2019 Sanford Harmony Application
Building Peace and Compassion Through Social and Emotional Learning Applications from Hawai‘i schools serving students from preschool through 6 th grade are being considered for the Sanford Harmony Program under the Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s Pillars of Peace Hawai‘i initiative. Up to 15 schools will be considered for this first year. OVERVIEW The National University Systems (NUS) operates the Sanford Programs including the Sanford Harmony Program, a social and emotional learning (SEL) program designed to build healthy relationships among Pre-K through 6th grade students. Sanford Harmony strategies promote connection, communication, collaboration, and problem solving. The goal is to build awareness of commonalities and to celebrate differences among diverse students. Sanford Harmony works to incorporate specialized teaching strategies into classroom activities in an effort to reduce bullying, and help develop the youth of today into tolerant, compassionate, and caring adults for the future. It can be easily incorporated into lesson plans in as little as five minutes a day and is aligned with Common Core state standards and national learning initiatives. Through the support of philanthropist T. Denny Sanford and the NUS team, Sanford Harmony is being offered to Hawai‘i schools at no cost, and includes: • Enough “Teacher Toolkits” to support whole school implementation (kits are designed for different age groups: Pre-K and kindergarten; 1st and 2nd grade; 3rd grade; 4th grade; and 5th and 6th grade); • Professional development, technical assistance, and action planning for setting and reaching SEL goals of the school; • $1,000 to support professional development, staff time, substitute teacher support, training, curriculum integration, supplies and/or miscellaneous fees associated with a strong implementation of the program; and • Partner gatherings to learn and improve, and network with fellow Sanford Harmony participants and other SEL schools in Hawai‘i. Through the Pillars of Peace Hawai‘i program, additional travel grants may be available for neighbor island schools to attend trainings and gatherings as needed. ELIGIBILITY 1. Applicants must be one of the following: o A private or public school (including public charter school) in the State of Hawai‘i. o A Hawai‘i non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status with a primary school partner. A signed agreement or commitment letter that specifies the roles and responsibilities of all partners must be included with any application submitted by a nonprofit. 2. Organizations currently funded by HCF with overdue final reports are not eligible to apply. 3. Organizations must be serving students 6th grade or younger. 4. Programs will be required to submit semi-annual and annual progress reports demonstrating work completed and outcomes achieved to date.
GRANTS MAY NOT BE USED FOR THE FOLLOWING: 1. Business or organization start-up plans; 2. Fundraising events; 3. For the benefit of specific individuals; 4. Re-granting (i.e., redistribution of these funds to other organizations or individuals) 5. Endowments; or 6. Major capital improvements including campaigns, construction or renovations (minor capital improvements required to implement programs are allowable). ONLINE SUBMISSION Applications must be submitted online at: https://nexus.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/nonprofit (Or click on “NONPROFIT GATEWAY” at the top of the HCF homepage). If you are a new user, click “New User Registration;” the registration process may take up to 2 days so please register early! APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA • Only complete applications will be accepted. • The criteria against which your proposal will be evaluated are provided with each section of questions. The strongest proposals will be those that best meet those criteria as described below. Narrative Section The following character counts are approximate to the specified page lengths based on single-spacing in Arial 12point font with 1-inch margins. ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION As part of the application, you will need to answer basic questions and provide contact information for your organization. You will also be asked to provide a brief description of your school community and targeted students for the program as well as your vision and goals for this program. 1. We are a/We are partnering with a (check the box that applies): • Public School • Public charter school • HAIS Full Member School 2. Please attach a copy documenting your most recent accreditation report status or documentation demonstrating that you have initiated the accreditation process and will be completing a full-visit within the next two (2) years. 3. Provide a brief description of your school, your students and your community, including basic demographic data including, but not limited to, the total number of students at your school; the number of students receiving fee and reduced lunch during 2018-2019 school year; and the total number of faculty/staff at your school (max 2,500 characters = approximately1/2 page) 4. Please check the grade level(s) of students to be served by Harmony and the number of classrooms per grade level:
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Evaluation Criteria: • Meets the eligibility requirements as stated above. • Presents a realistic and clearly stated goal for the program that contributes to a long-term vision to increase SEL and compassionate and mindful behavior in Hawai‘i’s youth, including, but not limited to, the reduction of aggressive behavior incidents including, but not limited to, bullying. • At a minimum, provide the following information: o Total number of students at your school o Number of students receiving free and reduced lunch during 2015-2016 school year o Total number of faculty/staff at your school PROJECT DESCRIPTION You will be asked to share your plan for implementing Sanford Harmony in your school including a timeline for training and implementation, a budget, and a plan for sustaining the program moving forward. 1. Please briefly describe your plan for how the Sanford Harmony program, including grant funds, will be used. (max 4,000 characters = approximately 1 page) 2. Please provide a timeline for implementation including major milestones and targets. (Note: You may attach a document with your timeline if desired. Note that the “timeline is attached” in the space provided). (Max 4,000 characters = approximately 1 page) 3. Please attach a budget to support your implementation plans. 4. Please describe your plans and needs for sustaining the program beyond this initial launch (max 2,500 characters = approximately 1/2 page) Evaluation Criteria: • Explains how Sanford Harmony will be integrated and aligned with existing school activities and goals. (Note that the majority of activities are expected to take place during the school day although targeted use of vacation periods and out-of-school time may be considered.) • Clearly describes a plan for implementation of the program, including plans for continual review and reassessment of the implementation strategy to identify challenges and solutions as needed. • Provides a timeline and budget to support implementation plans. • Describes an initial plan for program sustainability beyond the scope of any grant support. MEASURES AND MILESTONES You will be asked to identify your desired outcomes and planned measures to demonstrate progress towards these outcomes. 1. Please share why you wish to use the Sanford Harmony Program for your school. What are your planned goals and desired outcomes? (max 2,500 characters = approximately 1/2 page). 2. Please describe the measures to be tracked throughout the project, including how they relate to the stated program objectives, and what the current baseline data are (or how you plan to collect and analyze the baseline data in year one if they are not currently available). Describe the expected outcomes of the project, how you plan to collect and analyze the data, and how you plan to track progress over time. (max 4,000 characters = approximately 1 page).
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Recommended minimum measures include: • Number of students participating • Number of teachers participating • Number of staff participating • School Climate data Evaluation Criteria: • Provides baseline of measures that will be targeted by the program (e.g., school climate survey results; incidents of violence and bullying; number of students currently receiving SEL content; number of faculty/staff currently trained to deliver SEL program(s); perception of safety and support). • A plan for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data is in place. PROJECT LEADS AND CAPACITY You will be asked to describe the project lead, leadership team, and why these individuals are best suited for their leadership roles. 1. Please name the project lead and leadership team (including positions held), and why these individuals are best suited for their leadership roles. (max 2,500 characters = approximately 1/2 page) 2. Please attach a letter of commitment from the principal or head of school. This letter is required for your school to be considered. Evaluation Criteria: • There is evidence of support from key leadership at the school to do this work including a required letter of commitment from the head of school/principal. • A project leader and/or team is identified with clear roles and responsibilities outlined. • If the project will be delivered through or together with a school/community partnership, it is clear how the activities of each partner will contribute to the project and written evidence of the commitment is provided. ATTACHMENTS Proposals missing any applicable required attachments as noted below will not be reviewed. 1. If the applicant is a school, the following must be attached/uploaded: a. Copy documenting your most recent accreditation report status b. Letter of commitment from the principal or head of school 2. If the applicant is a non-profit organization, the following must be attached/uploaded: a. A list of the organization’s board of directors b. Financial statements (audited, if available) for the most recently completed fiscal year including: o Organizations’ annual operating budget o Organization’s balance sheet o Organization's income statement (or profit/loss statement) c. Letter of commitment from organization leadership d. Letter of commitment from the principal and/or signed memorandum of agreement from school partner
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FILE NAMING FORMAT FOR ATTACHMENTS Please use the following descriptive file name format when uploading your files: • Application ID_Your Org Name_Name of File (for example, ‘145_HCF_Budget.pdf’ or ‘145_HCF_Board of Directors.doc’). • Do not use apostrophes, #, or parenthesis in your file name. • Each file must have a unique file name. • Each file size should be kept below 5000 KB.
DEADLINE: Submit your application by clicking the “Submit” button at the end of the application
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RFP If you have any questions about this application, please contact Robbie Ann Kane at (808) 566-5544 (rkane@hcfhawaii.org) or Natalie Millon at (808) 566-5568 (nmillon@hcf-hawaii.org). Neighbor islands may call HCF’s toll-free number at 1-888-731-3863. If you have any technical issues, please visit the Help Desk at http://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/ticket.
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