VT Heart Rate Monitors Grant
It’s exciting to see states stepping up to the plate to encourage schools to improve physical education (PE) programs to increase student activity and decrease obesity! Especially considering the tough economy. Yesterday we discussed PA’s new program for middle schools. Today we look at the Vermont Department of Education’s 2009-2010 School Wellness Grant Application for Implementation of Heart Rate Monitors in High School Physical Education—fondly referred to (at least by me :o) ) as the VT HRMs grant. http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/pgm_curriculum/physical_ed.html#monitor_app
This grant surfaced in 2007. Lindsay Simpson (802-828-1461 or lindsay.simpson@state.vt.us) at VT Department of Education is the program contact, and I can’t say enough good things about her. She is extremely committed to improving PE across the state and to this program in particular. My professional communications with her have revealed her to be a very helpful, responsive contact who is ready and willing to support PE programs in her state in any way that she can. This year’s late May application release is just one more example of her ongoing efforts to make VT schools successful. While the program has historically had a pretty short application period (just a few weeks to a month), this year schools have been given several months to prepare their applications: the deadline is September 18, 2009.
Any Vermont public school serving grades 9-12 may apply for this grant, provided the school has not already won this grant and/or has not already won a Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) grant. Three applicants will be selected to receive awards of up to $9,000 for the purchase and implementation of Polar heart rate monitors (www.polarusa.com/education) to ensure objective assessment of time spent physical active in PE. Awardees will be notified by October 9, 2009. (I love the quick turn-around this program provides! It’s a rare treat to know the results of your grant efforts so soon after submission.) All project activities, expenditures, and required reporting must be completed by June 30, 2010.
As found on page 2 of the RFP, the goals of this program are to:
- Document and increase the amount of time high school students spend engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity during physical education.
- Develop student self-knowledge, personal goal setting and fitness planning skills for lifetime physical activity.
- Develop students’ 21st century skills of tracking, interpreting and evaluating personal physical activity effort with objective, technological measures.
The RFP is clearly written and easy to respond to, but you will need time to gather information and form the required project committee (see page 4 of the RFP), if you do not already have one in place. The committee verification DOES require signatures from ALL members—in addition to your administrator—to evidence commitment and support for the project. Hence, I recommend taking full advantage of the additional time the Department of Education has allowed for this year.
What additional thoughts or questions do you have? Good luck to all applicants! Be sure to let us know via comments on this blog or info@insightgrants.com if you win an award!
New Grant: Active Schools—PA!
Today Pennsylvania Department of Health’s (PDH) brand new Active Schools Grant competition opened! All program and application information can be found at www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/cwp/view.asp?q=253256. This is an exciting new opportunity for middle schools in Pennsylvania offering $5,000 in grant funding from PDH PLUS more in matching grant funds. The exciting—and unusual—part of this program is that most applicants can expect a 2-to-1 match (bringing the total grant award to $15,000) that they do not have to drum up on their own. Area foundations have already committed to participating in this program, and PDH will match winning applicants with matching funders at the time of the award. This is an outstanding example of public-private partnership to battle childhood obesity!
Proposed grant projects must provide students with at least 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous daily physical activity. Schools need to implement evidence-based programs. A discussion of PDH-approved programs which includes HopSports (www.hopsports.com), Project Fit America (www.projectfitamerica.org), and SPARK (www.sparkpe.org) is available on the website, though applicants are not restricted to programs in this listing. Other options may be incorporated in addition to or in place of these programs with an adequate justification. Aerobic activity must make up the bulk of daily activity time, but muscle and bone strengthening exercises should each be included for part of the period at least three days per week. (See the bottom of page 2 and the top of page 3 of the grant application guidelines for more details.) Funds may be used to enhance or improve but not replace existing physical education (PE) programs. Unallowable expenses include: administrative/indirect costs; food purchases; new construction or capital expenses; staffing for existing job responsibilities; and purchase of computers (except for laptops to be used to track progress and/or as part of the evaluation), televisions and DVD players.
Middle schools or other school buildings serving two or more middle school grads (6, 7, and 8) may apply for grants. Approximately 40 awards are anticipated, with the announcement of winners expected in September. Grants are for the 2009-2010 school year, however renewal for the 2010-2011 school year may be an option pending availability of funds. Please keep in mind, however, that PDH is still looking to fund projects that are likely to be sustainable without additional funding.
The application deadline is a little unclear at this point. The main program page says applications will be accepted June 1-30, however the application guidance indicates applications are due by 5pm on July 1, 2009. I have submitted an inquiry to try to determine the correct deadline and will update the blog when a response is received.
PDH funds are coming from the federal Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant offered through the US Department of Health and Human Services. Those of you who win this grant will want to keep that in mind as you apply for future state and federal funds, as sometimes you are asked to disclose all federal funding streams. Also, when applying for federal grants requiring a match, you are typically not allowed to use other grant funds that originated from the federal government—even if your directly received them from the state as in this case.
What are your thoughts on this new program? If you apply and win, let us know via comments or at info@insightgrants.com. If you need assistance with your application, email the info address ASAP for information on our services and pricing.
Take Advantage of Summer
June starts this weekend, and summer is upon us. Some school districts are already off for the summer; others will be finishing up within in the next month. If you have the benefit of summers off, or even if summers typically mean a reduced workload or less stress within your organization, use the summer to your grant-seeking advantage. There are often fewer grant applications open in the summer, so it’s a great time to organize and prepare for the major grant seasons which tend to be fall and spring for our topic areas—with spring typically offering the largest-dollar, most complex opportunities.
Here’s a quick list of some of the things you might do between the barbeques, graduation parties, weddings, beach runs, and vacations this summer.
· Talk with colleagues and administrators to develop a team-supported, concrete project concept for which you will apply for grant funding. While you will likely need to tweak the plan based on each grant you apply to, having a solid idea to start with will keep you focused on the opportunities best suited to your goals.
· Research grant opportunities, and create a list of what you’d like to apply for in the next 12 months. Include estimated application timeframes for planning purposes and web site links so you can check for program updates throughout the year.
· Begin collecting and organizing demographic information and data that illustrates your target population’s need.
· Identify and begin building or expanding relationships with community partners and leaders that could potentially enhance your project.
· Talk with colleagues and administrators to determine who can and will lead actual grant writing efforts. It’s valuable to have a team supporting you, but a single writer is usually your best bet for clarity and consistency. If your organization determines it will contract with a consultant for assistance, be sure to hire someone with successful experience pursuing and winning grant funding for the type of project you have in mind.
· Set up a system for tracking your grant applications.
· Make a list of other key “to dos,” including when in the year those actions should be taken.
Can you think of others? Feel free to share them!
2010 Federal Budget Update: US Department of Education Grants
Pertinent to the topic areas of physical education, physical activity, health and safety programs for youth, here are the budget amounts the President has requested for SOME key grant programs within the US Department of Education for 2010.
· Safe and Drug-Free School sand Communities State Grants (Title IV-A): $0 (compared to $294,759,000 in 2009)
· Grants to Reduce Alcohol Abuse Among Secondary Students: $32,712,000
· Mentoring Program: $0 (compared to $47,254,000 in 2009)
· Character Education: $0 (compared to $11,912,000 in 2009)
· Elementary and Secondary School Counseling: $52,000,000
· Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP): $78,000,000
· 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC): $1,131,166,000
· Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems: $6,900,000 (compared to $5,900,000 in 2009)
· Readiness and Emergency Response for Schools (REMS): $40,000,000
· Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS): $77,800,000
The President has also proposed a new $100,000,000 grant to support to approaches to changing school culture that will ultimately improve character and reduce risk behaviors, and $300,000,000 for a new program known as the Early Learning Challenge Fund. While it’s still unclear what exactly is envisioned for these programs, the latter program is intended to fund competitive grants to states for social and learning services for children five years old and under. Programs will be reviewed for quality based on a variety of elements, including health and safety.
The federal fiscal year runs October 1-September 30. The process begins with the President proposing his budget plan for the coming fiscal year. The House of Representatives and Senate each review it and propose their own budget plans—separately. When, as individual houses, they’ve agreed on a plan, they then work to reconcile the two plans into one that they both can agree on. It must be passed into law by Congress and then signed by the President. This process typically takes many months and many compromises.
Right now, we’re in the Congressional review part of the process. The President has proposed a budget, but no Congressional action has been taken on the 2010 Education budget yet. At this point in the process, it we do not yet know which programs will materialize and at what amount. Congress may reject or change part or all of the proposed budget, though the President’s suggestions do seem to be more in line with Congressional efforts in recent years than the previous administration’s education proposals. It will be interesting to see what Congress’s proposals look like in the coming months and what is ultimately passed.
What are your thoughts on the President’s 2010 Education budget?
Why a Grant Template is a Bad Idea
I often receive requests for and questions about creating grant templates/boilerplates for organizations about to begin the grant-seeking process. This is a service I refuse to offer because I find templates to be bad practice. While there are some common types of information most funders are looking for, and there will be some text and information you can use in multiple grant applications, the reality is each funder has its own priorities and RFP layout. Sending a template out to multiple funders suggests to the funder that you have not taken the time to review their individual goals, objectives, priorities, and RFP thoroughly, and that you may not be as focused on abiding by grant rules as they would like.
Furthermore, ignoring the RFP often means you fail to respond to the funder’s unique scoring criteria, which is likely to result in your application scoring fewer points than needed to win a grant award. It is CRITICAL the grant RFP to which you are responding is followed exactly. Your narrative should be laid out exactly as the RFP suggests to maximize potential points by ensuring reviewers know exactly where and how you attempted to respond to each of the scoring criteria.
Spotlight on Head Start Body Start
The American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR) and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), two associations of the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD), were awarded $12 Million grant in late 2008 from the US Department of Health and Human Services. The grant applied to was the 2008 Head Start Innovations and Improvement Projects program, and AAPAR/NASPE applied under Priority Area 1: National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play for the Head Start Body Start project (www.headstartbodystart.org). NASPE and AAPAR won the only award made in the nation for this priority area, which I am extremely pleased about since the Insight Team and I generated this grant application. 😉
This four-year grant award will allow Head Start Body Start to accomplish its three main objectives (as stated on the program website):
Administer and support sub-grants for construction or improvement of playgrounds and outdoor play spaces at Head Start Centers
Provide resources, training, and technical assistance to Head Start and Early Head Start grantees
Inform and assist the Office of Head Start in setting national priorities and developing policies
Each year, approximately 380 mini-grants of up to $5,000 each will be awarded to Head Start/Early Head Start Centers for the improvement or creation of playgrounds or outdoor play spaces. This amounts to about $2,000,000 per year and is a tremendous opportunity for these centers. In addition to grants, Head Start Body Start will offer a wide range of training and technical assistance services (including but not limited to self-assessments, professional site assessments and recommendations, online resources, web-based trainings, trainings at conferences, and regional trainings) aimed directly at increasing physical activity and healthy eating among Head Start and Early Head Start Children. Secondarily, the project will also result in data collection on a number of issues for which no data currently exists, such as how physically active Head Start children are typically and what percentage are overweight or obese.
As of 2007, there were 18,875 Head Start Centers and 50,030 Head Start classrooms. 909,201 children were enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start. Together Head Start and Early Head Start serve children ages 0-5 from households with income levels at or below the federal poverty level. Over 60% of Head Start children are from racial or ethnic minority groups, and over 12% have disabilities. While the debate as to why continues, it is well known that children living in poverty tend to have a higher incidence of childhood obesity. NASPE and AAPAR’s project is much needed, and—due to a high-quality, well-thought-out design, very likely to be successful.
The project has three full-time, permanent staff members in addition to support from NASPE’s Executive Director, Charlene Burgeson; AAPAR’s Excutive Director, Mariah Burton Nelson; and NASPE’s Director of Communications, Paula Kun. The Head Start Body Start permanent staff members are Karin Spencer, Center Director; Katina Kearney, Training Director; and Kellie May, Program Assistant. The project team also includes five Master Trainers (www.aahperd.org/headstartbodystart/trainers.cfm), a significant Advisory Board, outside evaluation consultant Dr. Paul Wright, and hundreds of professional consultants. AAPAR and NASPE designed the project to leverage existing strengths, resources, and experiences, but did not fail to acknowledge where more help or resources would be necessary or best for the project in order to ensure the greatest possible chance of wide-ranging success. The participating staff, consultants, and board members reflect this as AAPAR and NASPE reached out (DURING the application period, which is ideal) to individuals that were not just field professionals, but recognized field EXPERTS and brought them on board. This is a great strategy that will enhance any application because it enables the writer to be more specific about what will happen and who will do it, and demonstrates the organization has already done considerable legwork and will be able to mobilize quickly if funding is awarded.
So what’s going on now with Head Start Body Start? Well, the first RFP for grants for playgrounds and outdoor play spaces for Head Start and Early Head Start Centers has been released!! Applications are due by July 1, 2009 and awards are anticipated in September. All documents and information needed to submit an application can be found on the main program page (www.headstartbodystart.org) in the red box in the center of the page. If you’re thinking, “$5,000 would be nice, but play areas are expensive. Can we really accomplish anything with $5,000?” worry no further! NASPE and AAPAR have proactively responded to this issue. Earlier this year, a vendor request for proposals was issued to generate a range of value-added packages of $5,000 or less that would empower Head Start Body Start grantees to effectively put grant funds to use in a way that is supported by the original Department of Health and Human Services grant. You can find information on selected packages and vendors in the grant applications materials posted on the site.
While you can’t apply for a grant if you are NOT a Head Start or Early Head Start Center, you CAN access some of the great technical assistance resources through the online HSBS Toolbox (www.aahperd.org/headstartbodystart/toolBox.cfm) and monthly newsletters (www.aahperd.org/headstartbodystart/news.cfm). The Toolbox resources are easy-to-implement ideas for increasing physical activity in early childhood. They can be used in the classroom, in a community-based project setting, or at home! (Parents, check out the activity calendars!) The Head Start Body Start project plan also includes two important literature reviews and the preparation of a policy guide, as well, which might also be posted online or made available for purchase in the future.
I think this is an outstanding project that is off to a great start! It will be exciting to watch it progress this year and over the next three years. I’ll try to keep you posted on its progress, but visit the project site for more details and background information. :o)
Grant Budget Changes Post-Award
A school contact emailed today asking about making changes to the Year 2 budget plan for their PEP grant awarded in 2008. We receive questions about the potential for budget changes a fair amount. Generally speaking, when you prepare your grant budget narrative during the application process, you should make it as complete as possible and assume few if any changes can be made. This is because while funders do understand that things can change during the grant period and/or your understanding of specific needs may become clearer during implementation, they have approved your project only for the funding plan described, and deviations from it may make a difference in terms outcomes, target population, grant focus, etc.
Most funders allow minor changes within the same major budget category, but the percentage of change allowed without approval is often very small, and it varies by funder. (The common major categories are Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel, Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Other, and Indirect.) Changes beyond the allowed percentage (usually made clear during the grant award negotiation process) or from one major category to another, typically require prior funder approval.
In all cases, if something on your end changes, and you need to make a budget change as a result, the best course of action is to discuss the issue with your grant award officer/funder contact. Describe the situation fully, and explain what change you think should be made and your rationale. Be sure to note how the change fits in with the originally approved grant project concept, major activities, and anticipated goals and outcomes. Ask if you need to file a formal project amendment. You may be surprised to find how understanding and accommodating your funder can be, or your request may be declined. In the latter instance, at least you can be confident you will not be utilizing grant funds in a manner that could get you into trouble with the funder later.
Grant Writing Tip: Use Language Any Reader Can Understand
When writing your grant narrative, don’t get flowery with your words. Despite some misconception, Reviewers are rarely impressed by big words or complex writing. They want to be able to quickly and easily read through your application and understand where your target population (the group of folks you will serve with the grant) is now, where you plan to take it with grant funds, and how you’re going to get there. Reviewers (also called Readers) have many applications to read and typically relatively little time to do so. Getting tripped up by overly extravagant language or sentences that go on for days is annoying and can result in an irritated Reviewer—which you NEVER want.
Keep in mind, too, that confusion can also lead to irritation. Be sure to do all of the following to avoid Reviewer confusion.
· Avoid jargon, clichés, and most metaphors.
· Define ALL acronyms a minimum of once.
· Declare all antecedents (the nouns pronouns stand for) clearly and avoid overuse of pronouns.
· Avoid using or CLEARLY DEFINE field-specific terms. (Even if the RFP—grant guidance—tells you Reviewers will be from your field, you should assume they won’t to be on the safe side. Generally speaking, grant funders tend to define “your field” much more broadly than you do. For example, whereas you may see your field as only PE teachers, they may also include social workers, school administrators, and grant writers with no PE knowledge.)
Keep the application clear, simple, and easy to follow!
Polar Grants Research Updated 5/15/2009
If you are a fan of Polar products and services and are seeking funding to make a purchase for a school or non-profit organization, email your name, phone number, email address, school and district or organization name, and state to info@insightgrants.com with “Polar Research Request” in the subject line or contact your Polar sales rep (www.polarusa.com/education) for a copy of the most current Polar grants research. The report was just updated and reorganized for reader ease last week and made available 5/15. It’s FREE to potential Polar customers!
Grants for Running Programs
A Lead PE teacher in PA asked about grants for running programs this morning. Thanks for the blog topic, Steph! :o) This is a very timely one due to upcoming grant deadlines, as you’ll see below.
While you can certainly use general physical activity grants such as the GRHF Community Mini-Grants (Monroe County, NY; http://www.thegrhf.org/) discussed the other day, Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge grants or Highmark Healthy High 5 grants for NonProfits (49 counties in PA; http://www.highmarkhealthyhigh5.org/), General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids (national; http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/commitment/champions.aspx), PEP (http://www.ed.gov/programs/whitephysed/index.html), or others, there are several grants out there that are specifically designed to support running programs. Here are three key opportunities listed in order of deadline—the first two are due in the next few weeks!
ING Run for Something Better offered in partnership with the National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE): This program is new—just announced last month. Fifty (50) $2,000 grants will be awarded in 2009 to fund the start-up or expansion of school-based running programs lasting a minimum of eight weeks aimed at increasing activity to reduce childhood obesity. Applications are due 6/1/2009. http://www.orangelaces.com/site/index/get_your_school_involved and http://www.aahperd.org/Naspe/template.cfm?template=run/main.html.
Saucony Run for Good: This program surfaced in 2006. It offers grants of up to $10,000 to 501(c)(3) organizations for projects designed to use running to encourage healthy, active lifestyles among youth—particularly youth not typically exposed to running programs. The ultimate, long-term goal is again to reduce childhood obesity. Grants have been made to schools and school districts in the past, including public schools. The next application deadline is 6/13/2009, with award announcement anticipated on or around 8/13/2009. This program is open to organizations across the nation. Typically about five awards are made per application round. http://www.sauconyrunforgood.com/
Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Kids Run the Nation: The Kids Run the Nation Fund was established in 2007. This year a total of $5,000 will be given out in the form of mini-grants of $500 to $1,000 each. (So 5-10 awards will be made.) Grants can go to new or existing running programs offered by running clubs, 501(c)(3) organizations, or elementary or middle schools. Programs cannot be one-time events. At minimum, programs must operate once per week for multiple weeks. Discrimination in any manner is unallowable, and programs must be open to both boys and girls. Applications are due 10/1/2009. http://www.rrca.org/programs/kids/
Good luck! If you apply for and win one of these grants, please let us know at info@insightgrants.com.
