Job Seekers Support Fund: Information & Eligibility

Established by Stamford-based Indeed with Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, the Job Seekers Support Fund will directly support community-based solutions for Stamford job seekers facing barriers to employment. The $250,000 fund is designed to award large general operating grants to Stamford-based nonprofit organizations serving Stamford residents by addressing the multifaceted challenges that prevent many individuals from accessing quality job opportunities.

Three grants – ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 – will be awarded to local nonprofits providing critical resources related to training and education, disability status, criminal justice involvement, and/or work essentials such as housing and transportation.

Eligiblity Criteria Evaluation Criteria How to Apply

KEY DATES:

Monday, May 1, 2023 – Application process opens

Wednesday, May 31, 2023 – Applications are due by 5pm  

Award decisions will be made in early July with an anticipated award date of August 1, 2023

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• We will only consider requests from organizations located within Stamford and that directly benefit residents of Stamford.
• We will consider requests from charitable organizations that are tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c)(3) organization and public charities under IRS Section 509 (a). Organizations operating under a fiscal sponsor with tax-exempt status under IRS Section 501(c)(3) may also be considered.
• The Job Seekers Support Fund will not consider requests to support religious or political causes, or to organizations organized for religious or political purposes.
• We do not consider requests for capital campaigns or capital projects.
• We will not consider requests for any of the following:
  • deficit financing
  • annual appeal
  • fundraising event
  • open space purchase
  • for-profit, parochial, charter, private, or individual public schools
  • or nonprofit endowment
• We will not consider requests for a specific individual.
• Letters of Intent must be submitted via FCCF’s online grants management system by 5pm on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.

EVALUATION CRITERIA 

Organizational Overview

• Is the organization’s mission clear?
• Does the organization seem prepared to execute their mission? Budget size, staff size, expertise and experience, etc. will be considered.

Funding Request & Program Design

• How will this work alleviate barriers for job seekers in Stamford?
• Does the initiative have a track record of success?
• Is there a clear plan to deliver services/utilize funds?
• Does the organization have other sources of support for this work?
• What would this funding allow the organization to do more/differently?

Commitment to DEI & Customer Focus

• How does the organization’s approach consider the challenges of their target population?
• How does the organization’s approach address racial inequities?
• Is the organization interested in Indeed product design/research?

Scoring & Award Amounts

Answers to the questions above will be ranked on a scale of 1-5, with each answer weighed equally for a composite score that’ll be used to stack rank applications in an initial review by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation staff. The top five applications will be shared with the advisory committee and site visits will be conducted by the committee and FCCF staff.

Scale

• 1 – No alignment/not a good fit
• 2 – Some alignment, but needs significant redirection, education, or other improvement
• 3 – Primarily in alignment, with some redirection, education, or other improvements needed
• 4 – In alignment, with little to no redirection, education, or other improvements needed
• 5 – Fully in alignment/great fit, could set an example for other NPOs

Award amounts will be tiered, based on the following considerations:

• % of organization’s total budget
• Focus area alignment
• Track record of program/organization

HOW TO APPLY

Step 1: The Job Seekers Support Fund uses FCCF’s grants management system to receive and process all the documentation related to its grants. First-time users will need to set up an account before being able to access the online LOI form.

Create a new account/login to current account

To access a tutorial on how to set up an account, click here.

Step 2: Submit a Letter of Intent online

Our Letter of Intent (LOI) begins with a required quiz to determine your basic eligibility. Once you have determined that you meet the basic eligibility requirements, you can complete the remaining sections of the LOI. In addition to asking you to provide some basic organizational information, the LOI will ask you to indicate the employment barrier which your work alleviates and describe the grant request. Organizations may only submit one LOI. LOIs are due by 5 pm on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Step 3: Finalists will be asked to host a Site Visit

Finalists will be asked to host a Site Visit for members of the Job Seekers Support Fund Advisory Committee and FCCF staff at a mutually agreed upon date and time during the month of June. No formal presentation is expected. If possible, we would like to view programming in action in a format that does not disturb participants and staff as well as have an opportunity to hear from those working most closely with Stamford job seekers. More details will be provided upon scheduling.

Award decisions will be made in early July with an anticipated award date of August 1, 2023.

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Julian Pierce
Director, Economic Opportunity
(203) 750-3244
Jpierce@fccfoundation.org

Advisory Committee Members

• Joe Sgrulletta, SVP of Sales, Indeed
• Aline Eastwick-Field, VP of Global Learning & Enablement and Executive Sponsor for Latinx in Tech, Indeed
• Jake Berg, Director, Investor Relations, Indeed
• Angela Pellegrino-Grant, COO, Career Resources, Inc.
• Carmen Colon, VP, Alpha Community YMCA
• Peter Saverine, Director of Philanthropy, STAR Inc.
• Earl Bloodworth, Director, Mayor’s Re-entry Initiative in Bridgeport, CT