Data for Equity

Request for Proposals

St. David’s Foundation is pleased to announce the Data for Equity initiative, focused on equitable evaluation and practices. The Foundation recognizes the important role race plays in advancing health equity, and this initiative specifically focuses on advancing racial equity by supporting organizational efforts to experiment with, and learn from, equitable evaluation and data processes.

This Request for Proposals (RFP) seeks to support the nonprofit sector in sharing their ideas for testing equitable practices and creating space for collective learning. This RFP will provide organizations with the funding needed to dedicate time and resources to apply equitable evaluation principles and models to their work and share what they are learning to advance racial equity. 

The Foundation recognizes that some organizations are already leaders in the space of equitable evaluation practices, and they are invited to submit proposals to support their work and/or share best practices with their peers. All applicants are encouraged to include their own perspectives on what equitable evaluation might look like in practice. Broadly, funds can be used to support:

  • New or existing data/evaluation projects that align with the principles and models of equitable evaluation, and/or
  • The coordination of learning opportunities with community and nonprofit partners to build the sector’s capacity for, and collective understanding of, equitable evaluation

The maximum award per applicant is $25,000. Total funding for grants awarded for this initiative is approximately $200,000. In addition to financial support, we plan to offer up to four learning opportunities throughout the grant term, including training opportunities lead by MEASURE on their C.A.R.E. (Community, Advocacy, Resilience, Evidence) Model. Additional learning opportunities will be determined based on feedback from applicants on key topics of interest. 

Ultimately, we hope that this RFP will deepen the Central Texas non-profit and philanthropic sectors’ application of equitable evaluation practices, which in turn will result in organizational and programmatic changes that improve equitable health outcomes for our community. Shifts in practice follow shifts in thinking, and we hope lessons learned through each project can be shared with the larger community to advance our collective understanding of what it means to center equity in our work. 

Download the full RFP and application questions in English.

Download the full RFP and application questions in Spanish.

Information Session

The Foundation hosted a virtual information session on September 9, 2021 to assist applicants in understanding the goals of this funding opportunity and how to prepare their submissions. 

Organizations applying grants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • The lead organization/applicant must be a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or a public entity (e.g., a municipality, health department, or university/school). 
  • Unincorporated organizations submitting a proposal must identify a 501(c)(3) organization that has agreed to function as its fiscal sponsor. 
  • This opportunity is open to organizations working in Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and/or Williamson counties. Note: applicants may have headquarters or offices located outside of Central Texas.  
  • Statewide and national organizations must be able to demonstrate meaningful partnerships with local organizations and communities. The work must clearly benefit Central Texas residents. 
  • Demonstrate strong fiscal management, which at a minimum requires: program operations for at least three years; two consecutive years of a clean audit; and the ability to access working capital or line of credit that could cover at least two months of organizational expenses. 
  • Organizations with existing St. David’s Foundation funding may apply.  
  • Collaborations are welcome. However, a single applicant must serve as the lead organization and hold financial responsibility for the grant funds and overall project management. The lead organization may subcontract with collaborators or other entities.  
  • Organizations must not discriminate against participants or job applicants on the basis of race/ethnicity, creed, color, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability or handicap, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, genetic information, marital status, or veteran status. 

September 1, 2021: RFP Issue Date

September 9, 2021: RFP Information Session, 1-2 p.m. Central Time

Attendance is optional. Session will be recorded and available on the Foundation’s website approximately two weeks after.

Register here.

September 10, 2021: RFP Office Hours

September 24, 2021: RFP Office Hours

October 1, 2021: RFP Response Date (by 5 p.m. Central Time by electronic submission)

October 2–November 20, 2021: Review and Negotiation

December 1, 2021: Notice of Decision

January 1–December 31, 2022: Grant Period

Click here to submit an RFP application online.

Proposals must be submitted online by 5 p.m. Central Time on October 1, 2021.

Contact evalstrategiclearning@stdavidsfoundation.org with any questions related to the proposal content or eligibility. For technical questions, contact grantsinfo@stdavidsfoundation.org.