Frequently Asked Questions
Have additional questions? Email ccwb@hfwcny.org to let us know!
Phase Three: LOI and RFA
How can I participate in Phase Three?
Participation in Co-Creating Well-Being’s Phase One human-centered design training is required for eligibility to submit an LOI as part of Phase Three.
What makes my organization eligible to apply for a Phase Three grant from the Health Foundation?
Organizations that attended a human-centered design training as part of Phase One are eligible to apply for funding in Phase Three.
What level of grantmaking is expected in Phase Three?
This will be determined jointly by the funding partners participating in Co-Creating Well-Being.
The Foundation and its partners expect to make 15-20 awards ranging from $50,000 – $150,000 over 27 months (July 2020 to September 2022).
What is the deadline for the LOI?
February 14, 2020 at 4pm. LOIs should be submitted to ccwb@hfwcny.org
How will we know if we’ve been invited to submit RFA responses?
The Foundation will notify you via email during the first week of March 2020.
Do organizations have to work with young children, their families, and service providers or just 1 of those groups?
Applicants should be working with one or more of the populations listed.
If an organization is a partner on one LOI but a lead on another? Will the foundation entertain both LOI submissions?
Yes, the LOI review team will consider all LOIs submitted by eligible organizations and collaborative initiatives/projects. If you have a question about your organization’s eligibility, please contact ccwb@hfwcny.org
What if someone else at my organization attended the Phase One HCD training and then they left the org, were promoted, didn’t like the training, etc? Can my organization still participate?
Yes. Phase One participation in the HCD training automatically makes an organization eligible to submit an LOI.
What if I was at “Organization A” when I attended the training, but have now moved on to a different organization. Can my new organization apply?
Your new organization can apply as part of a collaborative project with at least one organization that participated in Phase One human-centered design training (i.e. is eligible to apply).
Where can I find the LOI and RFA questions?
The LOI and RFA questions are in the Phase Three Grant Funding document, available here. LOI questions are on pages 12-13. RFA questions are available on pages 19-20.
Regarding Question 4 in the LOI, what do you want to know about what we’ve ‘heard and learned’?
The LOI is a good opportunity to tell us about what your clients are telling you about their lives regarding a specific challenge. You can also share the 30,000-foot view of the issue using population and public health statistics.
What font should be used to prepare the LOI and RFA narratives?
Any standard professional font is acceptable as long as it is 12-pt. Examples include Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, etc.
Does the cover page count toward the page limits for the LOI and RFA narratives?
No, the cover page is a separate page and does not count toward the narrative page limits.
When will we find out if our CCWB funding application is successful?
Applicants should find out about the status of their RFA submission by June 30, 2020.
What is the ‘planning period’? How is this different from the ideation and prototyping activities we will do to prepare the RFA submission?
Your program design and general approach should be developed through ideation and prototyping during the 6-week RFA preparation period. Most of your planning around implementation should be complete by the time you submit your RFA application. The ‘planning period’ is a three-month period of time that will be used to prepare for implementation. This time will be used to work out any final/remaining implementation details and prepare your organization/collaboration for the work of program implementation.
What should we be measuring? (Question 7: results, goals, and benefits)
Be sure to think critically and realistically about the measures of success you propose. Each project’s measurement framework will be revised during the planning period, but please give the project team solid examples of what you will measure and how you will measure it
How many clients should be involved in ideation and prototyping activities?
There is no target number of clients for either set of activities. The more people you speak with/test prototypes with, the greater likelihood that you’ll receive high-quality ideas and feedback. Try to find the right balance between quantity and quality regarding ideas, testing, and feedback.
Do our ideation and prototyping activities have to be in the form of workshops?
No. There are many ways to engage clients in ideation and prototyping. Workshops are the example format, but are not required. Visit the Resources page for more information on ideation and prototyping.
What do we need to submit to receive a stipend?
Submit the outputs, reflections, and next steps (documentation for each) from ideation and/or prototyping activities. These should be submitted with your application. Examples of these outputs can be found in the RFA Q&A Webinar Slides.
Phase Two Application & Eligibility
Can I participate in Phase Two if my organization only went to the trauma-informed care training?
An organization must have participated in the Phase One human-centered design training to be eligible to participate in Phase Two.
How does participation in Phase Two influence my likelihood of obtaining a Phase Three grant?
You are not required to participate in Phase Two to apply for a Phase Three grant. However, participation in Phase Two is intended to increase your comfort with applying the engagement and interpretation processes with young children and their families.
Why is there an application process for Phase Two?
The ‘application process’ is a brief set of questions about your organization that are included as part of the Eventbrite application. Co-Creating Well-Being has a limited number of seats available for the two-day training. The application questions are your chance to share a bit more about how you plan to use human-centered design in your work.
Where can I learn more about each of the participation options?
You can learn more about Self-Study, Web-Based Training, and In-Person Training options for participating in Phase Two at the Co-Creating Well-Being Phase Two webpage.
Can staff members from the same organization participate in different tracks?
Yes. Organizations are encouraged to share the Self-Study resources with individuals, staff, board members, clients, volunteers, and leadership. There is no limit on the number of people that can participate in the Web-Based Training. Please note that a maximum of three people from each organization can participate in the In-Person Training.
What happens after I apply?
Interested organizations will have two weeks to complete their applications. Applications are due June 5, 2019. Organizations will hear back about acceptance and training dates within two weeks. See the training date options under “Important Dates” linked here.
Who should attend the training? How many people from my organization can I send to the training?
Each organization participating in Phase Two can send up to three staff members to the two-day training. The training will be most beneficial for front-line staff members and leadership overseeing work related to early childhood.
Can I participate remotely in the in-person training?
No. If you are unable to attend any of the In-Person Training dates, we encourage you to apply to participate in the Web-Based Training.
Participation in Phase Two
Do I need to participate in all Phase Two activities?
You can ‘choose your own adventure’ for Phase Two. We have developed three options with different levels of participation: Self-Study, Web-Based Training, and In-Person Training. Self-Study participation refers to independent use of the engagement tools. Web-Based Training participation asks you to actively participate in webinars and use the digital training materials. In-Person Training includes a two-day training with the engagement tools and a three-week engagement period with community and clients. Participants at this level will also have the option of attending an Interpretation training to review and synthesize the collected materials. No matter which level of participation you choose, we ask that all participating teams send in completed engagement tools during Phase Two.
How many people from my organization can I send to the training?
Organizations are encouraged to share the Self-Study resources with individuals, staff, board members, clients, volunteers, and leadership. There is no limit on the number of people that can participate in the Web-Based Training. Please note that a maximum of three people from each organization can participate in the In-Person Training.
Will the Health Foundation reimburse hotel and travel expenses?
No. Organizational stipends are expected to cover these expenses. In-Person Training sessions will be located in places/venues that minimize travel costs for participating organizations. Be sure to apply early and let us know about any potential challenges related to travel. Applications are due by June 5th.
What if I can only make it for one day of the two-day training?
We strongly encourage participants to plan to attend both days.
What will the two-day training include?
The In-Person Engagement Training will focus on advanced human-centered engagement topics, including a mix of classroom-based learning and practice using the engagement tools. The Interpretation Training will include two days of analyzing and interpreting the information collected using the engagement tools. This interpretation training is optional and the opportunity to sign up will happen at a later date.
How will this training opportunity improve my professional development?
The two-day training is focused on building your awareness, comprehension, and active use of human-centered design processes and mindsets. Each of the engagement tools are designed to facilitate communication and build relationships with clients and colleagues. This training in particular emphasizes the use of these tools with young children and families impacted by trauma and toxic stress. Expect to discuss techniques and best practices for engaging with children in different age groups. Please note that tools and resources used in human-centered design and trauma-informed care can be applied to many other areas of your work.
What kind of engagement tools will be used?
Co-Creating Well-Being uses a core set of engagement tools to connect with young children, their caregivers, and other early childhood stakeholders. These tools include postcards, empathy maps, journals, emoji wheels, an activity book, and feedback grids. You can learn more about each of these tools by reviewing the project blog series.
Where do I send the engagement tools my organization collects?
Completed engagement tools should be sent in a package to the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York (℅ Co-Creating Well-Being). The Foundation has offices in Buffalo (726 Exchange Street, Suite 518, Buffalo, NY 14210) and in Syracuse (431 E. Fayette Street, Suite 250, Syracuse, NY 13202).
What happens after we collect and send in the engagement tools?
Participating organizations will be invited to join a two-day Interpretation Training a few weeks after the deadline for submitting the completed engagement tools. These sessions will be held in Central NY and Western NY. A final Insights Report will be developed from the interpreted responses and will be made available to all Co-Creating Well-Being participants and posted to the Health Foundation website.