Work for Yourself@50+℠: Older Adult Self-Employment Grant Program

Request For Applications (RFA)

Application Deadline: 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 17, 2017

AARP Foundation is requesting applications from eligible organizations to partner with the

Foundation to host the workshop component of Work for Yourself@50+℠ – a new initiative

that will help low income adults age 50+ to understand the pros and cons of self-employment

and support them through the early steps to take that will encourage their success. Partner

organizations will host and facilitate in-person small group workshops designed by AARP

Foundation to walk participants through the Work for Yourself@50+ materials. In addition,

partner organizations will: connect program participants with local, accessible resources;

submit timely reports on workshop attendance and participant referrals; and regularly

participate in a “community of practice” with other grantees to assist with the evaluation of this

initiative and help to build a body of evidence regarding its effectiveness.

Application Deadline: Applications are due March 17, 2017 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time and

must be completed online.

AARP Foundation Overview

AARP Foundation focuses on supporting and advancing effective solutions to help vulnerable

older adults transform their lives today and secure the essentials for their future. AARP

Foundation is working side by side with other organizations to reach more people, work more

efficiently and make resources go further. AARP Foundation seeks to support organizations

whose evidence-based interventions can change the lives of adults age 50+ with low- and

moderate-incomes and that align with the Foundation’s strategic priorities.

Program Overview

AARP Foundation, with support from The Hartford, is launching Work for Yourself@50+ – a

new initiative to help older vulnerable adults assess opportunities to pursue self-employment

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and build the skills and connect with resources that will enable them to generate income

through working for themselves in a variety of ways.

Creating and owning a business has long been heralded as a path to financial success and

economic mobility. In fact, business equity is the second largest source of household wealth

behind home equity. For low- and moderate- income (LMI) individuals, self-employment and

business ownership can contribute meaningfully to family economic security. However, low-

income older adults considering entrepreneurship as a career move, or who are looking to

reenter the workforce in a nontraditional capacity face unique hurdles that can prevent them

from successfully attaining their goals, and many may not know where to connect with

trustworthy resources to help them reach their goals.

The decision to pursue a new venture is not one to be taken lightly and Work for Yourself@50+

breaks the choices down for older adults in an approachable way through five steps: 1.) A

careful consideration of the potential and perils of working for yourself; 2.) Exercises to help

develop the self-employment idea; 3.) A realistic overview of what it takes to pursue a self-

employment opportunity; 4.) Guidance to help avoid pitfalls and scams; and 5.) Ways to find

trustworthy support and services.

WFY will address these unique hurdles for older adults with multiple offerings:

Work for Yourself@50+: Five Simple Steps to Get You Started Toolkit – This publication

will provide an overview of the opportunities available to “work for yourself” and

information about what older adults should know about the advantages and challenges

of a variety of income-generation opportunities. Within the Toolkit, worksheets and

exercises will guide older adults through the thought process and initial steps to decide

whether to start and how to begin to prepare for an entrepreneurial opportunity, and

will point them towards services and programs that can provide the hands-on support

and training that can help them to launch their own microbusinesses.

Work for Yourself@50+ Website (www.aarpfoundation.org/workforyourself)–

Because technology will play an increasingly important role in how people work for

themselves, the program website will be specifically designed to supplement the

material in the Toolkit. The website is where individuals can find interactive versions of

the worksheets and checklists and additional information and resources.

Work for Yourself@50+ Workshop – The workshop will be offered in a limited number

of communities by selected partner organizations. This first look workshop will walk

small groups of participants (between 15 and 20 attendees per workshop) through the

Toolkit and connect them with local resources and programs to help them achieve their

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self-employment or income generation goals. Partner organizations will be selected

through a competitive application and funding process.

In order to successfully implement the Work for Yourself@50+ program, grantees will

perform the following activities:

Conduct local outreach and marketing, jointly with AARP Foundation, that directs

vulnerable 50+ to the AARP Foundation Call Center to register for a workshop and

receive a free Toolkit publication via mail or email.

Schedule, publicize, and host at least three small group workshops serving a total of at

least 50 participants throughout the grant period (May 5 - December 31, 2017).

Partners must host at least one workshop within the first three months of the grant

period. Future workshops must be scheduled before the completion of the prior

workshop (and at least 6 weeks in advance of the scheduled date).

Identify, refer, and connect workshop participants to at least two local services and

programs that can help them achieve their self-identified employment and income

generation goals. Services and programs can include financial capability classes or

coaching, microbusiness development training or microfinance support, business boot

camps, employment services, entrepreneur mentorship programs, workforce

development or vocational training.

Utilize AARP Foundation-provided forms and processes to solicit feedback directly from

workshop participants, and within two weeks of workshop completion, provide reports

on attendance, referrals and connections made for participants. In addition, provide

brief narratives on at least two participants’ goals, concerns, questions, prior

experience, and motivations—these narratives will be used by AARP Foundation to

identify specific individuals to follow up with in order to build a program story bank.

Assist AARP Foundation in creating a “Community of Practice” through regular

participation in conference calls or virtual discussions with AARP Foundation and other

grantees to share and respond to challenges, successes, and opportunities in delivering

the program.

Participate in virtual onboarding training.

In addition to funding, AARP Foundation will provide in-kind investments and technical

assistance to support and enhance the Work for Yourself@50+ activities. They include:

Work for Yourself@50+ toll-free number (1-888-339-5617) connected to AARP

Foundation Call Center to manage client intake and workshop registration.

Database management and regular communications with registered participants to

encourage and support program engagement.

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Program promotion through the AARP Foundation network and marketing channels,

and coordination with AARP state offices. Specific information regarding AARP

Foundation’s marketing efforts is available at the end of this document.

Generating reports on registered participants, program outcomes, and grantee partner

progress for use in program implementation, or to supplement grantee communications

and fundraising efforts.

Work for Yourself@50+ Toolkit publication, PowerPoint presentation and facilitator

notes for the workshop, and webinar training for workshop facilitators, programmatic

templates, and reporting forms.

Marketing support with standardized templates for marketing materials, maintenance

of program website (www.aarpfoundation.org/workforyourself) and story bank with

participant narratives.

Information about and connections to other relevant AARP Foundation programs that

can support participant success.

Access to the Work for Yourself@50+ community of practice.

AARP Foundation is committed to assessing the effectiveness of its programmatic investments.

Please refer to the Logic Model attachment to the RFA for a visual representation of the inputs,

outputs, and expected outcomes from the larger multi-year Work for Yourself@50+ initiative.

Eligibility Information

Applicant must be a 501(c)(3) organization, nonprofit or state/county community

college, or workforce investment board (WIB) with a significant understanding of AARP

Foundation’s Work for Yourself@50+ or similar programs, and a demonstrated history

and institutional commitment to entrepreneurship/microbusiness development leading

to improved financial stability and community empowerment.

Grant Award Information

Potential Award Range: $10,000 - $20,000 grants awarded to up to 13 partner organizations

Grant Period: May 5, 2017 – December 31, 2017.

Proposal Type: Work for Yourself@50+ Partner Grants, Round 2

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Reporting Requirements: In addition to the reports specified in the grantee implementation

activities above, AARP Foundation requires quarterly programmatic and financial reports.

Reports are due by the end of the calendar month following the calendar quarter end.

Indirect Cost Rate: AARP Foundation will fund an indirect cost rate of 10% of the total direct

costs of the grant program.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted via the AARP Foundation online grants application portal by

March 17, 2017 by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.

The following documents must be uploaded and attached to the Attachments section of the

application:

Documentation stating existing tax status

At least two (2) Letters of Agreement (LOAs) or Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs)

from local organizations that provide any of the following programs or services: financial

capability classes or coaching, microbusiness development training or microfinance

support, business boot camps, employment services, entrepreneur mentorship

programs, workforce development or vocational training, or other related services not

currently offered at your organization. The LOAs or MOUs from the above partners

should acknowledge that they are aware of the proposed project and willing to be a

resource to which the grantee can refer participants for additional support services

following the completion of the Work for Yourself@50+ workshop.

Completed Project Budget utilizing the Excel spreadsheet template provided on the

grants application portal

Applicants may be contacted for clarifications to their Applications. Clarifications should be

uploaded to the Application site and must be completed by April 7, 2017 by 11:59pm Eastern

time. Further details about the clarification process will be provided as appropriate.

All applicants will be notified regarding the status of their application no later than May 5,

2017.

Please send any questions to AARP_Foundation_Grants@aarp.org

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Application Information

The Application allows for the applicant to provide further details on the proposed project,

what the applicant hopes to achieve with the project, and how the applicant expects to achieve

those results. Please be specific and concise.

SECTION 1: Project Plan

Project Goal and Organizational Mission (2500 characters)

What is the community need your organization seeks to address? Please provide

information on how Work for Yourself@50+ fits with your organizational mission or

existing job placement, workforce development, entrepreneurship, or microbusiness

development program goals.

Increase in the Number of People your Project will serve (2500 characters)

To what extent will this project provide your organization with an opportunity to expand

or deepen your reach within your community? What are the specific activities that will

allow you to reach that goal? Please list past experiences in expanding projects to more

people while maintaining project fidelity.

Plan and Key Project Milestones (5000 characters)

How will your organization implement the program to achieve the programmatic goals

and outcomes? What are the dates related to key project milestones? How long do you

see this project being maintained beyond the funding period?

Consistent implementation (2500 characters)

Please elaborate on your organization’s history in hosting and facilitating interactive

small group workshops. What steps will your organization take to reduce delays,

cancellations, and postponements of the workshop? How will the organization assure

that the room space and reliable internet access needed for the workshop are

consistently available?

SECTION 2: Community Served

Geography (2500 characters)

What are the specific areas (neighborhoods, cities, counties) the proposed program will

serve? AARP Foundation is seeking applicants from across the country, representing

diverse communities with large concentrations of individuals 50+ with household

incomes below $40,000/year.

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Population Demographics (2500 characters)

AARP Foundation’s target population is low-income or vulnerable older adults

(individuals age 50+ with household income below $40,000/year). How do the

demographics of your community match these target demographics?

What percentage of the people currently served by your organization is age 50+ with

income below $40,000/year?

How many people does your organization currently serve?

SECTION 3: Organization Resources

Experience of Individuals Involved in the Leadership and Execution of Project (5000

characters)

Please provide details on how the experiences of the organizations and individuals

associated with the program are relevant for the execution of the proposed program.

Who will be the program lead? How much time will the person dedicate towards the

program? How many FTEs are currently dedicated to this program, if any, and how

many will be dedicated to the proposed program?

Critical Partnerships or Collaborations (2500 characters)

Are there critical partnerships or collaborations with other organizations for the

program? In addition to the previously mentioned MOUs or LOAs, please list the

organizations, the primary individual associated with organization, and role the

organization will play in the program.

Captured Metrics (2500 characters)

As noted in the grantee activities and reporting requirements sections, the grantee will

provide reports on attendance, referrals and connections made for participants, as well

as brief participant narratives. Please describe your organization’s prior experience

providing reports and narratives like this on a regular basis and within established

timelines.

Risks Associated with the Project (2500 characters)

What are the risks associated with the program that could diminish its ability to achieve

its goal? How will the risks be mitigated?

Budget Line Narrative (8000 characters)

Please explain line items for the program budget. Line items may include but are not

limited to: marketing and outreach, local referral partner development and program

management, workshop room rental fees, workshop refreshments, etc. Under this

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current Request for Applications, AARP Foundation is not making grants directly to

individuals and grant funds may not be used for registration or membership fees for

individual participants. Grant funds may only be used for execution of the grant

(including overhead) and no funding may be used for political or lobbying purposes.

Other Funding or Revenue Sources (2500 characters)

While match funding is not a requirement, please note what other funding or revenue

sources, if any, will fund this program?

Grant Amount Requested from AARP Foundation (dollar figure)

Amount of Project Funding from Other Sources (dollar figure)

Total Project Budget (dollar figure, equal to “Grant Amount Requested” + “Amount of

Project Funding from Other Sources”)

Review Criteria

In evaluating qualifying applications, AARP Foundation will pay particular attention to the

following criteria:

How effectively will the organization execute the project plan – including making

decisions about when the workshops will be held and what marketing channels/tactics

will be utilized in order to reach the target vulnerable 50+ audience? (20 points)

How effective will the organization be in creating (sustaining) strong connections with

local resources that can provide desired support services to participants? (20 points)

How does the organization demonstrate possessing the expertise, resources, and

capacity to implement the proposed project successfully? How do the designated staff

and/or volunteers demonstrate competency in facilitating interactive workshops with

the target audience? (15 points)

How well does the organization demonstrate its capability to report attendance, referral

information, and narratives in a timely manner? (10 points)

How does Work for Yourself@50+ fit with the overall mission or programs of the

organization? (15 points)

Is the timeline for your project reasonable and clear and does your staff and

organization have the experience to meet the milestones listed on your timeline? (5

points)

What is the specific geographic area(s) you will serve and what is the degree to which

your project will be serving low-income or vulnerable older adults? (10 points)

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Does the budget ensure the proper level of staffing and reasonable costs to achieve the

proposed project results? (5 points)

Timeline

Request for Application release – February 1, 2017

Technical assistance call/webinar – In conjunction with the Association for Enterprise

Opportunity - February 10, 2017, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/712575174560855555

Applications due no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time – March 17, 2017

Clarification period – March 17 – April 7, 2017

Grantees notified – May 5, 2017

Important Program Dates and Deliverables

Onboarding Webinar for Grantee Senior Leadership: Week of May 1, 2017

Onboarding Webinar for Grantee Program Leads: Week of May 8, 2017

By the end of the grant period on December 31, 2017, at least 50 individuals from the

Foundation’s target audience (50+ with household income below $40,000/year) must

have participated in the workshops and been referred to appropriate local resources

Within two weeks of the completion of each workshop, grantee must report attendance

and referral information and identify at least two individuals from the workshop

participants who should be contacted for story generation.

Grant period: May 5, 2017 – December 31, 2017.

Inputs Resources

Outputs Activities Participation

Outcomes Short Medium Long

Five Simple

Steps to Get You

Started Toolkit

Workshop

Program

website

Grantee

partners

Select grantees to

implement program

Onboard grantee

partners, provide

support and foster

Community of

Practice

Market the program

Deliver workshops

and make referrals

Develop program

materials, and

provide

administrative and

evaluative support

7,000

individuals

utilize Toolkit

1,500

individuals

receive

workshop

training and

referrals to

local

resources

2,000 pre-

and post-

survey

participants

30 grantee

partners

across the

country

LMI 50+ recognize

and consider a

diverse range of

income-generation

opportunities

LMI 50+ increase

understanding of

opportunities for

entrepreneurship

and income-

generation through

self-employment

Grantee partners

increase their

knowledge about

the needs of LMI

50+

LMI 50+ build

entrepreneurial

confidence, capability,

and connections,

increasing awareness

and use of local

resources that can

support successful

income-generation

Partnerships and

linkages between

microbusiness

development

organizations and

workforce programs

are created or

strengthened and

focused on the needs

of LMI 50+

LMI 50+ successfully

pursue a range of

income-generation

opportunities

including self-

employment,

increasing their

financial stability and

strengthening their

local communities

Contextual Factors –Factors that could inhibit successful achievement of long-term outcomes include 1) volatile or recessive economic conditions that inhibit the demand or ease of developing new self-employment opportunities, and limit financial support networks and 2) changes in state or national regulations/policies that affect the type of work a self-employed individual may successfully engage in.

AARP Foundation Logic Model Template

Work for Yourself@50+℠

Assumptions – For low- and moderate-income (LMI) 50+, self-employment can fill the need to generate income when traditional opportunities for wage labor are scarce and the value of retirement savings has declined (or never existed). At the same time, those who want to consider entrepreneurship face unique hurdles, and many may not know where to connect with trustworthy resources to help them on their way.

Client intake and

materials fulfillment

Workforce programs

recognize and

support non-

traditional

employment

activities that

generate income

Entrepreneurship

field builds capacity

to effectively serve

LMI 50+

Funding

Technical

Assistance

Foundation

Impact System

Database

Call Center

Community of

Practice

Convening

Training

Develop referral

network

Grantee

AARP FDN

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Work for Yourself@50+℠

Marketing and Communications Support for Workshop Providers

Overview

Work for Yourself@50+’s success relies on reaching out to older adults and encouraging their

participation — especially those with limited income. To ensure a successful marketing and

outreach program, AARP Foundation and our community partners will work together to

promote Work for Yourself@50+ workshops in local communities.

AARP Foundation will offer support in a variety of forms to ensure that community outreach is

well-rounded and reaches as many individuals as possible. The following information is

intended as a broad outline of the resources available to community partners.

AARP Foundation Marketing Resources

AARP Foundation will provide technical and marketing assistance to workshop providers in the

form of:

Work for Yourself@50+ Toolkit: Production of Work for Yourself@50+ Toolkit for

distribution via the Call Center and at workshops

Earned media support: Press release templates regarding collaborations with new

workshop providers, to be distributed locally

Marketing collateral: Templates for flyers to promote workshops to consumers

Workshop training: PowerPoint presentations and training of workshop providers

AARP State Office Connections: Connections with state-based AARP offices for local

program awareness and public dissemination of marketing materials, when applicable

Marketing language: Content guidelines for all discussions, text, media and literature

surrounding Work for Yourself@50+

Local Promotional Activities

Remember, grassroots promotion is essential, so take advantage of local opportunities for

promotion. Here are a few ideas:

Flyers in libraries, workforce centers, Goodwill Career Centers, and senior centers

Direct mail

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Radio and TV ads

One-Stop Career Center referrals

Promotion at local community events

Social media

Word-of-Mouth

Inclusion in community and organization updates/newsletters

Brand Guidelines

AARP Foundation will provide guidelines outlining the appropriate use of logos and other brand

elements to include when creating new materials. These materials will be provided when the

agreements with the workshop providers are signed. All literature containing the AARP

Foundation logo or discussing Work for Yourself@50+ must be submitted to AARP Foundation

for approval at least two weeks in advance of public distribution.