Request for Proposal. Introduction

Transcription

1 Request for Proposal Introduction The California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) is seeking a qualified consultant or firm (hereafter referred to as contractor ) to conduct the CAFB Rural and Remote Member Food Banks Needs Assessment, and identify strategies that would enhance the mission and goal of these food banks to end hunger in their communities. CAFB is a membership association comprised of 43 food banks engaged collectively in the mission to end hunger in California, including 15 food banks that serve largely rural and/or remote counties. The rural and remote members have distinct and separate challenges to overcome in the delivery of food and services to their community. The Needs Assessment will serve as a tool to guide the CAFB Board of Directors Rural and Remote Committee in the development of resources and programs yielding maximum outcomes for addressing rural hunger in California. Target Audience According to the USDA report, Rural America at a Glance 2015, there has continued to be slow growth in rural employment since the 2008 recession. With 4 out of 10 California residents living in or near poverty, rural residents experience to a greater degree the lack of access to social safety net programs because of physical isolation and limited infrastructure. Additionally, as USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack highlighted in comments to the National Rural Assembly last year, most rural low-income communities receive limited support from major private foundations and corporate giving. As rural communities lose population and jobs the funding sources are stretched thin for non-profits serving these areas. For CAFB s rural and remote food banks the hurdles are high due in part to low population density and the larger geographic area for service delivery which directly increases the cost of food, staffing and transportation. Rural and remote food banks have lower participation rates in Page 1 of 6

2 both the CAFB Farm to Family produce and CalFresh outreach programs. Yet, the need in these rural communities continues to rise. The fifteen (15) CAFB member food banks (hereafter referred to as food banks) listed below are located throughout California, and vary in size, capacity and staffing. The geographic areas and populations they serve reflect the diversity of the state. Some of them are located near urban centers, but serve largely agricultural communities. Others are in isolated coastal, mountain or desert communities. County Served Amador Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Plumas, Sierra, Tehama Calaveras Humboldt Imperial Kings Mendocino Mendocino Napa Nevada San Benito Shasta Tuolumne, Amador, Mariposa Yolo Yuba, Sutter Food Bank Interfaith Council of Amador Community Action Agency of Butte County North State Food Bank The Resource Connection Food Bank Food for People, Inc. The Food Bank for Humboldt County Imperial Valley Food Bank Kings Community Action Organization Ukiah Food Bank Mendocino Food and Nutrition Fort Bragg Food Bank Napa Valley Food Bank Food Bank of Nevada County Community Food Bank Shasta Senior Nutrition Programs Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency Food Bank Yolo Food Bank Yuba Sutter Food Bank Time Frame Key dates in the project include: April 12, 2016: Request for proposals released April 25, 2016: 1-2pm PST: Bidders Information Session via teleconference. Register with Farley Walker at May 12, 2016: 5pm PST: Proposal submission deadline June 6, 2016: Project work to begin December 31, 2016: Project work to end Page 2 of 6

3 Scope of Work A. Purpose The purpose of the CAFB Rural and Remote Member Food Banks Needs Assessment is to have the contractor complete a comprehensive needs assessment of 15 rural and remote food banks to identify gaps in their current operations and services, and propose appropriate solutions and strategies to close those gaps. B. Assessment 1. Service Area Demographics a. The contractor shall research and define the demographics of each county served by the food banks. The demographics should include, but not be limited to, population size, median income, percentage and number of population at federal poverty level, percentage enrolled in CalFresh and/or The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The contractor shall review any relevant literature, hunger studies or research conducted within service areas. This information is vital to the overall purpose of the Needs Assessment to identify service gaps. 2. Food Banks Assessment a. The contractor shall assess the current conditions existing within each food bank. This assessment shall include, but not limited to, an analysis of the following core areas. i. Quantity and quality of food currently distributed by service provider (i.e. the amount of fresh produce, protein, other healthy foods vs. processed foods, snack foods, sugary beverages). ii. Participation in federal food and nutrition programs such as The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP); Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, Children (WIC); Summer Food Service Program (SFSP); and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which is called CalFresh in California. iii. Food bank affiliations such as Feeding America Certified Affiliate, Feeding America Partner Distribution Organization (PDO) or Page 3 of 6

4 Redistribution Organization (RDO), and Community Action Agency. iv. Type of programs and services offered (i.e. nutrition education, mobile pantries, agency shopping program, afterschool kids cafes or backpack programs) and their frequency (daily, weekly, monthly). v. Infrastructure assessment of warehouse, cold storage, vehicles, equipment, pallet jacks and other as noted, including leased vs. owned. vi. Types of staffing (i.e. number of full-time vs. part-time, volunteers). vii. Overall organizational structure, including executive leadership and Board of Directors with information on number of years served in those roles. viii. Annual budget and funding sources. b. The contractor shall conduct interviews with key food bank leadership for a determination of the gaps in service delivery, and identification of barriers in addressing said gaps. The contractor shall conduct the interviews in person at all 15 food bank locations. c. The contractor shall conduct additional interviews with external stakeholders as specified by CAFB and/ or food banks such as consumers, public officials, and/or other nonprofits. d. The contractor shall analyze any shared trends, barriers and service delivery gaps among the target audience of food banks. C. Deliverables The contractor shall deliver a final written report of the CAFB Rural and Remote Member Food Bank Needs Assessment complete with references and final recommendations. The report shall be enhanced with graphs, charts, mapping, photographs and other visuals that will improve clarity and understanding. The final report shall include a prioritized list of recommendations and/or strategies to address gaps in service and improve sustainability of service providers to address hunger in their communities. Page 4 of 6

5 The final report shall be completed within a reasonable time frame as proposed by the contractor. Specific Deliverables 1. Coordinate and review all activities with CAFB Member Services Director. 2. Have monthly progress calls with CAFB staff and Rural Remote leadership 3. Prepare draft report and present to CAFB s Rural and Remote Committee. 4. Deliver final written report electronically and 2 hard copies by contracted due date to CAFB offices. 5. Participate in debrief meeting with CAFB staff and Rural Remote leadership. Application Process Submissions must include the following to be considered: 1. Cover Letter 2. A description of the consultant or firm s methodology or approach to the needs assessment. 3. Biographies of key staff to the project and a description of their roles 4. Proposed Scope of Work and Timeline to accomplish the work 5. Description of similar projects completed 6. References from at least three other non-profit clients of the consultant/firm 7. Fee Schedule and Proposed Fee to accomplish the work Contract Duration: June 6, 2016 December 31, 2016 (Additions/subtractions may occur.) Submission Deadline: Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 5pm PST. Submissions are to be provided to Farley Walker, in electronic copy only at Farley@cafoodbanks.org. For questions or to RSVP for Bidder Information Session, please contact Farley via at Farley@cafoodbanks.org or at Page 5 of 6

6 Who We Are CAFB is a membership organization of 43 member food banks from throughout the state with a mission to end hunger in California and a commitment to cutting-edge leadership in the antihunger community. Our major programs include Farm to Family, which works with growers and packers to provide fresh produce to food banks, statewide programs for food stamp outreach and enrollment and nutrition education, state and federal policy advocacy, and member services such as special projects and technical assistance. CAFB is governed by a Board of Directors elected from among the membership and represents its diverse range of organizations. Daily operations are accomplished by a staff of 25. More information is available by visiting our website. Page 6 of 6