RSJ Fund Phase One Application

RSJ Fund Application

The Racial and Social Justice Fund is a grant program supported by the City of Somerville’s Department of Racial and Social Justice (RSJ). The RSJ Fund was created with the intention of supporting local justice-oriented work throughout Somerville. The RSJ Fund makes grants available to residents, advocates, and service providers during application windows.

To learn more about the RSJ Fund, visit somervillema.gov/rsj-fund.

To begin your application, click "Next" at the bottom of this page.

Applicant Information

Let's get started with some basic information about you.
Name

First NameLast Name
Email address:
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Do you currently reside in Somerville, Massachusetts?
Since you are not a resident of Somerville, please tell us about your connection to the community, including your affiliation (employed here, track record of advocacy here, etc.)
Are you under the age of 18?

Project Overview

Tell us a bit more about the project you are applying to receive funding for.
Please provide a brief project title:
Project concept:
Describe the justice-oriented work or program you intend to complete. Please provide specific details about each step you will take to perform this work. Please provide confirmation of what focus areas your work will cover. The focus areas are listed in the Program Guidebook available on the RSJ Fund webpage.
My project applies to the following focus areas:

Other
Public benefit:
Explain how this project provides a benefit to the public or the Somerville community.
Personal experience:
Provide a narrative description of your past work and lived experience. Please include related experience(s) that will inform your project, prior work experience that relates to the focus areas of the project, and what your connection to Somerville is.
Optional: Attach a resume or CV (2 pages maximum)

Cancelof
Proposed timeline:
Provide an estimated start and end date for this work. Include steps that you will take to meet these deadlines, including procurement of necessary materials, actions you will take, outreach, etc. If your project proposal involves multiple stages, please provide a breakdown for each stage.

Funding Overview

All applicants are able to request award amounts between $250 and $9,999. Final award amounts are subject to the review committee and the Department of Racial and Social Justice. The requested amount, proposed project, and applicant profile are all considered when awarding a final amount.

All awardees conduct their work on a reimbursement basis. No awardees should expect to receive compensation before the completion of their work.
How much funding are you requesting for this project?
All applicants may request an amount between $250 and $9,999.
Proposed funding allocations:
Please provide an overview of how you will utilize awarded funds if selected to receive funding. As best you can, provide exact estimates or research approximations of how funds will be spent on materials, outreach, software or hardware, space rentals, personal compensation for the work, etc.
The RSJ Fund Review Committee will review applications and requested funding amounts. Receiving your requested funding is not guaranteed. If you receive less funding than requested, how would this impact your project?

Disclosures

To comply with ethics laws, it is important that employees with the City of Somerville, Special Municipal Employees, and those who have other contracts with the City / work for an organization that has other contracts with the City complete any mandatory disclosures/exemptions required by law.

Below, please identify if you:
- Are employed by the City of Somerville.
- Are a Special Municipal Employee within the City of Somerville (generally part-time positions that serve on public bodies).
- Have a contract with the City of Somerville or work for an employer who has a contract with the City of Somerville.
Are you employed by the City of Somerville?
Are you a Special Municipal Employee within the City of Somerville?
Do you have a contract with the City of Somerville, or do you work for an employer who has a contract with the City of Somerville?
If you have a contract with the City, please explain the contract that you have with the City of Somerville below:

Acknowledgements
Reimbursement Model: By submitting this application, I acknowledge that I understand that the RSJ Fund does not provide upfront financing. I understand that I am responsible for initial costs and will only be reimbursed upon the successful completion of the project as defined in a future signed agreement.
Terms of Payment: By submitting this application, I acknowledge that I understand that if my project is selected to proceed, I will be required to work with City Staff to create a “Terms of Payment” document. This document will be agreed upon by both parties – myself and the City of Somerville – and will outline the criteria for successful completion of this project. Only upon meeting the agreed upon criteria will I be eligible for full reimbursement of awarded funds.
Should be Empty: