The Community Economic Defense Project (CEDP) is seeking a consultant to support grant writing.

About the Community Economic Defense Project:

The Community Economic Defense Project is a Colorado-based nonprofit. Our mission is to partner with low-income and working people to build economic and racial equity. We do this by confronting economic abuse and investing in community wealth.

Born out of the need to provide rapid stabilization services to families facing eviction and displacement in the pandemic, CEDP is one of the largest social services organizations in Colorado with 100 staff who provide a variety of services to address family economic challenges, including resource connection, financial assistance, case management, and legal aid. Since March 2020, CEDP has assisted more than 31,000 people and dispersed over $100 million in emergency assistance. 100% of CEDP’s clients have an area median income (AMI) ratio below 80% and 74% of clients served identify as BIPOC and / or Hispanic. Our model has been recognized as a best practice model by The White House, HUD, The Urban Institute, and in the news.

In addition to direct assistance and support to low income and working people, CEDP has drafted and passed transformational laws that expanded renters’ rights and dramatically curtailed predatory towing. The team also worked closely with members of the legislature to pass statewide laws strengthening the rights of mobile home park residents, establishing a fair housing unit within the office of Colorado’s Attorney General, holding overreaching homeowner’s associations accountable, and advocating for other measures designed to protect community wealth.

For more information on CEDP, check out our coverage in Colorado Public Radio, our medium post on our organization’s story, or our website at cedproject.org.

Scope & Objective:

The objective of this engagement is to support CEDP’s fundraising efforts with writing for grants and contracts. The consultant should have excellent research and communication skills, both written and verbal. The selected consultant will be expected to:

• Study the history, structure, objectives, programs, and needs of CEDP.
• Study and understand Colorado’s ecosystem of economic justice and homelessness prevention efforts.
• Research grant opportunities from government and non-government agencies.
• Draft grant proposals and supporting documents, including Letters of Intent, based on the funding requirements of the organization.
• Submit proposals to CEDP coordinators for approval.
• Respond to internal and external inquiries on proposals.
• Maintain positive relationships with funders and other stakeholders.
• Maintain records and draft reports related to grant opportunities.

Contract Period:

June 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024

Timeline:

• April 21: Call for applications
• May 5, 5:00pm MT: Application due date and time
• May 19: Consultant selection and notification
• June 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024: Contract period

Elements of Proposal:

Proposals should not exceed 5 pages and should include the following:

• Resume
• Qualifications and interest: Please outline your qualifications to serve as a grant writing consultant for CEDP. Please highlight your experience and expertise with nonprofits, grant writing, economic justice & homelessness prevention, and Colorado nonprofits/government.
• Scope of work, including:
  • Proposed activities supported
  • Approach
• Budget proposal based on scope of work described
• Work sample (attachments can exceed the 5 page limit)

Evaluation Criteria:

Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Alignment of proposed scope and approach to CEDP’s needs
• Experience and expertise of the consultant against the following criteria
  • Grant writing experience & quality of work
  • Expertise with CEDP’s current and future program areas
  • Expertise in Colorado’s funding and services ecosystem
• Price will be considered relative to value of the proposal
• Portfolio and quality of comparable work

Budget:

CEDP’s budget is $47 per hour on an as-needed basis. CEDP will engage the consultant for individual grant opportunities and scope total hours needed based on grant requirements.

How to Submit a Proposal:

Please submit a proposal via our HR Management software, Rippling.