*This is intended to be a sample proposal coming from a local RIF program to a

community foundation or business. You can adapt this information to suit your own
programs needs. The formatting used in this sample proposal is the suggested way you
format your own proposal to maximize the readability of the document. ny areas that
need to be personalized with information from your particular program appear in
parentheses.*
Cover Sheet
Date Submitted! "ay #$% &''(
Program: )miley *lementary RIF
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Contact: Tom 3ones
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Dates for Proposed Program! ugust &2% &''(/3une #$% &''2
Amount of Request! 40%'''
Introduction
56e re7uest 40%''' from the 8iwanis 9lub to help purchase #%&$' boo:s for the &''(/
&''2 RIF program at )miley *lementary. This program will pro,ide three new% high/
7uality% and age appropriate boo:s to each of $'' children in 8indergarten through sixth
grade. 6e will also pro,ide moti,ational acti,ities through the year to encourage our
students to disco,er the fun in reading. 6e share the 8iwanis 9lubs mission of ser,ing
the children in our community% and our acti,ities and boo: distributions are a way for us
to enrich their li,es by inspiring a lifelong lo,e of reading ;
Organization Information
5)miley *lementary has organized a RIF program for &' years. Through our history% we
ha,e ser,ed nearly #'%''' children and pro,ided almost 0'%''' boo:s to them.;
6e are a local program of Reading Is Fundamental% Inc 5RIF;. Founded in #<((% RIF is
the oldest and largest nonprofit childrens and family literacy organization in the nation.
RIF de,elops and deli,ers childrens and family literacy programs that help prepare
young children for reading and moti,ate school/age children to read regularly.
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The >ational ?oo: -rogram 5>?-; is RIFs flagship program. The >?- moti,ates
children% families% and community members to read together through a triad of principles
basic to the entire RIF organization! boo: ownership% moti,ational acti,ities% and family
in,ol,ement in children@s reading.
Program Goals:
-ro,ide new% free boo:s and literacy resources to children and their families.
"oti,ate children to read.
+enerate community support for literacy.
Program Components:
Books for ownership: 9hildren ha,e the opportunity to choose and :eep three to
fi,e boo:s per year at no cost to the children or their families.
Fun literacy-related activities: Reading really is FA>damental in the RIF
>ational ?oo: -rogram. Bolunteers moti,ate children to read with a myriad
of festi,e boo: acti,ities that accompany each boo: e,ent.
Family and community involvement: RIF head7uarters pro,ides training and
technical assistance to enable ,olunteer program coordinators at each site to
recruit and train additional ,olunteers% who help run their >?-.
Statement of Need
5C,er half of the children in our elementary school are considered at ris: of educational
failure% and at least three fourths of our community ho,ers near the po,erty line. The
reading scores on state achie,ement tests are Dust abo,e the minimum re7uired% but the
teachers are committed to finding ways to raise student performance.; The A.).
=epartment of *ducation stated that ECffering extended learning opportunities is clearly
one of the maDor ways that we will ensure that all children can read in this country by the
end of the third grade 5?ringing *ducation to fter/)chool -rograms. A.). =epartment of
*ducation% #<<<;.F RIF pro,ides an excellent forum for to extend our reading program
from the classroom to the home.
Project Description
Cur RIF program will organize three boo: distributions for the entire school to attend. t
each of these free distributions% each child will chose one boo: to :eep. In addition to
choosing a boo:% the children will also participate in fun literacy/related acti,ities% such
as hearing a boo: read aloud% learning interesting facts about childrens boo: authors%
sharing their fa,orite boo:s with others% or engaging in other specially designed% thematic
acti,ities.
Program Plan and imeline
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s stated pre,iously% we will hold three boo: distributions. *ach of these distributions
will ha,e a different theme. -re,ious distributions ha,e included a Dungle theme% where
many of the boo:s featured wild animals% a celebration of =r. )eusss birthday% and a
E9elebrate mericaF day. 5Cur dedicated ,olunteers are already planning the first
distribution% which will be a celebration for RIFs 1'
th
anni,ersary on >o,ember 0
rd
.
Gocal stores ha,e already committed to donating decorations and be,erages for the
Eparty%F and a local ba:ery will supply cupca:es for all the children% staff% and ,olunteers.
)imilar arrangements will be made for each of the distributionsHlocal businesses and the
parents of our students consistently pro,ide much needed support in all aspects of the
distributions. The schools staff and faculty coordinate the planning and organizing the
,olunteers.;
The dates for distributions are!
5>o,ember 0% &''(/ RIFs 1'
th
?irthday 9elebration
February &'% &''2/ 5tentati,e theme; 9elebrate merica
pril &$% &''2/ 5tentati,e theme; ?oo:s on the ?each
The school has all ready reser,ed the rooms for us to use% and our -T organization will
begin promoting the distributions at its meetings in the late summer. Cur boo: selection
committee will place an order for boo:s with RIF national in the first wee: of )eptember%
and the boo:s will be stored at the elementary school.;
!udget
Item +rant support 9ommunity support
5#%&$' boo:s 40%''' 4&%''' from -T
=ecorations In/:ind contributions from
local organizations
Food and ?e,erages for
=istributions
In/:ind contributions from
local organizations;
Program "#aluation Plan
6e e,aluate the efficacy of the RIF program as a part of our efforts to increase reading
scores on standardized tests. 6e also consider the childrens reactions to the RIF program
and note any increases in reading for pleasure. 6e sur,ey the parents of all the children to
see if they notice any increase or change in their childrens reading habits.
Attac$ments
$'#5c;50; IR) =etermination Getter
5-hotos% newspaper articles% etc.;
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