MOHCD is seeking grant proposals to support a capital improvements project that supports a nonprofit owned space in the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District that serves LGBTQ youth.

The San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) support San Franciscans with affordable housing opportunities and essential community services. MOHCD’s Community Development Division awards grants to nonprofit organizations to provide essential and high quality services to city residents.

To help ensure the sustainability of these nonprofit organizations and the essential services they provide, the Community Development Division also awards grants for capital improvement and acquisition projects.

They recognize it can be difficult for many nonprofits to build financial reserves deep enough to pay for the common repairs and infrastructure replacements that come with operating their own program space, or in procuring a brand new space in San Francisco’s expensive real estate market.They try to ease those burdens by providing gap funding for the types of capital projects that keep nonprofits in San Francisco and going strong into the future.

Funding Information

This RFP will provide up to $200,000 in total grant funding. The award will be setup as a one-time allocation through a two-year contract, starting as early as January 1, 2021. The final terms and conditions of the grant are subject to negotiation.

Eligible Projects

MOHCD will prioritize eligible projects from nonprofit organizations that:

• Serve and are deeply rooted in low- income and historically-underserved communities in the Castro neighborhood.
• Clearly identify how new clients and/or audiences will be acquired and existing beneficiaries served effectively by the proposed space. This includes administrative or office space, with a focus on retaining or engaging historically-underserved communities.
• Demonstrate a track record of deep and  sustained commitment to racial equity  and inclusion;
• Demonstrate a commitment to providing services according to the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) COVID-19 safety guidelines. Project applicants must also  demonstrate that designs will be  implemented in accordance with DPH  guidelines for social distancing and  safety;
• Have secured recent public or  philanthropic investment;
• Demonstrate support for their efforts from multiple sectors (e.g. partnerships  with education, local businesses,  excellence in volunteer engagement);
• Demonstrate evidence of planning to identify and mitigate financial risk.

Project Criteria

Grant proposals must request funding for the monthly reimbursement of expenses related to the following project eligibility criteria:

• Serves low and moderate-income LGBTQ  youth through established, ongoing and  sustainable nonprofit service programs;
• Is owned by a nonprofit organization;
• Has programs sustained through diverse,  dependable funding streams;
• Has programs open to the target  population during normal hours of  operation; and
• Can demonstrate its ability and commitment to make a significant measurable impact through a significant portion of the target population over a sustained period of time.

Eligibility Criteria

An organization is eligible to submit a grant proposal if the applicant meets all the following criteria:

• The applicant is (or the applicant has a fiscal sponsor that is) a nonprofit, public benefit corporation tax exempt under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3) as a  public charity.
• The proposed project site is located within the boundaries of the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District in San Francisco.
• The primary beneficiaries of the program are LGBTQ youth 23 and under, particularly Black, Brown, indigenous and youth of color.
• The applicant’s organization has demonstrated a sustained commitment to serving the LGBTQ youth community, particularly Black, Brown, indigenous and youth of color.

For more information, visit MOHCD.