The Colorado Refugee Services Program (CRSP) seeks proposals for programs which will address pressing immigration-related legal needs for Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-eligible Afghan community members in Colorado.
Donor Name: Rose Community Foundation
State: Colorado
City: Denver, Greeley and Colorado Springs
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/07/2023
Size of the Grant: $250,000 to $850,000
Grant Duration: 18 months
Details:
Rose Community Foundation (RCF) serves as the Fiscal Intermediary for the current Refugee Integration Fund grants overseen by CRSP. The RCF contact listed in these instructions is the sole point of contact concerning this Request for Proposals (RFP).
The Refugee Integration Fund supports programs and initiatives that are addressing priority needs for newly arrived Afghans and other Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-eligible populations residing in Colorado, including legal services, mental health services, and support to schools.
Program Objective
The objective of the Afghan Legal Services (ALS) program funding is to help newly arrived Afghans identify and pursue viable pathways to legal permanent status in the United States through immigration-related legal services and education. The program approach should be client-centered, trauma-informed, and strengths-based. It should also be informed by an understanding of Afghan history, culture, and the unique circumstances of the 2021 Afghan evacuation. ORR strongly encourages practicing inclusion through purposeful collaboration and engagement with ethnic communities to inform service design and delivery. For the implementation of this funding, Afghan leaders and communities should be engaged in meaningful and consistent ways to inform program design and implementation.
Eligible Activities
Immigration-related Legal Assistance
- Increasing immigration literacy:
- Providing eligible populations with basic legal orientation on immigration statuses and immigration protections under the law
- Conducting seminars, trainings, or workshops on relevant immigration-related legal assistance topics to eligible clients and/or eligible pro se applicants
- Preparing and filing immigration-related forms :
- Consulting with a client to determine immigration-related legal assistance needs
- Interviewing the client to obtain relevant information
- Assisting in the replacement of lost or damaged immigration documents and/or assisting with the correction of incorrect immigration documents
- Providing interpretation services to engage the client’s support in filling out relevant immigration forms
- Translating relevant documents into client’s preferred language to provide the client with greater understanding of the forms and the U.S. immigration system
- Explaining relevant forms to the client
- Physically filling out relevant forms
- Retrieving supporting documentation for relevant forms
- Providing guidance on fee waivers
- Assisting in the logistics of securing fees for forms
- Providing direct legal representation
- Representing the client in an affirmative asylum interview or other mandatory in-person immigration-related legal assistance appointment
- Responding to immigration-related inquiries from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
- Responding to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) inquiries, including requests for evidence or notices of intent to deny.
Funding Information
Grant awards will range from $250,000 to $850,000 on average.
Budget Period: The anticipated term is March 2023 through September 30, 2024, in alignment with the federal fiscal year calendar.
Eligibility Criteria
Organizations eligible to apply for this funding opportunity are:
- Colorado agencies with experience serving ORR-eligible populations in metro Denver, Greeley , Colorado Springs, and/or with the capacity to provide in-person or mobile services to various locations in Colorado, including rural areas.
- Able and willing to serve ORR-eligible populations regardless of ethnicity, language, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, and/or race.
- Have data collection and outcome reporting capabilities that support the goals, purposes, and approach of this RFP.
- Are public and private nonprofit agencies operating in Colorado, including community- based organizations with or without 501(c) (3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), school districts, and public housing authorities.
- Have the financial tracking and reporting capabilities necessary to provide supporting documentation and fiscal responsibility in line with the requirements of the handling of federal funds.
For more information, visit RCF.
