FAQs - CWOP Request For Application (RFA) Supplemental Funding-InformationalWebinar - Session 1, May 18, 2026
FAQ Categories
1. General Questions
Q. The grant specifies the goal of outreach to employers, and in this presentation stated that the program is interested in working with ag associations, the grant apparently bars any of those associations from participating by disallowing 501(c)(6)'s?
A. Current eligibility requirements include being a (c3), (c4), or (c5) tax-exempt organization. The public comment period to make changes to the RFA has ended, but if you'd like to be in the loop of future funding opportunities, please reach out to CWOP@dir.ca.gov.
Q. Are the FAQs ready for review? I cannot find it on the website
A. All FAQs will be published on the CWOP webpage. Please visit the FAQs webpage at https://www.dir.ca.gov/outreach/cwop/public-comment-faq.html, available in English and Spanish. This page will be updated on a regular basis.
Q. Are all legal services activities listed in the RFA for legal services applicants required (initial intake, assessment and consultation, preparing initial claims/complaints, and limited presentation)?
A. Under this category, legal consultation and support include initial intake, assessment and consultation, assisting workers with preparing initial claims/complaints, or providing a limited presentation to the worker. Deliverables under this category include the number of workers directly supported with legal consultation and support. Recipients may also provide legal advice or consultation to CWOP grantees, counted as hours of technical assistance provided. Technical assistance includes consultation on interpreting laws, regulations, or guidelines, identifying what workers may need to advocate with employers, and suggesting actions to support workers.
Q. Can we use this funding to hire a workers' rights attorney? Or do we already have to have a workers' rights attorney on staff? -
A. We are looking at organizations that have more than a year's worth of experience and capacity to provide legal services.
Q. Does being a regional subgrantee affect eligibility for these funds? We have a fiscally sponsored project that currently receives funding from a CWOP grantee
A. If you meet the eligibility requirements of the RFA, you are welcome to apply directly.
Q. I have the same question as CPI since we are subgrantees. - Does being a regional subgrantee affect eligibility for these funds? We have a fiscally sponsored project that currently receives funding from a CWOP grantee
A. No, being a sub-grantee does not impact an organization's ability to apply for funding through the RFA.
Q. For the outreach category, if we do a video: 1) What type of review is required by DIR? Is it different if we use the DIR logo or not? 2) Is there a guideline regarding the length of video expected for a given amount of funding? 3) Is it possible to make videos that are part of outreach campaigns and that are meant to be used in training?
A.
- 1) Details on review and approval processes will be shared after a grant is issued.
- 2) No.
- 3) Yes.
Q. Will this be deliverables-based or expense-based?
A. Yes, deliverables-based budget.
Q. It appears that this supplement is only for existing grantees. If this is the case, when do you anticipate releasing your next round for new partners?
A. Timing will align closely with CWOP 6.0, tentatively starting in August for new grantees.
Q. Can you please share the final CWOP RFA? I think we have two versions floating around, and we noticed they have different deadlines. Can you also confirm the webinar is scheduled for May 18th?
A. Yes, the RFA is now live. Information about the RFA and instructions on how to apply are available on the CWOP webpage:
https://www.dir.ca.gov/outreach/cwop/
There will be two RFA Informational Sessions held on May 18 and June 1.
Q. Is there some rough formula or expectation about how much video content is expected given a certain amount of funding? Or is it enough to justify how the funds will be used? For example, it may be the case that we need significant funding for the staffing to recruit certain types of workers to be in the videos, do translation, embed accessibility features, etc., but the videos themselves will be short and few.
A. No, but we will be comparing proposals received. Please provide details on video production through the narrative responses.
Q. We are thinking of proposing a video project. Can you please say more about the DIR review process? Is DIR planning to do a thorough "line edit" kind of review or a more holistic "this is consistent with DIR messaging" kind of review? Does this change whether we use the DIR logo or not? Do we have the choice to use it or not?
A. Videos produced under the Outreach Tools category must comply with all requirements outlined in the Outreach Tools section of the RFA. All scripts, content, and final video drafts must be submitted to the DIR Office of External Affairs for review and approval before publication.
Q. We already submitted the 'survey' through the link provided in the official RFP. As the person responsible for Grants at our organization, I signed into CORD to review the full application so we could appropriately prepare for it. However, when I marked the responses under the 'Amount Requested' section, our application was marked 'ineligible'. Can you please advise? Is this because our survey has not yet been reviewed? Is there any way for us to review the full application?
A. The RFA and survey are two separate forms. If you leave the RFA incomplete or in draft, it does not impact a complete survey being submitted.
Q. Was the Supplemental Funding RFA Informational Session recorded and available to view? Unfortunately, there was a conflict in our schedule, and we were unable to attend.
A. Yes, once the recording is ready, it will be uploaded to the CWOP webpage at https://www.dir.ca.gov/outreach/cwop/.
Q. I couldn’t attend the RFA Informational Session for CWOP on Friday, April 17th. Is there a Zoom recording from the info session or any slides from the presentation available at all?
A. We are working on the FAQs and posting the recorded session for you to review. https://www.dir.ca.gov/outreach/cwop/.
Q. Is there a recording of this session that you can share? (4/17 Informational Session)
A. The recording will be posted to the website, https://www.dir.ca.gov/outreach/cwop/.
Q. During the webinar, it was mentioned that mid-June would be the deadline window. Is that still the case, or is May 29th the fixed deadline?
A. The application closes June 12.
Q. We are a 501 (c) (3) organization, but we use a fiscal sponsor for our financial management and taxes. Should we apply under our name or under our fiscal sponsor?
A. Grantees who have a fiscal sponsor will need to file the application under their fiscal sponsor's organization.
Q. Will the due date still be on May 29th?
A. The application closes June 12.
Q. Do you anticipate that the deadline will be shifted, or will it still be due on May 29th?
A. The application closes June 12.
Q. I was unable to attend the informational webinar session that took place on Monday, May 18th, about the CWOP opportunity. Is there a recording of this webinar available? If so, could I please receive a copy so that I may view the information?
A. We will post the recording on the CWOP web page at https://www.dir.ca.gov/outreach/cwop/.gov in the next couple of days. Communication will go out to all partners once the recordings are up on the page. We will have a second info session on 6/1/2026.
Q. We would love to know how we could apply for the financial assistance so we can continue to help serve our wonderful community.
A. The RFA details, timeline, and links to informational sessions can be found on our website: https://www.dir.ca.gov/outreach/cwop/. Applications must be submitted through CORD by June 12th.
Q. I am reaching out to confirm that both the survey and application are due on June 12 (not today, May 29, which I guess was from the tentative RFA document).
A. Yes, June 12th is the deadline.
2. Funding Allocations
Q. Regarding the $350,000 maximum for the Activator Plus tier, is it generally allowable for an existing Activator Plus awardee to request up to this amount by proposing an increase in existing deliverables, or is that threshold primarily intended for those organizations transitioning into a new role or tier (for example, Activators applying to become Activator Plus)?
A. You may, but we will be looking at the deliverables requested and look at your current funding level and deliverables.
Q. From a priority standpoint, is DIR looking to emphasize the launch of entirely new projects/initiatives for CWOP 6.0, or is an increase in scale (building on current successful strategies) more of a priority?
A. These awards will align with the current scope of CWOP 5.0/6.0. No changes have been made to the design of the program.
3. PROGRAMMATIC QUESTIONS
Q. Would this include printing materials in multiple languages?
A. Grantees may use a portion of their grant funds to print material for outreach and education tactics outlined in their grant agreement. This includes the language populations your organization serves.
Q. One of the ineligible activities/costs listed in the RFA is food and beverages. I want to confirm, is that for all cases, or just the purchase of food/beverage for staff? That is, if an Activator Plus is organizing community events, are they not allowed to purchase food and beverages for attendees/participants? In our experience planning community events, offering free food makes a significant difference in attendance/participation (and is also one of the highest direct costs), so I want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly.
A. Please refer to the eligible and ineligible expenses in the RFA and grant agreement. Food and beverages are ineligible costs.
Q. Will geographic zones outside of emerging need areas on page 8 of the RFA (the Bay Area, for example) be considered for funding in this supplemental RFA?
A. All application proposals and surveys submitted will be reviewed and considered. Based on the applications received, funding will be prioritized to address emerging needs and service gaps identified in the Supplemental Funding RFA.
Q. Are all legal services activities listed in the RFA for legal services applicants required (initial intake, assessment and consultation, preparing initial claims/complaints, and limited presentation)?
A. Under this category, legal consultation and support include initial intake, assessment and consultation, assisting workers with preparing initial claims/complaints, or providing a limited presentation to the worker. Deliverables under this category include the number of workers directly supported with legal consultation and support. Recipients may also provide legal advice or consultation to CWOP grantees, counted as hours of technical assistance provided. Technical assistance includes consultation on interpreting laws, regulations, or guidelines, identifying what workers may.
Q. Will this be deliverables-based or expense-based?
A. Yes, deliverables-based budget.
4. Questions for Current Grantees
Q. If we are currently an activator plus. Can we apply to be an activator (not plus)? Please also include the response to the question regarding requesting a no-cost extension for the current 5.0 funding.
A. If you are an Activator Plus, you do not have to downgrade to Activator to request additional funds to fulfill additional interactive tactics. However, if you have concerns about meeting current Activator Plus deliverables in your current role, please reach out to CWOP@dir.ca.gov and your UC Lead.
Q. Can we do both - the survey and apply for a new topic area?
A. Yes, current grantees can fill out the survey and RFA.
Q. So this sounds like current grantees will need to use the survey and this application portal even if not applying for new grant categories?
A. If a grantee would like to increase current deliverables, they can submit the survey. If they would like to apply for a new category, they must complete the RFA application.
Q. If an organization is already offering legal services as part of its current funding but wants to apply for additional funding specifically to expand its current outreach deliverables as well as legal services, would we need to complete both the survey for increasing current deliverables and the application for funding specifically related to legal services?
A. If a grantee would like to increase current deliverables, they can submit the survey. If they would like to apply for a new category, they must complete the RFA application.
Q. What are the increased deliverables expectations of current grantees? It’s not defined in the survey.
A. The expectation for current grantees applying for increased deliverables is that they are on track to meet or are already surpassing their existing CWOP 5.0 deliverables.
Q. Could you clarify the funding limits per role from the RFA? For example, if we decide to go the Survey route and we already have an award for $200K and the limit of the category is $300K, is the limit the funding for the difference? For this example, the limit of the survey application will be $100K.
A. If a grantee would like to increase current deliverables, they can submit the survey. If they would like to apply for a new category, they must complete the RFA application. Caps by category are listed in the RFA. The survey does not have caps, but we will be looking at the grant amount and deliverables under your current agreement to distribute additional funds.
Q. We are a current grantee (Activator Plus), and we would want to increase our deliverables and request an extension. We would also like to apply for a new category, Legal Services & outreach tools. Do we do the survey and the application?
A. Existing grantees who are applying to a new category will need to fill out the RFA. If you are requesting an increase in your deliverables and funding for your current role, you can do so through the survey. If you want to do both -- apply for a new category AND increase your current deliverables, you'll need to fill out the RFA and survey, respectively.
Q. Could you please confirm the maximum allowable extension to complete the program?
A. Funding is available as of 5/18 and to align this work as much as possible to the service period of 6.0, we do not project being able to extend organizations further out than 3-6 months.
Q. What is the length of extension a current grantee can get? 3 months? 6 months? 1 year?
A. With current funding available as of 5/18 and to align this work as much as possible to the service period of 6.0, we do not project being able to extend organizations further out than 3-6 months.
Q. Where/ how do we propose that extension?
A. With current funding available as of 5/18 and to align this work as much as possible to the service period of 6.0, we do not project being able to extend organizations further out than 3-6 months.
Q. What scale of increased deliverables is expected of a current grantee?
A. The expectation for current grantees applying for increased deliverables is that they are on track to meet or are already surpassing their existing CWOP 5.0 deliverables. In addition, the survey requests are a competitive process and will be evaluated based on gaps in services as described in the RFA application.
Q. Where/ how do we propose those increases?
A. If a grantee would like to increase current deliverables, they can submit the survey, which is linked in the RFA application accessible in CORD and also in the RFA PDF document on the CWOP webpage.
Q. How is the increased funding determined for a current grantee? The survey does not provide a way to propose an amount of increased funding.
A. Caps by category are listed in the RFA. The survey does not have caps, but we will be looking at the grant amount and deliverables under your current agreement to distribute additional funds.
Q. We are currently an Activator Plus organization, and the “Plus” designation includes deliverables related to legal services. We would like to apply for additional funding for both legal services and outreach. Would we need to complete both the survey and the application for funding related to the expanded legal services portion?
A. The Activator Plus and Legal Services categories are distinct -- please refer to the RFA on the types of tactics and deliverables that each has. If you are an Activator Plus who wants to apply for Legal Services, you will need to submit a complete application through the RFA.
Q. If we are interested in increasing our activities—that is, changing from our current Activator role to an Activator Plus role—is it possible to apply for that change? And if so, how should we indicate that? In the quick application for current grantees, there does not seem to be an option to change roles (only to change the deliverables or timeline under your current role). And in the long application, at least according to the RFA, within the application itself, Section 2, Amount Requested, the only option for current grantees is to fill out the quick application, or to apply for one of the new categories (Legal Services, Outreach Tools, Communications Support).
A. Please reach out to us at CWOP@dir.ca.gov.
Q. If we are a current org that wants to add TA as well as increase our current deliverables, do we need to use the application?
A. Existing grantees who are applying to a new category will need to fill out the RFA. If you are requesting an increase in your deliverables and funding for your current role, you can do so through the survey. If you want to do both -- apply for a new category AND increase your current deliverables, you'll need to fill out the RFA and survey, respectively.
Q. Could an applicant apply to both increase current deliverables through the survey and for one of the new activity options? I understand the new activity would need to be applied for using the application on CORD.
A. Existing grantees who are applying to a new category will need to fill out the RFA. If you are requesting an increase in your deliverables and funding for your current role, you can do so through the survey. If you want to do both -- apply for a new category AND increase your current deliverables, you'll need to fill out the RFA and survey, respectively.
Q. We are a current grantee (Activator Plus), and we would want to increase our deliverables and request an extension. We would also like to apply for a new category, Legal Services & outreach tools. Do we do the survey and the application?
A. Existing grantees who are applying to a new category will need to fill out the RFA. If you are requesting an increase in your deliverables and funding for your current role, you can do so through the survey. If you want to do both -- apply for a new category AND increase your current deliverables, you'll need to fill out the RFA and survey, respectively.
Q. I am reaching out on behalf of the San Luis Obispo Child Abuse Prevention Council. We are currently serving as activators and are looking to extend our CWOP grant, and wanted to ask what the approved time frame is for an extension (3-6 months, etc.)
A. With current funding available as of 5/18 and to align this work as much as possible to the service period of 6.0, we do not project being able to extend organizations further out than 3-6 months.
Q. Is this going to be an amendment to the current contract? Or is this going to be a new contract with new terms and conditions? If it's new, will we have to add another reporting requirement, or will it all be included in our current grant reporting? Will I need to do 2 CORD reports? Submit 2 invoices?
A. This would be an amendment to the current agreement. New CORD reporting would be added to the platform for their deliverables; the same CORD report, with more data to enter. Just one invoice, once the additional funding is determined and the invoice is scheduled, is calculated.
Q. From a priority standpoint, is DIR looking to emphasize the launch of entirely new projects/initiatives for CWOP 6.0, or is an increase in scale (building on current successful strategies) more of a priority?
A. These awards will align with the current scope of CWOP 5.0/6.0. No changes have been made to the design of the program.
Q. If we are requesting extra funds for outreach (a current category), I know we only need to fill out the survey rather than do the full application, but I just wanted to double-check that this is still the case if we are doing outreach in a new way (hiring promoters rather than just doing it through our own staff).
A. Yes, this is correct.
Q. Also, to double check, if we are proposing 2 new things--1. expansion of outreach and 2. new communications project, we would do the survey for #1 and an application for #2, right?
A. Yes, this is correct.
5. Miscellaneous and General/Non-RFA Feedback
Q. When creating outreach tools or resources as part of Technical Assistance activities, how should this be reported? Should the hours spent developing outreach resources be included under the Technical Assistant activity hours?
A. For questions on current reporting, please reach out to CWOP@dir.ca.gov and your Regional Lead.
June 2026
