Sumter County Schools and Sumter Archway Partnership GRANT FUNDING APPLICATION FOR BUS STOP SHELTERS AND SIGNAGE

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1 Sumter County Schools and Sumter Archway Partnership GRANT FUNDING APPLICATION FOR BUS STOP SHELTERS AND SIGNAGE Grant Writer: Farrah R. Senn Sumter County Schools Superintendent: Dr. Roy Brooks

2 Archway Partnership Project Data Sheet Project Name: Sumter County Schools (SCS) Bus Stop Shelter and Signage Grant Location: Sumter County, GA Description: SCS requests assistance in determining available grant funding to be used for construction of bus stop shelters and signage placement. Archway Contact: Matt Bishop University of Georgia, Hoke Smith Building, Athens, GA Community Contacts: Barbara Grogan Archway Professional Tracy Monts Interim Transportation Supervisor Student Assigned: Farrah R. Senn EDLD, 8436 Spring 2011 Final product: This report includes the information and documentation needed to complete an online application to the Lowe s Foundation to provide for grant funding, and a volunteer application and donation letter. Executive Summary: Sumter County Schools, with the assistance of the University of Georgia Archway Partnership, seeks $50,000 in grant funds to purchase and construct shelters and place signage at 40 bus stops throughout the county. Over 50 percent of Sumter County school students ride the bus, and 11 percent of Sumter County households do not own a vehicle. Riding a bus to school is the only viable option for many students. Shelters and signage will protect children from the elements while waiting for the bus to arrive. The project will rely heavily on community volunteers to help construct the shelters, and will begin with a kick-off breakfast where volunteers will be shown how the assemble the shelters and will end with a ribbon cutting to celebrate completion and to recognize volunteers involved. Lowe s administers a continuous funding cycle and an organization may submit application as needed.

3 Lowe s Foundation Request for Proposal Lowes.com: The Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation The Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation MISSION STATEMENT: The Lowe s Charitable and Educational Foundation is dedicated to improving the communities we serve through support of public education, community improvement projects and home safety initiatives. LOWE S CHARITABLE AND EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION: Founded in 1957, the Lowe s Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF) has a long and proud history of contributing to grassroots community projects. LCEF awards millions annually to diverse organizations across the United States. Primary philanthropic focus areas are: Community improvement projects Public Education, priority is given to K-12 public schools GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION OF A COMMUNITY GRANT: The Foundation provides funding only to 501(c) (3) tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and public agencies in communities where Lowe s operates stores and distribution centers. Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation requires that all applicants take an eligibility test. Organizations that pass will be considered, but not guaranteed a grant. LCEF receives far more requests than it can accommodate. Many times, requests that pass the eligibility test and fall within the stated guidelines are not approved. Grants generally range from $5,000 to $25,000.* The Foundation will reserve the right to consider an organization's grant application only once per calendar year. The Foundation's charitable contributions are not used for: Individuals and families National health organizations and their local affiliates Religious organizations and church or denomination-sponsored programs or events Special events, such as conferences, dinners, sport competitions, festivals or art exhibits Sponsorship of fundraising events (i.e. dinners, walks, golf tournaments and auctions) Goodwill advertising or marketing Political, labor, veteran/fraternal organizations, civic clubs or candidates

4 Sports teams or athletic events Arts-based programs Animal rescue and support groups Travel-related events, including student trips or tours Development or production of books, films, videos or television programs Capital campaigns, endowments or endowed chairs Activities of organizations serving primarily their own membership Private schools Continuing education for teachers and staff Institutional overhead and/or indirect cost (i.e. salaries, stipends, benefits and most project labor costs) Memorial campaigns Multi-year requests Tickets to events Lowe s Companies have programs established with the following charitable organizations. Therefore, the Lowe s Charitable and Educational Foundation does not consider individual requests from their local affiliates and chapters. Habitat for Humanity American Red Cross United Way Home Safety Council COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation supports community improvement projects that fall within the following focus areas... Park and neighborhood beautification and enhancements (flowers, trees, fresh paint, etc.) Building repair/renovation and landscaping enhancements of facilities serving the community Community garden, park, or playground projects Community clean-up initiatives Outdoor learning environments such as educational gardening programs. All projects must benefit the community at large.

5 PUBLIC EDUCATION Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation only supports public education projects including... Construction and Trades related education initiatives Clean-up, landscaping and painting projects Playground enhancements Minor repair/renovation of public school buildings Please click here for a list of initiatives the Lowe's Foundation WILL NOT consider. Preference is given to projects located in communities where Lowe's operates stores and distribution centers, and can utilize Lowe's volunteers. Thank you for your interest in Lowe s Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF). Our philosophy for giving holds that the communities we serve should be the primary beneficiaries of our charitable contributions. We recommend that your local Lowe s store be your first point of inquiry when seeking a modest gift card, door prize or donation of materials for a community project or event. LCEF grants typically range from $5,000 to $25,000.* If you are requesting an educational scholarship, you need to access Lowes.com/scholarships. You must first take the Eligibility Test to confirm that your needs match with LCEF guidelines. *The website states that several large grants are given each year in amounts ranging from $50,000 to $100,000.

6 Grant Proposal LCEF Online Application Below are questions and responses to the LCEF online application: Your Organization Information Organization Name Sumter County School System Organization address, city, state, zip code 100 Learning Lane Americus, GA Distance to the closest Lowe s Store (Select one): o 0-5 miles o 6-10 miles X o miles o miles o 20+ miles What is the store number? #2674 What is the address of the store? 1700 East Lamar Street Americus, GA Have you talked to the Lowe's store manager about your project? (yes/no) Yes If so, what is the name of the manager with whom you spoke? Phillip Blocker Organization Website (c)3 or federal Tax ID # Pending input from SCS

7 IRS determination letter available? (yes/no) Pending input from SCS Contact name/ Title Tracy Monts, Interim Transportation Supervisor Phone number (229) Fax number (229) Address What is your organization's mission or mission statement? (limit 200 char.) Mission: To graduate all students. Vision: To improve the quality of the community by providing opportunities that produce ethical workers, global thinkers and productive citizens. Your Project Information Project title Sumter County Shelters for Kids Total project expense $54,560 Total dollars raised thus far, if any (fundraisers, other grants, etc.) $4,560 In-Kind Labor, Travel Expenditures for Maintenance Personnel Amount of Grant Request $50,000 Please provide detailed budget description for the amount requested including all materials, labor, rental fees, etc. (limit 300 char.) The budget request includes $48,000 to purchase 40 passenger shelters and $2000 to purchase signage for the bus stop areas. Sumter County Schools will provide 320 hours labor- a total of $4,000, and $560 in travel expenses. This is enough for the mileage to and from each of the 40 bus stops, as well as 8 hours labor per bus stop for construction of the shelter.

8 Please list any other foundations, or corporations contribute to this project (limit 300 char.) The University of Georgia Archway Partnership Program will be assisting with this project, including grant writing and coordination as well as recruitment of volunteers. How will the LCEF grant be used? (limit 500 char.) The funds will purchase pre-fabricated shelters and signage to place at 40 bus stops in order to protect the children from the elements while waiting for the bus. The desired ADA compatible shelters are approximately $1200 each. Once the shelters are purchased, school maintenance staff and teams of volunteers will construct shelters and place signage at each site. The transportation department will maintain shelters as part of their annual budget. Which LCEF initiative your project will support? What is your project scope? (Select one): o Community Improvement initiative Playground / Park Landscaping Neighborhood beautification Community garden Building repair/renovation Community clean-up Outdoor classroom o K-12 public school initiative Playground Landscaping School beautification Minor repair / Renovation Construction and trade education X Project start date July 2011 Project end date July 2012

9 Your Organization Detailed Information: Project details include goals and objectives (limit 1000 char.) Sumter County Schools seeks to improve safety at 40 bus stops by placing signage and constructing shelters under which students can be protected from the elements while waiting for the bus to arrive. Riding the bus helps to reduce local traffic congestion, provide working parents with valuable transportation alternatives for their children, and provide families who do not own a vehicle a means to get their children safely to school. The National Research Council found that riding the bus is the safest way to get to school, even safer than walking. Nearly 50 % of Sumter County students use the bus as their primary means of transportation to school, and 11% of Sumter County households do not own a vehicle. Given these facts, there are two primary objectives involved, 1) To construct and maintain accessible, central, and comfortable locations for students to wait for the school bus and 2) To increase visibility and safety of bus stop locations by adding structures and signage. What kind of volunteer opportunities exist with this project? Will there be any community events centered around this project? Will Lowe s employees be welcomed as volunteers? (limit 300 char.) This project relies heavily on community volunteer labor, requiring approximately 120 volunteers at 8 hours each for a total of 960 volunteer hours. Lowe s employees knowledge of building materials and experience with construction would be welcomed as a vital part of this project. What events or other promotions have you planned to publicize the grant and your project? (limit 300 char.) Two promotional events are planned, including a kick-off breakfast, where volunteers will watch a demonstration of how to construct the shelters, and a ribbon cutting ceremony upon completion of the project to recognize and appreciate the volunteers involved as well as any donations/grants received. Approximately how many people does your organization serve? (Select one): o Under 100 o o 501-1,000 o ,000 o ,000 X o Over 10,000

10 Primary group served? (Select one): o Women o Children X o Seniors o Underprivileged o Disabled o Other (Please specify): What is the approximate ethnic/racial breakdown of the student population? Please enter a percentage in each box below. Numbers must total 100%. o o o o o o Caucasian 25.0 African American Hispanic Asian American Indian Other *Pending confirmation from SCS How many students received free or reduced lunch in your school? (For k-12 public school initiative) (Select one): o Less than 5% o 5% - 15% o 16% - 25% o 25% - 40% o 41% - 65% o 66% - 80% o Greater than 80% X *Pending confirmation from SCS Zip code(s) most served by the project (List up to five) and 31719

11 Who will report back to the foundation with follow-up information and the progress of your project? How often? (limit 100 char.) Given the project may take up to a year to complete, Sumter County Schools Transportation Director Jerome Smith will be in charge of reporting progress on the project on a quarterly basis, to include the number of shelters constructed to date.

12 Volunteer Pledge Form Note: This form letter has been drafted at the request of the grant seeker to assist with volunteer recruitment. The letter will be sent to area businesses and organizations that may send volunteers or donations to help with the project. [Your Name] [Street Address] [City, ST ZIP Code] Date [Recipient Name] [Title] [Company Name] [Street Address] [City, ST ZIP Code] Dear[Recipient Name]: We are reaching out to businesses and organizations in our area in order to help the children of Sumter County Schools. The goal we hope to achieve with your help is providing shelters for students at bus stops. Currently, children must wait for the bus in open roadside areas exposed to the sun, wind, rain and other types of weather that threaten their health and safety. We are seeking to improve this part of their school day by providing shelters at 40 bus stops throughout the county. Would you like to help us make a difference? We need people like you to donate time, energy, and experience in order to make this project happen, to help our children have a better morning, better school day, and ultimately a better education. Because the proper type of shelter is expensive to purchase and install, we are relying on volunteers to help construct them to offset costs. We will hold a training session and have the manufacturer demonstrate how to build the pre-fab shelters, followed by our volunteers in

13 groups of 3 to 4 assemble a shelter at an assigned site. We anticipate the training session to last a half day, and the assembly to require a full day. With 40 bus stops total, we need many volunteers. Together, with only a day and a half of volunteered time each, we have the opportunity to improve each and every morning for many school children for years to come. However, if you are unable to donate your time, you can still assist by making a monetary donation toward project expenses in any amount you are able. Companies and organizations that provide volunteers or donate over $100 toward this project will be recognized at a ribbon cutting ceremony once the shelters are complete. Enclosed please find a volunteer form that pledges your company s willingness to help in this endeavor. We need your pledge in order to help secure grant funding to help offset the costs of this project. If you would like additional information, please call us today at [phone number] to find out more. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you! Sincerely, Tracy Monts Interim Transportation Supervisor, Sumter County Schools

14 VOLUNTEER PLEDGE FORM Project Shelter Company/Organization Name: Company/Organization Representative: Representative phone number: Representative My company/organization will be able to make a monetary donation toward this project. My company/organization will be able to provide (#) volunteers to help with shelter assembly. My company/organization will not help with this project. Please return to: Tracy Monts Sumter County Schools 100 Learning Lane Americus, GA Phone: (229) Fax: (229) tmonts@sumterschools.org