• The BEPAF Request for Proposals was released on January 8, 2020 and can be accessed in the list of Resources on this page.
  • The BEPAF Informational Webinar for Applicants was held on January 13, 2020. All applicants are expected to listen to the recorded webinar if you did not participate live. You can access the recording here: BEPAF Informational Webinar
  • A complete Q&A document and Scoring Rubric were posted on January 21, 2020 and can be accessed in the list of Resources on this page.
  • Please contact BEPAF@preventioninstitute.org for additional information.

 

Built Environment Policy Advocacy Fund (BEPAF) Program Overview

With funding from First 5 LA, Prevention Institute will award one-year (May 2020 – May 2021) grants ranging from $25,000 – $100,000 to community-based organizations, policy advocacy networks, and emerging coalitions advocating for high-quality parks, open space, and recreation facilities; safe and reliable transportation/opportunities for mobility; and/or food security in First 5 LA’s Best Start geographic areas. This is a unique opportunity to improve the built environment, with a goal of promoting healthy early childhood development. Grantees will participate in a kickoff convening, learning sessions, and a closing convening; grantees will also receive site visits and tailored technical assistance. Grantees will participate in a program evaluation led by Ersoylu Consulting.

Background: Between 2016 and 2018, LA voters approved $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to finance public infrastructure for parks and open space, transportation, and stormwater. During this same time period, several landmark local policies were enacted to address food insecurity in the region. In addition, local groups have advocated alongside residents to improve access to quality parks and open space, safe streets and sidewalks, and healthy food. The BEPAF represents a critical opportunity to support early childhood development by investing in the capacity of resident leaders and organizations to improve built environment conditions in the region’s most under-resourced and disinvested communities.
 

Goals:

  1. Expand and sustain the ecosystem of built environment policy and systems change advocates in the Best Start geographies by:

    • Strengthening the organizational capacity of nonprofits, networks, and coalitions working on built environment policy and systems change advocacy to benefit children prenatal to age five.
    • Building the capacity of parents and community residents in Best Start geographies to engage in built environment policy and systems change advocacy work.
       
  2. Influence policy and systems changes that will ensure more equitable built environment conditions for children prenatal to age five and their families in the Best Start geographies by:
    • Supporting policy and systems change advocacy to advance equitable outcomes in three focus areas of the built environment: parks and open space, transportation/mobility, and food security.
    • Influencing systems—such as institutional practices, procedures, and resource allocations—to ensure more equitable policy implementation.
    • Evaluating learnings and outcomes to inform future philanthropic investments in the built environment realm.
       

Program Management: BEPAF is a program funded by First 5 LA, managed by Prevention Institute (PI). PI will select grantees and administer grants, convene grantees in a learning community, provide technical assistance, build grantee capacity, and oversee learning and evaluation activities, to be implemented by Ersoylu Consulting. Since 2014, PI has convened the Healthy Equitable Active Land Use (HEALU) Network, a multi-sector collaborative that works to improve health equity through land use/built environment policy and systems change in LA County. Ersoylu Consulting will lead the BEPAF learning and evaluation activities. Since 2007, Ersoylu has provided strategy, evaluation, policy analysis, and systems consultation to strengthen systems and empower communities in the social justice space.

 

Key Dates and Deadlines

  • January 8, 2020 – RFP released (LOIs may be submitted any time before the deadline of January 31, 2020 at 5:00pm)
     
  • January 13, 2020 from 10:00-11:00am – Informational webinar for potential applicants (all applicants are expected to participate in the webinar or listen to the recorded version)
     
  • January 17, 2020 at 3:00pm – Final date to submit questions and requests for more information
     
  • January 21, 2020 – Responses to questions posted
     
  • January 31, 2020 at 5:00pm – Letters of Interest (LOIs) due
     
  • February 14, 2020 – Invitations to submit full proposals issued
     
  • March 13, 2020 at 5:00pm – Full proposals due
     
  • March 30 to April 10, 2020 – Video/in-person site visits with selected finalists (at Prevention Institute’s discretion)
     
  • April 13, 2020 – Final funding decisions announced
     
  • May 1, 2020 – Grant period begins
     
  • May 7, 2020 – BEPAF kickoff convening (attendance required for all grantees)
     

For more information, please contact BEPAF@preventioninstitute.org.

Healthy Food & Activity Environments Early Childhood

Resources