Great Ideas Initiative (GII)

Great Ideas Initiative (GII) is sponsored by Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County. The Great Ideas Initiative provides an opportunity for local nonprofits with operating budgets of less than $1 million to launch their ideas on behalf of the county's children and families.

Types of Funding | Children's Services Council CSC does not accept unsolicited proposals, or requests for grants or funding. We open a competitive process for vendors or programmatic services as the need arises, not on a regular cycle. As a county taxpayer-funded entity, we do not fund programs outside of Palm Beach County.

CSC uses data, research and in-depth discussions with our community to determine whether there’s a gap in services or a need among Palm Beach County children and their families, as well as whether it’s appropriate to use CSC funding to fill that gap. If the answer to both those questions is yes, CSC will release a detailed competitive bid with a timeline for responses.

Any organization that meets the specific bid qualifications is welcome to apply. CSC does not require agencies to pre-register to be considered for a bid. Once the applications are submitted, a review team scores, rates and interviews (if needed) the applicants before making a recommendation to CSC’s board to contract with an organization.

If no organization is chosen, CSC can release the bid again or cancel the bid all together. For a current list of funded programs, click here . CSC releases competitive bids to contract with a vendor (or vendors) to meet a specific product or service need of CSC’s building and/or staff.

Examples include janitorial services, technology services, printing services, kitchen supplies, etc. CSC’s procurement process provides equal opportunity to all who submit. However, CSC makes a concerted effort to solicit bids from local and minority business owners in Palm Beach County.

Bids and quotations received from all vendors will be evaluated based on the following criteria: lowest qualified prices and best quality of good and services. Bids are open on an as-needed basis. Depending on the need, contracts may range from short-term (weeks or months) to long-term (annual and renewed.)

CSC requires that all vendors provide a W-9 form for tax purposes, which should be on file with CSC prior to completing a purchase order for payment.

We also require a Certificate of Liability Insurance from all food vendors and anyone who does work on site (i.e. landscapers, cleaning services, etc.) Healthy, Safe & Strong Fund Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County sets aside funds each year to help sponsor public awareness events, conferences and community outreach activities for children and families. The maximum to be awarded for an event is $2,500.

Applications for the fund are due at least 60 days prior to the event/activity. These funds are intended to support organizations’ public awareness and outreach activities that do not fit within the typical funding parameters of CSC, and support the Council’s goals. Preference is given to activities and events that provide opportunities for CSC to receive sponsorship visibility.

All funds are released as reimbursement after the approved event takes place and applicable receipts are submitted; no funds are released in advance. For more information about the Healthy, Safe & Strong Fund, click here These grants, funded with under-expenditures, provide an opportunity for local nonprofits to launch their great ideas on behalf of the county’s children and families.

The GII is open to local nonprofits with operating budgets of less than $1 million, which are working in partnership with local communities to achieve mutually agreed upon goals and aspirations.

With that in mind, these funds encourage agencies to: Inspire young people to pursue their passions, truest intentions and daring ideas, Embrace community-inspired approaches that support parental engagement and empowerment, Improve/expand upon an existing innovation that addresses a community’s wants or needs, or Fuel innovative partnerships that help families leverage community resources.

Community-Driven Innovation Services Fund On January 11, 2021, Children's Services Council (CSC) released the Community-Driven Innovation (CDI) Services Request for Proposals (RFP). This RFP closed on March 08, 2021.

In an effort to broaden the types of programs we fund, CSC opened the Community-Driven Innovation (CDI) Services funding opportunity, which gives communities the chance to determine for themselves what services or supports they need. CSC recognizes that there are opportunities to increase family choice and engage more families by offering more flexible and innovative options, paired with the existing evidence-based models.

CDI Services support communities in ‘driving the process’ of finding creative ways to offer services that address their community’s needs in a more effective and sustainable way. We are looking to the community to tell us what these innovative options could, and should, be.

A critical foundational element of any community-driven and innovative service, regardless of the specifically proposed services or population, should include promoting and addressing disparities for children and families. CSC is looking for services with an emphasis that seeks to render justice by deeply considering structural factors that may benefit some social groups/communities and may harm others.

Continuous Improvement Initiative Children’s Services Council has released the guide and application for this year’s Continuous Improvement Initiative. CSC funded agencies can receive up to $20,000 for Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure. For more information about the Continuous Improvement Initiative, as well as the guidelines and application, click here .