OCPSC Community Outreach and Enrollment Grant 2025

The Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement (GO-Serve), through its Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC), has released a Request for Applications for nonprofit organizations to provide community outreach and enrollment assistance services. OCPSC was established to coordinate California’s most important statewide public awareness and outreach programs, ensuring inclusive and effective outcomes while reducing equity gaps. Drawing on lessons from major initiatives such as Vaccinate ALL 58, California Census 2020, and the Trusted Messenger Program, OCPSC uses data-driven approaches to strengthen communication, resource allocation, and rapid response to community needs. Its role is particularly significant in California, a state characterized by diverse populations and distinct communication challenges. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to partner with community-based organizations to assist residents with enrolling in public service programs, including CalKIDS and those featured in the California Community Resource Guide. The grant emphasizes outreach efforts that go beyond providing information, requiring applicants to deliver direct, staff-supported assistance resulting in completed applications. OCPSC may adjust programmatic priorities during the grant term, and grantees must be able to pivot to meet shifting statewide needs. Outreach strategies expected include in-person office support, workshops, enrollment events, engagement at community gatherings, phone banking, and door-to-door canvassing. These activities must be coupled with enrollment assistance processes such as collecting documentation and coordinating with administering agencies. Performance will be evaluated by the number of individuals successfully enrolled. In addition to direct enrollment activities, grantees will be responsible for promotional outreach. This includes posting on social media, engaging with ethnic and mainstream media, distributing printed materials, and integrating messaging into communications tools. These promotional activities are not separately reimbursed; their costs must be built into the per-enrollment reimbursement rate. The funding structure allocates up to $7.5 million statewide, distributed across an estimated 50 organizations. Each awardee may receive up to $150,000, though OCPSC retains discretion to adjust amounts based on geographic or demographic priorities. Applicants will be reimbursed based on a cost-per-assisted enrollment rate, generally ranging between $20 and $50, though alternative rates will be considered if justified. All expenses necessary for outreach, enrollment, and promotion must be included in the proposed rate. To be eligible, applicants must be tax-exempt public charities classified as 501(c)(3) by the IRS, hold active status with the California Franchise Tax Board, and be registered with the California Department of Justice’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers. They must submit an IRS Form 990 for tax years 2022 or 2023, showing annual revenue over $50,000. Organizations must also demonstrate at least 12 months of recent experience conducting outreach and enrollment assistance in public service programs and managing grants or contracts of $150,000 or greater. Two funder references must be provided, representing similar work performed in the last three years. References cannot be from programs directly funded by OCPSC. Applications must be submitted through the California Outreach Rapid Deployment (CORD) portal. The deadline is September 22, 2025, at 3:00 PM Pacific Time. A Q&A webinar will be held on September 10, 2025, at 10:30 AM PT, and written questions must be submitted by September 17, 2025, at 3:00 PM PT. Answers will be posted publicly, and only written clarifications issued in the RFA or official addenda will be binding. Submissions that do not meet the eligibility requirements or that are late will not be considered. Applicants should ensure completeness and accuracy, as errors or missing information may lead to rejection. The performance period for awarded grants is scheduled to run from November 17, 2025, through June 1, 2026, though dates may be subject to adjustment. During this period, grantees are expected to sustain outreach and enrollment activities, even if minimum enrollment goals are met before the grant’s end. The evaluation will consider eligibility, alignment with program goals, demonstrated success in previous enrollment efforts, and strength of the proposed cost-per-assisted enrollment rate. Final funding decisions rest solely with OCPSC and cannot be appealed. This grant represents an opportunity for nonprofit organizations with strong community ties and proven outreach capacity to expand their impact and help advance California’s priority service programs. For questions regarding the application, applicants may contact OCPSC at OCPSC.Procurement@opr.ca.gov. Technical assistance with the application portal may be requested via support@cordhub.org. Interested organizations are strongly encouraged to review all materials carefully and prepare timely submissions that demonstrate capacity, cost efficiency, and community relevance.

Applicants should carefully review all RFA instructions, use Chrome or Edge browsers, and ensure complete submissions.