Human Services Committee 2026 Small Grant Fund

The City of Santa Fe, NM Youth and Family Services Division AND Human Services Committee are seeking proposals for 2026 Small Grant Funds.

Background

Project Details

• Department: Youth & Families
• Department Head: Lia Salaverry (Youth & Family Division Director)

Evaluation Criteria

• Important Instructions for Electronic Submittals —

  The City of Santa Fe, NM is accepting electronic bid submissions. Bidders must create a FREE account with OpenGov Procurement by signing up at https://procurement.opengov.com/signup. Once you have completed account registration, browse back to this page, click on "Draft Response", and follow the instructions to submit the electronic bid.

• Scope of Work —

  Target Population: Adults ages 18+  

  The selected applicant will have the experience, skills and capacity to complete the full scope of work identified below.

  The proposed project or program must be for one of the following: 

  1. Supplemental funding for an existing service that has demonstrated greater need than historically indicated due to emerging social or community circumstances. 

  2. Funding for a pilot project for a new service that the agency has identified as a need of their current constituency.

  The proposed project must address at least one of the Human Services Committee’s funding priority/goal areas. Annual one-time events will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

  Organizations can apply for funding up to $40,000 for a project that serves adults ages 18 and older in Santa Fe.

  Deliverable: A brief final report is required and shall highlight the impact of the small grant funded program, successes achieved during the funding period, and challenges faced during the funding period. A presentation of the final report to the Human Services Committee may also be required. The final report and presentation should address the following:

  • Number of individuals served during the funding period (the proposed number served must be the number served)
  • Type of services provided during the funding period
  • Total amount billed for the funding period

  Invoicing will be required to receive awarded funding upon program completion. An invoice template will be provided and will include the below required details:

  • Vendor Contact Information
  • Invoice Date
  • Purchase Order Number
  • Number of individuals served during the funding period
  • Type of services provided during the funding period
  • Total amount billed for the funding period
  • Vendor Contact Printed Name & Signature

  If the proposed number of individuals is not served, grantee will not be able to invoice for the full awarded amount.

  Funding Awards:

  Proposed projects should align with the vision, mission and priority funding categories of the Human Services Committee. Organizations may apply for funding up to $40,000 for fiscal year 2027. Funded projects are intended to pay for direct services rather than administrative costs. Direct administrative costs for the program should not exceed 30%. Applicants who do not already receive funding from the Human Services Committee or Children and Youth Commission will be prioritized.

  Submitted applications should be for one of the following: 

  1. Supplemental funding for an existing service that has demonstrated greater need than historically indicated due to emerging social or community circumstances. 

  2. Funding for a pilot project for a new service that the agency has identified as a need of their current constituency.

  Funding cannot be used for capital projects, equipment, or for items that will be gifted to recipients receiving the proposed services or who are participating in the proposed program. 

• Eligibility —

  Applicants shall be limited to non-profit organizations which have been granted and currently hold tax exempt status under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or to applicants whose programs are covered by a fiscal sponsor that meets these requirements. For organizations without 501 (c) (3) status, see fiscal sponsor section below.

  Applicants must be a vendor of the City of Santa Fe and have a current W9 (signed and dated in 2026) uploaded to their vendor profile. Applicants can become a vendor of the City of Santa Fe by going here.

  Applicants must provide the following to be considered for funding: 

  • most recent Form 990  

  • letter of good standing from the NM Taxation and Revenue Department 

  • Go here to learn how to request the letter of good standing

  Applicants currently receiving city funding may apply for either the Children and Youth Commission or the Human Services Committee small grant fund.  Applicants who do not already receive funding from the Human Services Committee or Children and Youth Commission will be prioritized.

  Fiscal Sponsor:

  Fiscal sponsors will be responsible for financial reporting and will process the reimbursement requests on behalf of the applicant.

  Applicants utilizing a fiscal sponsor should note:  

  1. Fiscal sponsor fees shall not exceed 12%.  

  2. All official documents and signatures must be those of the fiscal sponsor. 

  Applicants must provide the following documentation if utilizing a fiscal sponsor: 

  • Fiscal sponsors most recent Form 990  

  • Fiscal sponsors letter of good standing from the NM Taxation and Revenue Department.  

  • • Go here to learn how to request the letter of good standing.  

  • MOU between the applicant and their fiscal sponsor which outlines the roles and responsibilities of each organization

  ANY APPLICATION THAT DOES NOT MEET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA WILL BE DISQUALIFIED FROM THE REVIEW PROCESS. 

• Reporting —

  Reporting for this funding will be streamlined due to the smaller funding award. This is meant to allow organizations to focus on providing the proposed services.

  Applicants will be required to turn in a brief end of year report which highlights the impact of the small grant funded program. The end of year invoice and final report will be due at the conclusion of the program (or by June 15th). Presentation of the findings in this report to the Human Services Committee may be required.

  The end of year report should outline: 

  • Demographics and total numbers served 

  • Impact made to priority indicator selected 

  • Outcome of funded project/program 

  • Data collected as part of surveys, pre/post tests, participant program evaluation etc. 

  • Successes that occurred during the funding period 

  • Challenges that occurred during the funding period

  Failure to submit an end of year report will disqualify an organization from future small grant funding. 

• Payment —

  Payment is on a cost reimbursement basis and will be issued after services have been rendered or deliverables have been completed.

  Funding cannot be used for capital projects, equipment, or for items that will be gifted to recipients receiving the proposed services or who are participating in the proposed program. 

• Application Review and Evaluation —

  Submitted applications will be reviewed for completion by Youth and Family Services Division staff. Complete applications will be submitted to Human Services Committee members for their formal review and evaluation. 

  Committee members will review applications in the order they are received. Applicants will be notified about the decision of the funding award within 45 days after the application has been reviewed. 

• Application Submission and Due Date —

  Application should be submitted by July 6, 2026, for priority review. Applications will be accepted until December 1, 2026, or until funds are expended. Historically, yearly funding allotments are allocated during the priority review period. Applicants are encouraged to apply by the priority review date.

  All questions must be submitted via email to Christa Hernandez, Youth and Family Services Program Manager, chernandez@santafenm.gov.

Submission Requirements

• Program Name (required) —

  Please provide the name of the program to which you are applying for funding. 

• Project Summary (required) —

  Briefly describe the purpose, strategies, performance measure(s) and expected results of the proposed project.

• Anticipated Project Impact (required) —

  Describe how the proposed project will fulfill essential need(s) in the community and the population it will impact.

• Project Impact Measurement (required) —

  Describe the specific plans for data collection to be used to measure the proposed project's performance and results.

• What barriers can you predict in implementing this program, and how have you prepared to address those barriers? (required)
• If your organization has lost funding due to administration changes, how will your organization use this funding to fill that gap? (required) —

  If you are not applying as a result of a gap in funding due to administration change, please write "N/A" for your response to this question. 

• Project Budget (required) —

  Please upload a budget breakdown that outlines what the funding will go towards (staff time, services).

• Project Budget Implementation (required) —

  Briefly describe how the requested funding will be utilized to implement the proposed project.

• Quantity of Individuals Served (required) —

  Please provide the number of individuals you plan to serve through this program and any awarded funding. Whatever number you propose to serve must be the number served. If the proposed number of individuals is not served, grantee will not be able to invoice for the full awarded amount.

• Is your organization currently a vendor of the City of Santa Fe? (required) —

  The answer to this question does not affect the award selection process. 

• Does your organization currently receive Human Services Committee or Children and Youth Commission funding? (required)
• Does/Will your organization utilize a fiscal sponsor? (required) —

  The answer to this question does not affect the award selection process. 

• I certify that I have read, understood and agree to the terms in this solicitation, and that I am authorized to submit this response on behalf of my company. (required)
• Most Recent Form 990 Upload (required)
• Letter of Good Standing from NM Taxation & Revenue Department (required)
• Proof of Tax Exempt 501(c)(3) (required)
• Other Document —

  If there is any other document you feel relevant to attach, please attach it here. 

• Pricing (required) —
  • Choose Option 1 when you have set line items, for example:
    • This is a quote for goods or commodities.
    • This is a public works bid, with a pricing table that can be uploaded into OpenGov Procurement from an Excel spreadsheet.
    • Seeking services for hourly rate schedules.
  • Choose Option 2 when you need vendors to provide you with the line items.