2013 Application Handbook

Transcription

1 2013 Application Handbook Dr Pepper Snapple Group & KaBOOM! Let s Play Community Construction Grant Program

2 Table of Contents 3 Overview 4 Eligibility and Selection Criteria 5 Helpful Application Hints 6 6 Step 1: Creating a Project Page on Our Dream Playground 8 Step 2: Earning Badges on Our Dream Playground 10 Step 3: Adding Your Playspace to the Map of Play 11 Step 4: Completing the Online Application 12 Application Narrative Questions with Help Text 14 Supplemental Materials

3 Overview of the Dr Pepper Snapple Group & KaBOOM! A National Partner of KaBOOM!, Dr Pepper Snapple Group has made a $15 million, three-year commitment to the organization as part of the company s Let s Play initiative. Let s Play is a community partnership led by Dr Pepper Snapple Group designed to get kids active nationwide. Through Let s Play, KaBOOM! and Dr Pepper Snapple Group will provide the tools, places and inspiration to help communities increase physical activity. What is the What is the Dr Pepper Snapple Group & KaBOOM! Let s Play Community Construction Grant Program? Dr Pepper Snapple Group & KaBOOM! are excited to offer $15,000 grants to qualifying organizations to be used toward the purchase of playground equipment that will be built using the KaBOOM! community-build model. Grantees will plan their project and share best practices and challenges through the KaBOOM! website. Communities who receive a grant must complete their playground project within one year of award. Why only 12 months to complete the project? We have heard from communities that one of the most important keys for success in a project like this is to establish a Build Date. Past experience has demonstrated that a community can accomplish the work needed to complete their project in eight months. Projects that go for longer than a year can become burdensome to the individuals most involved. Selected grantees will commit to making their playground dream a reality by no later than a year after they are awarded the grant. How does the funding work? We want to inspire a community who has recognized a need for a playground to do something about it and provide an opportunity for a community who has begun to work on a project to dream even bigger. Your playground project costs will include playground equipment, safety surfacing, site prep and side projects. Grants of $15,000 will be made through this challenge grant program to offset only your equipment costs. Selected grantees will agree to fundraise for equipment that will fall in the range of $24,000 to $40,000. Why is online engagement important? The online tools have helped to improve the planning process for communities across the country. By using the online tools, you will benefit from what others have learned and you will be able to share valuable new insights with others. Grantees will share successes and challenges through a variety of KaBOOM! online tools, including Our Dream Playground. If you aren t internet savvy, partner with a colleague to help you with this portion of the program. 3

4 Eligibility and Selection Criteria Please visit kaboom.org/grants for the next application deadline. Eligible Groups U.S.-based municipalities Registered 501c3 organizations Public & Charter Schools Non-profit, child-serving organizations This grant is open to applicants without a playground, or with existing equipment that is unsafe for children to use. If you already have equipment on site that you intend to keep, whether or not it is age appropriate, your application will be less competitive. Other Eligibility Requirements Applicant must own the land, possess a long-term lease on the land, or have permission to build from land owner Playground equipment purchase must fall between $24,000 and $40,000, not including freight, surfacing or side projects. Applicant cannot be a past KaBOOM! grant recipient Applicant must use the KaBOOM! community-build model throughout the planning and construction process Applicant must complete the playground project within 12 months of receiving the grant award Applicant must work with a KaBOOM! Preferred Equipment Vendor Applicant Evaluation Only applicants who have submitted complete applications and demonstrate they meet the eligibility requirements will be considered. Key criteria used in the competitive selection process include: Demonstrated need for a playground in the community Anticipated impact that the playground and project will have on the community Impact on low income areas Capacity to engage the community in planning and building the playground Capacity to generate the matching funds to support and complete the build within the time frame of the grant period Demonstrated enthusiasm for this project and commitment to fulfill requirements Benefits of Becoming a KaBOOM! Construction Grantee $15,000 equipment grant applied toward your purchase from a KaBOOM! Preferred Vendor One-on-one support from the KaBOOM! Grants Team throughout the planning process Opportunity to be matched with a KaBOOM! mentor for guidance through the planning and construction process Access to the KaBOOM! Alumni Network, where grantees have access to exclusive grants to maintain and expand on their playspace. KaBOOM! Preferred Equipment Vendors BCI Burke Company, LLC Landscape Structures Inc. Miracle Recreation Equipment Company, Inc. Playworld Systems, Inc. 4

5 Helpful Application Hints KaBOOM! cannot recover any unsaved responses that are lost due to power or internet outages. To avoid the risk of losing your application answers, we highly recommend you complete your narrative questions offline (in Microsoft Word, for example), then paste the answers into each text box when you are prepared to submit your application. Set a project completion date or Build Date (when your playground will be constructed). Setting a firm Build Date and working backwards from that date improves your chance of success! Answer the essays with as much detail as necessary. Please do not give one-word answers to any of the narrative questions. With less information, it is difficult for us to fully evaluate the need for funding within your community. However, please only include pertinent information. Make sure you are aware of all required documents before starting your application. You will be required to submit a number of supplemental documents in addition to narrative essays. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Provide a detailed and complete fundraising plan. The review committee takes a very careful look at each applicant s fundraising plan to ensure that the applicant has the capacity to raise the necessary funds. Be sure to describe past successes and realistic future plans. Give detailed examples of how you are using or plan to use the Community-Build Model. Use of the Community-Build Model is central to our grant programs and will only strengthen your application. Make sure the estimated cost for playground equipment on your budget is between $24,000 and $40,000. Please do not send applications via postage mail or fax. We prefer to receive all applications and materials electronically, so that everything can be received by the deadline. We highly suggest you attend a KaBOOM! training. You can learn everything you need to know about the community-build model, vendor and site selection, and fundraising at a KaBOOM! training. Information you gain at these events will help you run a smooth project and build a new great place to play! Visit playschool.kaboom.org for more information. 5

6 STEP 1 Creating a Project Page on Our Dream Playground Before you even begin your online application, you will need to create a project page on Our Dream Playground, the KaBOOM! online planning tool that will guide you through your community-build. Our Dream Playground offers tools to help you plan, organize, advertise, recruit volunteers and fundraise for your new playground! Start by visiting OurDreamPlayground.org. In the upper right-hand corner of the page, click Sign Up to create a username and password. Once you have done this, the site will guide you through setting up a new project page for your playground. If you are already registered on the site, click Sign In. The first thing you will see every time you log on to Our Dream Playground is the site homepage. To get to your Project Dashboard, click My Projects in the upper right-hand corner of the screen and choose your playground project. You will be directed to the main page of your project where you will be able to see any photos or videos you ve uploaded, the address and description of your play space and how much money you ve raised to date! Keep in mind that your page must include the following three things in order to be eligible for the grant. These items are also necessary to enable people to find, support and volunteer for your project: At least one photo A project description The street address or nearest intersection of your future playground These steps can be completed under the Overview and Edit Project tabs. 6

7 STEP 1 Creating a Project Page on Our Dream Playground (Continued) 7

8 STEP 2 Earning Badges on Our Dream Playground One feature that you may notice on Our Dream Playground is the ability to earn badges. The purpose of badges is not that they are earned intentionally, per se, but as a reward for exploring the site and actively updating your page in the process of planning your playground. You may notice there are no explicit directions on how to earn badges, and this is in large part the reason. If you are applying for a $15,000 Let s Play Community Construction Grant, there are three required badges you must earn to be eligible. These badges are earned by completing tasks that you would naturally complete in planning for your playground; badges just offer a visual way of tracking this progress: Ready, Set, Go!: You created a project page Ahoy!: You assigned all eight of your committee captains online Site Secured: You secure your site and checked off the Site Secured task Earn the Ahoy! Badge To sign up your eight committee captains, they will first need to create their own username and password on Our Dream Playground. Committee members will have access to the same administrative functions that you do as the Project Leader, including updating the page and checking off tasks. Once they have created a username and password, they can visit your page and click the large orange VOLUNTEER button on your Project Dashboard. They will then choose Join under Join the Planning Team (NOTE: RSVP for Build Day is for volunteers who wish to only help out on the day you construct your playground; they will not have any administrative capabilities on the site). After volunteers Join the Planning Team, they will have the opportunity to select a committee they wish to be on. 8

9 STEP 2 Earning Badges on Our Dream Playground (Continued) Although your committee members can preference the team they wish to be on, they won t have full access to the site until you login as the Project Leader and officially assign them to a team. Earning the Site Secured Badge: 9

10 STEP 3 Adding Your Playspace to the Map of Play Be sure to add the site of your proposed playground, in addition to all nearby playspaces, to the Map of Play: 1. Visit mapofplay.kaboom.org 2. Click the orange ADD a new playspace button 3. Follow the steps to add your new playspace to the map 4. Click the blue Add Photo button to upload an image Note: If your playspace already exists on the map, please don t create a duplicate record. Instead, rate the playspace or add additional photos! The application for the Let s Play Community Construction Grant will ask you to include the link to your playspace on the Map of Play. To do this, find your playspace on the map, right-click in the address bar to copy the URL and paste the URL into the grant application. 10

11 Step 4 Completing the Online Application Starting a project page on Our Dream Playground will allow you to access the $15,000 Let s Play Community Construction Grant application. From your Project Dashboard, find the Overview tab above your picture. There you will find a link to Apply for Grants, which will take you directly to the online grant application. 11

12 Step 4 Completing the Online Application Please ensure that all questions in the application are answered completely and provide examples when applicable. Be clear and concise in your responses. 1. Mission: In 3-5 sentences, describe your organization s mission and the overall scope of your organization s programs and services. Help Text: Give KaBOOM! a snapshot of why your organization exists. What do you hope to accomplish? If your organization is fairly new, explain why it was created. Explain any unique programs or services available to your constituents. 2. Community: Tell us about the community you directly serve, the neighborhood in which you plan to build your playground, and the kids who will use the playground. Is it safe? Do children play outside? Is it a close-knit community? Are there schools nearby? Help Text: What condition is the neighborhood currently in? What is the demographic information of the general population? Is there a sense of community among residents? Where do kids currently play? 3. Map of Play: Visit mapofplay.org to add or rate all playspaces up to 5 within a half mile of your proposed playground. Copy and paste the web addresses of no more than 5 nearby playspaces that you ve added or rated into the text box below. Help Text: For instructions on adding and rating playspaces, click here. 4. Access: Will your playground be open to the general public? Who will have access to your new playground and when? If your playground is not open to the general public, please explain. Help Text: How long will your playground be open on a daily/weekly/annual basis? Will it be open to all children within the community or is it a private playspace? Will events be held at the playground? 5. Area: Describe what currently occupies the site where your playground will be built. Do you have existing equipment that you plan to keep or equipment that will be taken out? What makes your area ideal for the new playground? Help Text: Is there currently playground equipment at the site of your proposed playground? Explain the condition of the equipment, if applicable. If there is no equipment, describe the site of the new playground. Is it within a public park? On school grounds? Are there any nearby playgrounds? If so, why is your new playground necessary? 12

13 Step 4 Completing the Online Application 6. Community Projects: Describe any community supported projects or events your organization has helped to plan in the past. Be sure to include examples of how community members helped to plan and raise money for your project or event. Help Text: Has your organization ever planned an event for the community served? This can include anything from a neighborhood block party to a city-wide 5K race. How were members of the community involved? Who was the target audience? Did you have to raise money? If so, how did you fundraise and how long did it take to reach your financial goal? 7. Current Progress: Describe the steps your organization has taken for getting members of the community involved in the playground project so far. If you are just getting started, what are your most immediate plans moving forward? Help Text: What have you done so far towards building the playground? Be specific. If you haven t yet started the project, please explain the steps you plan to take to get started. 8. Fundraising Plan: Describe your specific plan to raise funds for this playground project. How much money do you need and how do you plan to raise it? If you have money already allocated for this project, how was it obtained? Help Text: Please be specific in describing how you will obtain the funds for your playground equipment. If you have already raised any sum of money, please describe how much and how it was obtained. 9. Maintenance: Who primarily will be responsible for the playground maintenance? How will the maintenance be funded? How will members of the community be engaged? Help Text: Playground safety extends far beyond planning and Build Day. How will you take care of the playground once it s constructed? Is there a specific committee that will manage maintenance? Are they volunteers or will they be paid? Who is responsible for maintenance funding? 10. Continued Progress: If you do not receive this grant, what are your next steps in moving forward with this project? Help Text: How will you continue to raise funds for your project if you do not receive a grant from KaBOOM!? What ideas do you have? If you have a timeline, will you be able to stay on track? 13

14 Supplemental Materials To complete your application, you must submit or upload the following attachments. Applications missing one or more of these documents will not be reviewed. Materials can be Word Documents (.doc), PDFs (.pdf), or Excel Worksheets (.xls): Evidence of Non-Profit Status (if applicable) An appropriate certificate or a copy of the IRS (or appropriate provincial or federal agency) letter confirming nonprofit tax exemption status or memorandum of understanding between your organization and a fiscal agent/sponsor. Governmental subdivisions (public schools, municipal governments, etc.) are not required to submit proof of nonprofit status. Budget Preliminary project budget, which should reflect your proposed equipment cost. This does not need to be your final project budget. Click here to download the budget form. Letters of Support Letter of organizational support from organization s Board Chair or equivalent and from members of your planning committee indicating their support and what role they play in your playground project. Please do not include more than 5 letters total (even if your planning committee has more than 5 members). Petition of Support Petition of no less than 25 signatures of parents and community members who pledge their interest and support to this project. Click here to download the petition. Proof of Insurance Proof of commercial & general liability insurance not less than $1,000,000. If awarded, grantee must include KaBOOM! and Dr Pepper Snapple Group as additional insured. Proof of Land Ownership and/or Letter of Permission from the Land Owner Organizations must submit proof that their organization owns the land upon which they plan to build the proposed playground or a letter of permission from the landowner. Project Timeline Submit a draft timeline for your project. Selected grantees will receive more support throughout the KaBOOM! planning process, but having a draft timeline at this stage is extremely helpful. Click here to download the project timeline form. Asset Mapping KaBOOM! would like every community group to begin looking at the many resources, or assets, in their own community, rather than focusing solely on needs and areas for improvement. Complete the following worksheet, brainstorming all of the individuals and groups in your community that can contribute to your project. Try to think outside of financial contributions; also consider donation of resources and volunteers. Click here for a sample Asset Map. Click here to download a blank copy for your additions. 14

15 Supplemental Materials (Continued) The Five Types of Assets: 1. Individuals: Every single individual has special skills that can contribute to a community project. What are your skills and talents? Who do you know? How can children contribute? How can the elderly contribute? 2. Associations: Both formal and informal groups of community members working together have skills to contribute to a project. What groups do you belong to? (Religious groups? Sports groups? Neighborhood groups? PTA?) What products, services, and talents can these groups contribute? What types of special events do these groups have that can be useful to your project? 3. Institutions: What are the major businesses in your community? How can grocery stores, banks, schools, libraries, hospitals, restaurants, churches/religious facilities contribute products, services, person-hours, etc to your project? 4. Land, Property, and Natural Resources: Where do you have land? What type of land can you utilize for the project-either for building, storing, staging, or parking? Are parks, parking lots, or vacant lots nearby? 5. Economic Strengths: Where do you spend your money in the local community? Which businesses and/or individuals bring in the most money in the community? Where is the money stored? How can banks, businesses, or individuals contribute money to your project? Monetary donations do not have to be large-consider penny drives at a local elementary school or collection jars at a local business or civic group. Letter of Intent Please review the Letter of Agreement with your legal team and have the person who would be signing the Letter of Agreement, if selected, sign the Letter of Intent. Do not return a signed copy of the Letter of Agreement. Download the Letter of Intent and the Letter of Agreement: Letter of Intent Letter of Agreement If your organization if unable to fulfill ALL requirements within the Letter of Agreement, your group will not be eligible to receive grant funding. 15