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A Sample Grant Proposal

Ms. Jane Doe

Program Officer

Corporate Giving Program

500 Parkway, Mail Stop 99999

Redwood City, CA 94065

Dear Rose,

Plugged In respectfully submits its proposal to the Corporate Giving Program for $25,000 to support its computer education program for young people.

Plugged In is an innovative program that bridges the technological gap between East Palo Alto and Silicon Valley. We offer a variety of programs that serve community members of every age and background. This particular proposal seeks funding for one of our most important programs: our computer education program. This program is the cornerstone of our organization and our strategy to bring technology to low-income children and teenagers.

To reach our mission, Plugged In seeks to launch an innovative partnership with X Corporation consisting of funding and volunteer efforts. We look forward to exploring the possibilities with you. Thank you for considering our request. Please call Magda Escobar, our Development Director, if you need additional information.

Sincerely,

Bart Decrem

Executive Director

Grant Proposal by
Plugged In- technology at work in east palo alto

TO

X CORPORATE GIVING PROGRAM

Submitted on

Executive Summary

Plugged In seeks $25,000 to fund an innovative computer education program for young people in K-12. The program will serve 250 children and teenagers annually, teaching low-income young people to take advantage of the educational and economic tools and opportunities presented by computer technology.

Contact: Magda Escobar · Plugged In · 1923 University Avenue · East Palo Alto, CA 94303

(415) 322-1134 voice · (415) 322-6147 fax · mescobar@pluggedin.org · http://www.pluggedin.org

A. Organizational Overview

Plugged In's mission is to bridge the technological gap between East Palo Alto and the neighboring Silicon Valley. Located just a few miles from the heart of Silicon Valley, East Palo Alto is an ethnically diverse low-income community of 25,000 that has been largely left behind in the economic boom that has transformed neighboring communities. Plugged In offers a broad range of technology-related services that aim to allow all people in our community to take advantage of the educational and economic opportunities created by information technologies.

B. Description of Programs

Plugged In works to bring computer access and education and economic opportunity to all community members of East Palo Alto through a variety of programs:

EDUCATION:

Plugged In operates an after-school program called Community Kids and runs an education program that offers computer classes to community residents of all ages and backgrounds. Community Kids offers art projects, physical activities, snacks, and computer-based academic tutoring to children age twelve and under. Our computer education program teaches classes that range from Introduction to Computers to HTML to graphic design. Classes are run in partnership with community-based organizations and schools. This proposal seeks funding for our classes that target children and teenagers.

ENTERPRISE:

Started as a Web page design business, Plugged In Enterprises has evolved into a series of incubated information businesses that employ local teens and young adults. The largest of the projects, Plug In!, is funded by America Online. A group of local teens has created the largest original content teen site anywhere on the Internet. In addition to Plug In!, teens operate an additional three businesses: desktop publishing, multi-media production and web page design. Plugged In Enterprises creates the opportunity for the young people of East Palo Alto to be pioneers in the information revolution-first, by teaching them high-end technological skills that are in demand in today's economy and second, by teaching them to market and sell their skills to paying customers. Twenty-five young people are currently employed by Plugged In.

ACCESS:

To ensure that everyone in our community has access to the Internet and computer-related technologies, we operate a computer drop-in center and run a community networking program called epa.net. The drop-in center operates seven days a week for 70 hours. It offers Internet and research access; word processing, graphic design and spreadsheet software; computer tutorials and technical support. epa.net has connected 18 different community organizations to the Internet over the past year. We have helped organization set up Web pages, provided them with a Web site, given them modems and trained them to use the Internet for their work. This project was recently awarded the National Information Infrastructure Award, the leading forum for the recognition of extraordinary achievement on the Internet.

C. Population Groups Served

Plugged In serves people of all ages and backgrounds in East Palo Alto and the Belle Haven area of Menlo Park. Our community is approximately 40% African-American, 35% Hispanic/Latino, 10% Pacific Islander and 14% Caucasian. We serve approximately 500 people per week-75% of which are children and teenagers.

Despite its proximity to the high-tech center of our country, our community has not reaped the benefits of the technological revolution:

• Low incomes: Our community has the lowest per-capita income in the county.
• Bleak job market: There are only 900 jobs available for a population of 25,000 in East Palo Alto. Neighboring Palo Alto has 80,000 jobs for 75,000 inhabitants. Additionally, many of these positions are in the technology industry and require technical skills our residents do not have.
• Limited access to computer technology and communication: A survey conducted by Plugged In showed that only 19% of East Palo Alto residents have computers in their home vs. 50% in Palo Alto.

Please see the attachments for a list of achievements to date.

D. Project Description

Plugged In seeks $25,000 to fund its computer education classes for children and teenagers. Our approach is very aggressive in targeting this population since we believe that the earlier a person is introduced to technology the more open and creative they will be in their efforts to utilize technology for their educational and economic advancement. In order to cultivate this willingness to learn about and utilize information technologies, we have developed an educational approach that incorporates the following elements:

*Low student to teacher ratio: We work with an average of six young people at a time. This allows us to provide each student with individualized attention and allows each student to explore independently on a computer.

*Project-based approach: Each of our classes take the form of a project. While working on a project, students develop a variety of skills. We believe that the project approach provides a meaning and a context to the learning process. Projects explore topics that enhance school-based learning. The finished project for a class can be a magazine, a computer slide-show, an oral presentation or a web page.

*Flexibility: Because we are a community-based organization, we have the opportunity to explore issues that may not be a part of the standard school curriculum. Although we have learning objectives and lessons plans for all classes, we have the opportunity to explore issues that come up in the course of a class and to "deviate" from the curriculum when it is appropriate.

*Technology as a tool: Although technology literacy is one of the goals of our classes, we believe that technology is a powerful enabling tool, that can support critical thinking and other developmental skills.

Curriculum for each class is developed by the instructor for that class, within a framework which focuses on process issues. For example, all classes have the same structure: they start with a warm-up exercise, which is followed by a vocabulary review. After that, the instructor introduces the session's topic. Then, the students work on their project for the class. At the end of the period, the team reviews their work and there is a wrap-up exercise. This approach to curriculum development provides the instructor with the freedom to develop his or her own content while ensuring continuity and structure between classes.

Our computer education classes are delivered to children and teenagers in two modes: 1.) partnerships with community-based organizations and 2.) Plugged In Enterprises high end computer trainings.

Community Partnerships: Most of our classes are taught in partnership with a diverse range of community-based organizations and schools. We reach 200 through this educational track. The following are our some of our partners:

Shule Mandela Elementary School: Shule Mandela is an Afrocentric private school in East Palo Alto. We work with their third through eighth graders.

East Side Prep Academy: East Side Academy is the first private high school in East Palo Alto. We work with their ninth graders.

Children's Preservation Network: CPN is an afterschool program for neighborhood children. We provide computer classes to their children ages five to eleven.

Next Generation Daycare: Next Generation is a family day care. We work their five - nine year olds.

Green Oaks Elementary School: We work with their fourth-grade bilingual education class.

MOMZ: Mothers on a Mission to Save our Children send their twelve year old sons to learn about computers.

 

Examples of the types of classes we will offer are as follow:

Shule Mandela: In partnership with Shule Mandela, we offer a series of computer courses meant to teach children how to use computers through creative projects. The first quarter of the academic year focuses on an introduction to basic computers. The second quarter consists of introduction to applications like Microsoft Word, Kid Pix and HTML. The third course focuses on a project. These students are completing personal Web pages. These students are in the fourth grade.

MOMZ: Our MOMZ program graduated seven teenage boys this spring. To graduate, these young men had to pass a 21-point quiz testing their knowledge of Macintosh operating system, Microsoft Word, HTML, and Internet access. Each of these young men created their own Web page. Omar Brownson, our teen classes instructor, hosted a graduation party that included a presentation of certificates and pizza. Each young man received a certificate containing a sample of his classwork. We start a new class each year.

Plugged In Enterprises: Additionally, we offer computer classes to teenagers that are interested in being a part of Plugged In Enterprises. The applications and skills taught in this program build upon basic computer skills and expand their technical expertise in desktop publishing, multimedia production and web page design. The structure for these high-end classes is the same as that describe above. The focus, however, is on building skills that are marketable and generate income for teenagers. An example of this education track is our multimedia computer education program:

Multimedia Production: During the first 12 week phase of the multimedia program, we concentrate on training our young people to use multimedia production tools. They get hands-on experience using 3D graphics and animation software like KPT Bryce to create background scenes and Specular Infini-D to create and animate objects. They learn to use digital video editing software, Adobe Premiere, to shoot and digitize video, edit their videos and import graphics. Also, they are trained to use multimedia authoring software like Macromedia Sound Edit 16, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. Our trainings consist of small projects to help them become familiar with the applications. Our students work on portfolios and create documentaries with graphics and interviews.

Forty-eight teenagers participate in this educational track.

Please visit our web site at <http://www.pluggedin.org> for samples of our curriculum and examples of projects that have been completed in our computer education classes.

E. Project Evaluation

While the content varies from class to class, we will measure our success in achieving the programs' goals in the following ways:

By keeping attendance sheets for all classes: Attendance sheets will be compiled into weekly program reports.

By keeping class journals for all classes: Journals will be written by the instructor for each classes and are sent to all staff. In addition, journals will be posted on the Internet, where they can be reviewed by staff, board members and funders.

By keeping a portfolio for each class: We will maintain a computer portfolio for each class, which includes finished products as well as other work generated during each class.

By conducting quizzes. Students will be tested on basic class competencies.

F. Budgets

Plugged In requests $25,000-one-third of our budget for computer classes for young people. Our total budget for computer classes for children and teenagers is $82,650. Seventy-five percent of all our classes are targeted towards this age group.

Plugged In recognizes its sponsors by displaying their logos on our brochures and web site and recognizing them in the media attention we generate. Please see the attachments for the project budget and the agency budget.

G. List of Key Staff Members

Please see the attachments for the list of key staff members.

ATTACHMENTS