Application for the 2021 Elections Community Engagement Program

Ramsey County Elections Office is awarding between $5,000 and $10,000 each to multiple community partners for civic engagement work in 2021. This is a short-term opportunity, with outreach and engagement to be conducted from as early as June 2021 to Nov. 2, 2021. The objective is to create materials to educate the public and raise election participation in historically underrepresented communities and in areas of Ramsey County where voter registration and turnout rates are low. To achieve this objective, Ramsey County is seeking community partners who are trusted members of the community to help the Elections Office address several voter engagement initiatives in 2021:

• Develop resources and carry messaging and education into the community.
• Raise awareness of the importance of civic education and election participation.
• Provide voter eligibility information.
• Assist people in accessing resources and voting options
• Register eligible voters and connect them with voting options.
• Connect voters with the Elections Office for further assistance.

Areas of focus

Historically underrepresented communities include but are not limited to:

• People of color and Indigenous communities.
• Immigrant and refugee communities.
• English language learners.
• Renter households.
• Youth 18-24.
• People with disabilities.
• People experiencing homelessness.

Areas of Ramsey County where voter registration and voter turnout rates are low include:

• North End, Hamline Midway. Rondo, Frogtown. East Side and West Side (Saint Paul).
• Western Hills, Beaver Lake. Parkside, Hillside and Gladstone (Maplewood).
• Rice and Larpenteur and McCarrons (Roseville).

Contract opportunities are not restricted to these areas, but these are some of the areas where the need for voter engagement is greatest.

Available funding

This is a partnership and funding opportunity with Ramsey County for 2021. Multiple partners will be awarded, with amounts ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 for each award.

The application deadline was May 7, 2021. Services are anticipated to begin as early as June 2021.

The qualifying activities include:

• Creating educational/informational materials and/or partnering with the county to translate materials – such as flyers, educational materials, and outreach videos – for the broader public.
• Partnering with the county in developing educational videos, presentations, or interactive resources for all age levels – in support of the county’s initiative to enrich civic education.
• Promoting educational materials to the broader public through direct or online engagement.
• Organizing workshops to conduct research on voters’ perspectives, helping understand areas impacting voter participation and civic engagement, and creating recommendations to the county to help work on areas needing improvement.
• Organizing and facilitating information sessions, workshops, and other events. This could include presenting general information about 2021 elections, instructions and assistance with completing voter registration forms, and providing opportunities for people to complete paper or online voter registration applications on the spot. This may also involve working with community leaders in communities with historically low voter turnout to hold these events.
• Tabling and canvassing at major community celebrations, sporting events, cultural events, and other high-traffic events in areas where voter participation is low and/or where members of historically underrepresented communities have a strong presence.
• Organizing contests, games, concerts, or other participatory events – may be in the online setting – where the primary aim is to raise awareness and encourage participation in voting, attention to civic education, involvement in civic engagement and volunteerism, and more.
• Facilitating candidate forums with interactive opportunity for the broader public.
• Creating a non-partisan voter guide through non-political interviews with candidates.

Please note - these awards may only be used for the following expenses: salary costs, event food/refreshments, space rental, supplies, WiFi hotspots, volunteer incentives, printing/copying costs, travel mileage, mail/postage, contracted services, language translations, and promotional items. Alcoholic beverages may not be purchased with these funds.

The following activities are prohibited when conducting engagement using funds from Ramsey County:

• Providing monetary, food, “swag” or other incentives in exchange for registering voters to vote (food and “swag” can be provided as part of the event, but not in exchange for filling out these forms).
• Registering non-eligible voters.
• Campaigning for political candidates – this program is explicitly non-partisan and may have no connection to candidates nor ballot questions.

There is limited funding available, so awards are contingent on the application meeting the criteria and requirements of the contract and scope of the work. If you are interested in partnering with Ramsey County on one or more of the above focus areas, please submit one application demonstrating the scope of work for a select focus area(s).

Before beginning the application, ensure you have the following details: 

• Your name or your organization’s name, address and, if applicable, website URL.
• Name, email and phone number of main contact(s).
• Budget line items and description of anticipated expenses to be spent by Nov. 2, 2021.
• Scope of engagement, including detailed description, timeline, and primary location(s) of planned activities.
• If you are registered as a non-profit entity or a certified small business (CERT), your 501(c)3 (or EIN) number or CERT number.

Eligibility 

Eligible applicants may include, but are not limited to, faith-based organizations, social service organizations, tribal governments, community nonprofit organizations and individual organizers with a strong track record of community engagement.

Criteria

Applicant will be reviewed using the following criteria:

• Applicant Information & Required Documents (10 points).
• Scope of Activities: Plans to conduct one or more of the Qualifying Activities (30 points).
• Budget Summary and Narrative (10 points).

Reporting to the county

At the end of the contract term, you will be expected to submit an evaluation of the project to county staff. The report will become the property of Ramsey County and information provided in the report may be used in future publications (without individual names/identifying information).

The evaluation will include:

• Description of the activities you or your organization conducted.
• Description of your successes in these activities.
• Approximate number and general demographic description of Ramsey County residents you or your organization engaged.
• Description of the barriers/challenges you faced.

The evaluation must be submitted by Dec. 3, 2021.

Budget

Applicants must download and use this budget form (Excel).   

Please note - there are two pages/tabs, a summary and a narrative. Both pages must be completed. Please provide line item totals and a detailed description of the anticipated expenses. Provide rates or unit costs

Example: Staff: Canvasser at $20/hr for 75 hours = $1,500. All funds must be spent by Nov. 2, 2021.

Upload the budget form as an attachment below.