Grant Example

Texas Children’s Ballet

Memorandum

TO:                        Sofia Ford, Ford Foundation

FROM:            Chelsea Penney, Texas Children’s Ballet

DATE:            October 27, 2019

RE:                        Proposal to Grantor for Dance Education Funding

I request $30,000.00 to start a nonprofit organization that will offer dance education to children in underserved neighborhoods at no cost. This program will teach students coordination, determination and hard work while giving them an appreciation of fine arts.

Present System

Currently, dance school tuitions cost on average $3,000 per year. Few inner city families have access to the luxury of professional training because of the high cost. In that case, children are not exposed to classical art forms such as proper ballet, modern and orchestral music. Because they do not have a healthy outlet for their vast amounts of energy, students can find themselves trapped in a cycle of trouble. 

Problems with the Present System

The present system works well for the upper middle class families that it attracts, but it does not have universal accessibility:

·              The cost is too high,

·              The locations are too far away, and

·              The other students and faculty cannot relate to this demographic.

These issues make the dance studio a very unwelcoming place when children do manage to get into a professional dance school. If students are not exposed to the arts at an early age, a large part of our historical and present culture will be lost and children may be considered ‘at-risk.’

Objectives

To make classical dance more accessible to this underserved demographic, Texas Children’s Ballet will strive to:

·              Provide dance education at no cost to students,

·              Utilize local schools and gymnasiums as dance spaces,

·              Provide professional dance teachers who are trained in dance, music and pedagogy, and 

·              Teach healthy uses of energy while encouraging teamwork, coordination, determination and cultural knowledge.

Proposed Solution

Using the Ford Foundation’s generous $30,000.00 grant, Texas Children’s Ballet will be able to hire excellent teachers, rent neighborhood spaces and provide the necessary training for 100 local students at no cost. The students will additionally be provided two tickets to attend the professional ballet performance of their choosing so they may experience and be inspired by what they are learning. The operating budget will leave room for marketing to expand the project in the following years. Partnerships with neighborhood public schools will benefit both entities by providing healthy after-school activities and encouraging students to attend. Many students who are involved in the fine arts earn better grades and continue their education after high school. Texas Children’s Ballet will always encourage students to work hard toward whatever their goals may be.

Methods for Developing the Program

To attract talented, educated teachers, Texas Children’s Ballet will perform an extensive survey of the local dance schools searching for instructors who have a passion for helping the less privileged. We will offer competitive salaries and family-friendly hours compared to the local dance schools. The public schools and gymnasium facilities will encourage children to join our dance classes and make it easy for them to do so.