The Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP) Park Needs Assessment Community Partners Program is looking to partner with local organizations to help bridge the information gap between the project and the surrounding communities.

Our goal as partners in outreach is to raise awareness of the project, encourage public participation, and collect input that will help inform the Park Needs Assessment. These partnerships aim to:

• Achieve greater outcomes in public participation, especially during community meetings and leading up to the draft and final PNA report.
• Build trust between the project team and communities across the City.
• Reach key groups and communities previously uncaptured within the project database or extended outreach list, as well as groups that often go unnoticed within a project.
• Provide project information to disadvantaged and historically marginalized and other areas served by CBO partners.
• Utilize CBO’s understanding of the community, existing relationships with the community, and effective outreach practices to key partners.
• Foster positive relationships with active CBOs to build on community trade-offs for the PNA process and build long term capacity for CBOs to continue engaging their communities to help foster a coalition for long-term park support.

Selected CBOs will have the opportunity to receive financial compensation for partnering with RAP/OLIN (lead planners and designers) for the project. The project team is interested in partnering with organizations that cover different areas of expertise or geographies and with a variety of types of key groups within the City of Los Angeles and regional CBOs where appropriate. CBOs must demonstrate one or more the following characteristics to be considered (CBOs do not need to exhibit all characteristics):

• Operate as one of the following types of organizations: 501c3, 501c4, Faith-based, Chamber of Commerce, Industry association, Block/Neighborhood Groups, School/Childcare program, Health Care Agency, Coalition/Network, Organization with Fiscal Sponsor.
• Work directly to advance the needs and interests of at least one of the following groups or topics: racial or restorative justice, environmental justice, families, older adults, minorities, low-income groups, unhoused individuals, large employers, transit riders, biking/walking/mobility, youth or children, and/or colleges and universities in the communities listed above.
• Serve or represent a historically underrepresented group, vulnerable populations at-risk for environmental injustices, economic disparities, or other social injustices.
• Provide resources, education, and/or community news to their partners in linguistically and culturally relevant ways.
• Serve or represent an actively engaged base of key groups in a community within the project area and advocate on behalf of their community’s concerns and needs.
• Focus specifically on racial or restorative justice, park equity or access, safe streets, environmental justice, community empowerment, power building, civic engagement, or outreach/communications.

*Note: In line with recent CBO partnerships supported by public agencies for similar initiatives, and due to their role and impact on policy and decision-making, the following organizations will not be considered: public agencies, neighborhood or town councils, elected offices, and businesses.

CBOs who are selected will move forward with the onboarding process and will collaborate with the project team to develop an Outreach Partnership Agreement, which will include the outreach scope of work and agreed-upon compensation terms. This document will be vetted by the project team and City prior to signature and execution. After each CBO is onboarded as a partner, the project team will provide resources for the CBOs to begin their selected outreach services. Further details on this process are provided in the sections below.

Selected CBOs will be invited to support outreach for up to three rounds of outreach or “campaigns” (see table below) which align with the Master Plan project phases. Outreach activities to be conducted by CBOs during these “campaigns” will be detailed in their unique Outreach Partnership Agreement, but the general list of tactics is detailed in the CBO Outreach Support Activities section above.

CBO partners will be expected to participate in roundtable meetings (up to 3) facilitated by the project team. During “roundtable meetings” CBOs will receive project updates, provide feedback regarding outreach and messaging, and update the project team regarding their outreach efforts before each campaign. Compensation will be provided to each CBO for attendance ($300 per meeting). Topics to be discussed during these roundtables will include:

• Meeting 1: Project updates, context and onboarding (introductory materials)
• Meetings 2 and 3: Details on upcoming outreach campaign and activities (e.g., community meetings, surveys or events)
• Methods for increasing community project awareness (e.g., promotional materials, giveaways, etc.)
• Identification and coordination of activities (events, block party, bike ride, walkshop, etc.)
• Best practices and outreach tactics for reaching their communities

CBOs will be fairly compensated for their efforts based on the CBO’s capacity to support outreach for each campaign. Though each CBO’s partnership agreement may list different outreach activities, CBOs will be compensated for outreach conducted with reporting at touchpoints throughout the process.

The maximum compensation for each type of effort is listed below for each campaign, as well as the maximum compensation per organization and for all CBO partners. The efforts led by CBOs may earn up to $9,000 to support outreach for this specific engagement, but the amount offered per organization will depend on the tactics each CBO commits to. While we encourage all CBOs to participate in multiple notification efforts and activities, most CBOs will support within their accustomed strategies, and it is not expected that each CBO will provide support in all outreach efforts and activities listed.

CBOs will be fairly compensated for their efforts based on the CBO’s capacity to support outreach for each campaign. Though each CBO’s partnership agreement may list different outreach activities, CBOs will be compensated for outreach conducted with reporting at touchpoints throughout the process.

The maximum compensation for each type of effort is listed below for each campaign, as well as the maximum compensation per organization and for all CBO partners. The efforts led by CBOs may earn up to $9,000 to support outreach for this specific engagement, but the amount offered per organization will depend on the tactics each CBO commits to. While we encourage all CBOs to participate in multiple notification efforts and activities, most CBOs will support within their accustomed strategies, and it is not expected that each CBO will provide support in all outreach efforts and activities listed.

The partnership is subject to cancellation if there are ongoing communication delays that lead to missed outreach opportunities as well as missing documentation for outreach conducted. This agreement is amendable, and organizations may increase or decrease their participation to accommodate the organization’s capacity at various stages of outreach, or it may also be modified based on previous performance. Compensation may be adjusted, depending on the change.

• Deadline for CBOs to submit interest form: February 28, 2025, 6pm
• Selected CBOs are notified and sent Partnership Agreements: March 14, 2025
• Partnership Agreements Executed: March 21-27, 2025
• Roundtable #1 (Kick-Off): Week of April 3, 2025