Projects Serving Families (Washington Youth & Families Fund)

Projects Serving Families (Washington Youth & Families Fund) is sponsored by Building Changes. This RFP awards grants to organizations supporting families at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness, particularly Black, Indigenous, Pacific Islander, Asian, immigrant, refugee, and LGBTQIA2S+ households.

# Washington Youth & Families Fund # 2025 Request for Proposals # for Families Application Page 2 of 14 ABOUT THE WASHINGTON YOUTH & FAMILIES FUND ........................................................................................... 3 FUNDING OPPORTUNITY........................................................................................................................................

3 BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 STRATEGY ..............................................................................................................................................................

5 OUR APPROACH ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES ...................................................................................................................................................

7 EVALUATION .......................................................................................................................................................... 8 APPLICATION INFORMATION .................................................................................................................................

9 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 TARGET POPULATION .....................................................................................................................................................

9 GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................................................... 10 EXPECTATIONS FOR FUNDED PROJECTS ............................................................................................................................

10 TWO -P ART APPLICATION , REVIEW & SELECTION , AND NOTIFICATION PROCESS ....................................................................... 11 NOTIFICATION .............................................................................................................................................................

11 APPEAL PROCESS ......................................................................................................................................................... 11 TIMELINE*............................................................................................................................................................

11 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS ................................................................................................................................ 12 INITIAL PROPOSAL SUBMISSION ......................................................................................................................................

12 APPLICATION FORM REQUIREMENTS .................................................................................................................. 13 APPLICATION FORM .....................................................................................................................................................

13 Applicant Information......................................................................................................................................... 13 Project Information ............................................................................................................................................

13 APPLICATION NARRATIVE .............................................................................................................................................. 13 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................

14 Narrative Questions ............................................................................................................................................ 14 Page 3 of 14 # Abo ut Bu ildi ng Chan ges Building Changes (BC) advances equitable responses to homelessness across Washington state by centering communities, aligning fragmented systems, and advocating for lasting policy change.

With a focus on children, youth, and families, we work across housing, education, and health to prevent homelessness before it begins. For those currently experiencing homelessness, we help communities and service providers design solutions that lift people out of homelessness through housing first solutions that quickly resolve crises and secure lasting stability.

Through the Washington Youth & Families Fund (WYFF) , Building Changes partners with local organizations to test and expand innovative, culturally grounded strategies that promote housing stability, healing, and long-term wellbeing for families most impacted by homelessness.

# Abo ut the Wa shin gt on You th & Fami lie s Fund The Washington Youth & Families Fund (WYFF) was created by the Washington State Legislature in 2004 and amended to include youth in 2014. Building Changes administers this fund of public and private dollars to make grants across the state focused on innovative housing interventions and strategies. To date, we have awarded $66.

7 million in funding to 130 grantees —including two tribes —across 26 counties.

Through our WYFF grantmaking, we: • Identify and test promising practices in partnership with providers and community • Collect data and evaluate interventions, models, and programs • Advance strategies informed by research, community experience, and lessons from previous cohorts to more intentionally guide future investments • Support housing and service providers through peer learning, training, and capacity building # Fund in g Opp ortun ity Building Changes will make available between $250,000- $500,000 in funding to housing and social service agencies, non-profit community-based organizations, federally recognized tribes, and culturally-specific/By-For Organizations in Washington state for projects introducing emerging healing services focused on trauma recovery 1 as well as flexible housing supports for families experiencing homelessness.

Through WYFF, Building Changes provides funding, technical assistance, and capacity building to organizations and partnerships for up to three years per project. The Fund seeks to identify and test promising practices, collect and evaluate data, and advance strategies informed by research, community experience, and lessons from previous cohorts to more intentionally guide future investments.

WYFF also supports housing and service providers through peer learning, training, and capacity building. Projects previously funded by Building Changes from 2020- 2025 have focused on rehousing families through culturally responsive services and supports. The Enhanced Rapid Rehousing (ERRH) model developed by Building Changes continues to expand capacity for cultural healing services as an essential component of homelessness response.

As part of this work, Building Changes also provides training and technical assistance on Housing First > 1Tanya Gulliver & Alicia Campney, “H ealing The Hurt and Pain: Dealing With The Trauma of Homelessness ”Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, 2015: https://homelesshub. ca/sites/default/files/23%20-%20Trauma%20Informed%20Services.

pdf and Diversion practices , ensuring partners have the tools and support needed to strengthen prevention and rapid resolution strategies within their communities. Our learnings through those projects demonstrated value. Tribes and organizations successfully utilized flexible funds to provide culturally attune healing practices, amongst people that reflect them.

In our most recent partnership, this included: healing circles; movement; art; yoga; somatics; sweat lodge ceremonies; partnerships with mental health professionals (i.e. counselors) to aid community members with behavioral and mental health healing pathways and support. They aim to heal historical trauma, which has been perpetuated on Indigenous and Black people through political, systemic, institutional, and cultural violence 2.

Through these systems, racism continues to impact not only Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), including Pacific Islander and Asian communities, but for all People of the Global Majority (PGM) 3—including immigrants, refugees, migrants, and LGBTQIA2+ communities.

While disproportionalities in housing instability and homelessness are well-documented for BIPOC communities, we also recognize that some identities remain invisible within current systems and data, limiting equitable access to culturally responsive services.

As we work to strengthen and transform these systems, we are committed to continuing to learn how to make them more inclusive, representative, and effective for all communities we serve.

Our learnings indicate a significant need for additional investment in essential basic needs for the family and household; behavioral & mental health to support healing; culturally competent and attune service delivery by people who represent the community; flexible funds to meet the unique needs of individual families who are BIPOC.

These learnings include the continued need for flexible funding to support housing instability, services to address intergenerational trauma, internalized racism, loss of community, as well as new resources to support mental health access and healing through building relationships with community members, meeting them where they’re at, literally, because of the flexibility of the WYFF Fund .

Our partnerships reaffirm that community members feel seen and heard when led by people of lived experience. This relationship-first approach is crucial to building trust so that service delivery is as beneficial as can be and so that families experiencing homelessness are able to obtain and sustain stable housing.

Decades of services and best practices informed by data and lived experience have demonstrated the traumatic impact on the physical and mental well-being of people experiencing homelessness. Homelessness trauma looks like exhaustion, hopelessness, despair, loss of humanity and connection, disorientation, and lack of self-care. Renown trauma expert, Judith Herman M.

D, describes trauma as the affiliation of the powerless and the overwhelming loss of control, connection, and meaning 4. Trauma thus far has been approached by the field of social services through Trauma Informed Care 5.

While Trauma Informed Care recognizes the existence of trauma, in practice it has primarily focused on organizational practices, building trust and client choice; with limited focus and attention on healing the level of trauma persisting within bodies. Nonetheless, the Trauma Informed Care framework is an important body of work highlighting trauma.

Healing services go beyond Trauma Informed Care > 2University of Minnesota CYFC “What is Cultural Healing” Youtube, 2015: https://www. youtube. com/watch?

v=l1o7ls7JnxA > 3The term “People of the Global Majority” (PGM) refers to all ethnic groups except white British and other white groups, including white minorities. This includes Black, Asian, mixed, and other ethnic groups who are often racialized as ‘ethnic minorities. ’ Collectively, these groups represent approximately 80% of the world’s population.

(Source: Leeds Beckett > University, People of the Global Majority , 2021 —https://www. leedsbeckett. ac.

uk/-/media/files/schools/school-of- > education/final-leeds-beckett-1102-global-majority. pdf ) > 4Herman, Judith Lewis. Trauma and Recovery: From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror .

Rivers Oram Press/Pandora List, 1998. > 5Trauma Informed Care Implementation Resource Center: https://www. traumainformedcare.

chcs. org/what-is-trauma-informed-care/ toward Healing Centered Engagement , a framework developed by Shawn Ginwright 6. Healing Centered Engagement recognizes those who have experienced trauma are more than their trauma/deficit.

Like Healing Centered Engagement, Healing Services center positive self-knowledge, self-love, self-identified meaning, and connection with others, while promoting internal safety and positive self-orientation.

Another important framework at the intersection of Housing and Healing is Maslow’s Theories on the Hierarchy of Human Needs and Human Motivation, which state that basic needs include shelter , food, water, air, sleep, and clothing 7. Thus, the field of homelessness utilizes the Housing First approach which recognizes housing as a basic and essential physiological need 8.

Humans also have psychological and social needs beyond survival needs. These human necessities include safety, security, connection, belonging, respect, self-esteem, and self-actualization, which combine to promote wholeness, health, and wellness. In homeless services, when safety and security are accomplished, via stable housing, the work of supportive services begins.

Support services often help to integrate the lives of people who have experienced homelessness with community, self-care, and wellness. Education, health, and social service sectors have begun to move in the direction of funding culturally-specific and By-For organizations that center culture in service delivery; where cultural connection is not only emphasized but celebrated 9.

Positive cultural identity is a pilar of healing 10 , which Tribes 11 have long identified as a pathway to community and self- Maslow’s framework reminds us at Building Changes, that housing and homeless interventions require more than basic needs (i.e. housing). Homeless services that promote culture and wellbeing are effective tools to successfully house families that have experienced racial trauma and homelessness.

The ability to support culturally-responsive, person-centered housing and healing services has expanded Building Changes ’ imagination on ending homelessness for BIPOC families. Building Changes is committed to transforming how Washington responds to family homelessness by centering equity, healing, and prevention.

For the 2025 Washington Youth & Families Fund (WYFF) funding cycle , we are focusing on two key shifts: expanding inclusive definitions of family to better reflect Washington’s diverse communities, and strengthening community-driven approaches that combine flexible housing supports with culturally rooted healing practices.

This strategy recognizes that too many BIPOC, Pacific Islander, Asian, immigrant, refugee, and LGBTQIA2S+ families encounter barriers to accessing housing and services because existing systems often exclude or narrowly > 6For more background on Healing Centered Engagement , see: Ginwright, Shawn, Ph. D. “The Future of Healing: Shifting from Trauma Informed Care to Healing Centered Engagement,” 2018: https://ginwright.

medium. com/the-future-of-healing-shifting-from-trauma- > informed-care-to-healing-centered-engagement-634f557ce69c > 7Maslow, Abraham. “A Theory of Human Motivation,” York University, Toronto, Ontario.

2000: > http://psychclassics. yorku. ca/Maslow/motivation.

htm > 8National Alliance to End Homelessness, “Housing First” 2016: https://endhomelessness. org/resource/housing-first/ > 9Scientific Research Publishing, “Rethinking Services with Communities of Color: Why Culturally Specific Organizations are the Preferred > Service Delivery Model,” 2019: https://www. scirp.

org/pdf/SM_2019061215164604. pdf > 10 Harvard Medical School: News & Research. “A Different Kind of Healing” 2019: https://hms.

harvard. edu/news/different-kind-healing > 11 Rethinking Learning “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Blackfoot (Siksika) Nation Beliefs,” 2019: > https://barbarabray. net/2019/03/10/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-and-blackfoot-nation-beliefs/ define who is considered a “family.

” Through this RFP, Building Changes seeks to lift up organizations that are already working to close those gaps and build more connected systems of care. We believe preventing and addressing homelessness requires a dual approach: addressing immediate housing crises while also supporting the long-term wellbeing of families through healing-centered engagement.

That means funding programs that rehouse families quickly, stabilize them through flexible supports, and strengthen belonging, culture, and connection —all foundations for lasting housing stability. This work takes place within a shifting national landscape that directly affects how families access housing, safety, and stability.

Federal policy changes, such as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) 2025 announcement that it will no longer enforce the 2016 Equal Access Rule 12 , which ensured HUD-funded programs serve people consistent with their gender identity, illustrate the ongoing vulnerability of equity protections in housing systems. These shifts highlight why Building Changes’ commitment to equity and inclusion is essential.

Disparities in homelessness among BIPOC, Pacific Islander, Asian, immigrant, refugee, and LGBTQIA2S+ communities are well documented, yet many intersecting identities —including disability, gender identity, and immigration status — remain underrepresented in data and systems design.

Families migrating to the U.S., for example, often rely on extended or non-Eurocentric family structures that fall outside traditional definitions used in housing programs and eligibility criteria. 13 This RFP invites Tribes, By-For organizations, community-based organizations, and housing and service providers to propose projects that advance these goals through three primary pathways: 1.

Flexible Housing Supports: Projects that use flexible funds to help families secure and sustain stable housing. This may include assistance with rent, deposits, and move-in costs, or other creative uses that remove barriers, such as transportation, childcare, or reconnecting with supportive networks.

Grantees should design solutions in partnership with families, tailoring resources to each household’s priorities, needs, and cultural context. 2. Healing Services: Projects that integrate healing and wellness practices as part of family stabilization.

These may include community gatherings, storytelling circles, art or movement-based activities, and spaces for cultural reconnection and reflection. Healing services should be non-clinical, community-led, and culturally grounded, helping families restore a sense of belonging, identity, and safety that supports lasting housing success. 3.

Food Access and Family Nourishment: Projects that strengthen families’ access to healthy, culturally relevant food, recognizing that nourishment is foundational to housing stability and overall well-being. This includes addressing barriers such as food insecurity, the potential reduction or loss of SNAP benefits, > 12 National Alliance to End Homelessness, Defending the Equal Access Rule, 2025: > https://endhomelessness.

org/blog/defending-the-equal-access-rule/ > 13 Pew Research Center, The Demographics of Multigenerational Households, March 24, 2022: > https://www. pewresearch. org/social-trends/2022/03/24/the-demographics-of-multigenerational-households/ and the lack of accessible grocery options in communities located within food deserts.

Grantees are encouraged to partner with local growers, food banks, or community food systems to design approaches that honor families’ cultural food traditions while ens uring consistent, dignified access to nutritious meals. These pathways are designed to work together: flexible housing support addresses immediate needs, while healing-centered services address the deeper impacts of trauma, disconnection, and systemic exclusion.

Building Changes aims to: • Increase inclusion and equity in how families are defined and served, particularly for BIPOC, Pacific Islander, Asian, immigrant, refugee, and LGBTQIA2S+ households, which includes families of intersecting identities. • Expand organizational capacity among providers to deliver housing and healing supports that are flexible, culturally responsive, and community-informed.

• Strengthen partnerships across sectors —housing, health, education, and community —to create more interconnected systems and reduce service duplication. • Generate and share learning about what works, building statewide knowledge that informs future policy and funding decisions.

A Collaborative Commitment Through this strategy, Building Changes seeks to partner with organizations that lead with community wisdom, practice cultural humility, and are ready to innovate at the intersection of housing and healing.

By centering families’ own definitions, identitie s, and goals, we can build systems that are more inclusive, connected, and effective, ensuring that those currently experiencing homelessness can find stability today and remain housed tomorrow. This funding round is designed not only to invest in effective practices but also to learn from them.

Grantees will help define what successful inclusive housing and healing models look like in practice —how flexible funds and healing services can reinforce one another, how family definitions can evolve to reflect community realities, and how partnerships can reduce barriers for those most impacted by homelessness.

Building Changes will provide evaluation support, technical assistance, and opportunities for peer learning through Learning Circles. These learning spaces will allow grantees to share insights, document challenges, and strengthen their approaches collectively.

Findings from the previous cohort highlight how traditional, compliance-heavy systems often fail to meet families where they are, while community-rooted, trust-first approaches foster stability and belonging.

In the Housing & Healing (H&H) cohort, the majority of households served were Black or African American and American Indian or Alaska Native families, many of whom were already in permanent housing situations but remained vulnerable due to economic instability or exclusion from formal systems.

Though many were listed in Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) as single-person households, further review indicated that these were often multi-person or extended-family households not fully captured by data systems —demonstrating how rigid reporting Page 8 of 14 structures can obscure the realities of family life in communities of color.

A significant portion of participants were domestic violence survivors or individuals with disabling conditions, and more than 90 percent exited to permanent housing, a strong indicator of program success.

Among the cohort, Mother Nation —a Seattle-based Native-led nonprofit serving Indigenous women and families through culturally grounded healing, advocacy, and housing stabilization —used flexible funds primarily for rental assistance and arrears. Their outcomes illustrate how trust-based relationships, cultural alignment, and flexible resources can prevent housing loss and sustain long-term stability.

These findings reinforced an important lesson: families cannot access or thrive in systems that were not designed for them. Youth and families of color, in particular, face compounded barriers when eligibility definitions, documentation requirements, and program structures fail to reflect their lived experiences.

Because of these learnings, Building Changes is taking an intentional approach in this funding round, focusing on specific populations to show that when families of color can access systems with the same ease as their white counterparts, their vulnerability and risk of homelessness decrease significantly.

Through this round, we aim to document and share how equitable design —rooted in inclusion, flexibility, and cultural responsiveness —can transform access, improve stability outcomes, and inform systemic change across Washington state. What Does Success Look Like?

Housing Stability Success looks like achieving stabilized housing for families experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness by putting flexible funds toward housing stability and housing crisis resolution by means of rapid-rehousing, diversion, or motel/hotel assistance.

Further, success looks like: • Successful exits to permanent housing • Increased confidence in maintaining stable housing • Families reporting satisfaction with their housing resolution • Increased sense of safety and stability Service Success looks like developing or expanding programs that are reported as helpful/useful by participants, where participants report the following: • Increased connection to culture identity, indigeneity, ancestry, and/or cultural roots • Increased sense of belonging and inter-connectedness • Increased sense of positive self-regard/self-love/self-knowledge • Increased knowledge of impacts of systems of oppression on an individual and collective experience and wellbeing • Increased self-awareness of body mind and spirit resilience • Increased knowledge and information about historical and racial trauma • Increased knowledge of healing and care options and opportunities for wellbeing Page 9 of 14 Learning Goals and Technical Assistance Building Changes aims to learn which healing services programs improve housing stability for families, particularly those programs rooted in cultural identity and led by BIPOC.

Demographic information and the measures identified will be used to track learnings about housing stability with information via HMIS, and grantees are expected to participate as a cohort in Learning Circles, trainings, in-person and virtual convenings, and complete bi-annual narrative reports and quarterly financial reports.

Selected grantees will be encouraged to develop a collaborative working relationship with their local Coordinated Entry partner as an important partner to share project learnings, as well as support coordination between our public systems of care to better serve families, particularly overrepresented families experiencing homelessness.

HMIS proficiency is preferred, but Building Changes will provide technical assistance and training to grantees in accessing and using HMIS as needed, as well as support making connections with local Coordinated Entry partners. This project aims to strengthen homelessness recovery by identifying which collaborative practices and equity-focused strategies are essential for program success.

We will measure organizational engagement through attendance at quarterly training sessions and participant feedback, ensuring these spaces foster resource sharing and cross-program collaboration. Programs will also track the percentage of households exiting into permanent housing, with special attention to those previously doubled up or couch surfing.

Additionally, we will monitor participation among historically marginalized populations, aiming for equitable access and representation. All measures will be disaggregated by race/ethnicity and other identity factors, where possible. Successful programs will capture attendance, demographic data, and survey feedback to inform continuous improvement.

# Applica tio n Inf ormat ion Nonprofit community or neighborhood-based organizations, regional/statewide nonprofit housing assistance organizations, federally recognized Indian Tribes, local housing authorities, and public development authorities are invited to apply.

Culturally Specific Organizations or smaller organizations led and staffed by persons of color that primarily serve communities of color (By-For Organizations) are encouraged to apply, even if not currently delivering homeless and housing services. If selected as a grantee, Building Changes will provide training and technical assistance.

• Families enrolled in or receiving housing services such as Rapid Re-Housing, Diversion, or Hotel/Motel assistance • Families experiencing homelessness • Families at-risk of homelessness • Families in need of healing services Page 10 of 14 • One or more youth or adults, living with one or more children • One or more adults over the age of 18 in combination with other adults or children who are reliant on one another, regardless of relationship.

• Family units consisting of one or more cohabitating adults over the age of 18 in combination with other adults or children, regardless of relationship • One or more youth or adults with a child that is currently living away, but with a defined timeline for reunification that is within three months • A person who is pregnant; expecting a child; navigating grief and healing following pregnancy or infant loss Who are: • Unsheltered or living in a place not meant for human habitation (including the streets or in their car) OR • Fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and who lack resources and support networks to obtain other permanent housing OR • Lacking an adequate, fixed, or safe nighttime residence.

This includes couch surfing or doubled up due to hardship. Organizations and agencies across Washington state are invited to apply. Applicants are encouraged to use data in their application to demonstrate the need for greater resources for BIPOC families in their community.

Expectations for Funded Projects • Expected outputs include: o Exits to Permanent Housing o Families reporting confidence in maintaining stable housing o Families reporting satisfaction with housing, safety, stability • Other outputs tracked include: o Use of Flexible Funding o Participation in program improvement efforts ▪ Partner organizations attend at least 2 training sessions per year ▪ Partner organizations complete training surveys to assist with program improvements ▪ Staff and participant feedback/assistance in service design • Outcomes measured and compared to baseline include: o The number/percentage of exits to permanent housing, with at least 65% of households exits towards permanent housing o The number/percentage of family enrollment in healing services o At least 60% of households that participate in the program should identify as Indigenous, Black, Pacific Islander, Asian, immigrant/refugee, and LBGTQIA2S+, or intersecting identities o The number/percentage of families who exit with increased cultural identity, community connectedness, sense of belonging, wellness, wellbeing o The number/percentage of families who exit with increased feelings of personal growth and self-awareness Page 11 of 14 o Length of time accessing services Grantees will be evaluated on client experience via client feedback loop and regular data reporting.

Two-Part Application, Review & Selection, and Notification Process This competitive RFP process will consist of a two-part application and review and selection process. In the first round, interested applicants must submit an initial proposal.

Completed initial proposals will be reviewed according to a standard rubric by a First Round Selection Committee consisting of subject matter and lived experts, Building Changes ’ staff and Board members. Top scoring applicants will be invited to complete a second and final round of the application and review and selection process.

Based on the outcome of that review, Building Changes staff will make final funding recommendations to the Building Changes Board of Directors for approval. All applicants will be notified about the outcome of their first round proposal by December 22, 2025 . Final awards will be announced in early February 2026 , with project contracts set to begin in mid- February 2026 .

Building Changes’ appeal process: 1. Grounds for an Appeal: Applicants may only submit an appeal on the following grounds: Failure by Building Changes to follow procedures outlined in this Request for Proposal; and/or discrimination or conflict of interest on the part of a rater. 2.

Appeal Window: Appeals will be considered from December 29, 2025 through January 5, 2026. 3. How to Submit an Appeal: Building Changes must receive all appeals in writing during the appeal window.

Appeals will be reviewed by the Director of Practice Innovation. Appeals must be emailed to the Director of Practice Innovation, Dimitri Groce, at Dimitri. Groce@BuildingChanges.

org . Applicants should indicate the grounds for their appeal and a short description of why they are appealing. 4.

Review of an Appeal: All materials (application, score sheets, reviewer comments, supplemental materials) pertaining to the applicant along with the appeal letter will be reviewed by the Director of Practice Innovation, who has the authority to have a new reviewer read and consider the application.

Building Changes will have 10 business days from the end of the Appeal Window (January 5) to review the materials and provide a written decision back to the applicant.

Issue Request for Proposals Monday, November 3, 2025 Q&A Session (Virtual) Thursday, November 13, 2025 FAQ and Q&A Session Recording Posted on Building Changes Website Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Initial Proposals Due to Building Changes by 11:59 PM PST Monday, December 8, 2025 Page 12 of 14 All Applicants Notified About Outcome of Their Initial Proposal Monday, December 22, 2025 Appeal Window December 29, 2025- January 5, 2026 Finalist Application Process January 5- January 30, 2026 Final Awards Announced First week of February 2026 Contracts in Place with New Grantees Mid- February 2026 > *Building Changes reserves the right to revise the above timeline.

Details of Q&A Session (Virtual) Thursday, November 13, 2025: 11:00- 12:00 PM PST Please register for Washington Youth & Families Fund 2025 RFP for Projects Serving Families Q&A Session by clicking here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Zoom session. Please submit questions in advance via email by COB Monday, November 10, 2025 , to WYFF@BuildingChanges.

org . # Sub mi ssion Instruc ti on s Initial Proposal Submission Completed initial proposals for the first round of this competitive RFP process must be received by Building Changes no later than 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time on Monday, December 8, 2025 . Proposals must be submitted using our online application form .

All responses and materials should be prepared before beginning the online application form. Uploads submitted via the online application form must be in Microsoft Word or PDF format. Fax transmissions cannot be received by Building Changes and cannot be used for submission of proposals.

Proposals that do not follow the specified format and/or do not meet the submission requirements will not be reviewed. Late proposals will not be accepted, unless Building Changes’ online form is found to be at fault, at Building Changes’ sole determinatio n.

Completed initial proposals must include the following: • Completed online application form with required applicant information, project information, and file • Application Narrative: Includes Executive Summary and written responses to all narrative questions (see below) in Microsoft Word or PDF format submitted as one file upload with the online application form.

Page 13 of 14 # Applica tio n F or m Req ui re ments IMPORTANT: The following information and materials should be prepared in advance of beginning the online application form . Online applications must be completed and submitted in one session. Online applications may NOT be started, saved, and resumed later for submission.

Applicants will be required to enter the following information into the online application form: • Organization Name and Address • Primary Contact for Application (Name, Title, Email Address, Phone Number) • Contact information for person submitting the application (if different from Primary Contact for Application) Checkbox/Yes or No Questions (10%): • The applicant organization is a nonprofit community or neighborhood-based organization; regional/statewide nonprofit housing assistance organization; federally recognized tribe; local housing authority; or public development authority.

• The applicant organization is a culturally-specific and/or Black, Indigenous, People of the Global Majority (BIPOGM)-led and -serving organization that supports BIPOGM Immigrants and Refugees. • The applicant organization has familiarity and access to Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). • The applicant organization is currently involved with Coordinated Entry in their community.

• The applicant organization has a pre-existing data infrastructure.

• Title of Proposed Project • Geographic Area Served by Project (Specify counties and/or other geographic area) • Proposed Use of WYFF Funds (Summarize in 2 or 3 sentences how the WYFF funds would be used) • Total Proposed WYFF Budget (Total request should not exceed $500,000), including the amount of:  Flexible Funds $________  Indirect Costs $________  Sub-contracted costs, if applicable $________ • Total WYFF Request: $________ Completed initial proposals must include responses to ALL prompts and questions below.

Percentages indicate weighting of categories for review. Use 12-point font and keep responses to a maximum of 6 pages total for all responses. The Application Narrative should be submitted as one file upload in .

DOC or . PDF format with the online application form. Please include applicant organization name in uploaded file name.

Example: "(YourOrgName)-ApplicationNarrative" Page 14 of 14 Please provide a summary of your proposal that includes an overview of your project, why it is important, and how your organization is uniquely positioned to make an impact through this work. Use 12-point font, and limit response to a maximum of 1 page total. Please respond to the questions below.

Use 12-point font and limit responses to a maximum of 5 pages total. Percentages indicate weighting of categories for review. 1.

Program Design Description (40%): a. Please describe your definition of nontraditional families, and how your project seeks to create more equitable access toward services that reduce risk and vulnerability for these families. b.

How does your project address the connection between trauma and homelessness? c. Please describe your current use and definition of flex funds.

How will this contribute to securing and sustaining housing stability for families? 2. Racial Equity Focus (40%): a.

Please describe the racial inequities of family homelessness in your community. How does structural racism and discrimination show up as root causes of homelessness and housing instability for families? Please respond to the following questions in your response: • How is your organization or agency working to address or dismantle structural racism and discrimination?

What are the outcomes and/or learnings from those efforts? • Describe what family homelessness looks like in your community; what are the specific needs or barriers that you hope to address? • How has systemic and institutional