While cleaning my home to prepare for a dinner guest last weekend I used my most persuasive skills to obtain help from my sons. It took a little effort, but to my amazement I was successful and working together made the job more efficient and even enjoyable. This outcome led me to ponder on the power of collaboration. A collaborative effort makes tiny tasks disappear, medium-sized projects manageable and the largest and most difficult work bearable. The funders I chose this week use the power of collaboration to address one of the most painful and prevalent issues in the world today – abuse.

This week’s pick: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), a philanthropic organization devoted to improving health and health care is sponsoring a collaborative competition with Changemakers an initiative that focuses on social innovation and provides solutions and resources to help everyone become a change maker. Their combined effort is a open competition called No Private Matter! Ending Abuse in Intimate and Family Relations.

As described by RWJF Sr. Program Officer J.A. Grisso, “The title—No Private Matter!—is emphatic by design. Domestic abuse, intimate partner violence and relationship violence in all its forms are emphatically not private. The consequences touch us all.”

The competition is international in scope and can be entered by showcasing your solutions in an online form between now and March 28th. You can even qualify for an early entry prize if you submit your ideas by February 10th. All entries are available for public viewing and commentary to lend help in refining applications. Twelve finalists will be announced and the Changemakers community will vote among them. The top three vote-getters will each receive a $5,000 award. To learn more about this unique opportunity go to http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/competition/endabuse.

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Before we start gazing I want to make a correction to a piece I wrote for our January company newsletter, The Improve Groove. I have been notified that the Herbalife Family Foundation no longer accepts unsolicited grant requests. My sincere apologies to our readers and to the Herbalife Foundation. I did check my sources but they were not updated. I will be even more watchful in the future.

Now for today’s topic - literacy. If you are around any of the Improve Group staff for very long you will quickly learn that we are avid readers. I cannot fathom how much joy would be gone from my life without the ability to pick up a great novel, begin reading and be swept away. The following funder has my admiration for addressing functional literacy needs in adults, families and children. They also provide links on their website to locate local adult literacy programs and to find volunteer tutor opportunities. Read on!

This week’s pick: Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s 2007 Family Literacy Grants. This company’s commitment to literacy began with co-founder J.L. Turner’s overcoming a third grade education to build the business known as Dollar General Corporation. Funding literacy is just one of the community-minded programs they provide.

Non-profit programs applying for these literacy grants must focus on Adult Literacy, Adult Basic Education, GED Preparation and English for Speakers of Other Languages. The submission deadline is March 2, 2007 and maximum awards are $15,000. You must be located in one of the 35 states where Dollar General does business. Go to http://www.dollargeneral.com/community/communityinvestments.aspx to download an application.

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Dr. Don Helmstetter, Superintendent of Spring Lake Park District 16, was recently named Minnesota's Superintendent of the Year by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators. In our work with District 16 to evaluate their Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative and now in kicking off our evaluation of their Small Learning Communities grant, we have been greatly impressed with the commitment and creativity of their staff. This has very much reflected Dr. Helmstetter's leadership.

Congratulations!

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The U.S. Department of Education is expected to release a grant notice for Safe Schools Healthy Students grants on April 6. In the past, these grants have been available to individual school districts or a consortia of districts. The Department expects to make 20 awards ranging from $1-3 million.

We have recently concluded our evaluations of two Safe Schools/Healthy Students grantee sites, for Spring Lake Park District 16 and a consortium of districts led by the Northwest Minnesota Council of Collaboratives based in Crookston. District 16 submitted their final report in December and received a very nice compliment from their program officer from the U.S. Department of Education:

You and your staff did a very nice job on the report. I was wondering if you would feel comfortable with sharing it and the evaluation report with other grantees. A couple of sites I work with seem to have struggled with these final and evaluation reports, and I think perhaps a concrete example might be of some help.

If your district or organization is interested in exploring this grant opportunity, please feel free to contact us; we are always happy to partner on new grant applications.

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I can't resist a quick congratulations to my cousin, Rachel Grady, and her partner Heidi Ewing on the nomination of their documentary Jesus Camp for an Academy Award. It was a film many of us in the office watched and discussed for weeks after its local release at Lagoon Cinema.

Can't wait to see them on the red carpet!

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The Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) has a new quarterly newsletter that highlights their original research and compiles research summaries from across the country about girls, their health and development.

This season's issue features The New Normal: What Girls Say About Healthy Living. This original research study found that girls associate healthy with "looking normal", a clear indicator of the importance of peers for girls aged 11-17.

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A recent story on Marketplace/NPR caught my attention. Prof. Joel Fleishman of Duke University finds fault with foundations in his most recent book The Foundation: A Great American Secret; How Private Wealth is Changing the World. He says that he studied dozens of foundations including the size of the sector, but very few publish results in a way that can help either non-profits or other foundations learn and become more effective.

This is an interesting aspect of the issue recently addressed in the New York Times magazine by economist Peter Singer, who argued for a sliding scale of giving with those with the most means giving the highest proportion of their wealth away. He too noted the limited accountability built into private donations, and that perhaps a taxation system with a more widely distributed decision-making power was necessary. It is an interesting argument; how do you encourage people to do good, if you take the definition of good out of their control?

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My apologies to our blog followers for such a late entry in this week’s Grant Gazing. The observance of Martin Luther King Day and subsequent need to catch up on office tasks delayed my writing. The day off, however, gave me pause to think about the reason we honor Dr. King. In my personal life I have listened while good friends relate their unpleasant experiences with racial profiling. As a woman, I have had times where I have been dismissed simply on my gender. And in the media, (pretty much on a daily basis) I see the inequities and injustices that prevail in all walks of life.

I find my ray of hope when I visit my sons’ public school. I see children of all colors, backgrounds, sizes and abilities learning of a better future that can exist for them. I recall when my oldest was in his first grade class play. He was one of three students who had the privilege of portraying Dr. Martin Luther King at a particular stage in the Reverend’s amazing life. After four years, Alex can still give the speech he learned for that play because the words had such an impact on him. With this inspiration in mind, I am highlighting a funding source that supports the hope for a more peaceful and respectful world.

This Week’s Pick: Singing for Change (SFC) - Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville
If you are an avid “Parrot Head” you already know that this well-known performer does much more than just sing. Jimmy Buffett’s Singing for Change is passionate about improving peoples’ lives and their communities. Their organization “offers competitive grants to progressive, community-based, nonprofit organizations that address the root causes of social and environmental problems.” Although their funding categories also include the Environment along with Children and Families, I would like to spotlight their support of Disenfranchised Groups. Under this focus area they look for proposals that:

1. Help people overcome social or economic barriers to education or employment
2. Promote the empowerment of individuals toward self-sufficiency, and provide opportunities for personal growth
3. Demonstrate human equality and encourage people to cross boundary lines to help others

Grants ranging from $500 to $10,000 are made annually. I noted organizations that received repeating grants for up to 6 years! SFC does not accept unsolicited requests so be sure to start with a letter of interest and follow the procedures on their website at http://www.margaritaville.com/SFC_interest.php.

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In 1964, at the age of 35, Martin Luther King Jr. became the youngest person every to win the Nobel Peace Prize. His accomplishments leading up to that award were nothing short of amazing; as a (fairly recent) graduate student I quickly subtracted his start date from the completion date of his doctorate -- a time when he was also starting a family -- and came up with two short years.

I can't summarize Dr. King's legacy for America, but I am struck by two aspects of his vision that I think provide the foundation of what many think of basic human morality today. The first aspect is the concept of the dignity and value of all human kind. Racial justice was the most prominent aspect of this vision, but he extended the vision to all humans, disadvantaged and advantaged alike. This was clear in his recently released speech, where he emphasized how justice, dignity and value have been ideals strived for in all areas, and linked various philosophers with different political views to this concept.

We are all moving, in some sense, towards a promised land...justice peace and brotherhood are the promised land.

The second aspect is that, in turn, acting non-violently is the highest form of human dignity. This, clearly, is the root of his Nobel Prize acceptance speech:

...This award which I receive on behalf of that movement is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time - - the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression. Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts.

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The 23rd National Home and Community Based Services Conference will take place from Sept. 30-Oct. 3 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

We had a chance to present findings from our Waiver Review Project at the 2006 conference in Minneapolis; the presentation is available at the National Association for State Units on Aging website. If you are interested in sharing new tools used in serving individuals who receive long-term care services, we found the offerings very engaging and broad.

Also recently, we received a call for paper proposals from the American Evaluation Association. Marian presented a paper on cross-site evaluation at the 2006 conference, and was very inspired to learn new theories in participatory and developmental evaluation. The conference, Nov. 5-7 in Baltimore, has an emphasis on evaluation and learning.

One final conference to note is the American Planning Association's 99th National Planning Conference, April 14-18 in Philadelphia. I have attended this conference twice, and greatly enjoyed the offerings. One of the highlights each year are the mobile workshops, where local communities get to showcase some of their special projects.

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What if....

You could hold a focus group that people could attend from all over the country?

You could have in-person meetings with your colleagues, even when they are in different locations?

You could have a brainstorming session that resulted in a "demo" product or description right on-site?

There has been technology trying to enable these items for a number of years. In Minnesota, our state provides an ITV system to all counties, public 2- to 4-year colleges, and many other local community centers. We are working with the Dept. of Human Services next week to host an ITV workshop on our waiver review project with counties that have already been reviewed; we will use the session to ask them how counties are using results and whether there are other aspects of services we should be evaluating.

Another client, Austin Public Schools, uses a web meeting format; they joked at a recent in-person meeting that soon they will never have to leave their desks. However, they shortly began to tell us where all the local restaurants are, and it sounds like there will be plenty of incentives for a long time to get together in person over food including the Tendermaid where we had lunch.

One complaint about each of these formats is that they can be awkward for new users. A recent article in the New York Times suggests a different format: games. The article describes several courses that are currently being "hosted" in an environment on the game Second Life. It will be interesting how people, particularly young adults, savvy with this format demand more and more of the flexibility it allows to be integrated in their work environment.

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Since I was a young girl reading books such as Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown under my desk in a not-so-stimulating junior high school class, I have been engaged and inspired by the strength and cultural unity of the Native American community. Today, as a mother of two sons who are part Lakota Sioux I try to keep that pride and connection alive in my own family. This week, to honor this connection I am highlighting a funding source that supports local grassroots partnerships involving the Native American peoples.

This week’s pick: The Seva Foundation which assists Native American Communities in the United States that are working on their own solutions to “spiritual and cultural renewal, health and wellness, environmental restoration, sustainable agriculture and community and economic development, education and treaty rights protection.” Native America-led organizations whose projects or initiatives’ are in line with the above mentioned focus areas are eligible. The Seva Foundation provides resources to encourage people to find their own solutions to solving problems. Grants range from S500 to $5,000 and applications are reviewed quarterly. The next deadline for applications is January 26, 2007. A downloadable grant application can be found at their website at http://www.seva.org/communitygrants.php.

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A big thank you to all the great guests who attended our Holiday Party on December 19th here at the Improve Group offices. We had a wonderful turnout which filled up our conference room and the big space in the back portion of the office. Our visitors brought with them a total of 94 pounds of food and needed goods which were donated to Second Harvest Food Bank. Speaking of food, for the second year in a row our delicious catering was provided by Linda Savage and her business Class Act Catering. (The pulled beef and thumbprint cookies were standouts). Our conference room was buzzing with our small party-goers playing games, watching movies and munching an assortment of kid-friendly foods. Samantha Richard and Kimie Krienitz did a great job babysitting. Thanks also to the Improve Group staff who cleaned and decorated for the event.

Here are a few photos from the evening:

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Hello again and Happy New Year! I hope you had a peaceful and rejuvenating holiday experience. At this new beginning we all prioritize and concentrate on what means the most to us. To launch 2007, I am focused on my children and making their lives as positive as possible. In this spirit I am offering two funding avenues to better the lives of children.

This week’s picks:

My son blows a mean trombone and music and the arts are a passion in my family. I was pleased to find The Mockingbird Foundation, Inc. funded by the rock band, Phish and incorporated in the state of New York by a dozen longtime fans of the band. They fund public schools and nonprofit organizations across the United States that “encourage and foster creative expression in any musical form (including composition, instrumentation, vocalization, or improvisation).” You can start a request process through their online Letter of Inquiry accepted by February 1 and August 1 each year. Information on their funding requirements can be found at http://www.mockingbirdfoundation.org/funding/guidelines.html.
You will be contacted by email if they want a formal proposal submitted. Grants range in size from $50 to $5,000 and are made on a one-time basis.

For my second pick I am looking in my own back yard. The Improve Group offices are located directly across the street from the Mall of America and they have a foundation of their own. The Mall of America® Foundation for Youth, provides MOA the opportunity to partner with charities and organizations across the country “that promote the self-development, well being and education of youth, their families and their communities.” You must be a nonprofit to apply. Although schools can only apply for special initiatives not covered in their budgets there is another opportunity for students themselves to apply for MOA Foundation Youth Scholarships. Their website at http://www.mallofamerica.com/young_adults_moa_foundation_youth.aspx gives more details and an application to download.

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Our work and staff have been featured in a few publications recently. In the American Education Research Association's Survey Research in Education Respondent, Leah Goldstein Moses was featured in the Spotlight column.

Our work with Performing Arts Workshop was also highlighted in the Macalester Today's class notes, due to the multiplicity of Macalester graduates (Leah Goldstein Moses '95; Rebecca Stewart '95; Tom DeCaigny '98; Anne-E Wood, '97; Jules Goldstein, '69) involved in our work. Tom DeCaigny was also presented in a feature article on performing alumni.

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Clients often ask us how they can be sure they are getting the "true" answer to their research questions. This question comes up when developing a survey, reviewing participant files, or even recruiting for a focus group. The answer comes down to both sampling strategy and sample size. You want to structure both the strategy and the size so that (1) you are including the people most likely to have the information you need; (2) you are respecting the variety of ideas and information that exists within a group; (3) you are balancing costs with need for valid information; and (4) you are realistic about what you can learn from the group.

A sample strategy is the method you use to select people or documents who will provide you with information. The sampling strategy can vary greatly depending on the situation. Some situations call for a random or stratified random sampling strategy. In these cases, a random formula is applied to all potential respondents, or subsets of respondents. We use this strategy in our work with the Department of Human Services, in which we obtain a random sample of participants in each of six programs.

You can also use a targeted sampling strategy, in which you specifically recruit people you think best suited to provide you with the information you need. For example, in our work for the United Jewish Fund and Council, we are trying to reach two specific groups (families with young children and people who are not very involved in the Jewish community) to explore new outreach ideas and need for childcare. Because this group will be self-identified, we are asking people to recommend friends and relatives to participate and then asking them to identify others as well (we are calling this a "drill-down" sampling strategy). We will supplement this with some random selection from a phone list.

Once your strategy is identified for your project, you should begin to think about the size of the sample. For this you want to take into account the confidence level you hope to achieve and the type of information you are collecting. The confidence level tells you how sure you can be that the responses are the "true" responses, within a percentage basis. So, if your confidence level is 95% (the most commonly used in social science research), you can be 95% sure that your responses are accurate. You can only use confidence levels to help determine sample sizes in randomly selected groups; it doesn't make sense to be confident about your results if you specifically selected respondents for targeted characteristics.

When working with a targeted group, you should use different methods for gaining confidence about your results. One way is to directly ask respondents how representative they feel they are of the general population as a whole. If you ask this question repeatedly to several different respondents, you can begin to assess how well your respondents match the population at large.

Some resources on sampling size, strategies and calculators can be found on the Internet:

University of Florida Extension
Vanderbilt University
Harvard University

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