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====== West Oakland Community Fund: Application Draft ======
**DRAFT for board/staff review. DO NOT SUBMIT as-is**
**Deadline: Thursday, October 8, 2026, 5:00 PM Pacific** (portal: http://www.rosefdn.org/onlineapplication. New users must register first.)
**RFP:** https://rosefdn.org/wp-content/uploads/WO-Fund-RFP-Final.pdf
**Questions PDF:** https://rosefdn.org/wp-content/uploads/West-Oakland-Community-Fund-Application-Qs.pdf
**Questions:** grants@rosefdn.org

Assumptions I made (flag for review): $100,000 ask, 12-month project starting 02/01/2027, 40 West Oakland participants. Adjust freely.
Tip from the application guide: use "Save Progress" often. Paste narrative text via Notepad/TextEdit (not directly from Word/Google Docs) to avoid formatting errors.

===== INPUTS NEEDED FROM CTP (cannot complete without these) =====
  * [x] Current fiscal year organizational budget figure + budget document (PDF/Word/Excel) - ready with Alex
  * [x] Income/expense statement for most recently completed fiscal year (or relevant 990/audit pages) - ready with Alex
  * [x] Full-time paid staff headcount - 7
  * [x] Full staff/consultant/volunteer list with titles and qualifications - complete, see CTP-Staff-List-with-Qualifications.md
  * [x] Board list with titles - complete (Corkum, Ben-Yisrael, Tabony, Taylor)
  * [x] ED demographics answer: No (does the ED identify as BIPOC?)
  * [x] Board/leadership demographics answer: No (less than 50% identify as BIPOC)
  * [x] Finance contact: Christine Tabony, christine@ctpberk.org, (510) 849-2911 ext. 1001
  * [x] Both references secured. Kimberly Mather, DOR (CRD), Kimberly.Mather@dor.ca.gov. Sam Corkum, Board President, samcorkum@gmail.com, 415-827-0104. Maer Ben-Yisrael agreed as backup reference.
  * [x] BIPOC >50% of community served: Yes (54.8%)
  * [ ] West Oakland recruitment partner: organization name + 2-page letter of support (can also email to grants@rosefdn.org)
  * [ ] Other funders: status of Ability Central application and any other pending/committed funding
  * [ ] West Oakland population figure for "Population Impacted" field (or leave to Rose Foundation geography)

---

===== General =====

**Project Name** //(100 chars)//
West Oakland Digital Employment Cohort

**Short Project Summary** //(1000 chars)//
The West Oakland Digital Employment Cohort brings Computer Technologies Program's 50 years of disability workforce-development expertise to West Oakland residents with disabilities. Over 12 months, 40 participants will receive remote, instructor-led IT training, from digital literacy through helpdesk and customer-service tracks, plus individualized career assessment, supported job search, and remote work experience. With 71% of CTP staff being program graduates with disabilities, participants learn from peer mentors who have navigated the same barriers. The project answers a stark need: just 24.5% of people with disabilities participate in the labor force. CTP will recruit through a West Oakland community partner and deliver all training remotely, removing transportation barriers entirely.

===== Project Description =====

**Amount Requested** //(20 chars)//
$100,000

**Project Start Date** //(10 chars)//
02/01/2027

**Project duration** //(months)//
12

**Project Scaling** //(250 chars)//
Yes. At $75,000 we would serve 30 participants with the same program model. At $50,000 we would serve 20 participants, prioritizing the Digital Career Compass assessment and core training tracks.

**Issue Area** //(select up to 3)//
Workforce Development; Education Adult

**Project Activities** //(select up to 3)//
Education and Training; Career Counseling; Coaching

**California County Served**
Alameda

**Tax Status**
501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 94-2830046

===== Core Narratives =====

**Work Plan** //(10,000 chars)//
//Phase 1: Partnership and Recruitment (Months 1-2).// Formalize a recruitment partnership with a West Oakland community-based organization. Conduct outreach through CTP's existing Oakland disability-services contacts and the partner's networks. Hold virtual information sessions. Admissions (Devin O'Keefe, Admissions) screens and enrolls 40 West Oakland residents with disabilities. Each participant completes a Digital Career Compass baseline assessment (skills evaluation, career exploration, individualized goal-setting).

//Phase 2: Training Cohorts (Months 2-10).// Participants are placed into the appropriate track based on assessment results: Computer Essentials / Computer Skills Bootcamp (digital literacy + professional expectations), PRO Customer Service and Administrative Training (~160 hours covering document creation, spreadsheets, scheduling, customer service, phone skills), or Computer Technician Training (systems, networks, troubleshooting methodology, helpdesk skills). All instruction is remote, live, and instructor-led via Zoom, with integrated coaching on communication, time management, and accountability. Participants also complete remote work-experience internships with supervisor feedback and 1-on-1 coaching.

//Phase 3: Supported Job Search (Months 6-12, overlapping).// Supervised job-search lab sessions, resume and interview preparation, and warm connections to employers through CTP's Business Advisory Council network. One-on-one employment counseling throughout.

//Phase 4: Evaluation and Closeout (Months 11-12).// End-of-program evaluations, 90-day placement tracking, final report to the Rose Foundation.

Responsible parties: Alex Tabony, Executive Director (project oversight). Carrie Moncrieffe, Director of Employment Services (employer partnerships, job-search supervision). Devin O'Keefe, Admissions (recruitment and enrollment). CTP instructional staff (training delivery). All CTP programs are approved by California's Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.

**Organization's Expertise** //(7,500 chars)//
Computer Technologies Program (CTP), founded in Berkeley in 1974, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing workforce development for people with disabilities, described as the world's first program of its kind. In 50+ years we have delivered over one million hours of direct service, helping thousands of people with disabilities find careers, succeed in advanced training, and build the personal and professional skills for greater independence. Our training model was replicated at more than 50 sites internationally, and CTP received the Association of Rehabilitation Programs in Computer Technology's Outstanding Program of the Year Award.

CTP is uniquely peer-led: 71% of our staff are program graduates with disabilities who have navigated the same barriers our participants face, grounding our support in lived experience as well as professional expertise. We are approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, have worked closely with the California Department of Rehabilitation for decades, and since 2020 have delivered all programs remotely through real-time, instructor-led classes, a model studied and found as effective as in-person instruction for employment outcomes. In 2025 we launched the Digital Career Compass, a vocational assessment with nearly 1,000 objective benchmarks now serving participants statewide.

**Outcomes and Evaluation** //(7,000 chars)//
Expected outcomes for the 12-month project: 40 West Oakland residents with disabilities enrolled. At least 32 (80%) complete their training track. At least 60% of completers employed in competitive jobs or enrolled in advanced technical training within 6 months of completion. 90% of participants report the program helped them clarify career goals (benchmarked against our Digital Career Compass evaluation, where 95% of 38 respondents rated the assessment helpful and 89% reported new career-goal insights).

Measurement: enrollment and attendance records, training-track completion certificates, placement verification through participant and employer follow-up at 90 and 180 days post-completion, anonymous end-of-program surveys covering skill gains, career clarity, and satisfaction, and quarterly internal reviews against targets with corrective action as needed. A final report to the Rose Foundation will document enrollment, completion, placement, and survey results.

**Why Important / Project Benefit** //(4,000 chars)//
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 24.5% of people with disabilities participate in the labor force, versus 68.1% of people without disabilities. In West Oakland, an economically disadvantaged community, residents with disabilities face these national disparities compounded by local barriers to transportation, training access, and employer networks. This project removes the transportation barrier entirely through remote delivery, pairs technical training with the professional coaching employers actually require, and connects graduates to real hiring pipelines. CTP's 50-year record proves that with the right support, people with disabilities enter and thrive in the workforce. This grant extends that proven model to West Oakland residents who need it most.

**Community Served** //(5,000 chars)//
The project serves West Oakland residents with disabilities (adults with physical, sensory, cognitive, and mental-health disabilities, many of whom are economically disadvantaged) within the fund's West Oakland geography (I-880 to I-980, I-580 to I-880, and the Jack London Square industrial area). Outreach and engagement: virtual information sessions co-hosted with our West Oakland recruitment partner, direct outreach through CTP's existing Oakland disability-services contacts, and accessible flyers distributed through partner networks. All sessions are remote with closed captioning and individualized accommodations, ensuring full participation regardless of mobility or transportation constraints.

**Key Partners** //(5,000 chars)//
Our West Oakland recruitment partner is the Oakland Private Industry Council, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has administered workforce development programs on behalf of the City of Oakland since 1984. Oakland PIC operates the West Oakland Neighborhood Career Center at 1801 Adeline Street, serving West Oakland job seekers directly in the community. Oakland PIC will co-host program information sessions, refer participants from its West Oakland client base, and provide the community credibility that makes recruitment work. A signed letter of support from the Oakland Private Industry Council will accompany this application. CTP's Business Advisory Council, a network of Bay Area employers providing curriculum feedback, mock interviews, mentorship, and hiring pipelines, supports the job-search phase. Recent corporate supporters include Delta Dental, United Business Bank, and Blue Shield of California. CTP's own ties to the Port of Oakland run deep: technical instructor Jose Rivera interned at the Port as a CTP student years ago and has served on CTP's staff ever since.

===== Financial Information =====

**Total Organizational Budget** //(20 chars)//
[NEEDS INPUT: e.g., $600,000]

**Organizational Budget Detail** //(attach or paste, note time period)//
[NEEDS INPUT: upload current-fiscal-year org budget]

**Project Budget Details** //(line items incl. Rose Foundation dollars column, 500 chars)//
Flexible Participant Services $55,000 (DCC assessment, training, coaching, job search, allocated by need). Technology $12,000. Outreach with Oakland PIC $8,000. Evaluation $10,000. Admin 15% $15,000. Total $100,000 over 12 months, 100% requested from Rose Foundation.

**Financial Statement** //(most recently completed fiscal year, 5,000 chars)//
[NEEDS INPUT: attach relevant 990/audit pages]

**Other Funders** //(500 chars)//
[NEEDS INPUT: e.g., "Ability Central grant application pending (fall 2026). No other funders currently committed to this project."]

**Finance Contact** //(name / email / phone, 100 chars each)//
Name: Christine Tabony. Email: christine@ctpberk.org. Phone: (510) 849-2911 ext. 1001.

**Conflict of Interest Attestation** //(250 chars)//
Computer Technologies Program certifies that no conflict of interest exists related to City of Oakland personnel in connection with this application, in compliance with California Government Code Section 1090 et seq. The signatory of any resulting grant contract will verify compliance.
===== Community Served Demographics =====

**Individuals Engaged** //(6 chars):// 40
**Individuals Engaged Detail** //(250 chars):// 40 West Oakland residents with disabilities enrolled across rolling training cohorts during the 12-month project.
**Population Impacted** //(10 chars):// 22,886
**Population Impacted Detail** //(250 chars):// West Oakland neighborhood population per most recent Census data. Fund geography covers the area between I-880/I-980 and I-580/I-880 plus the Jack London Square industrial area.
**Communities Served** //(select):// Differently abled; Economically disadvantaged
**BIPOC >50% of community served?** Yes (54.8% of 93 participants with data: 19.4% African American, 14.0% Hispanic/Latino, 10.8% Multiracial, 7.5% Asian American, 1.1% each African, Indian, Middle Eastern)
**Detail:** African American, Hispanic/Latino, Multiracial, Asian American, African, Indian, Middle Eastern

===== People =====

**Full-time Paid Staff** //(7 chars):// 7
**Full-time Development/Fundraising Staff:** [NEEDS INPUT: Yes/No]
**Staff, Consultants and Volunteers List** //(4,000 chars + upload):// Complete. See CTP-Staff-List-with-Qualifications.md for the full roster with qualifications (7 staff, 5 CTP graduates).
**Executive Director Demographics** //(does the ED identify as BIPOC?):// No
**Board List** //(4,000 chars + upload):// Freeman 'Sam' Corkum, Board President. Technology Systems Specialist III, County of Marin, Department of Health and Human Services. Maer Ben-Yisrael, Board Treasurer. Director of Technology, Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley. Alex Tabony, Board Secretary. Executive Director, Computer Technologies Program. Melina Taylor, Board Member. Director of Information Technology, Hopelab. (Provided by Alex, Oct 6, 2026.)
**Board/Leadership Demographics** //(50%+ BIPOC?):// No
**Additional Leadership Info** //(3,000 chars):// CTP is peer-led by design. Five of our seven staff members (71 percent) are CTP graduates with disabilities who have navigated the same barriers our participants face. Our Executive Director, Alex Tabony, is a CTP graduate (Class of 1999) who credits the program with his 27-year professional career. Our instructors are graduates of our own Computer Technician Training, Office Systems, and PRO programs. This lived experience is central to our model, not incidental to it. Participants learn from mentors who have been exactly where they are. Our Business and Finance Manager has served CTP for 39 years, providing deep institutional continuity. Our Director of Employment Services brings nonprofit leadership certification and direct employer-relationship experience that connects training to real hiring pipelines.

===== Other =====

**References** //(500 chars):// Kimberly Mather, CA Department of Rehabilitation (CRD), Kimberly.Mather@dor.ca.gov. DOR contact who has worked with CTP for several years and knows our history well. Sam Corkum, CTP Board President, samcorkum@gmail.com, 415-827-0104. Technology Systems Specialist III, County of Marin Health and Human Services.
**Letter of Support** //(optional, max 2 pages):// Received. Signed by Richard de Jauregui, Chief Operating Officer, Oakland Private Industry Council, dated October 7, 2026. Contact: (925) 389-0268, richardj@oaklandpic.org. Point of contact for coordination: Yawo Tekpa, West Oakland AJCC Manager.
**Additional Attachments** //(optional):// CTP overview, photos, press coverage as available.

---
//Draft prepared October 5, 2026. Character limits noted per the official application-questions PDF. All [NEEDS INPUT] items must be completed before submission.//
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