All sample proposals were prepared by Grants West, which has raised $100 million for nonprofit groups.

The following proposal was fully funded by local foundations (while the name of the organization has been changed, the proposal is presented in its actual format). This document provides insight on the level of specificity needed in a foundation proposal.

AGENCY INFORMATION

MISSION: The Centerville Community Center is a grassroots community organization dedicated to improving the health, educational attainment, human welfare, and opportunities for youth, adults and families in Centerville.

OVERALL GOALS
1. To provide educational, recreational, cultural, health and lifelong learning opportunities for youth and adults.
2. To offer educational advancement opportunities for adults and seniors.
3. To ensure that no one in Centerville or in surrounding areas goes hungry.

OVERALL OBJECTIVES
1. To provide regular weekly recreational and cultural activities to 75 youth, encompassing youth from grade school, middle school, and high school ages, adult recreational and cultural programs for an additional 50 individuals, and health education and services to 300 children and adults.
2. To increase the proficiency of 60 adults in Centerville to achieve by making available English as a Second Language (ESL), G.E.D., and life skills classes.
3. To provide a low cost food program (and an emergency food program for those without sufficient means) serving approximately 725 families a month.

HISTORY: The Centerville Community Center was formed by citizens in 1979 as Stapleton Outreach primarily to serve the Stapleton Homes Public Housing community with food, emergency assistance, clothing, bus tokens, and referrals. When Stapleton Homes was demolished by the Centerville Housing Authority in 1990, Stapleton Outreach expanded previous efforts to encompass the entire community, and "picked up the slack" from a former Catholic Charities initiative. Stapleton Outreach was renamed Centerville Community Center (CCC) in 1991, as the organization continued to provide food and emergency assistance.

In 2001, CCC was awarded a grant from the Centerville Trust to identify the community's health and educational, and develop initiatives to address these areas. Thanks to funding from the Centerville Community Foundation, a hypertension/heart disease reduction initiative began in 2002. Also created in 2002: English as a Second Language, G.E.D., Homework Help, and youth leadership.  The Centerville Police Department abandoned a building at 45th Avenue and Grant Street in 2003, and offered the facility to the CCC to provide education, cultural and recreational activities.
 

CURRENT PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ADULT EDUCATION AND LIFE SKILLS: The Family Resource Center programs helps families build strong parenting skills, expands their vocational abilities, and provides them with positive community and cultural activities. Approximately 25 adults a month attend monthly classes to learn how to keep and balance a checkbook, how to budget, and how to plan for purchasing cost-effective and nutritious groceries. CCC has implemented GED, and English and Spanish as a Second Language classes.

FOOD & CLOTHING: The Centerville Community Center provides a food basket program to low-income and poor residents in the community. Food is purchased from the Food Bank of the Rockies, and distributed to up to 500 families each month. Bakery goods, clothing, and household items are also available.

YOUTH PROGRAMS: CCC also provides youth education, ceramics, dance, art programs, athletic activities, a homework help program, youth summer jobs, and a leadership program. It is also home to the G-COOL youth leadership program, which serves 30 youth between the ages of 8 and 13.

HEALTH PROGRAMS: Thanks to funding by the Centerville Community Foundation, the Centerville Community Center has implemented three health fairs, reaching 400 residents with services such as bloodwork, mammograms, cancer screenings, and immunizations. These fairs involved presenters that included the American Lung Association, American Heart Association, American Cancer Association, and Centerville Department of Health. A cardiovascular exercise program reached 11 adults and seniors last year. An outreach worker contacted people who attended the health fair with follow-up information and recommendations.

AFFILIATIONS WITH SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS
The Centerville Community Center has worked closely with several other organizations. Please refer to "Other organizations participating in the project" and "Other providers of this service" later in this proposal.

PURPOSE OF GRANT
ISSUE TO BE ADDRESSED/TARGET GROUP
According to the Centerville Department of Health, close to 40% of the deaths in Centerville (2000-2002) were caused by cardiovascular disease. This figure is consistent with the 38% of deaths in the community that were correlated to CVD during the period between 1999 and 2001. A 2003 health survey of the Centerville community revealed that nearly one-third of the residents have no form of health insurance. More than likely, they utilize emergency care when a particular health problem arises and do not seek preventive measures to avert health problems. The poverty rate (household income of $13,000/2000 Census) and low educational attainment (only 43% of adults are high school graduates) contribute to their problem. The neighboring communities of Oswego and Serberia also struggle with poverty,  with household incomes under $15,000, and over half of their residents over 25 without high school diplomas. Nearly two-thirds of the residents of these communities are Hispanic; health experts (CDC, 2003) identify higher risks for heart disease for Hispanics because of diet and exercise patterns.

PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
GOAL 1. To provide more education on heart disease and related risks to cardiovascular health, and identify individuals at-risk for heart disease.
OBJECTIVE 1. Over the next two years, four health fairs, coronary risk screenings and other on-site education on topics related to heart disease (hypertension, tobacco use, diet, exercise) will reach 250 residents.

GOAL 2. To provide activities designed to curtail the risk for heart disease.
OBJECTIVE 2. A range of exercise programs such as aerobics, running, walking, and Tai Chi will be provided to 60 community residents of various age groups over the next two years.

GOAL 3. To assist individuals in developing a plan for a healthy lifestyle.
OBJECTIVE 3.  An outreach/resource staffperson will serve 350 residents over the next two years, providing follow-up education and developing an individualized plan to prevent heart disease and reduce hypertension.
 

PLANNED ACTIVITIES
1. Health Fair and Screenings
The Centerville Community Center will host four health fairs during the proposed two year grant period, inviting groups including the American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Centerville Health, Centerville Department of Health, as well as a nutritionist and an authority on exercise and fitness. A health screening will be offered as part of each fair, testing residents for coronary risks through a blood test. Blood pressure screenings will also be held. Materials on lifestyle issues (high blood pressure, tobacco use, elevated cholesterol and sedentary lifestyle) will be provided. Incentives will include free nutritional refreshments and raffle for exercise equipment, bicycles, and other donations 

2. Exercise Program
Three times a week exercise instructor will lead one hour classes for both working adults and seniors, targeting an enrollment of 30 individuals each year. These programs will include aerobics, running, walking, and Tai Chi, targeted toward different age groups. The instructor will also provide information  fitness, cardiovascular health, and diet, and answer health-related questions from participants. CCC will purchase aerobic-oriented exercise equipment and weight equipment for the program.

3. Follow-up/Outreach
A health outreach worker will contact individuals who attended the health fairs and/or exercise program, and others identified as "high risk" for heart disease. The outreach worker will ask questions related to diet, exercise and stress, and provide positive suggestions for addressing these risks. Many families may have difficulty reading and interpreting their health screening test due to the large number of residents who are not literate or do not read English. The bilingual outreach worker will discuss the results of the screening tests, advising individuals on steps they can take to reduce their risk for heart disease and hypertension. Those with higher risks will be contacted more than once. The fitness instructor and outreach worker positions will be combined if qualified staff can be found.

TIMELINE
Health Fairs: Every six months
Exercise programs: Implemented four weeks following health fair.
Outreach/education and individualized risk prevention plans: Following health fair and onset of exercise program; completed within 45 days of initial contact with participants.

OTHER PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS AND
OTHER PROVIDERS OF THE SERVICE IN THE COMMUNITY
Several agencies in the Centerville Community are concerned about heart disease, but none have a primary mission of addressing heart disease in Centerville, Oswego and Serberia. CCC will work with the groups listed below to provide educational materials, mobilize residents to participate, and assess the program's success.

Centerville Health Clinic (Operated by Centerville Health and Hospitals): Will provide education on heart disease and hypertension, and publicize the initiatives events (health fair, exercise classes, screenings). Staff will participate in the planning process, and identify residents interested in helping develop the program.

Community Churches (Centerville Community Church, Holy Rosary and St. Joseph's): Churches will publicize the initiative in their Sunday bulletins, make announcements, and tell parishioners directly about the project. Clergy will be invited to participate in the planning process.

American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Centerville Department of Health: Each of these groups has agreed to participate in the health fair, both in planning stages and as presenters at the fair.

Community Residents: CCC will activate its network of residents in Centerville, Oswego and Serberia in planning and volunteering for the project, and evaluating program success.

LONG-TERM SOURCES/STRATEGIES FOR FUNDING
The Centerville Community Center has generated thousands of dollars of in-kind donations for its program, and has sustained program services over its 19 year history. The organization also contracts for professional fund-raising services to identify and raises funds. Indivdiual donors support 60% of the organization's operating costs, and consistently support the organizations. Corporate sponsors include the AMECO Company, SEC Communications and the Broadway Bottling Company. Sponsors for the program for which grant funds are requested include the American Heart Association and Centerville Health and Hospitals.

EVALUATION
A projected 250 people will attend the health fair, speak to medical professionals, and receive valuable information on health-related topics designed to increase awareness on cardiovascular health. Each will receive a blood test and blood pressure test to evaluate their coronary risk factors. The outreach worker will assess if residents are responding to their risk assessments by altering risky behaviors. 

A projected 45 residents will enroll and participate for at least two months in an exercise program. These individuals will become more aware of living a healthy lifestyle through the contact with an instructor trained in exercise, nutrition, and stress reduction as evaluated by a pre- and post-test developed by the Centerville Department of Health and Hospitals.

All individuals participating in the health fair, health screenings, and aerobics program will be contacted at least once, and receive health risk profile information. Interview surveys will be conducted at the health fair. Community surveys will also be administered at the beginning of the project and at the end to measure the impact of the program on community attitudes toward nutrition, wellness, exercise and cardiovascular disease.