Sunflower Trails 2016 Request for Proposals (RFPs) RFP Information Slide Deck.

Sunflower Trails 2016 Request for Proposals (RFPs) RFP Information Slide Deck Sunflower Trails Program Staff Elizabeth Stewart Burger, Program Officer Lindsey Fincham, Program Associate Cheryl Bean, CFO & COO Phone: or (toll-free) Timeline for ALL Trail Grants Online applications are due Monday, May 2, at 4pm CST. Please start the process early. Funding decisions will occur at June foundation Board of Trustees meeting. Funding announcements are expected mid-June. In order to receive the link to the online application, you must first speak to someone on the Sunflower Trails program staff. This step is intended to help you save valuable time and produce the best proposal possible. Eligible Organizations Community-Based Trail Grants Instrumentality of state or local government Non-profit organization (tax-exempt status under section 501c3 of IRS code) Exclusions Other Considerations What about citizen coalitions/grassroots organizations without 501c3 status? Eligible Organizations School-Based Trail Grants School or school district serving Kansas students within K-12 grade span Tax-exempt organization (501c3) partnering with a school/school district Exclusions Other considerations Allowable Expenses & Funding Community-Based New Trail Criteria (RFP ) Length Minimum mile long. Width Minimum 6 feet wide. Access Public access to the trail is required, and trails are expected to be on public property. Materials discretion of applicant, with explanation for choices and required bids. Community-Based New Trail Funding (16-102) Maximum Total Funding $55,000 Materials & Construction = up to $40,000 Includes materials & installation of materials directly related to preparation of trail site & trail construction. Materials are left to applicants discretion. We do not require certain design standards, but we do ask for an explanation and we do require bids. Expenses related to the aesthetics of the immediate surrounding area are not covered. Please read RFP carefully for items that are not considered allowable expenses. Community-Based New Trail Funding (16-102) Maximum Total Funding $55,000 Infrastructure/Enhancements = up to $15,000 Design/Safety Elements for safety and/or sustainability of the trail. Examples: culverts, pipes, drainage tubes, bridges, railings, fences, etc. Trees for trail shading and/or wind screening. Selection should be based on factors listed in RFP. Distance Signage to help trail users. Trailhead signage will be considered if it includes distance information. Please read RFP carefully for items that are not considered allowable expenses. Existing Trail Enhancement Criteria (RFP ) Length Minimum mile long. Width Minimum 6 feet wide. Access Public access to the trail is required, and trails are expected to be on public property. Purpose application should clearly state how the enhancements will improve the overall trail experience with increased functionality, safety, usability, etc. Existing Trail Enhancement Funding (16-103) Maximum Total Funding = $20,000 Any combination of the options listed below Design/Safety Elements for safety and/or sustainability of the trail. Trees for trail shading and/or wind screening. Selection should be based on factors listed in RFP. Distance Signage to help trail users. Applicants are encouraged to consider creative signage to promote local history/culture or health information, so long as distance information is still included. Community Trail Connector Criteria (RFP ) Length May be less than mile. Width Minimum 6 feet wide. Access Public access to the trail is required, and trails are expected to be on public property. Purpose Applicant must clearly demonstrate that the connector will link existing trails or provide new access points to an existing trail and thus facilitate increased use of the existing trails. Community Trail Connector Funding (16-104) Maximum Total Funding $30,000 Materials & Construction = up to $15,000 Includes materials & installation of materials directly related to preparation of trail connector site & construction. Materials are left to applicants discretion. We do not require certain design standards, but we do ask for an explanation and we do require bids. Expenses related to the aesthetics of the immediate surrounding area are not covered. Community Trail Connector Funding Maximum Total Funding $30,000 Materials & Construction = up to $15,000 Includes materials & installation of materials directly related to preparation of trail connector site & construction. Materials are left to applicants discretion. We do not require certain design standards, but we do ask for an explanation and we do require bids. Expenses related to the aesthetics of the immediate surrounding area are not covered. Community Trail Connector Funding (16-104) Maximum Total Funding $30,000 Infrastructure/Enhancements = up to $15,000 Design/Safety Elements for safety and/or sustainability of the trail connector. Trees for trail shading and/or wind screening. Selection should be based on factors listed in RFP. Distance & Directional Signage to help trail users. Directional signage is intended to help trail users plan their route and safely connect one trail to another. Trailhead signage will be considered if the connector creates a new access point and includes distance. School-Based Trail Criteria (RFP ) Option A (Shorter Lengths) At least mile long, minimum 5 feet wide Up to $25,000 Option B (Longer Lengths) At least mile long, minimum 6 feet wide Up to $55,000 Must be able to demonstrate school/community need for longer trail, land availability, and capacity and funding for larger project School-Based Trail Criteria (RFP ) Both Options Access - Public access to the trail is required, though schools may restrict hours based on school schedules. Trails are expected to be on public property. Materials The choice of materials are left to the discretion of the applicant. We do not require certain design standards, but we do ask for an explanation of chosen materials - and we do require bids. School-Based Trail Funding (16-105) Any combination of the options listed below check the specific RFP for limits. Materials & Construction - Includes materials & installation directly related to the trail. Design/Safety Elements for safety and/or sustainability of the trail. Trees for trail shading and/or wind screening. Distance Signage to help trail users. Funding Criteria & Considerations Proposed trail project is a direct response to an expressed desire for the trail by community members and other potential users. When possible, use local supporting data/information such as community health assessments, surveys, letters of support, local statistics, etc. Proposed trail/trail expansion is preferably part of a well-developed community health plan. If no such plan exists but the proposed trail is one of the first steps, please explain. Funding Criteria & Considerations Community/civic partnerships will help support and maintain the proposed trail/trail expansion for a minimum period of 10 years. There is a well-defined plan for promoting the trail through different methods of outreach, public relations, education, collaboration, etc. There is a well-defined plan for evaluating trail usage (e.g., trail counters, surveys, tracking via social media, number of community events). Funding Criteria & Considerations The diversity of partners and scope of collaboration Local fundraising efforts, demonstrating a variety of stakeholders in the trails success. The size of the community population and potential pool of trail users in proportion to the amount of funding requested. The ability of the proposed trail project to serve the needs of those in the community with low socioeconomic status and/or limited opportunities for outdoor physical activity. Funding Criteria & Considerations The inclusion of all requested documents and sections of the RFP application, including: Budget & Budget Narrative 3 bids for each requested item Most recent audit & financial statements Schematic/drawing of the proposed trail project Budget Stuff! Matching Funds Applicants must demonstrate a match of $1 for every $1 requested. The 1:1 match is for the total cost of the project (allowable expenses only), not a line by line match for each individual budget item. Example: if you meet the total match by the cost of concrete alone, you do not an additional match with an enhancement item. Matching Funds Monetary Describe additional sources of revenue for the RFP dollar match (e.g., letters of support or commitment from donors, description of fundraising efforts for future revenue, letters of commitment for a cash match by the city, etc. Donated Materials/Services Donated materials specifically related to the trail, including surface materials, essential infrastructure, distance signage and/or trail treescaping; Labor services donated by a third party vendor Donated items must have bids to demonstrate fair market value.. Matching Funds The match may NOT include the following items: General operating or overhead/indirect expenses Staff salaries/benefits Volunteer time Work services by the organization seeking the funding Trail amenities (benches, landscaping, etc) In-kind donations are valuable, and the budget narrative gives you a place to document these contributions. However, they cannot be counted as part of the cash match for the grant. Submitting Bids Applications must furnish three (3) bids for each requested expense (e.g., 3 bids for construction, 3 bids for signage, etc). Applications submitted without bids will not be reviewed. If your organization has an internal policy about procuring bids before funding, please provide a copy of the policy and an engineers estimate. Next Steps Read the Trail RFPs on the foundation website. Review the budget items (budget form, narrative and key).Lindsey Fincham to arrange a phone conversation to discuss your project. Depending on the level of readiness of your trail project, you will be sent the link to the online application. Next Steps Start assembling application materials (bids, letters of support, trail schematics, etc). There is a checklist to follow within the RFP. Keep in mind that trail projects are expected to start within 90 days of the grant award, and grant terms are typically one year. HINT write your application narrative in a word document, then copy and paste into the online application. Good Luck!