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Please be advised that the application submission period for the AFHS FY’24-26 is now closed.
About the Fund
The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) coordinates and administers the Alexandria Fund for Human Services (AFHS). Through a competitive grant application process, grant funding supports organizations whose programs and services address human service needs for the city’s residents across the lifespan to advance conditions in their respective environments to ensure the wellbeing, safety, self-sufficiency and resilience through equitable processes, practices and outcomes. The programs and services will reflect the City of Alexandria’s diverse communities and values. This includes community and recipient voice in practices and decision making. Additionally, AFHS will support organizations in the community positioned to offer services that are sound in practice and innovative in delivery to respond to emerging and critical human service challenges.
Fiscal Year 2024-2026 Grant Cycle
Please be advised that the application submission period for the AFHS FY’24-26 is now closed.
On January 24, 2023, the Alexandria City Council approved AFHS grant priorities for FY 2024-2026 and endorsed the focus populations for this grant cycle. These priorities and the focus populations align with the goals and objectives of City Council’s current priorities and several human services-related community and strategic plans.
Grant Priorities
- All children and youth are school ready (this includes young children 0 to 5).
- All Alexandrians are socially connected, emotionally secure and culturally competent.
- All Alexandrians are economically secure and career ready.
- All Alexandrians have access to physical, dental, mental health and vision resources and services.
- All Alexandrians are assisted in and empowered to prevent and remedy crises (this includes food insecurity, evictions, and financial crises).
Focus Populations
- Children and youth (including ages 0-5)
- Individuals with low incomes and low wealth
- Individuals with dental, physical health, mental health and vision care needs
- Individuals facing crises
- Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault
- Older Adults
- Historically marginalized communities: This population includes, but is not limited to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), immigrant populations (including those who lack documentation or families with mixed status), Justice involved individuals, LGBTQIA+, Persons with disabilities across the lifespan to include support for care givers, Individuals with Limited English proficiency, Unhoused /Housing Insecure /Housing Cost Burdened
The submission deadline was April 17, 2023.
Grant proposals will be reviewed and certified before moving being moving forward to the external evaluation process. Applicants submitting incomplete grant proposals will be notified immediately that their proposal has been deemed ineligible. An grant proposal may be deemed incomplete for one or all of the following:
- Guidelines for proposal content, attachment(s) were not followed as specified.
- The attachment(s) submitted does not comply with the guideline request.
- The attachment(s) submitted did not contain complete information.
Grant Process Timeline
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Notice of Funding Availability and Request for Grant Proposals Issued |
March 17, 2023 |
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Virtual Pre-Proposal and Logic Model Training Session for Prospective Applicants |
March 27, 2023 |
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Application Submission Deadline |
5 p.m. EST, April 17, 2023 |
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Grant Application Certification and Review Period |
April 18- May 19, 2023 |
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June 2023 June 2023 |
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Grant Cycle |
July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2026 |
Grant Proposal Evaluation Criteria
This is a competitive grant application process, and using established criteria, an external panel will review and evaluate grant applications and make funding recommendations. Grant proposals will be evaluated based on responses to the following categories:
- Focus Population
- Human Service(s) Need Being Met
- Advancing Equity
- Outreach and Engagement
- Collaboration
- Voice in Program/Service Design and Implementation
- Organizational Capacity Building
- Maximizing Efficiency
- Fiscal and Organizational Management
The panel will receive feedback from staff of DCHS’s programs and finance, as appropriate. Preview the evaluation criteria and related scoring.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
This page is prepared to assist in completing the application to the Alexandria Fund for Human Services (the Fund). The questions and answers are based on experiences of other applicants. This information may answer questions and help you avoid similar problems or mistakes. Please visit this page often as new information may be added up to five business days before the 5 p.m. Monday, April 17, 2023 submission deadline. Responses to questions received through DCHSAlexFund@alexandriava.gov will be posted here with 48 business hours.
See Amendments
We would like to inform all potential applicants of two (2) changes to our Alexandria Funds for Human Services Request for Grant Proposal (RFGP) FY’24-26:
- Amendment to existing External Audit Requirement found on page 12, of our Request for Grant Proposal (RFGP):
Amendment to Alexandria Funds for Human Services Request for Grant Proposal (RFGP) FY’24-26: Organizations with an annual operating budget of $750, 000 or less must upload with the application a copy of its most recent IRS 990 AND the most recent copy of their Board approved yearend financial statement. Please refer to the Pre-Proposal Conference Recording section of our webpage and refer to the questions and answers document from the virtual conference.
Current Language: Most Recent External Audit (organizations with annual operating budget of $250,000 or less, may submit most recent Board approved year-end financial statement or most recent IRS Form 990.
- Uploading Letter of Support for Non-Joint Applications: Though letters of support are not required for non-joint applications, applicants may upload up to three (3) documents that validate collaboration, program support or endorsement.
Is the presentation from the March 27 Pre-Proposal Session and Logic Model Training available for future reference?
Yes, the slides are posted on this page in the pre-proposal conference section above.
Where can I find the answers given to the questions asked during the virtual pre-proposal conference?
Here are the Q&A's from the session.
Are there any prerequisites for applying to the Fund?
Prospective applicants must create an online account and pass a two-question eligibility screening before they can gain access to the grant portal.
Does my organization need to be based in the City of Alexandria?
No. The proposed program or services must however support residents living within the City of Alexandria geographic area.
Can applicants provide letters of support with the grant application?
Applicants collaborating or partnering with another agency to deliver the proposed program or service must upload a memorandum of understanding or letter of commitment in the on-line grant portal. If DCHS is a partnering agency, DCHS staff can request a letter signed by the City’s Agency Director or designee, specifying the nature of the relationship, and validating the collaboration. DCHS staff have been encouraged not to endorse proposals but rather validate the collaboration or partnership.
My agency has an annual budget of less than $250,000 and we do not have an audited financial statement, what should we submit?
Organizations with annual operating budgets of $250,000 may upload a copy of the most recent Board-approved year-end financial statement or most recent IRS Form 990.
What is available amount of Fund for FY 2024 and what has been the range of awards through this fund?
The FY 2024 appropriation for the Fund will be confirmed when City Council adopts the FY 2024 General Operating Budget. The Fund is in the second-year extension of the FY19-21 grant cycle with an appropriation of $2,000,000 that supports 40+ programs and services managed by 34 nonprofit partners. Those grant awards range from $10,000-$263,000+.
Can an organization submit multiple applications?
Yes, an applicant can submit multiple applications to address several grant priorities. However, only one application per grant priority will be accepted. Applications combining grant priorities will not be considered.
How will I know if my organization has been approved for a grant award?
Successful and unsuccessful grant applicants will receive a notification from DCHS through the on-line grant portal. The notification will advise the applicant of the next steps, as appropriate.
What if the approved award amount is not for the amount requested?
Successful grant applicants will be given the opportunity to accept or decline the grant award. If the amount is acceptable, the applicant will also be given the opportunity to modify their proposed Logic Model and Revenue and Expense Budget Forms before the grant agreement is executed.
When will the grant funds be available?
Grant awards will be disbursed in two equal installments. The invoice for the first payment will be processed upon receipt once the grant agreement has been executed. The processing of the invoice for the second payment is contingent on the acceptance and approval of the mid-year report submission.
Questions About the AFHS
Inquiries regarding the AFHS may be forwarded to DCHSAlexFund@alexandriava.gov.