Ufw Foundation

THE PURPOSE OF THE UFW FOUNDATION S PROJECT IS TO PROVIDE 600 DISASTER RELIEF PAYMENTS TO 144,943ELIGIBLE FARM WORKERS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES FOR PANDEMIC SAFETY RELATED EXPENSES AND OTHERCOSTS INCURRED DUE TO COVID 19. AS THE LEAD ORGANIZATION, THE UFW FOUNDATION WILL COORDINATE EFFORTSWITH 7 SUBRECIPIENTS COMPRISED OF THE UFW, PCUN, CIERTO, NC FIELD, FARMWORKER ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA,MICHIGAN ADVOCACY PROGRAM AND BIENESTER. NOTABLY, THIS COLLABORATIVE HAS EXPERIENCE PROVIDING ON THEGROUNDDISASTER RELIEF SERVICES TO FARM WORKERS IN WASHINGTON, OREGON, CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA, NEW YORK,NORTH CAROLINA, MICHIGAN AND GEORGIA. THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE OUTREACH ACTIVITIES TARGETING HARD TOREACHRURAL AREAS AS WELL AS DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS TO INFORM FARM WORKERS ABOUT THE PROJECT.THE UFW FOUNDATION WILL UTILIZE THREE STRATEGIES WHICH THE ORGANIZATION HAS TESTED AND IMPLEMENTEDSINCE 2020 TO PROVIDE DISASTER RELIEF TO ELIGIBLE FARM WORKERS 1) ELIGIBLE FARM WORKERS CALL THE UFWF CALLCENTER OR SUBRECIPIENTS HOTLINE FOR INITIAL INTAKE AND PROCESSING OF RELIEF PAYMENTS MAILED BY THE PREPAIDCARD VENDOR TO APPROVED BENEFICIARIES 2) ON THE GROUND INTAKES FOLLOWED BY CARD DISTRIBUTION AT ALATER DATE BY SUBRECIPIENTS DUE TO APPROVAL AND ORDERING PROTOCOLS, CARDS CANNOT BE ISSUED AT THE TIMEOF INTAKE, AND 3) ONLINE SELF REGISTRATION BY FARM WORKERS THAT WILL RECEIVE PAYMENTS ONCE APPROVED BYTHE ORGANIZATION AND DISTRIBUTED BY THE PRE PAID CARD VENDOR. DURING THE COURSE OF THE GRANT PERIOD, THEUFW FOUNDATION WILL IDENTIFY BEST PRACTICES TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES THAT MIGHT ARISE. ADDITIONALLY, THEORGANIZATION WILL MONITOR THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE FARM WORKERS RECEIVING RELIEF PAYMENTS.

DESCRIPTION:THE PURPOSE OF THE AWARD IS TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON THE GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS AND DEVELOPING GRANT APPLICATIONS TO ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS OF NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (EPA-OCSPP-OPP-2024-006) TO BE PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER 2024. ACTIVITIES:PROVIDE WEBINARS, WORKSHOPS, OFFICE HOURS, AND/OR RESOURCES TO ASSIST ORGANIZATIONS IN APPLYING FOR A NOFO AND WRITING A GRANT APPLICATION. HELP APPLICANTS DETERMINE WHETHER THEY MEET NOFO ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, LOCATE AND USE RESOURCES SUCH AS GRANTS.GOV, AND ASSIST WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND DRAFTING OF APPLICATIONS. HELP APPLICANTS UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS ALL AREAS OF THE APPLICATION AND REQUIRED FORMS. SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:EXPECTED OUTPUTS: ---WEBPAGES, INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS/DOCUMENTS, WEBINAR, OFFICE HOURS, AND ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTATIONS. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: ---ABILITY OF POTENTIAL, ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS TO COMPETE FOR A FEDERAL GRANT AWARD, WHO WITHOUT THIS PROJECT MAY NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES AND/OR EXPERIENCE TO APPLY. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES ARE COMMUNITY-BASED NONPROFIT FARM WORKER ORGANIZATIONS WITH DEMONSTRATED EXPERIENCE IN PROVIDING TRAINING AND EDUCATION SERVICE, OR DEVELOPING INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS, FOR FARM WORKERS OR HANDLERS OF PESTICIDE. IN TURN, THESE BENEFICIARIES WILL HELP PROTECT HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH EDUCATION AND TRAINING ON PESTICIDE SAFETY.

IN SEPTEMBER 2021, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA), AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (AMS) ANNOUNCED THE CREATION OF GRANTS TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO FARM AND FOOD WORKERS IMPACTED BY COVID-19. THE DEPARTMENT WILL PROVIDE $700 MILLION IN COMPETITIVE GRANT FUNDING, PUBLISHING A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS DURING THE FALL OF 2021. THE PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE RELIEF TO FARMWORKERS, MEATPACKING WORKERS, AND FRONT-LINE GROCERY WORKERS FOR EXPENSES INCURRED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. FUNDS WILL BE AWARDED THROUGH GRANTS TO STATE AGENCIES, TRIBAL ENTITIES, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS SERVING FARMWORKERS AND MEATPACKING WORKERS RANGING FROM $5,000,000 TO $50,000,000. USDA IS SETTING ASIDE $20 MILLION FOR AT LEAST ONE PILOT TO PROVIDE TARGETED SUPPORT TO FRONT-LINE GROCERY WORKERS. ELIGIBLE ENTITIES MUST DEMONSTRATE THE CAPACITY TO REIMBURSE FARMWORKERS AND MEATPACKING WORKERS FOR UP TO $600 FOR EXPENSES INCURRED DUE TO THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS 2019 (COVID-19) PANDEMIC. AMS AIMS TO PROVIDE OUTREACH, TRAINING, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON FARM AND FOOD WORKER RELIEF (FFWR) GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ELIGIBLE GRANT APPLICANTS AND GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS. AMS RECOGNIZES THAT ORGANIZATIONS WITH SUFFICIENT STAFFING AND FISCAL CONTROLS TO MANAGE MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR GRANTS MAY NOT HAVE THE COMMUNITY-LEVEL NETWORKS AVAILABLE TO SMALLER, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS. IN ADDITION, LIKELY GRANT APPLICANTS SUCH AS STATE-LEVEL SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES AND FOUNDATIONS RELATED TO LABOR UNIONS HAVE NOT TRADITIONALLY PARTNERED WITH AMS THROUGH FEDERAL GRANTS. THE UFW FOUNDATION IS SUBMITTING A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT PROPOSAL TO FOCUS ON PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR FARM WORKER SERVING ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL BE APPLYING FOR THE FFWR PROGRAM. AS SUCH, THE ORGANIZATION IS PROPOSING TO DO THE FOLLOWING DURING PHASE I, THE APPLICATION PERIOD: 1) CONDUCT OUTREACH AND EDUCATION EFFORTS TO INFORM FARM WORKER ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT THE FFWR PROGRAM DURING THE 60 DAY APPLICATION PERIOD AND SUPPORT EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY AND RECRUIT REVIEW PANELISTS, 2) PROVIDE TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO FARM WORKER ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN APPLICATION THROUGH SUBCONTRACTORS, MICHAEL BROWNING AND FARMWORKER JUSTICE. DURING PHASE II OF THE PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION, THE UFW FOUNDATION WILL: 1) DEVELOP A CLEARINGHOUSE OF OUTREACH AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS THAT CAN BE USED BY FFWR PROGRAM GRANTEES AND OTHER PARTNERS AROUND THE COUNTRY TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY IN MESSAGING AND INCREASE FARM WORKER PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM AND 2) PROVIDE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE DURATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FFWR PROGRAM. THIS AMENDMENT DOES NOT INVOLVE ADDITIONAL FUNDS BUT EXPANDS THE SCOPE. IT PROVIDES FOR CONDUCTING ONGOING DATA ANALYSIS OF FARM AND MEATPACKING WORKER FFWR DISASTER RELIEF BENEFICIARIES’ GEOGRAPHIC DEMOGRAPHICS FROM THE INTEGRITY PORTAL THAT WILL BE DEVELOPED BY THE USDA—THIS WILL HELP ASSESS ANY GAPS IN OUTREACH THAT IS NEEDED TO ENCOURAGE WORKERS TO APPLY FOR THE FFWR PROGRAM. USDA WILL PROVIDE BLINDED GEOGRAPHIC DATA REGARDING FFWR BENEFICIARY DEMOGRAPHICS TO COOPERATOR, AND UWFW WILL PERFORM ONGOING GEOGRAPHIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF FFWR BENEFICIARIES ACCORDING TO INTEGRITY DATA PROVIDED BY THE AGENCY, AND PROVIDE QUARTERLY DATA REPORTS TO THE AGENCY AND MEET WITH AGENCY OFFICIALS TO REVIEW AND EXPLAIN FINDINGS.