FY23 Underserved Communities Projects (UCP) Grant Program

 
The Office of Grants Management is soliciting grant applications for the County’s FY 2023 Underserved Communities Projects (UCP) Grant Program from qualified nonprofit organizations providing direct services to or advocacy for underserved communities in the County.   Both the County Executive’s FY23 Recommended Budget and the County Council’s FY23 Approved Budget (Resolution 19-1285) provide $750,000 to nonprofit organizations from underserved communities who have unique insights into their local challenges and can develop the best programmatic solutions address them. These grants will provide funding for new projects, programs, and initiatives within Montgomery County with a prioritization towards organizations who do not currently receive County funding. FY23 UCP award amounts will vary with a minimum award of $50,000 and a maximum award amount of $75,000. At present, the County Council has made this funding available for one year so all funded activities must be implemented within a 12 month performance period. Organizations are encouraged to submit multi-year funding proposals of up to three (3) years but funding beyond the first 12 month period will be contingent on both satisfactory program performance and future Council appropriations.

Key dates for this program are:

• Application Opens:  Tuesday February 14, 2023 at 9:00 AM
• MS Teams Live Virtual Information Session:  Friday February 17, 2023 from 1:30 to 3:00 PM (Click here to view the event recording through your web browser.)
• Application Closes:  Wednesday March 15, 2023 at 9:00 AM

Program Downloads:

• Click here to download the full FY23 UCP Grant Program Details document in .pdf format. 
• Click here to download the February 17 Information Session slide deck.
• Click here to download the FY23 Budget Resolution which includes the FY23 Non-Competitive Contract Award List (starting on page 38 of pdf).  Given the high interest in this program and the limited funding available, organizations with over $100,000 in Non-Competitive Contracts are unlikely to be competitive.
• Click here to download a list of Frequently Asked Questions related to the UCP grant program.  These questions include those asked during the February 17, 2023 Information Session.  Repeated questions have been consolidated.   March 07 UPDATES: 2) correction on one question and b) additional FAQs added.

The goal of this program is to support a flexible range of new programs that address the needs of the County’s underserved communities that are designed and led by nonprofit organizations based in these communities.  Priority in awarding funds will go to organizations based in the same underserved community that the projects target.

This program uses the same definition of underserved communities as the January 20, 2021 Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.  The term “underserved communities” refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

Within their proposal, applicants must outline their plan to use the requested grant resources and how the proposed activities will have a positive impact on their target community.  Grants provided under this program will be multi-year awards of up to three years, pending satisfactory program performance and continued appropriation of funding. The range of programming allowed under this grant is intentionally very flexible with a focus on applicants justifying how the proposed project, program, or initiative will have a positive impact on their target communities. Organizations may only submit one application.  All proposed expenses should be related to programmatic activities plus a maximum 15% rate for indirect costs. Award sizes will vary with a minimum award of $50,000 and a maximum award of $75,000.

Visit https://mcmdgrants.smapply.org/prog/FY23UCP/ for more information.