• What are the goals of this process?

Our goal is to inform the Oregon IDA Initiative’s short-term and long-term future.  Throughout our conversations this summer, we anticipate priorities will fall into the following categories:

1. New opportunities for the Initiative to serve Oregon communities
2. Initiative structure, sustainability, and possible service model innovations
3. Feedback on the current scope and impact of the Initiative
4. Possible priorities to guide future growth of the Initiative

•  What is the agenda for the statewide conversations?

Please see our agenda here.

• How much funding is available?

We anticipate awarding approximately $1,200,000 in the fall of 2013.  Organizations invited to submit a Request for Proposal (RFP) that are not funded the fall of 2013 may be considered during the Spring 2014 allocation process. Even if not funded, all letters of intent and proposals will contribute to the trajectory of the Initiative by providing ideas as we continue to plan for the Initiative’s growth and future development.

• Who can apply for funding?

Letters of Intent (LOI) are welcome from all organizations interested in becoming part of the Oregon IDA Initiative or that would like to have current funding increase.  However, LOI will only be considered if the applying organization participated in at least one of the summer conversations with the Initiative.

• Can organizations with no IDA experience apply for funding?

Letters of Intent (LOI) are welcome from all organizations interested in becoming a part of the Oregon IDA Initiative.  Organizations with no IDA experience should expect to partner with an existing Fiduciary Organization (FO).  If partnerships are not already established, Neighborhood Partnerships (NP) and current FOs will collaboratively discuss partnership options during the September 3-13 LOI consideration process, which will then be communicated to organizations submitting LOI.

• Are you accepting Letters of Intent (LOI) for new Fiduciary Organizations?

If you are an IDA provider working through an existing network, we ask that you work with your current Fiduciary Organization (FO) to jointly submit any LOI, or to decide with your network provider whether application for independent FO status is appropriate. The Oregon IDA Initiative relies on our network managers to help us serve all parts of Oregon in a cost effective and professional manner.

We welcome everyone to participate in the meetings and discussions about the priorities, impact, and future of the Initiative.

• Can we apply for funding that does not include IDA match?

All ideas are welcome to be submitted as an LOI.  Only LOI which receive an RFP invitation will be considered during the application process.  Please note that any proposed projects that are not 75% match, 20% program, and 5% administration will require a waiver to Administrative Rule issued by Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS).  We cannot guarantee waivers will be allowed, but OHCS will consider any requests that come out of the LOI consideration process.

• Do current Fiduciary Organizations (FOs) need to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI)?

All new projects proposed by any organization must be included in an LOI.  FOs comfortable with their current level of funding do not need to submit an LOI or formal proposal during this process.  We will conduct a simpler renewal process for currently funded projects in Spring 2014.  Any FO considering applying for additional funding now, or in the near future, should plan on submitting an LOI during this 2013 process.  New funding requests will not be considered during Spring 2014 allocations unless they were proposed during this process.

• How many Letters of Intent can one organization submit?

If an organization has multiple projects for which they would like to apply for funding, multiple LOI may be submitted.  There is no limit on how many LOI an organization may submit.  Organizations are encouraged to prioritize their proposed projects and only submit letters for their top funding priorities.  Each project should be submitted as a separate LOI.

• What if I am located in an area that is not within commutable distance to any of the meeting locations?

We are offering three webinars throughout the summer for those who are unable to attend a meeting in person.

• How will all of the information from the conversations be made available to Fiduciary Organizations (FOs) during the LOI consideration process?  Do we need to attend every meeting to ensure we get all of the information?

Neighborhood Partnerships will take thorough notes throughout the process and summarize the content of the meetings and the Letters of Intent for our Fiduciary Organizations to consider collaboratively September 3-13.

• Will Fiduciary Organizations (FOs) be reviewing other FOs’ Letters of Intent (LOI)?

FOs will not review one another’s LOI in detail, but will be asked to discuss the range of options and choices and provide their input on priorities.