Fair Housing Initiatives Program - Education and Outreach Initiative 100 points in total. Plus up to 7 bonus points. Narrative limit: 10 pages (check the notice for what counts toward it). 1. Capacity of Applicant and Relevant Organizational Experience (20 points, about 2 pages) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): See page 39 of the notice for what reviewers look for. 1.1. Description of Staff and Staff Expertise (10 points, about 1 page) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): Experience of individual(s) who will work on the grant that will contribute to the success of the proposed project. • Describe each key staff member's fair housing related experience relevant to the proposed project, such as in fair housing or other training, disseminating information to the community, complaint intake, preventing or eliminating housing discrimination, etc.; and explain how each staff member's experience will expressly contribute to the success of the project. • You must have more than one current key staff member with experience formulating or carrying out programs to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices on board at the time the application is submitted (be specific when describing experience). • Identify key project staff by name and position and estimated percentage of time each will dedicate to the project. Include total percentage of staff time… [[NEEDS: your answer to this criterion, with facts and numbers from your organization]] 1.2. Organizational Experience (10 points, about 1 page) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): Experience of the organization applying for the grant that will contribute to the success of the proposed project. You must clearly demonstrate that your organization has: • a complete and effective staffing plan and sufficient and sufficiently qualified staff, including maintaining current staff and adding staff, proposed consultants and/or subrecipients as applicable during the period of performance, to successfully implement and complete the proposed project. Explain how you will evaluate the performance of and provide oversight for subrecipients, if any. • described past project(s) conducted similar in scope and complexity to the project proposed and/or engaged in activities that are readily transferable to the proposed project; and include the results of such past projects. • described existing organizational resources which are necessary to successfully implement the proposed… [[NEEDS: your answer to this criterion, with facts and numbers from your organization]] 2. Need/Distress/Extent of the Problem (50 points, about 5 pages) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): You must include the following elements within your narrative response (See 24 CFR 125.105(a) and (b)) 2.1. Problem Statement (10 points, about 1 page) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): See page 39 of the notice for what reviewers look for. [[NEEDS: your answer to this criterion, with facts and numbers from your organization]] 2.2. Required Narrative Element 1 (10 points, about 1 page) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): Executive Order (EO) 14332, titled "Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking," is a directive issued by the White House on August 7, 2025 that requires federal discretionary grants to focus on performance-based investments that align explicitly with the Administration's policy priorities. It prohibits the use of funds to promote or subsidize immigration, illegal racial preferences or discrimination, or initiatives that promote gender ideology. It also encourages agencies to engage a broader range of recipients. HUD has made it clear that it is committed to the purpose of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which is to "do away with all governmentally imposed discrimination based on race. Eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it." Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, 600 U.S. 181, 206 (2023). To that end, the… [[NEEDS: your answer to this criterion, with facts and numbers from your organization]] 2.3. Required Narrative Element 2 (10 points, about 1 page) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): Under the current administration, federal fair housing enforcement is guided by three core principles: • Restore fair housing enforcement to its core statutory objectives; • Recognize that all Americans have civil rights and liberties that must be protected; and • Enforce the Fair Housing Act within constitutional limitations. Please describe how your application, if funded, would advance these principles. [[NEEDS: your answer to this criterion, with facts and numbers from your organization]] 2.4. Required Narrative Element 3 (10 points, about 1 page) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): You must clearly identify and describe the fair housing needs to be addressed, and the direct relationship between your proposed project and how, through your proposed project your organization plans to address housing discrimination in a way that meets those fair housing needs. Provide any available reference material that supports this rationale, including data, studies, reports, or other evidence. Describe how the proposed tasks and activities are aligned with the specific fair housing needs identified for the targeted area, and how the proposed activities foster and maintain compliance with civil rights and fair housing, including but not limited to addressing documented evidence of discrimination prohibited by the Fair Housing Act within the project area; and how you will use award funds to provide services in an area with unmet fair housing needs and/or expand fair housing… [[NEEDS: your answer to this criterion, with facts and numbers from your organization]] 2.5. Proposed Solution (Program Objectives, Effectiveness of Plan and Alignment to Needs) (10 points, about 1 page) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): Program Objectives • You must clearly demonstrate that the proposal advances the policy priorities of the Department, and the goals and objectives of the program. Effectiveness of Plan • Describe your plan to address the fair housing needs identified. • Explain why this intervention will be effective. Alignment to Needs • Explain how you will use funds to expand services to areas and to issues that are not currently served by a fair housing enforcement organization (e.g., a FHIP or FHAP). • Describe how the proposed activities foster and maintain compliance with civil rights and fair housing. Applicants should describe how proposed outreach activities will be coordinated, where appropriate, with HUD, FHAP agencies, FHIP recipients, and other fair housing stakeholders to avoid duplication and improve consistency of messaging. [[NEEDS: your answer to this criterion, with facts and numbers from your organization]] 3. Soundness of Approach (20 points, about 2 pages) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): This factor is based on the: (1) Proposed Statement of Work (SOW) and Information Requirements; and (2) Budget and Cost Estimates. Your work plan must follow all NOFO requirements. You must include the following elements within your narrative response (See 24 CFR 125.105(b) and (d)): • Proposed SOW and Information Requirements: Activities proposed to be conducted with a schedule for completion. • Budget and Cost Estimates: The cost of each activity proposed. SOW Narrative • Identify quantifiable project goals and describe how these goals relate to each of the needs identified in response to Rating Factor 2. Goals are the results or outcomes the applicant intends to accomplish. • Identify and explain the proposed activities and specific deliverables, and anticipated outcomes consistent with the activities outlined in the SOW Chart. Include a description of your fair housing complaint… 3.1. Statement of Work (SOW) and SOW Narrative (10 points, about 1 page) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): Chart (use Appendix A as an example) Submit a complete SOW Chart for the entire project performance period, and incorporate and describe all specific tasks and activities necessary for the proposed project. Add/edit Administrative and Program Tasks and add/edit tasks in Appendix A as necessary and appropriate for the proposed project. Your proposed activities and deliverables must be clear and measurable and directly related to the line items and overall expenditures in the proposed Budget. The SOW program tasks must include all proposed activities and major tasks related to implementing a large scale regional/local and or national if applicable, fair housing media campaign, and the budget must specifically set forth all expenditures necessary to implement all necessary activities. Budget Narrative Your budget Narrative must • identify key team members/staff and partners/subrecipients,… [[NEEDS: your answer to this criterion, with facts and numbers from your organization]] 3.2. Budget Form HUD-424-CBW and Budget Narrative (10 points, about 1 page) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): See page 39 of the notice for what reviewers look for. [[NEEDS: your answer to this criterion, with facts and numbers from your organization]] 4. Achieving Results and Program Evaluation (10 points, about 1 page) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): Considering your responses to Rating Factors 1 through 3, HUD will assess your plan to evaluate your achievement of proposed goals and the extent to which your organization evaluates and measures results and holds itself accountable to ensure effective program management. Your application must clearly outline the organization's strategy for measuring, evaluating and improving (if necessary) its program performance against proposed activity goals during the grant period of performance. All applications must include clear benchmarks for measuring success and progress towards relevant goals. Include the following elements within your narrative response (See 24 CFR 125.105(e)-(g)) 4.1. Measurement (5 points, about 0.5 pages) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): Describe and explain the strategies in place and that will be used to gather valid quantifiable data and measure outputs and outcomes for the program activities and goals outlined in the Statement of Work. Identify outcomes that reflect the anticipated effect your organization's proposed activities will have on its beneficiaries. Explain how the data gathered will be validated. [[NEEDS: your answer to this criterion, with facts and numbers from your organization]] 4.2. Evaluation Plan (5 points, about 0.5 pages) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): Propose a plan to effectively evaluate progress toward stated objectives and goals. Explain how the organization will evaluate long-term outcomes of the proposed project work in your target service area. [[NEEDS: your answer to this criterion, with facts and numbers from your organization]] Bonus points (optional, added on top) B1. Policy Initiative Preference Points (7 points) What reviewers look for (notice p. 39): Preference points are added to your overall application score. You do not need to address the policy initiatives in this section to receive an award. If you choose to address a policy initiative in your application, you must adhere to the information with any award. Preference points are added to your overall application score. You do not need to address the policy initiatives in this section to receive an award. If you choose to address a policy initiative in your application, you must adhere to the information with any award. a. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) You may receive one (1) point, if you are an HBCU. To receive the point, you must include in your application documentation of your HBCU designation. OR You may receive one (1) point, if you are partnering with an HBCU. To receive the point, you must include in your application a letter of commitment and… [[NEEDS: your answer to this criterion, with facts and numbers from your organization]]