Grant Application & Review Criteria

Transcription

1 Grant Application & Review Criteria To download a printable version, click here. Please Note: Paper applications will not be accepted. We have included a printable version for you to reference prior to submitting online. As a friendly reminder, please create your document in Word, then transfer to the online form. CHECKLIST Please make sure you have ALL items on this list before beginning. Budget info Organizational Chart for Lead Applicant 501c3 Proof of Nonprofit Status Work Plan Organizational Chart for Project One Year of Financials (Prior Year) Board of Directors Organization Name Austin College EIN Address 900 N. Grand Ave, Ste. 6G Sherman, Texas United States Mailing Address (If different from above) How many locations do you operate? 1 Counties Served Within THF s Service Area Grayson Fannin Bryan Marshall Counties Served Outside of THF's Service Area 0 Mission Statement The mission of Austin College is to educate students in the liberal arts and sciences in order to

2 prepare them for rewarding careers and for full, engaged, and meaningful lives. Check Applicable Current Grantee Current Award $30,000 in support of SEPA Are you current on your reporting? YES Amount Requested from THF for proposed project $40,000 Amount of Match from other sources for the proposed project: Cash 0 In-Kind 0 THF Priority Area Your Project Will Address To improve access to healthcare services for under and uninsured residents, as well as support community health education and healthy living Focus Area: IF FOR A SPECIFIC PROJECT, PLEASE CHOOSE BASED ON FOCUS AREA FOR THE PROJECT. Health Education and Other BRIEF Description of Project (Limit to 1/2 page) Austin College seeks funding for the Social Entrepreneurship for Poverty Alleviation (SEPA) program. SEPA is designed to increase student engagement and collaboration with local nonprofit organizations and provide grant writing training and internships. SEPA focuses on engaging students in community development through grant writing as an entrepreneurial endeavor, teaching technical aspects of grant writing and providing hands-on experience with a local nonprofit organization. Student interns are paired with local nonprofits, and the teams attend an intensive grant writing workshop. The interns assist with grant writing and research while learning about areas of need in our community and how the nonprofits seek to solve these issues. SEPA addresses the THF s funding priorities through the participation of several current and past THF grantees, including Callie Clinic, Family Promise, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), New Life House, & Women Rock. This successful program has assisted more than 60 nonprofit agencies and earned over $855,000 in grant funding for Texoma nonprofit agencies. In the summer of 2018, student interns submitted grant requests totaling over $1million.

3 Contact Info: Name Lisa Simpson Title Director of Corporate, Foundation, and Government Relations Phone (903) Applicants are asked not to contact Foundation Board Members regarding applications and to please direct all questions to for routing to the appropriate representative. SECTION 1 of 7 - NEED This section should clearly address the need for funding from the Texoma Health Foundation by answering the following questions: A. What is the current gap(s) in THF s four-county service area that requires financial support? Applicant s MUST provide both quantitative and qualitative data to paint a picture of the need that includes county, state and national data. It is well known that many nonprofits struggle to find the staffing and funding resources necessary to operate. Many local organizations in Texoma cannot afford to have a staff member solely dedicated to researching, preparing, and managing grants, while others cannot afford to provide the professional development necessary to train current staff in the art of grant writing. Inadequate resources can lead to an adverse effect on Texoma residents because organizations may not have the ability to pursue additional funding opportunities to fulfill their missions and provide important services. Social Entrepreneurship for Poverty Alleviation (SEPA) increases the quality of life for all Texoma residents by enhancing the capacity of local nonprofits through skills training, internships, and collaborative programs. SEPA addresses the mission of the Texoma Health Foundation through the work of the participating agencies. Due to the tremendous competition for grant funding, a trained and skilled grant writer who can make compelling arguments for a nonprofit organization s needs is a huge asset.

4 Austin College seeks support and partnership from the Texoma Health Foundation to provide nonprofit organizations with an Austin College student intern to assist the nonprofit organizations with additional grant funding to fulfill their missions and ultimately help the residents of the Texoma Health Foundation service area. SEPA directly serves the nonprofit organizations that support an estimated 228,339 Texoma area residents (US Census Bureau Population Estimates, July 2017). Participating nonprofits in the SEPA program have varied programs including those designed to increase the quality of life for the uninsured and people with disabilities in Texoma. Roughly 20% of the residents in the THF service under age 65 are uninsured, according to the US Census Bureau, compared to 15% of the US population (Census.gov). Also, the percentage of persons under age 65 with a disability ranges from 12% in Grayson and Cooke counties, to 22% in Marshall County. Each county is greater than the U.S. average of 8% of persons under 65 with a disability (Census.gov). According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), there are 358 nonprofit organizations that are charity filers (file Form 990 or 990-EZ) located in our immediate area as of August 2016 (NCCS has not released updated statistics since 2016). In Texas, 185 are located in Grayson County, 65 are located in Cooke County, and 40 are located in Fannin County. There are 52 registered charity filers in Bryan County, Oklahoma, and 16 in Marshall County, Oklahoma. Since SEPA s inception, 60, or about 17%, of Texoma nonprofit organizations have participated in SEPA at least one summer. B. Please explain why funding is needed to address the need/gap identified? Funding is necessary to provide stipends to support students during summer internships and the two-day workshop attended by all students and nonprofit partners. If granted funds from the Texoma Health Foundation, Austin College will be able to have 25 nonprofit organizations and 25 student interns participate in the 2018 program. C. What demographic is most impacted as a result of the gap/need? How many residents do you project are currently impacted due to this gap? Texoma nonprofit agencies, while not a demographic, are the most impacted as a result of the gap/need described above. By extension, additional potential grant dollars to community nonprofits then have a positive impact on each of the agencies constituencies. D. Who else is addressing this need in the community or region? Are you partnering with these agencies? If no, please explain? At the time of application, Austin College is not aware of another program similar to SEPA in the THF s four-county service area. Nonprofit organizations have the ability to post a job, hire, interview, and train an intern. However, the SEPA program streamlines the process for nonprofit organizations by providing them educated, mission-driven Austin College student interns. E. Please explain any collaboration in place for this project and include letters of support as an attachment. Collaborations between Austin College and the nonprofit participants are a key component of the SEPA program. Nonprofits provide hands-on learning opportunities for student interns. Due to the

5 application and selection process described later in this proposal, we cannot define the specific collaborations at this time. F. Please explain sharing of funds across collaborative partners if the application includes partnerships. SEPA does not include fund sharing partnerships. All nonprofits participate at no cost. Attach Letters of Support or MOU"s SECTION 2 of 7 - RESPONSE This section should: 1. Describe in detail the overall project that is being proposed. What are you asking to implement? Who will implement it? What will it look like day-to-day? Who will it benefit? SEPA program activity begins during the fall semester with access to the Funding Information Network (FIN) for grant research and online grant writing courses which are open to the public and Austin College students. Austin College provides this resource at no cost to students and the community. Fall activities also include marketing and recruitment efforts to encourage students and nonprofits to apply for the program. Online applications open to nonprofit organizations and Austin College students in the spring. Final selections of nonprofit organizations are made based on an organization's "grant readiness." Grant readiness is determined by a nonprofit organization's status as a 501(c)3, governing structure, age, funding goals, and whether or not it has a specific program or project of focus for the program. Students are selected based on GPA and a personal essay. The essay provides insight into the student's ability to assist the nonprofit organizations and helps determine the best match possible between the student and the nonprofit organization. At the beginning of the summer, the College hosts a 2-day grant writing workshop, team-taught by Nate Bigelow, the faculty coordinator; Cary Wacker; and a regional grant writing professional. The intensive workshop teaches participants the technical aspects of grant writing, how to efficiently search for funding sources, and how to build relationships with funders. The workshop is hands-on and interactive. There are many opportunities for nonprofit organizations to learn what projects each organization is working on. Collaborations are strongly encouraged. Participating nonprofit organizations and students are required to attend this workshop. The student intern works at the nonprofit organization during the summer to help with program or project development, researching new opportunities, and writing grant proposals. Throughout the summer, additional training sessions and individual meetings are held to guide the teams in their grant seeking. At the end of summer, all participants join for a meeting to share feedback on successes and problems in training and during the program and share data. This presents a great

6 opportunity to learn from the participants and implement their ideas and suggestions to increase the effectiveness of the program in the future. Throughout the year, we maintain contact with the nonprofit organizations to ensure accurate data is collected on the outcomes of any grants submitted as a result of the program. WORK PLAN Goal A Description: The SEPA Program s comprehensive and efficient application process will assess each nonprofit organization s grant readiness and successfully pair them with an Austin College student intern. Goal A Activities Form 25 SEPA teams Timeline / Due Date May 2019 Person(s) Responsible Nate Bigelow; Cary Wacker WORK PLAN Goal B Description: Increase the number and quality of grant proposals submitted by partner agencies Activities Timeline / Due Date Person(s ) Responsi ble Provide grant writing workshop Summer 2019 SEPA team Provide on-going consultation during the summer. Summer 2019 SEPA team WORK PLAN Goal C Description: Partner nonprofits will apply for new funding opportunities. Activities Timeline / Due Date Person(s) Responsi ble Train interns and nonprofits on research and relationship building techniques summer 2019 SEPA Team Provide access and training on FIN summer 2019 Simpson and SEPA Team WORK PLAN Goal D Description: Interns will gain real-world knowledge and skills that will be applicable to their careers after graduation from Austin College. Activities Timeline / Due Date Person(s) Responsi ble

7 8-week internship placement with a local nonprofit summer 2019 SEPA team WORK PLAN Goal E Description: 3. What will look different/change in the region when the project is fully implemented? When the SEPA project is fully implemented, we anticipate increased funding for Texoma nonprofit agencies, increased collaboration between the College and nonprofit agencies, increased collaboration between the nonprofit agencies, and increased community engagement between Austin College students and the community. SECTION 3 of 7 - IMPACT Applicant should explain how the proposed project will impact the community for the better and further the mission of the Texoma Health Foundation. The narrative should answer the following questions: A. What specific geographical areas (communities, counties, etc.) will be impacted by the project? Grayson, Cooke, Fannin, Bryan, and Marshall counties. SEPA is available to Texoma-area nonprofits and the communities served is dependent on the partner organizations. B. How will the proposed project improve the health of residents? SEPA will improve the health of residents by assisting current and previous THF grantees including Behavioral Concepts, Inc., Your Health Clinic (Callie Clinic), the Grayson College Foundation, the Child & Family Guidance Center, North Texas Youth Connection, Home Hospice of Grayson County, and Women Rock in their missions. Austin College would also like to utilize our relationship with THF to promote SEPA to their grantees and applicants in order to increase THF s return on investment in the SEPA program. C. How many residents will be directly impacted by the project? The number of residents directly impacted by the project will be determined by how many residents are impacted by the nonprofit organizations that participate in the SEPA program. D. Is there an indirect impact? If so, please explain. Yes, SEPA directly serves nonprofits through grant writing and fund development assistance. Therefore, the program indirectly impacts the clients of those agencies. Through increased knowledge and funding opportunities, nonprofits will be able to increase their effectiveness and

8 reach of services in the Texoma community. E. What will happen if THF funds are not received? If funds are not received, Austin College will still continue the SEPA program however, the number of participants (interns and nonprofit partners) will be significantly decreased. Austin College hopes to increase our partnership with THF and directly market the SEPA program to fellow THF grantees. Additional Information: SECTION 4 of 7 - EVALUATION This section should answer how the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the project will be evaluated. It should include a detailed description of what data will be collected and how staff will assure reporting to determine the project s impact on the community. THF is seeking evaluative plans that identify successes and/or lessons that not only support the applicant but assist future projects. A. How will you know that change has happened? How will you monitor success and/or lessons to make adjustments and/or leverage opportunities? We will know that change has occurred in the region and in the community of nonprofit agencies that participate through surveys and data analysis after the summer program. Each year, we analyze survey data and reflections from in-person interviews and sessions to continuously improve the program for the following year. B. How will you collect baseline data? What indicators/measures will you use throughout evaluation? Baseline data has been collected during previous program years by SEPA coordinators indicators will be compared to previous years data. Indicators/Measures: -Number of grant applications submitted by interns including total submitted and number submitted by individual interns -Total funds requested during the program -Total grants awarded -Rate of return on grants awarded -Effectiveness of two-day grant writing workshop including activities and instructors At the conclusion of the program, the effectiveness of the intern and the nonprofit organization will be measured using the following questions: -Did the intern work in a professional manner? -Did the intern display growth in knowledge of the organization's mission and services?

9 -Did the internship give the intern a realistic experience in grant writing and community development? -Did the nonprofit organization regularly meet with the intern and provide ongoing feedback? -After the program, is the intern comfortable with the grant seeking and writing process? C. How will data be collected throughout the project? Who will be responsible? Data will be collected through surveys and regularly scheduled check-ins. Nate Bigelow is responsible for data collection. Additionally, nonprofits are responsible for reporting their grant award information to Austin College for tracking purposes. D. How often will you collect the data? Data will be collected a minimum of three times during the program. Immediately after the workshop (qualitative survey data), at the conclusion of the summer (qualitative survey data and quantitative grants-submitted data), and throughout the year (quantitative grants-submitted data) to learn about funding decisions for agency s submitted grants. Additional Information: Please Upload an Evaluative Table that outlines processes (pdf, doc, or docx only). THF_SEPA_Section-4-of-7-Evaluation.pdf To view a sample evaluation table, click here. SECTION 5 of 7 - RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES Describe the organization s resources and capabilities to successfully implement the proposed project. A. Please describe the organizational structure relevant to the project, including a) the applicant s experience/history with successful implementation and b) the availability of facilities. Austin College has successfully implemented the SEPA project for 6 years. SEPA interns have written almost 300 requests totaling over $5.3million with awards totaling $855,000. Austin College has available meeting spaces to accommodate large groups when the entire program meets together during training sessions, luncheons, and other meetings. Additional Information: B. Please complete the following Personnel Chart for employees directly supporting the

10 proposed project. Position Title % FTE to be dedicated to the project Existing Staff Member? Y/N Or New Staff to be hired if grant is awarded? Y/N % FTE paid by THF grant % FTE paid by other funding source Faculty Coordinator 100 X C. Please attach a current list of Board of Directors (pdf, doc, or docx only). Board-of-Trustees-2018_ pdf D. Attach bios of all current employees who will be working on this project. THF_SEPA_Bios.pdf E. How many hours per week will each current employee be contributing to the project? What is their current salary? (Please list) Bigelow: 20 hours, $6,000 summer salary Wacker: ~4 hours, $70,000 annually Simpson: ~2 hours, $57,000 annually What is their current salary? (Please list) Bigelow: $6,000 summer salary Wacker: $70,000 annually Simpson: $57,000 annually F. Attach job descriptions (including salary/hourly wage and hours per week) for new positions that will be created. If none, please state that no new positions will be created. THF_SEPA_nonewpostions.pdf G. Attach an organizational chart of the lead applicant. AC-Organization-Chart.pdf To view a sample evaluation table, click here. H. Attach an organizational chart for the project (or that clearly includes the project). THF_SEPA_OrgChart.pdf To view a sample evaluation table, click here.

11 SECTION 6 of 7 - SUSTAINABILITY This section should clearly address the applicant s plans for sustaining the project beyond the grant year. A. Describe in detail any cash-match and/or in-kind support that will be leveraged for the project outside of THF resources. Currently, Austin College does not have any cash-match and/or in-kind support from outside the College for the 2019 SEPA program. B. Please list organizations that have financially committed to the project and the amount secured, as well as the names of organizations in which you are seeking additional support for the project but have not yet received approval/confirmation. Currently, Austin College does not have any financial support from outside the College for the 2019 SEPA program. We have pending grant requests with the Elias and Hanna Regensburger Foundation, the W.B. Munson Foundation to support SEPA along with THF. Additionally, we are promoting SEPA to alumni and individual donors to gain more support. C. Please describe how you plan to sustain the project long-term (revenue, funding, etc.). SEPA is a foundational program of the College s Community and Regional Development Center and is a significant priority for Austin College. This program aligns with the College s current strategic plan, which states that Austin College will build on our successful culture of service to include service-learning opportunities and linkages between global and local service. By 2020, service learning as high-impact pedagogy will be available to students in a wide range of academic programs. One of Austin College s broader goals is to continue serving as an accelerator for the cultural and economic growth of our surrounding region. The greatest long-term challenge is sustained funding, but we have strong institutional support to devote significant human resources to acquire funding, with the ultimate goal of endowing the program to establish it as a permanent part of the Austin College experience. The College is currently in the quiet phase of a capital campaign, which includes an effort to endow the SEPA program. Additional Information: SECTION 7 of 7 - BUDGET This section should include: a line-item detailed budget a budget narrative that clearly describes the amount, and calculation of support for each budget line-item requested from THF for purposes of the project

12 Personnel Amount Requested from THF Match/In- Kind Amount Match/In- Kind Source Position/Title (EX: Project Manager responsible for day-to-day oversight of the proposed project, data collection and reporting.) Austin College Faculty Coordinator Equipment Supplies Amount Requested from THF Match/In-Kind Amount Match/In-Kind Source Items Requested Austin College Printing Supplies Contractual Amount Requested from THF Match/In-Kind Amount Match/In-Kind Source Items Requested Austin College/ Pending Requests Student Intern Stipends Austin College Workshop Instructor Other Amount Requested from THF Match/In-Kind Amount Match/In-Kind Source Items Requested Austin College Room Reservations Austin College Food service for Workshop Budget Narrative: Personnel: Coordinator (faculty member): responsible for management of the SEPA program with a focus on recruiting and managing student interns, data collection, and assessment and evaluation of outcomes. (1 FTE for summer salary including fringe benefits = $6,459)

13 Note: Wacker and Simpson perform their SEPA tasks as part of their regular assigned duties. -Cary Wacker-- Assoc. Vice President for Institutional Advancement/Director, Center for Community & Regional Development is responsible for co-management of the SEPA program with a focus on recruiting, maintaining, and interfacing with local nonprofit program partners. -Lisa Simpson-- Director of Corporate, Foundation, and Government Relations is responsible for assisting the program as needed and providing fund development for the program. Supplies: Print materials for workshop and program ($200) Contractual: Student stipends for work and expenses incurred over the 8 weeks of the internship ($3,000/intern). Students also receive academic credit for their participation. Workshop instructor: regional grant writing expert to teach the two-day workshop ($2,000). Austin College will provide half of the funds needed to hire the instructor. Other: Room reservations for meeting space is in-kind from Austin College ($500) Austin College will pay Aramark catering for all food service during the 2-day workshop. Participants will be on campus 9am-4pm both days. ($1,500) Budget Narrative Format Ex: Personnel: Project Manager: Responsible for day-to-day oversight of the proposed project, data collection and reporting. (0.5 FTE at $30,000/year = $15,000) Equipment: One computer and one printer for Project Manager: $800 Additional Information: Attach copy of proof of 501c3 status. (pdf, doc, or docx only) AustinCollege-IRS-determination-letter.pdf Attach copy of the lead applicant s financials (last fiscal year) (pdf, doc, or docx only). Austin-College-Audit-2017.pdf

14 Please review your submission before submitting