RFA: Leadership and Advocacy Training by a Local Self-Advocacy Organization

The Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities (TCDD) issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for a Leadership and Advocacy Training by a Local Self-Advocacy Organization Grant. Funding is available for one local self-advocacy organization to provide leadership and advocacy skills training. People who participate in the training will become active in creating change in their communities. The deadline to submit an application is March 27, 2020.

Background

TCDD’s state plan includes objectives to provide leadership and advocacy skills to support individuals in creating systems change. Providing this type of training to self-advocates promotes:

• independence,
• self-determination, and
• greater inclusion in community life for people with disabilities.

TCDD has funded multiple statewide and local leadership and advocacy skills training projects. This RFA supports self-advocacy organizations at the local level to build on their community activities. In addition, this project is intended to support self-advocates to develop their skills, participate in local self-advocacy groups and partnerships, and to become more visible leaders in their communities.

About the RFA

TCDD will fund one local self-advocacy organization for up to five years to provide leadership development and advocacy skills training. Self-advocates must take the lead and conduct the training, but training participants may include:

• individuals with disabilities,
• students with developmental disabilities (DD),
• individuals living in institutions,
• family members of people with disabilities, and
• other interested community members who do not fall into any of these categories.

The funding amount for this RFA is open-ended based on activities proposed. Funding for typical TCDD projects that address leadership and advocacy range from $25,000 to $150,000 per year. A maximum of one project will be funded for up to five years and the project should provide training to 20 people each year. TCDD expects training participants to become active in creating change to improve the lives of people with disabilities in their communities. Training participants will also be expected to advocate for policies and procedures that support people with DD and their families to have control over their own lives and to be fully included in their communities.

Eligibility

Applicants are limited to local self-advocacy groups and organizations. If the self-advocacy group is not able to receive and disburse funds, another organization may apply on behalf of the self-advocacy group and manage the project’s funding. In either case, the project will be led by the self-advocacy group and trainings will be conducted by self-advocates.

Key Dates

Applications are due to TCDD by 1 p.m. Central Time (CT) on Friday, March 27, 2020. Late applications will not be accepted. TCDD will notify applicants about decisions following TCDD’s May 2020 Council Meeting. Review dates are subject to change. TCDD held a webinar about TCDD’s processes for proposal review and grant award on Feb. 18, 2020. The deadline to submit questions about the RFA or application was Feb. 25, 2020. For the submitted questions and corresponding answers, click here.