The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

Literacy Grants — Instructions & Deadlines

Rules and Regulations

• The definition of literacy should be considered broadly. Literacy should be understood to refer to applications of skills within a variety of disciplines or contexts (health, math, technology, science, exercise, nutrition, etc.)
• Applications may be for new projects or for support for existing projects.
• Priority will be given to applications that involve college students who are volunteering in the community.
• The project director applying for the grant must be an active (dues current) Phi Kappa Phi member.
• ALL age groups are eligible - infants to senior citizens.
• Any promotion, including announcements/publicity, for literacy projects must feature Phi Kappa Phi as the sponsor of the project.
• Grant applicants may request support from a minimum of $300 to a maximum of $2,500.
• Budget can only be used for supplies and materials, publicity, postage, etc. No salaries or stipends may be included as part of the budget. Local travel to project site for target audience permitted. Applicants are encouraged to seek supplemental or matching funds from other funding sources.
• Project funds are not to be used to provide overhead costs to universities. Rather, project funds are meant to be funding opportunities for reaching out to the community and engaging human resources.
• Any unspent funds will be returned to the Literacy Grant Program budget within 30 days of program completion.
• A written report at the end of the grant period will be required. Reports should be limited to two or three pages and include the following:
  
  • Names of principal participants
  • Number of people reached or benefiting from the project
  • Generalized budget report explaining purchases
    • Receipts for purchases
  • Copies of any materials produced such as flyers or photos
  • Response to the following question: What recommendations would you offer to someone pursuing a project such as the one you have recently completed?

Tips for individuals preparing literacy grant proposals:

• Be sure your project director is an active member of Phi Kappa Phi.
• In your project description, please provide as much detail as possible about the number of people reached or benefiting from the project.
• Explain how you will announce and promote Phi Kappa Phi's sponsorship of your project.
• Provide a detailed, line-item budget to include any other funding sources used to complete the project.
• When preparing your budget, give consideration to how Phi Kappa Phi funds will best be used. If meals or transportation are critical to the success of your project, please explain this in detail. Otherwise, these expenses may be perceived as extraneous.
• If you will receive donated goods or matched funds, please indicate this in your budget.
• If you applied and did not receive a grant, apply again! The program has limited funds so your proposal may have been very deserving. Send it in again!
• Please do not include stipends or overhead costs in your budget. All the funds are meant to be used for the project.

Our Reasoning

These are not grants that are meant to make extensive use of campus resources. They are meant to be funding opportunities for reaching out to the community and engaging human resources, not university facilities. We don't expect the project directors to use labs, for example, or other campus equipment except in a minimal way. So, there are no dollars provided to pay the university.

For more detailed information, please contact:

Maria C. Davis, National Marketing Development Manager at 800.804.9880 ext 35.

Deadlines

Original application should arrive at Society Headquarters on or before February 3, 2010. Any materials received after this date will not be considered.

• Grant recipients will be announced by May 2010.
• Funds will be disbursed by September 2010.
• Project should be completed by June 1, 2011.
• A report, receipts, and left over funds should be submitted to Society Headquarters by July 1, 2011.