Request for Proposal: Administration and Support of the Nashville Community Advisory Board (CAB) and Youth Action Board (YAB) for People with Lived Experience

Release Date: July 13, 2026
Proposal Due Date: July 31, 2026
Issuing Department: Office of Homeless Services (OHS)

Overview

The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, through the Office of Homeless Services (OHS), is seeking proposals from qualified nonprofit organizations to provide administrative, financial, and coordination support for the Nashville/Davidson County Continuum of Care’s (CoC) Consumer Advisory Board (CAB), also known as the Lived Experience Cohort, and Youth Action Board (YAB). These advisory boards are composed of individuals with lived experience of homelessness and play a critical role in informing Continuum of Care (CoC) policies, programming, priorities, and strategic planning. The selected vendor will help to ensure meaningful participation by administering stipends, coordinating operations, and supporting onboarding, recruitment, and reporting functions.

Purpose

The purpose of this Request for Proposals is to select an organization that will support and compensate individuals with lived experience of homelessness to participate in the Continuum of Care’s CAB and YAB. The CAB and YAB function as advisory bodies by providing insights and recommendations to the Homelessness Planning Council (HPC) and the CoC.

The Continuum of Care and the Office of Homeless Services recognize that people with lived experience offer unique perspectives and expertise on the realities of housing instability and navigating Nashville’s homeless response system. The insight of people with lived experience can help our Continuum of Care improve how programs are designed, how policies are developed, and how services are delivered. Because of this, the CoC and the Collaborative Applicant aim to restore compensation and meaningful engagement of people with lived experience by way of the CAB and YAB to inform CoC policies, programs, and strategies.

Background

The Nashville/Davidson County Continuum of Care

The Continuum of Care (CoC) is Nashville’s planning body responsible for coordinating the funding and delivery of housing and services for people experiencing homelessness. The mission of the Continuum of Care is to create a collaborative, inclusive, community-based process and approach to planning and managing effective homeless assistance resources and programs (by which Federal, State and local funding resources will be used to fund all homelessness assistance needs) to end homelessness in our community, consistent with 24 CFR Part 578, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations that guide the CoC program.

The Nashville-Davidson County Continuum of Care is made up of a General Membership of community partners and individuals dedicated to ending homelessness in Nashville. The Homelessness Planning Council is the governance board for the Nashville-Davidson County Continuum of Care, responsible for guiding CoC operations, strategic planning, and policies.

Issuing Agency

The Office of Homeless Services’ mission is to lead Nashville’s efforts to end homelessness through innovation, community collaboration, and compassion. OHS works closely with government agencies, nonprofit providers, healthcare partners, and other community partners to strengthen the local homelessness response system and improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.

In addition to coordinating programs and funding, OHS plays several key leadership roles within the local system. The department serves as the lead agency for the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and Coordinated Entry, supporting consistent data collection and fair access to housing and services. OHS also provides staff and resources to the Homelessness Planning Council, the governing body of the local Continuum of Care, and in November 2023 was designated by CoC membership as the community’s Collaborative Applicant, responsible for coordinating and submitting the region’s federal CoC funding applications to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Through these roles, OHS helps align public resources, provider efforts, and community partnerships to prevent and end homelessness in Nashville and Davidson County.

Consumer Advisory Board and Youth Action Board

The Consumer Advisory Board (CAB), also known as the Lived Experience Cohort, is a group of people with lived experience of homelessness who advise and inform the Nashville-Davidson County Continuum of Care. The CAB strives to ensure that local efforts to end homelessness and support unhoused residents are centered around the needs, desires, and unique perspectives of those who have experienced homelessness in Nashville-Davidson County. The Youth Action Board (YAB) is the CAB’s counterpart for individuals aged 18 to 24 who have experienced homelessness as children, teens, or young adults.

The CAB and YAB were originally established as committees of the Homelessness Planning Council. This structure proposed challenges when the Office of Homeless Services assumed the role of the Collaborative Applicant, as the Metro Charter does not allow any type of compensation related to service on a Metro board or a committee thereof. In February 2026, the CoC voted to move the CAB and YAB under the purview of the General Membership. At this juncture, the Office of Homeless Services is seeking a non-profit organization to serve as the fiscal agent to compensate individuals experiencing homelessness with funds from the Continuum of Care Planning Grant.

Anticipated Contract Term

The anticipated term length for this contract is one year. Opportunities for contract renewal will be dependent on funding availability and vendor performance.

Scope of Work

The selected contractor will handle day-to-day administration for the CAB and YAB, including managing stipends, supporting members, and managing timesheets. The goal is to keep board operations running smoothly, with clear processes, timely payments, and alignment with Continuum of Care priorities.

1. Compensation and Financial Administration

· Develop a compensation plan in collaboration with CAB and YAB members, aligned with Metro and CoC policies

· Process stipends and reimbursements in a timely and accurate manner

· Review and approve CAB and YAB timesheets, attendance records, and meeting minutes to verify payments align with participation and contributions

· Maintain financial records and payment tracking systems

· Provide regular payout summaries and financial reports to the Office of Homeless Services for grant reporting

· Ensure compliance with all applicable tax regulations and grant requirements

· Provide clear guidance and support to members regarding payment processes

· Resolve payment issues promptly and provide adequate documentation to the Office of Homeless Services

· Provide documents and reports as needed to Metro, in compliance with Metro grant policies and procedures

· Undertake annual monitoring activities executed by the Office of Homeless Services

2. CAB and YAB Support and Alignment

· Participate in meetings with CAB and YAB regarding governance, policies, and support needs

· Coordinate with national lived experience organizations, including the National Alliance to End Homelessness, to align efforts with best practices, as needed

· Communicate with CAB and YAB chairs on a regular basis to identify support needs and promote alignment with the Continuum of Care

· Coordinate with the Office of Homeless Services to address CAB and YAB needs and concerns

3. Membership and Orientation

· Support the General Membership, CAB, and YAB in creating fair processes for selecting new members

· Develop onboarding materials, including welcome packets, program overviews, and policies

· Coordinate and facilitate orientation sessions, including training on roles, responsibilities, and the Continuum of Care, as needed

· Ensure members understand participation expectations and compensation processes

Deliverables

The selected vendor will provide, at minimum:

· Compensation plan and payment procedures

· Payment tracking system and financial reports

· Onboarding materials

· Monthly reports summarizing grant activities

· Regular communication with the Office of Homeless Services, CAB, and YAB

· Monthly reports summarizing activities, outputs, challenges, and progress

· Plans for evaluation efforts and continuous improvement processes

Section 6 – Grant Application and Proposal

Applicants must submit the following information and materials:

· Organizational Overview

Mission and history
Experience facilitating community engagement processes
Experience managing grants

· Relevant Experience

What experience does your organization have facilitating community engagement efforts and/or advisory boards?
Describe your experience managing stipends, participant payments, or grant-funded compensation.
Describe your experience managing grant funds, including processes of reporting, monitoring, and compliance.

· Work Plan

Describe your overall approach to carrying out the proposed services, including your project timeline, key phases, and major milestones.
What is your approach to orienting CAB and YAB members to the processes of payment, and how will you ensure members are prepared for participation?
How will you approve activities of CAB and YAB members that are allowable for compensation?
Describe your process for administering stipends and reimbursements, including how participation will be tracked.
How will you support ongoing member engagement, including any training or troubleshooting.
How will you coordinate with the Office of Homeless Services (OHS) and incorporate CAB and YAB input into planning and decision-making?
Describe your approach to documentation and reporting, including how meetings and recommendations will be recorded and the types and frequency of reports provided.

· Staffing Plan

Who are the key staff assigned to this project, and what are their roles and responsibilities?
What relevant experience do proposed staff have in facilitating community engagement, managing grants, and providing stipends and reimbursement?
How is your organization structured to support this project, and where will this project sit within that structure?

· Budget Proposal & Narrative

Provide a detailed budget for the proposed services.
Describe how costs were determined and how they support the proposed approach.
What are the anticipated staffing costs associated with this project?
What administrative costs are included, and what do they cover?
What is the proposed stipend structure for CAB and/or YAB members?
What costs are associated with meetings and logistics, if any (e.g., space, materials, transportation, technology)?

Eligibility

The following organizations/entities are eligible to apply as operators under this RFP:

· 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) designation of exemption from federal taxation from the Internal Revenue Service as provided by 26 U.S.C.A..

· Incorporation as a non-profit with active registration identification number provided by the Secretary of State as a Charitable Organization or proof of such exemption as allowed. This form must accompany the proposal in order for the proposal to be valid. Failure to submit this form will disqualify the proposal.

· Organizations that are current members of the Nashville CoC are not eligible to apply for this solicitation due to the conflict of interest that such an arrangement would raise.

· Respondents must have no actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest within the homelessness response system. Entities that receive CoC funding, participate in funding or ranking decisions, or hold governance roles within the CoC will not be eligible.

Evaluation Criteria

Criteria Points:

Quality of work plan and approach 35
Budget and cost effectiveness 25
Relevant experience 25
Organizational capacity 15

Terms

OHS reserves the right to reject any or all proposals
Organizations that do not meet the above eligibility criteria will not be scored.
OHS may request additional information or clarification from proposers
Contract award is contingent upon funding availability
The selected vendor must comply with all local, state, and federal requirements
The contractor must keep all records, meeting materials, and related documents from this work in line with Metro requirements and applicable laws, and make them available if requested

Timeline

The anticipated procurement schedule is as follows:

ACTION ITEM Proposed Date
RFP Release 7/13/2026
Inquiry Submission Deadline 7/17/2026
Community Information Session (This session will also include responses toinquiry submitted.) 7/17/2026
Responses to Questions Issued 7/20/2026
Proposal Submission Deadline 7/31/2026
Vendor Selection 8/3/2026
Contract Start Date 9/1/2026

*Metro reserves the right to adjust the schedule as necessary.