TO: CRA Board of Commissioners
FROM: Lori Hayward, Finance and Operations Director
THROUGH: Jeff Costello, CRA Executive Director
DATE: July 16, 2018
Title
CRA WORKSHOP ITEM - A-GUIDElines (ACHIEVING GOALS USING IMPACT DRIVEN EVALUATION)
Body
Background:
In 2007, with budget constraints created by property tax reform, the City cut back on its funding to Nonprofit Partners. The CRA agreed to provide additional funds to the partners such as Spady Museum, Old School Square, the Public Library, and to consider the funding on an annual basis.
On December 16, 2010 the CRA Board adopted the A-GUIDE funding program (Achieving Goals Using Impact Driven Evaluation) to more specifically define the CRA’s goals and objectives with respect to providing significant funding to non-profit organizations. The strategic framework titled “A-GUIDElines” included the types of activities the CRA will fund; the short- and longer-term outcomes the CRA desires to achieve; possible measures of success; types of support; and eligibility criteria. The funding framework included two of the seven “Overall Needs” for the CRA district as defined in the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Plan: “Affordable Housing” and “Recreation & Cultural Facilities.” Subsequent to that approval the CRA Board adopted a third category to be included in the “A-GUIDElines” on April 14, 2011. The third “Overall Need” added was “Economic Development” (Exhibit A).
For each of the three “Overall Needs” the A-GUIDE describes the kinds of activities the CRA will fund; the shorter-term outcomes and longer-term impacts the CRA hopes to achieve in collaboration with its nonprofit partners; and measures by which levels of success in those efforts may be assessed. Funding applications must demonstrate alignment with these guidelines.
Amount of Funding:
The A-GUIDE funding program was structured so that CRA support for Nonprofit Partners that have received funding in prior years will not be increased, and in fact may be decreased, according to availability of funds and the quality of their applications relative to these guidelines. The program was designed so that CRA support does not exceed 25% of the organizations budget. As shown in the Delray Beach CRA Nonprofit Funding report (attached), the CRA has provided additional funding since FY 2016-2017 which would otherwise be provided by the City (Exhibit B).
Funding Cycle, Fiscal Year 2018-2019
CRA support for Nonprofit Partners are allocated on an annual cycle, with specific dates and instructions published prior to the beginning of each cycle. Dates for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 are as follows:
• May 9, 2018 - Application Available on-line
• June 25, 2018 - Funding applications due
• June 26 - July 9, 2018 - Feedback on incomplete applications and opportunity for applicants to respond
• July - August 2018 - Funding Evaluation Committee review of applications
• August 15, 2018 - Applicant organization presentations to CRA Board
• September 2018 - Funding decisions by CRA Board
Eligibility for Funding
Organizations meeting the following criteria are eligible to apply for Nonprofit Partner funding:
• Mission consistent with the mission of the CRA
• Classified as tax-exempt under IRS 501(c)(3)
• In good standing with the State of Florida
• Housed in City- or CRA-owned facilities located in the CRA district
• Serves residents of the CRA district and/or visitors that come to the district to participate in funded
• programs, projects, and events
• Demonstrated commitment by Board of Directors to purpose and accountability for CRA funds
Application Review Criteria
Criteria to be used by the CRA’s Funding Evaluation Committee in reviewing applications for funding are grouped into six categories weighted as follows:
Organization Capacity 20%
Need for Project/Program 20%
Project/Program Description 10%
Logic Model 20%
Evaluation Plan 10%
Budget & Sustainability 20%
Specific items will be rated by each member of the Funding Evaluation Committee on a scale of 1 to 5, worst to best possible response: (1) Unacceptable, (2) Minimal, (3) Satisfactory, (4) Good, (5) Excellent.
Quarterly Reporting
Nonprofit Partners are required to submit quarterly, and annual evaluation and financial reports to provide data to support progress toward projected outcomes and to account for use of CRA funds. Discrepancies in meeting projections, whether performance fails to meet or exceeds those projections, must be addressed in the organization’s quarterly reports. Attached is the A-GUIDE Goals & Outcome report for FY 2016-2017 Nonprofit Partners that demonstrates how the organizations helped further the CRA’s goals and objectives (Exhibit C).
Attachment(s): Exhibit A: A-GUIDElines; Exhibit B: A-Guide Funding FY 16-17 & 17-18; Exhibit C: Delray Beach CRA A-GUIDE Goals & Outcome Report