will not reflect the identical hourly rate and/or payroll totals, will this lead to confusion? Also, doing it this way would add to the self-calculating fringe amount for those salaries where in fact, the scholarships of course do not add to our fringe. I would then need to show even more match to cover the appearance of that fringe cost.
Within the budget form, there is an accommodation for non-New Jersey After 3 AmeriCorps members (row 31 when viewing the spreadsheet online, line 25 when printed). It is recommended that applicants with the opportunity to supplement staff teams with AmeriCorps Members do so utilizing this budget line in calculating program costs. Expenses on this line have no impact on the fringe benefit calculation.
The number of AmeriCorps staff, annual stipend, and total hours (worked for the program) should be entered on this line. The (appropriate proportion of the) Education Award can be included in the stipend value if your agency wishes to categorize the Education Award as member compensation. The total Program Cost for this line can be reflected as matching funds within your budget. It is recommended that you contact your AmeriCorps Program Officer for further clarification on the classification of Education Awards as compensation.
35. In the past our school district provided the transportation to bus our kids home after the New Jersey After 3 program but for FY 11 they cannot. We have worked out an agreement with the school district to reimburse them for the cost of transportation. Is this allowable?
As stated in the RFP:
Allowable Program Costs and Cost per Student
The cost transportation should appear only in the Program Support and Infrastructure section of your budget.
Therefore the cost of transportation can not be paid for with New Jersey After 3 funds nor can it be applied to the grant as matching funds.
36. We are unfamiliar with the format for the required board resolution. Please explain what type of board resolution you are requesting.
A board resolution is a written statement on your agency letterhead authorizing your agency to submit an application seeking funds from New Jersey After 3 for FY 11. The resolution (letter) should be signed by an authorized board member, unless the board has given the Executive Director the authority to sign the resolution on the board’s behalf.
37. The superintendent only signed one copy in blue ink . Will my application still be eligible for review?
Yes, your application will still be deemed eligible.
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