I.                  Executive Summary

 

1.                  Date:

 

2.                  (Client’s Name)

(Client’s Address)

 

3.                  (Client), Executive Director

            e-mail: (Client’s e-mail)

            phone: (Client’s phone)

 

4.                  Purpose:            (Client’s Name) seeks to give at-risk youth a challenging and positive alternative to the streets.  (Client’s Name) offers a two-hour chess class that teaches tactics and history of chess along with integrating math and reading skills into the learning experience.  Additionally, youth have the opportunity to visit cultural places, talk with successful businessmen or athletes, and play each other in chess tournaments.  Winners of tournaments receive scholastic scholarships. Your funding will enable us to reach at-risk youth during a critical period in their lives by providing a positive and challenging activity geared at strengthening their critical thinking, analytical, academic skills, and ultimately aimed at improving their self-esteem.  By helping youth create a strong foundation early in life, they are freed to develop the skills and experience needed to make positive decisions and succeed in life.

 

5.                  Period Funding will cover:    December 2000 – December 2001

 

6.                  Number of individuals (250), geographic area (District of Columbia), target population (disadvantaged youth 6^th to 8^th grade)

 

7.                  Total current organizational budget:             $(client information)

 

8.                  Total project budget, if applicable:                $(client information)

 

9.                  Dollar amount requested:                              $(client information)

 

10.              Total giving over the past three years:         $0

 

11.              Signature of executive director:

 

_______________________________________________________

II.          Narrative

 

A.     Organizational Background

                (Client) grew up in the District of Columbia attending public schools.  (Client) found a positive focus in chess, helping him overcome the adversities of a serious heart condition and his father’s drug addition.  (Client) became a positive role model to his peers earning the nickname “Icon” in high school.  He felt chess helped him grow, face challenges, think critically, and learn how to apply these skills to make his dreams a reality.

 

After graduating from high school, (client) wanted to help disadvantaged youth through chess.  While in college, (client) volunteered as a chess instructor at a variety of places such as Children’s Hospital, Ross Yaggy Elementary School, and a program run through Chess University and DC Parks and Recreation.  During this time, (client) became aquatinted with a successful program in New York City called Chess-in-the-Schools, a program that brings chess to inner city schools.  An article in The New York Times reported, “a bevy of Bronx fifth-graders became champs by winning the National Elementary School Chess Championship where over 2,000 kids and 300 teams showed up to play each other.”

 

(Client) also learned about a unique chess curriculum developed by William Levy, a teacher at Hopatcong Borough School in New Jersey.  He developed a special curriculum to promote self-esteem in his perceptually impaired students.  Levy’s curriculum includes exercises such as word problems, Sneaky Sentences, Weekly Words, reading comprehension worksheets, spelling, vocabulary, and math skills that tie chess concepts into improving academic skills.  Levy created his curriculum as a motivational device to stimulate learning and provide students with a non-academic thinking experience with regulated rules and structures.  After a year, Levy’s students not only demonstrated improved self-esteem, but significant improvement in academic and critical thinking skills.

 

After researching chess programs in the District of Columbia, (client) found they did not reach out to disadvantage youth or integrate math and reading skills into learning chess.  Committed to providing disadvantaged youth with opportunities to improve self-esteem and academic performance, he established (Client’s Name) in 1999.  (Client’s Name) is staffed by four professionals with additional help provided by Americore volunteers.  Three board members provide direction and make decisions on growth and policies for (Client’s Name).  Board member are selected through recommendations from schoolteachers or principles and serve as long as they desire.

 

B.     Purpose of Request

A positive self-image is essential to academic success, yet many inner city youth suffer from poor self-esteem.  Constructive interactions at home and at school can nurture self-esteem; however, many inner city schools face funding limitations that force them to reduce or eliminate extracurricular activities and supplemental school programs.  Having few positive options after school, inner city youth often get involved in drugs, gangs, and violence. (Client’s Name) seeks to give at-risk youth a challenging, positive alternative to the streets through chess classes that emphasize math, reading, and critical thinking skills.

 

As a start up, (Client’s Name) plans to establish chess programs at five elementary schools in the District of Columbia.  (Client’s Name) hopes to demonstrate how chess can help at-risk youth improve grades, enhance problem solving skills, develop positive relationships, and strengthen self-confidence.  In its first year, (Client’s Name) will accomplish the following goals: 1) provide innovative chess classes to elementary schools in the District of Columbia; 2) improve math, reading, and critical thinking skills that help to build self-confidence in at-risk youth; 3) enhance at-risk youth’s self-esteem by providing positive peer experiences.

 

We will implement our short-term goals through the following steps including: 1) establish chess programs at five District of Columbia elementary schools involving 250 youth; 2) teach theory and strategy of chess; 3) teach math and reading by relating to chess concepts; 4) expose youth to cultural centers and successful business persons and athletes; 5) host chess tournaments that provide invested scholastic scholarships to top placing youth; and 6) set-up headquarters and buy equipment necessary to implement programs.

 

Our long-range goals are to help youth succeed in school and in life by developing critical thinking skills, self-esteem, and academic performance. Through a comprehensive curriculum, students learn chess strategies and concepts that are connected to math and reading.  By providing youth with positive opportunities to interact with each other and develop new skills, we seek to keep them away from drugs, violence, teenage pregnancy, and low achievement in school. 

 

 

C.     Organizational Capacity

             Inspired by his own experience, (client) researched and explored ways to reach at-risk youth through chess.  He examined Chess-in-the-Schools program and William Levy’s curriculum.  Drawing on these sources,  (client) revised Levy’s curriculum to develop a two-hour chess class including educational field trips, guest speakers, chess tournaments, and scholastic scholarships to winners of tournaments and top placing female participants. 

 

(Client’s Name)’s headquarters will be based in the District of Columbia.  Permanent staff includes of Executive Director, two chess instructors, and administrative assistant.  Together the Executive Director and chess instructors teach up to 25 classes a week and organize tournaments for each class.  (Client’s Name) plans to use youth volunteers from Americore to teach math and reading curriculum and serve as observers.  As a start-up, (Client’s Name) needs to purchase office equipment, printed materials, chess game equipment, and raise funds for scholarships.  (Client’s Name) staff include the following persons:

 

(Client), Executive Director, responsible for overall implementation of chess programs in the District; represents (Client’s name) to other non-profit and chess organizations, media, and public; conducts fundraising; manages staff, and sustains (Client’s name) vision; and teaches chess classes.  (Client) works 40 hours per week.

 

(Client Information), Chess Instructor, instructs up to seven classes, organizes tournaments, promotes program, and supports Executive Director as well as prepares reports and proposals to schools and foundations. (Client Information) works part-time (20 hours per week).

 

To be hired, Chess Instructor, instructs up to seven chess classes, organizes tournaments, and promotes program.  This is a part-time (20 hour per week) position.

 

To be hired, Secretary/Treasurer keeps office records, correspondences, and financial details; writes minutes of all board meetings; promotes programs and recruits schools and recreation centers.  This is a part-time (20 hours per week) position.

 

D.    Process

(Client’s Name) program include the following elements: 1) A two hour class (first hour dedicated to chess instruction and practice, second hour dedicated to reading and math instruction); 2) Ten field trips; 3) Six guest speakers; 4) Six tournaments; and 5) Scholastic scholarship in the form of invested mutual funds provided to first, second, third place players at tournaments along with an award to the top placing female player.  (Client’s Name) will follow approximately this timeline in establishing chess programs at District schools.

 

Phase One—Recruitment of Schools

·         (Client’s Name) is working with principals at five schools in the District of Columbia to establish chess programs.  Each school will schedule one to five chess classes that will be held during school or after school hours.  Schools pay $450 per program; however, each grant funded through foundations, corporations, or individual gifts help us provide chess classes at a reduced rate to District schools.

·         (Client’s Name) is setting up headquarters and purchasing office equipment and chess materials.

 

Phase Two—Chess Programs

·         Chess classes are held once a week with up to 25 students per class.

·         In the first hour, youth learn chess moves, theory, tactics, history, and play each other.  In the second hour, reading and math exercises are taught using chess analogies.  For example, using the algebraic notation to learn coordinates for files and ranks of chess pieces is a great introduction to reading street maps, x/y axis, or graphs.  Language skills can be enhanced through chess literature that motivates reading, builds vocabulary, and serves as an introduction to foreign words (Attachment I). 

·         There are two instructors per class, one teaches chess, the other teaches math and reading skills.  Additionally, there is one observer for each class to monitor progress of students and provide insights into how to improve student involvement in the class and comprehension of material covered.

·         Five tournaments will be held at the Charles Summer building with one tournament held on the boat the Odyssey.  Four of these tournaments will involve only (Client’s Name) participants, and two tournaments will involve youth from other chess clubs in the area.

·         Ten field trips are planned to broaden student’s exposure and general knowledge of museums and cultural places.  Two trips will be out of state to locations such as New York City or Connecticut. 

·         Each month a guest speaker will be invited to talk about their success as a businessperson or athlete.  Students will have the opportunity to ask questions and gain insight into how these individuals achieved their goals and success.

·         (Client’s Name) will maintain affiliate membership with United States Chess Federation.  They assist in setting up chess clubs, provide discounts on chess equipment, and offer advertising in magazines to youth interested in chess. (Client’s name) will also cultivate relationships with other chess clubs and programs in the metropolitan area to play chess tournaments.

 

Phase Three—Evaluation & Awards

·         Each tournament provides scholastic scholarships to top three winners of each grade level and to top placing female participant.  All scholarships are in the form of invested mutual funds.  Four tournaments provide scholastic scholarships only to (Client’s Name) participants, while two tournaments provide scholarships to all participants.  Awards include the following amounts:  1^st place winners will receive a $5,000 investment; 2^nd place winners will receive $2,500 investment; 3^rd place winners will receive $1,500 investment; and top placing female participant $1,000 investment.  (Client’s Name) will invest with Stein Roe to create young investor mutual fund accounts.  Top three winners of all tournaments receive trophies.

·         To monitor student’s progress in learning chess and academic skills, (Client’s Name) will administer several tests.  Information about tests and evaluation is described below.

 

E.  Evaluation Plan

Weekly tests provide progress updates on students’ comprehension of chess (i.e. moves, theory, tactics, and history), reading, and math skills helping instructors provide appropriate coaching where needed. A study conducted by Stuart Margulies, Ph.D. on “The Effect of Chess on Reading Scores,” showed students who participated in chess programs significantly improved reading skills as opposed to students who received supplemental instruction in reading but did not participate in chess program.

 

(Client’s Name) adapted tests developed by William Levy to measure academic progress.  A pre-test, mid-term test, and a final test are planned.  Skills tested include sequencing, logic, analytical, vocabulary, and mathematics.  Chess tournaments provide a basis to assess participants’ mastery of chess (Attachment II).

 

            Behavior and self-esteem will be assessed by interviews with teachers and parents of participants.  (Client’s Name) will evaluate tests, observations from classroom observers, and interviews with parents and teachers at the end of the grant period.  This information will be complied and written into a detailed report on the effects of chess classes on student’s academic performance and self-esteem.  Pre-, mid-, and final exams also help instructors understand where students require more coaching or assistance.

F.  Sustainability

            (Client)  is working to secure foundation, corporate, individual funding.  Funding sources along with fees paid by schools will sustain (Client’s name) classes throughout the year.