Community Grant Funding Letter of Intent Application Instructions Thank you for your interest in Green Mountain United Way s Community Grant Funding. All organizations seeking funding for FY13 (7/1/12 6/30/13) must submit a Letter of Intent to the Green Mountain United Way office no later than 5pm on December 1, 2011 to be considered for the upcoming grant cycle. See below for submission details: Letter of Intent: The Letter of Intent provides an opportunity for organizations to submit a brief overview of the project to the GMUW Community Impact Committee for review. Eligible organizations proposing projects that are most closely aligned with Green Mountain United Way s priorities and outcomes will be invited to submit a full Community Grant Funding Application. It is anticipated that not all organizations submitting a Letter of Intent will be invited to complete a full application. Eligibility: To be eligible for Community Grant Funding, organizations must meet the following requirements: Organization is located in Vermont and currently tax exempt under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors Project outcomes are aligned with Green Mountain United Way s priorities and outcomes (see our website at www.gmunitedway.org and click on priorities for details) Project activities occur between July 1, 2012 and May 31, 2013 Project funding supports activities in one or more of the following counties in Vermont: Caledonia, Essex, Orange, Orleans, Washington Requested amount is $7,500 or less A minimum of 50% of the total amount requested is matched by in-kind contributions and/or other revenue sources Submission: Please complete the attached Letter of Intent Cover Sheet and submit with the requested information in the Project Summary section. The Project Summary should be no more than two single-spaced pages. To submit, save your letter using a file name that includes the name of your organization and email as an attachment to braymond@gmunitedway.org. In addition, please send one copy of the cover sheet, letter and one copy of the applicant organization s 501(c)(3) registration letter to: Becky Raymond Green Mountain United Way 963 Paine Turnpike N #2 Montpelier, VT 05602 802-229-9532 Updated September 2011
Letter of Intent Cover Sheet Organization: Vermont Farm-to-School, Inc. (DBA Green Mountain Farm-to-School) Website: www.greenmountainfarmtoschool.org Project Title: Sowing Seeds: School Gardens for All Primary Contact Person: Katherine Sims, Executive Director Mailing Address: 194 Main Street, Suite 301, Newport, VT 05855 Phone: 802-334-2044 Email: ksims@gmfts.org Total amount requesting from GMUW: $ 7,500 Total project cost: $ 29,550 Indicate the priority area for which you seek funding (check only one): Financial Stability Healthy Living Early Learning Indicate the number of people you propose to serve in each county: 1,100 Caledonia 200 Essex 0 Orange 300 Orleans 500 Washington Project Summary (Please include the following in two pages or less) 1. Organization s mission, organizational structure and current operating budget 2. Brief project description: Include information on the target population, timeframe and expected outcomes 3. Describe how the project directly addresses the priority area indicated above and the need for the project in our community 4. Brief description of the project budget: Include the total project cost indicating any in-kind contributions and/or other funding sources, total cost per client/member, and how GMUW funding will support the project 5. Number of partners contributing and specific roles 6. Any additional information that would be beneficial for funding consideration Green Mountain United Way ~ Letter of Intent Page 2
Green Mountain Farm-to-School Sowing Seeds: School Garden for All Organization Overview Green Mountain Farm-to-School's (GMFTS) mission is to restore and strengthen local food systems in Vermont by promoting positive economic and educational relationships between schools, farms, and communities. Our vision is to build local food systems in Vermont that promote environmental stewardship, create sustainable local economies, and nurture the health and wellbeing of our children and our communities. Over the last five years, GMFTS has grown from a single school garden program to a nonprofit organization providing comprehensive Farm to School services for 24 schools in five school districts in northern Vermont, benefiting over 5,000 students. GMFTS has three full-time staff and four full-time AmeriCorps volunteers. The organization has a ten member Board of Directors who serve on a volunteer basis, represent a diversity of backgrounds, and live and work in the organization s service area. GMFTS current operating budget for FY 11-12 is $253,550 Project Description: We believe that school gardens can play a critical role in changing the way children eat and think about food. School gardens produce food for the school cafeteria and ensure that every student, regardless of his or her socioeconomic group, has access to fresh, nutritious foods. In addition, when students participate in growing, harvesting, and preparing foods, they are more likely to try new foods and make healthy food choices. Over the past two years, GMFTS worked with over 800 students to plant and harvest 20 schools gardens, produce over 4,500 pounds of food, and learn about healthy food choices through our Sprouts After-School Program. As a result of our success to-date, we are witnessing a greater demand for our services, one beyond our current capacity. Many of the requests for our services now come from beyond a geographically feasible direct service area; to respond to this demand, we need to adapt our current program model to serve schools and children at a distance. Through this project, GMFTS will document and disseminate our Sprouts Program model so that more schools have a school garden and more children have access to fresh, healthy foods. Between July 1, 2012 and May 31, 2013, we will take the sets of lessons and procedures which we have developed and bundle them into a toolkit for distribution. To launch the program at new schools, we will develop and lead a series of trainings for volunteers to lead the Sprouts After-School Program. After piloting the training, we will revise and edit the toolkit, making the final version available for a broader audience in print and in a free, downloadable web-based format. By working with schools where an average of 50% or more of the students qualify for free or reduced price school meals, GMFTS will continue to partner with schools that indicate a strong need for improved child nutrition and increased access to fresh, nutritious foods. We will pilot the program at five schools (one in Essex, one in Orleans, two in Caledonia, and one in Washington), benefiting over 2,000 children. Schools will be selected based on a variety of criteria including: interest in the program, readiness, demographic, location, size, and availability of volunteer support. Green Mountain United Way ~ Letter of Intent Page 3
This project will enhance our ability to deliver services at our current schools, support program replication at other schools, and create the tools and resources so that school garden programs in Vermont and beyond can implement programs based on best practices Project Outcomes: 1. School garden programs in Vermont and beyond will have the tools and resources they need to implement school garden programs based on best practices. 2. Children will eat a greater amount of fresh, nutritious foods through their school food program. 3. Children will increase their knowledge of nutrition, healthy lifestyle choices, and gardening. Priority Area This project directly addresses GMUW s Healthy Living priority area by increasing access to healthy, affordable foods at schools, providing nutrition education programs, and increasing community awareness about the consequences of obesity and the benefits of healthy eating. GMFTS is addressing hunger and food insecurity in areas with the greatest need. GMFTS partners with schools that indicate a strong need for improved child nutrition and increased access to fresh, nutritious foods. By working at schools where an average of 50% or more of students qualify for free or reduced price meals and 38% of children are overweight or at risk of being overweight, GMFTS can target these children at an age when life-lasting behaviors are formed. Through the Sprouts Program, students make direct connections between their health and the foods they consume. Students become informed consumers and gain the knowledge and skills they need to grow and prepare low-cost, nutritious foods. Project Budget The total project cost is $29,550. Other funding sources include: Green Mountain Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, Frances R. Dewing Foundation, Ben & Jerry s Foundation, program service fees from schools, fundraising events, individual contributions, and corporate support. The program receives in-kind contributions of seeds, seedlings, compost, and gardening supplies from High Mowing Seeds, local greenhouses, and area farms. The total cost per student for the program is $15. Funding from Green Mountain United Way will support the staff, supplies, equipment, and stipends necessary to train volunteers to launch new school garden programs. Partner Roles Local schools will assemble a Garden Committee with representation from the adminstration, teachers, food service staff, parents, and other community members to oversee the Sprouts Program. All schools provide in-kind services such as garden space, classroom space, utilities, and kitchen use. After-School Programs provide in-kind support for the Sprouts Program including staff time for evaluation, adminstrative support, outreach to students, and program coordination. Community volunteers provide essential support to the program including serving as Program Leaders, helping to till the gardens, and providing summer garden maintenance. Green Mountain United Way ~ Letter of Intent Page 4
Green Mountain United Way ~ Letter of Intent Page 5