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Receive a presentation on the Community Investment Fund (CIF) FY2026/27 Annual Grants to address the top six human services needs in the County; Consider approval of a recommendation to allocate up to $365,000 from the CIF One-Time Investments to five agencies for a term of July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027, for annual grants in response to the Request for Proposals 2026-02 CIF Annual Grants; and Delegate authority to the County Administrator, with the concurrence of County Counsel, to execute resulting contracts
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The County Administrator’s Office recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Receive a presentation on the Community Investment Fund (CIF) FY2026/27 Annual Grants to address the top six human services needs in the County;
2. Consider approval of a recommendation to allocate up to $365,000 from the CIF One-Time Investments to five agencies for a term of July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027, for annual grants in response to the Request for Proposals 2026-02 CIF Annual Grants; and
3. Delegate authority to the County Administrator, with the concurrence of County Counsel, to execute resulting contracts
SUMMARY:
On behalf of the Board of Supervisors, the County Administrator’s Office initiated a Human Services Needs Assessment (HSNA) to identify the County’s most pressing human services needs, resulting in a durable framework of desired outcomes and indicators. In response, the Board established a $2 million annual Community Investment Fund (CIF) structured around three funding categories: Legacy Programs, Deep Programming, and One-Time Investments, with a Nonprofit Emergency Fund added later.
This item contains funding recommendations for One-Time Investments for FY2026/27. Staff issued Request for Proposals (RFP) 2026-02 CIF Annual Grants to solicit proposals for one-year grants ranging from $25,000 to $75,000, targeting one of the six priority needs identified in the HSNA: mental health, housing, homelessness, early education, youth development, and safe and stable environments for children. A review panel recommended funding five proposals submitted by the following agencies: Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, Planned Parenthood Northern California, Innovative Health Solutions, Food is Free Bay Area, and Rio Vista CARE.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The cost associated with the six contracts is included in the Board’s Community Investment Fund for FY2026/27. The costs associated with management and implementation of the Community Investment Fund are included in First 5 Solano’s FY2026/27 Recommended budget.
DISCUSSION:
In 2019, on behalf of the Board of Supervisors, the County Administrator’s Office initiated a Human Services Needs Assessment (HSNA) to identify the greatest human services needs in the county. This effort resulted in the creation of a durable framework of desired outcomes with clearly defined indicators to support a process that directs limited county resources via a $2 million Community Investment Fund. This fund includes a formal process to utilize qualitative and quantitative data to identify the highest human service needs in the county and direct limited resources to those needs. The CIF process identified the top six priority human services needs in Solano County as (in priority order) mental health, housing, homelessness, early education, youth development, and safe and stable environments for children. The CIF includes a three-pronged approach to funding, which includes Legacy Programs, Deep Programming, and One-Time Investments.
In 2023, a CIF Planning Group reconvened to assess the effectiveness of the CIF and make recommendations for the Board to consider going forward. Based on those recommendations, the Board approved modifications to the original fund, such as allowing unspent funds to be spent in future years, modifying the approach for homelessness to focus on homelessness prevention, and the additional of a nonprofit emergency fund.
For the One-Time Investments category of the Community Investment Fund, the Board allocated $365,000 annually. Staff issued RFP 2026-02 to solicit proposals for grants of $25,000 up to $75,000 for one year (July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027) to address one of the top 6 needs in Solano County.
In response to this RFP, 95 individuals representing 75 agencies attended the mandatory virtual proposers’ conference to learn and ask questions about this funding opportunity. A total of 38 organizations submitted proposals and 32 met the minimum qualifications and were scored by a review panel with expertise in the top priority areas identified in the Community Investment Fund. As part of the RFP process, financial documents are also reviewed by the Auditor Controller’s Office.
The review panel for the annual grant RFP recommends the Board fund the following proposals:
1. Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano - $75,000 to deliver free, locally sourced fresh produce to 20 sites across Solano County, serving over 10,000 individuals monthly and increasing access to nutritious food while supporting local farmers.
2. Planned Parenthood Northern California - $75,000 to improve mental health outcomes through coordination between Community Health Workers and behavioral health services, providing early identification, counseling, and linkages to care for Solano County residents.
3. Innovative Health Solutions - $65,000 to support Black pregnant individuals and families experiencing housing insecurity through housing navigation, basic needs assistance, mental health support, fresh produce, and nutrition education.
4. Food is Free Bay Area - $75,000 to provide food and basic resources through distribution sites across Solano County and host quarterly Family Health Hub events connecting families to referrals, nutrition education, and community resources.
5. Rio Vista CARE - $75,000 to provide counseling, substance use support, case management, family resource services, and school-based mental health education for uninsured and underserved youth and adults.
Should the Board approve the recommendation, staff will negotiate and execute contracts with the recommended agencies and report back to the Board on outcomes achieved.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to approve the recommendations for allocations of funding from the CIF to the 5 agencies identified through the RFP process; however, this is not recommended, as the CIF was approved by the Board of Supervisors after a collaborative development process with cross-sector input to guide decision-making. The Board also requested staff to implement the CIF on its behalf, and the proposals were selected through a competitive process in accordance with the County’s Contracting and Purchasing Policy.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
First 5 Solano is administering the CIF on behalf of the County Administrator’s Office.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION