Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to execute a grant agreement with Dress for Success Columbus for the third and final year of the department’s Elevate! 1.0 program, in an amount up to $100,000.00. The term of this Grant Agreement shall be either a 12-month or an 18-month period beginning July 1, 2024. Additional Elevate! 1.0 dollars are being allocated to other agencies in separate pieces of legislation.
Columbus, renowned as America's Opportunity City, remains a beacon of potential and hope for its residents. Nevertheless, a significant portion of the population faces challenges stemming from personal, societal, structural, and economic factors, which impede their full participation in the city's myriad opportunities. Acknowledging the complexity of these challenges, the City is committed to implementing a comprehensive solution and is responsible for driving transformative changes to establish equitable opportunities for all residents.
The Elevate! Initiative plays a pivotal role in effecting this transformative change. Funding for this legislation is strictly for Dress for Success Columbus as the other agencies were funded in a separate piece of legislation, denoted as 1.0 and 2.0, collectively addressing 16 of the 21 aspirations outlined in The Mayor’s Opportunity Rising. Through various means, the Elevate! Initiative promotes and provides opportunities for collaboration, learning, and resource sharing among member agencies, ensuring that every community member they serve can access the services needed based upon their unique circumstance.
The Elevate! 1.0 NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) was advertised from April 22, 2022, through May 13, 2022, on the City’s Website (Department of Development webpage), the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County’s website, and by press release. The City received 86 proposals for $9,875,000.00 in requests. Forty-eight community agencies were recommende...
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