Request for proposals from nonprofit organizations to assume responsibility for the Creative Community Leadership Institute (CCLI). This will include providing training on the integration of art and culture into community problem solving based on the existing CCLI model for approximately nine cohorts of 20-25 people (an average of three cohorts per year) for at least the next three years and building a network of past and future alumni.
PROJECT
Our interest in CCLI is grounded in our belief that to make the region better for everyone, we need leaders who understand the power and potency of integrating art and culture into problem solving, have the ability to integrate art and culture into problem solving, and can effectively work with a wide-range of people across many different sectors.
CCLI is an intensive, 60- to 100-hour, in-person, multi-day, cohort-based training program with hands-on workshops and on-site experiences that happen over a three- to five-month period. The desired outcomes for participants are that they will have more knowledge about the role of art and culture in problem solving, more skills to be able to effectively integrate art and culture into problem solving, more personal growth to make them a more effective leader, and more networks of cross-sector peers.
Cohorts have been convened in communities throughout the region, including the Twin Cities, Duluth-Superior, Fargo-Moorhead, Rapid City and southwest Minnesota. There have been between 14 to 25 participants in each cohort. Participants were local leaders and changemakers who may or may not have held positional titles. There are currently 230 CCLI/ICCD alumni including practicing artists, elected officials, community leaders, business leaders, government officials, people working in philanthropy, academics and many others. Participation in CCLI has been free of charge to those selected through a rigorous application and selection process.
We seek to train at least 200 people on the integration of art and culture into community problem solving based on the existing CCLI model by supporting approximately nine cohorts of 20-25 people each over the next three years (an average of three cohorts per year in 2020 – 2022). We expect cohorts will be convened in various communities throughout the Bush Foundation region of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geography. Like previous cohorts, we expect there to be a wide range of participants in terms of race, ethnicity, age, background, etc., across a number of different sectors. We are particularly interested in supporting communities of color, Indigenous communities and rural communities.
The new CCLI operator is expected to build on and improve the historical CCLI-framework. It will take time to develop a plan, deliver the institute, support alumni and ramp up staffing. We hope much of this work can be done in 2019 so that the first new cohort and support for alumni can be launched in 2020. The Foundation will work closely with the selected organization during this transition and will provide material from Intermedia Arts including past curriculum, alumni lists and evaluation reports. CCLI has a substantial brand that a new operating organization can leverage, particularly through alumni who may be excited to help promote the program and/or host a cohort in their community.
BUDGET
We envision making an initial commitment of up to $1,000,000 to support approximately nine cohorts of 20-25 people (an average of 3 cohorts per year) throughout the Bush Foundation region over the next three years (2020 – 2022) and to build and support the alumni network. There were strong applicant pools for the last cohorts in 2017 and program alumni have expressed strong interest in continued connection and learning.
We anticipate that this grant could be renewed based on performance and demand for future cohorts and support for alumni. We will provide grant dollars to a single organization as the primary operator of this work but understand they may choose to subcontract with others to deliver CCLI in relevant, sustainable ways in local communities. Our hope is that other funders can be attracted to supplement Bush Foundation support in the future.
PROPOSALS
Proposals will be evaluated based on responses to the points outlined below.
Please provide an overview of how you will increase people’s ability and desire to integrate art and culture into community problem solving by (1) adapting and delivering CCLI throughout the Bush Foundation region and (2) building and supporting a network of past and future CCLI/ICCD alumni. Please be sure to address:
- Relevancy. How will you will ensure opportunities are relevant to people from the many different geographic and cultural communities across the Bush Foundation region and to people from different sectors working on many different issues? Please include your experience supporting people from different geographies and cultural backgrounds, as well as individuals operating in different sectors and on different issues.
- Access. How will you ensure opportunities are accessible to people throughout the Bush Foundation region? Please include how you will approach providing opportunities to people throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share this geography. Please indicate if you will be providing reimbursement for lodging and travel for people to participate.
- Experience building networks. Outline your experience building and supporting networks, including both successes and challenges.
- Anticipated outputs. How many people do you anticipate training, how many cohorts do you anticipate having, over what period and where will they be located?
- Anticipated outcomes. The desired outcomes for participants in CCLI have been that participants would have more knowledge about the role of art and culture in problem solving, more skills to integrate art into problem solving, personal growth to make them a more effective leader and a stronger network of cross-sector peers. Please identify if you will still be seeking these outcomes or if there are additional or different outcomes you hope to achieve. Please also include how you intend to collect evidence about progress towards these outcomes (i.e. how you intend to measure the impact of the program).
Proposals should outline the qualifications, including (1) examples of similar work or processes you’ve led in the past; (2) why you are interested in leading this work and (3) why you think you are the right organization for this opportunity. Please address:
- Mission/Values. Include your mission and values.
- Leadership development. Experience developing and delivering high-quality professional and leadership development training and building and supporting alumni networks, particularly in the Bush Foundation region.
- Art and culture in problem solving expertise. Outline your organizational expertise regarding the integration of art and culture into community problem solving.
- Cultural competency. Provide evidence of your ability to work respectfully and effectively with communities of color — particularly Native American communities — and rural communities. Provide experience working with people from the Bush Foundation region.
- Key staff or partners. Identify any key staff or partners. Include their relevant experience and what their involvement will be in this project. If you intend to subcontract with other partners, please include your experience working with them, what their roles and responsibilities will be and why they are the right partners.
- Timeline. Outline key milestones and when you anticipate that they will be achieved.
- Budget. Provide a budget for the proposed work. We expect an initial commitment for 2019 – 2022 of up to $1,000,000.
SUBMISSION PROCESS AND TIMELINE
Applicants must be 501(c)(3) public charities or government entities. They do not have to be located in the Bush Foundation region, but they must be able to operate at a scale that can serve the entire region. Preference may be given to those with experience working in the Bush Foundation region.
Submit proposals of no more than 10 total pages to Justin Christy, jchristy@bushfoundation.org by noon CT on Thursday, April 11, 2019.
If you have other questions or need more information, they can be submitted by email to Justin Christy, jchristy@bushfoundation.org.
A team of Bush Foundation staff will review all proposals and select finalists. Finalists will be notified by the end of April and may be asked to provide additional information, references and/or meet with Foundation staff either in-person or by video conference at that time. Selection of the grantee is expected by the end of May.