PROPOSAL GUIDELINES: PROGRAM

EDUCATION INITIATIVE – COLLEGE READY

Proposal Narrative: Your proposal narrative should address the components listed below. The narrative
(excluding the one page executive summary) should not exceed 20 pages, using 12-point font, one-inch
margins, single line spacing.

Proposal Budget: In addition to submitting a written narrative, you are required to submit a proposed
budget provided by the foundation. If a proposal is approved, grantees will be expected to report actual
expenses against the approved budget as part of required progress reporting for the duration of the grant
period.

Also, please ensure that the grantee name and final submission date to the foundation are included on your
proposal. Please direct any questions about the submission process or guidelines to your contact at the
foundation.

Rev. 1/16/2019 Page 1 of 4

Proposal Guidelines: College Ready Program
PROPOSAL GUIDELINES: PROGRAM
EDUCATION INITIATIVE – COLLEGE READY
I. Executive Summary

Include a brief, high-level summary of the proposal to give outside readers an overview of
the proposal contents. Please limit to one page.
II. Project Description

A. Need Statement

Include a well-documented, compelling description of the problem or need(s) that

the proposed project aims to address. To the extent applicable, also include the
geographic areas this project will serve and why these areas were selected.

B. Goal(s) and Objectives

1. Describe the goal(s) and overarching objectives of the proposed project.

2. Describe how the proposed activities support the foundation’s larger goal of
improving high school graduation rates.

C. Project Implementation Plan

1. Describe how the proposed project will be implemented. The implementation

plan should support the Project Timeline in Section II-E below.

2. For intermediary applicants planning to sub-grant a portion of the funds to

school sites, please address the following items to the extent applicable.

a) School model. Describe key elements of your school model and how they
align with the foundation’s larger goal of improving high school graduation
rates.

b) Management control. Describe the level of management control the

intermediary will have with the participating schools (e.g., teacher
recruitment, curriculum design, leadership selection, budget, etc.).

c) Sub-grantee selection. Describe the process and criteria your organization will
use to select participating schools or sites as sub-grantees (for example,
criteria may address geographic location, demographic data, state/local
leadership, potential community partners and local funding sources).

d) Monitoring plan. Include a clear plan in the project narrative section

describing how your organization will monitor, support, and track all sub-
grantee sites’ performance on expected outcomes and appropriate use of
funds.
e) School Demographic Data Form. For grantseekers planning to subgrant a
portion of funds to schools please complete this form located on
EdExtranet.

Rev. 1/16/2019 Page 2 of 4

Proposal Guidelines: College Ready Program
PROPOSAL GUIDELINES: PROGRAM
EDUCATION INITIATIVE – COLLEGE READY
D. Evaluation Plan
To the extent your organization intends to evaluate this project (independent of
Gates funding), please describe your plans for conducting the evaluation (third party
or in-house) and reporting on its findings (e.g. dissemination plans, etc.).

E. Project Timeline
The project timeline should be consistent with all components of the proposal.
Concisely list the key project milestones and target completion dates. Order
milestones in chronological order from start to finish.

Activity/Milestone/Deliverable Target Date

Activity/Milestone A xx/xx/xxxx
Activity/Milestone B xx/xx/xxxx
Activity/Milestone C xx/xx/xxxx

III.Organizational Capacity

A. Briefly describe the mission of your organization, and the strengths and expertise your
organization brings to this project that make it uniquely qualified to produce high quality
results.

B. To the extent your organization has undertaken a similar project in the past, describe its
measure(s) of success, as well as lessons learned.

C. Identify key project partners and designated personnel involved with the project, along
with a description of their respective roles and responsibilities.

IV. Budget and Budget Narrative

Budget and Budget Narrative: All proposal submissions should include a complete budget
and budget narrative that supports the proposal request amount and an explanation of the
assumptions used to derive the estimated amounts for substantive line items.

Rev. 1/16/2019 Page 3 of 4

Proposal Guidelines: College Ready Program
PROPOSAL GUIDELINES: PROGRAM
EDUCATION INITIATIVE – COLLEGE READY
To the extent key partners have been identified to support the project, please include the following:

Project Co-Funders (a) Project Support

(List each funding partner contributing Cash Other
to the project) Anticipated Secured

Total:

(a) Project support: Indicate, by organization, the amounts you anticipate receiving, as well as the
funding commitments you have secured to date. Please provide a brief description of any significant
non-cash contributions under the column labeled "other."

V. Potential Risks and Challenges

Describe any potential internal and external risks that could impact the project’s success.
Also include the strategies your organization can employ to mitigate such risks.

VI. Sustainability

A. Describe your organization’s strategies for sustaining the project. Specifically, what
actions will your organization and project partners implement during the project term to
develop sustainability and if known, who will be responsible for managing the project when
the grant period has ended.

B. Describe the impact, if any, which the project will have on your organization’s
sustainability and what strategies your organization will employ to ensure its capacity is
sufficient beyond the life of the grant. Include any of these strategies into the Project
Timeline worksheet, wherever possible.

Rev. 1/16/2019 Page 4 of 4

Proposal Guidelines: College Ready Program