Thank you for your interest and questions regarding the RFP to become CAN’s Fiscal Sponsor. Following are the answers to questions related to the RFP. Additional questions have been submitted and are in the process of being posted. 

Is the intent that the selected entity will only serve as the fiscal agent?

As outlined in the assurances section of the RFP, it is important that any Fiscal Sponsor acknowledge the California AfterSchool Network (CAN) Leadership Team as the primary governing body of CAN. It is also important that an appropriate liaison participate on the CAN Leadership Team and Executive Committee. CAN is seeking a fiscal agent who is an active partner in the Leadership Team. However, there are also opportunities for collaboration and partnership. These types of opportunities would be pursued with the CAN Leadership Team.

Will the applicant agency be a partner in determining the programmatic direction of CAN?

The fiscal agent/sponsor is a member of the executive committee and leadership team of CAN with additional duties of managing the budget and advising the network on financial capacity of the group to implement programmatic activities within that budget. The programmatic direction of CAN is determined by the CAN Leadership Team.

For assurance number one: Please expand on the definition of Primary Governing Body. Governing body over what? Programmatic decisions? Fiscal? Personnel?

The CAN Leadership Team is the primary governing body for CAN. This means that the Leadership Team sets the strategic and programmatic direction for CAN and provides direction to CAN staff on how to meet strategic and programmatic goals, with shared duties with the Fiscal Sponsor on personnel issues. The Fiscal Sponsor provides data on the status of revenue and expenses in order for the Leadership Team to make decisions on how best to utilize existing resources (consistent with the Fiscal Sponsor’s organizational policies and procedures) to achieve the strategic and programmatic goals of CAN.  It will be important for the Fiscal Sponsor to provide regular financial reports and budget updates to inform programmatic and fund development planning. 

The RFP does not appear to require the applicant’s proposal as to how CAN, the CDE, and their agency will partner to leverage resources to provide service to the expanded learning field. Additionally, there is no place to describe our thoughts about CAN’s Leadership structure. When will this information be solicited?

Such arrangements will be determined as part of the creation of an MOU between CAN and the Fiscal Sponsor. The Leadership Team will solicit input from all members as to the leadership structure of the organization as it moves forward.

Are CAN employees expected to be employees of the fiscal agent organization?

Yes.

If CAN employees are to be considered employees of the fiscal agent organization, who must provide supervision over them?

There are joint responsibilities between the organization’s designee and the CAN Leadership Team on major decisions such as hiring and terminating staff. Typically, a designee of the Fiscal Sponsor serves as the organization’s supervisor of the CAN Director. The CAN Director supervises others on the Network staff. Specific arrangements on the joint supervision relationship will be determined during the process of creating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

What is the level of funding anticipated to be awarded?

See the information outlined in the RFP.

County Superintendents have the ability to lobby for bills that pertain to education. Is there a conflict of interest regarding this ability to lobby and Assurance #9 in the RFA?

It is not perceived that there will be a conflict of interest as long as the organization understands that CAN activities must be consistent with the lobbying restrictions of CAN’s funding sources. 

In question 12a., it refers to professional development workshops. Is this referring to having access to existing workshops or would this require the fiscal sponsor to create and facilitate new ones? If so, what types of workshops and what frequency is desired?

The list provided as part of 12a offers a variety of potential services that a Fiscal Sponsor may provide. There is not an expectation that the fiscal sponsor provide all the services listed, or put new services in place. For this section, describe the services you currently have in place that would be accessible by CAN, and how they would be accessible. 

If an administrative assistant is not already in place, what would be the annual workload (FTE) needed for duties listed in question 12b?

CAN has had a variety of administrative support arrangements. Currently, CAN does not employ dedicated administrative staff. CAN currently partners with its existing Fiscal Sponsor for administrative services. CAN does not require a full time, dedicated administrative assistant, but does require a variety of administrative services (examples offered in the RFP). Please describe your capacity to make an arrangement with CAN for administrative support, and describe the costs associated. 

In question 12c., it refers to copying and printing. What amount and type of copying and printing would be required each year? Would an office copier work for these purposes? If the Fiscal Sponsor supplied the copier, would the CAN budget purchase all the supplies for operation?

For daily operations, meetings, and convening, CAN requires access to copiers and printers. CAN budget can purchase supplies for the operation. Please describe how your organization would make such an arrangement, and the costs associated. Additionally, CAN designs and prints publication-quality materials. Please describe whether you have such capabilities in house or whether you would outsource for such services. CAN budget would support design and printing. 

In question 12c., it mentions that there should be the capacity to transfer and maintain CAN website domains and online databases. What platform are you currently using for the website and databases?

The http://www.afterschoolnetwork.org website is on an open-source Drupal platform, with server space accommodated by the web developer (Digital Deployment). Maintenance and server space is provided by Digital Deployment at a cost of $300 per month.  

The http://programs.afterschoolnetwork.org database utilizes a MySQL database system interacting with a Drupal web platform. The school data is updated twice a year and takes approximately 15 hours of a database manager’s time to update each time. It is estimated the transfer of such a database would require 10 – 15 hours.

The http://powerofdiscovery.org website is currently hosted on a Pantheon server (cloud service at getpantheon.com). The site requires IT support to ensure consistent security updates and address unexpected glitches. This requires about 2 hours of a web developer’s time per month. The web developer would need to be familiar with a drupal platform.

 In question 12c., it mentions email marketing campaigns. Would these campaigns be created by CAN, and the Fiscal Sponsor provides the platform for distribution? Or are you looking for someone to develop the campaigns as well?

As a statewide entity, CAN does a variety of marketing and communications. CAN currently maintains its listserv and implements email marketing utilizing Mailchimp, CAN leverages various social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Additionally, CAN facilitates virtual meetings and webinars utilizing ready-talk, and disseminates video utilizing Vimeo.

Please describe your ability to support the platforms described, and/or whether your organization utilizes other specific services that would support such efforts, how CAN would access these services, and the cost of such services. 

In question 12c., it mentions web design. Is CAN looking for a web designer?

The http://www.afterschoolnetwork.org website is on an open-source Drupal platform, with server space accommodated by the web developer (Digital Deployment). Maintenance and server space is provided by Digital Deployment at a cost of $300 per month. For this website, CAN would not require a web designer.

It may be possible that CAN would have a role in continuing to support the http://powerofdiscovery.org website. The site requires IT support to ensure consistent security updates and address unexpected glitches. This requires about 2 hours of a web developer’s time per month. The web developer would need to be familiar with a Drupal platform. 

In question 12d., it mentions research and data analysis for publication. What types of services would be desired in this area?

The California AfterSchool Network maintains an after school programs database http://programs.afterschoolnetwork.org and releases the annual State of the State of Expanded Learning publication.

For the State of the State publication, CAN works with researchers/data analysts to synthesize and graphically represent data from the CDE after school division, along with data on all schools in CA. This typically requires 15% of a data analyst’s time for a 3-month period.

Please describe your capacity to support such activities internally, or through outsourcing.

In the sample contract Exhibit D.6, it mentions data storage. What size/capacity would be ideal for data storage?

CAN maintains the after school program database at http://programs.afterschoolnetwork.org  database which is built with Drupal 7 (PhP and MySQL db software).  The site (code and database) takes up 150MB of space.

For question 13, do you just want contact information for references? Or are you looking for letters of support?

Please offer a description of the organizations that you currently or previously served as a fiscal sponsor/agent for, and contact information for those entities. There is no need to provide a letter of support. 

In Section 4, what other relevant documents would be helpful?

The CAN Leadership Team is not seeking any specific documentation. If you feel additional documents support your proposal, feel free to include them.