Home > Nonprofit Services > Community Programs > LIFE Initiative

LIFE Initiative

Through the Literacy is For Everyone (LIFE) initiative, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation seeks to assist organizations in providing opportunities for adults and families to read, write and speak English at a functional level that allows for self-sufficiency and quality of life. Grant support of up to $7,000 will be provided to literacy and language providers for training, materials, awareness building and administrative support to improve the quality and the capacity of their existing programs to serve more learners.

LIFE Goals & Objectives

Build an infrastructure for all individuals to speak and learn English for adults and families.
Provide an opportunity for economic independence and for dealing with basic medical, legal and consumer issues.
Create awareness in the community for literacy skills and integrate literacy into social services, job training and other rehabilitation programs.

Build an infrastructure for all individuals to speak and learn English for adults and families.
Provide an opportunity for economic independence and for dealing with basic medical, legal and consumer issues.
Create awareness in the community for literacy skills and integrate literacy into social services, job training and other rehabilitation programs.

Grant Application Guidelines

Below is key information on the application requirements for a LIFE Initiative grant. This document includes information on the following areas:
Eligibility | Criteria & Areas of Emphasis | Online Application Process | Project Narrative & Evaluation | Deadlines/Notification Reports | Questions & Clarifications | Report Forms

Who is eligible to apply?
501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are developing or expanding programs and services related to adult literacy, family literacy and the needs of non-English speaking individuals. We encourage nonprofits whose services are not literacy based to consider collaborations with experienced literacy providers to integrate literacy services into their existing programming. Interested nonprofits must contact Mary Surbeck, program officer, to determine the eligibility of your project and to ensure you fully understand the guidelines before requesting an invitation to apply. You can reach Mary at 405/606-2917 or m.surbeck@occf.org.

Criteria & Areas of Emphasis

Applicant organizations must have current nonprofit or public status and have been in existence for two or more years from the date of the application.
The organization must operate an instructional literacy program that has been in existence for at least one year that serves the literacy and language needs of adults and families.
Organizations should possess documented program experience including delivering instruction, learner and volunteer recruitment, and training and experience in the use of literacy instructional materials. This experience includes, at a minimum, the ability to report student enrollment, attendance and completions by year, and to document waitlist, referrals and circumstances that surround a participant’s departure from the program.
The organization must have fiscal accountability. A current statement documenting the financial status of the organization will be required.

Online Application Process
Grant applications will be accepted via an online form after the nonprofit has been invited to apply. To receive an invitation to apply, please email the name and address of your organization to m.surbeck@occf.org. Include a brief description of your project and the target population. To ensure your project is within the scope of the LIFE Initiative criteria, please review the eligibility parameters listed above. The invitation to apply will include an access code and link to the online application.

The application will require you to describe the specific program and services for which funding support is requested as well as provide a budget and documentation of need in the community. The first portion of the application will ask for basic institutional information about the organization including its governance, mission and financial data. Several attachments are required. The second portion of the application will require a description of the proposed project that will give details about the program to be funded, the target population, the budget for the project, the method of evaluation that will be used and the ability of the project to be sustained in the future.

NOTE: If your organization has completed an online application for a Kirkpatrick Family Fund grant or other iFund grant program, then you will need to use the same email address for the LIFE Initiative online application.

Grant Project Narrative
Grant applications must include a Grant Project Narrative of up to five (5) pages. The narrative must provide the following information about the project/program for which grant support is requested. Please respond to each item specifically in the order listed:

Describe the targeted population for this project including the number of clients to be served, geographic areas, income levels, ethnicity, language and special needs.
Describe your proposed literacy or language project providing specific program components such as goals, recruitment strategies, instructional approach, and the number of hours needed for training, instruction or coordination. Also include a project timetable with anticipated start and end dates.
If applicable, describe how instruction for learners is delivered (classroom, staff instructor, tutors, etc.) and how client progress is evaluated.
Provide a complete budget, income and expense, for the overall project. Please identify income sources such as cash or in-kind and list other potential sources of funding received or sought in support of this project.
Describe the intended impact of the proposed grant on the capacity of the organization to provide services. How will this grant funding increase or expand the current level of service?
Describe the plan for evaluation and outcomes measurement. Include plans for follow-up with clients to measure immediate and long-term outcomes.
If the request is for a program that will have ongoing needs, please describe the organization’s plan for continued funding.

Grant Deadline and Notification
Remaining deadline in 2012: July 2
Deadline for submission of all grant application materials is 5:00 p.m. The grant application will be reviewed by a committee and recommended for approval to the Board of Trustees. Grantees will be notified of decision in mid-September.

Evaluation and Reporting
Applicants should provide a specific plan for establishing program goals and measuring both the outcomes and impacts of the proposed program. Outcomes or the statistical data generated during the course of the project should include:

a. Headcount = number participating, served during the course of the project (unduplicated count for the total of the project rather than per activity)

b. Retention = number completing the program as outlined

c. Change = number of participants who have progressed one or more educational level(s).

The evaluation process should also include a method or tool for collecting and documenting the impact and anecdotal stories that communicate the effect of the program or project on the community.
The proposal narrative outlining plans for program evaluation must answer the following questions:

What are the goals of the program?
Based on the program goals, what tangible and measurable outcomes are expected?
What process will be used to establish the baseline of information from which outcomes, retention and changes will be measured?
What kind of tool(s) will be used to measure outcomes and how will the information be quantified?
How will the impacts or long-term effects of the program be collected and documented?

Applicants should submit examples of forms or documents that will be used for the evaluation process. For an example of a program evaluation that can be adapted as needed by LIFE grant applicants, please visit the Program Evaluation Example at www.urban.org/center/cnp/projects/outcomeindicators.cfm.

Grantees will be required to submit quarterly evaluation reports for one (1) year after the award has been made or until the funded program/project is completed.

Questions & Clarifications
Please submit any questions or a need for clarification on any aspect of the application requirements to m.surbeck@occf.org or call Mary Surbeck at 405/606-2917.

Application Guidelines (This is a PDF of the guidelines outlined above.)
Download the latest free version of Acrobat here.

Report Forms
Grant Quarterly Report Form
Grant Final Evaluation Report Form

(Return to the top).