RFP page

To be eligible, proposals must be co-led by a community partner and a Harvard partner.

Community partners: Non-profit organizations that have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and seek to improve a community’s social and overall health are encouraged to apply. To be eligible for this funding opportunity, the organization must have leadership (staff and/or board) that demonstrates a deep understanding and represents the lived experiences of the communities they serve or intend to serve.

Harvard partners:

• Faculty and Staff: All Harvard University benefits-eligible staff (including administrative/professional, support, service, and trades staff) and faculty (including primary, secondary, and adjunct faculty) are eligible to apply. Questions about faculty and staff salary support will be addressed when budgets are reviewed.
• Students: All Harvard undergraduates and graduate students are eligible to apply, as long as they are enrolled during the funding period. If awarded, students will be fully compensated for the time they devote to the project
• Postdoctoral Researchers, Research Associates, Research Scientists, and Fellows: All Harvard research professionals are eligible to apply. An appointment at Harvard University is required, and the appointment must last the duration of the funding period if awarded.
• Alumni and Harvard-affiliated hospital staff: Alumni and Harvard-affiliated staff are not eligible to apply as primary applicants but are welcome to team up with a primary applicant at a Harvard school, unit, or with a community partner.

We encourage collaborative proposals that:

• Support the advancement of descendant communities, preferably in Cambridge or Boston;
• Incorporate and center the lived experiences and voices of descendant communities;
• Demonstrate how the community partner and Harvard partner can work together to create and manage successful reparative initiatives;
• Propose innovative solutions to persistent, systemic inequities, or extend and amplify existing successful approaches;
• Clearly advance one or more of the recommendations in the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery report; and
• Are aligned with the mission of H&LS.

The Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery: Reparative Partnership Grant Program does not fund the following:

• Projects led by a single individual;
• Capital campaigns/building constructions; or
• Harvard employee and faculty salaries (exceptions may be allowed on a case-by-case basis and could include non-exempt overtime as applicable, temporary help by staff, backfilling staff who are working on the project, or faculty summer salary).

The RFP will offer funding for two project types:

• Impact Projects: Strategic, multi-year projects with budgets up to $350,000 spread over two years.
• Seed Projects: Proof of concept projects with budgets up to $25,000 for a year.

H&LS is committed to an equitable, thorough, and fair review process to identify the most promising ideas for funding. A two-stage review process will include input from dedicated community leaders, students, faculty, and staff. Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

• Strategic Alignment: Aligns with the mission and values of H&LS and the mission of the community partner co-leading the project.
• Equity: Center the needs and voices of communities historically and systematically harmed by slavery.
• Impact: Has clear metrics that allow for measurable impact once implemented.
• Feasibility: Shows the extent to which the project can be executed efficiently and successfully within the timeframe and budget.
• Sustainability & Scalability: Lays a long-lasting foundation that will continue after the funding period ends (i.e., sustainable) and can be expanded to reach even more people (i.e., scalable).
• Innovation: Shows creativity in addressing a real-world challenge affecting descendant communities.
• Project Team: Demonstrates a diverse team composed of representatives from descendant communities impacted by the problem the proposal is designed to address, individuals from a community partner organization, and individuals from Harvard.

Applications for the RFP must be submitted online through the grant portal application. To apply, visit the grant portal application and click the “Apply” button.

There are two phases in the application process:

Phase 1: Concept Proposal

All applicants must use the online grant portal to submit their concept proposal, which will describe the team leaders, organization, and proposal idea. For this phase, the identification of the community partner and Harvard partner who will co-lead the project is recommended but not required.

Phase 2: Full Proposal

Selected teams will be invited to submit a full proposal. Details about those requirements will be provided when finalists are contacted.

Late submissions

One of our guiding principles is to treat everyone with fairness and respect. Therefore, we will not accept any proposals after the deadline. Applicants are expected to notify H&LS immediately if they are experiencing difficulty with the online proposal system that may interfere with a timely submission. We encourage proposals to be submitted early so that any unforeseen difficulties (e.g., technical problems) may be addressed well before the deadline.

Contact Us
Please reach out to us with your questions at legacyofslavery@harvard.edu.  

Key dates and deadlines for the application process:

November 13, 2023

Online application system available to applicants for concept proposals.

November 27, 2023

Join us for the H&LS RFP Information Session Webinar (Live and Recorded) at 6 p.m. EST.

November 30, 2023

Join us for the H&LS Reparative Partnership Ideathon in Cambridge.

December 7, 2023

Join us for the H&LS Reparative Partnership Ideathon in Boston.

January 19, 2024

Deadline for receipt of concept proposals. Those submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed.

February 2, 2024

Select applicants are invited to submit a full proposal.

March 15, 2024

Deadline for receipt of invited full proposals. Those submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed.

April 2024

Awardees announced.

July 2024

Funding period begins.