Project Overview

First Nations Development Institute is pleased to announce a new grant program: Innovative Native VITA Site Programs. First Nations will provide grant support to three organizations for building or expanding Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites in Native American communities. First Nations Development Institute wishes to support innovative VITA programs that offer asset-building models, links to benefits programs, or connections to savings programs. This grant program is designed to support innovations such as the tax time savings bond, low- or no-fee debit cards for unbanked clients, or alternative RALs. In addition, linking VITA to asset-building programs such as Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), savings programs, or helping unbanked clients open bank accounts is encouraged. Native VITA sites that conduct benefits screening to link their clients to social service programs are also encouraged to apply for funding.

First Nations recognizes that VITA is an essential service in the promotion of asset building among individuals and families in Native communities. It is also apparent that the sharing of information and models is an effective yet underutilized tool in Indian Country that helps other organizations develop programs and promote best practices. Thus, the purpose of this project is twofold: 1) this grant will be used to aid Native organizations in the development of effective and innovative VITA sites for the benefit of their community, and 2) grantee organizations will document and share best practices with other sites in order to develop a framework for other Native communities interested in launching a VITA site or strengthening sites already in existence.

Grant Overview and Process

First Nations is pleased to offer a total of three grants in the amount of $15,000 each to support innovative VITA work. The grant term will be 11 months from January 15th to December 15th, 2013. These grants will be awarded to organizations meeting the following criteria: 1) has a VITA site already in operation or committed to opening a VITA site for the 2013 tax season; 2) presents a convincing plan to offer innovative asset-building VITA programs; and 3) demonstrates a commitment to documenting the process of preparing, maintaining, and running an innovative VITA site. At the end of this project grantee organizations are expected to have 1) an innovative, sustainable VITA site model in place that can 2) be shared with other Native communities interested in building or strengthening VITA sites, and 3) lessons learned that can be shared about offering innovative VITA programming to link clients to financial education and asset building programs.

All funded programs will be expected to follow First Nations’ grant guidelines and submit a progress report and a final report.

Organizations eligible to apply include

• Native American tribes,
• 501(c)(3) organizations,
• tribal §7871 organizations,
• community organizations without 501(c)(3) status with a qualified fiscal sponsor,
• and  tribal colleges or tribal schools with programs that meet the spirit of this grant initiative.

All applicants must fully complete the First Nations ONLINE Grant Application, including the submission of all necessary attachments. The following attachments must be uploaded during the submission process:

• Attachment A: An estimated budget for the proposed project that breaks down costs and is reasonable and related to grant expenditures. (view sample)
• Attachment B: A detailed project timeline that documents important project goals, milestones and benchmarks. (view sample)
• Attachment C: If organization is a 501(c)(3), please submit a copy of the organization’s or its fiscal sponsor’s IRS Determination Letter.
• Attachment D: List of Board of Directors, with Tribal affiliation (if applicable), and Key Staff 
• Attachment E: A completed W-9 for the organization or parent organization/fiscal sponsor. (download form)

Proposals are due November 9, 2012 at 5:00 PM (Mountain Time). Please allow yourself enough time to submit a complete application before then, as the system will shut down automatically at 5:00 pm and no data may be entered thereafter.  Partial, faxed, emailed, mailed or applications that are not received on time due to user error will not be considered.   

Questions
Should you have questions about the RFP or this project, please do not hesitate to contact Sarah Dewees by phone at 540-371-5615 or by sdewees@firstnations.org.

Additional Resources

• Download printable Request for Proposals
• Download instructions on using First Nations' Online Grant Application System