Application Preview

INTRODUCTION

The NY Small Business Funders Collective (SBFC) is in its first year of pooled grantmaking. With a combined pool of $500,000 to award in Year One, we aim to be as targeted as possible with our grants. We do this in hopes of increasing our impact and decreasing time and resources spent by potential applicants for whom the Planning Grant is not a good fit.

For a comprehensive guide to eligibility requirements for the Fund’s 12-month Planning Grant and additional considerations, please visit www.nysmallbusinessfunders.org and review the Grant Guidelines, Scoring Rubric, and other information. After reviewing the information, if you believe your project is a good fit for this planning grant, please click on the “apply” link which will take you to the online application portal, beginning with an Eligibility Survey. 

REVIEW PROCESS

After application submission, each proposal will go through an initial qualification screening and vetting by program management staff. After this initial screening, applications will be reviewed by Grant Review Committee members, a group that is comprised of founding members of the Collective as well as external reviewers representing different viewpoints from within the small business and philanthropic sector. 

Applications will be scored using a numerical scoring rubric. Each priority area will be scored on a 0-5 point scale. Award finalists (lead and partner) will be asked to participate in an interview before final decisioning, in late November. Announcements will be made in Q1 2023. Award disbursements are anticipated to be in single installments, with interim and final reporting required.

Thank you for your interest in the NY Small Business Funders Collective and its inaugural Request For Proposals. If additional assistance is needed after reviewing the application packet, please email: inquiries@nysmallbusinessfunders.org. In addition to the information session on September 22, the Collective will also publish FAQ on the website to share and reflect questions submitted from applicants. 

ELIGIBILITY

The Eligibility Tool to determine whether your proposed program is: 1) eligible, 2) likely to be competitive, or 3) a better candidate for future rounds of funding.

Is the applicant a 501c3 based in one of the five boroughs (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens or Staten Island)?

YES / NO 

Is the proposed project a collaboration (or planned collaboration) of at least two organizations?

 YES / NO 

Is the proposed project structured as a planning phase to create a new partnership, or to significantly expand the work of an existing partnership between local, grassroots, and proximate organization(s) working directly in community with small business owners?

 YES / NO 

Is the proposed project primarily focused on assisting Black, Latinx, Indigenous and/or API business owners and the ecosystems that support them?

YES / NO 

Will the ultimate beneficiaries of the project be businesses that are poised for growth?

YES / NO 

Is the proposed project aimed at assisting businesses with at least one of the following areas of success enhancement?

Please indicate primary intervention (Note, work in more than one area is allowed but we also see value in a focused approach for more measurable results):

1. CAPITAL ACCESS: Extending, designing, and/or growing mechanisms for delivering inclusive capital for businesses

2. CUSTOMERS: Assisting businesses with strategies to grow their customer base, increase contracts, and achieve access to markets

3. DIGITAL DIVIDE: Providing tools, training, technical expertise to small businesses so they can fully participate in the online and digital marketplace

4. JOBS: Supporting the enhanced ability for entrepreneurs to offer and maintain Quality Jobs for retention and recruitment of employees, and their well-being

5. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE – Providing tactical business tools and support and for small business growth and scaling

APPLICATION

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Lead Organization name

• Is the Lead Organization a 501c3? Yes/No

  • If yes, please provide EIN

  • If not a 501c3, are you fiscally sponsored? Yes/No

    • If yes, please provide fiscal sponsor name and EIN

• Lead Organization website

• Project contact name (first, last)

• Project contact title

• Project contact email

• Project contact phone

• Proposed Project Partner Organization

• Partner contact name (first, last)

• Partner contact title

• Partner contact email

• Partner contact phone

• Partner organization is

  • 501c3, fiscally sponsored, not formally structured

GRANT/PROGRAM DETAILS

Note: All questions in this “Grant/Program Details” section should be answered by the LEAD organization.

Tell us about your organization’s mission and work (250 words)

How does your organization assist small business owners? (250 words)

Within the five boroughs, what will be the geographic focus of the proposed work? (50 words)

Share specifics about the proposed planning project. Include the primary intervention(s) you will use in your approach, selecting from the list below:  (500 words)

1. CAPITAL ACCESS: Extending, designing, and/or growing mechanisms for delivering inclusive capital for businesses

2. CUSTOMERS: Assisting businesses with strategies to grow their customer base, increase contracts, and achieve access to markets

3. DIGITAL DIVIDE: Providing tools, training, technical expertise to small businesses so they can fully participate in the online and digital marketplace

4. JOBS: Supporting the enhanced ability for entrepreneurs to offer and maintain Quality Jobs for retention and recruitment of employees, and their well-being

5. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE – Providing tactical business tools and support and for small business growth and scaling

PARTNERSHIP DETAILS

With this grant support, what local/community partnership will you expand or pursue? How does this partnership assist you in making positive change? (250 words)

Is this partnership: New/Existing

Describe the nature of your relationship to date (100 words)

Please share how your organization and your partner organization(s) center Black, Latinx, API and/or Indigenous small business owners in your work. (250 words)

Is the top staff role in your organization (and/or) partner organization(s) held by a person of color? Yes/No

How have you (lead and partner organizations) built trust and credibility in the communities you serve? (250 words)

In your estimation, what makes a good plan? How will you and your partner(s) know you have succeeded in this planning phase? (100 words)

What does accountability look like, and to whom do you believe your project is accountable? (100 words)

Are you and your partner able to participate in a learning cohort? (Time commitment: 2x annually with digital networking): Yes/No

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

What is your budget size? (one sentence)

How long has your organization been in existence? (one sentence)

How will grant funds be used? Please insert a brief line item budget below indicating specific use of a $100,000 planning grant. Partner allocations should be included.