To: Board of Supervisors
From: Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice
Report Title: Approval of Grant Award Recommendations for African American Wellness
?Recommendation of the County Administrator ? Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE grant award recommendations for $880,00 in Measure X funds to community providers to augment existing African American Wellness Services, as recommended by the Equity Committee.
FISCAL IMPACT:
$880,000 of Measure X one-time funds would be utilized for this purpose, using funds that have been allocated for the purpose of supporting the African American Holistic Wellness Resource Hub and existing services.
BACKGROUND:
On December 12, 2023, the Board of Supervisors allocated $1,000,000 of Measure X funds augment existing African American Wellness Services. The ORESJ was tasked with developing a plan to administer the funds. Over several months (February to October 2024), ORESJ presented progress updates at Equity Committee meetings regarding the proposed plan to administer and distribute the funds, and select the grant award recipients.
The first step of the plan included selecting and entering into contract with a local community foundation with extensive experience supporting Black-led and Black-serving organizations to administer contracting, program monitoring, and fund distribution with County-approved community-based service organizations to deliver services to increase holistic wellness in African American communities in Contra Costa County. A Request For Qualifications (RFQ) was first released in June 2024, which received no applications. A second, abbreviated RFQ was released on September 11, 2024 and closed on October 4, 2024; five applications were submitted. A five-member review committee reviewed all applications and recommended East Bay Community Foundation as the most qualified applicant. The anticipated cost of these services is $120,000, leaving $880,000 available to allocate towards ...
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