Background

The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) requires TCDD to engage in the following communication and engagement activities:

• Raise public awareness about the capabilities and competencies of people with DD.
• Educate and support communities to become accessible and responsive to the needs of people with DD and their families.
• Provide information to people and families regarding access to services, resources, and opportunities.
• Inform policymakers through studies and analyses as well as by developing and sharing model policies, procedures, information, strategies, and recommendations.    
    

The DD Act also tasks TCDD with conducting targeted outreach activities to identify people with DD and families who may not otherwise be known to the Council. We then provide help in accessing services, individualized supports, and other assistance. Through grant projects, the Council supports initiatives that demonstrate new ways to improve the lives of people with DD and contribute to systemic change. TCDD informs policymakers and the public about grants that promote training and innovative approaches to enhancing services, supports, and assistance for people with disabilities.

To achieve these goals, we’re seeking an external communications expert to complement and support our internal team in the following ways:

• Expertise and Experience: An external expert can bring additional experience and specialized expertise in crafting and executing comprehensive communication messages that are effectively tailored to resonate with our diverse audiences.
• Enhanced Capacity: By partnering with an external expert, we supplement our internal team’s capacity to handle the demands of our strategic communications. This collaboration allows us to leverage additional resources, skills, and industry insights to expand our engagement efforts.
• Strategic Focus: External communications experts can provide a fresh perspective on our communication initiatives. Their viewpoints ensure that our messaging remains compelling, cohesive, and aligned with the objectives of our Council and grantees.
• Efficiency and Effectiveness: Outsourcing certain communication functions to an external expert allows our internal team to focus more intensely on core organizational messaging and programs. This blended approach enhances our efficiency and effectiveness.
• Broadened Reach and Impact: Through targeted media relations, digital marketing, and public relations campaigns, the external expert will help broaden our reach and increase engagement with the community at large. This expanded visibility ultimately strengthens our ability to create meaningful change.    
    

The demands of our community engagement activities are growing rapidly. The development of our strategic 2027-2031 State Plan will require a comprehensive initiative to gather input from people with DD and families in all areas of Texas. Our grantees are developing new digital products — including online training modules, videos, and a growing number of websites — to connect with people with DD and families and share information and resources. TCDD has a greater responsibility to protect its investment in these products by sharing its resources on a broader scale.

Engaging an external communications expert aligns with our strategic objectives to expand the TCDD profile, engage with state and community partners, and broaden the impact of our grant initiatives. This project represents a proactive step toward ensuring that our overall communication efforts are more robust and aligned with our mission.

Project Description

TCDD will fund a project with an external communications expert to complement and support our internal community engagement team in the following ways:

• Plan for, facilitate, and synthesize information for the public input process of our strategic state plan. This will include survey and collateral development as well as outreach to different regional and cultural groups.
• Promote leadership and advocacy opportunities.
• Convert curricula and other training materials into our learning management system. This will include developing scripts, recording content, researching continuing education units (CEU) and continuing medical education (CME) options, and assisting with system administration.
• Engage in storytelling related to TCDD’s impact areas, including project outcomes and public policy advocacy.
• Develop and implement sustainability plans for materials developed by TCDD grantees, such as videos and websites, to ensure the longevity of TCDD’s investment.
• Provide TCDD grantees with technical assistance on general communication and recruitment strategies.
• Support the communication team’s external messaging strategies, social media, and online promotion.
• Contribute to TCDD’s data collection and reporting for an annual program performance report to the federal government.
• Grow TCDD’s audience through product development, marketing, and local reporting.
• Ensure all materials meet a high standard of accessibility.    
    

The TCDD director of community engagement and the community engagement team will supervise the project. The project must complete the following tasks:

• Identify best practices in external communications to advise TCDD on engagement with people with DD and their parents and family members across age groups, racial and ethnic groups, languages other than English, gender, socioeconomic groups, and geographic areas of Texas.
• Develop an evaluation plan to measure the impact of community engagement strategies.
• Provide recommendations for modifying existing advocacy education and training models of TCDD grant programs.

Participants

This project must focus on gathering information from people with DD, their parents, and other family members. The project should identify and report specific strategies to connect with people with DD across different age groups and from diverse racial, gender, socioeconomic, and cultural groups in Texas. Participants who speak languages other than English may be recruited.

Outcomes and Outputs

The organization awarded funding for this project must collect participant data and provide TCDD with the following information (at minimum):

• Number of participants, including those with DD and family members who engage with TCDD products, including training programs, videos, and storytelling materials.
• Demographic characteristics of program participants (for example: gender, ethnicity, age, geographic region of residence).
• Methods participants prefer to use to receive information (for example: online, print, email, word-of-mouth).
• Languages in which participants prefer to receive information.
• Assistive technologies participants use to receive information.
• Preferred strategies to connect with all participants, including rural and historically underserved participants.
• Satisfaction with existing community engagement activities (from TCDD or other organizations).

Grant Award and Term

The Council has approved funding of up to $200,000 per year for one organization for up to three years. Funding is provided to TCDD by the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, per the DD Act.

Projects working in federally designated poverty areas (PDF, 6 pages, 935 KB) must provide non-federal matching funds of at least 10% of total project costs. Projects working in non-poverty areas must provide non-federal matching funds of at least 25% of total project costs.

How to Apply

To apply, please complete an RFA submission form. Once we receive your form, we’ll email you an access code to the online application.

Applications for this RFA are due by 11:59 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 18. Late applications will not be accepted. Applications submitted on time may be reviewed at the February 2025 Council meeting. Review dates are subject to change.

For more information on our application process and grant requirements, visit our How to Apply webpage.