Sacramento County is soliciting proposals from lead organizations to help strengthen and build capacity of local non-profit community-based organizations (CBOs) that are focused on providing services to a variety of underserved populations, including: Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) who experience disproportionately negative health and social outcomes, unhoused individuals and families, individuals with behavioral health needs, individuals with involvement in the child welfare or criminal justice system, refugees/immigrants, and other marginalized communities which were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
Throughout the County, CBOs improve the quality of life in communities by providing educational, health, and social services to citizens in need of support, beyond the services generally provided by local governments. Through their unique connectivity to the communities they serve, CBOs can impact hard-to-reach and traditionally underserved populations in a culturally responsive and equitable manner. The County recognizes the value of partnering with CBOs to support local citizens and foster an environment in which the community can thrive and recover from the health, economic, and other negative impacts suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The primary focus of this funding is to help CBOs develop core infrastructure to:
- Effectively expand services and deepen their impact for underserved communities;
- Build and strengthen the capacity for CBOs to more easily access and better manage government funds and contracts;
- Support the integration and elevation of BIPOC-centered and serving CBOs;
- Evaluate services and programs and improve equitable access and outcomes to underserved populations; and
- Enhance the cultural responsiveness of service provision to traditionally underserved populations.
In 2020, the County declared racism as a public health crisis and since that time has begun to strategically invest in a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. Building capacity and strengthening the regions CBOs ensures continued culturally relevant support and services to vulnerable and underserved communities.
The Capacity Building Initiative program will be funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant funds. The Request for Proposal can be accessed via the following link:
https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/saccounty/projects/29005
