Request for Proposals: Catalyst Grant Program 2024 (up to $40,000)

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About Catalyst Grant Program

Racism and racial biases are deeply embedded in the criminal legal system, leading to disproportionate harm to communities of color. Even brief legal system involvement can result in lost employment and housing, burdensome fines and fees, and destabilized family relationships.

To support local organizations working toward equity and reform in this system, the Catalyst Grant Program provides funds to cover project costs, project implementation assistance, peer learning opportunities, and access to Microsoft technology and related support.

• Sponsor Organisation: The Urban Institute

Benefits of Catalyst Grant Program

• Selected applicants will receive $40,000 in grant funds; assistance on data, policy, and community engagement from the Urban Institute; access to Microsoft technology and related support; and peer learning opportunities.

Catalyst Grant Program Requirements

• Lead organisations are locally embedded 501(c) (3) organizations based in the U.S., excluding colleges and universities. They have a focus on those organisations embedded in communities of color, particularly Black communities.
• Lead organisations may include in their proposals partner organizations that do not meet lead-organization eligibility criteria.

Project Topic Requirements 

Projects must focus on reform and racial equity at the front end of the criminal legal system (i.e., criminal legal system activities and relevant actors up to and including sentencing and activities to prevent unnecessary criminal legal system involvement).  Projects must also incorporate data and technology and be locally focused. Additional information on eligibility is provided in the Project Topic Requirements section of the RFP and in the FAQs. 

Grants will not be given to projects that specifically focus on:  

• people under 18 years of age;  
• people who are currently incarcerated,  
• people returning from incarceration, or 
• activities at the state or national level.

Microsoft Technology Use: Benefits and Workshop

Projects are not required to use Microsoft technology, but projects that use Microsoft technology in ways that are integral to the proposed data and technology activities will be eligible for additional in-kind technology access and support.  

Workshops to assist in learning about relevant Microsoft technology solutions will be available on October 22 from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (register here) and October 24 from 11:00 am to Noon Eastern Standard Time (register here).

Webinar

An optional informational webinar will be held October 16, 2024 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (register here).

Application Date and Process

• Click on the link to the application website to apply. 

You can access the full Request for Proposals (RFP) here and FAQs here (PDF). The required Budget Spreadsheet is here. A full list of application questions and instructions are in appendix A of the RFP.  Given word limits for the 10 narrative questions, application responses are expected to total roughly five pages.

Additional useful details are available in the FAQs.  You may also send questions to [email protected].  

The deadline for submitting questions about project topics, eligibility, or other RFP content is Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. We will be posting FAQ updates on the grant application website and the Urban Institute will continue to answer technical questions related to the grant application website until the proposal deadline.

 

Application Deadline

22 November, 2024

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