Human Services Resource Allocation Process (HSRAP)

On a biennial basis the City of Palo Alto, Office of Human Services, Community Services Department seeks proposals from organizations to provide professional services to meet human service needs in the community as outlined in the Priority of Needs

This funding opportunity is provided through the Human Services Resource Allocation Process (HSRAP). The City provides many services directly to the community. Those services the City may not be able to provide due to expertise or economies of scale are contracted to local agencies through a competitive grant process called HSRAP. The selection of awardees and allocation of funding is a collaborative process with support of City staff and the Palo Alto Human Relations Commission (HRC) who review applications that provide support for identified needs in the community. 

This is a competitive funding process. There is no guarantee that every applicant will receive funding. There is also no guarantee that the amount an organization has requested will be the amount granted. No proposals under $5,000 are considered. Organizations applying for funding may propose either a new or existing program. Organizations submitting a joint proposal must select a lead organization that will act as the legal contractor with the City of Palo Alto.  

Proposals will be accepted in the Winter of 2024 for the funding term of Fiscal Year 2026 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026). Provided all terms and conditions are met through service agreements that are awarded for FY26, contracts may be renewable for an additional 12-month term, unless otherwise determined by the City of Palo Alto.

Pre-Proposal Meeting

All prospective proposers are highly recommended to attend the pre-proposal meeting. An organization’s representative(s) may include staff, board members and/or volunteers. However, the attending representative(s) takes full responsibility to bring all RFP information back to the organization.

You may view the pre-proposal meeting slides from the FY24-25 funding cycle as a PDF or watch a recording of the meeting.

Submittal Information

All information requested to submit a complete proposal is included in the body of the proposal, no attachments with additional information are requested or will be accepted. 

Completed proposals are to be submitted as an attachment to an email and sent to HSRAP@cityofpaloalto.orgConverting the document to PDF is preferred. You will receive confirmation of receipt. 

Deadline to submit a completed proposal is TBD. 

NO LATE applications will be accepted and those submitted after the deadline will be disqualified. Failure to submit a complete application, or not complying with any of these procedures and requirements, will also disqualify the application for funding consideration.

Questions and Answers

All comments and questions from applicants about the Human Services Resource Allocation Process (HSRAP) Request for Proposal (RFP) and the responses from the Office of Human Services, will be posted on this page. It is the responsibility of the applicant to check the HSRAP webpage for replies to applicant questions. 

In order to be received and posted, comments and questions must be emailed to HSRAP@cityofpaloalto.org before the deadline. 

 Timeline

RFP Issued Winter 2024
Pre-Proposal Meeting  TBD
Deadline for questions, clarifications  TBD
Proposals Due TBD
Review by HSRAP Subcommittee TBD
Review by Human Relations Commission       TBD
 Proposers Interview (if needed) TBD
 Contract awarded June 2025 
 Work commences July 2025