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NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA Líderes Initiative

Líderes Learning to Lead, Líderes Leading to Change An NCLR Youth Leadership Program

2009-2010

Request for Proposals September 2009

Background

Líderes Initiative The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Líderes Initiative is a national program designed to increase opportunities for Latino youth that will maximize their influence as leaders in the United States. Through a national network of high school and college students and young professionals, Líderes identifies, supports, and develops new leadership in the Latino community. Over the past three years, the Líderes Initiative has had a presence at 30 college campuses and youth conferences. Our national network currently reaches more than 5,000 students throughout the country. Our vision is to raise up new leaders across multiple sectorscorporate executives, public officials, activists, and organizers who will serve their communities and promote social justice at the local and national levels.

The NCLR Líderes Congreso Model A Líderes Congreso is a youth-focused regional conference that brings together 100 400 high school and college-age students (ages 14 25) for a program that fosters mutual exchange, learning, and collaboration. Designed to empower young Latinos, these gatherings offer young leaders an opportunity to learn new skills, network, collaborate, and develop as leaders. Attendees are recruited from the Líderes Network of high schools, after-school programs, school clubs, and college student organizations, as well as from NCLR Affiliates, to learn about and discuss issues affecting the Latino community, such as education, careers, health, and public policy.

Congreso attendees become inspired and empowered as they identify ways to increase their community involvement and become civically engaged. Líderes Congresos typically feature peer-led workshops, leadership building activities, and inspirational messages from renowned guest speakers to enhance the efforts of young Latinos active in advocacy and community involvement. Congreso participants also have an opportunity to network, build relationships with peers and community leaders, explore career options, and learn how to maximize their individual and collective impact.

A Continuation of Learning to Lead, Leading to Change

To build on the success of this year s Líderes Summit, our national youth conference held at the NCLR Annual Conference, themed Learning to Lead, Leading to Change, and as a response to

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youth feedback from recently conducted focus groups and a Líderes case study, the Líderes Initiative is supporting local program and coalition-building efforts that are driven by youth. This fall, the Líderes Initiative is launching a ten-month cohort program that will incorporate its Congreso model and build in an enhanced training element that will allow students to carry out meaningful activities during the year and develop a set of recommended practices for youth advocacy at the conclusion of the program. The training element will consist of leadership development activities, instruction on conducting local needs assessments in the grantee s community, and other activities to be identified in response to the needs of each selected group. The recommended practices of each participating group will be presented at the 2010 Líderes Summit in San Antonio. At the Summit, subgrantees will also present local policy and advocacy recommendations related to the issue area explored by the group during the ten-month program.

The Líderes Initiative will partner with NCLR Affiliates and member organizations from the Líderes Network to secure the speakers, resources, and funds necessary to hold the opening and closing Congresos of the program. Selected subgrantees are responsible for the coordination of the needs assessments and follow-up activities in their communities.

Request for Proposals

With support from Sodexo and the MetLife Foundation, the NCLR Líderes Initiative is awarding three $10,000 grants to NCLR Affiliates or Líderes Network members to participate in its 20092010 Creating an Agenda for Change youth advocacy and leadership program. This program will consist of a series of Congresos and local advocacy activities that will inform, empower, and equip students for future positions of leadership. The program s conferences and follow- up activities will focus on leadership, advocacy, and needs assessment training.

Grantee Requirements Three youth-serving programs of NCLR Affiliates or organizations within the Líderes Network will be selected to:

1. Conduct a Líderes Congreso in November 2009. 2. Conduct and document a community needs assessment between November 2009 and

February 2010. 3. Identify an issue area to discuss at the 2010 NCLR National Issue Briefing and Advocacy

Day. 4. Host a follow-up activity related to this same issue area in the spring of 2010. 5. Participate in an early Summer Reunion Congreso in San Antonio in late May 2010 and

help promote the Líderes Summit in their state. 6. Present local policy and advocacy recommendations (and recommended practices for

youth organizing) at the 2010 Líderes Summit in San Antonio. 7. The amount of this grant requires selected NCLR Affiliates to sign on as an NCLR

Program Partner, thus, selected groups must be willing to sign a Program Partner Agreement and pay a one-time Grant Fee of $500. Non-Affiliate CBOs (and non-Affiliate Líderes Network student groups) must be willing to pay a one-time Grant Fee of $800.

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Process The 2009 2010 Creating an Agenda for Change program will be conducted by a cohort of grantees that will move together through a ten-month program whose midpoint is the 2010 NCLR National Issue Briefing and Advocacy Day and completion mark is the 2010 Líderes Summit. At the opening Congreso, host organizations will receive specialized training in conducting needs assessments in their respective communities. Grantees will then utilize this training to carry out the assessment and record their findings. Groups will propose solutions and advocacy strategies at the 2010 Advocacy Day Congreso. Finally, these groups will present recommended practices, as well as policy and advocacy recommendations, before the Summit audience in San Antonio, Texas.

Funding To coordinate, lead, and document an NCLR Líderes Congreso and related local organizing and service activities, a $10,000 grant will be awarded to each selected NCLR Affiliate to support its local implementation of the Líderes Congreso and related year-round Líderes activities.

To be eligible for consideration, Affiliates must be in compliance with NCLR Affiliate Member Services requirements and should:

Comply with general NCLR Affiliate membership responsibilities

Be up to date on Affiliate dues

If a Líderes Network member is applying and is not an NLCR Affiliate, they must demonstrate that they will collaborate with an Affiliate

Be available to present program activities at the 2010 NCLR Annual Conference

Be able to provide a meeting space for the Congreso

Have an established network with outreach capabilities strong enough to secure the attendance of 100-400 youth

Be able to meet the responsibilities as outlined in the Affiliate Planning Checklist

Partnership Requirements NCLR seeks to work in partnership with Affiliates that operate local youth-oriented and/or youth-driven programs and that have the experience and capacity to collaborate with high schools, colleges, and campus student groups. While the chief outcome of the grants will be the coordination and production of a regional Líderes Congreso and needs assessment training, which reaches 100 400 youth in each market, the grantees will be challenged to coordinate other events and seek other avenues to provide support and development to youth. Specifically, grantees are required to carry out a needs assessment after the initial training, as well as a follow-up activity that reflects the findings of the study. Such activities may include voter registration drives, community service, college or career fairs, or other local civic engagement opportunities.

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Program Partner Amendment and Fee

NCLR Affiliate Subgrantees will be required to sign a Partner Amendment. NCLR Affiliates will receive an invoice for the Grant Administration Fee once a signed Partner Amendment is returned to NCLR. Non-Affiliates are required to pay a one-time administration fee of $800. The Grant Administration Fee is used to offset NCLR s support and administration of the grant. The Grant Administration Fee is payable to NCLR within 60 days of receiving the subgrant.

Failure to sign the Partner Amendment, pay the Grant Administration Fee, or to comply with NCLR General Member requirements (Affiliates) will result in termination of this subgrant agreement.

Líderes Learning to Lead, Líderes Leading to Change

Purpose: The driving objective of this program is to create a leadership development experience for young Latinos that exposes them to new information and skills, provides resources that support their community efforts, and connects them with other community leaders and young people with whom they can collaborate.

Stakeholders: Key members of a Congreso partnership include:

NCLR

NCLR Affiliates

Líderes Network member groups

Local high schools, colleges and universities

Other community organizations

Latino leaders across the public and private sectors

The Initiative will work with its national Líderes Network and NCLR Affiliate Network to move this program forward. This will strengthen the Líderes Network at the regional level, build relationships among member groups, and create a forum for leadership development among young Latinos. Participants are drawn from the hosting campus, campus community partners, and the broader NCLR Líderes Network. An agenda for the opening Congreso of this program should include:

A welcome from NCLR, the host organization, and the sponsoring corporation

An interactive leadership-building exercise

A keynote message from a guest speaker/community leader/role model that will inspire and challenge participants

Networking and relationship-building exercises that help attendees meet each other, build relationships, and develop networking/social skills

A training in conducting needs assessments

A networking reception

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Role of Affiliate The selected Affiliate will take the lead operational role in coordinating the grant-related activities and engaging program partners. The grant provides $10,000 to cover costs associated with the following activities:

Recruitment, outreach, and promotion of conferences and follow-up activities

Logistical costs, such as supplies and decorations

Partnership engagement and communication systems

Coordination of follow-up year-round local program activities

Compilation and reporting of qualitative and quantitative data from local youth activities

With support from NCLR, coordinating and securing venues and partners for planned activities and events

Recognizing NCLR and other supporting partners in events and activities

Role of NCLR

Provide grants to selected Affiliates

Provide tools and resources necessary to effectively engage in youth development and organizing activities

Assess and document partnership implementation practices for best practices and peer exchanges

Provide ongoing technical support and guidance to Affiliates

Advocate on behalf of Affiliates and youth participants for increased resources, partnerships, and opportunities

Acknowledge and highlight Affiliate partners

Provide financial support to cover some logistical costs, such as catering, printing, shipping, and entertainment

Collect pertinent documentation from Affiliates or Líderes Network members

Proposal Submission Information Proposals must be submitted via email. Proposals are due by October 6, 2009 at 5:00 p.m. EST. If you intend to submit a proposal, please notify Berenice Bonilla, Líderes Initiative Program Lead, at bbonilla@nclr.org upon receipt of this request for proposals.

Selected applicants will be notified of the award by October 12, 2009.

Affiliate grantees will be expected to attend the 2010 NCLR Annual Conference in San Antonio and participate in Líderes Summit activities. Conference and Summit registration costs for five participating youth are provided in addition to the grant award. Lastly, NCLR will provide resources for two representatives from each group to participate in the 2010 Advocacy Day Congreso.

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Application Creating an Agenda for Change:

An NCLR Líderes Initiative Youth Advocacy and Leadership Program

Submit proposal by email to bbonilla@nclr.org. Direct any questions to Berenice Bonilla at bbonilla@nclr.org or call (202) 776-1741.

Please submit a proposal of 2-3 pages that addresses the following:

1) Provide an organizational overview and discuss the population served and its relevance to this program.

2) Briefly describe the impact that the Líderes Initiative may have on your organization and community.

3) Describe your involvement with NCLR since you became an Affiliate or Líderes Network Member, including participation in NCLR-sponsored events, trainings, meetings, or other venues. Please describe your youth s and/or staff s familiarity with NCLR programs.

5) Describe the organization s youth development background and partnerships with local youth serving programs. Please cite examples of collaboration with other NCLR Affiliates, if applicable.

6) Please explain the organization s systems as related to reporting, data collection, evaluation and analysis. How do you document program successes?

7) How will your organization support the coordination and production of a regional Congreso in your area?

8) Describe recruitment, outreach, and tracking strategies that will be used. How do you propose to effectively communicate with multiple partners and stakeholders?

9) What year-round local activities does your organization or group undertake, and how do these align with the expertise and capacity of the organization?

10) Describe existing resources (including staff) that can be leveraged to support the program. Is your organization currently leveraging multiple resources for any programs?