RFP release date: November 15, 2011

Proposal deadline: January 5, 2012

Grant decision date: May 22, 2012

Problem Statement/Overview

An estimated 9.5% of Illinois households are “food insecure,” while approximately 750,000 persons use food stamps. The Chicago area has a well-developed system that delivers food to hungry persons, touching an estimated 600,000 per year. The system is anchored by two institutions, the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) and the Northern Illinois Food Bank, which distribute food to more than 800 local kitchens and pantries, generally run by volunteers who distribute food to needy persons. Networks in most parts of the city provide various types of support to local distributors. The system is highly efficient, making it rare for anyone in the Chicago area to literally starve; and it is relatively inexpensive because of the high number of volunteers who staff it.

The greatest challenge facing the system is acquiring more food. Private sector food producers and retailers are becoming increasingly efficient in their production and ordering, leaving less excess food available for donation. As a result, the GCFD and other organizations seek new sources. New strategies to secure fresh food include developing direct relationships with growers, particularly in Illinois, developing collaborative purchasing, merging food banks to make processes more efficient and supporting neighborhood growers.

Outcomes Sought

Over the next five years, the Trust seeks these results for the Chicago region:

• A functioning pantry/kitchen network in every neighborhood of the city
• Reduction of malnutrition by 2015 through monitoring of public health data for signs of malnutrition among Chicago residents and taking action steps to address food access disparities
• The food security system benefits from a significant increase in the number of pounds of food obtained from new sources and purchased directly from Midwest farmers

Eligible Applicants

• Nonprofit organizations with evidence of tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or those using a 501(c)(3) fiscal agent
• Organizations located within and/or primarily serving residents of Cook County, except for regional, statewide or national projects or research that may benefit a substantial portion of Cook County residents
• Organizations with a commitment to diversity and inclusion for their governance, staffing, and populations served; and explicit adherence to non-discriminatory practices in the hiring of staff or in providing services on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin or disability
• Organizations with successful track records in building networks and addressing the needs of low-income residents
• Organizations currently serving as affordable food distribution centers for food pantries and soup kitchens

Note: the Trust will not accept grant applications from individual soup kitchens or food pantries.

Evaluation Criteria

Incomplete proposals will not be considered. Proposals for grants must answer all the basic questions about the organizations and should include a narrative that responds to the questions posed in the application. Grant proposals will be evaluated, on a competitive basis, using the following criteria:

• Clarity of project description and alignment of project activities to achieve desired outcomes with a high likelihood of success
• Achievable timeline that corresponds to the key activities
• Meaningful benchmarks and indicators of success
• Innovative and effective strategies with potential for systems change
• Organizational capacity to implement project—including staffing and leadership, operational and fiscal management
• Established track record in the specific program area under consideration, or potential to achieve needed expertise in this program area
• Ability to leverage financial, human and technical resources leading to greater impact
• Opportunities to scale or expand proven models while maintaining local relevance, or test new approaches that, if successful, can be grown and replicated
• Opportunities for collaborative work and bringing public and private partners together with nonprofit organizations
• Demonstrated knowledge of the sector and its trends

*Special note on diversity and inclusion

The Trust requires all applicants to either adopt the Trust's Diversity Statement or have a similar policy adopted by their boards. The Trust believes that the diversity of our community is a fundamental strength of our region. Our mission to improve the quality of life for the residents of our region is best fulfilled when we embrace diversity as a value and a practice. We define diversity to include, but not limited to, age, disability status, economic circumstance, ethnicity, gender, race, religion and sexual orientation.

Additionally, the Trust asks that applicants provide demographic data on board and staff as well as clients/beneficiaries of the projects. The Trust believes that the board and staff composition of grantees should reflect the diversity and demographics of the clients/community being served, and include diversity among its leadership at the board and senior staff levels to ensure the diverse perspectives needed at the decision-making levels. For this reason, the Trust does take into consideration the demographic make-up of the board, staff and clients of a grant applicant as an important proposal evaluation criterion.

Total Awards

The Trust will make between 5 and 10 grants under this RFP. Grants will be in the range of $25,000 to $100,000 for each grant awarded. Successful applicants will receive a one-year grant. The Trust recognizes some projects may require multi-year support and grant renewal will be considered subject to performance of grant recipient and availability of funds. Please think carefully about all aspects of the proposal project that require support, prioritize what you need and budget for those items. Budget requests will be closely analyzed and applicants should include a budget narrative that makes clear the necessity of the project's specific line items.

Application Process

To submit a proposal, please visit our online application system, where you can register to submit your project information.

Back to Hunger