Grant Guidelines and Application

Application Deadline - Monday, March 10, 2008 at 12:00 p.m.

Who We Are
We are 23 Jewish teenagers from the Denver and Boulder areas, from seven different cities. We represent 13 schools and range in age from 9th grade to 12th grade. We encompass the entire spectrum of Jewish faith from Reconstructionist to Orthodox to unaffiliated. We were brought together by Rose Community Foundation to learn about philanthropy and to fund programs and projects that better our Jewish community. We believe that we have a responsibility to our community and to practice tikkun olam, repairing the world, by working to improve our community. We are:

Rose Youth Foundation is a grantmaking initiative of Rose Community Foundation.

Eligibility Requirements
Rose Youth Foundation accepts proposals for programs or from organizations that serve the seven-county Greater Denver area of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties. Programs with a broader geographic focus may apply; however, the proposal must address its relevance to people living within these seven counties.

Applicants must be charitable, nonprofit organizations with a tax-exempt classification from the Internal Revenue Service; a tax-supported institution such as a school or government agency; or they must be sponsored by an adult-run charitable organization.

Rose Youth Foundation is a separately organized grantmaking program within Rose Community Foundation. Grant applicants to Rose Youth Foundation are not subject to Rose Community Foundation’s Guidelines for Grant Proposals.

Funds Available to Grant
Rose Youth Foundation has up to $42,500 to grant for this Request for Proposals. Applicants should be realistic and sensible in the amount they request and consider the total amount available when submitting their grant requests.

What We Fund
1. Programs to support teen and college-age involvement in the Jewish community and encourage personal connections to Judaism

We believe a lack of innovative programming for post B’nai Mitzvah-aged youth has led to an absence of Jewish personal connections and Jewish community involvement in teens and college-aged students.

We believe that social and educational programming that is innovative, engaging and creative will enable Jewish teens and young adults to be connected to their own Judaism and to the Jewish community.

We will consider requests for:
• Experiential learning programs for people ages 12 to 22
• Innovative programs that provide a creative approach to involvement
• Existing programs that are willing to expand, refocus or try a new approach
• Existing, effective programs with demonstrated results
• New programs with a concrete plan for success
• Programs that target both affiliated and unaffiliated young people ages 12 to 22
• Programs that value both quantity of participants and quality of connection to the community

We will give higher priority to programs that:
• Promote active participation
• Include acts of service in the Jewish community
• Incorporate Jewish values into daily life
• Employ multiple sessions or a continuous process rather than single-session programs

We will not fund:
• Scholarships
• Endowments
• General operating costs
• Professional training
• Programs that limit participation based on institutional affiliation (e.g. synagogue programming solely for congregants)

2. Programs that promote intra-religious and/or inter-religious acceptance, tolerance and respect, including between Jewish denominations, for people ages 12 to 22
We believe that a lack of tolerance, acceptance and respect exists between and within religious groups. Our definition of tolerance is: respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. Tolerance is harmony in difference.

We believe that education and interaction within and between religious groups will create an environment in which tolerance will become more prolific and widespread.

We will consider requests for:
• Programs that promote inter- and intra-religious tolerance within the Jewish faith and between different religious groups
• Existing and new programs
• Programs that serve young people ages 12 to 22 and/or in middle school, high school or college
• Innovative programs that demonstrate knowledge of effective methods supported by research
• Programs that focus on hands-on activities based on religious interactions and awareness
• Sustainable, stable and recurring programs

We will give higher priority to programs that:
• Are already in existence and demonstrate measurable results
• Have a large impact on a large number of people
• Are non-scholarship based, although we will evaluate scholarship proposals on a case-by-case basis
• Propose direct support for programming costs rather than operating or facility expenses

We will not fund:
• Endowments
• General operating funding
• Capital grants

3. Programs that promote integration and self-sufficiency of refugees and/or asylees who have fled their country of origin because of conflict or persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion

We believe that there is a lack of support and services to help refugees and asylees in the Denver area integrate into the community and attain economic independence.

We believe that education and training are the best pathways to integration, economic independence and self-sufficiency.

We believe it is our responsibility as Jews to support those fleeing persecution because throughout history our people have fled persecution and have benefited from the kindness and hospitality of others. Maimonides, a Medieval Jewish philosopher and rabbinic scholar, believed that providing an avenue to self-sufficiency was the highest level of Jewish giving.

We will consider requests:
Programs offering refugees/asylees assistance in adapting to their new environments. This assistance includes, but is not limited to:
- Language acquisition (e.g. English as a Second Language, or ESL)
- Vocational training
- Cultural adaptation and integration

We will give higher priority to:
• Employ multiple sessions or represent a continuous process rather than single-session programs
• Demonstrate long-lasting impact

We will not fund:
• Programs for individuals that have been displaced by any form of environmental disaster including famine and floods
• Programs for immigrants (i.e. those exclusively seeking better economic opportunities)

4. Programs to engage and empower high school students to advocate for educational change in public schools
We believe that students’ voices are largely unheard in many high schools. We feel that this results in a general disengagement among students, and lowered attendance and graduation rates.

We believe that student empowerment, in the form of students having a clear, effective voice in the improvement of their schools, will help to solve these problems. When student voices are expressed and acknowledged, students’ interests are better acted upon. Thus, we are interested in increasing the amount of attention paid to the student body’s voice.

This theory of change fulfills Maimonides belief that the highest level of Jewish giving consists of either giving an individual a job or the means to acquire one. Education is instrumental in obtaining this level of self-sufficiency. Engaging students in improving their own education leads to self-sufficiency and thus exemplifies the highest level of Jewish giving.

We will consider requests for:
Programs taking place at, or benefitting low-performing public high schools within the Greater Denver area, including:
• Programs engaging high school students in advocating for educational change
• Programs involving high school students in efforts to increase attendance and graduation rates

We will give higher priority to programs that:
• Employ youth advocacy and/or empower students as leaders
• Are already in existence and demonstrate long-lasting impact

We will not fund:
• Scholarships
• Capital expenses
• Endowments

How to Apply

Deadline
All grant applications must be received at Rose Community Foundation by 12:00 p.m. on Monday, March 10, 2008.

Application Contents and Format
Applicants should adhere to the format and content specifications listed below.

• Cover Letter: one page tailored to address one or more of the grant priorities and how the proposed project fits within them.

• Summary of Applicant/Organization: one page with description of self, group or organization including name, address, main contact person, phone, fax, email and web address.

• Purpose of Project: no more than five pages that include: description of project, its purpose and how you will achieve your expected goals and outcomes. Tell us about your program/project design and the impact you hope to have as it relates to the grant priorities listed above. Be specific about how your idea or program is consistent with best practices. If applicable, list the number and qualifications of persons involved in the planning and execution. List all other sources of funding, potential funding, volunteer and/or in-kind support for this project and whether your work will continue in the future. 

• Budget: provide a detailed line item budget of all expenses and revenue, which includes a budget narrative that describes clearly how specific line item numbers were derived and how each one relates to the project.

• Organization budget: attach your organization’s annual budget and financial statements if available.

Note: Organizations with a pending grant request at Rose Community Foundation may also apply for this grant program.

Attachments
If you are a tax-exempt organization, please provide a copy of the original IRS determination (or that of a sponsoring organization) indicating tax-exempt status, including federal identification number.

Rose Youth Foundation has a preference for electronic submission but will accept applications electronically or by mail up until 12:00 p.m. on Monday, March 10, 2008. Complete proposals, including all attachments, may be submitted via email to grantsmanager@rcfdenver.org. Proposals submitted via email must be Microsoft Word and/or Excel documents or can be in .pdf format. Scanned documents accompanying the proposal must be in .tif, .jpg, .bmp or .pdf formats. Proposals must be either electronic or hard copy - no combination of the two formats is acceptable. Incomplete proposals will not be reviewed. All electronic submission will be acknowledged within 24 hours. If you do not receive an email acknowledgement, please email the grants manager or call 303.398.7446.

If you are unable to submit electronically, proposals must be printed on one side, without staples, and mailed to:
Rose Youth Foundation
c/o Grants Manager
600 South Cherry Street, Suite 1200
Denver, CO  80246

Notification
All applicants (whether their request is granted or not) will be notified by Thursday, April 24, 2008.

Questions
Contact Sarah Indyk at 303.398.7416; she will have a Rose Youth Foundation member contact you.

For more information about Rose Youth Foundation, visit rcfdenver.org/RYF.