Policies+and+Initiatives

=Policies and Initiatives affecting Community Development Funding=


 * Sonoma County Upstream Investments Initiative -** The Upstream Investments Initiative is sponsored by the County of Sonoma (California) Board of Supervisors and led by an Ad Hoc Committee. 52 individuals from 25 organizations participated in the the Ad Hoc Committee or one of several work groups to plan this initiative. The initiative focuses on early intervention solutions to societal problems with the use of outcomes-based programs and services in order to avoid the necessity of more drastic and costly resources down the line. In late 2011, the CD Committee recommended adoption of the Sonoma County Upstream Investment Initiative for inclusion to the funding process. Generally the initiative will apply only to [[file:sonoma-county-cdc-funding/PublicServices_Breakdown.jpg|Public Services]] projects unless Capital projects will also notably address an upstream goal. Funding applications for will include an area for you to highlight any upstream advantage your project may include. Detailed information about the initiative may be accessed here.


 * Evidence Based Practices -** In recent years, public agencies and NGOs have been exploring and adopting best practices when delivering health and human services. In these settings, the use of the terms “promising practices”, “best practices” and “evidence-based practices” is common and often confusing as there is not a general consensus on what constitutes promising practices or best practices. In this context, the use of the terms “best practices” and “evidence-based practices are often used interchangeably. Evidence-based practices are methods or techniques that have documented outcomes and ability to replicate as key factors. Refer to this Wikipedia page for detailed descriptions.


 * Indirect Cost Plan -** If you plan to budget for indirect costs in your grant application you must have a federally approved rate. If you are unsure about obtaining an indirect rate, this page may be of help.