Equitable Evaluation Consultant: Equity in Action Initiative

First 5 Sacramento is seeking qualifications from experienced consultants or consulting firms to serve as an Equitable Evaluation Consultant for the Equity in Action Initiative, a participatory grantmaking program focused on advancing equity in community-based services. The selected consultant will evaluate both the participatory grantmaking process and the outcomes of funded projects, with a strong emphasis on community voice and capacity building.

About First 5 Sacramento

Our Vision:
Sacramento County will have strong communities where children are safe, healthy and reach their full potential.

Our Mission:
In partnership with parents, caregivers, and their communities, we seek to advance equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive prevention and early intervention policies, systems, and practices that eliminate racial inequities, promote optimal health and development, and improve the lives of children prenatal through age five and their families.

First 5 was formed after voters passed Proposition 10 in 1998, which placed a $0.50 tax on tobacco products. The tax funds a range of prevention and early intervention programs aimed at improving the health and well-being of children ages 0-5 and their families.

Determined by the county birth rate, 80% of this stream of statewide funding is allocated to all 58 counties and 20% to the state. This network of county First 5’s and First 5 CA enables each county to tailor services and programs to meet the needs of local families.

This initiative was grounded in a belief that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed. As stated in the law, the specific intent of the act was to “facilitate the creation and implementation of an integrated, comprehensive, and collaborative system of information and services to enhance optimal early childhood development and to ensure that children are ready to enter school.”

First 5 Sacramento is shifting the way we have traditionally approached funding with the Equity in Action Initiative, a new, community-driven approach to grantmaking.

This new approach allows First 5 Sacramento to better:

• Share power with the community
• Elevate voices that are often left out
• Build equity, trust and fairness
• Fund the programs that matter most to families
• Ensure all Sacramento children and families are supported

Project Background

The Equity in Action Initiative is a participatory grantmaking effort designed to shift power to communities most impacted by systemic bias. This community-focused funding process moves away from traditional funding models by inviting local residents, particularly those from historically underfunded communities, to the table to help decide where resources should go for children. This process prioritizes equity, lived experiences, and local expertise in decision-making.

Through this initiative, community members play the central role in decision-making about funding priorities and grantee selection. The initiative aims to:

• Expand First 5’s reach to intentionally fund new, non-traditional partners
• Support organizations led by and serving historically marginalized communities
• Build grantee capacity to deliver equitable, culturally responsive services
• Foster community leadership and shared accountability

This process isn't just about distributing funds - it's about changing the system to create a more equitable and sustainable future for under-resourced organizations that help ALL children and families thrive.

Project Specifics

The Equity in Action Initiative (EiA) launched in November 2024 with community convenings to gather ideas on the selection of a committee of community representatives to guide the EiA process. Through a nominations process, 15 community members were selected from 14 identified under-resourced neighborhoods where residents face significant barriers to services. This EiA Committee began to meet in June 2025; together they designed the funding process to determine how to recommend allocation of $4.2 million to support young children and their families in these neighborhoods.

The EiA Committee created a three-tiered funding process as follows:

• Tier 1 - one-time funds of $5,000 to $9,999 for the purchase of materials, supplies, technology, training, or similar (to be spent between late January and June 30, 2026) - Total of $200K available
• Tier 2 - multi-year funding of $125K - $300K for an ongoing service, project or program from January 2026 – June 30, 2028 - Total of $1.5M available
• Tier 3 - multi-year funding of $300,001 - $500K for an ongoing service, project or program from January 2026 – June 30, 2028 - Total of $2.5M available

For the multi-year funding, the EiA Committee designated four possible uses for the funds:

• A program that serves families' immediate, individual needs (Examples: programs that provide services or supplies directly to families, such as diapers, housing help, mental health services, etc.)
• A program that promotes the health and well-being of children, parents, and communities in groups (Examples: programs that bring people together for support groups, community events, trauma recovery, cultural connection, etc.)
• A program that supports parent leadership and organizing (Examples: programs that help communities speak up, advocate, and lead solutions)
• A program that supports changing systems (Examples: programs that work to improve how a whole system works; changing rules, policies, and practices to make the system work better for everyone)

The EiA Committee chose to solicit Letters of Interest (LOI) in a simple, Google Form format as the first step in the application process. They received 406 applications requesting a total of over $62 million. From those LOIs, the Committee invited 40 Tier 1 applications, 17 Tier 2 applications and 14 Tier 3 applications. Those applications are due November 24, 2025 and the EiA Committee's recommendations on which applications to fund with the available $4.2 million will go to the First 5 Sacramento Commission for a vote on January 12, 2026.