Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution authorizes awarding up to $1.75 million to 21 community based organizations to provide youth, young adult, and adult employment services. These organizations were selected through a competitive request for proposal process. The resolution also authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to execute agreements with the organizations to implement programs and services. Funding for the RFP was included in the Community Development Division’s 2023 adopted operating budget. No additional appropriation is required.
Title
Authorizing the allocation of up to $1,750,000 to support community-based organizations (CBOs) in their work to deliver a continuum of services that respond to the post pandemic economy and meet the changing workforce needs of residents while focusing on youth, young adult, and adult employment services, as the result of a competitive RFP process conducted by the Community Development Division; and authorizing the Mayor and the City Clerk to enter into agreements with those agencies to implement the designated programs and services.
Body
The proposed resolution allocates up to $1,750,000 for grants to 21 community non-profit agencies to help finance their provision of 29 Youth, Young Adult, and Adult employment programs beginning January 1, 2023. Funding for these grants is included in the City’s 2023 Adopted Operating Budget and draws on General Fund resources.
The Community Development Division used a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process to develop recommendations to allocate funds that were authorized in the 2023 Adopted Operating Budget, for use beginning in 2023. That RFP process followed provisions contained in the policy paper presented to, and approved by, the Common Council through adoption of RES-22-00446 (Legistar File 71638).
Within the process, CDD aimed to expand initiatives that respond to the post pandemic economy and meet the changing workforce needs of residents while focusing on three distinct service areas:
1) Youth Employment Services (ages 14-21)
2) Young Adult Employment Services (ages 18-26) - this is a new service area added to the RFP
3) Adult Employment Services
The goal is to use these funds to support efforts that provide a continuum of services ranging from supported high school graduation, GED attainment, pre, and post-employment training & services, employment & career guidance, and work placement for youth, young adults, and adults facing barriers.
WHEREAS, on September 21, 2021, the Common Council adopted RES-22-00446 (Legistar File 71638) which accepted the Community Development Division’s (CDD) Youth, Young Adult, and Adult Employment policy paper and directed CDD to conduct a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to solicit program proposals from organizations that offer programming outlined in the policy paper; and,
WHEREAS, RES-22-00446 also directed the CDD to formulate funding allocation recommendations to the Mayor and Common Council, for their approval, prior to awarding contracts to selected agencies; and,
WHEREAS, on July 5, 2022, the CDD released an RFP for Youth, Young Adult, and Adult Employment program proposals, with an application due date of August 19, 2022, and received proposals from 31 organizations requesting, in aggregate, more than $4.4 million; and,
WHEREAS, in part in response to the strong response to the RFP, CDD sought additional funding to support employment programming in the 2023 Operating Budget, and the Mayor and Common Council responded by adding $250,000 to CDD’s budget to help support funding for programming for young adults; and,
WHEREAS, staff from CDD, with assistance from colleagues from Madison Public Libraries, Public Health Madison Dane County, Madison Metropolitan School District, and the Workforce Development Board of South Central WI reviewed the proposals and formulated allocation recommendations, and those recommendations include the following agencies and programs:
Adult Employment Area
• Latino Academy of Workforce Development-Workforce Essentials: $45,000
• Latino Academy of Workforce Development-Education Advancement: $35,000
• Literacy Network-GED/HSED: $30,000
• Literacy Network-Literacy for Employment: $45,000
• Madison-area Urban Ministry-Just Bakery: $115,000
• Urban League of Greater Madison-Advance Employment Service: $120,000
• Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership-Madison’s Skilled Workers Program: $60,000
• YWCA Madison-YWeb Career Academy: $77,000
Young Adult Employment Area
• Bayview Foundation-Bayview Work: $35,000
• Centro Hispano-Caminos Workforce: $50,000
• Jewish Social Services of Madison-Refugee Young Adult Employment Program: $20,000
• Latino Academy of Workforce Development-Outreach Reconnection and Employment Related Services for Young Latino Adults: $80,000
• Omega School-GED Preparation Services: $30,000
• Operation Fresh Start-Parks Conservation Crew: $29,265
• Operation Fresh Start-Legacy: $70,000
• Rape Crisis Center-GameChangers Facilitators: $50,000
Youth Employment Area
• Bayview Foundation-Youth Leaders in Training & Community Leadership Crew: $65,000
• Briarpatch Youth Services-Youth Job Center & Madison Summer Teams: $70,000
• Centro Hispano-Escalera: $57,000
• CEOs of Tomorrow-These Teens Mean Busine$$ Employability Suite: $57,000
• Common Wealth Development-Youth Business Mentoring Program: $70,000
• Common Wealth Development-Wanda Fullmore Youth Internship Program: $95,000
• Dear Diary-The She Suite: $55,000
• Goodman Community Center-TEENworks: $80,000
• Maydm-High School STEM Career Development Internships: $100,000
• Mentoring Positives-Off the Block Enterprises: $55,000
• Rape Crisis Center-GameChangers: $55,000
• Rooted WI-Rooted in Urban Agriculture: $55,000
• Sustain Dane LLC-Teen Resiliency Corps: $31,735
Total: $1,750,000
WHEREAS, the recommendations described above were reviewed by the Community Services Committee and, approved at its November 21st meeting; and,
WHEREAS, in recommending approval of the recommendations, Committee also urged the Common Council to amend the City’s Adopted 2023 Operating Budget to add $200,000 to CDD’s budget and authorize additional funding to be used for adult and young adult employment programming.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Common Council approves the Youth, Young Adult, and Adult Employment funding allocations as recommended by the CDD staff and finalized by the Community Services Committee; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Common Council authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into contracts with the identified nonprofit agencies, and at the specified amounts, to provide the designated program services.