Alberta Refugee Resettlement Grant Initiative 2015-2016 Guidelines I. OVERVIEW Ongoing conflict in the Middle East is fueling a refugee crisis with millions of people fleeing the region to safety. Neighbouring countries are under significant strain as more refugees are arriving daily. Refugees are entering Europe to seek asylum on a large scale. Countries around the world are responding to the crisis with different forms of support. The Government of Canada has pledged to increase assistance both domestically and abroad. Additionally, the Government of Alberta has pledged to work with other provinces and territories, the federal government, municipalities, and community partners to help support refugees while donating to international humanitarian organizations. The federal government has committed to increasing the number of refugees arriving in Canada. This will be accomplished through expanding the Government of Canada s direct sponsorship of Government Assisted Refugees and working with sponsors to increase the intake of Privately Sponsored Refugees. Based on previous refugee arrivals, Alberta is expecting to receive a significant number of these individuals and families. Through a series of community forums organized by Alberta s settlement sector and meetings with various sponsorship agreement holders, several gaps and challenges in meeting the needs of this population have been identified. A coordinated community response is required to ensure the immediate and longterm successful settlement outcomes of refugees. The Alberta Refugee Resettlement Grant Initiative aims to address these needs and support a coordinated response by providing funding to immigrant serving agencies, sponsorship agreement holders, ethno-cultural groups, municipalities, and other eligible organizations. One million dollars is available for this initiative. The Alberta Refugee Resettlement Initiative has the following six (6) funding streams: 1. Coordination 2. Public Awareness 1
3. Resettlement Services 4. Reducing Barriers 5. Language Support 6. Community Action Plans The objectives of the Alberta Refugee Resettlement Grant Initiative are: 1. Refugees have access to supports required for successful and timely resettlement and integration. 2. There is increased coordination among sponsorship agreement holders, immigrant serving agencies and other community partners. 3. Communities are better prepared to receive and resettle refugees. 4. Communities have an increased awareness and understanding of issues related to the resettlement of refugees. II. ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS Eligible organizations include: Immigrant serving agencies Faith-based organizations (churches, mosques, etc.) Refugee Sponsorship Agreement Holders Ethno-cultural groups Other established non-profit organizations/community groups Post-secondary organizations Municipalities Organizations must meet the following criteria: Be a registered, nonprofit society, public educational institution, municipality, or registered company. Have experience in the settlement and integration of newcomers; especially refugees. Demonstrate ability to undertake project. Provide services without discriminatory practices. Provide programs that complement services delivered in the community and do not duplicate existing efforts. Have the experience and ability to undertake the administrative and financial requirements of the Alberta Refugee Resettlement Grant Initiative. If your organization does not meet all of the above criteria, you may consider partnering with another organization that adds capacity, experience and/or infrastructure to your project. 2
III. ELIGIBLE FUNDING STREAMS There are six (6) funding streams eligible under the Alberta Refugee Resettlement Grant Initiative. Applicants must ensure that their proposed project falls into one or more of these streams. The links between your project and the funding stream(s) must be clearly identified in your proposal submission. Stream 1: Coordination The current humanitarian crisis has highlighted the need for increased coordination among community organizations to ensure they are best positioned to respond effectively to the diverse needs of refugees. Sponsorship Agreement Holders have also identified the need for coordination. This would help in responding to the growing number of requests from those interested in supporting Privately Sponsored Refugees as well as inquiries from members of the general public. Sharing of information and best practices Managing donations and other forms of community support/engagement Responding to inquiries from sponsorship groups and the public Supporting sponsors throughout the application and resettlement process Stream 2: Public Awareness Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment appreciative of diversity is integral to the successful resettlement and long-term integration of refugees. Increasing public awareness and understanding of the lived experience of refugees is an essential part of this. Increased knowledge of the issues and challenges faced by refugees may also lead to community support in terms of donations and volunteer efforts. Workshops/presentations Public Service Announcements 3
Public education campaigns Responses to specific issues and concerns in your community Stream 3: Resettlement Services An increased number of refugees destined to Alberta will place an additional burden on current resettlement services and require additional capacity of the settlement sector. Organizations applying under this stream must demonstrate their experience providing settlement services to newcomers including refugees. Community orientation Support in securing safe and accessible housing Supportive counselling Translation Employment readiness training Stream 4: Reducing Barriers Some refugees may experience barriers in accessing appropriate and timely resettlement services. This may be due to such factors as lack of settlement and other services in the host community, child-minding responsibilities, language barriers, lack of transportation, etc. Eligible projects under this stream will seek to address these and other barriers to accessing services through practical, innovative approaches that demonstrate a clear understanding of the experiences of refugees and the challenges encountered in the resettlement process. Itinerant service delivery in smaller/rural centres Providing accessible child-minding services Providing services in alternative delivery locations or during extended hours Providing language/translation services Providing transportation subsidies 4
It is important that these activities do not duplicate current initiatives. Proposals must demonstrate an understanding of activities currently underway in the community and show how the proposed project does not duplicate these efforts. Stream 5: Language Support Settlement language support for permanent residents (including refugees) is a federal responsibility through the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program. Funding under this stream may support initiatives to meet the immediate language learning needs of refugees where there is a lack of access to LINC. As with all projects under this Call for Proposals, submissions must clearly demonstrate that the proposed activity is not a duplication of other federal, provincial or community initiatives. Support for language learning in rural/smaller centres ESL drop-in style course Support for existing online language learning programming Stream 6: Community Action Plans This stream only applies to the five (5) refugee reception centres in Alberta that received funding under the previous Community Engagement Fund. The purpose of this funding stream is to support activities identified in the centre s community response plans. In order to be eligible, the community response plan must have been received by Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour as required by the Community Engagement Fund grant agreements. IV. Accountability Requirements Successful applicants will be required to demonstrate the extent to which their activities meet the priorities, goals and objectives outlined in their proposal. Organizations will be required to submit an interim narrative and financial report approximately half-way through the term of their project. A final narrative and financial report will be required upon the completion of the project. Reporting guidelines, including dates and required content, will be outlined in the final grant agreement. In addition to meeting the reporting requirements, organizations must submit any materials created throughout the course of the project (if applicable). 5
All documents submitted to Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour become the property of the Government of Alberta, and are subject to the disclosure provisions of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. This act allows any person right of access to records in the custody or under the control of the department subject to limited and specific exceptions. Should you wish to learn more about the application of the Act to the proposal you are submitting, please see the following link: servicealberta.ca/foip/resources/guidelines-and-practices.cfm Organizations will be required to: Demonstrate sound financial and personnel management Meet minimum standards for reporting (as outlined in the grant agreement) Participate in program activity and financial monitoring Protect the confidentiality and privacy of any client s personal information accessible to the contractor or collected through the project IV. SELECTION CRITERIA Eligibility Projects To be eligible under the Refugee Resettlement Program Call for Proposals, projects must: Be time-limited (i.e. does not lead to a need for on-going funding support from the Government of Alberta beyond the initial project timeline). Projects must be completed by March 31, 2017. Not duplicate existing programs or services. Fit at least one of the project funding streams outlined in this Call for Proposals. Respond to all applicable items in the application form. If projects are an element of a larger initiative supported by another funding body such as Citizenship and Immigration Canada, a letter of acknowledgement from that source must be attached to the proposal. Application Assessment Criteria Complete all elements of the application have been met. Please review the requirements carefully. Clarity of need and rationale Clarity of the link between proposed activities and funding stream(s) 6
Clarity of the implementation plan How realistic and reasonable are the budget, timelines and client numbers (if applicable) How realistic and achievable are project objectives, activities and outcomes? Level of involvement of key stakeholders. Does the proposal demonstrate community partnerships? Clarity of sustainability plan (if applicable) Knowledge and understanding of refugee issues Capacity and experience of applicant V. FORMAT Required Attachments for All Applications Completed Grant Application form Copy of Incorporation Certificate (or equivalent documentation showing legal entity status). Number of organization staff (indicating positions, languages spoken, and whether they are full-time or part-time) Organization Chart Current list of Board of Directors, if applicable Organization mission and goals, and general information on programs and services Most recent audited financial statement. If your organization s financial statements are not audited please provide unaudited statements and a full and clear explanation. A statement describing your organization s knowledge and understanding of refugee issues. Letters of support from community partners Project Description Please submit no more than fifteen (15) pages (plus addendums), describing your project. The font size must be 12 or above. Proposals that do not meet these requirements will be returned to the sender and not reviewed. Please ensure that you include all of the following points: Table of Contents Executive Summary (no more than 1 page) Purpose Statement (a clear statement that is no longer than 2 to 3 sentences) Rationale/need o What is the need/gap that the project is trying to fill? o What evidence supports the need? 7
o What is currently available to meet the need? Please ensure you demonstrate a clear knowledge of existing services and show that the proposed project is complementary and not duplication. Project Objectives Target group Project Design o Narrative description of project components and activities o Implementation plan or work breakdown schedule with timelines Sustainability plan: At the end of the project, what are your plans to build on the project s success? Clearly outline your organization s expertise, experience and capacity to carry out the proposed project. Budget The budget must clearly outline the costs associated with the project. It must be reasonable and realistic. Please use the provided Excel workbook to submit your budget. You may adapt the template to reflect your project s characteristics. All budget sheets must be printed, signed and included with your proposal. Budgets that include an organizational overhead or administrative fee must, for accountability and audit purposes, indicate what this fee covers and prove how these fees apply to the project. VI. APPLICATION SUBMISSION & DUE DATE Complete and submit: One (1) copy of the Application Form (attached) One (1) copy of the required attachments in hard copy. Six (6) unbound copies of the proposal (1 signed original and 5 copies) in hard copy. Your proposal must be received by 3:00 pm Monday, December 7, 2015 at: Marc Colbourne Manager, Immigrant Settlement 4th Floor, Commerce Place 10155 102 Street Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4L6 8
Note: Late, faxed, or electronic submissions will not be accepted. ACCOUNTABILITY PROCEDURES Selected grant recipients will be required to: Demonstrate sound financial and personnel management Submit complete, timely and accurate reports as requested Respond to further information requests regarding the project when needed Assist department staff, as requested with verification of contract compliance through file audits or client follow-up Comply with the terms and conditions of the grant agreement In addition, if the grant recipient is required to collect or handle personal information, they must comply with the privacy requirements of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act insofar as it applies to the recipient s operations and the personal information the recipient has access to, collects, or uses in providing the services under the contract. The grant recipient will be required to protect the confidentiality and privacy of each individual s personal information accessible to the recipient or collected under the agreement. QUESTIONS? There will be an applicants meeting via Teleconference at 1:30 pm on Friday, November 20, 2015. Please call 780-409-9282 or toll free 1-866- 792-1317 and dial 5170614 at the prompt. All those interested in applying for a grant are welcome to attend. Please submit your questions in writing prior to the meeting to Marc Colbourne at marc.colbourne@gov.ab.ca by 2:00 pm on Thursday, November 19, 2015. Responses to questions arising from the applicants meeting will be posted on our website: http://work.alberta.ca/immigration/newcomerservices.html This meeting will be the final opportunity to have your questions answered for this Alberta Refugee Resettlement Grant Initiative Call for Proposals. 9