Grant Proposal

Introduction to Grant Writing: Final Grant Proposal

Project Title:

Little League Restroom Revamp

Names and Affiliations of Project Director:

Samantha Brown

Orchard Mesa Little League

Total Budget:

$357.49

Project Summary:

Those of us at the Orchard Mesa Little League have a vision of our kids playing ball in a respectable ball field, parents letting their kids run to the restrooms in mid game without worry, and a park that our community can be proud of. Your foundation utilized a quote on its website by Eleanor Roosevelt that said, “Energy can be generated for the solution of all kinds of problems by having a small amount of money in the right place.” We agree to the fullest that a small amount of money can fix small problems, ultimately leaving a great impact on our community. With a little paint and a lot of elbow grease we plan to revamp the restroom facilities in the center of our ballpark. In doing this our hope is that the kids registered at our little league and all who visit will have a clean and safe place to use the facilities. Thereby making a trip to the ball field a better experience all around.

Western Colorado Community Foundation

225 North 5th Street, Ste 505 Grand Junction, CO 81501

Dear WCCF Board of Directors,

My name is Samantha Brown, and I am writing to see if the Western Colorado Community Foundation would be interested in receiving a proposal from the Orchard Mesa Little League that will impact the children involved in a positive manner. Orchard Mesa Little League is a non-profit organization that has been dedicated to helping children learn the importance of teamwork and good sportsmanship for nearly 60 years.

Over the years the Little League Park has become a bit rundown in several areas. The most important area needing attention is the restroom facilities. I say most important because restrooms can easily become a health hazard if they are not properly maintained. Putting a little work into these facilities would not only be a solution to the problem at hand but an opportunity to benefit the health of the public. Fresh paint, new trash cans and cleaning supplies would go a long way in making the restroom in the center of the park a decent place for our children to use the facilities.

Though this organization receives donations and local sponsor there is still an obvious lack of funding that is clear to all who visit the park. There are volunteers willing to do the labor and it can be finished in a weekend’s time. On your website it states that you believe with a small amount of money invested in the right project a solution for any problem can be discovered. A statement so eloquently put by the late Eleanor Roosevelt. This is that project. The one that requires only a modest amount of funding but will have a significant impact on everyone who visits the Orchard Mesa Little League.

Being that we only wish to put a fresh coat of paint on the restroom facilities, provide new trash cans, and properly clean the existing toilets and sinks, the total cost of a small project would not exceed five hundred dollars. We believe that makes this project an excellent candidate for the small grants that Mesa County gifts to organizations in the community each year. These funds are given to support small projects that make a difference in our community. This project will do just that.

Proposal Narrative: Preventing a Health Hazard

Need Statement:

The Orchard Mesa Little League is a non-profit organization that has been guiding and teaching children the importance of sportsmanship for nearly three generations. In this time the park has understandably seen better days. Though there are several areas the little league could use attention, the most pressing issue are public restrooms. The restroom facilities in the middle of the little league park have become old and run-down. The cleanliness of these facilities does not meet the standard in which public restrooms should meet. This problem is a health hazard that has the potential to impact every individual who utilizes these facilities each week in a very negative way. The purpose of the proposed solution is to provide a clean environment for our children to use the facilities and prevent any potential health and safety hazards. The health and safety of children should always be our first priority.

Project Description:

The proposed project is small and will take minimal time and funds to complete. Although the project is small, it has the potential to impact people greatly. We as humans often take the small conveniences in life for granted, in this instance it is clean restrooms that are in working order. The objective or outcome I want to come from this grant proposal is the funding to clean, paint, and provide new trashcans for the restroom facilities.

The goal is:

• Cleanliness
• A fresh coat of paint

The objective is:

• A safer and healthier environment for our kids.

Making these minor changes has the potential to impact the health of every person who uses these facilities, changing the possibility of negative impact to a positive one. The task at hand being cleaning and painting, can/will be completed by a handful of volunteers in one weekend's time.

Applicant Qualifications:

This organization receives donations and local sponsors, it is also made up mostly of volunteers. Though many are doing what they can to help the little league thrive, there is still an obvious lack of funding to all who visit the park. This small project can be finished in a weekend’s time as there are volunteers willing to do the labor. On the Western Colorado Community Foundation website, it states that you believe with a small amount of money invested in the right project a solution for any problem. The project requires only a modest amount of funding but will have a significant impact on everyone who visits the Orchard Mesa Little League. Making it a project that qualifies for the small grants that Mesa County gifts to organizations in our community each year. Orchard Mesa Little League has always strived to put the needs of the children involved first and have an excellent reputation in our local community making their organization a prime candidate for the proposed funding.

Sustainability:

Sustainability is the act or process of being maintained. In taking the steps to maintain the restroom facilities at the little league park we are creating sustainability. General upkeep is a key factor in managing any property. By conducting this small project, we will create an environment for this organization to thrive. In doing this people will happily come back year after year to watch their kids play ball. Once the project is complete and the facilities are in proper working order a routine cleaning and maintenance schedule will be utilized by those who volunteer at the non-profit organization, in order to better assure our long-term goal of providing a safe and healthy environment for people to use the facilities. Ultimately assuring sustainability for the ballpark.

Final Narrative Thoughts:

Our community is actively growing, with funding going to a variety of project that make Grand Junction a better place to live. Safer roads, better equipped schools, bigger parks are all admirable conquests. In the scheme of things two small restrooms in the very center of a small ballpark may seem just that small and in turn unimportant. I can assure you that this project is anything but unimportant. Parents deserve to feel confident letting their children run to the facilities really quick. Children deserve to have a decent place to use the facilities before they rush back because they are almost up to bat. Visitors should want to come back and visit the ballpark again because their experience was so great. Everyone deserves to have a clean and well-maintained place to go to the bathroom. All things of which can and will be obtained with the proposed funding that is being requested.

Project Expenses for Orchard Mesa Little League Restroom Facilities

Budget Narrative for Orchard Mesa Little League Restroom Facilities

A. Salary – N/A Total: $0

The project will be conducted solely by volunteers such as parents of the children actively involved in the Orchard Mesa Little League. Due to the project being a volunteer production there will be no salary costs.

B. Painting Supplies - Total: $211.28

The supplies listed in the budget are needed for two volunteers to repaint the restroom facilities in the colors they are currently in. This accounts for three paint colors, paint rollers, paint brushes, paint pans/liners, gloves, and paint suits for two individuals.

C. Cleaning Supplies - Total: $46.02

The supplies listed in the budget are needed to properly clean the sinks, toilets, mirrors, and other restroom fixtures. This accounts for toilet brushes, toilet cleaner, disinfectant spray, Windex, paper towels, wash clothes, and gloves for two individuals.

D. Trash cans/bags – Total: $100.19

The supplies listed in the budget are needed to provide new trash cans and trash bags for the restroom facilities. This accounts for four small trash cans for each of the available restroom stalls and two medium-sized trashcans for paper towels. This also accounts for two different size trash bags to line the new trash cans thereby keeping them clean and fresh.

Total Project Cost: Total: $357.49

Goals of the Evaluation

The desired outcome or goal of the following project is to provide a decent restroom facility for the children who are members of the Orchard Mesa Little League. This establishment has been teaching our children the importance of team sports for nearly sixty years. This makes this non-profit organization an excellent candidate for the funding needed to spruce up the restroom facilities in question.

Indicators

One hundred percent of the individuals who utilize these restroom facilities will notice a positive change in their first visit. There is bound to be an impact in the attitude of all those involved at the little league within the first season prior to the updates made. This may also affect the number of children registering to be members of the Orchard Mesa Little League.

Methods

The best method to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed project is a short survey for ballpark visitor to complete to determine if they are satisfied with their experience at the Orchard Mesa Little League. In order to collect the data needed to determine whether the project funded was a success, specific questions will need to be asked in said survey. Questions such as, did you enjoy your overall experience at OMLL? Do you feel the restroom facilities are in proper working condition? Did you feel comfortable utilizing said facilities or is there something we can change to improve your visit in the future?

Timeline

Retrieving the information will take the time of one spring season of little league baseball. Orchard Mesa Little League’s spring season takes place from April 4, 2022, until May 27, 2022. Meaning there will be a two-month timeline from when the project is completed to when the organization is able to report back to the funder with the survey findings.

Reporting

The finding the survey assesses in this two-month time frame will be reported to the funder no later than May 31, 2022. At the time this takes place it will be decided whether a survey is something that is beneficial to the upkeep of the OMLL restroom facilities. In which case a survey will then be repeated for each baseball seasoning both spring and fall for the amount of time the funder sees fit.

Concluding Thoughts:

To conclude the idea that has been proposed I would like to let you know how much the funding for this project would mean to the children involved with the little league. It is easy to forget that small changes have the potential to make a big impact, this is that change. A well-thought-out plan that will give our children the clean and safe restroom facilities they deserve. Thank you for your time and consideration for the Orchard Mesa Little League and the community it strives to bring together through the joy of children playing. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on this project and to the opportunity of submitting a formal proposal to be reviewed. I can be contacted at (970)210-6450 with any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Samantha Brown

Representing Orchard Mesa Little League

Works Cited:

Coley, S. M., & Scheinberg, C. (2017). Proposal writing: Effective grantsmanship for funding. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE. ISBN-13: 9781483376431 Retrieved

Lowes (2022). Shop. Retrieved on January 9, 2022, from: https://www.lowes.com/

Western Colorado Community Foundation (n.d.) Mission & History Retrieved on December 3, 2021, from: https://wc-cf.org/mission/