Verizon Foundation

Sample Grant Applications

Competitive Grant - Domestic Violence Prevention

Please note that this sample application is for reference use ONLY. You must log in to actually submit a proposal.

Welcome Page

Organization Certifications

Organization Information

Proposal Intent

Proposal Information

Your Participants

Your Approach

Intended Outcomes

Key People

Communications

Financials

Grant Agreement Clauses

Contact Information

Contact Information
Please provide the following information so that we may contact you regarding your proposal.
1) Salutation Preferred salutation (Ms., Mr., Mrs., Dr., etc.)
2) Last Name (required)
3) First Name (required)
4) Middle Name
5) Title (required)
6) Contact Type (required)
7) Address (required)
8) City (required)
9) State (required)
10) Province
11) ZIP Code (required)
12) Telephone (required)
13) Fax
14) E-mail Address (required)

Organization Certifications

All applicants must answer the following questions regarding their organization in order to be considered for a Verizon Foundation grant. PLEASE NOTE: Answering no to any of the following questions does not imply ineligibility.

1) No Verizon employee, customer, or board members has a financial interest (required)

2) No branch offices, operations, or representation in U.S. sanctioned countries. (required)

3) Board, staff and organization are free of indictments, convictions, and conflicts of interest (required)

4) Organization has one separate financial or accounting person or function. (required)

5) Organization has conflict of interest policy and procedures (required)

6) The organization has at least 3 board members (required)

7) If answering "no" to any of the above questions, please explain. (required)
NOTE: Answering "no" to any question does not imply ineligibility. If answering "yes" please populate this field with N/A.

1500 character maximum

8) Organization Accuracy Certification (required)
I certify that all preceding organization information (including the Legal Name, Address, and certifications) is accurate and complete as of today's date. I acknowledge that any information that is found to be inaccurate or incomplete could possibly delay or disqualify any funding that this organization might receive.

Yes

Organization Information
Please provide the following information about your organization. Additional guidance and examples for applicants can be found online.
1) Legal Name (required)
2) AKA Name Your organization may also be known as...
3) In Care Of Name Legal name of the organization corresponding to the specified tax ID. This is used only if your organization lacks its own tax ID or is applying for funding using another organization's tax ID. Actual funding will be provided to the In Care Of organization.
4) Relationship to 'in care of' organization
5) Address (required)
6) City (required)
7) State (required)
8) ZIP Code (required)
9) Province
10) Country (required)
11) Telephone (required)
12) Fax
13) Web Site Address
14) E-mail Address
What is your mission, your vision, and any key points of approach? We see mission as what you do and vision as the end state you wish to achieve. The best mission and vision statements are short and clear. We are especially interested in how your mission gives you concentration and focus�discouraging you from simply taking on more projects because money is available. Finally, if you have values, principles, strategies that guide where you go or how you work, please include them and be specific about how they shape your actions.
15) Organization Mission (required) 500 character maximum
16) Organization Vision (required) 500 character maximum
17) Organization Key Points (Values, Principles and Strategies) (required) 500 character maximum
18) Please summarize your strongest achievements in the past three years - meaning those who benefited. (required) Please speak to accomplishments from participants, not programs themselves. Also please specify how many people have tangibly improved their life than on how much money you have attracted or what awards you may have received�unless the recognition is clearly based on participant outcomes. 500 character maximum
What demographics do you serve and what ethnic reach does your organization have overall? We are trying to get a sense of the magnitude of the problem within your demographic/ethnic focus. When it comes to the number, just rely on existing data - whether it comes from the Internet or from estimates by those in your area in the best position to know.
19) Community Ethnicity (required) Please provide an ethnicity distribution for the community that your organization generally works to support. While this information will not have any weight in the decision of your proposal, it is still required for our internal tracking purposes. % American Indian or Alaska Native % Asian or Pacific Islander % Black or African American % Hispanic or Latino % White or Caucasian % Other/Unspecified
20) What other demographic groups do you serve? (required) Does your organization work with a particular age group, gender, or other segment of the population? 500 character maximum
In your geographic area, whether local, state or national, what are the three organizations that are most similar to you? And what differentiates you from them? Few groups are so unique that they have no comparable organizations. We want to know who you see as most similar so that we can look at a broader picture of organizations approaching the same issues within an area and gain a sense of how you are different. This question encourages you to tell us what we should remember about you, what makes you stand out in some way.
21) Three similar organizations (required) 500 character maximum
22) What makes you different? (required) 750 character maximum

Proposal Information

1) Project Title (required) Please enter a descriptive title for your project or program.
2) Request Date (required)	(MM/DD/YY)
3) Request Amount (required)
4) Funding Areas (required) Please select from one of the following funding principles as they pertain to your project.
5) Project Start Date	(MM/DD/YY)
6) Project End Date	(MM/DD/YY)
Proposal Narrative Please provide us with a summary of your program or project in the spaces below. Please be very focused in your responses so that we may gain an understanding of your program/project. In "What you will do", for example, summarize what your program/project does to achieve results for those it serves.
7) Please specifically state/explain how Verizon Foundation's funding will be used in the proposed program/project. (required) approx. 10 page maximum
8) Specifically state the social cause/issue you intend to address. (required) 2000 character maximum
9) Specifically state what you will do to address this cause. (required) 1000 character maximum
10) Please state how technology will be used to achieve your results. (required) 2000 character maximum

Your Participants
Additional guidance and examples for applicants can be found online.
What geographic area do you serve and about how many people are affected by the social cause within that area? We are trying to get a sense of the magnitude of the problem within your geographic focus. When it comes to the number, just rely on existing data - whether it comes from the internet or from estimates by those in your area in the best position to know.
1) Geographic Area (required)
2) Number affected by the social cause (required)
Who are your program participants and how many will you serve? What are the key characteristics of these participants and are they in any way different from the full set of people who have the problem? In characteristics, we are interested not just in such factors as gender and race, but also defining who you serve by the degree of the challenge to get to the result you intend. We know, for example, that it is much harder to get children to the right literacy level if they are two, rather than one, grades behind in reading and if their primary language is not English. Please know that we view it as a sign of strength that a program/project has defined the people who are most likely to benefit from a particular approach. It is rare that one program is the best fit for everyone.
3) Specifically state for whom you will address this cause. (required) 1000 character maximum
4) Estimated Gender Served (required) Please provide a breakdown by percentage of the genders that this proposal will work to support.	% All % Females % Males
5) Estimated Age Group Served (required) Please provide a breakdown by percentage of the Age Groups that this proposal will work to support.	% Adults % All % College % Elderly % K - 12 % Preschool
6) Estimated Ethnicity Served (required) Please provide a breakdown by percentage of the ethnicities that this proposal will work to support.	% American Indian or Alaska Native % Asian or Pacific Islander % Black or African American % Hispanic or Latino % White or Caucasian
7) Estimated Population Served (required) Please provide a breakdown by percentage of the Population that this proposal will work to support.	% Disaster Victims % Family % Gay / Lesbian / Transgender % General Public % People with Disabilities % Teachers % Underprivileged
8) Number served by your organization (required)

Your Approach
Additional guidance and examples for applicants can be found online.
1) What overall approach or strategy are you using to achieve results? (required) Please note any evidence that exists, that illustrates this strategy�s ability to achieve your results. If this program/project is not evidence -based, explain the process by which this strategy was developed. Most programs/projects are not a random set of activities. They are a coherent approach to achieve a result. Please tell us about the core elements of your particular way of solving a problem and why you think it is the best way to engage participants and help them get to the success you have stated. If the approach is evidence-based (in the sense that information exists to show its power to achieve results), tell us what it is. A quick summary and reference to a web site with relevant research is fine to include. 1000 character maximum
What level of intensity (i.e. frequency of service) and duration (i.e. period in which you provide service for a person) are needed for your approach to deliver results? Once you give the number add your thought on rationale. Some projects fall short of results not because they are a poor approach but because they are not implemented with enough intensity or duration to make a difference. Programs that mentor students, for example, may need several sessions per week to make a difference. A lighter touch (e.g., once every other week) would let a group mentor more students for the same budget, but what�s the point if this is not intense enough to achieve an academic outcome? We fully understand that you may need to reduce the number served to increase the number who gain.
2) Intensity - Number of Hours Per Week (required)
3) Intensity - Explanation (required) 750 character maximum
4) Duration - Number of Weeks (required)
5) Duration - Explanation (required) 750 character maximum

Intended Outcomes
Please complete the same sections that you completed in the Proposal Intent portion of this application (Individuals at Risk, Survivors, Organizations). In the sections that are not applicable to your proposal, please use N/A or 0 as answers. Please note that we define a result not as people reading materials or sitting through a workshop but as something they gain from the activity. Please insure that the result is either a direct gain in one of our focus areas (e.g., a given number of Individuals at risk that confirm they are able to use new choices) or a change in condition or behavior that is a good predictor of that success longer term. In a shelter program, you might not be able to state safer living situations for survivors of abuse, but you can focus on demonstrated capacities that in turn predict those gains of safety longer term.
Section 1: Intended Outcomes for Individuals at Risk
1) If your program focus is targeting Individuals at Risk, how many do you plan on serving with this funding? (required) Enter the total number or use "0" if you are not serving Individuals at Risk.
2) What program results are you committed to achieving for Individuals at Risk? (required) Click here for specific instructions on creating your result statement. Enter your results statement here or use "N/A" if you are not serving Individuals at Risk. 750 character maximum
3) Number of Individuals at Risk reaching the desired program results (required) This number is a subset of the overall number of Individuals at Risk you plan to serve in your program from question 1 above. For example, if your program/project serves 100 participants overall and you anticipate that 50% of those served will achieve the program result you stated, the number of people reaching the desired program/project result would be 50. Enter the total number or use "0" if you are not serving Individuals at Risk.
4) How will you know when your expected results for Individuals at Risk have been achieved? What information or evidence will you use to verify success? (required) We simply want to know what information or evidence you will use to verify that your stated result in question 2 above has been achieved. You may well be able to use existing data bases or rely on existing measuring instruments. Or you may be able to use observations and reports by others, or in some cases self-reported behaviors. Enter your verification here or use "N/A" if you are not serving Individuals at Risk. 2000 character maximum
About how many of the Individuals at Risk in your result might reasonably achieve this gain if your program/project were not undertaken? We believe that our return on grant investment is not the result you achieve. It is the difference between your result and what would have happened without you. It is rarely the case that no one you serve would have achieved a result given other progress and forces at work. We are not asking you to do original research. Just rely on whatever information exists about outcomes at the most specific level you can get it. Past rates of literacy or academic achievement in a school or neighborhood beat a district or a city. And a city beats a state or the nation. If no information exists, use the most educated guesses you can find - for example from teachers or guidance counselors if your focus is schools.
5) Number of Individuals at Risk reaching the primary desired result without this program/project (required) Please enter the number of Individuals at risk that would reach the desired result without this program/project. Enter the total number or use "0" if you are not serving Individuals at Risk.
6) Are there broader gains or benefits for individuals at risk that will be realized if you achieve your results, and that we should be aware of when considering your program/project? (required) You may have benefits to add such as: The "life cycle" cost savings from solving a problem. The value of model-building or testing with implications for many programs. A test of ways to reduce costs, again with long term financial implications. Please be specific. We are less interested in broad contributions to values than in specific benefits for people and the organizations that support them. Enter the broader gains or benefits here or use "N/A" if you are not serving Individuals at Risk . 2000 character maximum
7) Half way through your program/project, how will you know if Individuals at Risk are on course to get to stated results with the time and funding remaining? (required) The easy answer to this question is that yes we are on course - we have spent half the money and are half way through our work plan. This, however, says nothing about the relationship between money spent and participant progress. The key is to shift the focus from what you are offering to what your participants are getting. The best answers to this question speak to what you need to see in terms of participant progress at the half way mark that predicts that they will successfully achieve the result at the end of the program/project. Whenever possible look at predictive factors in terms of behaviors rather than attitudes. They are much easier to see and often are the critical points of progress. In some cases, you may also need to have a specified number of persons at the point of full result to predict overall success. Enter how you will know Individuals at Risk are on course here or use "N/A" if you are not serving Individuals at Risk. 1000 character maximum
Section 2: Intended Outcomes for Survivors
1) If you selected Survivors in the proposal intent of this application, how many do you plan on serving with this funding? (required) Enter the total number or use "0" if you are not serving Survivors.
2) What program results are you committed to achieving for Survivors? (required) Click here for specific instructions on creating your result statement. Enter your results statement here or use "N/A" if you are not serving Survivors. 750 character maximum
3) Number of Survivors reaching the desired program results (required) This number is a subset of the overall number of Survivors you plan to serve in your program from question 1 above. For example, if your program/project serves 100 participants overall and you anticipate that 50% of those served will achieve the program result you stated, the number of people reaching the desired program/project result would be 50. Enter the total number or use "0" if you are not serving Survivors.
4) How will you know when your expected results for Survivors have been achieved? What information or evidence will you use to verify success? (required) We urge you go back and forth between this question and the question on your project results such that you state a result that can be verified. One good approach where possible is to build in the measuring stick in the target. For example, of the 80 adults we will serve in this literacy program at least 40 will improve by one full level on the widely respected ABC Scale. The verification is then simple: a comparison of achievement at the beginning and end of the program to see if that one unit gain was realized. Please note that we are not asking for a formal evaluation. We simply want to know what information or evidence you will use to verify that your stated result has been achieved: Enter your verification here or use "N/A" if you are not serving Survivors. 2000 character maximum
About how many of the Survivors in your result might reasonably achieve this gain if your program/project were not undertaken? We believe that our return on grant investment is not the result you achieve. It is the difference between your result and what would have happened without you. It is rarely the case that no one you serve would have achieved a result given other progress and forces at work. We are not asking you to do original research. Just rely on whatever information exists about outcomes at the most specific level you can get it. Past rates of literacy or academic achievement in a school or neighborhood beat a district or a city. And a city beats a state or the nation. If no information exists, use the most educated guesses you can find - for example from teachers or guidance counselors if your focus is schools.
5) Number of Survivors reaching the primary desired result without this program/project (required) Please enter the number of Survivors that would reach the desired result without this program/project. Enter the total number or use "0" if you are not serving Survivors.
6) Are there broader gains or benefits for survivors that will be realized if you achieve your results, and that we should be aware of when considering your program/project? (required) You may have benefits to add such as: Secondary gains that will come from the primary result you are intending (the documented gains in preventing high school drop out from early grade literacy is an example.) The value of building or testing a model that could be replicated by many other organizations. Enter the broader gains or benefits here or use "N/A" if you are not serving Survivors. 2000 character maximum
7) Half way through your program/project, how will you know if Survivors are on course to get to stated results with the time and funding remaining? (required) The easy answer to this question is that yes we are on course - we have spent half the money and are half way through our work plan. This, however, says nothing about the relationship between money spent and participant progress. The key is to shift the focus from what you are offering to what your participants are getting. The best answers to this question speak to what you need to see in terms of participant progress at the half way mark that predicts that they will successfully achieve the result at the end of the program/project. Whenever possible look at predictive factors in terms of behaviors rather than attitudes. They are much easier to see and often are the critical points of progress. In some cases, you may also need to have a specified number of persons at the point of full result to predict overall success. Enter how you will know Survivors are on course here or use "N/A" if you are not serving Survivors. 1000 character maximum
Section 3: Intended Outcomes for Organizations
1) If you selected Organizations in the proposal intent of this application, how many do you plan on serving with this funding? (required) Enter the total number or use "0" if you are not serving Organizations.
2) What program results are you committed to achieving for Organizations? (required) Click here for specific instructions on creating your result statement. Enter your results statement here or use "N/A" if you are not serving Organizations. 750 character maximum
3) Number of Organizations reaching the desired program results (required) This number is a subset of the overall number of Organizations you plan to serve in your program from question 1 above. For example, if your program/project serves 100 participants overall and you anticipate that 50% of those served will achieve the program result you stated, the number of people reaching the desired program/project result would be 50. Enter the total number or use "0" if you are not serving Organizations.
4) How will you know when your expected results for Organizations have been achieved? What information or evidence will you use to verify success? (required) We urge you go back and forth between this question and the question on your project results such that you state a result that can be verified. One good approach where possible is to build in the measuring stick in the target. For example, of the 80 adults we will serve in this literacy program at least 40 will improve by one full level on the widely respected ABC Scale. The verification is then simple: a comparison of achievement at the beginning and end of the program to see if that one unit gain was realized. Please note that we are not asking for a formal evaluation. We simply want to know what information or evidence you will use to verify that your stated result has been achieved. Enter your verification here or use "N/A" if you are not serving Organizations. 2000 character maximum
About how many of the Organizations in your result might reasonably achieve this gain if your program/project were not undertaken? We believe that our return on grant investment is not the result you achieve. It is the difference between your result and what would have happened without you. It is rarely the case that no one you serve would have achieved a result given other progress and forces at work. We are not asking you to do original research. Just rely on whatever information exists about outcomes at the most specific level you can get it. Past rates of literacy or academic achievement in a school or neighborhood beat a district or a city. And a city beats a state or the nation. If no information exists, use the most educated guesses you can find - for example from teachers or guidance counselors if your focus is schools.
5) Number of Organizations reaching the primary desired result without this program/project (required) Please enter the number of Organizations that would reach the desired result without this program/project. Enter the total number or use "0" if you are not serving Organizations.
6) Are there broader gains or benefits that will be realized for organizations if you achieve your results, and that we should be aware of when considering your program/project? (required) You may have benefits to add such as: Secondary gains that will come from the primary result you are intending (the documented gains in preventing high school drop out from early grade literacy is an example.) The value of building or testing a model that could be replicated by many other organizations. Enter the broader gains or benefits here or use "N/A" if you are not serving organizations. 1000 character maximum
7) Half way through your program/project, how will you know if Organizations are on course to get to stated results with the time and funding remaining? (required) The easy answer to this question is that yes we are on course - we have spent half the money and are half way through our work plan. This, however, says nothing about the relationship between money spent and participant progress. The key is to shift the focus from what you are offering to what your participants are getting. The best answers to this question speak to what you need to see in terms of participant progress at the half way mark that predicts that they will successfully achieve the result at the end of the program/project. Whenever possible look at predictive factors in terms of behaviors rather than attitudes. They are much easier to see and often are the critical points of progress. In some cases, you may also need to have a specified number of persons at the point of full result to predict overall success. Enter how you will know Organizations are on course here or use "N/A" if you are not serving Organizations. 1000 character maximum

Key People

Who are the persons you see as critical to program/project achievement and what attributes of these people most predict success? Individuals are often as critical as great plans, a big committee, or even a lot of money in achieving results. While you may first consider resume details - e.g., degrees and years of experience�do recognize that in many areas, there is no strong correlation between these factors and ability to run an effective program/project. We urge you to include at least some persons who directly interact with your participants. They may be as critical as an Executive Director!
1) List the people who will be responsible for the program/project (required) 500 character maximum
2) What attributes of these people most predict success? (required) 1000 character maximum
Partners & Intermediaries Some programs/projects fail because they did not fully understand groups and individuals on whom they were dependent for success. Without getting overly complex, we suggest it useful to think about two kinds of persons who may be critical: Partners are those groups with whom you collaborate to deliver